Kitabı oku: «Starport»

HarperVoyager An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

Copyright © by George R.R. Martin 2019 Jacket design by David G. Stevenson © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019 Jacket illustration by Raya Golden © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

George R.R. Martin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed

in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living

or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By

payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable

right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be

reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or

introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any

means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without

the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008342456 Ebook Edition © March 2019 ISBN: 9780008342463 Version: 2019-02-25

PROLOGUE

A decade ago, something amazing happened: Aliens

discovered Earth. Three Chaseen ships landed, all randomly

searching for active sports stadiums, looking to make a real

entrance. The first ship landed in Singapore during the AFF

Tiger Cup Championship. The second landed in Denmark at

the Parken Stadium during a New Firm local rivalry pregame

and unfortunately caused a small stampede of university

students–which was indeed an entrance, although maybe

not the one that particular pilot was looking for. The third

landed at one other notable stadium on the other

side of the planet, but more on that later.

Thankfully, they didn’t come to rule over us or anything

dramatic like that. Instead, humanity got to join the 314 other

species within the Harmony of Worlds. With the help of three

main pilgrim species–the Lohb, the Nhar, and the founding

Chaseen–Earth began to construct three intergalactic treaty

ports: one in Singapore, the first to open, six years after the

landing; one in Copenhagen, which opened the following year

...and one plagued with delays and all sorts of

intrigue, opening two years after that...

CHAPTER ONE

...IN CHICAGO.

...WHILE THEAMERICAN STARPORT’SFIRST ANNIVERSARY ISAPPROACHING AND AS EARTHCELEBRATES ITS TEN-YEARANNIVERSARY OF HUMANITY’SDISCOVERY BY THE HARMONYOF WORLDS.

THE PRESIDENT ISBUSY WORKING WITHOTHER GLOBAL LEADERS TOCOMMEMORATE THE DAY. ANINTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY IS BEINGPROPOSED, BUT MASSIVE TENSIONERUPTED OVER WHICH STARPORTWILL HOST THE CELEBRATION.AND HERE IN CHICAGO...

...PROTESTS

CONTINUE AS NATIONAL

MOTORS PREPARES TO

FINALIZE ITS CONTROVERSIAL

POWERCELL DEAL WITH

HARMONY’S MOST ELUSIVE

SPECIES, THE SKRIT.

CHARLIE?

WHAT TIME

IS IT?

MUCH RESTSON THE SUCCESSFULCONCLUSION OF THISVENTURE, WHICH MIGHTFINALLY PUT CHICAGOIN LINE WITHSINGAPORE...

...AND COPENHAGEN AS AMAJOR ECONOMICPOWER–DESPITE THE MANYDELAYS THAT PLAGUED THEOPENING OF ITS STARPORT JUST ABOUT A YEARAGO.

SIX-THIRTY

A.M.

WAKING

UP BRIGHT

AND EARLY FOR

YOUR NEW

JOB, HUH?

YES...

DAMN IT!

HERE,

LET ME.

YOU’RE

GOOD.

I THOUGHT

YOU LEARNED THAT

LAST NIGHT...

YOU THINK

THIS COLOR’S

OKAY?

YOU

LOOK

FINE.

SEVEN

YEARS IN UNIFORM,

ALL YOU KNOW

IS BLUE.

IT’S AN

ADJUSTMENT.

WAIT...

WHERE’S MY

BADGE?

DETECTIVE BAKER,

ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT

YOU LOST YOUR NEW GOLD

SHIELD WITHIN TWENTY-

FOUR HOURS OF

GETTING IT?

THAT’S

NOT FUNNY,

STACY.

IT HAS

TO BE HERE

SOMEPLACE!

WE DIDN’T GO

ANYWHERE LAST

NIGHT...

IT’S RIGHT

HERE, SILLY. YOU

DEPUTIZED ME,

REMEMBER? IT

WAS JUST

AFTER–

RIGHT! WELL,

I’D BETTER GET

GOING. MAKE SURE

YOU LOCK UP

WHEN YOU...

OF COURSE.

AND IF YOU

BUMP INTO GORT,

TELL HIM KLAATUBARADA NIKTO FOR ME.

BOY, THAT’S

THE WAY TO COMMUTE,

HUH? WOULDN’T YOU

LOVE TO OWN ONE OF

THOSE BABIES?

GOOD LUCK! THEY

DON’T SELL THEM

TO THE LIKES

OF US...

SURE THEY

DO, IF YOU GOT A

COUPLE MILLION TO

SPARE. I HEAR THE

SAUDIS BOUGHT

A DOZEN.

I READ

THAT JAY LENO’S

GOT ONE.

YEAH, AND

THE NEW TESLA

REALLY LOOKS LIKE ONE.

THAT’S NOT THE POINT.

POINT IS, THEY SHOULDN’T

BE ALLOWED TO FLY THEM

IN THE CITY. IF ONE OF

THEM CRASHES...

THEY DON’T

CRASH.

SAYS WHO?

THE MUNCHKINS?

I MEAN, WHAT THE

HELL DO YOU EXPECT

THEM TO SAY?

ACTUALLY,

THEY’RE DESIGNED

NOT TO CRASH. EVEN

IF YOU TRY TO SMASH INTO SOMETHING, THE SKIMMER WON’T LET YOU.

NOW, IF

YOU’LL EXCUSE

ME, THIS IS

MY STOP.

FIGURES.

SON

OF A...

HEY!

STOP!

POLICE!

COPS! EVERYBODY SPLIT!

EARTHBLOODS!

GRAB AS MANY

AS YOU CAN!

PUT

DOWN THE

BAT, SON.

HAHA

HAHAHA

HAHA!

I SAID

DROP IT,

YOU LITTLE

SHIT!

DROP

THE GUN,

ASSHOLE!

NOW!

OKAY,

AGAINST THE

WALL. SPREAD

’EM!

I’M A

COP, FOR

CHRISSAKE!

UH-HUH.

SURE YOU ARE.

LET’S SEE

A BADGE

THEN

I...

I SEEM

TO HAVE

LOST IT.

RIGHT.

HAPPENS TO

ME ALL THE TIME. NOW GET MOVING!

WAIT! IT’S

GOT TO BE

AROUND HERE

SOMEPLACE–

YOU HAVE

THE RIGHT

TO REMAIN SILENT.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT

TO AN ATTORNEY. IF

YOU CAN’T AFFORD

ONE, ONE WILL BE

APPOINTED FOR

YOU–

LISTEN TO

ME, OFFICER...

OFFICER...WHAT’S

YOUR NAME?

OFFICER

LISA RUTLEDGE.

ANYTHING YOU SAY

CAN AND WILL BE USED

AGAINST YOU...

ESPECIALLY THAT CRAP

ABOUT BEING A COP!

IN YOU GO.

YOU

ALL RIGHT,

MA’AM?

WHAT

DID SHE

SAY?

AYSACH LEESAY NOAHASOMU WAILAANIS. CHAIT SLEEVA CHAI!

HOW THE

HELL DO I KNOW?

I DON’T SPEAK

MUNCHKIN.

I DON’T

BELIEVE THIS!

LIFE’S A

BITCH, MAN.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU

GET YOUR ASS HANDED

TO YOU BY A BUNCH

OF UMPA

LUMPA-LOVIN’

COPS!

THIS IS

NOT HAPPENING ON MY FIRST DAY.

LISTEN, IF YOU

COULD JUST LET

ME SPEAK TO THE

CAPTAIN...

I WANT

A SHYSTER,

MAN! I GOT

RIGHTS!

...CAN I

GET YOUR FULL

NAME FOR OUR

REPORT?

JANE

MANISCALCO,

DEAR.

GET

YOUR HANDS

OFF!

THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.

HOW DO

YOU SPELL THAT,

MA’AM?

MANISCALCO.

JUST LIKE IT SOUNDS,

OFFICER PARK. IT’S

NOT JUST THE

MONEY.

ALL MY CREDIT

CARDS WERE IN

THERE. AND THE PICTURES

OF MY GRANDKIDS...

AND MY DRIVER’S

LICENSE.

WE’LL DO

OUR BEST TO GET

THEM BACK FOR YOU,

MRS. MANISCALCO.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE

THE PURSE?

YOU WERE

THERE, OFFICER

MORELLO.

BROWN.

IT WAS

BROWN.

OR DID

I TAKE THE

BLACK ONE

TODAY?

YOU AND PARK

HAD HIM, AND YOU

LET HIM GET

AWAY!

GIMME A BREAK,

SARGE. THE GUY TOOK

OFF! WHAT THE HELL

WERE WE SUPPOSED

TO DO?

RUN HIM

DOWN–THE WAY

WE DID WHEN I

WAS ON THE

STREETS!

IT WAS A SIMPLE

PURSE-SNATCHING,

MORELLO. MAYBE IF

YOU SPENT MORE TIME

IN THE GYM AND LESS

IN THE DONUT SHOP,

RUNNING DOWN A

SUSPECT WOULDN’T

BE SO...

NO OFFENSE,

SERGEANT

MONDRAGON, BUT

WHEN YOU WERE ON

THE STREETS, THE

PURSE-SNATCHERS

DIDN’T HAVE

WINGS!

EXCUSE ME?

YEAH. HE

WASN’T RUNNING

AWAY. THE LITTLE

PISSANT COULD

FLY.

...AS I

SAID.

BUT WE’VE

ALREADY ASSIGNED

HALF A DOZEN MEN

TO THE HOTEL. AND I

CAN’T GIVE EVERY

VISITING DIGNITARY A

FULL DETAIL...

...I

UNDERSTAND,

BUT THAT WAS

THE POPE!

THEN TELL

TOPMAN TO CALL

THE MAYOR AND GET

US APPROVED FOR

MORE OVERTIME!

NO, I DON’T

NEED TO TALK TO

TOPMAN MYSELF.

NO REALLY,

THERE’S...

STAMM!

NO, I WASN’T

TALKING TO YOU,

AND I DON’T KNOW

WHAT THAT MEANS IN

YOUR LANGUAGE.

CAN YOU GIVE ME

A MOMENT,

PLEASE?

EMILE, IF

YOU LIGHT THAT THING,

I SWEAR I’M GOING TO

SHOVE IT RIGHT UP

YOUR–

NO, I’M STILL

HERE. I WAS

SPEAKING TO SOME-

ONE ELSE...YES, AND

TO YOU CHAY’ASH

LENAERHI. A PLEASURE.

THIS IS LIEUTENANT

KELLEHER.

YES, PROFIT

TO YOUR HOUSE,

TOO. YES, OF COURSE

WE UNDERSTAND THE

IMPORTANCE OF

THESE TALKS...

TOPMAN,

WE’LL DO EVERYTHING

IN OUR POWER TO

PROTECT THE TRADE

ENVOY, BUT YOU MUST

UNDERSTAND...

FINE. YOU SPEAK TO THE MAYOR! AND TO THE GOVERNOR.

HELL, YOU

MIGHT AS WELL

SPEAK TO THE

PRESIDENT. MAYBE

SHE’LL BE ABLE

TO HELP

YOU!

STAMM, I

WARNED YOU

ABOUT THAT

CIGAR.

SORRY,

LIEUTENANT.

I MUST NOT HAVE

HEARD...

I DIDN’T

WANT TO

EAVESDROP.

WORD IS

YOU’RE GOING TO

STICK ME WITH A

NEW PARTNER.

DETECTIVE

CHARLES K. BAKER, A

TRANSFER FROM THE

22ND. SEVEN YEARS ON

THE FORCE, JUST GOT

HIS GOLD SHIELD.

C’MON, L.T.,

GIMME A BREAK.

YOU KNOW I DON’T

DO VIRGINS.

STAMM, WHAT

I KNOW IS YOU GO

THROUGH PARTNERS LIKE

A HYPOCHONDRIAC GOES

THROUGH KLEENEX. BAKER

IS SUPPOSED TO BE A

GOOD COP.

YEAH, SO

WHERE THE

HELL IS THIS

PARAGON?

GOOD

POINT. HE’S

LATE.

JUST WHAT

WE NEED–A

DETECTIVE WHO

CAN’T EVEN FIND

HIS OWN DESK.

HEY, MAN,

WHY DON’T YOU

LOCK UP THE FREAKIN’

ALIENS INSTEAD?

YOU OUGHT

TO ARREST THEM

FOR SELLING

THAT CRAP!

EARTH

FIRST, EH?

YOU BOYS

LOOK GOOD

BEHIND

BARS.

EXCUSE ME,

OFFICER, BUT

THERE’S BEEN A

MISTAKE. I’M

A COP.

HELL,

YEAH. ME,

TOO!

YEAH, MAN!

AND I LOST MY

GUN AS WELL. CAN

I HAVE THAT

BACK NOW?

HEHEH...

SCREW

YOU. I’M WITH THE FBI!

MMM-

HMMM.

ALL RIGHT,

GENTLEMEN, SETTLE

DOWN. WE’RE GOING

TO TAKE YOU UP ONE

AT A TIME AND BOOK

YOU. YOU GET ONE

PHONE CALL

APIECE.

LISTEN,

IF I COULD JUST

SEE CAPTAIN SWOBODA

FOR A MINUTE...

YOU FIRST,

PRETTY BOY,

SINCE YOU’RE

SO EAGER.

SO

YOU’RE

A COP,

HUH?

THIS IS NOT

HAPPENING...

HERE HE IS,

LIEUTENANT. HE TRIED

TO USE MANNING’S

HEAD FOR BATTING

PRACTICE.

WHAT’S

ERNIE KVETCHING

ABOUT?

I WHIFFED,

DIDN’T I? TELL

HIM “ALMOST” ONLY

COUNTS IN HORSE-

SHOES AND HAND

GRENADES.

YOU SURE

I CAN’T GIVE HIM

A FEW DINGS, FOR

AUTHENTICITY?

THANK

YOU, SERGEANT

MONDRAGON.

THAT’LL BE

ALL.

AARON, THIS

IS SAM WINEGLASS

FROM THE STATES

ATTORNEY’S OFFICE.

SAM, THIS IS

DETECTIVE AARON

STEIN.

DETECTIVE?

THAT ISN’T A

REAL TATTOO...

IS IT?

ONLY MY

HAIRDRESSER WILL

EVER KNOW FOR

CERTAIN.

WHAT THE

HELL WERE YOU

DOING AT THE EL THIS

MORNING, ESPECIALLY

AT A STOP THAT’S

THREE BLOCKS

AWAY? ARE YOU

NUTS?

WHAT DO

YOU THINK I WAS

DOING? I WAS

GETTING MYSELF

ARRESTED!

THEY LIVE LIKE

A PACK OF WILD DOGS,

AND HOLLANDER’S GOT

SOMEONE ON ME 24/7,

SINCE I’M THE NEW

GUY AND SO

CHARMING

AND ALL.

THIS WAS

THE ONLY WAY TO

REPORT IN, MAKE SURE

I DIDN’T GET STUCK

EXPLAINING MYSELF

AT THE WRONG

DISTRICT.

WE GOT

A FEW OF THEM

OFF THE STREETS,

ANYWAY.

WELL, GO

PUT THEM BACK.

THEY’LL WALK ANYWAY.

ENTRAPMENT. THIS

MORNING’S LITTLE

PRANK WAS

MY IDEA.

LITTLE PRANK?

TRY FELONY ASSAULT,

BATTERY, MALICIOUS

DESTRUCTION OF

PROPERTY...

...AND A

PARTRIDGE

IN A PEAR

TREEEEE.

DIME-STORE

CRAP, COUNSELOR.

THE BIS PRIZE IS

STILL BEHIND

DOOR NUMBER

THREE.

EARTHBLOOD’S

GOING TO TRY AND

WHACK THE SKRIT

TRADE ENVOY.

DAMN IT!

ARE YOU

SURE?

I CAN’T TELL

YOU WHEN OR

WHERE–YET. BUT

BELIEVE ME,

LIEUTENANT, IT IS

GOING DOWN.

CAN

WE BRING

’EM IN?

CONSPIRACY

CHARGES ARE

NOTORIOUSLY HARD

TO PROVE.

THEN HOW

ABOUT ARMS

SMUGGLING?

HOLLANDER’S

UGLY, BUT HE’S NOT

STUPID. AND HE’S NOT

GOING TO TRY AND

SNUFF ONE OF OUR

FRIENDS FROM THE

STARS WITH A

SATURDAY-NIGHT

SPECIAL.

WORD IS,

HE’S FIXED TO

GET HIS HANDS ON

SOME HEAVY-DUTY

FIREPOWER.

ARE WE

TALKING UZIS,

HERE? HAND

GRENADES,

BAZOOKAS?

WHAT?

NAH, EVEN

BETTER. SOMETHING

STRAIGHT OUTTA

STARPORT...

RAYGUNS!