danbrown.angels&demons-第15节

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　〃My　father　was　fascinated　with　the　physics　of　the　Big　Bang…large　amounts　of　energy　from　minuscule　kernels　of　matter。〃　Vittoria　pulled　open　a　steel　drawer　beneath　the　window。　She　placed　the　trap　inside　the　drawer　and　closed　it。　Then　she　pulled　a　lever　beside　the　drawer。　A　moment　later；　the　trap　appeared　on　the　other　side　of　the　glass；　rolling　smoothly　in　a　wide　arc　across　the　metal　floor　until　it　came　to　a　stop　near　the　center　of　the　room。　
　Vittoria　gave　a　tight　smile。　〃You're　about　to　witness　your　first　antimatter…matter　annihilation。　A　few　millionths　of　a　gram。　A　relatively　minuscule　specimen。〃
　Langdon　looked　out　at　the　antimatter　trap　sitting　alone　on　the　floor　of　the　enormous　tank。　Kohler　also　turned　toward　the　window；　looking　uncertain。
　〃Normally；〃　Vittoria　explained；　〃we'd　have　to　wait　the　full　twenty…four　hours　until　the　batteries　died；　but　this　chamber　contains　magnets　beneath　the　floor　that　can　override　the　trap；　pulling　the　antimatter　out　of　suspension。　And　when　the　matter　and　antimatter　touch　。　。　。〃
　〃Annihilation；〃　Kohler　whispered。
　〃One　more　thing；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃Antimatter　releases　pure　energy。　A　one　hundred　percent　conversion　of　mass　to　photons。　So　don't　look　directly　at　the　sample。　Shield　your　eyes。〃
　Langdon　was　wary；　but　he　now　sensed　Vittoria　was　being　overly　dramatic。　Don't　look　directly　at　the　canister？　The　device　was　more　than　thirty　yards　away；　behind　an　ultrathick　wall　of　tinted　Plexiglas。　Moreover；　the　speck　in　the　canister　was　invisible；　microscopic。　Shield　my　eyes？　Langdon　thought。　How　much　energy　could　that　speck　possibly…
　Vittoria　pressed　the　button。
　Instantly；　Langdon　was　blinded。　A　brilliant　point　of　light　shone　in　the　canister　and　then　exploded　outward　in　a　shock　wave　of　light　that　radiated　in　all　directions；　erupting　against　the　window　before　him　with　thunderous　force。　He　stumbled　back　as　the　detonation　rocked　the　vault。　The　light　burned　bright　for　a　moment；　searing；　and　then；　after　an　instant；　it　rushed　back　inward；　absorbing　in　on　itself；　and　collapsing　into　a　tiny　speck　that　disappeared　to　nothing。　Langdon　blinked　in　pain；　slowly　recovering　his　eyesight。　He　squinted　into　the　smoldering　chamber。　The　canister　on　the　floor　had　entirely　disappeared。　Vaporized。　Not　a　trace。
　He　stared　in　wonder。　〃G　。　。　。　God。〃　
　Vittoria　nodded　sadly。　〃That's　precisely　what　my　father　said。〃
　
　23

　Kohler　was　staring　into　the　annihilation　chamber　with　a　look　of　utter　amazement　at　the　spectacle　he　had　just　seen。　Robert　Langdon　was　beside　him；　looking　even　more　dazed。　
　〃I　want　to　see　my　father；〃　Vittoria　demanded。　〃I　showed　you　the　lab。　Now　I　want　to　see　my　father。〃
　Kohler　turned　slowly；　apparently　not　hearing　her。　〃Why　did　you　wait　so　long；　Vittoria？　You　and　your　father　should　have　told　me　about　this　discovery　immediately。〃　
　Vittoria　stared　at　him。　How　many　reasons　do　you　want？　〃Director；　we　can　argue　about　this　later。　Right　now；　I　want　to　see　my　father。〃
　〃Do　you　know　what　this　technology　implies？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Vittoria　shot　back。　〃Revenue　for　CERN。　A　lot　of　it。　Now　I　want…〃
　〃Is　that　why　you　kept　it　secret？〃　Kohler　demanded；　clearly　baiting　her。　〃Because　you　feared　the　board　and　I　would　vote　to　license　it　out？〃
　〃It　should　be　licensed；〃　Vittoria　fired　back；　feeling　herself　dragged　into　the　argument。　〃Antimatter　is　important　technology。　But　it's　also　dangerous。　My　father　and　I　wanted　time　to　refine　the　procedures　and　make　it　safe。〃
　〃In　other　words；　you　didn't　trust　the　board　of　directors　to　place　prudent　science　before　financial　greed。〃
　Vittoria　was　surprised　with　the　indifference　in　Kohler's　tone。　〃There　were　other　issues　as　well；〃　she　said。　〃My　father　wanted　time　to　present　antimatter　in　the　appropriate　light。〃　
　〃Meaning？〃
　What　do　you　think　I　mean？　〃Matter　from　energy？　Something　from　nothing？　It's　practically　proof　that　Genesis　is　a　scientific　possibility。〃
　〃So　he　didn't　want　the　religious　implications　of　his　discovery　lost　in　an　onslaught　of　mercialism？〃
　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking。〃
　〃And　you？〃
　Vittoria's　concerns；　ironically；　were　somewhat　the　opposite。　mercialism　was　critical　for　the　success　of　any　new　energy　source。　Although　antimatter　technology　had　staggering　potential　as　an　efficient　and　nonpolluting　energy　source…if　unveiled　prematurely；　antimatter　ran　the　risk　of　being　vilified　by　the　politics　and　PR　fiascoes　that　had　killed　nuclear　and　solar　power。　Nuclear　had　proliferated　before　it　was　safe；　and　there　were　accidents。　Solar　had　proliferated　before　it　was　efficient；　and　people　lost　money。　Both　technologies　got　bad　reputations　and　withered　on　the　vine。
　〃My　interests；〃　Vittoria　said；　〃were　a　bit　less　lofty　than　uniting　science　and　religion。〃
　〃The　environment；〃　Kohler　ventured　assuredly。
　〃Limitless　energy。　No　strip　mining。　No　pollution。　No　radiation。　Antimatter　technology　could　save　the　planet。〃
　〃Or　destroy　it；〃　Kohler　quipped。　〃Depending　on　who　uses　it　for　what。〃　Vittoria　felt　a　chill　emanating　from　Kohler's　crippled　form。　〃Who　else　knew　about　this？〃　he　asked。
　〃No　one；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃I　told　you　that。〃
　〃Then　why　do　you　think　your　father　was　killed？〃
　Vittoria's　muscles　tightened。　〃I　have　no　idea。　He　had　enemies　here　at　CERN；　you　know　that；　but　it　couldn't　have　had　anything　to　do　with　antimatter。　We　swore　to　each　other　to　keep　it　between　us　for　another　few　months；　until　we　were　ready。〃
　〃And　you're　certain　your　father　kept　his　vow　of　silence？〃
　Now　Vittoria　was　getting　mad。　〃My　father　has　kept　tougher　vows　than　that！〃
　〃And　you　told　no　one？〃
　〃Of　course　not！〃
　Kohler　exhaled。　He　paused；　as　though　choosing　his　next　words　carefully。　〃Suppose　someone　did　find　out。　And　suppose　someone　gained　access　to　this　lab。　What　do　you　imagine　they　would　be　after？　Did　your　father　have　notes　down　here？　Documentation　of　his　processes？〃
　〃Director；　I've　been　patient。　I　need　some　answers　now。　You　keep　talking　about　a　break…in；　but　you　saw　the　retina　scan。　My　father　has　been　vigilant　about　secrecy　and　security。〃
　〃Humor　me；〃　Kohler　snapped；　startling　her。　〃What　would　be　missing？〃
　〃I　have　no　idea。〃　Vittoria　angrily　scanned　the　lab。　All　the　antimatter　specimens　were　accounted　for。　Her　father's　work　area　looked　in　order。　〃Nobody　came　in　here；〃　she　declared。　〃Everything　up　here　looks　fine。〃
　Kohler　looked　surprised。　〃Up　here？〃
　Vittoria　had　said　it　instinctively。　〃Yes；　here　in　the　upper　lab。〃
　〃You're　using　the　lower　lab　too？〃
　〃For　storage。〃
　Kohler　rolled　toward　her；　coughing　again。　〃You're　using　the　Haz…Mat　chamber　for　storage？　Storage　of　what？〃
　Hazardous　material；　what　else！　Vittoria　was　losing　her　patience。　〃Antimatter。〃　
　Kohler　lifted　himself　on　the　arms　of　his　chair。　〃There　are　other　specimens？　Why　the　hell　didn't　you　tell　me！〃
　〃I　just　did；〃　Vittoria　fired　back。　〃And　you've　barely　given　me　a　chance！〃
　〃We　need　to　check　those　specimens；〃　Kohler　said。　〃Now。〃
　〃Specimen；〃　Vittoria　corrected。　〃Singular。　And　it's　fine。　Nobody　could　ever…〃
　〃Only　one？〃　Kohler　hesitated。　〃Why　isn't　it　up　here？〃
　〃My　father　wanted　it　below　the　bedrock　as　a　precaution。　It's　larger　than　the　others。〃
　The　look　of　alarm　that　shot　between　Kohler　and　Langdon　was　not　lost　on　Vittoria。　Kohler　rolled　toward　her　again。　〃You　created　a　specimen　larger　than　five　hundred　nanograms？〃　
　〃A　necessity；〃　Vittoria　defended。　〃We　had　to　prove　the　input/yield　threshold　could　be　safely　crossed。〃　The　question　with　new　fuel　sources；　she　knew；　was　always　one　of　input　vs。　yield…how　much　money　one　had　to　expend　to　harvest　the　fuel。　Building　an　oil　rig　to　yield　a　single　barrel　of　oil　was　a　losing　endeavor。　However；　if　that　same　rig；　with　minimal　added　expense；　could　deliver　millions　of　barrels；　then　you　were　in　business。　Antimatter　was　the　same　way。　Firing　up　sixteen　miles　of　electromagnets　to　create　a　tiny　specimen　of　antimatter　expended　more　energy　than　the　resulting　antimatter　contained。　In　order　to　prove　antimatter　efficient　and　viable；　one　had　to　create　specimens　of　a　larger　magnitude。　
　Although　Vittoria's　father　had　been　hesitant　to　create　a　large　specimen；　Vittoria　had　pushed　him　hard。　She　argued　that　in　order　for　antimatter　to　be　taken　seriously；　she　and　her　father　had　to　prove　two　things。　First；　that　cost…effective　amounts　could　be　produced。　And　second；　that　the　specimens　could　be　safely　stored。　In　the　end　she　had　won；　and　her　father　had　acquiesced　against　his　better　judgment。　Not；　however；　without　some　firm　guidelines　regarding　secrecy　and　access。　The　antimatter；　her　father　had　insisted；　would　be　stored　in　Haz…Mat…a　small　granite　hollow；　an　additional　seventy…five　feet　below　ground。　The　specimen　would　be　their　secret。　And　only　the　two　of　them　would　have　access。
　〃Vittoria？〃　Kohler　insisted；　his　voice　tense。　〃How　large　a　specimen　did　you　and　your　father　create？〃
　Vittoria　felt　a　wry　pleasure　inside。　She　knew　the　amount　would　stun　even　the　great　Maximilian　Kohler。　She　pictured　the　antimatter　below。　An　incredible　sight。　Suspended　inside　the　trap；　perfectly　visible　to　the　naked　eye；　danced　a　tiny　sphere　of　antimatter。　This　was　no　microscopic　speck。　This　was　a　droplet　the　size　of　a　BB。　
　Vittoria　took　a　deep　breath。　〃A　full　quarter　of　a　gram。〃
　The　blood　drained　from　Kohler's　face。　〃What！〃　He　broke　into　a　fit　of　coughing。　〃A　quarter　of　a