jefflong.yearzero-第34部分

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！　He　thought　of　running；　but　even　if　they　didn't　shoot　him；　he　would　be　trapped　without　his　passport。
　At　that　moment；　a　metal　door　creaked　open　on　the　fire　escape　two　stories　overhead。　An　old　man　appeared　on　the　small　grated　deck。　Calmly　smoking　a　pipe　in　the　rain；　scanning　the　far　distances；　he　didn't　notice　them　at　first。　He　stood　there；　pale　and　delicate；　like　an　ancient　submariner　getting　a　breath　of　fresh　air。
　Unbelievably；　Nathan　Lee　thought　he　recognized　the　ghost。　〃Spencer？〃　he　said。　〃Spencer　Baird？〃　He　was…or　had　been…a　paleontologist。　He　had　to　be　ninety。
　The　old　man　looked　down　at　them。　〃Who　goes　there？〃
　〃Do　you　know　this　man；　sir？〃　a　Marine　called　up　to　him。
　〃Spencer；　it's　me；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃I　came　when　you　sent　word。〃　He　pulled　off　his　cap　and　pawed　flat　his　short；　chopped；　wet　beard；　trying　to　make　his　face　younger。　He　didn't　dare　identify　himself　by　his　real　name；　because　the　Marines　knew　him　as　someone　else。　It　was　not　a　small　matter。　No　one　had　better　reason　to　hide　their　true　identity　than　a　plague　carrier。
　The　old　man　leaned　over　the　wet　railing。　〃Word？　What's　the　word？〃
　〃Fred　Whipple；〃　Nathan　Lee　tried。　He　dug　for　other　names；　praying　one　of　them　might　still　be　around。　〃Joe　Henry。　Charlie　Abbot。　They　said　ASAP。〃　He　added；　〃The　bones。〃
　〃Ah；〃　said　Baird；　〃the　bones。〃
　〃I'm　here。〃
　〃Thank　god。　We've　been　waiting　for　you。〃　Baird　looked　old　as　Noah　up　there　with　his　white　beard　in　the　clattering　rain。　〃But　who　are　you？〃
　There　was　no　way　around　it。　〃Swift；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　One　of　the　Marines　said；　〃Wait　a　minute。〃　He　pulled　Nathan　Lee's　blood　book　from　under　his　poncho　for　a　second　look。
　〃Is　that　you；　Nathan　Lee？〃　Baird　leaned　out　further。　〃They　said　you　were　a　goner。　Swallowed　by　the　mountains。〃
　〃What's　your　name；　sir？〃　the　Marine　said。
　Hurry；thought　Nathan　Lee。Reach　down。　Raise　me　up。
　〃Get　in　here　before　you　catch　your　death；　man；〃　Baird　said。　〃Don't　you　see　it's　raining？〃
　Nathan　Lee　reached　for　the　fire　escape　ladder。　The　Marine　grabbed　his　arm。　〃Not　so　fast；〃　he　said。
　〃They　know　me。〃　Nathan　Lee　smiled。　He　tried　to　smile。　His　teeth　chattered。
　〃Let　him　go；〃　said　the　second　Marine。　He　took　the　blood　book　and　slapped　Nathan　Lee's　chest　with　it。　〃The　man's　home。　At　least　somebody　belongs　somewhere。〃
　Nathan　Lee　pulled　himself　up　the　fire　escape　and　climbed　the　metal　stairs。　Baird　weled　him　with　tobacco　breath　and　mighty　slaps　on　the　back。　Inside　the　building　was　pitch　black。　Baird　handed　Nathan　Lee　his　two…foot　Maglite；　heavy　as　an　axe；　and　pulled　the　steel　door　shut　against　the　storm。　〃They　said　you　were　dead；〃　he　kept　repeating。　〃Wait　till　the　others　see。〃
　Nathan　Lee　followed　him　through　the　dark　bowels　of　the　institute。　〃I'm　looking　for　a　man　named　David　Ochs；〃　he　said。　〃A　professor。〃
　〃Ox？〃
　〃An　archaeologist。　A　big　man。　A　professor。〃
　〃Never　heard　of　him；〃　said　Baird。
　〃What　about　Dean　White？〃　Nathan　Lee　asked　hopefully。　White　was　the　curator　who　had　missioned　the　Himalayan　hunt　two　years　ago。
　〃White；〃　barked　Baird。　〃He　got　his　nuts　handed　to　him　after　your　peccadillo。　Is　it　true　you　killed　a　man？　And　ate　him？〃
　〃Are　there　others　from　the　anthro　department　here？　They'd　know　about　Ochs。〃
　〃Gone。　All　gone；〃　said　Baird。　〃But　it's　in　the　paperwork；　I'm　sure。〃
　〃Is　the　paperwork　here；　in　this　building？〃
　〃There　is　a　chance。〃　Baird　gestured　at　thousands　of　cardboard　boxes　stacked　in　the　hallways。　There　was　barely　room　to　walk　between　them。　〃Thought　you　were　dead。〃
　Voices　trickled　from　further　ahead。　They　descended　a　staircase。　In　the　distance；　he　saw　a　dozen　old　people　eating　dinner　by　candlelight　in　the　dark　shadows　of　a　vestibule。
　They　looked　spectral　surrounding　the　silver　candelabra。　The　men　had　ties　and　jackets。　Two　wore　tuxes；　one　a　smoking　jacket　with　ascot。　The　women　looked　ready　for　the　opera；　withpashminas　draped　over　their　shoulders　to　ward　off　the　chill。　They　were　eating　from　antique　blue　plates；　with　heavy　silverware　and　crystal　wine　glasses。　Nathan　Lee　could　smell　each　part　of　their　meal。。。the　veal　and　lobster；　the　butter　sauce　and　basil；　the　red　wine　from　old　bottles。　Not　one　of　them　was　under　eighty。
　〃Look　what　the　wind　blew　in；〃　Baird　announced　to　the　group。　With　a　slow　flourish；　he　turned　to　display　his　discovery。
　But　the　hallway　was　empty。
　
　15
　Expendables
　
　LOSALAMOS
　Cavendish's　clone　passed　among　them　like　a　ghost。　He　traveled　everywhere；　threading　through　their　security　systems；　appearing　inside　their　labs；　hacking　into　their　puters。　He　crawled　insidetheir　secrets。　He　wormed　inside　their　minds。　At　first；　Adam　didn't　hate　them。　He　simply　wanted　to　know　what　made　him　different。
　In　the　beginning；　his　flesh　had　been　sport　enough。　No　longer　stapled　to　Cavendish's　wheelchair；　but　still　filled　with　Cavendish's　memory；　it　was　like　passing　from　himself。　He　had　started　out　as　Cavendish　in　mind；　but　he　was　no　longer　Cavendish。　For　a　time；　they　had　been　like　Siamese　twins　joined　at　the　head；　right　down　to　the　neural　twitch　and　the　tremor　in　their　hands。　Every　memory　before　twenty　months　ago　had　been　a　memory　shared　with　his　creator。
　For　a　while　after　Adam's　birth；　Cavendish　had　done　everything　to　keep　hisdoppelg？nger　on　a　short　leash；　close　at　hand；　day　and　night。　Adam　was　required　to　dress　Cavendish　in　the　morning　and　wash　him　at　night。　Adam　wheeled　his　chair。　At　meetings；　he　stood　to　the　rear；　mute；　like　some　exotic　potted　plant。　He　cooked　Cavendish　breakfast　and　dinner。　Even　his　name；　so　cliche；　like　a　chain　around　his　neck。
　Their　chess　games　were　a　source　of　humor　for　Cavendish。　Neither　could　make　a　move　the　other　didn't　know。　Every　game　ended　in　stalemate。　But　then　one　day　Adam　made　a　move　of　his　own。　〃Checkmate；〃　he　whispered；　and　stood。　He　towered　above　the　board。　That　was　the　first　time　he　had　felt　his　wings　spread　open。　They　seemed　to　fill　the　room。　And　Cavendish；　ravaged　by　disease；　cupped　in　his　wheelchair；　seemed　far　below。
　After　that；　Adam　had　systematically　severed　himself；　tissue　and　mind；　from　his　maker。　It　was　a　dangerous　procedure；　because　his　Cavendish…consciousness　knew　that　Cavendish　was　waiting　for　just　such　a　breach。　The　one　thing　Cavendish　feared　in　the　world　was　the　power　of　his　own　mind。　Above　all　else；　he　did　not　want　his　secrets　roaming　beyond　his　control。　Adam　knew　that　Cavendish　had　planned　to　terminate　him　once　he　saw　his　cloned；　living　body。　He　was　an　experiment；　a　vanity。　Cavendish　merely　wanted　to　see　himself　immaculate　and　unflawed。
　It　would　not　have　been　Cavendish's　first　murder；　Adam　knew。　There　were　others　besides　the　old　woman；　Golding。　Cavendish　had　deported　dozens　of　his　enemies　into　the　wastelands　of　America；　or　even　disappeared　them　into　their　own　lethal　experiments。　For　some　reason　which　Adam　did　not　fully　understand；　Cavendish　had　been　merciful　to　his　clone。　He　had　permitted　him　to　live。　All　the　same；　Adam　was　careful。
　His　freedom　came　in　doses；　literally。　Los　Alamos　abounded　with　chemists　from　pharmaceutical　panies。　Adam　obtained　a　sedative；　organically　constructed；　that　would　not　leave　traces　in　Cavendish's　blood。　Cavendish　was　a　gourmand　with　a　weakness　for　Californianouvelle　cuisine；　light　portions　exquisitely　arranged。　He　never　suspected　the　sleeping　potion。　In　that　way；　Adam　began　his　rebellion。　He　occupied　the　night。
　At　first　it　was　a　game。　He　sampled　his　own　body。　He　spent　hours　in　front　of　the　mirror。　With　weights　and　anabolic　steroids；　he　jumpstarted　his　muscles。　He　injected　synthetic　testosterone　to　rewire　his　lymphatic　system。　Soon　his　quads　and　calves　were　stretching　his　blue　jeans　tight。　In　the　dark　of　night；　he　ran　for　miles　along　Los　Alamos's　forest　roads。　Cavendish　noticed　the　changes；　but　slowly。　He　mented　on　the　veins　along　Adam's　arms　and　thighs。　Adam　played　to　his　narcissism。　He　was　careful　not　to　display　his　enormous　strength；　only　his　beauty。　He　became　David　to　his　Michelangelo。　Cavendish　began　to　touch　him。　He　marveled　at　what　he　might　have　been。
　Adam　didn't　rush　his　independence。　Sometimes　escape　is　a　thing　best　done　in　slow　motion；　in　plain　view。　Not　until　the　eleventh　month　did　he　have　a　woman。　Soon　he'd　had　many。　He　experienced　forbidden　sensations　that　boggled　his　mind。
　Inevitably；　Adam　grew　bored。　It　was　an　inherited　trait；　a　defense　mechanism；　a　by…product　of　rampant　genius。　Humanity　annoyed　him。　It　gratified　him　to　see　the　great　cities　desolate；　the　great　bridges　traversed　only　by　the　occasional　dog。　The　plague　had　surged　in　waves；　backing　off；　giving　hope；　then　mutating　and　charging　into　them　again。　Everything　human　was　dead　now　except　America；　and　that　was　on　the　brink。
　He'd　downloaded　the　best　of　their　downfall；　the　scenes　of　747s　crashing　at　airports　or　being　shot　from　the　sky；　the　torpedo　sinking　of　refugee　boats　and　even　a　Princess　Cruise　liner　trying　to　return　from　Bermuda；　the　final　bell　ring　of　the　New　York　stock　exchange；　the　last　clap　of　the　gavel　suspending　Congress　eight　months　ago。　A　group　of　survivalists　had　strung　together　a　colony　in　the　upper　reaches　of　a　redwood　forest　in　Washington；　a　village　of　rope　bridges　and　Tarzan　swings　connecting　their　nylon　ledges。　Adam　liked　that　website。　The　apes　were　returning　to　the　trees。
　He　continued　to　take　sex；　but　he　no　longer　hunted　it。　It　wasn't　a　discovery　process　anymore；　only　an　urge；　like　defecating。　The　Internet　crashed。　You　could　surf　the　satellites；　but　he　was　jaded。　With　time；　he　turned　from　one　taboo　to　another。　He　became　an　incubus；　poaching　their　thoughts；　stealing　their　privacy。　Getting　inside　them。
　The　trespassing　started　as　a　thrill　ride。　He　broke　their　security　codes；　hacked　into　their　memory　banks；　peeped　on　them　through　their　own　surveillance　cameras：　it　was　fun。　It　satisfied　his　growing　contempt　for　them。　Adam　perfected　his　vanishing　act。　He　bobbed　upon　their　electronic　consciousness；　only　to　disappear。
　This　was　different　from　their　plague　surfing；　which　he'd　indulged　in；　too。　Soon　that　got　old；　as　well。　Adam　began　to　visit　the　technical　areas　in　person。
　Audacity；　that　was　the　ticket；　that　and　the　right　biological　minutiae。　By　every　measure；　except　his　metamorphosis；　he　was　his　father　Cavendish。　His　fingerprints；　his　retinal　signature；　the　chemicals　of　his　exhaled　breath；　his　blood；　his　speech　patterns；　all　of　it　identifi