jefflong.yearzero-第60部分

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he　blizzard　years；　Waco；　Oklahoma　City；　the　World　Trade　Center；　floods；　the　Depression；　Vietnam。　All　those　things　are　legends　to　them。　Like　parables。　Lessons。〃
　〃Reasons　to　hope？〃　she　offered。
　〃Sure。　America　always　survives。　People　are　excited。　They　can't　wait　to　clean　up　the　mess　and　start　all　over　again。〃
　〃You　make　them　sound　foolish。〃
　〃They're　not。〃
　〃You　think　we're　making　fools　of　them；〃　she　said。　〃Our　promise　of　a　cure。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　that。〃
　〃What　if　there　is　no　cure？〃
　He　looked　at　her。　〃Is　that　what　you're　saying？〃
　She　shut　her　mouth。
　〃There；〃　he　said；　flapping　the　omelette　shut。　〃Our　meal's　ready　and　now　I've　spoiled　it。〃
　　
　AFTER　DINNER；　they　went　outside　to　look　at　the　stars。　He　asked　about　her　life；　but　it　sounded　trite　next　to　his　stories。　She　had　been　raised　among　walls。　She　had　already　been　ensconced　at　Los　Alamos　when　the　nation　collapsed；　beyond　reach。　The　Lab…or　the　Hill；　or　the　Mesa；　or　Atomic　City…was　an　island　above　it　all。
　Nathan　Lee　called　it　a　citadel；　a　city　within　a　city。　He　pared　Los　Alamos　to　the　ziggaruts　in　Ur　and　the　Acropolis　above　Athens　and　the　Pentagon　or　Kremlin。　Here　was　the　keep　of　power；　closed　off　from　mon　people；　the　place　of　retreat　in　times　of　siege。　He　made　it　sound　like　a　great　landmark　in　history。
　He　wanted　to　know　how　the　town　had　grown　into　a　city。　She　told　him　about　the　waves　of　international　scientists　arriving　like　immigrants　with　their　suitcases　and　families；　and　the　overthrow　of　the　weaponeers。　For　over　a　half　century；　Los　Alamos　had　been　dedicated　to　nuclear　weapons　research　and　development　and　reduction。　Almost　overnight；　the　biosciences…scorned　as　soft；　or　squishy；　by　physicists　and　engineers…had　reared　up　and　taken　the　place　over。　There　had　been　epic　turf　battles；　but　Elise　had　prevailed　and　brought　order　and　honed　their　new　mission；　to　find　Corfu　and　contain　it。
　For　a　time；　the　scientists　had　bonded。　They　had　peted；　but　as　a　brotherhood。　From　virology　to　genetics　and　primate　paleobiology；　each　of　the　specialties　had　its　own　esprit　de　corps；　its　own　labs；　its　own　pursuits。　At　first；　discovery　boomed。　The　structure　of　every　protein　in　everything　from　worms　to　man　had　been　captured　on　disc。　Plasma　rods　were　invented　for　detecting　Corfu　in　the　air。　Satellites　tracked　the　geographic　progression　of　the　disease。
　Once　Corfu　fell　to　them；　a　new　golden　age　of　medicine　was　going　to　be　ushered　in。　In　hunting　the　virus；　they　had　found　cures　for　TB；　Alzheimer's；　AIDS；　and　every　type　of　cancer。　Neural　and　optic　fibers　had　been　synthesized。　People　with　cord　injuries　would　stand　up　and　walk。　The　blind　would　see。　The　deaf　would　hear。　All　of　that　awaited　them。
　Then　Elise　had　died；　and　Cavendish　took　over。　One　fence　came　to　hold　many　fences。　Its　secrecy　ate　at　them。　It　spawned　distrust。　Soon　the　fractures　appeared。
　Now　the　older　families　lorded　over　the　newer　ones。　Those　who　had　been　academics　snubbed　former　industry　researchers　who　snubbed　former　government　scientists。　Those　who'd　hunted　AIDS　felt　slighted　by　those　who'd　gone　after　Ebola　and　other　〃wild〃　viruses。　The　internationals　thought　the　Americans　had　it　lucky。　The　Americans　thought　the　internationals　had　blown　it。　The　security　guards…many　of　whom　held　Ph。D。's　in　now…useless　fields　like　nuclear　weapons　design…resented　the　bio…scientists。　The　scientists　viewed　security　as　〃creeps。〃　There　was　dissension　between　labs；　dissension　within　them。　Every　bench　worker　wanted　his　or　her　own　lab。　Reigning　over　it　all　was　Cavendish；　who　encouraged　their　anarchy。
　〃Sometimes　I　think　they've　discovered　too　much；〃　she　said。　〃Maybe　there's　a　limit　to　what　we　can　know。　I　never　thought　I'd　be　saying　that。〃
　〃Don't　be　disappointed　in　them。〃
　〃I'm　disappointed　in　me。〃
　〃What　more　can　you　do？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃You're　only　nineteen；　Miranda。〃
　She　pointed　the　wine　bottle　at　him。　She　was　a　little　drunk。　〃Damn　the　Captain；〃　she　said。
　〃He　didn't　tell　me。　You　see　what　I　mean；　though。〃
　〃Step　back；　little　girl；　let　the　ship　sink？〃
　〃You're　trying　to　save　these　people；〃　he　said。　〃But　you　can't　do　that。　They　have　to　save　themselves。〃
　She　pointed　across　the　abyss　to　where　the　lights　of　Santa　Fe　once　shone。　〃It's　them；　out　there；　I'm　trying　to　save。〃
　They　both　followed　her　aim。　And　their　eyes　traveled　north。　A　star　was　shooting　through　the　night。
　〃Did　you　see　that？〃　she　breathed。
　It　happened　again。　Then　suddenly　there　was　a　whole　shower　of　them。
　〃I　forgot；〃　he　said。　〃Tonight's　the　night。　The　Perseids。〃
　Miranda　knew　what　they　were。　She　knew　which　quadrant　they　occupied；　which　constellation　they　took　their　name　from。　But　she　had　never　seen　them。　The　meteors　streaked　in　great　livid　bunches。　They　were　so　beautiful。
　She　sat　there；　and　her　heart　stirred。　Now　she　understood　what　he　had　meant。Summer。　It　was　summer。
　The　meteors　flashed　through　the　sky。　They　watched　for　half　an　hour。　Her　thoughts　streaked　this　way　and　that。
　She　wanted　a　lover。
　Miranda　put　the　wine　glass　away　from　her。　Enough。
　A　lover；she　thought。
　The　shooting　stars　strafed　the　neat　order　of　things。　No　wreckage　up　there；　just　a　loosening　of　the　astronomical　pattern。　A　bit　of　tempest　in　the　dark。
　Not　a　boyfriend；　she　considered。　Nothing　cute。　A　man。　One　who　could　trespass　on　her　solitude；　and　speak　kindly　of　a　terrible　world；　and　sneak　them　in　among　the　constellations　like　this。　One　who　believed　in　forever。
　Miranda　threw　a　glance　at　him。　She　couldn't　see　his　face　in　the　darkness；　only　the　slight　gleam　of　his　shirt。　Why　not；　whoever　he　was？　The　meteors　flickered。　Here；　then　gone。
　The　kiss。。。she　kept　her　thoughts　away　from　it。　It　should　have　a　life　of　its　own。But　then？　She　tried　to　read　the　future。　She　tried　to　calculate　the　arc　of　them。
　She　felt　her　blood　moving　faster。　His　lip；　she　remembered。　They　would　need　to　be　gentle　on　him。　She　heard　herself　breathing。
　Then　her　cell　phone　beeped。　〃Oh；　god；〃　she　muttered。
　〃What？〃
　〃I　know　who　this　is。〃　She　went　inside　with　it。　When　she　returned；　she　said；　〃My　father。〃
　〃He's　here？〃
　〃Yes　and　no。　He's　faraway。　A　half　mile　underground　near　the　border　of　Texas；　preparing　the　sanctuary。〃　She　paused。　〃He　had　your　file　sitting　in　front　of　him。〃
　She　let　the　implications　sink　in。
　They　were　being　watched。　Possibly　they　were　two　heat　signatures　in　someone's　night　scope。　Maybe　her　kitchen　was　bugged。　Probably。
　〃Man；〃　he　whispered。
　The　spell　was　broken。　The　Perseids　continued　their　display　in　vain。　The　taste　of　wine　was　suddenly　too　sweet。　She　was　going　to　have　a　headache　in　the　morning。
　〃I　should　go；〃　he　said。　The　lawn　chair　creaked　in　the　night。
　She　didn't　agree。　She　didn't　disagree。　〃You　wanted　something；〃　she　said。
　〃That；〃　he　said。　He　had　to　remember　so　far　back。　It　pleased　her。　The　night　had　taken　off　with　him；　too。So　close。　〃It　was　about　the　Year　Zero　clones；〃　he　said。
　〃Yes？〃　Business；　indeed。
　〃I　don't　know　what　all　has　been　done　to　them；〃　he　said。
　〃Do　we　need　to　talk　about　that　tonight？〃
　〃No。　It's　just　that　they've　been　turned　inside　out　in　search　of　the　plague。　I　mean　these　guys　look　like　a　butcher　shop　or　something。〃
　She　let　out　a　deep　sigh。　He　was　going　to　hector　her　about　the　abuses。　Condemn　her　for　their　birth。　They　would　argue。　She　would　order　him　to　leave。　They　needed　to　go　through　the　ugly　motions。　〃Yes；〃　she　braced　herself。
　〃Well；　I　started　wondering；〃　he　said。　〃Has　anyone　ever　just　asked　them？〃
　She　paused。　〃About　the　plague？〃
　〃It　was　just　a　thought；〃　he　said。　〃Who　knows　what　they　might　have　to　tell　us？〃
　
　23
　Into　the　Sun
　
　THEREST　OFAUGUST
　Ineed　to　see　their　eyes；〃　he　told　her　next　day。　She　made　him　follow　her　through　the　hallways。　〃They　need　to　see　mine。〃
　She　was　fiercely　protective。　〃They're　patients　as　much　as　inmates。　They're　wounded；　even　the　ones　who　were　never　touched。　Just　by　being　brought　back。　They're　in　shock。　When　you　said　talk　to　them；　I　thought　you　meant　to　use　the　inters。〃
　〃The　guards　tried　that　once。　They　said　the　clones　acted　like　it　was　the　voice　of　God。　They　were　in　a　state　of　terror　for　days。〃
　〃You　want　contact；〃　she　clarified。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃That　means　they'll　need　to　be　inoculated；〃　she　said。　〃Two　thousand　years　of　disease　have　evolved　since　they　died。　Their　bloo