danbrown.angels&demons-第5部分

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　Macintosh。
　〃The　Web；〃　Kohler　said；　coughing　again　and　wiping　his　mouth；　〃began　here　as　a　network　of　in…house　puter　sites。　It　enabled　scientists　from　different　departments　to　share　daily　findings　with　one　another。　Of　course；　the　entire　world　is　under　the　impression　the　Web　is　U。S。　technology。〃
　Langdon　followed　down　the　hall。　〃Why　not　set　the　record　straight？〃
　Kohler　shrugged；　apparently　disinterested。　〃A　petty　misconception　over　a　petty　technology。　CERN　is　far　greater　than　a　global　connection　of　puters。　Our　scientists　produce　miracles　almost　daily。〃
　Langdon　gave　Kohler　a　questioning　look。　〃Miracles？〃　The　word　〃miracle〃　was　certainly　not　part　of　the　vocabulary　around　Harvard's　Fairchild　Science　Building。　Miracles　were　left　for　the　School　of　Divinity。　
　〃You　sound　skeptical；〃　Kohler　said。　〃I　thought　you　were　a　religious　symbologist。　Do　you　not　believe　in　miracles？〃
　〃I'm　undecided　on　miracles；〃　Langdon　said。　Particularly　those　that　take　place　in　science　labs。
　〃Perhaps　miracle　is　the　wrong　word。　I　was　simply　trying　to　speak　your　language。〃
　〃My　language？〃　Langdon　was　suddenly　unfortable。　〃Not　to　disappoint　you；　sir；　but　I　study　religious　symbology…I'm　an　academic；　not　a　priest。〃
　Kohler　slowed　suddenly　and　turned；　his　gaze　softening　a　bit。　〃Of　course。　How　simple　of　me。　One　does　not　need　to　have　cancer　to　analyze　its　symptoms。〃
　Langdon　had　never　heard　it　put　quite　that　way。
　As　they　moved　down　the　hallway；　Kohler　gave　an　accepting　nod。　〃I　suspect　you　and　I　will　understand　each　other　perfectly；　Mr。　Langdon。〃
　Somehow　Langdon　doubted　it。　
　
　As　the　pair　hurried　on；　Langdon　began　to　sense　a　deep　rumbling　up　ahead。　The　noise　got　more　and　more　pronounced　with　every　step；　reverberating　through　the　walls。　It　seemed　to　be　ing　from　the　end　of　the　hallway　in　front　of　them。
　〃What's　that？〃　Langdon　finally　asked；　having　to　yell。　He　felt　like　they　were　approaching　an　active　volcano。
　〃Free　Fall　Tube；〃　Kohler　replied；　his　hollow　voice　cutting　the　air　effortlessly。　He　offered　no　other　explanation。
　Langdon　didn't　ask。　He　was　exhausted；　and　Maximilian　Kohler　seemed　disinterested　in　winning　any　hospitality　awards。　Langdon　reminded　himself　why　he　was　here。　Illuminati。　He　assumed　somewhere　in　this　colossal　facility　was　a　body　。　。　。　a　body　branded　with　a　symbol　he　had　just　flown　3；000　miles　to　see。
　As　they　approached　the　end　of　the　hall；　the　rumble　became　almost　deafening；　vibrating　up　through　Langdon's　soles。　They　rounded　the　bend；　and　a　viewing　gallery　appeared　on　the　right。　Four　thick…paned　portals　were　embedded　in　a　curved　wall；　like　windows　in　a　submarine。　Langdon　stopped　and　looked　through　one　of　the　holes。
　Professor　Robert　Langdon　had　seen　some　strange　things　in　his　life；　but　this　was　the　strangest。　He　blinked　a　few　times；　wondering　if　he　was　hallucinating。　He　was　staring　into　an　enormous　circular　chamber。　Inside　the　chamber；　floating　as　though　weightless；　were　people。　Three　of　them。　One　waved　and　did　a　somersault　in　midair。
　My　God；　he　thought。　I'm　in　the　land　of　Oz。
　The　floor　of　the　room　was　a　mesh　grid；　like　a　giant　sheet　of　chicken　wire。　Visible　beneath　the　grid　was　the　metallic　blur　of　a　huge　propeller。
　〃Free　fall　tube；〃　Kohler　said；　stopping　to　wait　for　him。　〃Indoor　skydiving。　For　stress　relief。　It's　a　vertical　wind　tunnel。〃
　Langdon　looked　on　in　amazement。　One　of　the　free　fallers；　an　obese　woman；　maneuvered　toward　the　window。　She　was　being　buffeted　by　the　air　currents　but　grinned　and　flashed　Langdon　the　thumbs…up　sign。　Langdon　smiled　weakly　and　returned　the　gesture；　wondering　if　she　knew　it　was　the　ancient　phallic　symbol　for　masculine　virility。
　The　heavyset　woman；　Langdon　noticed；　was　the　only　one　wearing　what　appeared　to　be　a　miniature　parachute。　The　swathe　of　fabric　billowed　over　her　like　a　toy。　〃What's　her　little　chute　for？〃　Langdon　asked　Kohler。　〃It　can't　be　more　than　a　yard　in　diameter。〃
　〃Friction；〃　Kohler　said。　〃Decreases　her　aerodynamics　so　the　fan　can　lift　her。〃　He　started　down　the　corridor　again。　〃One　square　yard　of　drag　will　slow　a　falling　body　almost　twenty　percent。〃
　Langdon　nodded　blankly。
　He　never　suspected　that　later　that　night；　in　a　country　hundreds　of　miles　away；　the　information　would　save　his　life。
　
　8

　When　Kohler　and　Langdon　emerged　from　the　rear　of　CERN's　main　plex　into　the　stark　Swiss　sunlight；　Langdon　felt　as　if　he'd　been　transported　home。　The　scene　before　him　looked　like　an　Ivy　League　campus。
　A　grassy　slope　cascaded　downward　onto　an　expansive　lowlands　where　clusters　of　sugar　maples　dotted　quadrangles　bordered　by　brick　dormitories　and　footpaths。　Scholarly　looking　individuals　with　stacks　of　books　hustled　in　and　out　of　buildings。　As　if　to　accentuate　the　collegiate　atmosphere；　two　longhaired　hippies　hurled　a　Frisbee　back　and　forth　while　enjoying　Mahler's　Fourth　Symphony　blaring　from　a　dorm　window。
　〃These　are　our　residential　dorms；〃　Kohler　explained　as　he　accelerated　his　wheelchair　down　the　path　toward　the　buildings。　〃We　have　over　three　thousand　physicists　here。　CERN　single…handedly　employs　more　than　half　of　the　world's　particle　physicists…the　brightest　minds　on　earth…Germans；　Japanese；　Italians；　Dutch；　you　name　it。　Our　physicists　represent　over　five　hundred　universities　and　sixty　nationalities。〃
　Langdon　was　amazed。　〃How　do　they　all　municate？〃
　〃English；　of　course。　The　universal　language　of　science。〃
　Langdon　had　always　heard　math　was　the　universal　language　of　science；　but　he　was　too　tired　to　argue。　He　dutifully　followed　Kohler　down　the　path。
　Halfway　to　the　bottom；　a　young　man　jogged　by。　His　T…shirt　proclaimed　the　message：　NO　GUT；　NO　GLORY！
　Langdon　looked　after　him；　mystified。　〃Gut？〃
　〃General　Unified　Theory。〃　Kohler　quipped。　〃The　theory　of　everything。〃
　〃I　see；〃　Langdon　said；　not　seeing　at　all。
　〃Are　you　familiar　with　particle　physics；　Mr。　Langdon？〃
　Langdon　shrugged。　〃I'm　familiar　with　general　physics…falling　bodies；　that　sort　of　thing。〃　His　years　of　high…diving　experience　had　given　him　a　profound　respect　for　the　awesome　power　of　gravitational　acceleration。　〃Particle　physics　is　the　study　of　atoms；　isn't　it？〃　
　Kohler　shook　his　head。　〃Atoms　look　like　planets　pared　to　what　we　deal　with。　Our　interests　lie　with　an　atom's　nucleus…a　mere　ten…thousandth　the　size　of　the　whole。〃　He　coughed　again；　sounding　sick。　〃The　men　and　women　of　CERN　are　here　to　find　answers　to　the　same　questions　man　has　been　asking　since　the　beginning　of　time。　Where　did　we　e　from？　What　are　we　made　of？〃
　〃And　these　answers　are　in　a　physics　lab？〃　
　〃You　sound　surprised。〃
　〃I　am。　The　questions　seem　spiritual。〃
　〃Mr。　Langdon；　all　questions　were　once　spiritual。　Since　the　beginning　of　time；　spirituality　and　religion　have　been　called　on　to　fill　in　the　gaps　that　science　did　not　understand。　The　rising　and　setting　of　the　sun　was　once　attributed　to　Helios　and　a　flaming　chariot。　Earthquakes　and　tidal　waves　were　the　wrath　of　Poseidon。　Science　has　now　proven　those　gods　to　be　false　idols。　Soon　all　Gods　will　be　proven　to　be　false　idols。　Science　has　now　provided　answers　to　almost　every　question　man　can　ask。　There　are　only　a　few　questions　left；　and　they　are　the　esoteric　ones。　Where　do　we　e　from？　What　are　we　doing　here？　What　is　the　meaning　of　life　and　the　universe？〃
　Langdon　was　amazed。　〃And　these　are　questions　CERN　is　trying　to　answer？〃
　〃Correction。　These　are　questions　we　are　answering。〃
　Langdon　fell　silent　as　the　two　men　wound　through　the　residential　quadrangles。　As　they　walked；　a　Frisbee　sailed　overhead　and　skidded　to　a　stop　directly　in　front　of　them。　Kohler　ignored　it　and　kept　going。
　A　voice　called　out　from　across　the　quad。　〃S'il　vous　plaоt！〃　
　Langdon　looked　over。　An　elderly　white…haired　man　in　a　COLLEGE　PARIS　sweatshirt　waved　to　him。　Langdon　picked　up　the　Frisbee　and　expertly　threw　it　back。　The　old　man　caught　it　on　one　finger　and　bounced　it　a　few　times　before　whipping　it　over　his　shoulder　to　his　partner。　〃Merci！〃　he　called　to　Langdon。
　〃Congratulations；〃　Kohler　said　when　Langdon　finally　caught　up。　〃You　just　played　toss　with　a　Noble　prize…winner；　Georges　Charpak；　inventor　of　the　multiwire　proportional　chamber。〃
　Langdon　nodded。　My　lucky　day。
　
　It　took　Langdon　and　Kohler　three　more　minutes　to　reach　their　destination…a　large；　well…kept　dormito