Звездный десант
Chapter 11
Besidestheseunsurpassednaturaladvantages,agreatdealhasbeendoneartificiallytokeepR&Rfrombeingwasted.Mostoftheciviliansseemtoholdtwojobs;they’vegotcirclesundertheireyesfromstayingupallnighttomakeaserviceman’sleavepleasant.ChurchillRoadfromtheBasetothecityislinedbothsideswithenterprisesintendedtoseparatepainlesslyamanfrommoneyhereallyhasn’tanyuseforanyhow,tothepleasantaccompanimentofrefreshment,entertainment,andmusic.
Ifyouareabletogetpastthesetraps,throughhavingalreadybeenbledofallvaluta,therearestillotherplacesinthecityalmostassatisfactory(Imeantherearegirlsthere,too)whichareprovidedfreebyagratefulpopulace—muchlikethesocialcenterinVancouver,theseare,butevenmorewelcome.
Sanctuary,andespeciallyEspirituSanto,thecity,struckmeassuchanidealplacethatItoyedwiththenotionofaskingformydischargetherewhenmytermwasupafterall,Ididn’treallycarewhethermydescendants(ifany)twenty-fivethousandyearshencehadlonggreentendrilslikeeverybodyelse,orjusttheequipmentIhadbeenforcedtogetbywith.ThatprofessortypefromtheResearchStationcouldn’tfrightenmewiththatnoradiationscaretalk;itseemedtome(fromwhatIcouldseearoundme)thatthehumanracehadreacheditsultimatepeakanyhow.
Nodoubtagentlemanwarthogfeelsthesamewayaboutaladywarthogbut,ifso,bothofusareverysincere.
