[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
itself, so providing a wide choice of external backgrounds visible through the
supporting structure and above the stadium's lip, including jagged, snow-
strewn mountains, giant cliffs, vast deserts, carpeting jungles, towering
crystal cities, vast waterfalls and gently swaying blimp tree forests.
For a particularly wild event, there was a rapids course; a giant, quickly
flowing river the Bowl could descend like a monstrous inflatable riding the
world's biggest flume, monumentally spinning, tipping and bobbing until it
encountered the vast cliff-encircled whirlpool at the bottom, where it simply
revolved atop a swirling column of spiralling water being sucked plunging
into a set of colossal pumps capable of emptying a sea, until one of Hub's
Superlifters came to hoist it bodily back up to its normal elevation among the
waterways above.
For tonight's performance the Bowl would be staying where it was, at the
point of a small peninsula on the shores of Bandel Lake, Guerno Plate, a
dozen continents to spinward from Xarawe. The peninsula's point housed a
collection of underground access points, various elegantly disguised storage
and support buildings, a broad concourse lined with bars, cafes, restaurants
and other entertainment venues, and a giant bracket-shaped dock where the
Bowl underwent any necessary maintenance and repair.
The Bowl's in-built strategic tactile, sound and light systems, even without
any in-person participatory enhancement, were as good as they could
possibly be; Hub took responsibility for the remaining external conditions.
The Bowl was one of six, all specifically constructed to provide venues for
events which needed to be held outside. They were distributed across the
world so that there ought always to be one in the right place at the right time,
no matter what the required conditions.
'Though of course,' Kabe felt bound to point out, 'you could have just one, and
then slow down or speed up the whole Orbital, to synchronise.'
'Been done,' the avatar said sniffily.
'I rather thought it might.'
The avatar looked up. 'Ah ha.' Directly overhead, just visible through the
morning haze above, a tiny roughly rectangular shape was glowing with
reflected sunlight.
'What is that?'
'That is the Equator Class General Systems Vehicle Experiencing A Significant
Gravitas Shortfall,' the avatar said. Kabe saw its eyes narrow fractionally and
a small smile formed about its lips and eyes. 'It changed its course schedule to
come and see the concert too.' The avatar watched the shape grow bigger, and
frowned. 'It'll have to move from there though; that's where my air-burst
meteorites are coming through.'
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B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
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'Air burst?' Kabe said. He was watching the glowing rectangle of the GSV
enlarge slowly. 'That sounds, ah, dramatic.' Dangerous might seem a more
suitable word, he thought.
The avatar shook its head. It too was watching the giant craft as it lowered
itself into the atmosphere above them. 'Na, it's not that dangerous,' the avatar
said, apparently but presumably not actually reading his mind. 'The shower
choreography is pretty much all set up. There might be a few bits of soft stuff
that could still outgas and need retrajectoring, but they all have their own
escort engines anyway.' The avatar grinned at him. 'I used a whole bunch of
old knife missiles; reactivated war stock, which seemed appropriate.
Reckoned they needed the practice.'
They looked back up into the sky. The GSV was now about the same size as a
hand held out at full arm's stretch. Features were starting to appear on its
golden-white surfaces. 'All the rocks are fully set up; fired up and forgotten
long ago,' the avatar continued, 'sliding in simple as rings on an orrery. No
danger there either.' It nodded at the GSV, which was close and bright enough
now to be casting its own light over the surrounding landscape, like a
strangely rectangular golden moon floating over the world.
'That is the sort of thing Hub Minds can't help get worried about,' the avatar
said, hoisting one silvery eyebrow. 'A trillion tonnes of ship capable of
accelerating like an arrow out of a bow coming close enough to the surface for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
itself, so providing a wide choice of external backgrounds visible through the
supporting structure and above the stadium's lip, including jagged, snow-
strewn mountains, giant cliffs, vast deserts, carpeting jungles, towering
crystal cities, vast waterfalls and gently swaying blimp tree forests.
For a particularly wild event, there was a rapids course; a giant, quickly
flowing river the Bowl could descend like a monstrous inflatable riding the
world's biggest flume, monumentally spinning, tipping and bobbing until it
encountered the vast cliff-encircled whirlpool at the bottom, where it simply
revolved atop a swirling column of spiralling water being sucked plunging
into a set of colossal pumps capable of emptying a sea, until one of Hub's
Superlifters came to hoist it bodily back up to its normal elevation among the
waterways above.
For tonight's performance the Bowl would be staying where it was, at the
point of a small peninsula on the shores of Bandel Lake, Guerno Plate, a
dozen continents to spinward from Xarawe. The peninsula's point housed a
collection of underground access points, various elegantly disguised storage
and support buildings, a broad concourse lined with bars, cafes, restaurants
and other entertainment venues, and a giant bracket-shaped dock where the
Bowl underwent any necessary maintenance and repair.
The Bowl's in-built strategic tactile, sound and light systems, even without
any in-person participatory enhancement, were as good as they could
possibly be; Hub took responsibility for the remaining external conditions.
The Bowl was one of six, all specifically constructed to provide venues for
events which needed to be held outside. They were distributed across the
world so that there ought always to be one in the right place at the right time,
no matter what the required conditions.
'Though of course,' Kabe felt bound to point out, 'you could have just one, and
then slow down or speed up the whole Orbital, to synchronise.'
'Been done,' the avatar said sniffily.
'I rather thought it might.'
The avatar looked up. 'Ah ha.' Directly overhead, just visible through the
morning haze above, a tiny roughly rectangular shape was glowing with
reflected sunlight.
'What is that?'
'That is the Equator Class General Systems Vehicle Experiencing A Significant
Gravitas Shortfall,' the avatar said. Kabe saw its eyes narrow fractionally and
a small smile formed about its lips and eyes. 'It changed its course schedule to
come and see the concert too.' The avatar watched the shape grow bigger, and
frowned. 'It'll have to move from there though; that's where my air-burst
meteorites are coming through.'
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
'Air burst?' Kabe said. He was watching the glowing rectangle of the GSV
enlarge slowly. 'That sounds, ah, dramatic.' Dangerous might seem a more
suitable word, he thought.
The avatar shook its head. It too was watching the giant craft as it lowered
itself into the atmosphere above them. 'Na, it's not that dangerous,' the avatar
said, apparently but presumably not actually reading his mind. 'The shower
choreography is pretty much all set up. There might be a few bits of soft stuff
that could still outgas and need retrajectoring, but they all have their own
escort engines anyway.' The avatar grinned at him. 'I used a whole bunch of
old knife missiles; reactivated war stock, which seemed appropriate.
Reckoned they needed the practice.'
They looked back up into the sky. The GSV was now about the same size as a
hand held out at full arm's stretch. Features were starting to appear on its
golden-white surfaces. 'All the rocks are fully set up; fired up and forgotten
long ago,' the avatar continued, 'sliding in simple as rings on an orrery. No
danger there either.' It nodded at the GSV, which was close and bright enough
now to be casting its own light over the surrounding landscape, like a
strangely rectangular golden moon floating over the world.
'That is the sort of thing Hub Minds can't help get worried about,' the avatar
said, hoisting one silvery eyebrow. 'A trillion tonnes of ship capable of
accelerating like an arrow out of a bow coming close enough to the surface for [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]