"Rob Swigart - AKA" - читать интересную книгу автора (Swigart Rob)

where he would be far from girls.
The vehicle Avery would travel in was not a rocket by conventional standards since
Ambrose Merkin had developed the Merkin Drive for it. The A.K.A. Monastic flew entirely on
orgone power alone.
The orgone was a little blue ball of sexual energy that zipped invisibly around the firmament
in total disorder until Dr. Merkin figured out how to control it.
The press was very excited by the launch. The stands around the small concrete launching
pad were packed with reporters. The networks sent their top anchor men to cover the takeoff.
"Well, Larry, the countdown is proceeding smoothly, and it's ten minutes to launch. In the
meantime we have a special report on the revolutionary new Merkin Drive from Dick Peters,
who is with Dr. Merkin in his laboratory."
"Thank you, Walter. Well, Dr. Merkin, we understand that this new drive you have
developed for Augenblaue AeroSpace runs entirely on sexual energy alone. Is that correct?"
"Well, Dick. Ah, you don't mind if I call you Dick, do you? Good. Well, it does not run on
sexual energy exactly, but rather on orgones, which as you may know were postulated by Dr.
Wilhelm Reich some time ago, but which were not proved to exist until quite recently." Dr.
Merkin waved his hand toward a complex device standing on the floor behind him. "This
electrogravitic device captures, as we say, free-floating orgones and channels them into a
coherent stream, rather like a laser. The energy is enormous; it will have no difficulty
propelling Mr. Augenblaue into intergalactic space."
"Well, that's just fantastic, Dr. Merkin. Now, in your test runs of this new spacecraft, have
you..."
"There have been no test runs. This will be the first flight of the Monastic." Dr. Merkin
wagged his head in a quick summary gesture.
"But what about side effects or unknown dangers? Surely it is customary to test a new
process or device first?"
"Yes, usually. But Mr. Augenblaue was in something of a hurry, and he and I are both quite
certain that the device will work satisfactorily. There may be some side effects, but Mr.
Augenblaue is quite prepared for them."
 At five minutes to launch Avery sat in his comfortable launch chair, which would double as
bed and couch in intergalactic space. He was watching programs about him on all three
networks. Other screens showed him views of the crowd in the stands. Avery was looking
forward to liftoff. Dr. Merkin had assured him of an exciting show.
There was a hold at two minutes because one of the CBS microwave transmitters went out
and a new one had to be rushed into place. Ordinarily that would have been tough luck for
CBS, but this was not an ordinary launch.
Avery glanced at his number seven screen while the hold was in effect, and he saw Kay's
vibrant orange hair blazing in the special VIP box. She was having a party. His brother Nelson
stood by Mrs. Sparrow. Mr. Sparrow's mother and his niece Dudee were there as well, but
there was no sign of Mr. Sparrow himself. The Countess held hands with her Able-bodied
Seaman, whose torso was plastered with a dazzling white T-shirt that gave the writhing play of
his perfect chest muscles star billing.
Avery noticed that the President had made it today, and the Secretary of State. Kay directed
August to serve the frozen daiquiris, her head near his, so they looked like a candle flame and
its snuffer together. Avery caught the word "historic" from his monitors and glanced back at
Walter.
"This is a historic event in man's perennial quest for the farthest frontier. Here, today, a man
will launch his frail craft and vulnerable body for the first time into intergalactic space, out
beyond the plane of the galaxy toward the Magellanic clouds. Before Man has even reached the
nearest stars, Avery Augenblaue, director of all the various and powerful Augenblaue