jefflong.yearzero-第46节

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！


tell　your　body　to　manufacture　the　exact　antivirus　to　destroy　it。　The　memory　cells　are　like　ancient　libraries。　They　hold　the　secrets　of　thousands　of　microbes　our　ancestors　survived。〃
　Their　next　stop；　or　pause；　was　at　the　PCR　room。　Polymerase　chain　reaction　was　a　method　of　dividing　the　double　strands　of　DNA　and　synthetically　creating　two　helixes　from　one。　The　two　became　four；　the　four　became　eight；　ad　infinitum。　Twelve　machines　the　size　of　pinball　machines　were　quietly　at　work。　Everything　was　automatic。
　He　was　struck　by　the　blending　of　the　ordinary　and　high　tech。　Among　the　PCR　machines　and　puter　screens　and　electron　microscope　〃towers〃　lay　mon　household　utensils：　a　teflon　spatula；　pyrex　pans；　a　baker's　measuring　cup；　a　corkscrew。　YellowedDilbert　andFar　Side　cartoons　were　favored　wall　decor。　Pictures　of　children　mingled　with　out…of…date　copies　ofNature　andOutside。
　Miranda　led　him　into　a　lab　and　she　showed　him　an　unraveled　strand　of　DNA　floating　in　a　beaker。　〃One　of　your　guys；〃　she　said。
　〃This　is　from　the　relics？〃
　She　nodded；　staring　at　the　strands。　〃You　wouldn't　believe　how　empty　the　human　genome　is；〃　she　said。　〃It's　humbling。　At　the　genetic　level；　we're　practically　worms　and　flies。〃
　Nathan　Lee　tried　to　guess　what　any　of　this　had　to　do　with　him。
　〃It's　all　a　matter　of　executive　intelligence；〃　she　said。　〃The　Blind　Watchmaker；　tinkering　at　random。〃
　〃God？〃　he　said。
　〃Chance；〃　she　hastily　answered。
　She　showed　him　how　to　twirl　the　strand　around　a　glass　straw　like　a　piece　of　spaghetti。　〃Now　what　happens？〃　he　asked。
　〃For　this　little　fellow？　We'll　stain　him　with　marker　dyes　and　search　for　mutations　and　disease　genes。〃
　〃Corfu？〃
　〃The　memory　of　it；〃　she　reiterated。
　〃And　then？〃
　〃If　he　shows　promise；　bring　him　through。〃
　〃Through　what？〃
　〃This　way；〃　she　said。
　They　gloved　and　masked　before　entering　a　large；　hot　room　murky　with　humidity　and　low…lit　with　blue　night　lights。
　〃My　brood；〃　she　softly　said。　〃Yours；　too。〃　Her　cheekbones　were　slick　and　blue。
　Then　he　noticed　the　big　sacs　floating　in　spherical　tanks。　Each　contained　a　human　form；　large　and　heavy。　They　were　growing　people　in　here。
　〃From　the　relics？〃　he　said。　His　mind　whirled。　They　went　into　the　next　chamber。　Divers　floated　in　a　big　glass　tank。　One　of　the　tanks　descended　into　the　water。　The　divers　scissored　open　the　sac　with　the　casual　precision　of　butchers。
　A　human　being　slid　through　the　incision；　his　hair　and　beard　gliding　in　the　water　like　long；　black　Medusa　snakes。　His　finger　and　toenails　were　like　pale　bony　globes。　Nathan　Lee　saw　the　man　open　his　eyes。　He　blinked。　He　opened　his　arms　wide；　and　his　body　was　feeble。　The　muscles　lacked　tone。　He　had　a　eunuch's　soft　tummy　and　thin　neck。　Then　the　divers　were　hauling　him　out　of　view。
　〃He's　from　an　earlier　batch。　In　all　we've　birthed　over　fifteen　hundred　of　them；　usually　multiples　of　the　most　promising　ones。　Your　three　won't　be　ready　for　another　thirteen　weeks。〃
　Nathan　Lee　was　stupefied。　The　great　mystery　of　the　place　folded　into　itself。　Absurdly；　he　had　tears　in　his　eyes。
　〃Is　it　so　terrible？〃　she　asked。　He　didn't　wipe　away　his　tears。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said。　He　heard　watery　coughing　overhead　as　the　clone　took　his　first　breath。　Thirteen　weeks　ago；　those　lungs　had　been　a　tidbit　of　bone　or　leather　in　a　vial；　locked　away　for　hundreds　or　thousands　of　years。　Now　a　living　man　lay　up　there！
　Out　of　sight；　the　clone　began　yelling　and　laughing　with　joy。
　Nathan　Lee　looked　up。
　〃They　do　that　sometimes；〃　Miranda　said。　〃They　seem　to　remember　dying。　For　them　this　is　the　afterlife。　Some　e　out　from　the　tank　like　him。　Others　aren't　so　pleased。〃
　Nathan　Lee　tried　to　sort　his　questions。　There　was　so　much　to　ask。　Her　science　tugged　at　him。　It　felt　like　a　great　temptation。
　〃What　happens　now？　To　him。〃
　〃Testing　is　another　division。〃　She　was　emphatic。　〃Other　labs。　South　Sector。〃
　The　clone's　hilarity　echoed。　He　was　babbling　away。　The　language　was　distinctly　not　English；　and　Nathan　Lee　couldn't　make　out　any　of　the　actual　words。　But　on　the　edge　of　his　linguistic　ear　he　started　to　recognize　a　faint；　guttural　rhythm。　〃Is　that。。。？〃　He　listened　harder。
　She　was　watching　him。
　He　remembered　the　dusty；　sunstruck　ruins　of　Aleppo；　and　a　village　in　the　hills　above；　a　tribe　of　ancient　refugees。　〃Is　he　speaking　Aramaic？〃
　〃You　tell　me。〃
　〃I　know　a　few　words。〃　He　started　for　the　stairway。
　She　caught　his　arm。　〃We　don't　to　speak　to　them。〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃It　could　endanger　our　research。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃　He　felt　dizzy。A　man　from　two　thousand　years　ago！　A　time　traveler！
　〃It　has　never　been　important　to　what　we　do。　It's　safer　to　treat　their　speech　as　nonsense。　Mindless　babbling。〃
　〃But　it's　not　nonsense；〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　〃He's　thanking　God。〃
　〃I've　gotten　some　of　them　back　from　South　Sector；〃　she　said。　〃Twenty…three　of　them　so　far。　Uninfected　specimens。　Noncarriers。　It　was　difficult。　But　they're　here；　in　the　floors　below。　We　keep　them　isolated。〃
　〃What　are　you　doing　with　them？〃　he　said。
　〃Keeping　them　safe。〃
　〃Safe　from　what？〃
　She　turned　her　eyes　away。　〃We're　looking　for　immunity；〃　she　said。　〃So　far　we've　found　some　who　survived　an　earlier　form　of　the　virus。　They're　partially　immune　to　this　modern　outbreak。　They　can　still　get　infected。　But　the　symptoms　don't　manifest　in　them　so　quickly。　We've　done　puter　simulations。　They　might　live　another　three　years　before　the　pathogen　kills　them。〃
　〃And　you　have　twenty…three　of　them　here？〃　said　Nathan　Lee。　He　couldn't　get　over　the　technology。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃What　about　the　other　fifteen　hundred？〃
　Her　green　eyes　peered　at　him　from　between　her　cap　and　mask。　She　didn't　answer　him。　〃We　have　a　Neandertal；〃　she　said。　〃Totally　immune。〃
　〃You　cloned　a　Neandertal！〃
　〃That　wasn't　for　medical　research。　It　was　before　Corfu。　Anyway；　she's　proved　the　species　barrier。　Subspecies；　to　be　exact。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃
　〃For　some　reason；　the　girl's　naturally　resistant。　It　could　be　the　chemical　barriers　in　her　skin　or　respiratory　tract　or　something　in　her　GI　tract。　We　don't　know。　Her　resistanace　doesn't　transfer　to　us；　though。　We　know　that　much。　She's　a　dead　end。〃
　Neandertals！　Clones　from　two　thousand　years　ago！　This　place　was　a　marvel。
　〃What　am　I　supposed　to　be　doing？〃　he　said。
　〃It's　time　to　take　the　next　step；〃　she　said。　〃I　want　you　to　take　a　step　backward。　A　step　away。〃
　〃Away　from　what？〃
　〃You're　an　anthropologist。　They're　a　tribe；　of　sorts。〃
　〃You　want　me　to　study　them？〃　That　sounded　simple　enough。　He　was　an　archaeologist；　not　an　ethnographer。　But　why　spoil　a　free　meal？　Simplicity　ruled。　Los　Alamos　was　supposed　to　be　a　stop　on　the　map。　Once　he　got　Ochs　to　sing；　he　meant　to　vanish；　no　ties；　no　debts；　no　regrets。
　〃No　contact；〃　Miranda　answered。　〃There　are　cameras　in　their　cells。　Just　watch　and　listen。　Eavesdrop　on　their　thoughts。〃
　The　clone　shouted　out。　It　sounded　like〃Rebekah〃。　He　was　calling　for　a　woman；　his　wife；　perhaps；　or　daughter。　Calling　to　her　from　the　other　side　of　death。　Did　he　think　she　would　join　him？
　The　cry　shook　Nathan　Lee。　The　voice　closed　away。　They　took　the　man　from　the　room；　off　to　some　lab。　In　the　quiet　that　followed；　a　swimming　pool　net　dipped　from　above；　scooping　out　parts　of　the　fetal　sac。
　〃You　want　me　to　make　human　beings　out　of　your　animals；〃　he　said。
　〃You　don't　approve　of　what　we're　doing？〃　she　said。
　〃Does　that　change　anything？〃
　She　was　looking　at　him。　〃No　one's　sure　how　much　they　actually　remember；〃　she　said。　Probably　not　all　that　much。　Their　previous　life　has　never　been　our　purpose　here。　But　they　cry。　They　shout　out。　Maybe　you　can　give　them　a　little　solace。〃
　〃Solace；〃　he　said。
　〃We　created　them。〃
　〃Do　they　know　that？〃
　〃That's　beside　the　point。　It　doesn't　matter　if　they　have　no　idea　who　we　are。　You　can't　just　disown　your　own　children。〃　She　was　solemn；　as　if　he　were　somehow　part　of　her　redemption。
　
　19
　The　Bones　Speak
　
　THEBEGINNING　OFAUGUST
　Nathan　Lee　entered　their　world　of　monsters。
　For　a　week；　he　did　not　go　down　into　the　so…called　Orphanage；　their　warren　of　cells　in　sub…basement　Five。　Instead　he　took　up　residence　in　the　Necro　Archives；　the　human　tissues　room。　It　had　lapsed　into　a　sloppy　grab　bag　of　specimens。　He　set　about　organizing　the　samples；　in　part　to　organize　his　thoughts；　but　mostly　to　acquaint　himself　with　the　bones　in　preparation　for　their　living　flesh。　There　were　teeth；　dried　muscle；　withered　organs　in　jars；　baggies　and　vials；　skulls；　fingernails；　and　long　bones　numbered　with　magic　marker　or　red　fingernail　polish。　One　of　the　twenty…three　men　had　been　made　from　silver；　so　to　speak；　from　a　Herod…headed　coin　speckled　with　blood　flakes。
　At　last；　after　six　days；　Nathan　Lee　felt　ready。　He　took　the　elevator　down　to　the　Orphanage。　Captain　Enote　led　him　through　the　long；　silent　hallway；　and　it　looked　like　a　death　row　for　robots；　all　shiny　and　metal。　There　were　twenty　quarantine　cells　on　the　right；　and　twenty　on　the　left。　The　plex　had　been　built　by　a　contractor　whose　specialty　was　super…prisons。　Nathan　Lee　paused　by　an　empty　cell；　and　went　in；　wanting　the　feel　one　more　time。
　〃Familiar？〃　the　Captain　asked　him　from　the　doorway。
　〃They　never　did　anything　like　this　to　you　in　Kathmandu；〃　Nathan　Lee　said。
　There　was　no　life　in　here；　not　even　an