jefflong.yearzero-第79部分

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　The　entrance　to　Alpha　Lab　faced　due　east。　The　winter　sun　was　just　rising；　its　rays　glancing　straight　in。　Now　she　saw　a　throng　of　people　in　front　of　the　building；　out　in　the　parking　lot。　They　looked　like　figures　made　of　light；　walking　back　and　forth；　keeping　vigil；　waiting。
　The　world　assembled　in　an　instant。　The　convoy　must　have　turned　around。　Her　city　had　returned！
　〃Ben。〃　A　shout。　〃What　you　got？　Bring　them　out。　One　at　a　time。　No　running。　Don't　need　more　blood。　Tell　'em。〃
　〃He　can't　understand　English；〃　someone　plained。
　〃Some；　he　does。〃
　The　bodies　on　the　floor　were　clones；　she　prehended；　hogtied；　face　down；　hands　and　feet　cinched　with　plastic　ties。　One　lay　crumpled　and　still　in　a　wide　pool　of　blood。　The　lobby　reeked　of　cordite　and　riot　gas。　It　came　to　her。　The　soldiers　were　putting　down　a　prison　break。　One　floor　at　a　time；　they　were　flushing　out　the　sub…basements；　repossessing　the　building；　and　Ben　was　helping。　He　was　their　worm　on　a　hook；　drawing　their　monsters　up　from　the　deep。
　Out　in　the　lobby；　the　mood　grew　tense。　〃Shoot　one；〃　a　soldier　remended。　〃They'll　e。〃
　〃Don't；〃　called　Miranda。
　The　lobby　fell　silent。
　〃Miranda？〃　This　new　voice　was　old。　Worn　out。　Thrown　too　hard；　too　long。　The　Captain　must　have　been　searching　all　night　for　her。
　〃Captain。〃　She　kept　her　tone　calm。
　The　Captain　appeared　from　behind　a　column。　〃Hold　fire。　Not　one　shot。〃　He　wore　a　riot　helmet　with　the　visor　up；　his　long　hair　hanging　down　his　shoulders。　His　hair　looked　white　this　morning。　〃Can　you　run？〃　he　asked。
　With　one　step；　she　could　have　left　her　captors　behind。　They　would　be　returned　to　their　cells。　The　violent　strays　like　Eesho　would　be　rounded　up。　It　could　be　over。
　Their　escape　was　finished；　and　they　knew　it。　She　saw　Ben's　eyes　on　the　far　side　of　the　car；　watching　her。　There　was　no　fear　in　his　eyes；　only　hope；　though　not　a　desperate　hope。　He　looked　reconciled　to　whatever　came　next。　He　spoke；　and　the　others　moved　out　of　her　way。
　It　struck　Miranda。　He　had　been　handpicked　by　Nathan　Lee　and　coached　to　guide　his　rades　away　from　Los　Alamos。　Instead；　he'd　stayed。　The　fugitive　had　chosen　to　collaborate　with　his　captors。。。to　go　searching　for　her。　He　had　put　himself　at　risk。。。to　save　her。　But　why？　She　chased　the　thought。　Before　descending　to　his　death；　Nathan　Lee　must　have　sought　Ben　out。　It　made　perfect　sense。　Of　all　people；　he　would　have　chosen　this　wanderer；　this　sphinx…like　escapee；　in　whom　to　confide　his　decision。　Whatever　it　was　they　had　talked　about；　Ben　had　shaped　it　into　a　promise。　To　her。　And　then　she　realized。。。to　her　child。Nathan　Lee's　child。　That　was　the　heart　of　it。
　She　stepped　from　the　elevator。　〃Move　to　your　left；〃　the　Captain　told　her。　〃You're　in　the　line　of　fire。〃
　She　looked　back　at　the　elevator；　and　saw　the　fury　of　their　battling。　The　wall　and　metal　frame　were　torn　with　bullet　holes。　Blood　streaked　the　ceiling。　Further　up　the　hallway；　one　of　the　clones　had　tried　leaping　through　a　plate…glass　window。　His　body　hung　on　the　shards。　Riot　gas　was　sucking　through　the　shattered　gap。
　〃Miranda；〃　said　the　Captain。　〃They're　dangerous。　Let　us　do　our　job。〃
　Where　had　she　heard　that　before？　Her　father；　she　remembered；　at　the　pond；　long　ago。　And　Ochs；　that　time；　stealing　the　child；　throwing　her　into　darkness。Never　again。　She　held　her　ground。　She　glanced　outside；　through　the　front　door；　at　the　milling　people。　〃You　came　back；〃　she　mented。
　The　Captain　frowned。　He　followed　her　gaze。　〃Them？　They　never　left。　We're　the　ones　who　stayed。〃
　〃But　the　city　was　empty。　I　saw　it。〃
　〃People　hid　in　their　houses。　It　was　nighttime。　A　terrible　night。　We　waited　for　daylight。〃　He　added；　〃Not　you；　though。　I　should　have　known。〃
　So　the　convoy　had　gone。　〃How　many　are　there？〃
　〃A　few　hundred。　Mostly　scientists。　We're　still　going　house　to　house。　People　are　in　shock。　They　can't　believe　what　they've　done　to　themselves。　They're　afraid。　We　don't　know　who　stayed　and　who　left。　We　were　starting　to　think　maybe　you'd　gone；　too。〃
　〃Why？〃　she　said。　〃Why　did　you　stay？〃
　The　Captain　frowned　at　her。　〃You　told　us；〃　he　gestured　with　his　rifle；　confused。　〃You　said；　the　sun。〃
　Miranda's　eyes　stung。　It　was　the　riot　gas；　she　told　herself。　And　the　snow　was　so　bright。They　were　waiting　for　her。
　〃We'll　start　over；〃　she　spoke　suddenly。
　〃Yes；〃　the　Captain　encouraged　her。　〃Now　will　you　e　away　from　there？〃
　He　didn't　understand。　〃All　of　us　together；〃　she　continued　more　loudly　for　others　to　hear。　〃We'll　begin　in　the　beginning。　There　aren't　many　of　us。〃　She　swept　her　hand　at　the　awful　violence；　the　body　dangling　in　the　window。　〃We　can't　afford　this。　It　will　take　everyone。〃
　〃Miranda；〃　the　Captain　pleaded。　〃Clear　away。〃
　They　still　didn't　see。　She　had　to　show　them。　She　returned　to　the　elevator　filled　with　cowering　men　and　reached　inside。　She　took　Ben's　hand　and　he　took　another　man's　hand。　Like　that　she　ushered　in　the　new　day；　guiding　out　the　string　of　their　ancestors　who　were　their　monsters；　but　their　children；　too。
　
　37
　Strange　Bedfellow
　
　DECEMBER　31
　The　tall　man　whistled　while　he　worked；　neatly　laying　out　the　razor　blade　and　towel；　the　needle　and　thread。　Handel。The　Messiah。　What　else？　'Twas　the　season。
　〃Shut　your　hole；〃　someone　growled　from　a　lower　bunk。　Day　10；　and　tempers　had　frayed。　Sleep　was　precious。　The　haven　was　not　quite　what　people　had　prayed　for。
　Theirsanctum　sanctorum　was　a　study　in　sodium　chloride。　The　floors　were　milled　flat。　The　ceilings　were　thirteen　feet　high。　Levels　Five　to　Eight　were　still　being　expanded　after　yet　another　collapse　in　the　salt　bed；　and　wouldn't　be　pleted　for　months。　Until　then；　the　colony　slept　in　shifts。　Each　of　them　got　a　bunk…and　the　petite　privacy　that　went　with　it…for　twelve　hours　at　a　time。　It　was　like　a　homeless　shelter：　A　bed；　a　meal；　then　back　on　your　feet；　Joe。
　He　kept　his　curtain　drawn。　There　was　just　enough　headroom　to　sit　upright。　Each　bunk　had　a　small　wall　light　of　its　own。　He　had　shed　his　jumpsuit。　Now　he　examined　his　scar。　The　wound　in　his　thigh　had　healed　nicely　over　the　past　three　months。　He　prodded　the　long　seam。
　Their　dayroom　walls　were　thin　plastic。　He　could　hear　a　woman　in　the　neighboring　cubicle　crying；　and　men　whispering　angrily。　The　culture　shock　was　savage。　Streams　of　people　circumambulated　outside　the　rows　of　barracks；　waiting　their　turns。　Their　shuffling　sounded　like　a　small　river。　Like　a　river；　their　feet　had　already　started　to　wear　a　channel　into　the　salt　floor。
　The　air　was　radically　dry。　In　the　space　of　a　few　days；　their　lips　and　cuticles　had　already　split。　Their　eyes　were　red。　People　couldn't　seem　to　drink　enough　water。　They　were　in　a　desert　far　beneath　the　desert；　this　concealed　elite。　They　were　literally　being　the　salt　of　the　earth。　When　it　was　quiet；　the　sound　of　flaking　crystals　whispered　on　the　plastic　roofs。　The　sanctuary　was　alive。　It　was　filling　in　around　them。
　He　rubbed　his　scar。
　Back　in　Los　Alamos；　forty　years　had　not　seemed　insurmountable。　It　wasn't　going　to　be　easy；　nobody　had　said　that。　There　was　bound　to　be　some　cabin　fever。　Deprivations。　Adjustments。　Internal　politics。　But　overall；　they'd　envisioned　a　long　night　of　the　soul　with　great　downtime。　They　were　finally　going　to　get　to　catch　up　with　their　families；　kick　back；　do　some　science；　teach　and　be　taught；　breed；　raise　the　grandkids。　Anchor　the　species。　When　they　emerged　someday；　they　would　be　old　men　and　women。　Future　generations　would　remember　them　as　giants；　that　was　the　idea。
　But　already　their　dreams　had　unraveled。　The　journey　across　New　Mexico　to　just　this　side　of　Texas　had　been　its　own　special　bit　of　hell；　sixty…seven　straight　hours　locked　in　with　raw　sewage　washing　at　their　feet；　the　weak　ones　going　to　pieces。　Of　the　six　hundred　trucks　the　convoy　started　with；　fully　half　had　not　made　it。　There　had　been　breakdowns；　icy　roads；　a　freak　dust　storm；　and　land　mines　galore。　Through　triple　layers　of　rubber；　he　had　heard　the　flat　whumps　of　explosions　ahead　or　behind　them。　Not　a　pleasant　ride；　at　all。　But　even　mechanical　failure；　guerrilla　ambushes；　and　gas　needles　on　E　did　not　explain　what　was　being　estimated　as　a　fifty　percent　attrition。　The　dark　rumor　was　that　half　of　them　had　been　sacrificed　along　the　way。　The　tall　man　in　the　upper　bunk　didn't　believe　it；　but　the　rumor　did　happen　to　fit　the　facts。　There　was　coincidentally　just　enough　room　for　those　who　were　here。
　He　regretted　the　lost　trucks　and　their　tens　of　thousands　of　passengers。　He　had　hoped　to　have　every　single　last　one　accounted　for。　At　present；　no　one　was　sure　who　had　and　had　not　made　it。　Paul　Abbot；　their　king；　roamed　through　the　salt　corridors；　calling　his　daughter's　name。
　The　convoy's　castaways　were　doomed；　that　much　was　certain。　Those　fortunate　enough　to　break　out　of　their　locked　trailers　would　have　had　nowhere　to　escape。　He　took　some　solace　in　that。
　The　man　considered　the　razor　blade。　It　was　not　as　sharp　as　he　would　have　liked。　Over　the　past　few　days；　before　he　gained　ownership　of　the　contraband　razor；　four　people　were　said　to　have　used　it。　They'd　been　clumsy；　dulling　it　on　their　carpal　tendons　and　bone。　But　it　had　worked　for　them；　and　was　the　best　to　be　had。
　He　laid　the　edge　just　so　on　his　scar；　and　drew　the　blade。　The　lips　of　flesh　opened。　As　the　first　time；　there　was　surprisingly　little　blood。　The　adipose　layer　was　white。　The　meat　was　red。
　He　worked　the　wound　deeper。　It　ran　parallel　with　the　muscle　fibers；　which…months　ago…had　allowed　a　deep　envelope　without　laming　him。　With　time；　gravity　and　muscle　movement　had　worked　the　glass　vial　lower　between　the　quadriceps。　He　had　to　go　searching。　It　hurt。　He　resented　that。
　Part　of　the　entry　procedure　had　been　a　final　purification。　Everyone　had　submitted　to　multiple　blood　and　urine　tests。　They　had　stripped；　scrubbed；　and　walked　through　an　ultraviolet　tunnel　to　piles　of　sterilized　jumpsuits。　Their　suitcases　and　duffel　bags　had　never　even　left　the　Mesa。　Naked　as　babes；　they　had　entered　their　crystalline　Eden。　Quarantine　was　absolute。　The　virus　didn't　stand　a　chance　down　here。　That　was　the　idea。
　He　could　hear　the　family　next　door；　through　the　wall；　prepping　the　young　ones　for　sleep。　A　bedtime　story。Goodnight；　Moon。　Then　prayers。　〃Our　Father；　who　art　in　heaven。。。。〃
　I'll　teach　it　to　them　properly；he　thought。In　the　original。　Aramaic。　Whisper　it　through　the