deathworld-第14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！


af　as　well。　Jason　explained　again　what　he　searched　for。　Poli　nodded　and　printed　his　answer　on　a　tablet。
　 there　are　many　old　books…in　the　storerooms　below
　 Most　of　the　building　was　taken　up　by　the　robot　filing　and　sorting　apparatus。　They　moved　slowly　through　the　banks　of　machinery；　following　the　crippled　librarian　to　a　barred　door　in　the　rear。　He　pointed　to　it。
　；~
　
　
　While　Jason　and　Meta　fought　to　open　the　age…encrusted　bars；　he　wrote　another　note　on　his　tablet。
　 not　opened　for　many　years。　rats
　 Jason　and　Meta's　guns　appeared　reflexively　in　their　hands　as　they　read　the　message。　Jason　finished　opening　the　door　by　himself。　The　two　native　Pytrans　stood　facing　the　opening　gap。　It　was　well　they　did。　Jason　could　never　have　handled　what　came　through　that　door。
　 He　didn't　even　open　it　for　himself。　Their　sounds　at　the　door　must　have　attracted　all　the　vermin　in　the　lower　part　of　the　building。　Jason　had　thrown　the　last　bolt　and　was　starting　to　pull　on　the　handle…when　the　door　was　pushed　open　from　the　other　side。
　 Open　the　gateway　to　hell　and　see　what　es　out。　Meta　and　Poll　stood　shoulder　to　shoulder　firing　into　the　mass　of　loathsomeness　that　boiled　through　the　door。　Jason　jumped　to　one　side　and　picked　off　the　occasional　animal　that　came　his　way。　The　destruction　seemed　to　go　on　forever。
　 Long　minutes　passed　before　the　last　clawed　beast　made　its　death　rush。　Meta　and　Poli　waited　expectantly　for　more；　they　were　happily　excited　by　this　chance　to　deal　destruction。　Jason　felt　a　little　sick　after　the　silent　ferocious　attack。　A　ferocity　that　the　Pyrrans　reflected。　He　saw　a　scratch　on　Meta's　face　where　one　of　the　beasts　had　caught　her。　She　seemed　oblivious　to　it。
　 Pulling　out　his　medikit；　Jason　circled　the　piled　bodies。　Something　stirred　in　their　midst　and　a　crashing　shot　plowed　into　it。　Then　he　reached　the　girl　and　pushed　the　analyzer　probes　against　the　scratch。　The　machine　clicked　and　Meta　jumped　as　the　antitoxin　needle　stabbed　down。　She　realized　for　the　first　time　what　Jason　was　doing。
　 〃Thank　you。　I　didn't　notice；〃　she　said。　〃There　were　so　many　of　them　and　they　came　out　so　fast。〃
　 Poli　had　a　powerful　battery　lamp　and；　by　unspoken　agreement；　Jason　carried　it。　Crippled　though　he　was；　the　old　man　was　still　a　Pyrran　when　it　came　to　handling　a　gun。　They　slowly　made　their　way　down　the　refuse…laden　stairs。
　 〃What　a　stench！〃　Jason　grimaced。　〃'Without　these　filter　plugs　in　my　nose；　I　think　the　smell　alone　would　kill　me。〃
　 Something　hurled　itself　into　the　beam　of　light　and　a　shot　stopped　it　in　midair。　The　rats　had　been　there　a　long　time　and　resented　the　intrusion。
　 At　the　foot　of　the　stairs　they　looked　around。　There　had　been　books　and　records　there　at　one　time。　They　had　been　systematically　chewed；　eaten　and　destroyed　for　decades。
　 〃I　like　the　care　you　take　with　your　old　books；〃　Jason　said　disgustedly。　〃Remind　me　not　to　loan　you　any。〃
　 〃They　could　have　been　of　no　importance；〃　Meta　said　coolly；　〃or　they　would　be　filed　correctly　in　the　library　upstairs。〃
　 Jason　wandered　gloomily　through　the　rooms。　Nothing　remained　of　any　value。　Fragments　and　scraps　of　writing　and　printing。　Never　enough　in　one　spot　to　bother　collecting。　With　the　toe　of　one　armored　boot；　he　kicked　angrily　at　a　pile　of　debris；　ready　to　give　up　the　search。　There　was　a　glint　of　rusty　metal　under　the　dirt。
　 〃Hold　this！〃　He　gave　the　light　to　Mete　and；　forgetting　the　danger　for　a　moment；　began　scratching　aside　the　rubble。　A　flat　metal　box　with　a　dial　lock　built　into　it　was　revealed。
　 〃Why　that's　a　log　box！〃　Mete　said；　surprised。
　 〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　Jason　said。　〃And　if　it　is…we　may　be　in　luck　after　all。〃
　11
　 Resealing　the　cellar；　they　carried　the　box　back　to　Jason's　new　office。　Only　after　spraying　with　decontaminant　did　they　examine　it　closely。　Meta　picked　out　engraved　letters　on　the　lid。
　 〃S。T。　POLLUX　VICTORY…that　must　be　the　name　of　the　spacer　this　log　came　from。　But　I　don't　recognize　the　class；　or　whatever　it　is　the　initials　S。T。　stand　for。〃
　 〃Stellar　Transport；〃　Jason　told　her；　as　he　tried　the　lock　mechanism。　〃I've　heard　of　them　but　I've　never　seen　one。　They　were　built　during　the　last　wave　of　galactic　expansion。　Really　nothing　more　than　gigantic　metal　containers；　put　together　in　space。　After　they　were　loaded　with　people；　machinery　and　supplies；　they　would　be　towed　to　whatever　planetary　system　had　been　chosen。　These　same　tugs　and　one…shot　rockets　would　brake　the　S。T。's　in　for　a　landing。　Then　leave　them　there。　The　hull　was　a　ready　source　of　metal　and　the　colonists　could　start　right　in　building　their　new　world。　And　they　were　big。　All　of　them　held　at　least　fifty　thousand　people。〃
　 Only　after　he　said　it；　did　he　realize　the　significance　of　his　words。　Meta's　deadly　stare　drove　it　home。　There　were　now　less　people　on　Pyrrus　than　had　been　in　the　original　settlement。
　 And　human　population；　without　rigid　birth　controls；　usually　increased　geometrically。　Jason　remembered　Mete's　itchy　trigger　finger。
　 〃But　we　can't　be　sure　how　many　people　were　aboard　this　one；〃　he　said　hurriedly。　〃Or　even　if　this　is　the　log　of　the　ship　that　settled　Pyrrus。　Can　you　find　something　to　pry　this　open　…　with？　The　lock　is　corroded　into　a　single　lump。〃
　 Meta　took　her　anger　out　on　the　box。　Her　fingers　managed　to　force　a　gap　between　lid　and　bottom。　She　wrenched　at　it。　Rusty　metal　screeched　and　tore。　The　lid　came　off　in　her　hands　and　a　heavy　book　thudded　to　the　table。
　 The　cover　legend　destroyed　all　doubt。
　 LOG　OF　S。T。　POLLUX　VICTORY。　OUTWARD　BOUND…　SETANI　TO　PYRRUS。　55；000　SETfLERS　ABOARD。
　 Meta　couldn't　argue　now。　She　stood　behind　Jason　with　tight…clenched　fists　and　read　over　his　shoulder　as　he　turned　the　brittle；　yellowed　pages。　He　quickly　skipped　through　the　opening　part　that　covered　the　sailing　preparations　and　trip　out。　Only　when　he　had　reacled　the　actual　land…　ing　did　he　start　reading　slowly。　The　impact　of　the　ancient　words　leaped　out　at　him。
　 〃Here　it　is！〃　Jason　shouted。　〃Proof　positive　that　we're　on　the　right　trail。　Even　you　will　have　to　admit　that。　Read　it；　right　here。〃
　 second　day　since　the　tugs　left；　we　are　pletely　on　our　own　now。　The　settlers　still　haven't　grown　used　to　this　planet；　though　we　have　orientation　talks　every　night。　As　well　as　the　morale　agents　who　I　have　working　twenty　hours　a　day。　I　suppose　I　really　can't　blame　the　people；　they　all　lived　in　the　underways　of　Setani　and　I　doubt　if　they　saw　the　sun　once　a　year。　This　planet　has　weather　with　a　vengeance；　worse　than　anything　I've　seen　on　a　hundred　other　planets。　Was　I　wrong　during　the　original　planning　stages　not　to　insist　on　settlers　from　one　of　the　agrarian　worlds？　People　who　could　handle　the　outdoors。　These　citified　Setanians　are　afraid　to　go　out　in　the　rain。　But　of　course　they　have　adapted　pletely　to　their　native　1。5　gravity　so　the　z　gee　here　doesn't　bother　them　much。　That　was　the　factor　that　decided　us。　Anyway；　too　late　now　to　do　anything　about　it。　Or　about　the　unending　cycle　of　rain；　snow；　hail；　hurricanes　and　such。　Answer　will　be　to　start　the　mines　going；　sell　the　metals　and　build　pletely　enclosed　cities。
　 The　only　thing　on　this　forsaken　planet　that　isn't　actually　against　us　are　the　animals。　A　few　large　predators　at　first；　but　the　guards　made　short　work　of　them。　The　rest　of　the　wild　life　leaves　us　alone。　Glad　of　that！　They　have　been　fighting　for　existence　so　long　that　I　have　never　seen　a　more　deadly　looking　collection。　Even　the　little　rodents　no　bigger　than　a　man's　hand　are　armored　like　tanks。　。
　 〃I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it；〃　Meta　broke　in。　〃That　can't　be　Pyrrus　he's　writing　about。　。　。　。〃　Her　words　died　away　as　Jason　wordlessly　pointed　to　the　title　on　the　cover。
　 He　continued　scanning　the　pages；　flipping　them　quickly。　A　sentence　caught　his　eye　and　he　stopped。　Jamming　his　finger　against　the　place；　he　read　aloud。
　 and　troubles　keep　piling　up。　First　Har　Palo　with　his　theory　that　the　vulcanism　is　so　close　to　the　surface　that　the　ground　keeps　warm；　and　the　crops　grow　so　well。　Even　if　he　is　right…what　can　we　do？　We　must　be　self…dependent　if　we　intend　to　survive。　And　now　this　other　thing。　It　seems　that　the　forest　fire　drove　a　lot　of　new　species　our　way。　Animals；　insects　and　even　birds　have　attacked　the　people。　（Note　for　Har：　check　if　possible　seasonal　migration　might　explain　attacks。）
　There　have　been　fourteen　deaths　from　wounds　and　poisoning。　We'll　have　to　enforce　the　rules　for　insect　lotion　at　all　times。　And；　I　suppose；　build　some　kind　of　perimeter　defense　to　keep　the　larger　beasts　out　of　the　camp。〃
　 〃This　is　a　beginning；〃　Jason　said。　〃At　least　now　we　are　aware　of　the　real　nature　of　the　battle　we're　engaged　in。　It　doesn't　make　Pyrrus　any　easier　to　handle；　or　make　the　life　forms　less　dangerous；　to　know　that　they　were　once　better　disposed　toward　mankind。　All　this　does　is　point　the　way。　Something　took　the　peaceful　life　forms；　shook　them　up；　and　turned　this　planet　into　one　big　deathtrap　for　mankind。　That　something　is　what　I　want　to　uncover。〃
　12
　 Further　reading　of　the　log　produced　no　new　evidence。　There　was　a　good　deal　more　information　about　the　early　animal　and　plant　life　and　how　deadly　they　were；　as　well　as　the　first　defenses　against　them。　Interesting　historically；　but　of　no　use　whatsoever　in　countering　the　menace。　The　captain　apparently　never