danbrown.deceptionpoint-第17部分

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　Marjorie　Tench　fell　silent；　as　if　reeling　from　that　last　punch。
　The　CNN　host　prompted；　〃Ms。　Tench？　A　reaction？〃
　The　woman　finally　cleared　her　throat　and　spoke。　〃I　guess　I'm　just　surprised　to　hear　that　Mr。　Sexton　is　willing　to　establish　himself　as　so　staunchly　anti…NASA。〃
　Sexton's　eyes　narrowed。　Nice　try；　lady。　〃I　am　not　anti…NASA；　and　I　resent　the　accusation。　I　am　simply　saying　that　NASA's　budget　is　indicative　of　the　kind　of　runaway　spending　that　your　President　endorses。　NASA　said　they　could　build　the　shuttle　for　five　billion；　it　cost　twelve　billion。　They　said　they　could　build　the　space　station　for　eight　billion；　now　it's　one　hundred　billion。〃
　〃Americans　are　leaders；〃　Tench　countered；　〃because　we　set　lofty　goals　and　stick　to　them　through　the　tough　times。〃
　〃That　national　pride　speech　doesn't　work　on　me；　Marge。　NASA　has　overspent　its　allowance　three　times　in　the　past　two　years　and　crawled　back　to　the　President　with　its　tail　between　its　legs　and　asked　for　more　money　to　fix　its　mistakes。　Is　that　national　pride？　If　you　want　to　talk　about　national　pride；　talk　about　strong　schools。　Talk　about　universal　health　care。　Talk　about　smart　kids　growing　up　in　a　country　of　opportunity。　That's　national　pride！〃
　Tench　glared。　〃May　I　ask　you　a　direct　question；　senator？〃
　Sexton　did　not　respond。　He　simply　waited。
　The　woman's　words　came　out　deliberately；　with　a　sudden　infusion　of　grit。　〃Senator；　if　I　told　you　that　we　could　not　explore　space　for　less　than　NASA　is　currently　spending；　would　you　act　to　abolish　the　space　agency　altogether？〃
　The　question　felt　like　a　boulder　landing　in　Sexton's　lap。　Maybe　Tench　wasn't　so　stupid　after　all。　She　had　just　blindsided　Sexton　with　a　〃fence…buster〃…a　carefully　crafted　yes/no　question　designed　to　force　a　fence…straddling　opponent　to　choose　clear　sides　and　clarify　his　position　once　and　for　all。
　Instinctively　Sexton　tried　sidestepping。　〃I　have　no　doubt　that　with　proper　management　NASA　can　explore　space　for　a　lot　less　than　we　are　currently…〃
　〃Senator　Sexton；　answer　the　question。　Exploring　space　is　a　dangerous　and　costly　business。　It's　much　like　building　a　passenger　jet。　We　should　either　do　it　right…or　not　at　all。　The　risks　are　too　great。　My　question　remains：　If　you　bee　president；　and　you　are　faced　with　the　decision　to　continue　NASA　funding　at　its　current　level　or　entirely　scrap　the　U。S。　space　program；　which　would　you　choose？〃
　Shit。　Sexton　glanced　up　at　Gabrielle　through　the　glass。　Her　expression　echoed　what　Sexton　already　knew。　You're　mitted。　Be　direct。　No　waffling。　Sexton　held　his　chin　high。　〃Yes。　I　would　transfer　NASA's　current　budget　directly　into　our　school　systems　if　faced　with　that　decision。　I　would　vote　for　our　children　over　space。〃
　The　look　on　Marjorie　Tench's　face　was　one　of　absolute　shock。　〃I'm　stunned。　Did　I　hear　you　correctly？　As　president；　you　would　act　to　abolish　this　nation's　space　program？〃
　Sexton　felt　an　anger　simmering。　Now　Tench　was　putting　words　in　his　mouth。　He　tried　to　counter；　but　Tench　was　already　talking。
　〃So　you're　saying；　senator；　for　the　record；　that　you　would　do　away　with　the　agency　that　put　men　on　the　moon？〃
　〃I　am　saying　that　the　space　race　is　over！　Times　have　changed。　NASA　no　longer　plays　a　critical　role　in　the　lives　of　everyday　Americans　and　yet　we　continue　to　fund　them　as　though　they　do。〃
　〃So　you　don't　think　space　is　the　future？〃
　〃Obviously　space　is　the　future；　but　NASA　is　a　dinosaur！　Let　the　private　sector　explore　space。　American　taxpayers　shouldn't　have　to　open　their　wallets　every　time　some　Washington　engineer　wants　to　take　a　billion…dollar　photograph　of　Jupiter。　Americans　are　tired　of　selling　out　their　children's　future　to　fund　an　outdated　agency　that　provides　so　little　in　return　for　its　gargantuan　costs！〃
　Tench　sighed　dramatically。　〃So　little　in　return？　With　the　exception　perhaps　of　the　SETI　program；　NASA　has　had　enormous　returns。〃
　Sexton　was　shocked　that　the　mention　of　SETI　had　even　escaped　Tench's　lips。　Major　blunder。　Thanks　for　reminding　me。　The　Search　for　Extraterrestrial　Intelligence　was　NASA's　most　abysmal　money　pit　ever。　Although　NASA　had　tried　to　give　the　project　a　facelift　by　renaming　it　〃Origins〃　and　shuffling　some　of　its　objectives；　it　was　still　the　same　losing　gamble。
　〃Marjorie；〃　Sexton　said；　taking　his　opening；　〃I'll　address　SETI　only　because　you　mention　it。〃
　Oddly；　Tench　looked　almost　eager　to　hear　this。
　Sexton　cleared　his　throat。　〃Most　people　are　not　aware　that　NASA　has　been　looking　for　ET　for　thirty…five　years　now。　And　it's　a　pricey　treasure　hunt…satellite　dish　arrays；　huge　transceivers；　millions　in　salaries　to　scientists　who　sit　in　the　dark　and　listen　to　blank　tape。　It's　an　embarrassing　waste　of　resources。〃
　〃You're　saying　there's　nothing　up　there？〃
　〃I'm　saying　that　if　any　other　government　agency　had　spent　forty…five　million　over　thirty…five　years　and　had　not　produced　one　single　result；　they　would　have　been　axed　a　long　time　ago。〃　Sexton　paused　to　let　the　gravity　of　the　statement　settle　in。　〃After　thirty…five　years；　I　think　it's　pretty　obvious　we're　not　going　to　find　extraterrestrial　life。〃
　〃And　if　you're　wrong？〃
　Sexton　rolled　his　eyes。　〃Oh；　for　heavens　sake；　Ms。　Tench；　if　I'm　wrong　I'll　eat　my　hat。〃
　Marjorie　Tench　locked　her　jaundiced　eyes　on　Senator　Sexton。　〃I'll　remember　you　said　that；　senator。〃　She　smiled　for　the　first　time。　〃I　think　we　all　will。〃
　Six　miles　away；　inside　the　Oval　Office；　President　Zach　Herney　turned　off　the　television　and　poured　himself　a　drink。　As　Marjorie　Tench　had　promised；　Senator　Sexton　had　taken　the　bait…hook；　line；　and　sinker。
　
　　
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　Michael　Tolland　felt　himself　beaming　empathetically　as　Rachel　Sexton　gaped　in　silence　at　the　fossilized　meteorite　in　her　hand。　The　refined　beauty　of　the　woman's　face　now　seemed　to　dissolve　into　the　expression　of　innocent　wonder…a　young　girl　who　had　just　seen　Santa　Claus　for　the　first　time。
　I　know　just　how　you　feel；　he　thought。
　Tolland　had　been　struck　the　same　way　only　forty…eight　hours　ago。　He　too　had　been　stunned　into　silence。　Even　now；　the　scientific　and　philosophical　implications　of　the　meteorite　astounded　him；　forcing　him　to　rethink　everything　he　had　ever　believed　about　nature。
　Tolland's　oceanographic　discoveries　included　several　previously　unknown　deepwater　species；　and　yet　this　〃space　bug〃　was　another　level　of　breakthrough　altogether。　Despite　Hollywood's　propensity　for　casting　extraterrestrials　as　little　green　men；　astrobiologists　and　science　buffs　all　agreed　that　given　the　sheer　numbers　and　adaptability　of　earth's　insects；　extraterrestrial　life　would　in　all　probability　be　buglike　if　it　were　ever　discovered。
　Insects　were　members　of　the　phylum　arthropoda…creatures　having　hard　outer　skeletons　and　jointed　legs。　With　over　1。25　million　known　species　and　an　estimated　five　hundred　thousand　still　to　be　classified；　earth's　〃bugs〃　outnumbered　all　of　the　other　animals　bined。　They　made　up　95　percent　of　all　the　planet's　species　and　an　astounding　40　percent　of　the　planet's　biomass。
　It　was　not　so　much　the　bugs'　abundance　that　impressed　as　it　was　their　resilience。　From　the　Antarctic　ice　beetle　to　Death　Valley's　sun　scorpion；　bugs　happily　inhabited　deadly　ranges　in　temperature；　dryness；　and　even　pressure。　They　also　had　mastered　exposure　to　the　most　deadly　force　known　in　the　universe…radiation。　Following　a　nuclear　test　in　1945；　air　force　officers　had　donned　radiation　suits　and　examined　ground　zero；　only　to　discover　cockroaches　and　ants　happily　carrying　on　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　Astronomers　realized　that　an　arthropod's　protective　exoskeleton　made　it　a　perfectly　viable　candidate　to　inhabit　the　countless　radiation…saturated　planets　where　nothing　else　could　live。
　It　appeared　the　astrobiologists　had　been　right；　Tolland　thought。　ET　is　a　bug。
　　
　Rachel's　legs　felt　weak　beneath　her。　〃I　can't。。。　believe　it；〃　she　said；　turning　the　fossil　in　her　hands。　〃I　never　thought。。。　〃
　〃Give　it　some　time　to　sink　in；〃　Tolland　said；　grinning。　〃Took　me　twenty…four　hours　to　get　my　feet　back　under　me。〃
　〃I　see　we　have　a　newer；〃　said　an　uncharacteristically　tall　Asian　man；　walking　over　to　join　them。
　Corky　and　Tolland　seemed　to　deflate　instantly　with　the　man's　arrival。　Apparently　the　moment　of　magic　had　been　shattered。
　〃Dr。　Wailee　Ming；〃　the　man　said；　introducing　himself。　〃Chairman　of　paleontology　at　UCLA。〃
　The　man　carried　himself　with　the　pompous　rigidity　of　renaissance　aristocracy；　continuously　stroking　the　out…of…place　bow　tie　that　he　wore　beneath　his　knee…length　camel…hair　coat。　Wailee　Ming　was　apparently　not　one　to　let　a　remote　setting　e　in　the　way　of　his　prim　appearance。
　〃I'm　Rachel　Sexton。〃　Her　hand　was　still　trembling　as　she　shook　Ming's　smooth　palm。　Ming　was　obviously　another　of　the　President's　civilian　recruits。
　〃It　would　be　my　pleasure；　Ms。　Sexton；〃　the　paleontologist　said；　〃to　tell　you　anything　you　want　to　know　about　these　fossils。〃
　〃And　plenty　you　don't　want　to　know；〃　Corky　grumbled。
　Ming　fingered　his　bow　tie。　〃My　paleontologic　specialty　is　extinct　Arthropoda　and　Mygalomorphae。　Obviously　the　most　impressive　characteristic　of　this　organism　is…〃
　〃…is　that　it's　from　another　friggin'　planet！〃　Corky　interjected。
　Ming　scowled　and　cleared　his　throat。　〃The　most　impressive　characteristic　of　this　organism　is　that　it　fits　perfectly　into　our　Darwinian　system　of　terrestrial　taxonomy　and　classification。〃
　Rachel　glanced　up。　They　can　classify　this　thing？　〃You　mean　kingdom；　phylum；　species；　that　sort　of　thing？〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Ming　said。　〃This　species；　if　found　on　earth；　would　be　classified　as　the　order　Isopoda　and　would　fall　into　a　class　with　about　two　thousand　species　of　lice。〃
　〃Lice？〃　she　said。　〃But　it's　huge。〃
　〃Taxonomy　is　not　size　specific。　House　cats　and　tigers　are　related。　Classification　is　about　physiology。　This　species　is　clearly　a　louse：　It　has　a　flattened　body；　seven　pairs　of　legs；　and　a　reproductive　pouch　identical　in　structure　to　wood　lice；　pill　bugs；　beach　hoppers；　sow　bugs；　and　gribbles。　The　other　fossils　clearly　reveal　more　specialized…〃
　〃Other　fossils？〃
　Ming　glanced　at　Corky　and　Tolland。　〃She　doesn't　know？〃
　Tolland　shook　his　head。
　Ming's　face　brightened　instantly。　〃Ms。　Sexton；　you　haven't　heard　the　good　part　yet。〃
　〃There　are　more　fossils；〃　Corky　interjected；　clearly　trying　to　s