Energy #05 29 мая 1997

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

                 FANTASY



      Continuation of the novel H. Harrison

            "Plague from Space"


     Sam covered the man with ashes, and they
with a killer, taking a stretcher, rushed to the ambulance. 
While Sam secures the stretcher to the wall, Killer shut the 
door. 

     - Hurry up, Doc? - He asked, sitting down on the driver's 
seat. 

     - And as soon as possible. But no
sharp turns. I bring him the blood plasma - Sam said, pulling 
out of the box, attached to the wall, a bottle of preserved 
blood, broke the seal on the sterile needle and put the needle 
in the forearm the unconscious man. 

     - How's he doing, doc? - Asked
The killer, pressing on the gas.

     - According to circumstances.

     Sam sensor attached to the wrist with a ribbon band-aid 
men. On a small scale, there is evidence of major body 
functions. In this case, a special unit records the data on a 
small slip of paper. 

     - Tell a liaison to cook
operating room.

     Killer including a small transmitter.
Sam sent a beam of ultraviolet light on
chest of the victim, to read the derived data is there an 
invisible tattoo - type and blood group, date of birth and 
details about allergies to certain medicines.

He transferred the data to the accompanying
card when mounted on the ceiling
the speaker said:

     - Perkins said. First aid station. What you have there?

     - I have for you an amputation, Eddie -
Sam said the little microphone in his
lapel. - The right leg was cut off in ten
inches above the knee. The patient - a man, sixty-three years, 
blood group zero. 

     - And what about the leg, Sam? You captured her
with you so that I could sew it again, or
I have to sew him one of the feet, taken
from the fridge?

     - I took his leg. You can use it.

     - Of course. Tell me all the data
so I could prepare.

     The orderlies were waiting for them at the reception
platform. They opened the car door and pulled out the victim 
lying on the stretcher.


     - Here, it's you too can use - "Sam said.

     He gave attendants sealed
contractions with the foot. The accompanying card was still a 
graph. Sam introduced in her time of arrival and put the card in

intended for her hole in the stretcher. Only now he noticed 
that around They reigns unusual excitement.


     - It seems to be a big deal
Dock - Killer said.

     He joined Sam. Its wings
nose quivered as if he were to listen to something.

     - I now know what happened.

     He hurried to a group of nurses, is formed on the edge of 
the platform sealed boxes.


     Something happened, it was obvious.

     At the other end of the platform truck
loaded with boxes of medical supplies. Two physicians
down to a car parked nearby
ambulance.

     - Dr. Berthollet? - Asked the woman
a voice from behind Sam.

     - Yes, that's me.

     He turned and saw the girl. She
was tall and slender, her eyes gray-green eyes were hard. She 
had reddish brown hair, and even the white robe the doctor 
could not hide the magnificent outlines of her body. Sam many 
times saw the girl in the hospital, but had never talked to 
her. 

     - I'm Nita Mendel of the department of pathology.
It seems a signal for help. Dr.
Gaspard told me that I should accompany you.

     She was not a syringe or first aid kits,
so that Sam was sure that the nurse in front of him.

     - Here's our ambulance, -
Sam said. - Do you know what happened?

     Nita shook her head.

     - Do not have a clue. I was called out of the lab and sent 
here. 

     The killer approached him a quick step, his jaw were 
ground continued chewing gum.


     - Here I am, doc. Hello, Dr. Mendel. Must be to be a big 
deal if you come down to us here at the seventh

floor.

     The killer knew each in Bellevue and has been in
aware of all the gossip.

     - Now we'll go, Doc. Sit down.
To be a big deal, but nobody knows
what it is.

     - Where do we go? - Sam asked.

     His gaze was fixed on a dozen
boxes with the inscription: "First Aid", which was loaded into 
the ambulance. 

     - John F. Kennedy Airport.

     Killer had to yell to block the roar of the turbine. 
Squealed tires the car turned the corner.


     Killer sent her into a tunnel twenty
Third Street under the East River.

     Both doctors were sitting opposite each other
at the rear of the car. Lab coat
Nita was so short that Sam is not any difficulty in verifying 
the attractiveness of perfect proportions of her body and 
slimness of her feet. He thought about the severed leg of the 
victim. "No, - he thought, - How much more shapely tanned legs

beautiful girls. "

     - At the airport - thoughtfully repeated
Nita Mendel. - Must be there occurred
accident. I hope this is not
catastrophe "Mah-Ber. He's designed for
seven hundred passengers.

     - We'll soon find out - "Sam said.
- Maybe this was already reported on the radio.

     He leaned toward the driver's seat.

     - Killer, turn on the unit and
set it to the broadcasting wave
our station. I want to know if there was any on
radio of any message.

     When they crossed the tunnel, pouring from the speaker 
sounds Bolero by Ravel. Killer tried to catch another station, 
but no one of them does not transmit any message, so he went 
further in the service wave, because the message must first

was to be transferred to her. The sounds of bolero car raced on 
the highway, which seemed completely deserted. 

     - I've never traveled by car
ambulance - Nita said Mendel. -
I find it exciting.

     - Is it at a time when you were an assistant, you'll never 
have to leave for emergencies? - Sam asked. 

     - No, after her doctorate, I stayed in Colombia. My area - 
cytology. 

     She looked out the window and shook her head.

     - Do not you think that the line
blocked all the traffic?

     - This will happen automatically - explained Sam. - 
Radiopreduprezhdenie transmitted to all drivers within a radius 
of miles, so that they free the way for us when we

approaching him.

     - But I do not see on the road no
car. The street is completely empty.

     - You're right. I noticed that too.

     Sam looked out the side window. Machine with
roar swept through the desert highway.

     - This I have never seen before. Police blocked all the 
entrances, she does not miss a single machine. 

     - Look! - Nita said, and pointed
forward.

     The ambulance lurched when
Killer sent it to the top of the road.

     Seven huge trucks, followed
for staff car, left behind them.

     - All that I really do not like -
Nita said.

     Her eyes widened.

     - What's happening?

     She suddenly turned into an ordinary
woman, forgetting that she was a doctor. Sam
should resist the temptation to put a calming gesture, his 
broad, strong hand on a thin arm Nita.


     - We will soon find out - he said. -
If there was some kind of disaster, its
will not be long hush.

     He stopped the music, Rained out
the speaker suddenly ceased, and sounded
announcer's voice:

     - We interrupt our transfer to
make an important announcement. Two hours ago
stations on satellites have warned of an unknown space object, 
which approached the Earth at great speed. This the object was 
"Pericles," Space ship, which was built in order

to make a landing on the surface
Jupiter ...

     - But he's started a few years
ago! - Nita exclaimed in surprise.

     - ... Did not respond to all attempts to establish radio 
contact with him. That was until long as the "Pericles" is not 
entered orbit around the Earth. After a six-speed with poorly 
managed vernier engines, he descended from orbit and ready for 
planting. Despite all the radio and visual signals, the 
spacecraft has not made any attempts to land in the Sahara or on

Spaceport Woomera. Instead, he fell straight to the airfield at 
the Kennedy New York. Normal flights were suspended,

landing caused considerable material damage and that the worst, 
this Planting cost the lives of several people. Stay at this 
wavelength. We hope to convey some more details ... 

     - Oh my God - a stifled said Nita. - To what extent this 
could be bad? 

     - It can be a living hell -
Sam said. - Aerodrome sends and receives every day two thousand 
machines, and for emergency response has been very little

time. It all depends on where committed
boarding the ship - outside, on the one
strips ...

     - Or on the building!

     - We do not know. But I remember that
"Pericles" is the average height of buildings and
built the most durable material known on Earth. The spacecraft 
is not receives no damage, but I'm sorry

those people and buildings, for which he will make a
landing.

     - I do not understand. Is not there another possibility?

     - You have heard the message. Control of the ship is 
difficult. He disappeared two years ago, nobody was counting on 
his return. No one person knows

the condition of the members of his crew. They can be satisfied 
that the planting generally failed.


     - Holy Madonna! Look at
it! - Killer breathed through clenched teeth.

     He pointed through the windshield.

     Highways bends
There are a huge steep arc bridge exchanging through a very 
busy intersection. From the height of the entire highway was 
visible airport with its widely scattered buildings and 
hangars. Against this background, the usual Landscape towered 
the dark mass. She was five times higher than the tower 
controller and the width with the largest building in the city. 
Over the field plume of smoke hung. This picture has 
disappeared, when the killer took the car down the slope.


     - You could see where it was? - Asked
Nita.

     - Not exactly. But in any case,
far enough away from the passenger corridor.

     The police and military police waved his arms and allowed 
free passage through the gate leading to the center of the 
take-off field. An employee stopped them and opened the door of 
the car. 

     - You brought boxes of Bellevue?

     - Yes, they are behind us - Killer
thumb pointed over his shoulder.

     - They will be needed in the hangar. I will show
you where it is.

     The policeman sat in the front seat beside the Killer, his 
right hand took for an open car door. His face was

soiled with oil, his uniform was badly
dented and covered with dust.

     - This is where other ambulances
assistance. You can stay behind them.
Devil's disgusting! This chest, like a huge flame, struck from 
above, smashed one of the D-95, which is going to take off and 
landing, to bend under him tanker. The debris scattered 
throughout the county. From the little that remains of people. 

     Once the car stopped, the officer jumped out, on the 
ground, and made sign several mechanics to come around and

ordered them to unload the boxes. Sam wanted
Nita help break out of the car when they were
thin captain approached the police.

     - Are you a doctor? - He asked.

     - Yes, - said Sam. - Where we need to
Currently?

     - Look, I think it has enough doctors, a charter plane,
full of doctors who want to work
here. All we need - it's medicine. From the tower we got the 
message that one of the jet just

wanted to take off when the runway
suddenly appeared that damned piece of metal. I have not had 
time to take care of him, I have here were too much work.

Take this case itself, the aircraft must
to be somewhere on the other side of the runway. Now on takeoff 
and landing is imposed ban, so you can without any fear to 
cross the airfield. 

     - Well, we'll take care of it. You
heard Dominguez?

     - We are already going, Doc. Hold on tight,
- The killer shouted.

     Car giant leap rushed
forward. Sam was ready for it. He wrapped
waist Nita hand before she managed to
fall. The killer moved the lever, closing the back door.

     Ambulance circled a huge building "Pericles" in a wide arc.

     Near the ship's landing strip was
shattered, smoldering wreckage of concrete all
still showed a very hard landing. Ship of the expedition to 
Jupiter was made in the form of artillery shells,

which was surrounded by pipes missiles.

     - There in front of the plane! - Cried
Sam.

     Killer slammed on the brakes.

     At first sight, they saw that
have little to do here, but despite
to this they decided to try to help. The small jet was turned
upside down, before it was crushed,
and besides, he still burned. Away leaving only the blackened, 
twisted metal wreckage. Sam had a hard time open the side door. 
One look at the charred corpses was enough.


     - We better go back - he said.
- Maybe we need it more.

     He took Nitu's hand when he saw her face,
from which came all the blush.

     - I do not know whether I am able to help you - she said 
quietly. - I've never engaged in the practice after she 
defended her doctoral thesis. I conducted research in the 
laboratory. 

     - It's like in school, you quickly to this
get used to it. Each of us once the first time
passed through it, but our hands are always automatically do 
what we were taught. I I bet that you're a good doctor.


     - Thank you - "she said.

     Paint gradually returned to her face.

     - You've helped me.

     - Nobody should be ashamed of it,
if they are in a place like this.

     - Look! - Exclaimed the killer. -
Up there!

     At a height of approximately seven meters on the side of 
the spacecraft was heard metal screeching. There designate a 
circle, down crumbled scale, and part of the casing vessel 
about three feet in diameter began slowly rotated.


     - It's airlock, - said Sam. -
They leave.


          To be continued ...