Destiny Run Mark Ellis(1)

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the clear periods. We were lucky to get these views."
"But we don't have an idea of the current level of their society," said Brigid. She
was making a statement, not asking a question. "We don't know what they have
or what they don't have."
"We know one thing they have, at least. A mat-trans gateway."
Lakesh pointed to the tiny light glowing on the sprawling Mercator map on the
wall. "That's the place. An outer suburb of Moscow called Peredelinko, about
twenty miles from the city center."
Grant eyed the light, then Lakesh distrustfully. "You're sure?"
Lakesh smiled. "Do you recall me telling you that after the first mat-trans
successes, we built the units in modular form so they could be shipped to and
assembled in other locations?"
"Yes," answered Kane, "but I assumed you meant the redoubts."
"That's where the majority of them went, yes. But a few went to other places.
Peredelinko, for one."
"Why?" asked Brigid.
"Glasnost, perestroika, a thawing in East-West relations. An overt sharing of
material goods, a covert sharing of technology."
"If America and Russia got on so well," said Grant, "there shouldn't have been a
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Axler, James - Outlanders 02 - Destiny Run
war."
"No, there shouldn't have been. You know my thoughts on that."
Brigid, Kane and Grant did know his thoughts, but they didn't pretend to
understand them. According to what Lakesh had learned from Operation
Chronos, not only was the holocaust preventable, it was not supposed to have
happened. Operation Chronos had disrupted the chronon structure and triggered
a probability wave dysfunction. Lakesh didn't believe that the past was a fixed
object, immutable and unchanging.
"At any rate," Lakesh continued, "the gateway unit is inside a dacha."
Kane squinted. "A what?"
"A kind of country house," explained Brigid.
"Exactly," Lakesh said. "It was a dacha given to the American diplomatic staff.
That was the cover story, at least. In reality, it was to prove to the Russians that
the Totality Concept technology worked."
Grant glanced again at the map. "So they knew about it."
"Of course. Many Russian electrophysicists and quantum theorists were involved
in aspects of Overproject Whisper. Peredelinko itself had been a kind of artists'
and writers' commune, at least for those adhering to the party line. Later it
became something of an enclave for scientists."
"How do you know if the gateway still works?" inquired Kane.
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Axler, James - Outlanders 02 - Destiny Run
"We still receive a positive read on the phase-transition inducers. However, the
target autosequence initiators show a negative."
"And that's bad," stated Grant blandly.
Lakesh shrugged. "Not necessarily. It could just mean a sensor isn't transmitting
a green signal as it should."
"What if the thing's inoperable?" Grant demanded. "We could jump there, and if
the receptor coils aren't powered up "
Lakesh gestured sharply. "If we can't verify the jump at this end, we'll choose the
abort option and transmit you to an alternate unit."
" 'Alternate unit'?" echoed Kane incredulously. "Like where? Cobaltville?"
"Perhaps. Dulce, maybe. At least you'd know your way around."
Kane's eyebrows knitted together. "Not funny, old man."
Lakesh smiled impishly. "Don't worry, friend Kane. The worst-case scenario is
that we'll hold your patterns in the digital security interlock until we can
establish a transit line back here."
Grant made a low, growling noise deep in his throat and glared at the door
leading to the jump chamber. "I hate those fucking things."
Lakesh consulted his wrist chron. "It's better than walking. Now, I have to be
back in Cobaltville early tomorrow, so I won't be here to see you off. Collect
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Axler, James - Outlanders 02 - Destiny Run
what ordnance you require from the armory, but I insist you do not wear your
Magistrate armor."
"Why not?" Kane asked.
"According to Brigid, this man Sverdlovosk had knowledge of the baronies and
of gateways, so it stands to reason other Russian officials you may encounter
will, as well. There is no reason to advertise your point of origin and former
fraternity, even if you are no longer affiliated with it."
"Assuming we're able to make the jump, what do you expect us to do over
there?" inquired Grant.
Lakesh regarded him calmly, unblinkingly. "I expect you to spy, friend Grant. I
expect you to return with enough hard data regarding Russia's connection with
the Tushe Gun so we can formulate a plan of action."
Kane, still frowning, said with a deliberate slowness, "We don't speak Russian."
"I do," declared Brigid, imitating his cadence of speech.
Lips compressing in a tight white line, Kane said, "You're doing it again, old
man."
"Doing what, friend Kane?" Lakesh sounded genuinely puzzled. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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