"Nancy Kress - Safeguard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kress Nancy)

and refolded the white paper bag Taney had left her, making pretty shapes.
The sky overhead and beside the Grove darkened. The feeder with its
three untouched bowls and one empty one sank into the ground. The
blankets rose, clean even though last night Kim had shit hers again.

The four children wrapped themselves in blankets and lay down on
the grass. Within minutes all were asleep in the circling grove of antiseptic
palm trees that produced no fruit, and whose fronds never rustled in the
motionless air.

****

“Two-and-a-half enclosed acres. Double-built dome construction,
translucent and virtually impenetrable. Negative air pressure with triple
filters. Inside, semi-tropical flora, no fauna, monitors throughout.
Life-maintenance machinery to be concentrated by the east wall within a
circle of trees, including the input screen. All instructional programs to
feature only cartoon characters in biohazard suits, to minimize curiosity
about other people.”

Katherine said, “Two-and-a-half acres isn’t sufficient for a
self-sustaining biosphere.”

“Of course not, ma’am,” the high-clearance DOD engineer said,
barely concealing his impatience. “An outside computer will control all
plant-maintenance and atmospheric functions.”

“And personnel?”
 “Once the biosphere is up and running, it will need little human
oversight. Both functional and contact personnel will be your agency’s
responsibility. Our involvement extends only to the construction and
maintenance of the cage.”

“Don’t call it that!”

The engineer, whom Katherine knew she should be thanking
instead of reprimanding, merely shrugged. His blue eyes glittered with
dislike. “Whatever you say, ma’am.”

****

Three days later, Taney didn’t come.

It was her day. But lunch came up on the feeder, and then dinner, and
then the sky got dark, and the leaving door never opened. Kim sat staring at
it the whole day, her mouth hanging open until Jana pressed it closed. Kim
couldn’t talk or do much of anything, but somehow she always knew when it
was Taney’s day. So she sat, while the others splashed in the pond and
pretended to have fun.