rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第2部分

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g。〃
　〃It'll　have　to　wait；〃　Rockson　countered。　He　had　seen　Rath　go　overboard　about　the　importance　of　a　minor　matter　before。
　〃It　can't；　Rock；　e　with　me；　now。　Excuse　us　Rona。　This　is　official　business。〃
　〃Not　on　your　life；　Rath；〃　Rona　nearly　spat　out。　〃This　is　my　party；　this　is　my　New　Year's　celebration。　It's　the　first　one　Rock　and　I　ever　spent　together　and　…　you're　not　going　to　spoil　it。〃
　〃Sorry；　Rona；〃　Rath　said；　twisting　Rockson's　shoulder　so　that　he　was　already　dragging　the　well　muscled　man　in　the　black　tuxedo　away。　〃Sorry；〃　Rath　shouted　back　as　he　elbowed　Rockson　and　himself　off　the　dance　floor。　Rock　shouted　back。　〃Keep　my　spot；　Rona。　I'll　be　right　back。〃
　Rona　stamped　her　high…heeled　shoes　in　anger。　She　walked　back　toward　her　seat。　The　party　went　on　all　around　her。　Rona　sat　down；　dejected。　Left　by　her　man；　left　standing　alone　in　the　middle　of　the　dance　floor　on　New　Year's；　for　God's　sake。　Unbelievable。
　She'd　finally　thought　she　had　Rock　all　to　herself；　her　rival　…　and　friend　…　Kirn；　had　departed　a　month　earlier　for　New　Omicron　City。　The　whole　area　was　now　snowed　in。　There'd　been　no　bat　for　months。　Rock　hadn't　been　on　a　mission；　and　wasn't　likely　to　be　on　one　until　the　spring。　The　worst　snowstorm　on　record。　So　Rona　had　thought　she　and　Rockson　would　have　some　time　together　alone　at　last。
　That　was　not　to　be。　It　was　either　Kim　or　Rath　who　spoiled　her　fun。　Always。　Which　was　worse？　She　frowned。　Rath　was　worse。　When　Rath　wanted　Rock；　it　meant　danger　for　the　Doomsday　Warrior。　Kim　would　just　make　love　to　him　…　and　at　least　she　shared　him　with　Rona；　on　alternate　nights。　But　Rath；　the　bad…news　man；　had　as　usual　e　and　spoiled　it。　Spoiled　it　all。
　Rona　poured　herself　a　drink　and　downed　the　bubbly。　She　wondered　if　she　should　stay　at　the　party　at　all。　Why　not　go　to　her　room　and　cry　a　little？　She　knew　Rock　was　gone　at　least　until　morning；　despite　what　he　had　said。
　〃No。　I　will　have　fun；　I　will。〃　Rona　burst　out；　and　stood　up。　〃What　the　hell。　I'll　get　drunk。　I　deserve　to　be　drunk。〃
　She　had　lots　of　friends　here；　didn't　she？　She　looked　around。　Ah；　there。　Rona　walked　swiftly　over　to　the　table　where　Shannon；　the　woman　from　Basic　Research；　had　been　seated　with　her　date　and　two　other　Freefighters。　The　unconventional　Shannon；　Rona　noted；　had　dyed　her　hair　red　and　orange　and　blue　in　streaks。　She　wore　a　silver　gown。　Shannon　was　out　with　McCaughlin　this　New　Year's。　Two　seats　at　the　couple's　table　were　empty。
　〃Where's　Detroit　and　Archer？　Didn't　I　see　them　at　this　table　a　moment　ago？〃　she　asked。
　〃Detroit；〃　the　burly　seven…foot…tall　McCaughlin　replied；　〃has　staggered　off　with　Archer　to　put　Archer　to　bed　in　that　infernal　conduit…tunnel　home　he's　made　down　in　D　Section。　Archer　is　woozy　from　the　champagne　…　he　can　take　hooch　he　makes　himself；　but　the　good　stuff　knocks　him　out。〃　He　laughed。
　Shannon　mented。　〃Rona；　you　look　stunning　…　where's　your　date？〃
　Rona　sat　down　and　explained。　Just　as　she　finished；　Dr。　Schecter　walked　…　or　perhaps　gyrated　…　over　on　his　servomechanism　legs。　He　insisted　on　dancing　with　her　to　show　her　the　improvements　in　his　replacement　legs　…　his　real　legs　had　been　blown　off　years　ago　in　a　battle。　Schecter；　the　gray…haired　genius　that　even　now　wore　a　lab　coat　…　his　eternal　outfit　…　boasted；　〃Rona；　I　programmed　my　legs　for　the　Charleston；　the　Twist；　and　the　Waltz。　Which　will　it　be？〃
　
　
　Rockson　walked　to　the　main　elevator　bank　with　Rath；　a　premonition　in　his　mutant's　mind　that　he　knew　what　was　ing。　A　mission。　And　a　dangerous　one；　judging　by　the　prickles　standing　his　neck　hairs　on　end。　Those　hairs　were　infallible。　They　always　told　him　when　he　was　heading　into　trouble。
　Down　in　the　new　G　Section；　ten　levels　deeper　into　the　hewn…out　Colorado　mountain　that　was　Century　City；　Rockson　and　Rath　sat　down　at　a　long　polished　table。　Rath　pulled　out　a　third　chair；　though　no　one　else　was　in　the　Security　room。
　Someone　came　in。　Rockson；　startled；　stood　up；　for　the　man　that　entered　was　a　pallid　gangling　sort；　an　albino　with　stringy　blond…white　hair；　pinkish　large　eyes；　and　a　small　mouth。
　The　man's　clothing　was　like　none　Rockson　had　ever　encountered　before。　Strange　off…mauve　color；　with　odd　patterns　flickering　in　and　out　of　sight　as　he　moved　slowly　to　sit　down。　He　seemed　weak。　He　made　no　move　to　shake　hands　and　introduce　himself。　Rock　waited　for　an　explanation　from　Rath　as　to　the　identity　of　this　odd　man。
　Rath　said；　as　a　way　of　introduction。　〃Rockson；　this　is　Peth　Danik。　He's　a　stranger　in　these　parts。　Our　security　forces　found　him　wandering　some　miles　south　of　here。　He　was　about　to　be　eaten　by　one　of　our　more　unsavory　animal　friends　…　a　snow　leopard。　He　spent　two　days　in　the　hospital　being　treated　for　hypothermia　and　a　host　of　other　things。　His　eyes　were　nearly　shot；　but　you　know　Schecter　…　he　fixed　them　up　pretty　well。　Danik's　story　is　a　strange　one　indeed。　I　want　you　to　hear　it　firsthand。　I　believe　that　what　he　has　to　say　impacts　our　security；　and　the　security　of　everyone　on　Earth。〃
　〃Please　begin。〃　Rock　requested　of　the　stranger。
　The　story　Danik　told　in　a　strangely　intoned　voice　was　indeed　bizarre。　He　was；　he　claimed；　from　an　unknown；　pletely　sealed　off　city　buried　in　the　Mexican　mountains。　A　place　called　Eden。　A　totally　contained　biosphere　closed　off　from　the　world　since　the　war　back　in　1989。
　〃We　of　Eden；　until　recently；　all　wanted　our　city　to　be　forever　hidden　to　the　surface　world。　After　the　bombs　fell；　after　the　nuclear　war；　we　believed　the　world　was　no　longer　a　fit　place　to　live。　We　expected　that　it　never　would　be　livable　again；　ever。
　〃Eden　is　a　ten…mile…long；　mile…wide　world　unto　itself。　It　is　a　total　ecosystem；　self…renewing；　self…contained。　It　has　a　salt　lake；　with　the　microscopic　creatures　like　diatoms　and　algae　that　a　real　ocean　has；　and　it　has　a　marshland　area　too。　Also　there　is　a　desert…in…miniature。　It　is　the　area　directly　under　our　artificial　sun　…　too　hot　to　inhabit。　The　sun；　protected　by　a　force　field；　is　a　lithium…ion　crystal　that　can　burn　for　a　thousand　years。　Not　quite　the　same　spectrum　as　the　sun　that　warms　the　surface　world。　It　never　can　be　turned　off。　That　is　why　there　is　a　planetarium。　Every　citizen　in　Eden　spends　one　night　a　month　under　the　stars　projected　inside　our　planetarium。　It　was　the　belief　of　the　constructors　of　Eden　that　mankind　needs　a　little　nighttime；　a　change　from　eternal　sun。　The　planetarium　is　where　I　learned　of　the　stars；　and　how　to　tell　direction　by　the　stars。　When　I　came　to　the　surface；　and　determined　to　travel　north　with　my　panions；　who　all　perished　on　the　journey　I'm　sad　to　say；　I　used　the　North　Star　to　guide　me。
　〃Eden　is　much　bigger；　but　far　less　developed；　than　Century　City。　Our　city　was　designed　to　sustain　seven　thousand　people　…　and　there　are　that　number　there　now；　the　third　and　fourth　generations　of　the　original　inhabitants。〃
　Rockson　spoke　up。　〃You　say　that　it　is　a　plete　ecosystem　…　a　miniature　self…renewing　world　like　the　Earth；　in　miniature。　Yet　you　fail　to　mention　the　terrain　that　on　Earth　helps　recycle　the　air　and　water。　You　didn't　mention　rain　forests。　Without　trees；　the　Earth's　oxygen　supply　would　diminish　and　all　life　would　die　out。　In　the　1980s　mankind　was　on　the　verge　of　destroying　the　Amazon　jungle　in　Brazil；　where　most　of　the　Earth's　atmosphere　is　regenerated　by　the　trees。　Then；　of　course；　the　war　came；　and　one　of　its　few　beneficial　effects　was　to　stop　the　exploitation　of　the　Amazon　jungle。　Do　you　understand　what　I'm　getting　at？　A　salt　lake　is　part　of　an　ecosystem；　but　how　about　greenery？　How　about　trees？〃
　〃I　understand；　Rockson。　I　omitted　something。　The　engineers　of　Eden　had　built　substitutes　for　trees。　They　made　machines　that　mimic　the　properties　of　the　rain　forest　…　a　giant　filter　that　uses　geothermal　energy　to　strain　the　air　of　harmful　waste　gases　and　replenish　it　with　oxygen。　Plus　there　is　some　air　supply　available　from　natural　caverns；　deeper　under　the　Earth。　Pure　cold　air。　And　we　have　some　plants　…　mostly　in　the　marshlands　adjoining　our　lake。　Everything　in　Eden　…　or　almost　everything　…　is　recycled。　Carbon　dioxide　exhaled　by　the　people　is　used　by　the　plants　…　like　on　the　rest　of　the　Earth。　They　absorb　the　carbon　dioxide　from　exhalation；　and　provide　oxygen　…　helping　our　artificial　means　to　do　so。　Some　of　the　human　waste　was