"Charles Stross - Duat" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

Oshi glanced at the screen again. "Something's happened to Ridgegap-47, right? And you
want me to find out what."

"Not an Ultrabright attack. If it was, the system would simply have dropped off the net.
We're still communicating: all that is wrong is that the gatekeeper is not talking. Null
carrier. Test packets go in and come back again, but messages to the supervisor are not
acknowledged. When he stopped talking thirty years ago we assumed that he was simply
ill. But since then, that domain has become too dangerous for Superbrights to travel to. So
I'm sending you, monkey. I'm sending you to Ridgegap-47 to find out what's happening
and why the Superbright in charge isn't talking to anyone. If the situation can be corrected,
do so: I leave it up to your own judgement. But whatever you do, report back. When you
have done so you may go your own way, with my blessing. If you want."

"Is that all?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. It's not trivial."

"But then --" Oshi glanced round. Alone. A momentary lapse of self-confidence made her
shiver: she'd never worked alone this way before. Really alone, with no support for light
years and no certainty that she'd even arrive at the destination. "You'll let me go?"

"Indeed." The Boss raised a hand, snapped his fingers in a theatrical gesture. He wasn't
smiling now. The wall blacked out, faded back to the colour of marble lit by firelight. You
have made yourself disposable: a scratch monkey. If you survive, I will consider you
released from our service. But that --" Oshi glanced away, wondering why the drones
were standing down, retracting weapons into their camouflaged hulls. "-- Is unlikely." A
hand came down on her shoulder. "Your upload implants are functional, I see." She
stepped sideways but the Boss tightened his grip. "Ah, good." Oshi instinctively tried to
throw off the handhold. What's happening? she wondered. Nervously: when do I leave --

"Now," said the Boss, enfolding her neck with his other hand. Oshi struggled. "I really
must insist," he added apologetically. Oshi slashed at his arm viciously: blood spurted in a
great arc of green ichor. There was a dry snapping sound, like branches falling beneath the
tyres of a heavy vehicle. When he let go of her neck, she dropped. "It wouldn't do for you
to talk to any of the other monkeys, would it?"

Oshi couldn't see anything, couldn't move: her body was an alien ache, infinitely far away.
As if from a great distance, she heard the singing of her wisdom implants uploading her
mind-map to the nearest Dreamtime node. Can't breathe. She rolled her eyes, caught a
glimpse of the Boss standing before her with a frown on his face before things began to
haze over and she was blind. Broken neck. Upload in effect. Sending me off fast ...


file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Stross,%20Charles%20-%20Duat%20(ss).html (15 of 103)4-7-2007 2:25:58
2: In the Duat


"See you in hell, little monkey," said the Devil. And then he was gone.