"James Tiptree Jr. - The Only Neat Thing to Do" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tiptree James Jr)

family's friends, as her mother expects, and
sometimes showing off by running a vortex beacon
or two, as her father fears?
Does she? Really?
Or—does she head straight for the nearest
ship-fitters and blow most of her credit balance
loading extra fuel tanks and long-range sensors
onto the coupe, fuel it to the nozzles, and
then—before the family's accountant can raise
questions—hightail for the nearest Federation
frontier, which is the Great North Rift beyond
FedBase 900, where you can look right out at
unknown space and stars?
That wasn't much of a problem, was it?
The exec of FedBase 900 watches the yellow head
bobbing down his main view corridor.
"We ought to signal her folks c-skip collect," he
mutters. "I gather they're rich enough to stand it."
"On what basis?" his deputy inquires.
They both watch the little straight-backed figure
marching away. A tall patrol captain passes in the
throng; they see the girl spin to stare at him, not
with womanly appreciation but with the open-eyed
unselfconscious adoration of a kid. Then she turns
back to the dazzling splendor of the view beyond the
port. The end of the Rift is just visible from this side
of the asteroid Base 900 is dug into.
"On the basis that I have a hunch that that infant
is trouble looking for a place to happen," Exec says
mournfully. "On the basis that I don't believe her
story, I guess. Oh, her ident's all in order—I've no
doubt she owns that ship and knows how to run it,
and knows the regs; and it's her right to get cleared
for where she wants to go—by a couple of days. But
I cannot believe her parents consented to her
tooting out here just to take a look at unknown
stars. ... On the basis that if they did, they're
certifiable imbeciles. If she were my daughter—"
His voice trails off. He knows he's overreacting
emotionally; he has no adequate excuse for
signaling her folks. "They must have agreed," his
deputy says soothingly. "Look at those extra fuel
tanks and long-range mechs they gave her."
(Coati hadn't actually lied. She'd told him that
her parents raised no objection to her coming out
here—true, since they'd never dreamed of it—and
added artlessly, "See the extra fuel tanks they put
on my ship so I'll be sure to get home for long trips?
Oh, sir, I'm calling her the CC-One; will that sound
too much like something official?'') Exec closes the