douglashill.galacticwarlord-第9节

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　But　the　holo…image　vanished　as　abruptly　as　it　had　appeared；　and　the　room　was　silent　once　more。
　Keill　lay　back；　limp　with　the　emotions　that　boiled　within　him；　the　desperate　need　to　know　more。　He　might　have　tried　to　shout；　even　to　get　up；　though　his　limbs　felt　as　if　they　were　made　of　water。　But　a　sound　from　one　side　diverted　him。
　Twisting　his　head　around；　he　saw　a　section　of　the　wall　swing　silently　inwards；　though　there　had　been　no　sign　of　a　door…seam。　Through　the　opening　rolled　a　wheeled；　upright　cylindrical　shape　…　a　robot　servitor；　bearing　a　beaker　upon　its　level　upper　surface。
　It　came　to　a　stop　beside　the　bed。　The　beaker　held　a　milky　liquid；　fragrant；　steaming　slightly。　Keill　found　that　he　was　desperately　thirsty。　He　picked　up　the　beaker；　grimly　forbidding　his　hand　to　shake；　and　drained　the　contents。　When　the　empty　beaker　was　replaced；　the　servitor　rolled　away；　and　the　wall　closed　as　blank　and　seamless　as　before。
　The　drink　had　been　bland；　but　flavoursome　and　warm。　It　also　seemed　soothing；　relaxing　…　and　then　Keill　knew　that　it　was　certainly　drugged；　that　again　the　numbness　was　invading　his　mind；　quietening　its　turmoil；　and　he　was　drifting　into　sleep。
　When　he　awoke　again　he　felt　as　refreshed　as　before；　and　more　of　his　strength　seemed　to　have　returned。　He　was　able　to　sit　up　without　effort　…　though　when　he　swung　his　legs　off　the　bed　and　tried　to　stand；　he　found　himself　shaky；　and　was　glad　to　sink　back　down　on　to　the　contoured　padding。
　But　the　room　remained　empty。　Keill　tried　shouting；　calling　Talis's　name；　demanding　his　return　…　but　no　image　formed；　no　voice　came。
　Instead　the　robot　servitor　appeared；　as　before。　It　bore　another　drink　…　a　clear；　cool　liquid　this　time　…　and　a　bowl　containing　a　gruel…like　substance。　Keill　tasted　them　suspiciously　at　first；　but　growing　thirst　and　hunger　drove　him　to　empty　the　containers。　And　this　time　there　was　no　drug；　only　refreshment；　pleasant　tastes；　and　the　restorative　feeling　of　food　in　the　stomach。
　The　robot's　entrance　had　also　coincided　with　the　opening　of　another　panel　in　the　wall　behind　Keill；　revealing　a　small　shower…and…lavatory　unit；　as　pact　as　the　same　facility　on　a　spaceship。　He　needed　the　support　of　the　robot　to　make　use　of　it；　and　fell　back　exhausted　when　he　returned　to　the　bed。　But　it　was　another　step　ahead；　another　step　towards　the　time　when　his　strength　would　be　returned　and　he　could　bee　his　own　master　again　…　and　begin　to　find　out　what　was　really　happening。
　From　then　on；　the　undisturbed　days　continued　…　if　they　were　days；　for　Keill　had　no　way　of　measuring　the　passage　of　time　within　the　blank…walled　room。　He　slept　and　woke；　ate　and　drank；　rested　and　thought　…　sorting　through　the　questions　and　the　doubts　that　swarmed　within　him。
　He　could　not　bring　himself　to　accept　what　he　had　been　told　by　the　old　man　called　Talis　…　because　it　seemed　too　improbable；　and　because　too　much　had　been　left　unexplained。　A　group　of　aged　scientists　hiding　themselves　away　so　as　to　fight　some　nameless　enemy？　The　same　enemy　being　the　destroyer　who　had　wiped　out　the　Legions　of　Moros　？
　The　questions　of　'who'　and　'why'　bulked　too　large；　too　unanswerable。　And　he　had　been　offered　no　evidence　of　any　of　it；　save　one　holo…image　of　an　old　man　keeping　his　face　hidden。
　He　assembled　what　facts　he　had；　testing　their　solidity。　He　had　just　entered　his　ship；　on　Saltrenius；　when　someone　…　or　something　…　had　e　behind　him　and　felled　him　with　a　needier。　He　was　now　in　an　empty　room　somewhere；　tended　by　a　robot。　He　had　gone　through　some　prolonged　physical　ordeal；　which　had　left　him　weakened　…　and　which　had　seemed　to　require　some　highly　sophisticated　technology。　And　he　was　free　of　pain。
　Or　was　he　？　Was　even　that　a　true　fact　？　Certainly　there　were　drugs　that　could　blot　out　even　that　much　pain。　But　he　did　not　feel　drugged　…　he　was　alert　and　clear…headed；　despite　his　body's　shakiness。
　Then　perhaps；　as　he　had　thought　before；　he　was　lying　in　a　hospital　somewhere；　in　the　terminal　stages　of　his　illness；　finishing　out　his　life　in　delirium。
　Did　the　hallucinations　of　delirium　go　on　as　long　as　these　past　events　seemed　to　have　？　He　did　not　know。　Would　they　be　so　detailed；　in　such　an　ordered　routine；　as　his　days　now　were　in　this　room　？　He　did　not　know。
　The　questions　pursued　themselves　round　in　circles　within　his　mind　till　he　was　weary　of　them。　In　the　end；　he　knew　very　little。　In　time；　perhaps；　if　Talis　returned；　or　if　other　developments　came　along；　he　would　learn　more。
　Meanwhile；　his　legionary　discipline　reasserted　itself。　A　man　did　not　fret　over　situations　he　could　not　hope　to　alter。　A　man　did　not　waste　energy　gnawing　at　questions　for　which　there　seemed；　as　yet；　no　answers。　If　it　was　necessary　to　wait；　then　a　man　must　wait　…　calm；　controlled；　patient。
　And　he　must　keep　himself　ready　at　all　times　to　act；　instantly；　when　action　became　possible。
　So　Keill　readied　himself。　He　began　a　programme　of　light　exercises　at　regular　intervals　…　routine　ones　that　he　had　known　from　childhood。　As　he　grew　stronger；　he　extended　the　work…outs；　regaining　more　and　more　of　his　normal　suppleness；　agility　and　strength。　And　he　was　aware　that　Talis；　or　someone；　was　keeping　his　progress　under　observation　…　for　his　meals　grew　larger　and　more　substantial　as　his　output　of　energy　increased。
　Then　one　day；　as　if　to　underline　how　far　he　had　e　from　being　weak　and　bed…ridden；　the　robot　brought　not　only　his　usual　meal　but　also　his　clothing。
　His　full　uniform　was　there　…　cleaned；　fresh；　showing　no　signs　of　wear。　As　if　it　were　a　new　one　made　exactly　to　the　specifications　of　the　old。
　He　dressed　quickly；　delighting　in　the　familiarity　of　the　garments；　feeling　even　more　fully　himself。　And　his　delight　increased　when　he　slipped　a　hand　into　a　tunic　pocket　and　drew　out　the　light　chain　with；　dangling　from　it；　his　identity　disc。　Its　angry　red　glow　faded；　shifted　to　the　sky…blue　of　normality　as　he　took　it　in　his　hand；　then　quickly　put　the　chain　round　his　neck。
　Now；　he　thought；　I　am　a　legionary　again。
　Even　so；　the　routine　went　on；　and　still　no　contact　came　from　Talis。　Keill　persisted　in　his　self…directed　programme　of　exercise；　testing　himself　ever　more　strenuously。　Until　the　time　came　at　last　when　he　could　put　himself　through　the　plete　routine　of　gruelling　physical　stresses　that　had　formed　his　basic　training　scheme　for　the　Festival　of　Martial　Games；　on　Moros。
　When　he　emerged　from　that　routine　sweating　only　lightly；　his　breathing　even；　his　body　still　resilient；　with　a　reserve　of　energy　left；　he　knew　he　was　ready。
　The　time　of　waiting　was　over。
　When　the　robot　next　came；　Keill　did　not　hesitate。　As　the　wall　panel　swung　open；　he　simply　hurdled　the　small　wheeled　cylinder；　and　was　out　…　to　seek　his　freedom。
　He　found　himself　in　a　narrow　passageway；　dimly　lit；　with　metallic　floor；　walls　and　ceiling。　Closed　doors；　like　the　hatchways　of　spaceships；　interrupted　the　smoothness　of　one　wall　here　and　there　along　its　length。
　The　doors　were　tightly　secured；　and　Keill　did　not　waste　energy　trying　to　break　through　them。　They　were　made　of　the　special　quaternium　alloy　used　for　the　hulls　of　fighting　ships；　well　able　to　resist　heavier　assaults　than　even　he　could　manage　bare…handed。
　He　raced　along　the　passage。　It　took　an　L…turn　to　the　right；　and　offered　him　two　gangways；　downwards　and　upwards。　Without　pausing　he　chose　the　downward　steps　…　and　came　to　a　sizeable　chamber　containing　an　array　of　plex　machinery；　in　separated　partments。
　Most　of　this　equipment　he　recognized　…　the　air　and　water　recyclers　especially。　It　all　seemed　to　be　larger　and　more　intricate　forms　of　the　standard　life…support　systems　for　spacecraft。　And　the　bulkiest　device；　in　the　central　position；　was　surely　a　very　advanced　form　of　gravitational　unit。
　So　he　was　on　some　form　of　space　station　or　artificial　satellite；　he　realized。　Perhaps　Talis's　story　of　a　secret；　hollowed…out　asteroid　was　true。
　But　he　would　not　know　unless　he　could　get　outside　it。　And　for　that　he　would　need　at　least　a　space　suit；　preferably　with　a　weapon；　and　…　if　luck　were　really　with　him　…　a　ship　of　some　sort。
　He　retraced　his　steps；　racing　up　to　the　upper　level。　More　passageways；　but　often　now　with　doors　that　opened。　They　revealed　a　series　of　chambers　that　were　clearly　laboratories　…crammed；　one　and　all；　with　collections　of　equipment　that　Keill；　who　thought　of　himself　as　fairly　knowledgeable　about　technology；　could　not　begin　to　fathom。
　Another　gangway　led　upwards；　and　he　sprinted　along　it。　It　took　him　up　to　a　chamber　heaped；　floor　to　ceiling；　with　book　tapes　and　information　tapes　of　every　kind；　and　a　number　of　viewers　scattered　among　them。　Beyond　that　room　was　an　observation　chamber；　with　a　broad　viewscreen　offering　a　panoramic　segment　of　star…filled　space。　Abundant　star…maps；　charts　of　the　space　lanes；　puter　outlets　were　available　around　the　room。
　It　was　a　wele　sight；　for　Keill　knew　that　if　he　was　able　to　escape；　he　might　need　the　information　within　that　room　to　get　his　bearings；　and　his　direction。
　But　he　did　not　linger　there　just　yet。　He　had　heard　no　sound　of　an　alarm　being　raised；　nor　had　there　been　any　sign　of　pursuit。　But　he　did　not　doubt　that　his　disappearance　from　the　room　had　been　noted　…　and　Talis；　or　someone；　would　surely　be　working　out　how　to　put　an　end　to　his　wild　flight。
　Another