rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


exhalation；　and　provide　oxygen　…　helping　our　artificial　means　to　do　so。　Some　of　the　human　waste　was　supposed　to　be　used　to　feed　the　algae　in　the　water　and　fertilize　crops　…　but　this　system　was　never　pleted。　We　have　been　living　on　canned　food　and　some　plastic…sealed　dried　food。〃
　〃No　crops？〃　Rath　interjected。　〃Why；　that's　terrible。　Even　here　in　Century　City　…　and　this　is　a　city　that　doesn't　seal　itself　off　…　we　have　hydroponic　gardens。　Without　fresh　food；　your　health；　even　your　ability　to　procreate；　must　suffer　and　…〃
　〃Yes；　it　is　a　problem。　When　the　trouble　began；　I　proposed　getting　supplies　of　fish　and　seeds　from　the　surface；　so　that　we　might　eat　better；　but　Stafford　…　our　dictator；　who　I　will　explain　about　momentarily　…　says　all　things　from　the　surface　are　evil；　contaminated。　We　suffer　ill　health　as　you　have　stated；　and　breeding　for　us　is　impossible。　Sex　does　not　exist　in　Eden。　We　had　our　last　child　ten　years　ago。　We　are　dying　out。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　2
　
　Rockson　was　amazed　by　Danik's　story　so　far。　He　asked；　〃Who　created　Eden？　How　was　such　a　project　begun　back　in　the　twentieth　century？　Who　had　that　vision？〃
　〃The　money　came　from　an　American　millionaire。　Edward　Renquist。　Renquist　was　obsessed　with　the　idea　that　World　War　Three　was　inevitable。　This　was　because　Renquist's　own　father　perished　in　Hiroshima。〃
　〃Was　Renquist's　father　Japanese？〃　Rath　asked。
　〃No；　his　father；　Johnathan；　was　an　American　POW　in　Hiroshima　at　the　time　the　Americans　nuked　it　…　thus　ending　World　War　Two。　Jonathan　survived　the　blast　…　unlike　most　of　the　city's　inhabitants　…　because　the　jail　was　a　solid　building　on　the　outskirts　of　the　city。
　〃The　cell　he　was　in　had　a　hole　blown　in　it；　though。　He　survived　by　immersing　himself　in　a　cesspool；　breathing　through　a　reed。　Unfortunately；　he　was　discovered　the　next　day　by　crazed　survivors。　Since　he　was　an　American；　like　those　who　dropped　the　bomb；　they　tortured　him　to　death　…　peeled　his　skin　off　inch　by　inch　with　surgical　scissors。
　〃Renquist　was　born　the　day　his　father　died。　He　grew　up　to　be　a　brilliant　youth　and　patented　many　inventions　from　the　age　of　twelve　onward。　He　was　always　fearful；　though。　Mankind　used　atomic　weapons　in　Japan；　in　1945；　and　Edward　Renquist　was　certain　the　nukes　would　be　used　again。
　〃He　decided　he　would　survive　nuclear　war　when　it　came。　He　created　the　concept；　the　design；　the　specialized　equipment　to　build　a　self…contained　buried　world；　a　sealed　biosphere　…　and　called　it　Eden。
　〃He　wanted　to　decide　who　would　live　in　the　survival　city。　After　the　war；　which　he　knew　would　e；　after　the　nuclear　destruction　was　unleashed　by　the　irrational　minds　of　mankind；　he　wanted　to　start　fresh；　with　nothing　but　brilliant　men　and　women。　He　wanted　a　new　world；　with　himself　in　charge。
　〃But　Renquist　didn't　live　to　take　advantage　of　his　creation　…　he　was　killed；　most　likely　in　the　vaporization　of　Austin；　Texas；　just　two　days　before　he　was　to　join　the　people　he　selected　in　Eden。　The　city　was　sealed　off。　Its　location　was　always　a　closely　guarded　secret；　and　if　someone　did　survive　to　try　to　find　it；　they　could　hardly　do　so　…　a　half　mile　of　rock　was　avalanched　over　the　site　by　special　machinery　automated　in　advance　for　that　task。
　〃My　great…grandfather　Ralf　Danik　was　one　of　the　original　groups　chosen　to　survive　the　war　in　the　radiation…free　city。　He　was　an　engineer　of　the　waterworks　of　Eden。　My　ancestor；　and　the　others　with　him；　had　no　idea　if　the　system　they　had　created　would　work。　If　not；　they　would　all　suffocate；　or　starve；　or　die　of　disease。　But　it　did　work。　And　since　it　had　been　sealed　off　before　the　fallout　from　the　bombed　cities　came；　it　was　radiation　free。　The　only　radiation…free　place　in　the　world。
　〃The　people　of　Eden　have　never　had　news　of　the　outside　world　…　none　at　all。　Most　of　us　in　Eden　believe　we　are　the　only　people　in　the　world。　We　live　from　generation　to　generation　inside　the　cave。　Safe。　Secure。　But　gradually　growing　weaker。　No　one　knows　just　why。　Perhaps　mankind　just　wasn't　made　too　live　so　long　in　caves。　By　my　generation　…　the　fifth　…　nearly　all　of　us　were　sterile。　And　a　movement　arose。
　〃Some　of　us　…　I　was　the　leader　in　the　effort　…　said　we　must　dig　our　way　out；　that　we　must　attempt　to　live　on　the　surface　again。　Preliminary　probes　with　detection　equipment　were　burrowed　up　in　pipes　to　the　surface。　They　showed　higher　radiation　than　normal；　less　oxygen。　But　it　was　liveable；　basically。　I　wanted　the　tunnel　to　be　widened　…　I　wanted　us　out。
　〃That's　when　the　election　was　held。　We　had　democratic　elections　of　our　council　every　seven　years。　I　ran　against　a　man　named　Stafford；　a　scientist　who　was　convinced　we　should　stay　underground；　that　we　should　devote　all　our　efforts　to　restore　our　genetic　structure；　so　that　we　could　have　children　better　adapted　to　living　underground。　He　was　…　and　is　…　convinced　there　is　no　way　for　us　to　exist　on　the　surface。　He　said　our　babies　could　be　born　in　artificial　uteruses；　if　women　couldn't　give　birth。
　〃My　party；　the　Surface　party；　won　the　election　handily；　but　Stafford　broke　into　the　century…old　store…houses　of　weapons；　and　his　followers　armed　themselves　and　pulled　a　coup　d'état。
　〃I　and　the　others　who　had　been　freely　elected　were　hunted　down　and　killed　one　by　one。　Our　only　hope　was　to　reach　the　surface。　And　six　of　us　made　it　…　through　a　series　of　ancient　construction　tunnels　that　had　failed　to　collapse　entirely　after　the　burial　of　the　city。
　〃It　was　a　wild　world　we　encountered。　Supplyless；　we　decided　to　head　north；　toward　the　United　States　…　or　where　the　United　States　used　to　be。　We　were　Americans。　We　hoped　to　find　other　Americans。　But　all　we　found　was　death。
　〃You　must　understand　…　underground　we　had　no　idea　it　was　winter。　Bitter　cold。　It　was　never　any　season　underground。　We　had　forgotten　the　word。　We　had　forgotten　the　meaning　even　for　bird　and　cloud　…　and　for　one　other　concept　I　learned　on　the　perilous　trek　to　this　place：　beauty。　For　this　world　of　yours；　regardless　of　the　dangers；　is　beautiful。　None　of　us　were　sorry　to　leave　Eden。　We　weren't　really　alive　down　there。
　〃I　really　didn't　know　exactly　where　we　were　heading。。。　Our　records　showed　a　place　called　Denver　was　near　the　mountains　called　the　Rockies。　We　found　an　old　map　in　an　abandoned　house　and　some　clothing。　Rags；　but　they　were　warmer　than　our　thin　clothing。
　〃We　tried　to　hunt；　with　sharpened　sticks；　but　were　seldom　successful。　We　ate　the　few　small　animals　we　killed　raw；　not　even　having　a　means　of　lighting　fires　until　we　found　a　magnifying　glass　to　focus　the　sun　on　twigs。　Of　the　six　who　started　out　from　Eden　…　myself；　Run　Dutil；　Sysin　File；　the　others　…　I　alone　survived　to　reach　this　area。　And　then　I　was　dying；　too。　I　was　delirious；　out　of　my　senses。　And；　unknown　to　me；　I　was　about　to　be　eaten　by　some　huge　creature　…　which　your　patrol　men　shot　dead。　They　brought　me　here；　gave　me　medical　attention；　and　fed　me　and　gave　me　that　delicious　thing　…　coffee　…　yes；　that's　it。　Coffee。　Wonderful。
　〃I　used　your　rapid…learning　tapes；　listened　to　them　while　I　slept。　Absolutely　an　amazing　achievement。　Sleep　learning。　Fantastic。　Your　kind　Dr。　Schecter　told　me　to　rest　after　I　had　eaten；　and　attached　the　asleep…learning　device。　It　told　me　all　about　your　fabulous　city。　Century　City　is　full　of　art；　of　fresh　air；　and　…　love。　Yes；　love。　Something　we　had　forgotten。　We　though　of　procreation　only　as　a　process；　not　as　the　result　of　the　love　between　male　and　female。　I　have　learned　so　much　of　your　people　already。　Eden　will　only　live　if　it　bees　one　of　your　allied　free　cities。　Open　to　the　world。　Dedicated　to　the　fighting　of　the　Soviet　occupiers。　Help　me；　Rockson　…　e　back　with　me　and　help　me　free　Eden。〃
　〃Wow；〃　Rockson　said。　He　didn't　know　what　else　to　say。
　〃You　must　go　to　Eden　with　Peth　Danik；　Rockson；〃　Rath　said。　〃Not　only　for　their　sake；　but　for　our　sake。　To　stop　Stafford；　the　mad　dictator　of　Eden；　from　releasing　Factor　Q。〃
　〃Factor　Q？　What's　that；　Danik？〃
　〃Rockson；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　when　Stafford　raided　the　ancient　war　supplies　stored　in　Eden；　he　found　a　terrible　weapon　…　a　germ…warfare　canister；　Factor　Q。　It's　sort　of　a　virus　really　…　that　spreads　on　the　wind。　Once　released　on　the　surface　…　which　is　what　Stafford　has　threatened　to　do　…　no　human　will　be　alive　within　a　week。　The　canister　mus