mc.theandromedastrein-第37节

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ven　worse。　Light　rays　are　fantastically　expensive　to　generate。　Even　if　one　learned　a　way　to　detonate　whole　stars；　to　explode　a　sun　as　a　kind　of　signal；　it　would　be　costly。
　　　〃Besides　expense；　all　these　methods　suffer　the　traditional　drawback　to　any　radiation；　namely　decreasing　strength　with　distance。　A　light　bulb　may　be　unbearably　bright　at　ten　feet；　it　may　be　powerful　at　a　thousand　feet；　it　may　be　visible　at　ten　miles。　But　at　a　million　miles；　it　is　pletely　obscure；　because　radiant　energy　decreases　according　to　the　fourth　power　of　the　radius。　A　simple；　unbeatable　law　of　physics。
　　　〃So　you　do　not　use　physics　to　carry　your　signal。　You　use　biology。　You　create　a　munications　system　that　does　not　diminish　with　distance；　but　rather　remains　as　powerful　a　million　miles　away　as　it　was　at　the　source。
　　　〃In　short；　you　devise　an　organism　to　carry　your　message。　The　organism　would　be　self…replicating；　cheap；　and　could　be　produced　in　fantastic　numbers。　For　a　few　dollars；　you　could　produce　trillions　of　them；　and　send　them　off　in　all　directions　into　space。　They　would　be　tough；　hardy　bugs；　able　to　withstand　the　rigors　of　space；　and　they　would　grow　and　duplicate　and　divide。　Within　a　few　years；　there　would　be　countless　numbers　of　these　in　the　galaxy；　speeding　in　all　directions；　waiting　to　contact　life。
　　　〃And　when　they　did？　Each　single　organism　would　carry　the　potential　to　develop　into　a　full　organ；　or　a　full　organism。
　　　〃They　would；　upon　contacting　life；　begin　to　grow　into　a　plete　municating　mechanism。　It　is　like　spewing　out　a　billion　brain　cells；　each　capable　of　regrowing　a　plete　brain　under　the　proper　circumstances。　The　newly　grown　brain　would　then　speak　to　the　new　culture'　informing　it　of　the　presence　of　the　other；　and　announcing　ways　in　which　contact　might　be　made。〃
　
　　　Samuels's　theory　of　the　Messenger　Bug　was　considered　amusing　by　practical　scientists；　but　it　could　not　be　discounted　now。
　
　　　〃Do　you　suppose；〃　Stone　said；　〃that　it　is　already　developing　into　some　kind　of　organ　of　munication？〃
　　　〃Perhaps　the　cultures　will　tell　us　more；〃　Leavitt　said。
　　　〃Or　X…ray　crystallography；〃　Stone　said。　〃I'll　order　it　now。〃　
　
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　　　Level　V　had　facilities　for　X…ray　crystallography；　though　there　had　been　much　heated　discussion　during　Wildfire　planning　as　to　whether　such　facilities　were　necessary。　X…ray　crystallography　represented　the　most　advanced；　plex；　and　expensive　method　of　structural　analysis　in　modern　biology。　It　was　a　little　like　electron　microscopy；　but　one　step　further　along　the　line。　It　was　more　sensitive；　and　could　probe　deeper　but　only　at　great　cost　in　terms　of　time；　equipment；　and　personnel。
　
　　　The　biologist　R。　A。　Janek　has　said　that　increasing　vision　is　〃increasingly　expensive。〃　He　meant　by　this　that　any　machine　to　enable　men　to　see　finer　or　fainter　details　increased　in　cost　faster　than　it　increased　in　resolving　power。　This　hard　fact　of　research　was　discovered　first　by　the　astronomers；　who　learned　painfully　that　construction　of　a　two…hundred…inch　telescope　mirror　was　far　more　difficult　and　expensive　than　construction　of　a　one…hundred…inch　mirror。
　
　　　In　biology　this　was　equally　true。　A　light　microscope；　for　example；　was　a　small　device　easily　carried　by　a　technician　in　one　hand。　It　could　outline　a　cell；　and　for　this　ability　a　scientist　paid　about　1；000。
　
　　　An　electron　microscope　could　outline　small　structures　within　the　cell。　The　EM　was　a　large　console　and　cost　up　to　100；000。
　
　　　In　contrast；　X…ray　crystallography　could　outline　individual　molecules。　It　came　as　close　to　photographing　atoms　as　science　could　manage。　But　the　device　was　the　size　of　a　large　automobile；　filled　an　entire　room；　required　specially　trained　operators；　and　demanded　a　puter　for　interpretation　of　results。
　
　　　This　was　because　X…ray　crystallography　did　not　produce　a　direct　visual　picture　of　the　object　being　studied。。　It　was　not；　in　this　sense；　a　microscope；　and　it　operated　differently　from　either　the　light　or　electron　microscope。
　
　　　It　produced　a　diffraction　pattern　instead　of　an　image。　This　appeared　as　a　pattern　of　geometric　dots；　in　itself　rather　mysterious；　on　a　photographic　plate。　By　using　a　puter；　the　pattern　of　dots　could　be　analyzed　and　the　structure　deduced。
　
　　　It　was　a　relatively　new　science；　retaining　an　old…fashioned　name。　Crystals　were　seldom　used　any　more；　the　term　〃X　ray　crystallography〃　dated　from　the　days　when　crystals　were　chosen　as　test　objects。　Crystals　had　regular　structures　and　thus　the　pattern　of　dots　resulting　from　a　beam　of　X　rays　shot　at　a　crystal　were　easier　to　analyze。　But　in　recent　years　the　X　rays　had　been　shot　at　irregular　objects　of　varying　sorts。　The　X　rays　were　bounced　off　at　different　angles。　A　puter　could　〃read〃　the　photographic　plate　and　measure　the　angles；　and　from　this　work　back　to　the　shape　of　the　object　that　had　caused　such　a　reflection。
　
　　　The　puter　at　Wildfire　performed　the　endless　and　tedious　calculations。　All　this；　if　done　by　manual　human　calculation；　would　take　years；　perhaps　centuries。　But　the　puter　could　do　it　in　seconds。
　
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　　　〃How　are　you　feeling；　Mr。　Jackson？〃　Hall　asked。
　
　　　The　old　man　blinked　his　eyes　and　looked　at　Hall；　in　his　plastic　suit。
　
　　　〃All　right。　Not　the　best；　but　all　right。〃

　　　He　gave　a　wry　grin。
　
　　　〃Up　to　talking　a　little？〃
　　　〃About　what？
　　　〃Piedmont。〃　
　　　〃What　about　it？〃
　　　〃That　night；〃　Hall　said。　〃The　night　it　all　happened。〃
　　　〃Well；　I　tell　you。　I've　lived　in　Piedmont　all　my　life。　Traveled　a　bit　been　to　LA；　and　even　up　to　Frisco。　Went　as　far　east　as　St。　Louis；　which　was　far　enough　for　me。　But　Piedmont；　that's　where　I've　lived。　And　I　have　to　tell　you〃
　
　　　〃The　night　it　all　happened；〃　Hall　repeated。
　　　He　stopped；　and　turned　his　head　away。　〃I　don't　want　to　think　about　it；〃　he　said。
　　　〃You　have　to　think　about　it。〃
　　　〃No。〃　
　
　　　He　continued　to　look　away　for　a　moment；　and　then　turned　back　to　Hall。　〃They　all　died；　did　they？〃
　
　　　〃Not　all。　One　other　survived。　〃　He　nodded　to　the　crib　next　to　Jackson。
　　　Jackson　peered　over　at　the　bundle　of　blankets。　〃Who's　that？　〃
　　　〃A　baby。〃
　　　〃Baby？　Must　be　the　Ritter　child。　Jamie　Ritter。　Real　young；　is　it？〃
　　　〃About　two　months。〃
　　　〃Yep。　That's　him。　A　real　little　heller。　Just　like　the　old　man。　Old　Ritter　likes　to　kick　up　a　storm；　and　his　kid's　the　same　way。　Squalling　morning；　noon；　and　night。　Family　couldn't　keep　the　windas　open；　on　account　of　the　squalling。
　
　　　〃Is　there　anything　else　unusual　about　Jamie？〃
　　　〃Nope。　Healthy　as　a　water　buffalo；　except　he　squalls。　I　remember　he　was　squalling　like　the　dickens　that　night。
　　　Hall　said；　〃What　night？〃
　　　〃The　night　Charley　Thomas　brought　the　damned　thing　in。　We　all　seen　it；　of　course。　It　came　down　like　one　of　them　shooting　stars；　all　glowing；　and　landed　just　to　the　north。　Everybody　was　excited；　and　Charley　Thomas　went　off　to　get　it。　Came　back　about　twenty　minutes　later　with　the　thing　in　the　back　of　his　Ford　station　wagon。　Brand…new　wagon。　He's　real　proud　of　it。〃　
　　　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　　　〃Well；　we　all　gathered　around；　looking　at　it。　Reckoned　it　must　be　one　of　those　space　things。　Annie　figured　it　was　from　Mars；　but　you　know　how　Annie　is。　Lets　her　mind　carry　her　off；　at　times。　The　rest　of　us；　we　didn't　feel　it　was　no　Martian　thing；　we　just　figured　it　was　something　sent　up　from　Cape　Canaveral。　You　know；　that　place　in　Florida　where　they　shoot　the　rockets？〃
　　　〃Yes。　Go　on。〃
　　　〃So；　once　we　figured　that　out　good　and　proper；　we　didn't　know　what　to　do。　Nothing　like　that　ever　happened　in　Piedmont；　you　know。　I　mean；　once　we　had　that　tourist　with　the　gun；　shot　up　the　anche　Chief　motel；　but　that　was　back　in　'48　and　besides；　he　was　just　a　GI　had　a　little　too　much　to　drink；　and　there　were　exterminating　circumstances。　His　gal　run　out　on　him　while　he　was　in　Germany　or　some　damn　place。　Nobody　gave　him　a　bad　time；　we　understood　how　it　was。　But　nothing　happened　since；　really。　Quiet　town。　That's　why　we　like　it；　I　reckon。〃
　　　〃What　did　you　do　with　the　capsule？〃
　　　〃Well；　we　didn't　know　what　to　do　with　it。　Al；　he　said　open　'er　up；　but　we　didn't　figure　that　was　right；　especially　since　it　might　have　some　scientific　stuff　inside；　so　we　thought　awhile。　And　then　Charley；　who　got　it　in　the　first　place；　Charley　says；　let's　give　it　to　Doc。　That's　Doc　Benedict。　He's　the　town　doctor。　Actually；　he　takes　care　of　everybody　around；　even　the　Indians。　But　he's　a　good　fella　anyhow；　and　he's　been　to　lots　of　schools。　Got　these　degrees　on　the　walls？　Well；　we　figured　Doc　Benedict　would　know　what　to　do　with　the　thing。　So　we　brought　it　to　him。
　　　〃And　then？〃
　　　〃Old　Doc　Benedict；　he's　not　so　old　actually；　he　looks　'er　over　real　careful；　like　it　was　his　patient；　and　then　he　allows　as　how　it　might　be　a　thing　from　space；　and　it　might　be　one　of　ours；　or　it　might　be　one　of　theirs。　And　he　says　he'll　take　care　of　it；　and　maybe　make　a　few　phone　calls；　and　let　everybody　know　in　a　few　hours。　See；　Doc　always　played　poker　Monday　nights　with　Charley　and　Al　and　Herb　Johnstone；　over　at　Herb's　place；　and　we　figured　that　he'd　spread　the　word　around　then。　Besides；　it　was　getting　on　suppertime　and　most　of　us　were　a　bit　hungry；　so　we　all　kind　of　left　it　with　Doc。〃
　　　〃When　was　that？〃
　　　〃Bout　seven…th