wt.theyearofthequietsun-第6节

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o　read　the　name　of　the　first　city　to　catch　his　eye：　Joliet。　It　was　a　map　of　the　north　central　section　of　the　United　States　with　Chicago　placed　precisely　in　the　center；　and　showing　great　chunks　of　those　states　surrounding　the　metropolitan　area：　Illinois；　Indiana；　Michigan；　Wisconsin；　and　the　eastern　tip　of　Iowa。　Elwood　Station　was　indicated　by　a　red　box　just　south　of　Joliet。　He　noted　that　the　map　had　been　prepared　by　Army　cartographers　and　was　stamped　Top　Secret。　Except　for　the　red　box　it　was　identical　to　gasoline　station　maps。
　　The　second　map　was　a　large　one　of　Illinois　alone　and　now　the　extra　size　revealed　Elwood　Station　to　be　about　eight　miles　south　of　Joliet；　adjacent　to　an　old　route　marked　Alternate　66。　The　third　map　was　equally　large：　a　detailed　plan　of　Will　County　with　Joliet　located　nearly　in　the　center　of　it。　On　this　map；　Elwood　Station　was　a　great　red　box　of　about　five　square　miles；　with　several　individual　houses　and　buildings　identified　by　a　numbered　key。　The　station　had　two　private　service　roads　opening　onto　the　highway。　The　main　line　of　the　Chicago　&　Mobile　Southern　Railroad　passed　within　hailing　distance　of　the　military　reservation；　and　a　spur　of　that　railroad　branched　off　to　enter　the　enclosure。
　　The　Major　looked　up　from　his　scrutiny　of　the　maps。　〃Katrina。　The　field　trials　will　be　here　on　station？〃
　　〃Only　in　part；　sir。　If　you　find　the　station　normal　when　you　surface；　you　will　proceed　to　Joliet　in　transportation　which　will　be　provided。　Always　keep　your　safety　in　mind。〃
　　Moresby　seemed　disappointed。　〃Joliet。〃
　　〃That　city　will　be　the　limit　of　the　trials；　sir。　The　risk　must　not　be　underestimated。　However；　the　actual　survey　will　be　conducted　in　Chicago　and　its　suburbs　if　the　field　trials　prove　satisfactory。　Please　study　the　maps　carefully　and　memorize　at　least　two　escape　routes；　you　may　be　forced　to　walk　in　the　event　of　a　motor　breakdown。〃
　　Saltus：　〃Walk？　With　cars　everywhere？〃
　　The　woman　frowned。　〃Do　not　attempt　to　steal　an　automobile。　It　may　be　difficult；　perhaps　impossible；　to　free　you　from　jail。　It　simply　wouldn't　do；　mander。〃
　　〃Naked　and　forlorn　in　a　Joliet　jail；〃　Chaney　mumbled。　〃I　believe　there　is　a　state　penitentiary　there。〃
　　She　eyed　him　narrowly。　〃I　think　that　little　joke　has　gone　far　enough；　Mr。　Chaney。　You　will　be　clothed　in　the　field；　of　course；　you　will　dress　for　the　field　trial　and　later　for　the　full　survey；　but　each　time　you　must　disrobe　before　returning　in　the　vehicle。　You　will　find　an　adequate　supply　of　clothing；　tools；　and　instruments　awaiting　you　at　each　point　of　arrival。　And　the　laboratory　will　be　continuously　manned；　of　course；　engineers　will　always　be　expecting　your　arrival　and　will　assist　in　the　transits。〃
　　〃I　thought　he　was　pulling　my　leg；〃　Chaney　admitted。　〃But　how　will　you　manage　the　clothing　and　the　engineers…how　will　you　have　it　and　them　up　there　waiting　for　us？〃
　　〃That　has　already　been　arranged；　sir。　A　fallout　shelter　and　storage　depot　is　located　below　us；　adjacent　to　the　laboratory。　It　is　stocked　with　everything　you　may　possibly　need　for　any　season　of　the　year；　together　with　weapons　and　provisions。　Our　program　requires　that　the　laboratory　and　the　vehicle　be　continuously　manned　for　an　indefinite　period；　a　hundred　or　more　years；　if　necessary。　All　times　of　arrival　in　the　future　will　be　known　to　those　future　engineers；　of　course。　It　has　been　arranged。〃
　　〃Unless　they've　walked　out　on　strike。〃
　　〃Sir？〃
　　〃Your　long…range　planning　is　subject　to　the　same　uncertainties　as　my　projections…one　fluke；　one　chance　event　may　knock　everything　askew。　The　Indic　report　failed　to　allow　for　a　weak　Administration　replacing　a　strong　one；　and　if　that　report　was　placed　before　me　today　I　wouldn't　sign　it；　the　variable　casts　doubt　on　the　validity　of　the　whole。　We　can　only　hope　the　engineers　will　still　be　on　the　job　tomorrow；　and　will　still　be　using　standard　time。〃
　　〃Mr。　Chaney；　the　Bureau's　long…range　planning　is　more　thorough　than　that；　It　is　solidly　grounded　and　has　been　designed　for　permanency。　I　would　remind　you　that　the　primary　target　area　is　only　twenty…two　years　distant。〃
　　〃I　have　this　feeling　that　I'll　e　out…e　to　the　surface…a　thousand　years　older。〃
　　〃I　am　sure　you　will　make　do；　sir。　Our　team　is　notable　for　individual　self…reliance。〃
　　〃Which　properly　puts　me　in　my　place；　Miss　van　Hise。〃
　　Moresby　interrupted。　〃What　about　those　stores？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　The　shelter　is　stocked　with　necessities：　motion　picture　cameras；　tape　recorders；　radios；　weapons　and　weapons　detectors；　hand　radar；　and　so　forth。　There　is　money　and　gems　and　medical　supplies。　Materials　such　as　film；　tape；　ammunition　and　clothing　will　be　restocked　at　intervals　to　insure　fresh　or　modern　supplies。〃
　　Major　Moresby　said：　〃I'll　be　damned！〃　and　fell　silent　for　a　moment　of　admiration。　〃It　makes　good　sense；　after　all。　We'll　draw　what　we　need　from　the　stores　to　cover　the　target；　and　replace　the　remainder　before　ing　back。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　No　part　of　the　supplies　may　be　carried　back　with　you；　except　tapes　and　film　exposed　in　the　field。　The　engineers　will　instruct　you　on　how　to　pensate　for　that　small　extra　weight。　Do　not　bring　back　the　recorders　and　cameras；　and　you　are　expressly　forbidden　to　bring　back　any　personal　souvenir　such　as　coins　or　currency。　But　you　may　photograph　the　money　if　you　wish。〃
　　〃Those　engineers　have　an　answer　for　everything；〃　Chaney　observed。　〃They　must　work　around　the　clock。〃
　　〃Our　project　has　been　working　around　the　clock　for　the　past　three　years；　sir。〃
　　〃Who　pays　the　electric　bill？〃
　　〃A　nuclear　power　station　is　located　on　the　post。〃
　　He　was　quickly　interested。　〃Their　own　reactor？　How　much　power　does　it　generate？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　sir。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　Saltus　said。　〃monwealth…Edison　has　a　new　one　up　near　Chicago　putting　out　eight　hundred　thousand　kilowatts。　Big　thing…I've　seen　it；　and　I've　seen　ours。　They　look　like　steel　light　bulbs　turned　upside　down。〃
　　Chaney　was　still　curious。　〃Does　the　TDV　need　that　much　power？〃
　　〃I　couldn't　say；　sir。〃　She　changed　the　subject　by　calling　attention　to　the　sheaf　of　mimeographed　papers　taken　from　the　envelopes。　〃We　have　time　this　afternoon　to　begin　on　these　reports。〃
　　
　　
　　The　first　sheet　bore　the　stylized　imprint　of　the　Indiana　Corporation；　and　Chaney　quickly　recognized　his　own　work。　He　gave　the　woman　an　amused　glance　but　she　avoided　his　eyes；　another　glance　down　the　table　revealed　his　panions　staring　at　the　massive　report　with　anticipated　boredom。
　　The　next　page　plunged　immediately　into　the　subject　matter　by　offering　long　columns　of　statistics　underscored　by　footnotes：　the　first　few　columns　were　solidly　rooted　in　the　census　figures　of　1970；　while　the　following　columns　on　the　following　pages　were　his　projections　going　forward　to　2050。　Chaney　recalled　the　fun　and　the　sweat　that　had　gone　into　the　work…and　the　very　shaky　limb　on　which　he　perched　as　he　worked　toward　the　farthest　date。
　　Births：　legitimate　and　otherwise；　predicted　annually　by　race　and　by　geographical　area　（down　sharply　along　the　Atlantic　seaboard　below　Boston；　and　the　southern　states　except　Florida；　figures　did　not　include　unpredictable　number　of　laboratory…hospital　births　by　artificial　means；　figures　did　not　include　unpredictable　number　of　abnormal　births　in　Nevada　and　Utah　due　to　accumulation　of　radioactive　fallout）。
　　Deaths：　with　separate　figures　for　murders　and　known　suicides；　projected　annually　by　age　groups　（suicides　increasing　at　predictable　rate　below　age　thirty；　females　outliving　males　by　twelve　point　three　years　by　year　2000；　anticipated　life…expectancy　increased　one　point　nine　years　by　year　2050；　figures　did　not　include　infant　mortalities　in　Nevada…Utah　fallout　area；　figures　did　not　include　infant　mortalities　in　laboratory…hospital　artificial　births）。
　　Marriages　and　trial　marriages：　with　subsequent　divorces　and　annulments　forecast　on　an　annual　basis　after　1980；　first　full　year　of　trial　marriage　decree　（trial　marriages　not　appreciably　contributing　to　the　birth　rate　except　in　Alabama　and　Mississippi；　but　tending　to　increase　the　murder　and　suicide　rate；　and　contributing　to　the　slow　decline　of　long…term　marriages）。　Footnote：　renewable　term　trial　marriage　remended；　i。e。；　a　second　year　of　trial　be　granted　upon　application　by　both　parties。
　　Incidence　of　crime：　detailed　projections　in　twenty　categories；　separated　by　states　having　and　not　having　the　death　penalty　（murder　and　robbery　up　sharply；　but　rape　down　by　a　significant　percentage　due　to　trial　marriages　and　lowered　legal　age　of　all　marriages）。
　　Probable　voter　registrations　and　profiles：　gradual　emergence　of　enduring　three…party　system　after　1980　（with　registrations　divided　unevenly　among　three　major　and　one　minor　party；　black　voters　concentrated　in　one　major　and　the　minor　party；　pronounced　swing　to　the　conservative　right　in　two　white　major　parties　during　the　next　decade；　with　conservative　Administrations　probable　until　year　2000；　plus　or　minus　four　years）。
　　Total　population　by　the　turn　of　the　century：　based　upon　the　foregoing；　three　hundred　and　forty　million　people　in　the　forty…eight　contiguous　states　and　an　additional　ten　million　in　the　three　remaining　states　（the　northern　tier　of　plains　states　projected　as　consistent　annual　losers　but　with　Alaska　u