jefflong.yearzero-第13部分

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　taken　care　of。　This　whole　thing　never　happened。〃
　〃This　morning？〃
　〃Your　bags　are　packed。〃
　〃You　can't　do　this。〃
　〃You're　going　to　Los　Alamos。　The　University　of　California　oversees　operations　there。　Elise　has　found　a　spot　for　you。　They　say　you　have　golden　fingers。〃
　〃But　Winston。。。。〃　she　began。
　〃I　can　only　save　you；〃　he　said。
　〃I　can't　just　abandon　him。　He　needs　me。〃
　〃It　will　be　safer　for　you　there；　Miranda。〃
　〃He　would　never　hurt　me。〃
　〃It's　not　your　creature　that　I'm　worried　about。〃
　She　hesitated。　His　voice　had　retreated　into　his　bureaucratic　shadows。　Again　she　heard　it；　his　fear。　Profound　fear。
　〃You've　heard　about　these　micro…outbreaks　in　Europe？〃　he　asked。　〃A　mystery　virus。〃
　〃And　in　South　Africa；〃　she　said。　〃But　that　was　weeks　ago。　And　they　were　confined　to　two　or　three　labs。　It's　over。〃　With　a　shrug；　she　quipped；　〃Ebola　happens。〃
　〃It　wasn't　Ebola；〃　he　said。
　Each　of　the　outbreaks　had　involved　reputable　labs　specializing　in　DNA　typing；　not　disease　research。　None　used　more　than　rudimentary　bio…safety　measures。　The　real　mystery　was　why　any　of　them　had　been　handling　a　virus　in　the　first　place。　There　was　quiet　talk　that　ecoterrorists　might　have　mailed　the　deadly　samples；　or　a　Unabomber　with　his　own　private　stash　of　contagion。　In　the　scientific　munity　it　had　bee　mon　wisdom　that　the　outbreaks　had　been　hemorrhagic　fever　of　some　type；　probably　Ebola。　Transmission　was　by　contact；　she'd　heard。　But　it　might　also　be　aerosol。　The　authorities　had　gone　into　standard　defensive　posture；　neither　confirming　nor　denying　the　accidents。　They　had　let　the　tabloids　exaggerate　it　to　flesh…eating　absurdity。　The　public　quickly　quit　believing　it　was　anything　more　than　entertainment。　Miranda　had　quit　paying　attention。
　〃They　did　contain　it；　though；〃　she　said。
　〃Slammed　the　door　shut　on　it；〃　her　father　said　firmly。　〃But　it　was　a　close　call。〃
　She　felt　an　edge　of　fear；　less　for　the　〃close　call；〃　than　his　adamant　closure。　〃What　was　it？〃
　〃We　don't　have　a　fix　on　it　yet。　It　attacks　the　skin。　Then　it　goes　straight　for　the　brain。〃
　She　thought　about　that　for　a　moment。　Skin；　then　brain；　what　was　the　connection　there？　The　symptoms　started　with　the　most　external　organ；　and　then　jumped　to　the　most　internal　organ。
　〃Of　course；〃　she　realized。　〃They　originate　from　the　same　tissue。〃　She　wanted　to　dispense　with　his　riddle；　demonstrate　her　virtuositywboy！　He　was　watching　her。
　〃In　early　development；　the　outer　layer　of　the　fetal　ball　envaginates；〃　she　recited。　〃The　outside　bees　the　inside。　The　ectoderm　creates　a　tube；　an　empty　space；　that　bees　the　spinal　cord　and　brain。　At　the　cell　level；　skin　and　the　nervous　system　are　the　same　thing。　That's　why　melanoma　is　so　deadly。　It　shows　up　on　the　skin；　then　goes　straight　for　the　nerve　cells。〃
　He　was　impressed；　she　could　tell。　But　impressed　enough？　Would　he　grant　her　probation；　let　her　follow　through　with　her　slippery　creation？　〃That's　probably　what's　at　work　with　this　new　disease；〃　he　said。
　〃Skin；〃　she　went　on。　〃Touch。　Contact。　Is　that　how　it　spreads？〃　What　about　aerosol　transmission？　Was　it　blood…or　water…borne？　How　long　can　it　survive　outside　its　host？　Where　does　it　e　from？　Have　you　mapped　its　proteins？〃　The　questions　bubbled　out。
　〃We　haven't　figured　out　its　natural　reservoir；〃　her　father　said。　〃No　one　has　seen　it。　We　have　no　idea　if　it's　even　a　virus。　We　don't　know。〃
　Not　for　lack　of　trying；　Miranda　guessed。　The　international　effort　must　have　been　fantastic…and　fruitless…to　earn　his　anxiety。　〃What　else　could　it　be？〃　she　asked。　Bacteria　and　rickettsias　were　too　large　to　miss。　Given　the　state　of　modern　immunology；　they　would　be　like　elephants　wandering　through　Lincoln　Tunnel。　A　prion；　then？　They　were　the　next　new　thing　in　alien　contagions。
　He　shut　down　the　line　of　inquiry。　Back　to　Chairman　of　the　Boxes。　Boxes　within　boxes　within　boxes。　〃For　now；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　want　you　working　with　animals。〃
　〃I　hear　your　concern　about　this　outbreak；〃　she　said。　〃But　Winston　is　separate。　He's　not　a　problem。〃
　〃He　may　be　separate；　but　he　is　similar；〃　her　father　said。　〃Like　viruses；　he　constitutes　a　kingdom　unknown。　We　don't　know　what　he　is；　therefore　he　is　a　danger。　I　won't　argue。〃
　〃There's　something　more　you　need　to　know；〃　she　blurted　out。　〃About　Winston。　It's　important。〃
　His　eyes　darted　from　her　to　the　pond。　Shards　of　broken　ice　bobbed　on　the　dark　water。
　How　to　sum　it　all　up？　〃I　boosted　his　growth；〃　she　said。　〃In　the　womb。　Winston　was　born　the　way　you　just　saw　him。　Same　height。　Same　weight。　He　was　born　fully　formed。〃
　Ever　the　reductionist；　her　father　broke　the　notion　into　manageable　parts。　〃You　grew　him　to　full　maturity？　Inside　a　Plexiglas　box？　Impossible；〃　he　said。
　She　skipped　on。　〃I　accelerated　his　development。　The　trigger　was　there。　I　just　had　to　switch　it　on。　That　wasn't　the　hard　part。〃
　〃What　was　the　hard　part　then？〃
　〃Switching　the　trigger　off。　Otherwise　he　would　have　died　of　old　age　a　month　ago。　I　had　to　find　a　way　to　stop　it　at　the　genetic　level。〃
　〃Miranda；〃　her　father　slowly　entoned。　〃You　had　to　find　a　way　to　stop　what？〃
　〃Aging。　Death。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　found　the　brake。　I　built　it　in。〃
　Her　father　was　staring　at　her。　〃That　can't　be。〃
　〃Why　not？〃　she　said。　〃Because　it's　me　that　found　it？〃
　〃Because；　Miranda；〃　he　said；　〃it's　not　chronological　with　the　research　being　done。　It　es　out　of　nowhere。　And　yes；　because　it's　you；　an　unpublished；　unfunded　sixteen…year…old　girl　working　in　secret　by　herself。　With　no　assistance；　with　a　few　stolen　instruments；　out　of　the　scientific　munity's　view；　with　no　guidelines；　no　oversight。〃
　She　interrupted。　〃Dad。　Seventeen。　For　the　record。　Two　weeks　ago。〃
　His　mouth　opened　and　closed。　Usually　one　of　his　secretaries　faked　it　for　him；　some　roses　and　a　check。　She　watched　his　chagrin；　a　matter　of　jaw　muscles。　〃If　what　you　say　is　true；〃　he　said；　returning　to　Winston's　genesis；　〃you've　jumped　across　the　entire　process。〃
　Shehad　jumped　their　chronology。　So　what？　〃There's　nothing　mystical　about　it；〃　she　hurried　on。　Her　ten　minutes　were　nearly　up。　〃It's　as　natural　as　nature。　Everyone's　so　busy　with　gene　mapping　and　cloning　mice；　they　haven't　bothered　going　out　into　the　world　to　test…drive　the　code。　I　did。　That's　how　I　made　the　real　discovery。〃
　She　had　his　plete　attention　now。　〃You　have　to　see　this　for　yourself；〃　she　said。　〃We　have　to　go　closer。〃　She　hopped　down　to　the　next　ledge。
　〃Get　out　of　there；　Miranda。　It's　dangerous。〃
　〃Just　a　little　closer。　So　he　can　get　a　better　look　at　you。　Then　you'll　see。〃
　〃You　don't　know　what　it's　capable　of。〃
　〃But　I　do；〃　she　insisted。　〃He's　like　a　miracle。　You　know　the　law　of　unintended　consequences。　Results　you　didn't　build　for。〃
　Something…her　conviction；　his　curiosity…bridged　their　gap。　He　took　off　his　trenchcoat；　and　lowered　himself　to　her　ledge。　Miranda　hopped　one　lower；　and　he　followed。　She　didn't　take　him　all　the　way　to　the　water。　He　was　close　enough。
　Miranda　unwrapped　the　final　bundle；　another　lobster。　She　skated　it　on　top　of　the　ice　a　few　feet　away。　〃Here；　Winston；〃　she　called。
　The　monster　came。　He　was　a　powerful　swimmer；　and　his　lime　green　dorsal　ridge　cast　a　small　roostertail　of　water　behind　him。　There　was　no　showing　off　or　fancy　dolphin　leaps　this　time。　He　came　to　a　halt　just　behind　the　lobster　and　heaved　his　head　and　shoulders　up　through　the　thin　ice；　facing　them。
　Winston's　face　was　so　fantastic　that　he　was　either　revolting　or　supremely　beautiful。　There　was　no　middle　ground；　no　ordinariness　by　which　to　judge　him。　His　head　was　wider　than　it　was　high；　the　nostrils　were　flared　and　black；　his　skin　slick。　He　had　lips；　human　shaped；　but　bleached　of　all　colors。　His　teeth　were　a　mess；　crooked　in　gums　too　weak　to　keep　order；　broken　from　chewing　on　bones；　rotting。　The　scalp　wanted　to　grow；　but　his　frog　genes　stunted　it；　and　the　result　was　pimpled　follicles。　Half　in；　half　out　of　the　ice；　he　reached　for　the　lobster　and　started　nipping　away　the　shell。　He　burrowed　into　the　viscera　and　took　it　like　a　string　of　spaghetti。　All　the　while；　he　pretended　not　to　be　studying　them。
　〃Hello；　Winston；〃　said　Miranda。
　His　ear　stubs　rotated。
　〃How's　my　little　prince？〃
　The　monster　spoke。　He　didn't　bark　or　hoot。　His　sounds　were　very　close　to　human　speech；　a　series　of　garbli