Stories - V. Speys

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at the controls, he felt an incredible relief. Rummaging in the emergency package, took out a pasty meat fillet, opened the lid, and then wiping the connection table the valve special disinfectant swab, connect tube from edible to the suit, and through the connecting tube became dinner, sucking the pasty food from a tube through a tube attached at the mouth inside the helmet.

      After a rest, as it should, he again went to scout a safe haven. The accumulation of boulders, there on the “North” of the asteroid, where the black abyss of heaven hanging small ball the size of a tennis ball, the earth, immediately struck a black meteorite. And, as he had not noticed it? – I wondered, yet confidently approached the assurance of salvation: “Now to him!” – He told himself.

      Near, lump differed sharply from the color of the breed of Patroclus. It’s like a piece of rock-term zhelezorud no news from fallen down on the “head” of Patroclus. The characteristic dark brown color is inherent in iron ore rocks. “The diameter of nine meters will be” – figured astronaut. He moved closer, carefully examining the cracks formed at the surface of the asteroid impact. Impression is very convincing in favor of meteoric origin fragment. About this version showed cracks, and most importantly, the furrow of the abyss at the bottom of the meteorite was wider, as it tapers to. There was no doubt. The crack formed by the fall of the black stone on the Pat-Rockley. At the base width of the dip meter I have two, three, not more. The astronaut walked to the edge and turned on the lamp on the helmet of a spacesuit. Blinding beam snatched from the abyss of black shadows and drowned in it. A lump formed a vault. Under this set of astronaut distinguished convenient platform, steps, projecting over the abyss. He climbed onto the ledge and soon found myself under the rubble. The area of the site was larger than it seemed from a distance. Pleased finding, he jumped for joy, but a blow to the helmet quickly cooled the emotional tide. “Yes, the earth does not love the habit of Patroclus – thought with a smile, – it is necessary to maximize drag all stocks here.” And he began to come out to the surface. Beautiful dusts clouds here and there appeared above the surface of the asteroid, and at first glance, it seemed that Patroclus salute to salute the man about his finding a safe haven. Cosmonaut anxiously said to himself aloud: – Stop!!! Bombing!!! – Worryingly pounding heart. Warily watching the clouds, the astronaut hurried back under the roof of a meteorite. Patroclus started with his whole body, as if the act approving the guest. A man excitedly out of the shelter. The dust was thick on the asteroid, “How Meadow fog. – It occurred suddenly – dangerous, but as beautiful. This picture is not seen on Earth. Yes b my eyes I have not seen this. “Somewhere in the depths of his heart he knew that he had become accustomed already to Patroclus. The sense of danger blunted by the hour of solitude here in this godforsaken desert. And he continued on his way to the module. On his way a little dust falls. This is already a familiar cluster of boulders. He climbed to the top of the shapeless heap of huge stones to better consider the module. The look came across the horizon of the desert; the module was not there. Throughout the chaos of piled boulders and small stones. At the site of a recent capsule rescuer could see only the remnants of the supports so black from the burnt fuel. Cosmonaut fidgeted uneasily among the rocky soil and quickly as possible to the projectile-shine gravity and Patroclus, and ran to the place where only a few hours ago was the module. In search of oxygen tanks inspected the accident site. Without his attention has not gone no crack, no chip, no stone. The sun suddenly emerged from behind the horizon, striking eyes shine bright. Long shadows of stones randomly scattered black phantoms fled. Among the dancing shadows flared reflected beam plated surface oxygen crane. Cosmonaut quickly went there. Among the narrow slit, stuck blue oxygen cylinder valve with brightly polished, wedged between rocks blast. He grabbed his helmet and threw over the balloon and, shaking, holding hands…

      How much time had passed since he found the first oxygen tank he did not remember. He knew only one thing that the oxygen of the first balloon is over, and that running out of the other, and still no help. Having lost all hope of salvation, he was sitting in it, its a haven staring blankly into space. It has long ended emergency food parcels, which have survived in a metal box of emergency that has been among the wreckage of a module., And was tormented by hunger. Inevitably approaching death. And I decided not to die astronaut trapped in the shelter, and there on the silver body of Patroclus.

      He got out of his seat and went to secure the stone desert ahead. Where is he did not know. Next there were the beautiful clouds of dust. Meteoric achievement Gala such quantities that do not catch sight of their movement, and it seemed that cumulus clouds arise spontaneously, as it were, from the body of the asteroid. Small fragments knocked on the transparent-dampers for helmet, almost themselves legs slowly melted cloud of dust. Cosmonaut tired to move on. Mortal danger, which threatened every moment, it seemed to him indifferent. He walked toward the danger. But death and this time it went around. Fluffy clouds of dust gradually fell off, melting eyes, and disappeared entirely. Again the silver surface in front of him she spread her blanket monotonous desert…

      Quiet summer evening twilight hid the shore of the lake. Slim Men pine, falling to the water, close the eyes of the embankments of hills and merges into a single wall. The glass surface of the lake reflects the bright flashing star. Reed whispering in the forefront, talking with pines. And then, finally, silence reigns over the lake, only heard bursts of fish, a distant noise of the water, frightened beating of wings of bats. The moon came out ogre nym firefly. Fabulous light flooded the dam on the other side. Light fell on her handrails masonry and finally plunged into the silence of water, turning into the depths of a small glowing underwater boat. This boat swam to the shore like a teasing “catch me and I’ll be the light in your hands.” But the tricky Moon quickly runs away, hiding behind the screen of waves, then comes up again and again, teasing. “Do not catch me! No catch! No catch!”…

      Consciousness gradually returned. Hand shaking, crooked fingers holding a piece of silver, so similar to the moon. “I caught it – thought astronaut, here he is in his hands. But why is he teasing? "– Before his hearing could be heard again and again, -" Do not catch! No catch! “Cosmonaut strained his ears. Through the clatter of headphones, barely audible rhythmic signals – Pi, pi, pi! Pi, pi, pi! Pi, pi …!

      – What is it?! – Whispering lips.

      Consciousness finally returned to him when another astronaut turned on feeding the oxygen from his suit. Clouded eyes softened.

      – Who are you? – Whispering lips.

      – I’m Tom Jackson, United States of America! There was a parallel flight. And then the signal!

      – Thank you! – Weak voice said astronaut.

      – Well how are you? – Tom asked anxiously, putting a slight astronaut’s body to his feet.

      – Leonid Krazimov. Pilot International Space Agency!

      Okay! Come on, little oxygen, let’s go!

      In the pale glow of Jupiter, the asteroid’s rocky soil desert seems dead, and only fanciful shapes of frozen blocks as fantastic beasts intertwined with each other in a terrible battle mighty arms “breathe” life in this dead landscape. Nothing disturbs the peace prevailing here, and only rare clouds, billowing over the surface here and there, decorate the dead desert.

      Among plexus shadow suddenly came to life two. We push and sailed along the heating of the visible heaps. And here is the animated sculptures, there is no dead stones, it is people in spacesuits gayety-motion in the direction of the spacecraft, on the frozen surface of the Al-sparkling steroid.

      – Why was the signal from the reverse side? – One of them asked. The other replied, slightly slowed-LA step:

      – There Was a ship. – Answered with a sigh.

      – As if there was not, we have to make it. Oxygen may not be enough.

      They walked in a single spike, breathing oxygen from the suit of Tom. Soon lest pull-up to the Nice transition chamber spacecraft. Inside, in a narrow bay, calls-opted for one, people were

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