Читать книгу Classics fantasy – 7. Stories-2 - A. Belyaev - Страница 4

– I congratulate!

– With all the heart I congratulate! You were lucky, Levka. From a school bench and, one may say, directly in captains of the air ship.

– Well, my ship on a leash! – with laughter Leopold Miller answered.

– He was twice lucky. Listen! Do not interrupt! – dark-haired living Dunsky tried to outvoice all. – First, such appointment…

– On merits, the brother!.

– Wait, do not interrupt, Zavachkin! First, such appointment, and secondly, such assistant. You will be the idiot, Levka if you do not make to Zoya a proposal of marriage. And I on your place would never go down on the earth. You will be inhabitants of heaven. You will be able to use cloudless happiness – your “Condor” soars above clouds. And you, Zoyka, you will become the ancestor of the new mankind born in the sky!

– Capture with yourself only the good nurse that your future air baby did not fall from height of one thousand kilometers!

– Yes will be to you! – Zoya laughed, stirring up the light-haired short-haired head. – I am not going to get married, and Levka is not pleasant to me at all.

– Well, we will put it!

– The love and a smell of musk cannot be hidden how east proverb speaks!

– You fly on the airplane? – asked Eagles.

– No, we go by an electric train – Miller answered.

– Such backwardness! To the air person did not stick to creep on the ground.

– Given rise to fly to creep is not able or as there…

– I on the way should take some material.

– Watch that Romanians did not hit you. On border most almost you will be groundless!

Miller rose.

– Well, children, it is time for me. Thanks for wishes and hot farewell. Before the road it is necessary to keep within, write some letters. Zoya, you directly to the station?

– It is short to me to gather – the girl answered.

– Eh, Zoyka, we will be deserted without you!

– Come to visit.

– Let’s arrive! Thanks! Farewell! Happy journey!

– Farewell! Farewell!

The modest junket terminated. Miller returned to himself to a small room on the fifth floor.

– To you letter, Leopold Ivanovich! – the elderly woman, Miller’s neighbor in the apartment told.

The letter was from mother.

“Dear Leva! – Elvira Karlovna wrote with bold, sprawling handwriting. – I do not know that I have more, to rejoice or grieve. I am glad to your termination of institute and appointment. You are an engineer. Found the way. But unless there are no good places on the earth? Why offered you such service? At you the head can begin to spin, and you will fall from your air mill. I would prefer that you were as your father, the simple repairman, but the terrestrial, but not air engineer. It is dangerous. And I will not understand why it is necessary. Explain you to me, please, the silly old woman why it was impossible to install your car on the earth? Wind blows everywhere. You write about Zoya. She is a good girl. And to the girl did not stick on air snakes at all to live. And it there! Would marry it and lived on the earth as all people. And that the grandson will be born, and will not have a look at him. Not to climb to me, the old woman, under clouds!”

“And it about the same! – smiling, Miller thought. – About the children born in the sky…”

“And one more disturbs me – continued to write mother. – At us speak about war. And if there is a war yes the Romanian or Polish airplanes will arrive? And you on your attached kite and have no place to disappear. At your sphere will shoot, as at the hanging bottle in a dash. And you have no place to disappear. On the earth after all it is safer also during war”…

Levka leaned back on a chair back, thought and wrote to mother:

“Mutti! You ask me why people needed suit the cars “in the sky”. I will try to explain so that it was clear to you.

You remember, we with you read Wells’s novel “When sleeping wakens”? This Wells in the first years of our revolution was in Russia, having returned to himself to England, wrote the book “Russia in a Haze”. In the book of this Wells was surprised to “the Kremlin dreamers” – as it they start to electrify the country flat, with a slow current of the rivers. Where they will take energy? – to Wells – the thought did not come to the fantast, the dreamer, the seer of the future to mind that for getting of electricity not only energy of water, but also wind can be used. This slow-wittedness especially is strange that Wells in the novel which we read with you describes the vetrosilovy turbines supplying with energy London. But wind can give energy for electrification not only one city, and and the whole globe. Wells probably believed that we will not manage “to take also wind in Bolshevist hand”. But Wells was mistaken in it, as well as in many other.

Wind power is immense. By the most approximate calculations, energy which the mankind could receive from wind within a year surpasses all world reserves. By only one European part of the Union it would be possible to receive the energy equal to two billion hundred fifty million tons of coal a year. This figure will become more clear to you if I specify that for the first five-years period all our extraction of fuel in conversion to coal made only hundred forty million tons.

We need a huge number of energy – not less than sixty million kilowatts. We let and partly already started up our major water power sources: Dnieper, Angara, Yenisei, Volga… One Yenisei gives us eight million kilowatts. But energy of the rivers nevertheless has a limit. And here wind has to come to the rescue of the rivers.

All trouble, however, that wind – the most whimsical, most changeable elements. It is an unreliable power source. Wind blows, ceases to blow. And there is no wind – there are also power plants. You will tell: means, Wells was right. No, he was the bad prophet and an ugadchik. We shamed both wind, and Wells.

The matter is that wind is capricious only over the Earth’s surface. At the height about five hundred meters the constant, never ceasing wind blows. Air Niagara. Inexhaustible power source. Even if wind ceases at the height of five hundred meters, it blows slightly above. And the higher, the stronger, the more constantly. Means, all question only in how to use these high air rivers. “If the mountain does not go to Magomet, then Magomet goes to the mountain”. It is necessary to lift, so on height vetrosilovy installations. This idea was for the first time introduced and technically developed by the engineer Kazhi certain.

Imagine a kite which is started under clouds. But dragon of the huge sizes. On a snake there is something like a windmill, only instead of wings such cylinder – a vingrotor rotates (a ving in English – a wing, a rotor – the rotating part of the mechanism). That all car was lighter and rose by air, emptiness in huge wings and other parts of a construction are filled with hydrogen. Besides, and wind supports the device. All vetrosilovy high-rise electrical unit is attached to the earth by a steel wire. On this wire there is on the earth from the station also current. And current turns out because that the wings rotating from wind put the motor which also is on a snake in action. It is clear? Here I will also work at such high-rise station.

So we won wind. From now on he is subordinated to us, works for us, obedient to our will. Now we have an unlimited stock of energy.

This victory over wind, of course, could not but frighten our enemies. Nearly an every month new high-rise vetrosilovy installation rises in air. “From the sky” millions of kilowatts of energy flow on the earth. We become too strong. And in fear of our growing power enemies, perhaps, will also try to attack us. Well that? We will win against them wind! Storms will work for us.

And for me you do not worry. If enemy airplanes arrive, the kite can always be lowered on the earth, having winded a wire the same as boys take up a string of snakes. Small stations soar in clouds without people. In case of accident, for lubricant of parts, adjustments of the motor, replenishment of reserves of gas and other lower them on the earth. But often to lower such powerful installation as “Condor” on the earth, it is unprofitable. It leads to energy loss. That is why we will constantly live with Zoya in ours “the air country”. Zoya already on a last year also goes with me as the trainee. It – the good fellow. “The air repairman”. Has no dizziness. Brave girl. Do not worry and do not worry, expensive! Mother has to be courageous. (Mutter – mother and Mut – courage are not without reason conformable.) I will write you every week. Hi to the father. How his rheumatism?

Yours Leva.

P.S. My all companions on institute envy me. From ended this year only I one was given such “high” and responsible assignment. I brought some improvements in a design of a tail of “kite” (our car has also a tail). The invention was recognized important, this and helped me to receive “a captain’s post” as my companions speak. “Condor” will serve the electric power huge collective farm (the majority of tractors and cars works at electric accumulators now), sawmill, the cellulose plant and other. Work is interesting. I kiss. Zoya sends hi. L.”.

The electric train quickly rushed Miller and Zoya Tveryanova on the South. In way there were only two stops.

“At a groundless table курыць zaboronyaetsets” – was read by Zoya in buffet of one station. – Belarus!

“At a zagalny table ask you do not scorch”. – Over them there was already a sky of Ukraine.

Some more hours’ journey, and they on the place. Pyramidal a poplar, at night similar to cypresses, the sharp tops to the star sky directed. The warm, caressing wind brought the “Ukrainian” smells of herbs and fields.

On the high hill the shapeless construction was seen. It their “Condor” slept on the earth the last night. From the next shed through the opened door light on a glade fell, snatching out two trucks from a gloom. Voices, blows of a hammer were heard. There were last preparations. The message about arrival of the engineer quickly extended on workshops and barracks. From everywhere there were workers, collective farmers.

– You would have a rest after the journey, Zoya – Miller offered.

– I will sleep on clouds – smiling, the girl answered.

Light of temporary power plant flashed. The bright arc lamp was lit by “Condor”. It stood on a mooring scaffold. Huge “coil” – a vingrotor – fastening as an axis, all device was the center of all construction. On the ends of an axis the huge planes in the form of semi-holes were strengthened. They have to give side stability to “dragon”. Under the coil the deck also was located on it a small cabin with two rooms – Miller and Zoya’s future dwelling. Behind “Condor” through all glade almost on kilometer the huge tail was stretched. On some distance from the mooring platform there was a collar with the reeled-up thin cable. Nearby the building of the small gas plant which produced hydrogen for filling of internal cavities of “Condor” was seen.

Miller rushed in work as if in fight. Its young energy was transferred to all. The human ant hill began to move.

Zoya did not notice how morning crept. Lamps went out. The pink beam of the sun lit horns of the side planes.

– We climb, Zoya! – Miller shouted.

Mooring planked footway already had him and quickly clambered on a steep ladder. Zoya followed it, easily and surely climbing up above and above. Not without reason she was the awarded fizkulturnitsa.

In two minutes they were on the deck.

– Wind in three points. You hear how tops of trees rustle? – Miller told. It surely turned the lever. Blades of a rotor were started turning. – Three points – quite sufficient wind to help us to fly up. You remember “Magnus’s effect”, Zoya?

Miller disappeared behind a cabin and told from there:

– Turn the switch near a cabin door.

Za turned. Noise of the motor was heard. In a cabin the electric bulb was lit.

– Here you see, our power plant also earned. Years of tens would not be without celebration back. Now it would seem to triumph in view of that as strange, as concerning conducting of a house electric call. Down I do not give current yet. You should look after the motor. It is established behind a cabin indoors.

Miller approached the region of the deck and, having bent down over an iron fencing, shouted as the real captain:

– Kick off!

The collar was started turning, unwinding a wire, “Condor” began to rise up. The first beams of a rising sun lit Zoya’s face, and still shadows of night below lay. Miller looked at Zoya and tenderly smiled:

– We fly, Zoyka! You are not afraid?

– I am not afraid, Levka!

Whether she could admit that to it it was a little bit terrible?

“Condor” slowly rose. Wind grew stronger. The rotor rotated more and stronger. Miller carefully looked at Zoya.

– In vain you did not take the suitcase. Would put on a sweater. It will be above absolutely fresh. Do not forget that we will live at height where “climate” of mountain tops. But it is our trial flight. Let’s go down and will take all necessary.

– To me it is not cold! – Zoya answered.

She looked down. The horizon extended and as though rose. Every minute all new distances opened: the becoming blue wood, a dazzling-red bend of the river, far factory pipes… On fields as if bugs, potter about tractors. “Condor” will feed them with electricity!

The motor suddenly began to miss.

– Look, Zoya that with a dynamo! – Levka told.

Zoya adjusted the motor, and when returned, “Condor” was motionless already at big height. Behind it it was stretched, gradually falling, the long tail waving from wind.

* * *

– Energy of the atmosphere is inexhaustible. There will pass a little more years, and thousands, tens of thousands here will begin such “Condors” is proud to fly over our country. The wind turned into a current will rotate our cars, to give light and heat. We electrify our life, our life to the smallest details. Wind will undertake the most hard work. Human work will be facilitated. People will have much more free time to give it to science, arts. Life will become fine.

– Yes, Levka, life will become beautiful – Zoya responded.

And suddenly, having made the scared eyes, Zoya exclaimed:

– Levka! And how we will have dinner? What will we eat?

– Nectar and an ambrosia, as well as follows inhabitants of heaven, or a god-send. You got hungry, Zoya?

– To admit and. I am hungry. We had dinner at a groundless or zagalny table!

– Suffer a little. We will go down soon. And when we will fly up for a long time, we will lower a wire and to lift everything that it is necessary for us. There is an electric stove, and we will be able to warm up foods, to make coffee. From time to time we should go down to stock up with gas. As covers of “wings” are dense, nevertheless diffusion exists. I think that leak of gas will be small, and we hardly should go down more often than once a month if only you do not miss on the ground.

– To us will once miss, Levka!

– But at us will be also free time enough. We will stock up with books. On “Condor” there are a fine radio station and the TV. You will be able to see even movies.

– And at night we will go in for astronomy. Isn’t that so, from here it is wonderful to observe stars?

On the atmosphere

Without wheel and without sails

Quietly float in fog

Choruses harmonious shone,

– again Levka recited.

– And if in our atmosphere there is a storm what we will do, Levk?

– We will be attracted to the earth and fixed “Condor” on anchors. On an accident case, for example break of a cable, we have parachutes.

Miller showed to Zoya the put parachutes tied to a handrail and explained how to treat them.

– You take yourself at a breast this belt and – My God bless – you rush down. You fly and count up to ten – remember it – and only when you will count to ten, you will pull here this rope, and the parachute will be developed.

Zoya involuntarily shuddered and told, having lowered a voice:

– You know, I very brave, Levka. But I, apparently, would never decide to rush down on a parachute. Whatever it happened…

– Well, we will not speak about such things. I hope, you should not make such somersault.

– Hallo! – exorcized a radio loud-hailer. – How are you doing?

– Everything is all right! – Levka on a radio telephone answered. – Now I will give current on the earth. Is? Perfectly! You can begin descent!

“Condor” shuddered and began to decrease slowly. Below people reeled up a thin cable on a collar.

– It will be necessary to mechanize work of this collar – Levka told. – So, tomorrow we begin life at our heavenly dacha. Tomorrow we will give current to collective-farm tractors, the plants, military cars, we will give light to houses and heat in electric furnaces. It is enough to idle to wind! From now on idlers will not be already not called vetrenik. Wind will drag, carry, mow, cook elektroshch in collective-farm electrofactory kitchen and even to sing lullabies to children in a collective-farm day nursery. But today we will eat with you yet not electrified Ukrainian borsch!

* * *

The next day there was Zoya Tveryanova and Miller’s settlement “on heaven”. All device was well designed, and, as a matter of fact, on “Condor” it was possible to have one repairman. On small vetrosilovy installations did and absolutely without people. But “Condor” was too powerful vetrosilovy power plant that to put him out of action without extreme need. Just in case on the earth very simple accumulator was arranged: at top of the hill the whole lake was dug out. Electricity lifted water of the small river flowing at the foot of the hill, water filled the lake. When “Condor” for some reason or other stayed idle, water from this tank was started up down a pipe and set the turbine in motion. Thus, all construction was as if combined ветро – hydro – electroinstallation.

Miller permanently was on “Condor” mainly because here it continued the scientific and inventive work. “Condor” was his laboratory: Levka studied wind force at various height, checked work of rotors tested on model wind, kept diaries. Business was new. Miller found any improvements, invented automatic regulators, otmetchik. Zoya actively helped it.

They stocked up with all necessary: warm clothes, books. Food and drink were served every day them “on the elevator”. Miller thought up also “urgent mail” – a small fastened cylinder which quickly rose to “Condor”.

It unusual life in air of five hundred, thousands and above meters was on the ball. Sometimes “Condor” rose over clouds. The worrying cloudy sea curled under legs of hermits. Several times under them the thunder-storm burst. Crushing blows shook heavenly open spaces. Clouds played a repeated echo. Blue lightnings angrily broke in the curling clouds. Below there were chaos, a thunder and a storm. And over “Condor” the clear blue sky stretched and brightly the sun shone.

Sometimes the evening cloudlet reddened by the sun floated near “Condor”. Zoya gave to it a hand and spoke:

– Go to us, the heavenly guest!

And, as if повинуясь to this call, the cloud shrouded “Condor” in the crude fog leaving drops on hair and a woolen sweater of Zoya.

– Not all poetic from a distance is pleasant close! – laughing, Levka said.

Air was cool, and the sun burned down. The cheek turned to the sun burned, and another – in a shadow – froze. Miller and Zoyka strongly sunbathed.

– Here where to acquire a tan. It is better, than on the beach! – Zoya spoke.

– Yes, and I am sure that over time big high-rise installations will be used as mountain sanatoria! – Levka answered.

In the evenings young people sat on the deck and admired stars. Below, on the earth as stars, burned in houses fires of electric lamps, and sometimes it seemed to Zoya that it is in interplanetary space: stars both from above and from below surrounded it. Little things in life remained there, below, on the earth. Here involuntarily came to mind of a thought of the far worlds, about inhabitants of other planets, about greatness of the Universe…

Interfered with quiet contemplation only wind. If it weakened, then Levka immediately gave the order on the earth to lift “Condor” above. And wind whistled in ears again, rotors quickly rotated, current flew down on a wire on the earth, spread on factories, the plants, houses, by vivifying force joined tractors, machines, twirled, moved, shone, heated, washed clothes, cooked electroporridge…

Conducting the imagined conversations with Martians, Zoya sometimes forgot about the earth. But the earth itself reminded of itself.

* * *

The fall, bad, rainy came. Already at the height of two hundred meters the speed of wind reached eight-nine meters per second. Below, on the earth, bent a poplar, dropping the last leaves. Zoya shivered, looked at quickly rushing clouds and thought of winter.

Levka! What will we do when winter blizzards come? “When there will come cold zimn”? The same, as now. Let’s put on more warmly, exclusively. And if “Condor” fills up with snow? Will not fill up. The rotor covers from above. It rotates, on it will not settle snow. Well, and if a little also plans for the deck, we will clear. It will only be necessary to make rather the device which automatically would regulate flight altitude depending on wind force. Then we should not come so often to an icy cold to look at indications of the anemometer.

This evening they early got into a cabin. Here was light-, warmly, comfortably. Zoya read, Levka processed records of automatic devices, drew schedules. Behind a wall the motor gradually grumbled. “Condor” shivered an easy shiver, but air inhabitants got used to it as railroad workers to jolting of the car.

– Hallo! Hallo! Hallo! – unexpectedly the disturbing voice was distributed. – The earth speaks. Miller, you accept?

– Kirsanov? I listen to you!

– Listen carefully! – continued a voice. And the black disk of a loud-hailer began to report a dead news: – From general staff the radiotelegram is received. Romania and Poland without declaration of war began military operations. The squadron of enemy airplanes flew over border. Airplanes are supplied with the cutting devices for a wire to which high-rise vetrosilovy installations are tied. To Litka and “Star” are cut and broken. Establish observation. If you see the enemy, immediately give signals to lower “Condor” on the earth. For its protection to us there will come the battery of antiaircraft guns.

With mute horror, as hypnotized, Zoya looked at a brilliant circle in the center of a black disk. Also Levka was excited.

– We pass to the martial law, Zoyk? – he told with nervous cheerfulness.

– Put on more warmly. We should keep watch all night long.

Putting on a leather helmet and a coat on fur, it continued:

– And the machine gun, perhaps, would also be useful now to us. To admit, I refused it: excess weight. Well and to go down on the earth and to take aboard a machine gun not for long. We go! Billeting! It is necessary to switch a loudspeaker to the deck. So. We go!

Wind struck in a face. Tyazhi whistled and shivered. All “Condor” as if napruzhitsya. Suddenly from two sides of the deck the darkness of night was cut through by bright sheaves of light. Miller lit searchlights.

With field glasses in hands Levka and Zoya stood on both sides of the deck. Clouds quickly rushed on the sky, curled, faced, piled up. Zoya’s hand grew dumb with the heavy field-glass and cold wind.

From time to time Zoya darted a glance at the anemometer.

“Thirteen meters per second… fourteen… fifteen… Six points! Really enemy airplanes will decide to fly to such wind? Ah, though the storm would burst!. The barometer falls…”

Sometimes among the curling clouds the brilliant asterisk seemed to Zoya. Whether not enemy it is the airplane lit with a searchlight of “Condor”? . But the asterisk disappeared and did not appear. Deception of the tired sight!. “Seventeen meters… eighteen…”

– Hallo! Hallo! – muffling wind whistle, the loudspeaker attached to an external wall of a cabin cried. – Hallo! Our military cars arrived to the station for accumulator charging. Give all power of “Condor”!

“Nineteen… twenty meters per second. Eight points! It is already a storm!” – Zoya with relief thought. The wind, the less veroyatiya on an enemy raid is stronger. The air storm will protect them from a storm of military bad weather. And “Condor”? “Condor” will sustain. He got used to meet by a breast of the rotors a wind impact. And Zoya almost with tenderness looked at the vingrotor cylinder. It rustled and hooted as Niagara. “Condor” did not shiver any more, and shivered as if in the strongest paroxysm of fever. Tyazh ringed and whistled. The tail stood horizontally, extended by wind in a string. Wind plowed up floors of a leather coat of Zoya, froze legs. From light of a searchlight eyes hurt. The head was turned. The heavy field-glass delayed a hand down.

“Twenty three… twenty six… twenty eight… if so goes further…”

Suddenly Zoya felt a push, and “Condor” began to decrease. Really the cable tore? It is all about a cable! Zoya in vain admired “Condor”. The thin leash will tear, and all this large object will become a defenseless toy of wind. “Condor” will break and will depart head over heels, “walking” as the children’s broken dragon… Zoya’s life hung if not on a hair, then on a thin wire…

“Condor” decreases evenly. Probably Levka looks for a strip where wind is more silent…

– Hallo! Hallo! – again the loudspeaker began to roar. – The order is received: “Condor” has to keep at height to the utmost until all accumulators are charged. Give a signal of descent only in two cases: if you see the enemy airplane or if wind force obviously threatens failure of “Condor”.

“Condor” fell a little, but below wind was even stronger this time. Then Miller decided to rise in the top layers. Searches of “the smooth air water” began. “Condor” rose above clouds, and over Zoya then indifferent stars shone, plunged into chaos of the curling clouds. In searchlight beams they seemed the frenzied monsters snatching on “Condor”. Despite a long tail and the side planes, “Condor” began to throw here and there. Zoya put the field-glass in a case and strong grabbed a rod of an iron fencing. It shivered, as well as all on “Condor”, and was cold as ice.