Никанор Стариков – The Snipe’s Flight (страница 10)

In it moment from under bed was chosen by Ki, showing to all attendees deep dent on the head.

– I managed to restore its work of memory and to throw data on the lump. Where I have also seen all this. Ki, show us video. – Ki’s eyes were lit, and at small distance there was hologram of Alice ransacking near the last container, then it beats Ki, and the picture vanishes. All were silent and looked at Alice.

– I … – it have swallowed and have continued. – Mironov has told the truth, I am agent, – she has answered, without raising the head.

– To me it is unclear only one Alice why you wanted to kill me? – it has raised the head and has looked at me with the surprised look. – But how?

– Alice, daughter. «Why you are so?» – the captain has asked.

– Ki, our dear friend sintetik, he watched all of you and me. But we will talk about him later when its time comes. And so, checking data, I have found video where you Alice suddenly pull out from under me step-ladder, and I fall and I hit the head against floor. Also I lie unconscious. For what you so with me the girl? – I have looked in her eyes.

– I … I did not want, – having rolled up the head, she has told. – I have begun to panic. Even before take-off I tried to scan container, you have found me behind attempt to open it. When I have told that I check fastenings to me it seemed that you have not believed me. And I … have decided to get rid of you while we still were on the earth, having arranged everything as accident. – She has again hung the head.

– Well, I trust you, Alice. I believe that emotions and panic have got of you the best, and you have made up the mind to this desperate step. Only under risk of failure of operation and disclosure of your personality you have gone to it. I understand it and I am not angry with you, the girl, – she has raised the head, her eyes were full of tears and despair. I have put it the hand on shoulder and have smiled to it.

– What the hell! – the captain has exclaimed. – Do you understand that for it it is necessary to it?

– Wait a minute, the captain, the heads sech we will be then, and now I will continue. And so. The special forces soldier Kim following at us, he is Vladislav Kozhin. The commander of special group of special purpose, the Russian Empire captain Mikhail Nikolaevich Sergeyev will be more correct to tell so. Three times awarded with Imperial Two-headed Oryol, and still very large number of awards and medals for faultless service of the empire and performance of the missions. But here with the last mission it was not set two months ago. The captain and his group has appeared in such meat grinder on one of planets, very important for the empire, from which hardly in general live could return. But at everything at the same time his commander has left its group without support and without evacuation. Only you have survived, the captain, – all have turned in its party, even Alice, having opened mouth has raised the head and looked at motionless Kim. – Having returned to the empire, Kim has found this coward and the traitor and has killed him. Having realized that he has made, has run away from the empire, has replaced name and documents and became the mercenary. Under different names. – I have looked at it he continued to stand and look quietly to me in the face. I have continued. – I do not make not feasible promises, I am the same officer, as well as you. I, as well as you swore oath and swore on fidelity of the empire and to the emperor. Upon termination of this mission if I survive. I will try to help you if you help to survive to us. – He has nodded, without having uttered words. The captain has stretched hand in pocket and in it the moment all in the room have strained. It, having inspected all, has told:

– Quietly, I behind cigarettes, – getting black pack of some cigarettes. I have asked one, and it has taken out one cigarette and has thrown to me pack. – Smoke on health to you now more necessary. – I have got cigarette and have lit from the matches lying on table. The puff has dragged on and has exhaled.

– Thanks, the captain, – I have nodded to it. – Then with your permission, I will continue. Also I will pass to our following hero. Gennady. – All have with astonishment looked at me, probably, expecting that I will begin with the captain. – Yes. Gena. When you killed the real Gennady Sysoyev, I hope, you not for long tormented him? – He sat without moving. Its usual expression of eternal irritation has slipped from face as mask, having left behind emptiness. He did not begin to deny. Has not tried to contract or snatch. It it is simple … Gena has stopped being. It was similar not to explosion, and to thawing of skin on body. Skin on face and hands, has begun to darken, turning into something glossy, casting ferrous and dark gray metal. His clothes – the old, shabby overalls – have not torn. It was absorbed in this new metal flesh, became its part, through it muscle fibers which the person could not have have appeared. Fingers were extended, joints have acted, framed sharp as if the ground bone plates. Nails became similar to the short, bent blades from black obsidian. But the most terrible – it was his face. Or rather, what from it remained. Sysoyev’s lines were erased as the drawing on damp sand. There was smooth, shapeless oval on which only two deepenings on the place of nose and rigid crack of mouth have appeared. And then in this darkness eyes have flashed. Not two points. And set. As at spider. Difficult, facet, flickering cold, lifeless scarlet light. Light proceeded from within, from skull depth, and in its crimson reflection skin cast in color of the baked blood. It became higher. Each line of his new body shouted of terrible efficiency. It was the car. It was the metamorph. One of the most expensive and terrible products of the black market of genetic engineering. The live weapon capable to imitate the person for years. Until activation of task of murder.

Kim, was instinctively displaced to the left, having taken position between monster and window. The professional saw before himself weapon with which, perhaps, already dealt. And this weapon was the top class. Alice has started back to wall, having pressed palm to mouth. In her eyes there was not only horror, but also bitter enlightenment. She lived with it … it something in close metal box for months. Slept, ate, trusted it the life and life of the ship. The captain Lavrov has not moved a little. He sat, having straightened back, and his old, weather-beaten bear look studied metamorph without fear, but with the deepest, ice contempt. He looked at thing which has dared to pretend to be his friend. Which dared to concern its ship. At this moment something has brightly sparkled, and in second in the head of metamorph the huge black hole gaped. It slowly began to precipitate on floor, and then was just filled up on one side, spilling black slush on all floor. All have looked in that party from where the shot has been made by clot of the concentrated plasma. Ki was motionless, only his right hand extended forward came to an end not with brush, but trunk of the built-in fighting laser. In the room the silence which in five minutes was interrupted by the captain’s voice has hung.

– I do not understand anything else. How you have understood that it is metamorph? – The captain has asked and having become silent has stared at me.

– Well, I will explain, – it is a little, having calmed themselves, I have told. – The captain, you when be noticed for the friend that he, wiping hands after repair rags, put how usual rag? But did not throw it on floor.

– No. He usually threw it anywhere, I and crew always swore at it as there were cases of injuries from the fact that it on floor underfoot rolled. – I have nodded, agreeing with this argument.

– Did you notice or saw that the crew member during flight has poured to himself coffee and left it, never without having drunk from cup?

– No. Coffee is very important for crew. As renders the invigorating effect for the person. – I have again nodded, agreeing also with this opinion.

– Well and at last the last. I have finally made sure of bar that it is not person when around it behind table there were empty circles, and he affectedly tried to seem drunk. To tell the truth changed. – I have made helpless gesture.

– It is very interesting, the detective, – I have even shuddered as its brutal voice did not match in any way the person who told it.

– Kim, I want to notice, you have fine baritone, – I have told, smiling broadly. – But you are mistaken, I am not detective. I am agent of the Russian secret service of its imperial majesty. I ask all of you to address further me Sergey Mironov or the Snipe. – I have looked at Kim, he has a little smiled corners of lips. – Now about situation in which all of us with you have appeared.

– Stand, stand. And how captain? And Ki? Will you about them tell nothing? – Alice has protested.

– And what you want to hear? The captain it and in space the captain. That there is the most true captain of the Scythian freighter. And here Ki. Here, I think, we will take break so far. So, remains to time for our actions very little. All of us are threatened by either death, or penal servitude on it to the planet. – I have looked at the TV on which there were continuously urgent news, and what I have read, has changed my decision about continuation of the story who there is who. I have included loudness and from the screen not young, the blonde, but the nice leader of news said: «I repeat, urgent news. Due to the attempt of military takeover. When using in it the forbidden fighting metamorphs. The planetary administration of the planet Aurum-4 imposes ban on arrivals and departures of any vessels from the planet. Without martial law is urgently imposed, police and security planetary structures are abolished. All population of the planet has to carry out and submit to requirements of military strictly. Otherwise they have the right to open fire on defeat. Also to be introduced restrictions on priob …». I have switched off sound. I have looked at all sitting in the room and have even taken view of Ki who has already removed weapon, and now on its place there was its usual brush.