danbrown.angels&demons-第13节

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atter；　science　said；　could　not　be　created　out　of　nothing。　So；　when　Hubble　shocked　the　world　by　scientifically　proving　the　Big　Bang　was　accurate；　the　church　claimed　victory；　heralding　this　as　proof　that　the　Bible　was　scientifically　accurate。　The　divine　truth。〃
　Langdon　nodded；　focusing　intently　now。
　〃Of　course　scientists　did　not　appreciate　having　their　discoveries　used　by　the　church　to　promote　religion；　so　they　immediately　mathematicized　the　Big　Bang　Theory；　removed　all　religious　overtones；　and　claimed　it　as　their　own。　Unfortunately　for　science；　however；　their　equations；　even　today；　have　one　serious　deficiency　that　the　church　likes　to　point　out。〃
　Kohler　grunted。　〃The　singularity。〃　He　spoke　the　word　as　if　it　were　the　bane　of　his　existence。
　〃Yes；　the　singularity；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃The　exact　moment　of　creation。　Time　zero。〃　She　looked　at　Langdon。　〃Even　today；　science　cannot　grasp　the　initial　moment　of　creation。　Our　equations　explain　the　early　universe　quite　effectively；　but　as　we　move　back　in　time；　approaching　time　zero；　suddenly　our　mathematics　disintegrates；　and　everything　bees　meaningless。〃
　〃Correct；〃　Kohler　said；　his　voice　edgy；　〃and　the　church　holds　up　this　deficiency　as　proof　of　God's　miraculous　involvement。　e　to　your　point。〃
　Vittoria's　expression　became　distant。　〃My　point　is　that　my　father　had　always　believed　in　God's　involvement　in　the　Big　Bang。　Even　though　science　was　unable　to　prehend　the　divine　moment　of　creation；　he　believed　someday　it　would。〃　She　motioned　sadly　to　a　laser…printed　memo　tacked　over　her　father's　work　area。　〃My　dad　used　to　wave　that　in　my　face　every　time　I　had　doubts。〃
　Langdon　read　the　message：
　
　SCIENCE　AND　RELIGION　ARE　NOT　AT　ODDS。　SCIENCE　IS　SIMPLY　TOO　YOUNG　TO　UNDERSTAND。
　〃My　dad　wanted　to　bring　science　to　a　higher　level；〃　Vittoria　said；　〃where　science　supported　the　concept　of　God。〃　She　ran　a　hand　through　her　long　hair；　looking　melancholy。　〃He　set　out　to　do　something　no　scientist　had　ever　thought　to　do。　Something　that　no　one　has　ever　had　the　technology　to　do。〃　She　paused；　as　though　uncertain　how　to　speak　the　next　words。　〃He　designed　an　experiment　to　prove　Genesis　was　possible。〃
　Prove　Genesis？　Langdon　wondered。　Let　there　be　light？　Matter　from　nothing？　
　Kohler's　dead　gaze　bore　across　the　room。　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃My　father　created　a　universe　。　。　。　from　nothing　at　all。〃　
　Kohler　snapped　his　head　around。　〃What！〃
　〃Better　said；　he　recreated　the　Big　Bang。〃
　Kohler　looked　ready　to　jump　to　his　feet。
　Langdon　was　officially　lost。　Creating　a　universe？　Recreating　the　Big　Bang？　
　〃It　was　done　on　a　much　smaller　scale；　of　course；〃　Vittoria　said；　talking　faster　now。　〃The　process　was　remarkably　simple。　He　accelerated　two　ultrathin　particle　beams　in　opposite　directions　around　the　accelerator　tube。　The　two　beams　collided　head…on　at　enormous　speeds；　driving　into　one　another　and　pressing　all　their　energy　into　a　single　pinpoint。　He　achieved　extreme　energy　densities。〃　She　started　rattling　off　a　stream　of　units；　and　the　director's　eyes　grew　wider。　
　Langdon　tried　to　keep　up。　So　Leonardo　Vetra　was　simulating　the　pressed　point　of　energy　from　which　the　universe　supposedly　sprang。　
　〃The　result；〃　Vittoria　said；　〃was　nothing　short　of　wondrous。　When　it　is　published；　it　will　shake　the　very　foundation　of　modern　physics。〃　She　spoke　slowly　now；　as　though　savoring　the　immensity　of　her　news。　〃Without　warning；　inside　the　accelerator　tube；　at　this　point　of　highly　focused　energy；　particles　of　matter　began　appearing　out　of　nowhere。〃
　Kohler　made　no　reaction。　He　simply　stared。　
　〃Matter；〃　Vittoria　repeated。　〃Blossoming　out　of　nothing。　An　incredible　display　of　subatomic　fireworks。　A　miniature　universe　springing　to　life。　He　proved　not　only　that　matter　can　be　created　from　nothing；　but　that　the　Big　Bang　and　Genesis　can　be　explained　simply　by　accepting　the　presence　of　an　enormous　source　of　energy。〃
　〃You　mean　God？〃　Kohler　demanded。
　〃God；　Buddha；　The　Force；　Yahweh；　the　singularity；　the　unicity　point…call　it　whatever　you　like…the　result　is　the　same。　Science　and　religion　support　the　same　truth…pure　energy　is　the　father　of　creation。〃　
　When　Kohler　finally　spoke；　his　voice　was　somber。　〃Vittoria；　you　have　me　at　a　loss。　It　sounds　like　you're　telling　me　your　father　created　matter　。　。　。　out　of　nothing？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Vittoria　motioned　to　the　canisters。　〃And　there　is　the　proof。　In　those　canisters　are　specimens　of　the　matter　he　created。〃
　Kohler　coughed　and　moved　toward　the　canisters　like　a　wary　animal　circling　something　he　instinctively　sensed　was　wrong。　〃I've　obviously　missed　something；〃　he　said。　〃How　do　you　expect　anyone　to　believe　these　canisters　contain　particles　of　matter　your　father　actually　created？　They　could　be　particles　from　anywhere　at　all。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Vittoria　said；　sounding　confident；　〃they　couldn't。　These　particles　are　unique。　They　are　a　type　of　matter　that　does　not　exist　anywhere　on　earth　。　。　。　hence　they　had　to　be　created。〃
　Kohler's　expression　darkened。　〃Vittoria；　what　do　you　mean　a　certain　type　of　matter？　There　is　only　one　type　of　matter；　and　it…〃　Kohler　stopped　short。
　Vittoria's　expression　was　triumphant。　〃You've　lectured　on　it　yourself；　director。　The　universe　contains　two　kinds　of　matter。　Scientific　fact。〃　Vittoria　turned　to　Langdon。　〃Mr。　Langdon；　what　does　the　Bible　say　about　the　Creation？　What　did　God　create？〃
　Langdon　felt　awkward；　not　sure　what　this　had　to　do　with　anything。　〃Um；　God　created　。　。　。　light　and　dark；　heaven　and　hell…〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃He　created　everything　in　opposites。　Symmetry。　Perfect　balance。〃　She　turned　back　to　Kohler。　〃Director；　science　claims　the　same　thing　as　religion；　that　the　Big　Bang　created　everything　in　the　universe　with　an　opposite。〃
　〃Including　matter　itself；〃　Kohler　whispered；　as　if　to　himself。
　Vittoria　nodded。　〃And　when　my　father　ran　his　experiment；　sure　enough；　two　kinds　of　matter　appeared。〃
　Langdon　wondered　what　this　meant。　Leonardo　Vetra　created　matter's　opposite？　
　Kohler　looked　angry。　〃The　substance　you're　referring　to　only　exists　elsewhere　in　the　universe。　Certainly　not　on　earth。　And　possibly　not　even　in　our　galaxy！〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Vittoria　replied；　〃which　is　proof　that　the　particles　in　these　canisters　had　to　be　created。〃
　Kohler's　face　hardened。　〃Vittoria；　surely　you　can't　be　saying　those　canisters　contain　actual　specimens？〃
　〃I　am。〃　She　gazed　proudly　at　the　canisters。　〃Director；　you　are　looking　at　the　world's　first　specimens　of　antimatter。〃
　
　20

　Phase　two；　the　Hassassin　thought；　striding　into　the　darkened　tunnel。　
　The　torch　in　his　hand　was　overkill。　He　knew　that。　But　it　was　for　effect。　Effect　was　everything。　Fear；　he　had　learned；　was　his　ally。　Fear　cripples　faster　than　any　implement　of　war。　
　There　was　no　mirror　in　the　passage　to　admire　his　disguise；　but　he　could　sense　from　the　shadow　of　his　billowing　robe　that　he　was　perfect。　Blending　in　was　part　of　the　plan　。　。　。　part　of　the　depravity　of　the　plot。　In　his　wildest　dreams　he　had　never　imagined　playing　this　part。
　Two　weeks　ago；　he　would　have　considered　the　task　awaiting　him　at　the　far　end　of　this　tunnel　impossible。　A　suicide　mission。　Walking　naked　into　a　lion's　lair。　But　Janus　had　changed　the　definition　of　impossible。
　The　secrets　Janus　had　shared　with　the　Hassassin　in　the　last　two　weeks　had　been　numerous　。　。　。　this　very　tunnel　being　one　of　them。　Ancient；　and　yet　still　perfectly　passable。
　As　he　drew　closer　to　his　enemy；　the　Hassassin　wondered　if　what　awaited　him　inside　would　be　as　easy　as　Janus　had　promised。　Janus　had　assured　him　someone　on　the　inside　would　make　the　necessary　arrangements。　Someone　on　the　inside。　Incredible。　The　more　he　considered　it；　the　more　he　realized　it　was　child's　play。
　Wahad　。　。　。　tintain　。　。　。　thalatha　。　。　。　arbaa；　he　said　to　himself　in　Arabic　as　he　neared　the　end。　One　。　。　。　two　。　。　。　three　。　。　。　four　。　。　。　
　21

　I　sense　you've　heard　of　antimatter；　Mr。　Langdon？〃　Vittoria　was　studying　him；　her　dark　skin　in　stark　contrast　to　the　white　lab。
　Langdon　looked　up。　He　felt　suddenly　dumb。　〃Yes。　Well　。　。　。　sort　of。〃
　A　faint　smile　crossed　her　lips。　〃You　watch　Star　Trek。〃
　Langdon　flushed。　〃Well；　my　students　enjoy　。　。　。〃　He　frowned。　〃Isn't　antimatter　what　fuels　the　U。S。S。　Enterprise？〃
　She　nodded。　〃Good　science　fiction　has　its　roots　in　good　science。〃
　〃So　antimatter　is　real？〃　
　〃A　fact　of　nature。　Everything　has　an　opposite。　Protons　have　electrons。　Up…quarks　have　down…quarks。　There　is　a　cosmic　symmetry　at　the　subatomic　level。　Antimatter　is　yin　to　matter's　yang。　It　balances　the　physical　equation。〃
　Langdon　thought　of　Galileo's　belief　of　duality。
　〃Scientists　have　known　since　1918；〃　Vittoria　said；　〃that　two　kinds　of　matter　were　created　in　the　Big　Bang。　One　matter　is　the　kind　we　see　here　on　earth；　making　up　rocks；　trees；　people。　The　other　is　its　inverse…identical　to　matter　in　all　respects　except　that　the　charges　of　its　particles　are　reversed。〃
　Kohler　spoke　as　though　emerging　from　a　fog。　His　voice　sounded　suddenly　precarious。　〃But　there　are　enormous　technological　barriers　to　actually　storing　antimatter。　What　about　neutralization？〃
　〃My　father　built　a　reverse　polarity　vacuum　to　pull　the　antimatter　positrons　out　of　the　accelerator　before　they　could　decay。〃
　Kohler　scowled。　〃But　a　vacuum　would　pull　out　th