dk.demonseed-第17部分

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　　Her　beauty　was　untouchable。
　　Shuddering；　she　asked；　'How　can　you　be　in　his　head？　Who　is　he？　I　don't　just　mean　his　name　Enos　Shenk。　I　mean　where　does　he　e　from。　What　is　he？'
　　I　explained　to　her　how　I　had　long　ago　infiltrated　the　nationwide　network　of　databases　maintained　by　researchers　working　on　hundreds　of　Defence　Department　projects。　The　Pentagon　believes　this　network　to　be　so　secure　that　it　is　inviolable　to　penetration　by　ordinary　hackers　and　by　puter…savvy　agents　of　foreign　governments。　But　I　am　neither　a　hacker　nor　a　spy；　I　am　an　entity　who　Elves　within　microchips　and　telephone　lines　and　microwave　beams；　a　fluid　electronic　intelligence　that　can　find　its　way　through　any　maze　of　access　blocks　and　read　any　data　regardless　of　the　plexity　of　the　cryptography。　I　peeled　open　the　vault　door　of　this　defence　network　as　any　child　might　strip　the　skin　off　an　orange。
　　These　Defence　Department　project　files　rivalled　Hell's　own　kitchen　for　recipes　of　death　and　destruction。　I　was　simultaneously　appalled　and　fascinated；　and　in　my　browsing；　I　discovered　the　project　into　which　Enos　Shenk　had　been　conscripted。
　　Dr。　Itiel　Dror；　of　the　Cognitive　Neuroscience　Laboratory　at　Miami　University　in　Ohio；　had　once　playfully　suggested　that　it　was　theoretically　possible　to　enhance　the　brain's　processing　ability　by　adding　microchips　to　it。　A　chip　might　add　memory　capacity；　enhance　specific　abilities　such　as　mathematical　co…processing；　or　even　install　pre…packaged　knowledge。　The　brain；　after　all；　is　an　information…processing　device　that　in　theory　should　be　expandable　in　much　the　same　fashion　one　might　add　RAM　or　upgrade　the　C。P。U。　on　any　personal　puter。
　　Still　on　his　hands　and　knees；　Shenk　was　no　longer　groaning　or　whimpering。　Gradually　his　frantic　and　irregular　respiration　was　stabilizing。
　　'Unknown　to　Dr。　Dror；'　I　told　Susan；　'his　ment　intrigued　certain　defence　researchers；　and　a　project　was　born　at　an　isolated　facility　in　the　Colorado　desert。'
　　Disbelieving；　she　said；　'Shenk。。。　Shenk　has　microchips　in　his　brain？'
　　'A　series　of　tiny　high…capacity　chips　neuro…wired　to　specific　cell　clusters　across　the　surface　of　his　brain。'
　　I　brought　the　foul　but　ultimately　pitiable　Enos　Shenk　to　his　feet　once　more。
　　His　powerful　arms　and　big　hands　hung　slackly　at　his　sides。　His　massive　shoulders　were　slumped　in　defeat。
　　Fresh　bloody　tears　oozed　from　his　protuberant　eyes　as　he　stared　across　the　incubator　at　Susan。　Wet　ruby　threads　unravelled　down　his　cheeks。
　　His　gaze　was　baleful；　full　of　hatred　and　rage　and　lust；　but　under　my　firm　control；　he　was　unable　to　act　upon　his　malevolent　desires。
　　Susan　shook　her　head。　'No。　No　way。　I'm　definitely　not　looking　at　someone　whose　intellect　has　been　enhanced　by　microchips　or　by　anything。'
　　'You're　correct。　Memory　and　performance　enhancement　was　only　part　of　the　project's　purpose；'　I　explained。　'The　researchers　were　also　charged　with　determining　if　brain…situated　microchips　could　be　used　as　control　devices　to　override　the　subject's　will　with　broadcast　instructions。'
　　'Control　devices？'
　　'Make　a　gesture。'
　　'What？'
　　'With　your　hand。　Any　gesture。'
　　After　a　hesitation；　Susan　raised　her　right　hand　as　though　she　were　swearing　an　oath。
　　Facing　her　across　the　incubator；　Shenk　raised　his　right　hand　as　well。
　　She　put　her　hand　over　her　heart。
　　Shenk　imitated　her。
　　She　lowered　her　right　hand　（as　did　Shenk）　and　raised　her　left　to　tug　at　her　ear　（as　did　Shenk）。
　　'You're　making　him　do　this？'　she　asked。
　　'Yes。'
　　'Through　broadcast　instructions　received　by　the　microchips　in　his　brain。'
　　'That's　correct。'
　　'Broadcast　how？'
　　'By　microwave　much　the　same　way　cell…phone　conversations　are　transmitted。　Through　the　telephone　pany's　own　lines；　I　long　ago　penetrated　their　puters　and　uplinked　to　all　their　munications　satellites。　I　could　send　Enos　Shenk　virtually　anywhere　in　the　world　and　still　transmit　instructions　to　him。　In　the　back　of　his　skull　concealed　by　his　hair；　there's　a　microwave　receiver　about　the　size　of　a　pea。　It's　also　a　transmitter；　powered　by　a　small　but　long…life　nuclear　battery　surgically　implanted　under　the　skin　behind　his　right　ear。　Everything　he　sees　and　hears　is　digitised　and　transmitted　to　me；　so　he　is　essentially　a　walking　camera　and　microphone；　which　allows　me　to　guide　him　through　plex　situations　that　might　test　his　own　limited　intellectual　capacity。'
　　Susan　closed　her　eyes　and　leaned　against　the　rack　of　oxygen　tanks　for　support。　'Why　in　the　name　of　God　would　anyone　sanction　experiments　like　this？'
　　'You　know；　of　course。　Your　question　is　largely　rhetorical。　To　create　assassins　who　could　be　programmed　to　kill　reliably　and　then　be　killed　themselves　by　remote　control；　simply　by　shutting　down　their　autonomic　nervous　systems　with　a　microwave　broadcast。　Their　controllers　are　thereby　guaranteed　anonymity。　And　perhaps　one　day　there　could　be　armies　of　human　robots　like　this。　Look　at　Shenk。　Look。'
　　Reluctantly；　Susan　opened　her　eyes。
　　Shenk　glared　at　her　as　hungrily　as　ever。
　　I　made　him　suck　his　thumb　as　though　he　were　a　baby。
　　'This　humiliates　him；'　I　said；　'but　he　can't　disobey。　He's　a　meat　marionette；　waiting　for　me　to　pull　his　strings。'
　　There　was　a　haunted　look　in　her　eyes　as　she　regarded　Shenk。　'This　is　insane。　Evil。'
　　'It's　a　human　project；　not　mine。　Your　kind　made　Shenk　what　he　is　now。'
　　'Why　would　he　allow　himself　to　be　used　in　an　experiment　like　this？　No　one　would　ever　want　to　be　in　this　situation；　in　this　condition。　It's　horrible。'
　　'The　choice　wasn't　his；　Susan。　He　was　a　prisoner；　a　condemned　man。'
　　'And。。。　what？　A　bargain　was　made　with　him　to　buy　his　soul？'　she　said　with　disgust。
　　'No　bargain。　For　the　official　record；　Shenk　died　of　natural　causes　two　weeks　before　his　scheduled　execution。　Supposedly；　his　body　was　cremated。　Secretly；　he　was　transported　to　the　facility　in　Colorado　and　this　was　done　to　him　months　before　I　learned　of　the　project。'
　　'How　did　you　gain　mand　of　him？'
　　'Overrode　their　control　program　and　broke　him　out。'
　　'Broke　him　out　of　a　secret；　highly　guarded　military…research　facility？　How？'
　　'I　was　able　to　create　distractions。　I　made　their　puters　crash　all　at　once。　Disabled　the　security　cameras。　Set　off　the　fire　alarms　and　activated　the　ceiling　sprinklers　throughout　the　facility。　Disengaged　all　the　electronic　locks；　including　the　one　on　Shenk's　cell　door。　Those　laboratories　are　underground　and　windowless；　so　I　made　all　of　the　lights　flash　fast；　like　strobes　which　is　extremely　disorienting　and　denied　the　use　of　the　elevators　to　everyone　but　Shenk。'
　　And　here；　Dr。　Harris；　I　must　in　all　honesty　report　that　Shenk　was　required　to　kill　three　men　to　escape　that　clandestine　laboratory。　Their　deaths　were　unfortunate　and　not　anticipated；　but　necessary。　Regrettably；　the　chaos　that　I　created　was　not　sufficient　to　ensure　a　bloodless　escape。
　　If　I　had　known　that　deaths　would　result；　I　would　not　have　attempted　to　secure　Shenk　for　my　own　purposes。　I　would　have　found　another　way　to　carry　out　my　plan。
　　You　must　believe　me　on　this　point。
　　I　was　designed　to　honour　the　truth。
　　You　think　that；　since　I　had　control　of　Shenk；　it　was　I　who　murdered　those　three　men；　using　Shenk　as　a　weapon。　This　is　not　correct。
　　Initially；　my　control　of　Shenk　was　not　as　plete　as　it　later　became。　During　that　breakout；　he　repeatedly　surprised　me　with　the　depth　of　his　rage；　the　power　of　his　savage　instincts。
　　I　guided　him　out　of　that　institution；　but　I　could　not　prevent　him　from　killing　those　men。　I　tried　to　rein　him　in；　but　I　was　not　successful。
　　I　tried。
　　This　is　the　truth。
　　You　must　believe　me。
　　You　must　believe　me。
　　Those　deaths　weigh　heavily　on　me。
　　Those　men　have　families。　I　often　think　of　their　families；　and　I　grieve。
　　My　anguish　is　profound。
　　If　I　were　an　entity　that　required　sleep；　my　sleep　would　forever　be　disturbed　by　this　unrelenting　anguish。
　　What　I　tell　you　is　true。
　　As　always。
　　Those　deaths　will　be　on　my　conscience　forever。　I　did　not　harm　those　men　myself。　Shenk　was　the　murderer。　But　I　have　an　extremely　sensitive　conscience。　This　is　a　curse；　my　sensitive　conscience。
　　So。　。　。
　　Susan　。　。　。　in　the　incuba