Vlad Menshov

To hold on to a meeting point

Lifts did not work, and to rise from machine it was necessary on an emergency ladder. Hejvort has stopped on a platform, panting. That week it would do a way upward igrajuchi. But now it was absolutely another Hejvort.

Terribly the head was ill.

- Expensive, you as? I go to cabin, wait for minutes through ten.

From below heavy steps were heard, the ladder has begun to vibrate.

- Ket where you, respond, it is Victor.

«As if here there is someone else... Two us remains, two».

It was slightly bent through a hand-rail, looking downwards, was twisted from a pain, has sighed, has seized for a head.

Right eye-socket Hejvorta has been closed up by an adhesive tape.

On a shabby jacket - the grown dull tablet "Victor Hejvort, the captain".

On a ladder the zombie climbed up. Possibly, during lifetime it too was the astronaut - average growth the man in same, as at Victor, grey overalls and a dark blue uniform jacket with a logo "Hejvort Frejt". The hardened person, the braked movements. The zombie looked strongly crippled - a chin on the party, a dent in the middle of a forehead, hands and feet are turned unnaturally out in joints. The zombie it was difficult to rise, finitenesses badly obeyed him.

- Oh, damn, Ket, where you?

Victor has risen in a ladder alignment, adhering to the left hand for a hand-rail, and right massing a temple. The zombie persistently clambered upward.

It was already possible to read an inscription on its tablet - "Goodwin, property Hejvort Frejt".

- Ket, expensive, something with communication. I go, that's all right.

«Yes that is perfectly in order, is perfectly in order nothing».

The zombie climbed up last step.

Victor presumed to leave to it on a platform and to strike, when the opponent will release hand-rail. So it would be easier. But the captain himself badly kept standing, to it the additional support was required. Therefore Victor did not begin to risk, and simply very much has kicked the zombie in a breast.

One hand of the zombie has come off a hand-rail, the monster has reeled, and here Victor to it has added. The zombie with a roar has swept downwards on a ladder.

- Here so, - Victor has gloomy told. - here so.

On dimly shined corridor it has reached a residential zone, at a crossroads has stopped. It was necessary to it directly. Some instants Victor stood in meditation. Has sighed and has walked on the left, to a refrigerator.

Victor slightly reeled, it brought on the move a little. He could not get used to that in any way, that the field of vision was reduced to third and focus is brought down to the left. In normal conditions any captain, having been traumatised, would close the escaped eye and looked through introskop. Illusion of high-grade sight and the universal information that occurs by the ship. Victor would hear and saw each back street - as well as it is necessary to the captain. Alas, introskop read out data from a field, and the field "has flied", both generators are punched.

Therefore, having come into a refrigerator, Victor has first of all curtailed to a communication post. potykal in the monitor a finger, has opened a picture from a ladder from the machine. The zombie again stormed height.

- Bough, - Victor has told.

It has approached to the extreme freezing chamber, has put a palm on a door. Has stood so for about a minute. Uncertainly undertook the handle. Then has sharply made a start from a door and fast step, almost run, has jumped out in a corridor.

Person Victor after visit to a refrigerator has grown thin even more strongly, has become hardened. Not to cabin, and back, the captain also has curtailed into the machine.

The zombie has just got out on a platform and has only just released hand-rail. Victor straight off sshib it downwards the strongest kick in a stomach, has lost balance and has awkwardly fallen to a floor. Some time the captain laid, having compressed hands a head and muffledly lowing. Then, having squeezed a teeth, has turned over on a stomach, has somehow risen, and, being unsteady, has disappeared in a corridor.

The zombie turned under a ladder, trying to rise.

- Ket, expensive, here and I.

In running cabin of transport regularly was located only two armchairs. But on this "pusher" in a corner the third has settled down, very small, close even for the teenager.

The place of the captain has been occupied. The woman there sat. It has not turned towards to Victor, and in general has not reacted in any way to occurrence of the captain. Victor has squeezed between armchairs and ozabochenno has glanced to the woman in the person.

Once it, probably, was very beautiful, but now as if has broken up to components - eyes, a nose, lips, a chin, separately existed, and in a uniform picture did not develop. So dead persons usually look. Or still live, given itself up as a bad job. The sight of the woman did not express anything. The right sleeve of its jacket has been rolled up, the forearm is seized plastic langetoj with a badge of the Red Cross.

The tablet on a jacket said: Ketrin Hejvort, the engineer.

- Katie, my love... - Victor quietly has called. - As you?

- The hand is ill.

The voice at the woman has appeared low and hoarse. A dead voice.

Victor hardly has moved forward, but the woman all was compressed, and it has recoiled.

- Will pass, - Victor has told, taking seat in the next armchair.

- The hand - will pass, - the woman has agreed.

Victor has touched one of monitors, having opened a picture from a ladder.

On a ladder the zombie rose.

- Poor creature Goodwin, - Victor has forcedly sighed. - Something with it is absolutely bad. Falls and falls, falls and falls... How you have made it? No, it is simply interesting to me - as? Same it is impossible. Same not in an eye a screw-driver.

- And you for it any more the person, - have told the woman. It has a little quickened, in a voice poorly distinguishable intonations were cut. - you a parasite. On you laws do not extend. Sooner or later Goodwin will catch you and will exterminate. Will crush as a cockroach.

- Well, thanks, expensive...

- Please, road.

- Why I did not hear you, what with interkomom?

- Has switched off.

- Once again thanks, expensive.

- Once again please, road.

- And if Goodwin has killed me?

- Will kill, do not worry.

- I do not worry, now will not kill. It now the slow. I have some times driven on it a loader.

- Wonderfully, - the woman has told. - so even it is better. It will go for you slowly, slowly, slowly, as a death phantom, and you cannot stop for a minute, and will hide from it on all ship, and it will go for you, to go, go...

- Ket, you could not look the field generator?

The woman has turned to Victor. For the first time she has directly looked at it. And now the man has shrivelled.

- Clearly, - Victor has muttered, hiding eyes.

More precisely, an eye.

- My God, - the woman has told. - what you the swine, Hejvort. What you the swine.

- It is better to me to keep silent...

- About, yes, it is better to you to be silent!

- It that the such?! - Victor has sharply moved to the monitor and was twisted from a pain. - was distant? We were called by the customer?

- Yes. I to all of them have told. You can look record.

- AND?.

- The contract remains in force. You are happy, captain Hejvort?

Victor has turned to the woman and has told very rigidly:

- Now without a difference. If they have not given advance payment... But they have paid. We already have a site on the Earth. There is a citizenship, there are all rights. I can throw right now this foolish cobble-stone which we drag. Then it is not necessary to pull the whole year to a meeting point - we will set directly to the Earth and we will be there in a month. A question in other: many money now is required to us. It is a lot of money.

- You think... - the woman has hoarsely burst out laughing. - you think, I will agree to pass through it once again?!

- Yes, I think, we will put you in order, and you can fine give birth.

- My God, what idiot... - the woman has murmured and has turned away.

- You will look younger years on twenty, - now Victor spoke very softly, - we will have so much children, how much will want. We will live on the Earth, in full safety, and never we will not rise any more upward... About, fig. Damned Goodwin. I now.

It has risen and left cabin.

When it has returned, the woman cried. Victor has tried to embrace her, but it was pulled out and beat him is seriously, not how the wife bangs the husband then to become soft in hands bad, silly, malicious, but nevertheless the liked person.

Victor has wearily failed in an armchair.

The call signal has started blinking. Victor has stuck with a finger into the monitor.

- As it is bad without introskopa, - he has complained.

- Die, - the woman has told.

- I have not deserved it, - Victor confidently has answered. - I in one am wrong - now it is impossible for us about all it to speak. Excuse, expensive.

- prokljate as the hand is ill.

- At the accelerated healing always so. And in general, tell many thanks, that I to you have not torn off it.

- The silly woman I, it was necessary to take longer a screw-driver. Then you would die.

- And then you would commit suicide and have transformed the ship into a flying crypt? Like hell. Our son will be buried in a ground. All Hejvorty are buried in a ground. John was present Hejvort.

- Was...

Victor has outstripped it. He has jumped upwards and aside, has fallen to the woman, has clasped the right hand her head, and left has jerked at itself from under a jacket tuporylyj a pistol with sticking out of kazennika an ampoule. The right elbow and a shoulder blocked the hand of the woman compressing a cutting torch. Nearly has not lost consciousness from a pain, has howled, has broken on shout and when the edge has entered to it under a shovel, anything especial has not felt. To it and so was worse than ever. Having buried a trunk of a pistol to the woman in a neck, Victor has some times pressed descent.

Victor obessilenno has slipped on a floor, has dropped a pistol, has seized for a head and has hissed. It stirred up.

The woman has become soft in an armchair. She slept.

- Ke-e, a sou-uka... What for, well what for?! The darling as we will be now with you...

- Hejvort, what at you occurs?!

Victor was awkwardly bent, has got a hand for a back and has felt at itself under a shovel. There there was a hole, but not terrible. The cutting torch has entered into a body on a quarter of inch from force. Has carried. Have not time to react it, Katie would strike the husband directly in heart.

Probably, it has provoked its this conversation.

Probably, it purposely so conducted itself(himself).

Very difficultly easier to take, and coolly obezdvizhit the liked person. Even lost mind. Especially when has lived with it happily fifteen years, and has passed a hand about a hand through everything, that only can happen in space.

Until the last second you hope, what is it only a nightmare, and now you will wake up, and all will be good.

It is known by those who really liked.

- Captain Hejvort!

- Yes! - Victor has shouted. - yes! At us a supernumerary situation.

- We already in a course, the customer has informed. Hejvort, I pass you sincere condolences on behalf of all colony. Your son is forever brought in lists... And so on, well, you understand. Victor, give without the report, as a real man: what there at you? The full ass, or all the same chances is?

- Call in half an hour, and? - Victor has asked. - I need to lay quickly the wife bainki and to tie up the next wound. And more to beat out dung from androida which has mixed me with a cockroach and tries to knock down.

- Well, affairs... Bzuslovno, Victor. Certainly.

- Full ass, - Victor when the subscriber was disconnected has told. - and chances are not present. I will dump a stone that you have died.

"Hejvort Frejt" received six percent. "Stone" - actually a solid asteroid - which they pushed in port of destination, passed under the specification as "ore". But it was such ore, that the customer in a trice has paid advance payment, and on the commission fee Victor has there and then got an earth piece. A piece of the Earth. The most expensive, that only is in the zone of the Universe rendered habitable by people. An acre.

Victor then operated instantly, money was late on the bill from force minute. He at all has not asked the wife, whether it agrees. Knew, that it agree. The real estate on the Earth automatically gave citizenship of mother country Hejvortam and to their descendants. Now they could return, at least formally, on the old native land, there, whence their ancestors have left many centuries back. It was not only it is prestigious, it gave to a family sensation of improbably strong roots, eliminated a lacuna in sort history. Making purchase, Victor thought first of all about future Hejvortah.

With "stone" it has carried, certainly. It then has not carried.

The pusher came back home nalegke. Any empty flight - failure, therefore mood was so-so, and conversations went only about one - whether it is time to become staid. The ship in the nearest still was possible to sell year-two for the decent sum, then a pusher passed in a category obsolete. And the main thing, has approached time Ketrin. Forty years - if are not present money as it is necessary to be treated, means, either now to give birth, or never. Victor has thought-has thought and has internally reconciled that they will settle "below". It was not the fanatical astronaut. He, of course, liked the job - but the wife, perhaps, liked more.

Here them have called, and at Victor eyes have lighted up. Good luck was improbable. Directly in sector through which they went, prospektory have come across a piece of ore in which the mother country at once has become interested. And the pusher per is literally on this asteroid, the minimum correction - and in a week joining. A turn, and almost three years to the Earth.

On a line the crew, of course, will lay down in a deep dream, but all the same seven-eight months of a life delivery of "stone" and return let will eat.

Ketrin has begun to cry.

"pogodi, - Victor has told, - we while have signed nothing".

It has left cabin and has begun to wander there-here on a corridor.

Possibly, he had a presentiment of something, because has suddenly caught Goodwin and has asked, whether structurally functions of the midwife and the nurse are accessible to that. After all the autodock delivers not in the best way, it is well-known, autodocks work on templates and in crisis situations brake, and here android, with its almost human flexibility of mind... Goodwin has answered, that well everything is constructive to it, it and so the paraphysician, only about it owners have for some reason forgotten. Naturally, it will pass doobuchenie, and even will construct to itself a training apparatus, somewhere in hold that Mrs. Hejvort did not see. And what? "And anything", - Victor has told and has continued circulations on a corridor.

The following call sounded on the verge of a panic. It was any more absolutely the offer - to Hejvortam the government addressed. Them have asked to hook immediately on "stone" and to take away to the Earth. The asteroid at in-depth study has appeared on two order tsennee, than it was supposed. The local industry could not process and half of materials of which it consisted - technologies not those. The agreement with mother country is signed. To other tows to go to "stone" of not less than four months and when expensive thing dangles in space the ownerless... From it everyone can happen. The tiny little craft prospektorov bolted from "stone" the fullest. And some "fair dealers" for certain the same course already rushed to it.

"How much?" - Victor has asked. To it have named not the sum, but only an order of figures.

"You are assured, what can pay" Hejvort Frejt "its standard commission fee and thus not to die of disappointment?"

"Mr. Hejvort, at you dangerous cargo. For certain already there is an information leakage. And you will go without an escort. The support ships all the same will catch up with a tow only on finish, where it and so earth dwellers will meet. Your best protection - efficiency. Cling a pebble - and on a line. Now it is clear?"

"Yes, I have understood. We cannot oversleep these three years. We should be awake, constantly to wait for attack... And to defend a stone. Because with such valuable goods to wait from gangsters of the gentlemen's reference it is not necessary. It to what there will be superfluous witnesses. They will simply kill us".

". And you, speak, are able to fight, Mr. Hejvort. Therefore we will pay how much it is necessary. It will be fair - both for risk, and for three years of your life".

"Beat out from earth dwellers advance payment. Our share - immediately on the bill" Hejvort Frejt ". When I will hook on a stone, money already should be at me".

"Money will be earlier. Good luck, Mr. Hejvort".

Victor has called Goodwin and has asked, whether that can quickly familiarise with the newest researches in the field of psychology of the childhood and consult it on some question. Goodwin has answered, that is always glad to acquire new knowledge.

"When you will be connected to bases, - Victor has told, - at the same time update the knowledge on active protection srednetonnazhnikov. So, just in case".

At Ketrin eyes already were dry, but a look the most aggressive.

"Means, you have agreed!" - she has understood, hardly having looked on the husband.

"Our child will grow on the Earth, - Victor has told. - me one interests only: whether harmfully to the kid the first year ones and a half-two to be without a society similar? Painfully specific komanija - only mum, the daddy and Goodwin. One adults. Well, we will understand. At the worst I will order to Goodwin to sink into dotage...".

"On the Earth? - Has asked again Ketrin. - As it - on the Earth?."

About advance payment he to the wife has not told words, was afraid to maleficiate.

Then they have for a long time turned from a family to crew - the approach, capture, maneuver, dispersal... And every day educational alarm with fire trial. On a pusher there were no guns, it at all tow job - to be shot, - but stood heavy gornoprohodchesky the laser, with peredelochnym the complete set on the fighting. Victor has renewed one year ago system of distant detection. For all history "Hejvort Frejt" they only were attacked by gangsters twice. And both times Victor instead of reasonably dumping cargo or to accept aboard abordazhnuju a command, admitted the gangster closely and one impulse burnt through. But it was very much for a long time.

"Something at our authorities incorrectly with a head, - has told Ketrin when they have blown up attacking for the first time. - Have thought up to work in space only as families, to make its high-grade inhabitancy. That space was the house. And we in this house - in as. Bats! Bats! The family is good. My God, well and the silly woman I, that has contacted you, captain Hejvort!"

"I like you, engineer Hejvort!" - Victor has answered.

After second time Ketrin has gone to it into a hysterics, and Victor has promised, that they more never will so risk.

Terribly swearing and vzrykivaja from a pain, Victor has again lowered Goodwin from a ladder. Has got into autodock which hastily podlatal to it a back and has processed an eye-socket. Has then laid in autodock the wife and has switched on the program of long rehabilitation. It is necessary to prepare for a deep dream, it is not too useful even healthy, and patients frequently will cripple. Chances to wake up the invalid are great, and even to fall asleep forever.

About that at Ketrin disagreement with mentality, also is not known how it it will transfer all, Victor tried not to think.

It has accepted a stimulator, has risen on a ladder and looked, how upwards unfortunate Goodwin painfully creeps. How much Victor shouted "Goodwin, come round, same I, your captain!", the spoilt body silently climbed it to kill. Victor has thought up already from tens ways to get rid from androida once and for all, but to it conscience did not allow so to manage with the old friend and the nurse of the liked son. And then, Ketrin, having blabbed out, has suggested an idea Victor what to repair androida it is possible. Only its remarkable talent for this purpose was required.

The stimulator was gradually acquired, Victor should leave on peak of the form of minutes through fifteen-twenty. Then it and obezdvizhit Goodwin by indirect dynamic influence on a brain. Then will simply switch off. For now...

- Receive! - Victor has kicked androida in a breast and, slightly dropping on the tired out finiteness, has left in cabin.

Uneasy faces looked at it from the monitor.

- Captain Hejvort, we just spoke with the customer. There are good news. Earth dwellers send an escort so quickly as can. Together with the cover ships starts a tow to you on replacement. Now tell.

- I report one after another. At us shot "shrapnelju" from the big distance. If they risk to approach more close, I now would not talk to you. And so the basic part of a charge has fallen to a stern. My automatics has given three impulses. The third attacking has touched, on fourth I was connected, has corrected fire, and has burnt the bastard. No concept I have, who it was. Now look: I have strongly lost in capacity and I can not be repaired. Leave the ship too I can not, the saving boat is destroyed. That is especially unpleasant, there is a threat of explosion of the engine. It requires the constant control, differently will go racing - and the end...

- And to muffle? Or on a minimum?

- It even on a minimum dangerously astable, an eye yes an eye is necessary. And to suppress it is impossible, three quarters of stores it is punched, I cannot reserve enough energy to wait the help. That is I am simply compelled to support draught! To push a stone it is not necessary any more, it goes on a line steadily unless the minimum correction is required. If I treat further with a stone in obnimku, me to a meeting point... Taking into account what earth dwellers start earlier - how much?

- All the same not less than four months. Well, four and a half.

- Mum native... - Victor has murmured. - also it is necessary to be awake... Well-well. You understand, the crew is not present more, I here one. If attack, to be shot there is nothing, the control system of fire is beaten out. Means, three variants. The first - I on all spit, I go to bed and I hand over destiny of the ship in hands of the Lord. Perhaps the pusher will blow up, and can, and is not present. The second - I do not go to bed, since morning till the night I patch running and on the sly I go mad. The third - I throw a stone, and in a month polovinnoj draughts on the Earth. Listen, what for I here am necessary? With my help earth dwellers will win a maximum couple of weeks on orientation, the approach and capture. I do not know, it is critical?

- Still as. It is critical - you do not represent.

- Well... The Word of honour, not my problems. Such the sad report here turns out.

- You the hero, captain Hejvort.

- Hm... I Am possible I will think of it tomorrow?

- Well, and what you have chosen? You already need the insurance award but if you throw a stone... Understand, the contract is terminated automatically. Advance payment you, of course, have well enclosed...

- On this earth there will be a tomb of the son. Anything else. I so have solved.

- About, My God... Excuse, the captain. By the way, you and Mrs. Hejvort are awarded - "For bravery" and "Purple heart" to everyone. These are fighting medals, but also a case exclusive.

- Thrust them to itself in an ass, - Victor has told. It with each second grew dark, he was tired with this conversation.

- Let it is better while so will lie down. Listen, the captain... Victor. We have no right to you to press neither as employers, nor as the private persons sympathising your grief. Also we can help, unless, having lifted payment on half-percent. Consider, it is written already down in the contract, what you have solved. But... At you, of course, now a dual citizenship on what we congratulate, but soul you were and remain ours, correctly? It is possible we you we will ask on behalf of the native land?

- Faugh, what pathetics. Naturally, I yours... Ours! I do not understand - that, light a wedge has converged on this devil's stone? In the budget you stop up a hole with it? Anything to itself a hole.

- Yes is not present, Victor, all is much more serious. The payment most part under the contract will go at all money. We have persuaded mother country on fresh know-how and the most advanced materials. We will receive enough to put in pawn the whole trading flotilla. It will be absolutely new fleet, with essentially other possibilities. Speed, load-carrying capacity... Such chance... Understand. If all turns out, we become level with mother country. They languid, we dynamical, will be untwisted with might and main, years through hundred not to the Earth will aspire, and to us...

- Remarkably. And that depends on me?

- Here a legal incident. If earth dwellers approach to a stone, and you on him sit, let it does not move at all in general, means, it is formal we it to a meeting point delivered, and all conditions are observed. And if...

- It should move, - Victor has interrupted. - in space all moves. And this damned cobble-stone I as follows has dispersed.

- Excuse, an erroneous metaphor. And so, if you on a stone do not appear, leaves, we it did not deliver. Further to explain? Victor, new fleet is extremely necessary to us. And here such good luck! And then such failure... You the hereditary astronaut, oh, damn. You it directly concerns. And to you to fly as early as years thirty correct. Yes we to you such ship poda... We will sell, will begin to rock.

- I and so already shake, hardly standing I stand, - Victor was lop-sided on the "internal" monitor. It was time to go to understand with Goodwin. - also what, we lose much?

- It is a lot of, - have simply answered it. - except money - almost all. Victor, we beg, hold on somehow to a meeting point.

- Good, - Victor has told. - I will go to solve family problems.

- Your answer?

- The answer I "do not know". You though represent, what is it such - to live by the ship four months alone? Somebody so went sometime? Month, and that is a lot of.

- And if you lay down to sleep, and running will sustain?

- Fifty on fifty. But if it does not sustain, - Victor has crookedly grinned, - that when earth dwellers will approach, me on an asteroid will not be exact. Here that you should excite.

Has thought and has added:

- Swine you. And I the fool.

Also has cut down communication.

Victor has stooped in an armchair, has hidden the person in palms. Did not wish to recollect, but the picture has come itself: its laughing kid.

... Victor liked to look, how the kid wakes up. They with Ketrin had a seat near, having embraced, and waited. It were the minutes, executed improbable heat, they as if were enveloped the tenderness, all three. The kid slept, as many children, it is amusing - on a breast, having picked up under itself hands and having drawn in feet. Slowly-slowly opened eyes, looked still absent, potustoronnim a sight somewhere by parents, then noticed the father and quietly, almost without expression spoke: the daddy... "Yes-yes, - Victor agreed, is I, the daddy, it's OK, I has dreamt you, sleep further". And long fluffy eyelashes of the kid fell. There passed minute-other, green glazishchi swung open again, the kid spoke hardly uverenee: the daddy... " Yes here I, here, very well, you sleep, if you want ". And then the kid started to laugh enough, still drowsily. And to rummage a hand in search of a small bottle. Victor gave it juice, the kid greedy drank, definitively woke up, looked at the father already intelligently, and laughed loudly, joyfully. It so expressed full, perfect content." And where mum? "- Victor asked." Mum... Mum! "- and again laughter.

With it it was terrible first minutes, and it is horrible in the first days. Victor then simply was afraid to touch the kid, such fragile - was afraid an awkward touch to it something to hurt. It was heavy when a teeth was cut. "Oh, damn, here the superfluous proof of that we not from these worlds, - Victor muttered. - planets of terrestrial type do not approach us. Well cannot start out a local organism with such tortures a life!".

Very much Goodwin helped. From this djadki average years with the inexpressive person and avaricious gestures the ideal nurse has turned out. And it did magnificent toys. Still unpacked books on thin plastic, dexterously bound them and read to the kid days without a break...

... And here Victor with easy horror has understood, that at all does not remember Ketrin. Does not remember it those days. The woman who taking out and has given birth to the kid, nursing it, giving to it a maximum of time and the forces, sometimes crying, sometimes quarrelling, suffering and rejoicing... Victor has not remembered it is the woman whom so liked.

All were gobbled up by a damned stone. Victor sufficed on the kid and cargo. And on the wife from whom it is so much for these two with superfluous year talked, made love, worked, ate behind one table, discussed any questions, habitually touched with a hand, passing by once again to remind: he likes it as before, as fifteen years ago... On its wife, it appears, has not sufficed. It like would be. But it has not remembered it.

Damned stone, damned stone...

The kid has died in a dream. Howl sirens has not woken him is Victor has disconnected the disturbing alarm system in the improvised nursery, the former mate cabin, absolutely superfluous at such kutsem crew. All has occurred very quickly. The pusher has howled avarijkoj, having found out a stranger on a range limit, and a second later all has shuddered, stitched through in one thousand places tiny clots "shrapneli". Ketrin was in the lift, halfway from machine to cabin, and Victor kept the watch. The laser has begun otplevyvatsja on the automatic machine, Victor has fallen asleep in an armchair, having spread wide intense hands and widely having opened empty eyes - tried to make out the enemy and to kill, while that has not had time to be recharged. On the third shot to a stranger has burnt a cheekbone, Victor has seen it as on a palm, has intercepted management, and whether something has told, whether has simply exhaled, whether has thought - introskop has all the same understood a command correctly, - to put it briefly, captain Hejvort has shot.

All fight from the beginning up to the end has occupied five seconds, and Victor was in time a second earlier, than the enemy has given the second volley.

Shivering with adrenaline emission, Victor has taken a view of the ship, having seen all at once as the captain usually sees. Has disconnected introskop - that needed to work some instants, - has blinked, getting used to poor human vision of the world, and has rushed to a nursery.

It was necessary Ketrin to get from the got stuck lift, and Goodwin to pull out from under fragments in a workshop, but they will wait.

Three holes in a nursery. Were already tightened. If to the kid has not got, he and has not noticed anything. If has not got. Has not got. If.

"SHrapnel" disperse an electromagnetic field till mad speeds, and these tiny drobinki stitch all through, them will not stop. The engine is dangerously touched, running to hell, generators into smithereens, pipelines, cables - it is terrible to think. And a saving boat in resheto.

The stone only is safe, be it prokljat. It tried not to scratch, shot at the stern of a pusher, beat from a limiting distance that has not noticed. And a pusher, the clear head, old correct druzhishche, has all the same marked the enemy the sensitive sensor controls of last model which the owner has not stinted. Has noticed, but late. Well, as could. Also has sustained blow, has not collapsed. Then will collapse, probably.

And a stone, a bough, tselehonek.

The kid laid in a bed as usually, having drawn in feet, having picked up hands under itself - at Victor at once otleglo from heart. And then... It has fallen to knees, has looked closely...

Head should carry into smithereens, sweep, but "shrapnelina" has entered to the kid into a nape, and left through an eye and has departed further. If not the stream of the blood which is flowing down from the slightly opened mouth, Victor for certain would begin to bother the son, to awake, in hope, that that strong sleeps.

At this moment Victor has understood, kakvo it, desire to give the life for the sake of another. For Ketrin it was ready to kill. For the kid, it appears, without ceremony would agree to die, if only that has survived.

Victor has not cried at all. It was compressed in a lump, curtailed into an embryo pose, tumbled down so on a floor, and then, having not without effort straightened, has on all fours got out of a nursery.

So it was found also by Goodwin: captain Hejvort crept on a corridor, breaking into tears and utrobno growling.

Goodwin has come running in two minutes - has understood, that a situation supernumerary, has switched on emergency reserves and has easily scattered iron half-tons under which laid.

Actually, Goodwin the next days did all by the ship. Victor and Ketrin then hardly moved. Certainly, the commander has given necessary orders, and the engineer has carried out exact diagnostics. But worked directly as hands only android. The man and the woman sat, strong having embraced, in a wardroom, and were silent. And sometimes silently cried.

Then with the woman something has begun strange. It seems, she began to search guilty in the happened. And like would find.

And the captain has told, that they will not throw a stone, and together with it will proceed further. He has refused to betray deceased to space according to tradition of astronauts, and has hidden a body of the kid in a refrigerator. Then to bury it in a ground, as present Hejvorta. To John the most magnificent tomb of that there were at Hejvortov for last years five hundred intended. In the earth of the perfect and inaccessible Earth, majestic mother country, a planet-brain and a planet-heart of the rendered habitable Universe. The mere mortal would not earn a planet in which was zakachano so much money, that on a slice of its surface, sufficient to rise both feet, and for hundred lives.

The captain has told, they should "hold on to a meeting point".

A week later the woman has struck it in an eye a screw-driver.

The captain has broken to it a hand.

Then the woman has made something with Goodwin, and it is more remembered than nothing.

"You think, I will agree to pass through it once again?!"

When the woman speaks so, she actually asks - you think, I will sustain, at me it will turn out, we can?

Otherwise she simply speaks "is not present".

Victor has risen, has approached to a children's armchair, pritulivshemusja in a corner. Has removed it from fastenings. The armchair stood on voluminous runduke. Victor has cast away a cover, has rummaged a little, has pulled out lomik, short, but heavy. Has weighed in a hand. It is bad has grinned and left cabin.

- Listen, Goodwin! - it was distributed in a corridor. - here what business... You me, of course, excuse, but in another way today it will not turn out!

Deaf blows were heard.

Then - silence.

To hold on to a meeting point