Нейромант
Chapter 1
Theelevatorsmelledofperfumeandcigarettes;thesidesofthecagewasscratchedandthumb-smudged.Asitpassedthefifthfloor,hesawthelightsofNinsei.Hedrummedhisfingersagainstthepistolgripasthecageslowedwithagradualhiss.Asalways,itcametoafullstopwithaviolentjolt,buthewasreadyforit.Hesteppedoutintothecourtyardthatservedtheplaceassomecombinationoflobbyandlawn.
Centeredinthesquarecarpetofgreenplasticturf,aJapaneseteenagersatbehindaC-shapedconsole,readingatextbook.Thewhitefiberglasscoffinswererackedinaframeworkofindustrialscaffolding.Sixtiersofcoffins,tencoffinsonaside.Casenoddedintheboy’sdirectionandlimpedacrosstheplasticgrasstothenearestladder.Thecompoundwasroofedwithcheaplaminatedmattingthatrattledinastrongwindandleakedwhenitrained,butthecoffinswerereasonablydifficulttoopenwithoutakey.
Theexpansion-gratecatwalkvibratedwithhisweightasheedgedhiswayalongthethirdtiertoNumber92.Thecoffinswerethreemeterslong,theovalhatchesameterwideandjustunderameterandahalftall.Hefedhiskeyintotheslotandwaitedforverificationfromthehousecomputer.Magneticboltsthuddedreassuringlyandthehatchroseverticallywithacreakofsprings.Fluorescentsflickeredonashecrawledin,pullingthehatchshutbehindhimandslappingthepanelthatactivatedthemanuallatch.
TherewasnothinginNumber92butastandardHitachipocketcomputerandasmallwhitestyrofoamcoolerchest.
