(C) MANIAC HERD OF STAR DRAGONS While finishing my morning coffee, I calculated the trajectory and had not yet discovered wife's comet, which he was going to discover and name in a week by your name. The gatekeeper robot silently appeared and reported that A robot messenger of an unfamiliar design awaits below. Creaks- A stranger rode into the office, swinging his hinges. Seeing above the worker table portrait of my famous ancestor - Baron Munchausen, the robot suddenly fell onto its knee joints and creaked with a strange accent: - On behalf of Emperor III of the Tau Ceti galaxy, I greet the glorious new descendant of the great Munchausen! - What's the matter? - I asked. - Yes, and stand up... - Our civilization is on the verge of destruction! Emperor, having studied history 22 civilizations, proclaimed that only you are able to help us be able and by decision of the Galactic Council I was sent to your planet. The envoy then described in detail the essence of the problem that had arisen To them and to me it seemed like mere nonsense. The point is that in the empire there was a Center for Artificial Intelligence, in which The 234th generation gala computer recently started working. He was designed for calculating flight trajectories of Star Dragons. But the other day the computer was stolen by pirates from one pre-civilization, not members of the Intergalactic Association. Now with the help of a computer Tera pirates will hunt for Dragons. And although the herd of StarsThe dragons are guarded by star patrols, but, calculating with the help of com- pewter their trajectories, pirates can set electronic traps shki. And then the dragons will be left unattended. - Losing just one Dragon will significantly reduce our life expectancy level,” the envoy explained. - The loss of the entire herd will doom us all to starvation! - Get to work! - I answered. Putting on a lightweight spacesuit, I took a star chart and his trouble-free blaster, with which he hunted cattle-purgers. C I noted to myself with annoyance that I still haven’t sent it to the World Widespread a new library of adventures, a video about this hunt. Half an hour later we were at the cosmodrome. And just a day later in III galaxy. The Emperor himself met me at the ramp. Then flying a plate with a motorcade took us to the main residence. In two In an hour-long conversation face to face, the emperor initiated me into everything details of the emergency. I asked for a personal computer and a channel at my disposal connections with the All-Galactic artificial brain. But only through day was able to calculate the orbit of the pirates. On the second day I already knew where they were hiding, and immediately flew there. Flying up to the asteroid on which their base was located, I I saw a ship of antediluvian design starting, reminiscent the first reusable ships. All that was left was to start the chase. The race lasted three tiring days. And onlythen by turning on the artificial gravity field I managed to slow them down ship and towed using a magnetic harpoon with nylon new lasso. The rest was a matter of technique. Delivering a ship with pirates to the empire, I handed them over to the local police. Kidnapped gala -the 234th generation computer was solemnly returned to the Center artificial intelligence. The Emperor proclaimed this day to all national holiday, and the entire population rejoiced in the squares, watching giving into the gala binoculars of the 19th generation, like a herd of priceless Dragons wanders to a new place. Seeing me off, the emperor gave me a cassette with the video film “From life of the Star Dragons." Having thanked on behalf of the earthlings, I Lasya Emperor and his family will visit our planet in the spring, during roses blooming The emperor accepted the invitation with delight. A day later I returned to Earth. While finishing my morning coffee, verified my previous calculations of the trajectory of the new comet and suddenly discovered raised an unaccounted for earlier indignation. "What an obsession!" - think I am small and repeated the calculations. But the outrage did not disappear. Then me a brilliant idea dawned on me. This is not an ordinary comet, but a comet- a star surrounded by a whole retinue of small satellites. And it turned out that today at noon it will pass at a minimum distance away from the Earth. I urgently contacted the Main Observatory and dictated the de- to the astronomer the orbital parameters and began to waitresults. Che- One hour later the communication system screen lit up and the duty officer was smiling reported that my calculations were completely confirmed. - Comet discovered! - he exclaimed, showing her on the screen color photographs. - We are waiting, dear Munchausen, for you personally gave her a name. - Name it after my distant ancestor - Comet Baron Mun- xhausen,” I answered, hiding my excitement... “It’s a wonderful name,” the old astronomer said approvingly. - But after all, it is still necessary to give a name to the mysterious retinue of her companions. “Nothing is simpler,” I said, grinning at my memories. knowledge. - Call them “Star Dragon Herd.” Dmitry/MANIAC ZXNet: 095/380
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