mc.prey-第23部分

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g　was　held　up　by　a　web　of　black　anodized　struts　and　connectors；　but　they　were　obscured　by　the　reflections；　which　is　why　the　octopus　seemed　to　hang　in　midair。
　Ricky　grinned。　〃Convergent　assembly。　The　architecture　is　fractal。　Neat；　huh？〃　I　nodded　slowly。　I　was　seeing　more　details。　What　I　had　seen　as　an　octopus　was　actually　a　branching　tree　structure。　A　central　square　conduit　ran　vertically　through　the　center　of　the　room；　with　smaller　pipes　branching　off　on　all　sides。　From　these　branches；　even　smaller　pipes　branched　off　in　turn；　and　smaller　ones　still。　The　smallest　of　the　pipes　were　pencil…thin。　Everything　gleamed　as　if　it　were　mirrored。
　〃Why　is　it　so　bright？〃
　〃The　glass　has　diamondoid　coating；〃　he　said。　〃At　the　molecular　level；　glass　is　like　Swiss　cheese；　full　of　holes。　And　of　course　it's　a　liquid；　so　atoms　just　pass　right　through　it。〃
　〃So　you　coat　the　glass。〃
　〃Right。　Have　to。〃
　Within　this　shining　forest　of　branching　glass；　David　and　Rosie　moved；　making　notes；　adjusting　valves；　consulting　handheld　puters。　I　understood　that　I　was　looking　at　a　massively　parallel　assembly　line。　Small　fragments　of　molecules　were　introduced　into　the　smallest　pipes；　and　atoms　were　added　to　them。　When　that　was　finished；　they　moved　into　the　next　largest　pipes；　where　more　atoms　were　added。　In　this　way；　molecules　moved　progressively　toward　the　center　of　the　structure；　until　assembly　was　pleted；　and　they　were　discharged　into　the　central　pipe。　〃Exactly　right；〃　Ricky　said。　〃This　is　just　the　same　as　an　automobile　assembly　line；　except　that　it's　on　a　molecular　scale。　Molecules　start　at　the　ends；　and　e　down　the　line　to　the　center。　We　stick　on　a　protein　sequence　here；　a　methyl　group　there；　just　the　way　they　stick　doors　and　wheels　on　a　car。　At　the　end　of　the　line；　off　rolls　a　new；　custom…made　molecular　structure。　Built　to　our　specifications。〃
　〃And　the　different　arms？〃
　〃Make　different　molecules。　That's　why　the　arms　look　different。〃　In　several　places；　the　octopus　arm　passed　through　a　steel　tunnel　reinforced　with　heavy　bolts；　for　vacuum　ducting。　In　other　places；　a　cube　was　covered　with　quilted　silver　insulation；　and　I　saw　liquid　nitrogen　tanks　nearby；　extremely　low　temperatures　were　generated　in　that　section。
　〃Those're　our　cryogenic　rooms；〃　Ricky　said。　〃We　don't　go　very　low；　maybe　…70　Centigrade；　max。　e　on；　I'll　show　you。〃　He　led　me　through　the　plex；　following　glass　walkways　that　threaded　among　the　arms。　In　some　places；　a　short　staircase　enabled　us　to　step　over　the　lowest　arms。
　Ricky　chatted　continuously　about　technical　details：　vacuum…jacketed　hoses；　metal　phase　separators；　globe　check　valves。　When　we　reached　the　insulated　cube；　he　opened　the　heavy　door　to　reveal　a　small　room；　with　a　second　room　adjacent。　It　looked　like　a　pair　of　meat　lockers。　Small　glass　windows　were　set　in　each　door。　At　the　moment；　everything　was　at　room　temperature。　〃You　can　have　two　different　temps　here；〃　he　said。　〃Run　one　from　the　other；　if　you　want；　but　it's　usually　automated。〃
　Ricky　led　me　back　outside；　glancing　at　his　watch　as　he　did　so。　I　said；　〃Are　we　late　for　an　appointment？〃
　〃What？　No；　no。　Nothing　like　that。〃　Nearby　two　cubes　were　actually　solid　metal　rooms；　with　thick　electrical　cables　running　inside。　I　said；　〃Those　your　magnet　rooms？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ricky　said。　〃We've　got　pulsed　field　magnets　generating　33　Tesla　in　the　core。　That's　something　like　a　million　times　the　magnetic　field　of　the　earth。〃　With　a　grunt；　he　pushed　open　the　steel　door　to　the　nearest　magnet　room。　I　saw　a　large　doughnut…shaped　object；　about　six　feet　in　diameter；　with　a　hole　in　the　center　about　an　inch　wide。　The　doughnut　was　pletely　encased　in　tubing　and　plastic　insulation。　Heavy　steel　bolts　running　from　top　to　bottom　held　the　jacketing　in　place。
　〃Lot　of　cooling　for　this　puppy；　I　can　tell　you。　And　a　lot　of　power：　fifteen　kilovolts。　Takes　a　full…minute　load　time　for　the　capacitors。　And　of　course　we　can　only　pulse　it。　If　we　turned　it　on　continuously；　it'd　explode…ripped　apart　by　the　field　it　generates。〃　He　pointed　to　the　base　of　the　magnet；　where　there　was　a　round　push　button　at　knee　level。　〃That's　the　safety　cutoff　there；〃　he　said。　〃Just　in　case。　Hit　it　with　your　knee　if　your　hands　are　full。〃
　I　said；　〃So　you　use　high　magnetic　fields　to　do　part　of　your　assemb…〃
　But　Ricky　had　already　turned　and　headed　out　the　door；　again　glancing　at　his　watch。　I　hurried　after　him。
　〃Ricky　。。。〃
　〃I　have　more　to　show　you；〃　he　said。　〃We're　getting　to　the　end。〃
　〃Ricky；　this　is　all　very　impressive；〃　I　said；　gesturing　to　the　glowing　arms。　〃But　most　of　your　assembly　line　is　running　at　room　temperature…no　vacuum；　no　cryo；　no　mag　field。〃
　〃Right。　No　special　conditions。〃
　〃How　is　that　possible？〃
　He　shrugged。　〃The　assemblers　don't　need　it。〃
　〃The　assemblers？〃　I　said。　〃Are　you　telling　me　you've　got　molecular　assemblers　on　this　line？〃
　〃Yes。　Of　course。〃
　〃Assemblers　are　doing　your　fabrication　for　you？〃
　〃Of　course。　I　thought　you　understood　that。〃
　〃No；　Ricky；〃　I　said；　〃I　didn't　understand　that　at　all。　And　I　don't　like　to　be　lied　to。〃
　He　got　a　wounded　look　on　his　face。　〃I'm　not　lying。〃
　But　I　was　certain　that　he　was。
　One　of　the　first　things　scientists　learned　about　molecular　manufacturing　was　how　phenomenally　difficult　it　was　to　carry　out。　In　1990；　some　IBM　researchers　pushed　xenon　atoms　around　on　a　nickel　plate　until　they　formed　the　letters　〃IBM〃　in　the　shape　of　the　pany　logo。　The　entire　logo　was　one　ten…billionth　of　an　inch　long　and　could　only　be　seen　through　an　electron　microscope。　But　it　made　a　striking　visual　and　it　got　a　lot　of　publicity。　IBM　allowed　people　to　think　it　was　a　proof　of　concept；　the　opening　of　a　door　to　molecular　manufacturing。　But　it　was　more　of　a　stunt　than　anything　else。
　Because　pushing　individual　atoms　into　a　specific　arrangement　was　slow；　painstaking；　and　expensive　work。　It　took　the　IBM　researchers　a　whole　day　to　move　thirty…five　atoms。　Nobody　believed　you　could　create　a　whole　new　technology　in　this　way。　Instead；　most　people　believed　that　nanoengineers　would　eventually　find　a　way　to　build　〃assemblers〃…miniature　molecular　machines　that　could　turn　out　specific　molecules　the　way　a　ball…bearing　machine　turned　out　ball　bearings。　The　new　technology　would　rely　on　molecular　machines　to　make　molecular　products。　It　was　a　nice　concept；　but　the　practical　problems　were　daunting。　Because　assemblers　were　vastly　more　plicated　than　the　molecules　they　made；　attempts　to　design　and　build　them　had　been　difficult　from　the　outset。　To　my　knowledge；　no　laboratory　anywhere　in　the　world　had　actually　done　it。　But　now　Ricky　was　telling　me；　quite　casually；　that　Xymos　could　build　molecular　assemblers　that　were　now　turning　out　molecules　for　the　pany。　And　I　didn't　believe　him。
　I　had　worked　all　my　life　in　technology；　and　I　had　developed　a　feel　for　what　was　possible。　This　kind　of　giant　leap　forward　just　didn't　happen。　It　never　did。　Technologies　were　a　form　of　knowledge；　and　like　all　knowledge；　technologies　grew；　evolved；　matured。　To　believe　otherwise　was　to　believe　that　the　Wright　brothers　could　build　a　rocket　and　fly　to　the　moon　instead　of　flying　three　hundred　feet　over　sand　dunes　at　Kitty　Hawk。
　Nanotechnology　was　still　at　the　Kitty　Hawk　stage。
　〃e　on；　Ricky；〃　I　said。　〃How　are　you　really　doing　this？〃
　〃The　technical　details　aren't　that　important；　Jack。〃
　〃What　fresh　bullshit　is　this？　Of　course　they're　important。〃
　〃Jack；〃　he　said；　giving　me　his　most　winning　smile。　〃Do　you　really　think　I'm　lying　to　you？〃
　〃Yes；　Ricky；〃　I　said。　〃I　do。〃
　I　looked　up　at　the　octopus　arms　all　around　me。　Surrounded　by　glass；　I　saw　my　own　reflection　dozens　of　times　in　the　surfaces　around　me。　It　was　confusing；　disorienting。　Trying　to　gather　my　thoughts；　I　looked　down　at　my　feet。
　And　I　noticed　that　even　though　we　had　been　walking　on　glass　walkways；　some　sections　of　the　ground　floor　were　glass；　as　well。　One　section　was　nearby。　I　walked　toward　it。　Through　the　glass　I　could　see　steel　ducting　and　pipes　below　ground　level。　One　set　of　pipes　caught　my　eye；　because　they　ran　from　the　storage　room　to　a　nearby　glass　cube；　at　which　point　they　emerged　from　the　floor　and　headed　upward；　branching　into　the　smaller　tubes。　That；　I　assumed；　was　the　feedstock…the　slush　of　raw　organic　material　that　would　be　transformed　on　the　assembly　line　into　finished　molecules。
　Looking　back　down　at　the　floor；　I　followed　the　pipes　backward　to　the　place　where　they　entered　from　the　adjacent　room。　This　junction　was　glass；　too。　I　could　see　the　curved　steel　underbellies　of　the　big　kettles　I'd　noticed　earlier。　The　tanks　that　I　had　thought　were　a　microbrewery。　Because　that's　certainly　what　it　had　looked　like；　a　small　brewery。　Machinery　for　controlled　fermentation；　for　controlled　microbial　growth。
　And　then　I　realized　what　it　really　was。
　I　said；　〃You　son　of　a　bitch。〃
　Ricky　smiled　again；　and　shrugged。　〃Hey；〃　he　said。　〃It　gets　the　job　done。〃　Those　kettles　in　the　next　room　were　indeed　tanks　for　controlled　microbial　growth。　But　Ricky　wasn't　making　beer…he　was　making　microbes；　and　I　had　no　doubt　about　the　reason　why。　Unable　to　construct　genuine　nanoassemblers；　Xymos　was　using　bacteria　to　crank　out　their　molecules。　This　was　genetic　engineering；　not　nanotechnology。　〃Well；　not　exactly；〃　Ricky　said；　when　I　told　him　what　I　thought。　〃But　I　admit　we're　using　a　hybrid　technology。　Not　much　of　a　surprise　in　any　case；　is　it？〃　That　was　true。　For　at　least　ten　years；　observers　had　been　predicting　that　genetic　engineering；　puter　programming；　and　nanotechnology　would　eventually　merge。　They　were　all　involved　with　similar…and　interconnected…activities。　There　wasn't　that　much　difference　between　using　a　puter　to　decode　part　of　a　bacterial　genome　and　using　a　puter　to　help　you　insert　new　genes　into　the　bacteria；　to　make　new　proteins。　And　there　wasn't　much　difference　between　creating　a　new　bacteria　to　spit　out；　say；　insulin　molecules；　and　creating　a　man…made；　micromechanical　assembler　to　spit　out　new　molecules。　It　was　all　happening　at　the　molecular　level。　It　was　all　the　same　challenge　of　imposing　human　design　on　extremely　plex　systems。　And　molecular　design　was　nothing　if　not　plicated。
　You　could　think　of　a　molecule　as　a　series　of　atoms　snapped　together　like　Lego　blocks；　one　after　another。　But　the　image　was　misleading。　Because　unlike　a　Lego　set；　atoms　could