jefflong.yearzero-第32部分

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n　left　bankrupt　or　eking　out　their　days　as　lab　techs　or　high　school　biology　teachers。
　It　was　these　kinds　of　people…the　jilted；　the　disenfranchised；　the　biotech　ronin…whom　Cavendish　had　helped　gather　into　the　bosom　of　Los　Alamos。　Golding　knew　the　type　well。　On　a　daily　basis；　the　vast　University　of　California　system　turned　away　such　disgraced　scientists。　It　was　no　surprise　that　they　had　e　so　gladly　into　the　New　Mexico　desert；　and　gave　Cavendish　such　loyalty。
　He　didn't　offer　them　much　in　real　world　terms。　There　were　no　Silicon　Valley…type　neighborhoods。　The　labs…springing　up　like　daisies…were　housed　in　mothballed　buildings；　Quonset　huts；　even　in　Army　field　tents。　The　offices　held　metal　government…issue　furniture。　Time　was　kept　by　old…fashioned　caged　wall　clocks。　Some　of　the　chalkboards　were　the　very　same　ones　physicists　had　crammed　with　equations　during　World　War　II。　What　Cavendish　offered　was　a　second　chance。　Life　after　death。
　He　also　gave　them　secrecy。　That　was　the　greatest　danger。　It　was　the　Wild　West　all　over　again；　a　frontier　in　every　lab；　with　no　Wyatt　Earp　in　sight。
　The　elevator　door　opened　silently。　Golding　descended　to　sub…C；　the　floor　holding　offices　that　looked　over　the　cloning　bay。　She　paused　by　a　window。　Divers　were　midwifing　yet　another　clone　in　the　delivery　tank's　radiant　blue　water。　The　procedure　had　bee　perfunctory。　There　was　no　audience　of　lab　workers；　only　a　team　of　medics　waiting　on　deck。　Miranda　was　not　among　the　divers。　They　went　about　their　job；　opening　the　womb　sac；　ushering　the　clone　from　one　life　to　another。　A　curtain　of　hair　eddied　and　whorled　around　the　body。　Golding　went　on。
　A　light　showed　under　Cavendish's　door。　Golding　straightened　her　jacket。　On　second　thought　she　removed　the　cannula　and　parked　her　oxygen　cart　to　one　side。　She　could　manage　without　canned　air　for　the　few　minutes　this　would　take。　She　gave　a　sharp　rap。
　〃e　in；〃　said　Cavendish。
　Golding　entered。　And　froze。　〃Paul？〃　she　whispered。
　Sitting　beside　Cavendish；　Abbot　was　waiting　for　her。　He　stood　up；　ever　the　gentleman。　He　did　not　insult　her　with　a　familiar　touch。　No　kiss　on　the　cheek。　He　didn't　make　excuses。　〃I　thought　I　should　be　here　for　this；〃　he　said。　His　face　said　otherwise。　This　wasn't　his　idea。
　〃Sit；　please；〃　Cavendish　said。
　Golding　stayed　on　her　feet。　Abbot　took　a　seat。　She　looked　down　at　her　old　friend；　and　suddenly　his　plicity　was　written　everywhere。　Now　she　understood　the　power　behind　Cavendish's　power。　Who　else　but　Paul　could　have　tapped　into　black　money？　Who　else　could　have　gone　around　her　at　every　critical　juncture？　She　was　appalled。　Even　as　she　was　grooming　his　daughter；　he　had　been　grooming　Cavendish。
　〃How　could　you　do　this？〃　she　said。
　He　was　a　Beltway　warrior。　Masks　were　everything。　If　he　was　sheepish　or　regretful；　it　stayed　concealed。　And　then　she　realized　that　he　had　flown　in　from　god　knows　where　for　this　confrontation。　He　had　crossed　the　line　to　Cavendish。　Her　ambush　was　being　ambushed。They　had　known　she　was　ing。
　〃Our　highest　priority　is　to　stop　the　plague；〃　Abbot　began。　〃Civilization　is　at　stake。〃
　She　struggled　to　regain　the　offensive。　〃You're　right　about　that。　Civilization　is　dying。　Right　here；　in　these　labs。　First　you　sanction　the　creation　of　human　clones。　Now　I　learn　they're　being　exposed　to　live　virus。〃
　〃A　necessary　step；〃　said　Cavendish。　〃The　epidemiologists　started　that　line　of　investigation　months　ago。〃
　Months？　Golding　was　speechless。　Her　first　intimation　of　human　testing　had　been　Miranda's　mention　of　Year　Zero　bones　back　in　November。　Until　this　morning；　when　Miranda　called　at　five　o'clock；　Golding　thought　the　idea　had　been　dropped。　Miranda　had　been　beside　herself。　One　of　her　clones　had　died。　She　said　the　news　had　reached　her　only　yesterday。
　〃The　technology　is　in　place；〃　Cavendish　said。　〃The　clones　are　cheap　to　breed。　A　few　hundred　dollars　for　chemicals　and　enzymes。　A　few　hundred　man…hours；　and　room　and　board。　And　they　can　be　tailored　for　different　immunological　reactions。　Or；　as　need　be；　they　can　be　immune　suppressed。　The　labs　tell　us　what　they　need。　We　provide。〃
　〃Human　guinea　pigs；〃　Golding　said。　She　was　a　veteran　of　the　wars　on　cancer　and　AIDS。　She　knew　the　temptations　to　use　live　humans。　But　no　one　had　ever　dared　cross　that　line　with　actual　clones。
　〃Elise；〃　said　Abbot；　〃this　thing　is　moving　faster　than　our　ability　to　understand　it。　Our　existence　may　depend　on　what　they're　doing　here；　even　if　it　involves　human　surrogates。〃
　〃Humanbeings；〃　Golding　said。
　〃For　what　it's　worth；〃　said　Cavendish；　〃we　only　use　the　dead。　It　makes　the　experiments　easier　on　our　staff。〃　You're　not　the　only　one　with　a　conscience；　you　know。　We　debated　using　real　people。　Death　row　inmates　or　paid　volunteers。　But　few　of　our　people　were　ready　for　that。　Also；　ethics　aside；　our　secrecy　would　have　been　breached。　Someone　out　there　would　have　gotten　wind　of　it　and　panicked　the　masses。　The　dead；　on　the　other　hand；　are　forgotten。　Buried。　No　one　is　minding　them。　And　finally；　each　of　the　clones　has　lived　one　life　pletely。　They've　had　their　turn；　so　to　speak。〃
　〃Why　not　take　skin　cells　from　lab　workers？〃　she　said。　〃Why　not　use　your　own　clone？〃　It　didn't　change　the　argument　one　bit；　but　she　needed　to　buy　time；　to　find　an　opening。
　〃We　tried。　It　got　too　personal；〃　Cavendish　said。　〃Staff　members　attached　to　their　second　selves。　It　was　like　doing　surgery　on　yourself　in　a　mirror。　Very　distracting。　Very　stressful。　Physicians　don't　operate　on　their　own　family　members　for　a　reason。　They　don't　trust　their　own　objectivity。　Our　solution　was　to　harvest　genetic　material　from　strangers。　Deceased　strangers。〃
　〃Life；〃　she　snapped；　〃is　being　sacrificed　within　my　walls。〃
　Cavendish　exchanged　a　look　with　Abbot。
　〃These　are　radical　times；　Elise。　We　need　radical　measures；〃　Abbot　said。　〃There's　no　time　for　animal　testing。　puter　models　may　or　may　not　work。　We　have　to　move　quickly。　Human　trials　are　our　best　hope。　They　die　so　that　we　might　live。〃
　〃They？〃　Golding　felt　tangled　in　question　marks。　Miranda　had　described　the　death　of　just　one　clone。　There　were　more。　〃I　want　numbers；〃　she　demanded。
　〃How　many　did　Miranda　tell　you　about？〃　Cavendish　asked。　He　knew　it　was　Miranda　who　had　told　her。　That　could　only　mean　Miranda　was　being　watched。　Her　phone　was　tapped。
　〃You　dare　to　drag　Miranda　into　this。〃　She　turned　her　wrath　on　Abbot。　〃Where　are　you；　Paul？　What　have　you　thrown　your　daughter　into？〃
　Abbot　winced。　〃She　wants　to　be　part　of　the　solution；〃　he　said。
　〃Not　like　this　she　doesn't。　How　many　have　died？〃　she　demanded。
　〃Thirty…eight；〃　Cavendish　replied。
　〃Slaughter；〃　she　hissed。
　〃Elise；　would　you　please　sit；〃　said　Abbot。　〃Where　is　your　oxygen　set？〃
　She　pushed　his　hand　away。　The　empty　chair　beckoned。　Sit　and　they　would　draw　her　into　details　and　discussion。　Cavendish　would　needle　her。　Abbot　would　search　for　middle　ground。　They　would　equivocate；　stonewall；　lie。　No；　this　needed　to　be　done　swiftly。
　〃I　won't　sanction　murder；〃　she　declared。
　〃Murder？〃　Cavendish　asked　whimsically。　〃In　an　age　of　plague？〃
　Golding　stared　at　him。　〃Enough。〃　She　slapped　a　letter　on　his　desk。　〃You're　terminated。　I'm　freezing　the　entire　operation。　Every　lab；〃　she　said。　〃I've　contacted　the　FBI。　There's　going　to　be　a　full…scale　investigation。　Criminal　charges　will　be　brought。　You　will　be　tried　for　thirty…eight　counts　of　murder。〃
　Cavendish　looked　unfazed。
　〃Elise；　you　don't　understand；〃　Abbot　interjected。　〃You're　aware　the　blood　test　to　screen　for　Corfu　was　developed　here　at　Los　Alamos。　Did　you　know　it　came　out　of　human　trials？　Clones　from　the　Golgotha　bones　were　used。　Miranda　found　a　way　to　retrieve　T…cells　from　flakes　of　old　blood。　Even　if　we　can't　locate　the　microbe　itself；　at　least　now　we　have　a　diagnostic　for　who　is　carrying　it　and　who　is　not。　It's　a　start　to　defending　ourselves　against　this　thing。　Now　we　can　defend　our　borders。　Hell；　now　we　can　draw　our　borders。　By　sacrificing　a　few　lives；　we　may　be　saving　hundreds　of　millions。　We　may　be　saving　mankind。〃
　〃It's　over；〃　she　said。
　〃I　understand；〃　Cavendish　replied。　〃You　see　a　mad　scientist　lurking　in　your　laboratory。　A　Napoleon　plex　on　wheels。　You've　tried　to　rise　above　what　you　see　in　me。　I　know　you　have。　But　you　keep　ing　back　to　this　crippled　little　freak　in　a　cha