jefflong.yearzero-第42部分

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　〃Keeping　them　safe。〃
　〃Safe　from　what？〃
　She　turned　her　eyes　away。　〃We're　looking　for　immunity；〃　she　said。　〃So　far　we've　found　some　who　survived　an　earlier　form　of　the　virus。　They're　partially　immune　to　this　modern　outbreak。　They　can　still　get　infected。　But　the　symptoms　don't　manifest　in　them　so　quickly。　We've　done　puter　simulations。　They　might　live　another　three　years　before　the　pathogen　kills　them。〃
　〃And　you　have　twenty…three　of　them　here？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　couldn't　get　over　the　technology。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What　about　the　other　fifteen　hundred？〃
　Her　green　eyes　peered　at　him　from　between　her　cap　and　mask。　She　didn't　answer　him。　〃We　have　a　Neandertal；〃　she　said。　〃Totally　immune。〃
　〃You　cloned　a　Neandertal！〃
　〃That　wasn't　for　medical　research。　It　was　before　Corfu。　Anyway；　she's　proved　the　species　barrier。　Subspecies；　to　be　exact。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃For　some　reason；　the　girl's　naturally　resistant。　It　could　be　the　chemical　barriers　in　her　skin　or　respiratory　tract　or　something　in　her　GI　tract。　We　don't　know。　Her　resistanace　doesn't　transfer　to　us；　though。　We　know　that　much。　She's　a　dead　end。〃
　Neandertals！　Clones　from　two　thousand　years　ago！　This　place　was　a　marvel。
　〃What　am　I　supposed　to　be　doing？〃　he　said。
　〃It's　time　to　take　the　next　step；〃　she　said。　〃I　want　you　to　take　a　step　backward。　A　step　away。〃
　〃Away　from　what？〃
　〃You're　an　anthropologist。　They're　a　tribe；　of　sorts。〃
　〃You　want　me　to　study　them？〃　That　sounded　simple　enough。　He　was　an　archaeologist；　not　an　ethnographer。　But　why　spoil　a　free　meal？　Simplicity　ruled。　Los　Alamos　was　supposed　to　be　a　stop　on　the　map。　Once　he　got　Ochs　to　sing；　he　meant　to　vanish；　no　ties；　no　debts；　no　regrets。
　〃No　contact；〃　Miranda　answered。　〃There　are　cameras　in　their　cells。　Just　watch　and　listen。　Eavesdrop　on　their　thoughts。〃
　The　clone　shouted　out。　It　sounded　like〃Rebekah〃。　He　was　calling　for　a　woman；　his　wife；　perhaps；　or　daughter。　Calling　to　her　from　the　other　side　of　death。　Did　he　think　she　would　join　him？
　The　cry　shook　Nathan　Lee。　The　voice　closed　away。　They　took　the　man　from　the　room；　off　to　some　lab。　In　the　quiet　that　followed；　a　swimming　pool　net　dipped　from　above；　scooping　out　parts　of　the　fetal　sac。
　〃You　want　me　to　make　human　beings　out　of　your　animals；〃　he　said。
　〃You　don't　approve　of　what　we're　doing？〃　she　said。
　〃Does　that　change　anything？〃
　She　was　looking　at　him。　〃No　one's　sure　how　much　they　actually　remember；〃　she　said。　Probably　not　all　that　much。　Their　previous　life　has　never　been　our　purpose　here。　But　they　cry。　They　shout　out。　Maybe　you　can　give　them　a　little　solace。〃
　〃Solace；〃　he　said。
　〃We　created　them。〃
　〃Do　they　know　that？〃
　〃That's　beside　the　point。　It　doesn't　matter　if　they　have　no　idea　who　we　are。　You　can't　just　disown　your　own　children。〃　She　was　solemn；　as　if　he　were　somehow　part　of　her　redemption。
　
　19
　The　Bones　Speak
　
　THEBEGINNING　OFAUGUST
　Nathan　Lee　entered　their　world　of　monsters。
　For　a　week；　he　did　not　go　down　into　the　so…called　Orphanage；　their　warren　of　cells　in　sub…basement　Five。　Instead　he　took　up　residence　in　the　Necro　Archives；　the　human　tissues　room。　It　had　lapsed　into　a　sloppy　grab　bag　of　specimens。　He　set　about　organizing　the　samples；　in　part　to　organize　his　thoughts；　but　mostly　to　acquaint　himself　with　the　bones　in　preparation　for　their　living　flesh。　There　were　teeth；　dried　muscle；　withered　organs　in　jars；　baggies　and　vials；　skulls；　fingernails；　and　long　bones　numbered　with　magic　marker　or　red　fingernail　polish。　One　of　the　twenty…three　men　had　been　made　from　silver；　so　to　speak；　from　a　Herod…headed　coin　speckled　with　blood　flakes。
　At　last；　after　six　days；　Nathan　Lee　felt　ready。　He　took　the　elevator　down　to　the　Orphanage。　Captain　Enote　led　him　through　the　long；　silent　hallway；　and　it　looked　like　a　death　row　for　robots；　all　shiny　and　metal。　There　were　twenty　quarantine　cells　on　the　right；　and　twenty　on　the　left。　The　plex　had　been　built　by　a　contractor　whose　specialty　was　super…prisons。　Nathan　Lee　paused　by　an　empty　cell；　and　went　in；　wanting　the　feel　one　more　time。
　〃Familiar？〃　the　Captain　asked　him　from　the　doorway。
　〃They　never　did　anything　like　this　to　you　in　Kathmandu；〃　Nathan　Lee　said。
　There　was　no　life　in　here；　not　even　an　insect。　Everything　was　metal　or　indestructible　plastic。　Each　cell　held　a　bed；　a　toilet；　and　a　sink。　There　was　a　shower　nozzle　in　the　high　ceiling；　a　drain　in　the　floor；　and　surveillance　cameras　mounted　behind　bubbles。　Micron　screens　filtered　the　air　that　vented　in　and　out　of　their　rooms。　They　lived　in　a　sterile　state。
　Moving　on；　he　peeked　through　some　of　the　Plexiglas　slots　at　eyelevel；　and　the　prisoners　were　mostly　dozing。　They　had　paper　blankets；　and　no　clothes。　Once　a　day　the　shower　nozzle　sprayed　them　with　soap　and　disinfectant。　〃They　can't　see　out；〃　said　the　Captain。　〃But　they　know　we're　here。　Did　Miranda　mention；　no　contact。　Observation　only。〃
　Ten　times。　〃Got　it；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　On　their　way　to　the　monitor　room；　the　Captain　pointed　at　door　number　One　at　the　very　end。　〃You　don't　bother　with　that　one；〃　he　said。　〃Ever。〃
　The　monitor　room　lit　dark　and　cool。　Two　guards　sat　in　chairs　that　could　slide　back　and　forth　on　roller　wheels　along　the　banks　of　screens。　Nathan　Lee　did　a　quick　count。　There　were　eighty　screens；　two　for　each　cell。　Only　the　screens　of　the　occupied　cells　were　glowing。　The　Captain　went　to　the　pair　of　screens　for　Cell　One；　and　turned　them　off。　He　introduced　Nathan　Lee　to　the　guards。
　〃Mr。　Swift　wants　to　get　to　know　the　boys；〃　he　said。　〃He's　cleared　to　e　in　here　and　watch　the　screens。　He　can　listen　on　the　headphones。　You　can　talk　to　him。　Share　the　files。〃　The　Captain　pointed　at　the　screens　for　Cell　One。　〃She　stays　out　of　it。　Clear？〃
　〃Yes　sir；〃　they　said。
　One　of　the　guards　got　a　chair　for　Nathan　Lee；　and　made　room　at　the　end　of　the　long　counter　for　his　yellow　notepad。　〃You　want　some　bean？〃　he　asked；　and　poured　the　coffee　in　a　chipped　mug。
　As　he　was　leaving；　the　Captain　said；　〃how　long　did　you　spend　in　that　Asia　jail？〃
　It　was　deliberate。　The　two　guards'　ears　pricked　up。　Now　they　knew　a　convict　was　sharing　the　booth　with　them；　which　was　fair　enough。　〃Seventeen　months；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Don't　go　try　to　bust　anybody　out；〃　said　the　Captain。
　〃No　contact；〃　recited　Nathan　Lee。
　〃Let's　see　where　you　get　here；〃　said　the　Captain；　and　he　left。
　Nathan　Lee　strolled　along　the　bank　of　monitors；　orienting　himself。　He　matched　them　up　to　his　notes；　man　by　man。　On　paper；　each　was　a　tooth；　skull；　or　bit　of　wood。　On　the　screen；　they　were　not　much　more；　just　bits　of　humanity　worn　out　by　their　short　lives。　Many　bore　livid　surgical　scars；　which　surprised　him。　What　kinds　of　things　had　been　done　to　them　in　South　Sector？　They　acted　less　like　prisoners　than　patients　in　a　cancer　ward。　If　they　moved；　it　was　only　slowly。　You　felt　their　pain。
　〃Oh　yeah；〃　said　one　of　the　guards。　〃South　Sector's　hell　on　them。〃
　〃What　about　him？〃　Nathan　Lee　asked。　The　clone　was　more　scar　than　skin。　He　was　missing　part　of　an　ear。　His　face　looked　like　a　badly　sewn　baseball。
　〃The　fugitive；〃　answered　the　second　guard。　〃He　got　loose　last　winter。　He　hit　the　razor　wire；　tangled　in　it；　and　just　kept　fighting。　He　tore　himself　free　and　made　it　halfway　to　the　Rio　Grande。　The　trackers　said　it　was　like　following　a　paint　bucket　with　a　hole　in　it。　He　just　about　bled　out　and　froze　to　death；　they　say。　Finally　found　him　in　some　cave　dwellings　down　one　of　the　canyons。　After　that　he　got　rated　high　risk。　None　of　the　researchers　wanted　to　work　him　no　more。　So　Miranda　added　him　to　the　collection。〃
　〃How　long　have　they　been　here？〃
　〃Miranda　salvaged　the　first　of　them　five　months　ago。〃
　Each　clone　had　an　identification　number　tattooed　on　the　back　of　their　neck　and　at　the　base　of　their　spine。　The　tradition　of　naming　lab　animals；　whether　they　were　slugs　or　chimpanzees；　was　as　old　as　research。　The　guards　had　their　own　nicknames　for　the　clones：　Cueball　for　a　bald　fellow；　Rutabaga　and　Cabbage　for　two　catatonic　men；　Stiff　for　a　clone　with　priapism；　Yessir　for　the　clone　with　a　nervous　tic；　Johnny　Angel　for　the　blue…eyed　handsome　one。
　〃Do　they　talk？〃
　〃Hoot；　howl；　mumble；　scream。　One　used　to　sing。　He　quit。〃
　〃Can　I　see　their　files？〃
　〃Help　yourself。〃　A　guard　pointed　at　the　file　cabinets。
　Instead　of　biographies；　each　had　lab　reports；　much　of　it　classified　and　blacked　out。　That　was　inauspicious。　Miranda　was　right；　labs　within　the　Lab　treated　one　another　as　enemies。　On　the　brink　of　destruction；　the　scientists　were　at　cross　purposes　with　their　own　survival；　hiding　their　work。　And　yet　their　experiments　and　secrets　were　written　on　the　flesh　of　their　subjects。　Some　of　the　clones　had　survived　four　or　five　labs　before　being　delivered　back　into　their　maker's　care。　Not　one　had　his　own　real　name。　Not　one　displayed　a　life　before　this　life。
　Nathan　Lee　laid　their　files　in　front　of　their　respective　screens。　Those　were　now；　what　was　then？　He　wanted　to　start　from　scratch；　to　erase　their　numbers；　to　reach　back　through　the　artifact　two　thousand　years。
　It　was　slow；　frustrating　work。　He　spent　hours　waiting　for　a　movement　or　word　on　any　screen。　Their　daily　cycles　were　synched　around　food　and　the　daily　soaking。　They　wanted　to　dream　away　their　captivity。　Nathan　Lee　understood　their　torpor。　He　had　done　the　same　until　his　prison　revealed　itself　as　a　palace。　Restoring　the　past；　he　had　restored　himself。
　The　guards　were　interested　in　his　work　only　because　they　were　bored。　When　they　weren't　too　busy　playing　guitar　with　a　rubber　band　or　making　paper　clip　chains；　they　might　record　events　while　Nathan　Lee　was　gone。　An　event　could　be　anything：　a　mumble；　a　scream。。。and　then；　on　the　third　day；　a　name。
　〃There；〃　said　Nathan　Lee；　replaying　the　tape。　He　jacked　the　volume　up。　〃Do　you　hear　it　now？〃　He　didn't　speak　the　name。　He　wanted　to　draw　the　guards　into　his　discovery。　He　was　going　to　need　their　help　with　the　observing。　But　to　them；　the　clones　were　a　bare　step　up　from　vegetation。　He　had　to　convert　them　somehow。　His　father　had　taught　him　there　was　no　other　way　to　climb　a　big　mountain。　They　had　to　find　the　spirit　themselves。
　〃Isaiah？〃　One　of　the　guards　frowned。
　〃Did　he　really　say　Isaiah？〃　whispered　his　partner。　His　name　badge　read　Joe。　〃Like　in　the　Book？〃
　〃Yes；〃　said　Nathan　Lee