Eric Flint & David Freer - Pyramid Scheme, Angielskie [EN](4)(2)
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Pyramid Scheme
by Dave Freer
and Eric Flint
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are
fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2001 by Dave Freer & Eric Flint
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof
in any form.
A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
ISBN: 0-671-31839-X
Cover art by Bob Eggleton
Interior maps by Randy Asplund
First printing, October 2001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Freer, Dave.
Pyramid scheme / by Dave Freer & Eric Flint.
p. cm.
"A Baen Books original—T.p. verso.
ISBN 0-671-31839-X
1. Human–alien encounters—Fiction. 2. Chicago (Ill.)—Fiction.
3. Mythology—Fiction. 4. Pyramids—Fiction. I. Flint, Eric. II. Title.
PS3556.R3935 P9 2001
813'.54—dc21 2001035798
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH
Printed in the United States of America
To L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt,
who are gone;
And to Zachary, who just arrived.
When 'Omer smote 'is bloomin' lyre,
He'd 'eard men sing by land an' sea;
An' what he thought he might require,
'E went an' took—
Rudyard Kipling,
Introduction to the
Barrack-Room Ballads
in "The Seven Seas"
Baen Books by DAVE FREER & Eric Flint
Rats, Bats & Vats
Pyramid Scheme
BAEN BOOKS by ERIC FLINT
Mother of Demons
1632
The Philosophical Strangler
The Belisarius series, with David Drake:
An Oblique Approach
In the Heart of Darkness
Destiny's Shield
Fortune's Stroke
The Tide of Victory
The Federation of the Hub series,
by James H. Schmitz, edited by Eric Flint:
Telzey Amberdon
T'nT: Telzey & Trigger
Trigger & Friends
The Hub: Dangerous Territory
Agent of Vega & Other Stories
BAEN BOOKS by DAVE FREER
The Forlorn
Prologue
The new NESOT (Near Earth Space Object Tracking) satellite paid dividends less than three
months after its launch. The computerized system spat a data stream on the incoming object to
NORAD. It did this for any detected object which would enter the Earth's atmosphere.
The level of NORAD tracking which dealt with objects that should burn up on atmospheric
entry was computerized. An alarm sequence was triggered by any anomaly. Twenty-three
seconds after it took over from NESOT, the alarm sounded.
* * *
Brigadier General Durham looked over the shoulder of the warrant officer at the screen
display. He took a deep breath.
Chicago!
He took another deep breath. The procedures were laid down. It had been something of a
joke. But the NESOT data showed that it wasn't a joke. Not
at all
funny, in reality. This was
incoming from deep space. And it was decelerating. Falling objects don't naturally do that.
Incoming. Incoming and
alien
.
* * *
While on its final approach, the American Airlines flight inbound from New York abruptly
lost radio and radar contact for fifteen seconds with Chicago O'Hare's Tower Approach Control.
The explosive reactions of the pilot were mild compared to those at Chicago Air Traffic Control.
And those in turn were mild compared to the reaction at Cheyenne Mountain.
They'd lost the object. And they'd lost all radio contact with Chicago. Fortunately the fiber-
optic link between Cheyenne Mountain and Chicago Air Traffic Control remained functional.
Air traffic controllers are renowned for their imperturbability. The senior ATC on the other
end of the line managed a perfectly controlled level voice—that could have etched steel.
"NORAD? Ah!
Right.
Are you folks doing something we need to know about? Because we
just nearly lost a fully loaded heavy." Despite the angry tinge underlying her voice, the controller
wasn't actually snarling. Not quite. NORAD and Air Traffic Control centers worked closely
together and were generally on good terms.
Brigadier General Durham was able to reassure himself that whatever had happened, it hadn't
included destroying Chicago. But he was quite unable to reassure the woman on the other end of
the line that it wouldn't happen again. NORAD had no more idea than she did what had caused
the temporary radio blackout.
* * *
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Pyramid Scheme
by Dave Freer
and Eric Flint
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are
fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2001 by Dave Freer & Eric Flint
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof
in any form.
A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com
ISBN: 0-671-31839-X
Cover art by Bob Eggleton
Interior maps by Randy Asplund
First printing, October 2001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Freer, Dave.
Pyramid scheme / by Dave Freer & Eric Flint.
p. cm.
"A Baen Books original—T.p. verso.
ISBN 0-671-31839-X
1. Human–alien encounters—Fiction. 2. Chicago (Ill.)—Fiction.
3. Mythology—Fiction. 4. Pyramids—Fiction. I. Flint, Eric. II. Title.
PS3556.R3935 P9 2001
813'.54—dc21 2001035798
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH
Printed in the United States of America
To L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt,
who are gone;
And to Zachary, who just arrived.
When 'Omer smote 'is bloomin' lyre,
He'd 'eard men sing by land an' sea;
An' what he thought he might require,
'E went an' took—
Rudyard Kipling,
Introduction to the
Barrack-Room Ballads
in "The Seven Seas"
Baen Books by DAVE FREER & Eric Flint
Rats, Bats & Vats
Pyramid Scheme
BAEN BOOKS by ERIC FLINT
Mother of Demons
1632
The Philosophical Strangler
The Belisarius series, with David Drake:
An Oblique Approach
In the Heart of Darkness
Destiny's Shield
Fortune's Stroke
The Tide of Victory
The Federation of the Hub series,
by James H. Schmitz, edited by Eric Flint:
Telzey Amberdon
T'nT: Telzey & Trigger
Trigger & Friends
The Hub: Dangerous Territory
Agent of Vega & Other Stories
BAEN BOOKS by DAVE FREER
The Forlorn
Prologue
The new NESOT (Near Earth Space Object Tracking) satellite paid dividends less than three
months after its launch. The computerized system spat a data stream on the incoming object to
NORAD. It did this for any detected object which would enter the Earth's atmosphere.
The level of NORAD tracking which dealt with objects that should burn up on atmospheric
entry was computerized. An alarm sequence was triggered by any anomaly. Twenty-three
seconds after it took over from NESOT, the alarm sounded.
* * *
Brigadier General Durham looked over the shoulder of the warrant officer at the screen
display. He took a deep breath.
Chicago!
He took another deep breath. The procedures were laid down. It had been something of a
joke. But the NESOT data showed that it wasn't a joke. Not
at all
funny, in reality. This was
incoming from deep space. And it was decelerating. Falling objects don't naturally do that.
Incoming. Incoming and
alien
.
* * *
While on its final approach, the American Airlines flight inbound from New York abruptly
lost radio and radar contact for fifteen seconds with Chicago O'Hare's Tower Approach Control.
The explosive reactions of the pilot were mild compared to those at Chicago Air Traffic Control.
And those in turn were mild compared to the reaction at Cheyenne Mountain.
They'd lost the object. And they'd lost all radio contact with Chicago. Fortunately the fiber-
optic link between Cheyenne Mountain and Chicago Air Traffic Control remained functional.
Air traffic controllers are renowned for their imperturbability. The senior ATC on the other
end of the line managed a perfectly controlled level voice—that could have etched steel.
"NORAD? Ah!
Right.
Are you folks doing something we need to know about? Because we
just nearly lost a fully loaded heavy." Despite the angry tinge underlying her voice, the controller
wasn't actually snarling. Not quite. NORAD and Air Traffic Control centers worked closely
together and were generally on good terms.
Brigadier General Durham was able to reassure himself that whatever had happened, it hadn't
included destroying Chicago. But he was quite unable to reassure the woman on the other end of
the line that it wouldn't happen again. NORAD had no more idea than she did what had caused
the temporary radio blackout.
* * *
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]