Classics fantasy – 11. A. Belyaev

bearing a message about rescue was distributed.

      – “Taiga” left the fire. Whether you are living? We are living. Cold wind quickly ostuzhivat walls of “Taiga”. Are saved.

      8. “Dragon” in the swamp

      “Taiga” stopped. All come to the deck covered with ashes and coals. Somewhere else the semi-burned boughs smoke. Lowering sky. Sows a rain, as through a sieve. Looks rise up. Where it is proud “Dragon”, emptiness flew. Around night. Silence…

      – The navigator, mechanics, in places! Full speed! – Simakov orders.

      – The full speed is impossible. Accumulators were exhausted – Dudin reports.

      Simakov frowns and gives new team:

      – To lift Dyubo’s pipe and vindrotor.

      – Is to lift Dyubo and vindrotor – Grishin and Dudin answer.

      In a few minutes “Taiga” slowly turns and goes to a big fire. Fire laid in the wood a huge gap. At the edges still flare as torches, lonely trees. “Taiga” moves wearily as if the covered with wounds monster. Wind slowly pours in forces in the exhausted accumulators. And people as tireless ants, already strive, clean the deck from garbage, ashes, coals. Here the first searchlight flashed and filled in with blue light the road ahead.

      – Simakov! I fly to investigation – Anna Fokina says.

      The captain tenderly smiles. He wanted to offer it it, but regretted it.

      – And forces will not hand over in flight? – he asks carefully.

      – After such bath it is just necessary to be aired.

      – Companion Fokina – Jim says – it is possible also for me with you to fly?

      – You fly – Simakov answers. – I for you, Anna, will be quieter. Its help can be necessary.

      Anna takes the wheel, and, obedient to her movements, graceful “Dragonfly” soars up up and rushes over a big fire. Drenches them with warm air. The smell of burning reaches. Jim askance glances at Anna Fokina. From under a helmet the golden lock of hair is beaten out from it and trembles on the blushed cheek.

      “Dragonfly” does a sharp bend, is turned on the place. Jim looks down and sees two flashing points of blue light. “Dragonfly” sits down on the earth. Run up to the car with pocket electric lamps of Tests and Grinev. Fokina runs out from a cabin and embraces young people.

      – Testov! Grinev! Are live? – joyfully she exclaims.

      – Intact.

      – And “Dragon”?

      – And it as it should be. Fell behind a big fire, on the swamp. Decided to reach “Taiga” on foot.

      – “Taiga” meets halfway. And you what, Tests, you limp?

      – Hurt a little.

      – It not business. It is difficult for you to go. Companion Jim! Give way to it. I will bring him to “Taiga”.

      “Dragonfly” flew away.

      Stumbling, shivering from a rain and wind, Jim goes after Grinev. Light of a pocket lamp lights ahead burned trunks of trees, hummocks, pools…

      In the distance the searchlight of “Taiga” flashed. Jim breathes a sigh of relief.

      9. Forest examination

      All were going to have dinner in a saloon.

      When satisfied the first hunger, Simakov told:

      – Well, and now, companions, let’s sum up the results.

      – Leave, Simakov – interrupted him Ignat. – Found time a production meeting to arrange! You will be in time still. After such scrape it is necessary to have a rest, to have fun. Here Jim of Jolie to us will play the Hawaiian guitar. He from Florida drags it and even in a bed does not leave it. Will wake up, will play and again will fall asleep.

      Jim brought a guitar and played, having brought together around himself all inhabitants of the all-terrain vehicle.

      – Well, and we are with you, the old man, we will sit down here in a corner and we will talk if you so cannot wait – Ignat told. – The fire showed much…

      – Shortcomings of a design of “Taiga” – “old man” inserted.

      – Let’s tell, subquality work – Ignat softened. – The first – an electrofile of trees. To cut off a tree the metal strip made white-hot, of course, it is rather, than a saw. But fire danger is big. Ourselves caused the fire around “Taiga”…

      – We did not have fire extinguishing foam.

      – It – not an objection. Or rather, it proves the same what also I speak about. How many materials for production of this foam we have to carry with ourselves to file and extinguish trees throughout hundreds of kilometers of a forest way!

      I think that it is necessary to pass to cutting with saws, only to improve them, to bring cutting speed to a maximum. The second. What most of all delivered efforts during the fire? The fact that trees, boughs, needles fell on the deck. Ourselves made a fire by all-terrain vehicle. If there was no deck, then, I think, the all-terrain vehicle could be made such really all-terrain vehicle that it could make the way also through a flame.

      – Well, you intercepted it – Dudin told, listening to a conversation. – We would fry in “Taiga”.

      – You so think? – Ignat addressed it. – You had to read about creation of the interplanetary ship? At a departure from the terrestrial atmosphere there has to be such huge friction that the cover of the rocket can melt. And nevertheless people are going to fly on the rocket, without frying at the same time. How they assume to reach it? The external cover will be made of the most refractory metal, say, from chromic or manganic steel. Under this cover – insulating layers, asbestos laying, then an internal metal wall and coolers from liquid oxygen or ammonia. The rocket is hermetically closed. Inside – cylinders with the compressed or liquid oxygen, the devices absorbing carbonic acid. If “Taiga” represented such interplanetary rocket but moving on wheels, it could go absolutely quietly through a wildfire flame.

      – But the interplanetary rocket flies by the terrestrial atmosphere of everything in several seconds and gets to temperature of world cold which quickly cools it – Grishin told.

      – If the rocket was badly covered from external heat, then and there would be enough several seconds to incinerate also it, and people. Unless meteorites do not burn down in the atmosphere? Fire of wildfire will not give such high temperature. It is all about metal.

      – Most of all trouble upon us was brought by the deck. Though it and level with the wood, and strong air draft on it threw not only boughs, but also trees. The deck is necessary because on it all vetrosilovy engines are installed. This pipe and rotors are very bulky. They get wind power, but on the run probably create big resistance and this most slow down the movement.

      – All this quite right – Simakov answered. – “Taiga”, of course, did not pass forest examination. It is obvious. We will consider experience and we will think what to make changes. But on snow, and to us to wait for it not for long, I think, our all-terrain vehicle so will not cut a poor figure. And here propellers are good. On their easy snow road it is quite enough…

      – It is still too a question, my friend! – Ignat objected. – A snowmobile – not an example. Sledge are light, and “Taiga” with all the freight weighs, likely, not less good engine.

      The conversation was interrupted by Jim. He started singing the Black song in which fun, the suppressed natural cheerfulness and passion of its race make the way through melancholy of sad historical destiny