jefflong.yearzero-第33节
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beings； the clones were different； like machines with parts that wore out more quickly。
The door to the observation booth opened。 The odor of garlic blew in。 Miranda looked and it was Ochs； and that was not good。 They called him the Grim Reaper。 Cavendish used the giant to bear bad news； and to enforce it； too。 Every throne in history had rested on such henchmen。
Ochs had a big turquoise belt buckle from one of the pueblos。 He was blunt。 〃The council voted；〃 he said。 He shook his head slowly as if it were his sad duty。 〃She has to go。〃
Miranda had thought through her reaction。 She went out of her way to never pull rank。 But something had to be done。 〃I'm going to speak to my father about this；〃 she said。
〃Dr。 Cavendish already took care of that；〃 Ochs said。 〃Your father agreed that the council's authority is absolute。 They considered your request； and rejected it。 That's that。〃
The council： a rubber stamp。 〃She deserves better。〃
〃I'm sorry。〃 He wasn't。 It didn't matter； he was just the messenger。 It made no sense to talk to him。 Miranda tried anyway。
〃She's not even four； for god's sake。〃
〃A feral child；〃 said Ochs。 〃Autistic。 Violent。 Even in the best of times； she'd have to be institutionalized。〃
〃She already is；〃 Miranda retorted。
〃With her own nursing staff and a room with a view。 We can't afford the resources anymore；〃 Ochs said。
We；thought Miranda bitterly。 The Cavendish regime。 〃Something changed her；〃 she said。 〃Something external。 This isn't her fault。〃
〃That's beside the point；〃 Ochs said。 〃You saw the DNA results。 She's a genetic dead end。 We have to free up our manpower and space。 The cure rules。〃 That last part had bee a war cry。 The cure rules。 It justified anything。
〃She's innocent。 This isn't fair。〃
〃She's being transferred； that's all。〃
〃To a cage in the earth。〃
〃Your cage。 She'll be in Alpha Lab； your building in your technical area。 Now you'll be able to see her without having to walk all the way over here。〃 Ochs smiled at her。
Since Elise's death； Miranda had fought to keep the plex known as Technical Area Three a safe haven from Cavendish's strategy of pitting them against one another。 petition； he preached； not cooperation。The arena of ideas。 In the space of a few months； whipped along by Cavendish； Los Alamos had started to show fractures。
There was growing conflict in the labs； miniature civil wars within the larger civil war that was Los Alamos National Laboratory。 People had thrown tantrums。 Shouted。 Bullied。 Back stabbed。 Experiments were sabotaged。
Miranda had done what she could to counter Cavendish's 〃arena〃 philosophy。 For all their differences； the labs and researchers were not enemies。 Despair and guilt； those were their enemy。 Frustration was their monster。 The nation…the world…had placed its faith in their genius； and they were failing。 Their pain was like a running sore。 The suicide rate kept climbing。 In the last few weeks； five more scientists had taken their lives； and two had 〃assisted〃 their families。 Alcoholism and drug abuse were on the rise； this among men and women with the highest level Q…clearance。 And church attendance was soaring。 In itself； religion was no one's business。 Los Alamos had always been 〃church heavy。〃 But the overall fact was that scientists were losing faith in their own science。
In the beginning Miranda had tried to act the way she imagined Elise would have acted。 She went from lab to lab and preached cooperation。 She made the batants join hands； literally hold hands； to wage war on the plague microbe。 She mediated。 She found the middle ground。 She initiated ho…ho's； the Silicon Valley equivalent of Friday Afternoon Clubs。 For a time； it had seemed to work。 Then another controversy would spring up。 Another snatch of supplies or chemicals。 Another headhunting raid on a lab。 Another plagiarism of some useless idea。 Another labor dispute。 Another of Cavendish's midnight deportations。 The list was endless。 Finally Miranda had given up and retreated to the quiet confines of Alpha Lab。 Of late； she didn't want to hear about the misery。 She just wanted to take care of her own。
〃But you're taking the sun away from her。〃
〃It could be worse。〃 That was the truth。
〃You helped create her。 Doesn't that matter to you？〃
〃It's not like she came from Adam's rib。 All I did was provide the jawbone。〃 Ochs smiled at his little joke。 〃You take her too seriously。 She exists； but she's nonexistent。 A freak in time。〃
Miranda glared at him。 〃Where did Cavendish find you？〃
〃The world； Dr。 Abbot。〃 Ochs motioned toward the door。 〃You should leave now。〃
What did it matter if she didn't get to say goodbye？ She had never said hello。 The girl didn't even know Miranda existed。
The steel door opened beneath the painted rainbow。 Four men entered in helmets and pads and carrying Plexiglas riot shields。 One had a long jab…stick for tranquilizing wild animals。 They manuevered behind the child。
〃This is unnecessary；〃 Miranda said。
〃They know what they're doing。〃
The man with the jab…stick reached forward and speared the big needle into the girl's thigh。 The child didn't react； but Miranda did。 〃I'm going in there；〃 she declared。
〃Let them do their job。〃
She tried to shove her way around Ochs； but that was a three hundred pound impossibility。 〃Your father said you'll get over it；〃 Ochs told Miranda。 〃He said you always do。〃
Over her shoulder she saw the little girl still facing the wall； still erect。 The man prodded her with the butt end of the jab stick and she toppled in a heap。
13
The Sea
MARCH； THESAMEMONTH
They thought the gaunt American was damned。 Nathan Lee thought the same of them； his fellow passengers on this fishing trawler； theIchotski。 But they were damned for opposite reasons。 Where his eyes were dark with exmunication； theirs shone with faith。 And it was going to kill them。
There were forty…three Chinese and Russian refugees。 Most were families。 Like him； they had paid small fortunes to the captain and his crew。 What none seemed to understand was that theIchotski was a trap。 They had shipped aboard a slaughterhouse。 Not that there was much choice。 The coastal cities were polyglot nightmares jammed with Asians and Russians frantic for passage to North America。 You paid or you stayed。
Nathan Lee counted nineteen children among the passengers。 He counted the women。 He counted the men and pared them to the crew； who were few but carried guns。 Maybe if there had been more men among the refugees。。。but there were not。 Their fate was sealed。 After deciding that； Nathan Lee stayed to himself and refused to speak with anyone； even when they tried a few words in English。 They began to treat at him as an omen huddled at the prow。
The March sea was gray and choppy。 To make room for more passengers； the trawler was towing its lifeboat behind on a fifty…foot line。 It was a mere skiff； as shabby as the trawler。 A sheet of stretched canvas held out the waves。 Overhead the mackerel sky was slashed with gangrene and black。
The crew waited a few days before starting in on them； letting the bad food and cold and seasickness deplete their prey。 Three women were taken below deck。 Everyone could hear their cries； but even their husbands kept stony faces and did not move to rescue them。 Nathan Lee saw the awful shock as the refugees realized they were captives。 Just the same； they seemed to believe everything would still turn out all right； that the raping would satisfy the sailors。 The Alaskan coast lay just three days away。
In the morning； only two of the women were returned to the open deck。 The husband of the missing woman stood up to protest； but a giant； scarred sailor struck him across the face。 Again the refugees found hope。 After all； the sailor had merely struck the husband； not killed him。 Three other women were herded down the stairs。
Every hour； Nathan Lee secretly checked his pass。 The trawler was still moving due east； beneath the Arctic Circle。 Soon enough it would surely circle back to the Russian coast。 The turn would be wide and imperceptible。 The passengers would never even know they had reversed direction。 That was when he would make his escape。
In the afternoon； the pirates robbed them in a drunken pack。 The terrified passengers opened suitcases and crates and handed over their last valuables。 Nathan Lee gave up everything but a knife taped to his ankle and his pass； tucked under the prow railing in anticipation of this very thing； and his book； which he had sealed in plastic bags to protect against the sea spray。 〃It's a book； nothing but a book；〃 he said in English。
The sailor took it and eyed the handwritten pages with his sketches and watercolors。 He outweighed Nathan Lee by fifty pounds； and carried himself loosely like a street fighter。 There was nothing to do but wait。 The pirate flipped a few pages and they fell open to the prayer flag from Tibet。 He held up the square of fabric and squinted at the horse and prayer script。 For whatever reason； he kept the flag and gave the book back to Nathan Lee。
As they left； the sailors pistol…whipped some of the men and started to take another woman away。 Her little boy clung to her。 No one intervened。 No one；
