Online čitanka četvrtkom: HERBERT, POHL, HARRISON

Frank Herbert: “Missing Link”

“We ought to scrape this planet clean of every living thing on it,” muttered Umbo Stetson, section chief of Investigation and Adjustment.
Stetson paced the landing control bridge of his scout cruiser. His footsteps grated on a floor that was the rear wall of the bridge during flight. But now the ship rested on its tail fins – all four hundred glistening red and black meters of it. The open ports of the bridge looked out on the jungle roof of Gienah III some one hundred fifty meters below. A butter yellow sun hung above the horizon, perhaps an hour from setting.

Frederik Pohl: “The Day of the Boomer Dukes”

Paptaste udderly, semped sempsemp dezhavoo, qued schmerz – Excuse me. I mean to say that it was like an endless diet of days, boring, tedious …
No, it loses too much in the translation. Explete my reasons, I say. Do my reasons matter? No, not to you, for you are troglodytes, knowing nothing of causes, understanding only acts. Acts and facts, I will give you acts and facts.
First you must know how I am called. My “name” is Foraminifera 9-Hart Bailey’s Beam, and I am of adequate age and size. (If you doubt this, I am prepared to fight.)

Harry Harrison: “The K-Factor”

“We’re losing a planet, Neel. I’m afraid that I can’t … understand it.”
The bald and wrinkled head wobbled a bit on the thin neck, and his eyes were moist. Abravanel was a very old man. Looking at him, Neel realized for the first time just how old and close to death he was. It was a profoundly shocking thought.
“Pardon me, sir,” Neel broke in, “but is it possible? To lose a planet, I mean. If the readings are done correctly, and the k-factor equations worked to the tenth decimal place, then it’s really just a matter of adjustment, making the indicated corrections. After all, Societics is an exact science – “

Ire

Irena Rašeta je vlasnica i glavna urednica NOSF-a, stalna suradnica u magazinu Plan B, glavna urednica na portalu Online.hr i autorica zbirke priča Cabrón. Aktivna je članica zagrebačkog društva ljubitelja znanstvene fantastike SFera te organizatorica SFeraKonskog programa.

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