Energy #04 03 мая 1997

FANTASY - Roman G. Harrison, "Plague from Space" (Chapter 1).

                FANTASY



              Harry Harrison


             SWINE FROM SPACE



                    1


     Dr. Sam Berthollet bowed low
over the chessboard, on which he sat. He frowned thoughtfully, 
and they converged over his high forehead, a black stripe. He 
gently took hold of the royal pawn, moved it forward on the 
board and deeply sigh, when controlling the screen lit up with 
green light-he made the correct move one stroke, which Fischer 
started in 1973 Berlin his famous party. Then the chess board 
quietly humming, and the elephant of the enemy moved 
diagonally. PC represented the opponent Fisher - Botvinnik

- In this historic game, and the last
move was unexpected and dangerous. Sam frowned and concentrated 
on board with sixty-four cells.

On the other side of the metal table
The killer turned the pages of the magazine. The rustle of 
paper loudly heard in the silence of the room ambulance. 
Outside the walls Hospital reigned hectic activity

a huge city. Greater New York consisted of twelve million 
inhabitants, and in any second could open the door to

skip into the room next
victim furious motion.

     Here on the table at which they are
lazily sprawled, cut impregnated
blood, pieces of clothing, and reigning now
silence heard screams and moans live
dying.

     Sam moved his horse to the queenside,
to overcome the threat of attack.

     Controlling the screen flashed red -
Sam did not like the course, which at one time did Fisher - and 
immediately revived the buzzer Alarm mounted on the wall.


     The killer was on his feet. He left
room before the magazine had fallen
touch the floor. Sam paused to remove the chessboard in a 
sliding drawer. He knew from personal experience that take a 
few seconds until the go written confirmation of this signal

anxiety. He just locked the drawer
box when the gap communicator spat
piece of paper. Sam pressed the left
hand, confirming receipt of the message
then hurried out.

     Door of the ambulance was
open, Killer has already launched the turbine. Sam
jumped to his seat and grabbed the handrail, getting ready for 
the start: Killer liked to start on a heavy car as

rocket. Ambulance started,
when the killer started the turbine at full
power. Only brakes still holding the car on the spot. Sam 
barely usidel on his seat when the killer removed the brakes

while his foot pressed the gas pedal.
Car jump rushed forward, and the sudden acceleration slammed 
both doors. They rushed along the driveway leading to the main 
highway. 

     - Where, Doc? - Asked the killer.

     Sam looked at the screen is an informant
fastened to his hand.

     - Crossroads of the fifteenth Street and
Seventh Avenue, A_7-11. Accident.
One person was wounded. You will be able to conduct this
damn boat about fifty meters straight
so I could prepare tools for
surgery?

     - We still have three quarters, then
I'll have to turn - The killer calmly replied. - This, 
according to my calculations, will give you at least seven 
seconds, then again you'll have to cling to the

handrail.

     - Thanks, - Sam said.

     He squeezed through a narrow passage in the
rear of the car and took off from the wall of gray
box. Then he sat back down in his place and
clutched a box between the legs. Outside, past the
They swept the building and traveling on the road
machine. Traffic signal ambulances
aid was handed over to the service of motion control, and the 
dashboard messages of all other machines flashed signals of 
caution. On distance of four blocks of the machine

Ambulance all cars traveling on the
same street, were stopped. Car
ambulance all the traffic lights switched
the light is green, and the howl of sirens forced
other cars to stay away from the band's movement.

     Dr. Sam Berthollet quiet
sat in his seat. The task of the Killer
was transported to the scene,
and he felt foolish now to break
his neck, as he was supposed to be
very likely. What happened there?
A little more time and he knows about it.
Sam was a tall man with a strong
hands. He could shave a dozen times a day
but his cheeks have never got rid of a bluish tint. His hair 
was black, the resin, and with direct skin folds

between the eyebrows gave him a policeman or a prize fighter. 
And yet He was a doctor, and a good doctor. Just a few weeks 
before the end of June, and then he leave his assistant 
physician and open his private practice. His life was outlined 
clearly, and he did not could be no failures.


     Killer Dominguez seemed to be full
opposite of Sam. It was a thin,
average height, slightly nervous man.

     His bony hands clutching the steering wheel tightly, his 
muscles were tensed, jaw continuously moving, rolling ball

chewing gum from one corner of the mouth to
another. Was under a thick pillow to him it was easier to see 
the instrument panel, and his short legs, it seemed, barely 
getting out before the gas pedal and brakes. But it was the 
best driver in the hospital, and before he went back to 
service, he was for the sixteen years worked as a taxi driver. 
Streets were his world, and he felt at ease only when carried 
several tons of iron on the streets with heavy traffic.


     The wheels squealed when they turned
on Seventh Avenue and headed toward the crowd,
which was formed in the corner.
A policeman in blue uniform, pointed them at the
edge of the road.

     - Accident, dock, - said
he said.

     Sam with a heavy metal suitcase out of the car.

     - A man tried to take advantage of
old street elevator. Somehow
his foot hit into the gap between the cab and
wall of the shaft. Before the elevator stopped, his leg nearly 
cut off. I stood there on the corner, and heard his screams.


     Before the crowd parted in front of
them, Sam glanced at the policeman. The policeman was young and 
a little nervous, but seemed to his service

seriously.

     Then they were faced with a cabin
elevator, and before Sam opened the steel
box, his gaze slid over the outside. Elevator car stopped at 
about two feet above street level. On its floor

lay a solid gray-haired man of about
sixty years. He lay in a big puddle
blood, his right leg was sandwiched between
metal edge of the cabin and the wall of the mine. Men's eyes 
were closed, his skin was pale, waxy tinge.


     - Who can use this lift?
- Sam asked. He looked into the faces of the people around him. 
The crowd parted to skip ahead a young guy.


     - Doc, I know how to handle this
thing. That is nonsense. Just press the red button and the 
elevator goes down. Black Button - elevator goes up.


     - Do you know how to operate this
elevator, or do you really know how they
I use it? - Sam asked.

     He pressed a sensitive probe
functions of the body to the inside of your wrist
victim.

     - Of course I can, I enjoyed it quite often - answered the 
boy. He even slightly hurt.


     - I translate it in boxes and not just ...

     - Excellent. Take control elevator and descend the 
elevator to our feet, when I tell you. When I shout

You Up! ", you're back elevator to the original position.

     The scale instrument data appears. Body temperature was 
below normal, blood pressure, weak pulse and too slow for a man 
of his age, he had been injured. He suffered a strong shock, 
and probably lost too a lot of blood. Sam saw that the left 
trouser leg was broken, and its fragments are widely apart. Leg 
men was almost completely cut off. On the stump has been imposed

black leather belt, cuts deeply into the
skin of his feet. Sam looked at the policeman.

     - That you have done?

     - Yes. I told you that he was nearby when it happened. 
According to our service requirements, we must touch the victim 
unless absolutely necessary. I felt that Now this is the case. 
I knew that had to stop his bleeding. I

took his belt and pulled his leg. When
He lost consciousness.

     - You were quite right.
He may be grateful for that, you
saved his life. Push back the crowd back and
I tell the driver that he should come
here with a stretcher.

     While Sam said, his hands constantly
moved. He got out of the box with a tourniquet
electrical wire, configure it to
proper pressure and put on a hip men.

     - Elevator down - he commanded.

     He made the man lay unconscious, intravenous injection to 
eliminate the effects of shock. Elevator shuddered and went 
down. The man groaned and pushes head from side to side. Sam 
leaned over the damaged leg. She looked

very bad. Two sharp metal
region is almost completely cut off from the shin
hip. Only a piece of meat the width of a palm
still tied the top and bottom
feet. Sam took only seconds,
to decide. Sharp as a razor
scalpel, he cut this strip of meat and
leather wrapped an amputated leg with a sterile cloth, pulled 
the victim to edge, and again returned the elevator to the 
level of streets. The killer was waiting for him with a 
stretcher. Together with the police, he carefully laid

they suffered.

          To be continued ...
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