deathworld-第28节

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　control。　He　pulled　himself　into　the　pilot's　seat。
　 The　altimeter　had　fed　information　to　the　autopilot；　leveling　the　boat　off　parallel　to　the　ground。　Like　all　lifeboat　controls　these　were　childishly　simple；　designed　to　be　used　by　novices　in　an　emergency。　The　autopilot　could　not　be　shut　off；　it　rode　along　with　the　manual　controls；　tempering　foolish　piloting。　Jason　hauled　the　control　wheel　into　a　tight　turn　and　the　autopilot　gentled　it　to　a　soft　curve。
　 Through　the　port；　he　could　see　the　big　ship　blaring　fire　in　a　much　tighter　turn。　Jason　didn't　know　who　was　flying　it　or　what　they　had　in　mind…he　took　no　chances。　Jamming　the　wheel　forward　into　a　dive；　he　cursed　as　they　eased　into　a　gentle　drop。　The　larger　ship　had　no　such　restrictions。　It　changed　course　with　a　violent　maneuver　and　dived　on　him。　The　forward　turret　fired　and　an　explosion　at　the　stern　rocked　the　little　boat。　This　either　knocked　out　the　autopilot　or　shocked　it　into　submission。　The　slow　drop　turned　into　a　power　dive　and　the　jungle　billowed　up。
　 Jason　pulled　the　wheel　back　into　his　gut　and　there　was　just　time　to　get　his　arms　in　front　of　his　face　before　they　hit。
　 Thundering　rockets　and　cracking　trees　ended　in　a　great　splash。　Silence　followed　and　the　smoke　drifted　away。　High　above；　the　spaceship　circled　hesitantly。　Dropping　a　bit　as　if　wanting　to　go　down　and　investigate。　Then　rising　again　as　the　urgent　message　for　aid　came　from　？he　city。　Loyalty　won　and　she　turned　and　spewed　fire　toward　home。
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　 Tree　branches　had　broken　~he　lifeboat's　fall；　the　bow　rockets　had　burned　out　in　emergency　blast；　and　the　swamp　had　cushioned　the　landing　a　bit。　It　was　still　a　crash。　The　battered　cylinder　sank　slowly　into　the　stagnant　water　and　thin　mud　of　the　swamp。　The　bow　was　well　under　before　Jason　managed　to　kick　open　the　emergency　hatch　in　the　waist。
　 There　was　no　way　of　knowing　how　long　it　would　take　for　the　boat　to　go　under；　and　Jason　was　in　no　condition　to　ponder　the　situation。　Battered　and　bloody；　he　had　just　enough　drive　left　to　get　himself　out。　Wading　and　falling；　he　made　his　way　to　firmer　land；　sitting　down　heavily　as　soon　as　he　found　something　that　would　support　him。
　 Behind　him；　the　lifeboat　burbled　and　sank　under　the　water。　Bubbles　of　trapped　air　kept　rising　for　awhile；　then　stopped。　The　water　stilled　and；　except　for　the　broken　branches　and　trees；　there　was　no　sign　that　a　ship　had　ever　e　this　way。
　 Insects　whined　across　the　swamp；　and　the　only　sound　that　broke　the　quiet　of　the　woods　beyond　was　the　cruel　scream　of　an　animal　pulling　down　its　dinner。　When　that　had　echoed　away　in　tiny　waves　of　sound　everything　was　silent。
　 Jason　pulled　himself　out　of　the　half　trance　with　an　effort。　His　body　felt　like　it　had　been　through　a　meat　grinder；　and　it　was　almost　impossible　to　think　with　the　fog　in　his　head。　After　minutes　of　deliberation；　he　figured　out　that　the　medikit　was　what　he　needed。　The　easy…off　snap　was　very　difficult　and　the　button　release　didn't　work。　He　finally　twisted　his　arm　around　until　it　was　under　the　orifice　and　pressed　the　entire　unit　down。　It　buzzed　industriously；　though　he　couldn't　feel　the　needles；　he　guessed　it　had　worked。　His　sight　spun　dizzily　for　awhile　then　cleared。　Pain…killers　went　to　work　and　he　slowly　came　out　of　the　dark　cloud　that　had　enveloped　his　brain　since　the　crash。
　 Reason　returned　and　loneliness　rode　along　with　it。　He　was　without　food；　friendless；　surrounded　by　the　hostile　forces　of　an　alien　planet。
　There　was　a　rising　panic　that　started　deep　inside　of　him；　that　took　concentrated　effort　to　hold　down。
　 〃Think　Jason；　don't　emote。〃　He　said　it　aloud　to　reassure　himself；　but　was　instantly　sorry；　because　his　voice　sounded　weak　in　the　emptiness；　with　a　ragged　edge　of　hysteria　to　it。　Something　caught　in　his　throat　and　he　coughed　to　clear　it；　spitting　out　blood。　Looking　at　the　red　stain；　he　was　suddenly　angry。　Hating　this　deadly　planet　and　the　incredible　stupidity　of　the　people　who　lived　on　it。　Cursing　out　loud　was　better　and　his　voice　didn't　sound　as　weak　now。　He　ended　up　shouting　and　shaking　his　fist　at　nothing　in　particular；　but　it　helped。　The　anger　washed　away　the　fear　and　brought　him　back　to　reality。
　 Sitting　on　the　ground　felt　good　now。　The　sun　was　warm　and　when　he　leaned　back　he　could　almost　forget　the　unending　burden　of　doubled　gravity。　Anger　had　carried　away　fear；　rest　erased　fatigue。　From　somewhere　in　the　back　of　his　mind；　there　popped　up　the　old　platitude：
　Where　there's　life；　there's　hope。　He　grimaced　at　the　triteness　of　the　words；　at　the　same　time　realizing　that　a　basic　truth　lurked　there。
　 Count　his　assets。　Well　battered；　but　still　alive。　None　of　the　bruises　seemed　very　important；　and　no　bones　were　broken。　His　gun　was　still　working；　it　dipped　in　and　out　of　the　power　holster　as　he　thought　about
　it。　Pyrrans　made　rugged　equipment。　The　medikit　was　operating　as　well。　If　he　kept　his　senses；　managed　to　walk　in　a　fairly　straight　line　and　could　live　off　the　land；　there　was　a　fair　chance　he　might　make　it　back　to　the　city。　What　kind　of　a　reception　would　be　waiting　for　him　there　was　a　different　matter　altogether。　He　would　find　that　out　after　he　arrived。　Getting　there　had　first　priority。
　 On　the　debit　side　there　stood　the　planet　Pyrrus。　Strength…sapping　gravity；　murderous　weather；　and　violent　animals。　Could　he　survive？　As　if　to　add　emphasis　to　his　thoughts；　the　sky　darkened　over　and　rain　hissed　into　the　forest；　marching　toward　him。　Jason　scrambled　to　his　feet　and　took　a　bearing　before　the　rain　closed　down　visibility。　A　jagged　chain　of　mountains　stood　dimly　on　the　horizons；　he　remembered　crossing　them　on　the　flight　out。　They　would　do　as　a　first　goal。　After　he　had　reached　them；　he　would　worry　about　the　next　leg　of　the　journey。
　 Leaves　and　dirt　flew　before　the　wind　in　quick　gusts；　then　the　rain　washed　over　him。　Soaked；　chilled；　already　bone…tired；　he　pitted　the　tottering　strength　of　his　legs　against　the　planet　of　death。
　 When　nightfall　came；　it　was　still　raining。　There　was　no　way　of　being　sure　of　the　direction；　and　no　point　in　going　on。　If　that　wasn't　enough；　Jason　was　on　the　ragged　edge　of　exhaustion。　It　was　going　to　be　a　wet　night。　All　the　trees　were　thick…boled　and　slippery；　he　couldn't　have　climbed　them　on　a　one…G　world。　The　sheltered　spots　that　he　investi
　gated；　under　fallen　trees　and　beneath　thick　bushes；　were　just　as　wet　as　the　rest　of　the　forest。　In　the　end　he　curled　up　on　the　leeward　side　of　a　tree；　and　fell　asleep；　shivering；　with　the　water　drippjng　off　him。
　 The　rain　stopped　around　midnight　and　the　temperature　fell　sharply。　Jason　woke　sluggishly　from　a　dream　in　which　he　was　being　frozen　to　death；　to　find　it　was　almost　true。　Fine　snow　was　sifting　through　the　trees；　powdering　the　ground　and　drifting　against　him。　The　cold　bit　into　his　flesh；　and　when　he　sneezed　it　hurt　his　chest。　His　aching　and　numb　body　only　wanted　rest；　Jut　the　spark　of　reason　that　remained　in　him　forced　him　to　his　feet。　If　he　lay　down　now　he　would　die。　Holding　one　hand　against　the　tree　so　he　wouldn't　fall；　he　began　to　trudge　around　it。　Step　after　shuffling　step；　around　and　around；　until　the　terrible　cold　eased　a　bit　and　he　could　stop　shivering。　Fatigue　crawled　up　him　like　a　muffling；　grey　blanket。　He　kept　on　walking；　half　the　time　with　his　eyes　closed；　opening　them　only　when　he　fell　and　had　to　climb　painfully　to　his　feet　again。
　 The　sun　burned　away　the　snow　clouds　at　dawn。　Jason　leaned　against　his　tree　and　blinked　up　at　the　sky　with　sore　eyes。　The　ground　was　white　in　all　directions；　except　around　tie　tree　where　his　stumbling　feet　had　churned　a　circle　of　black　mud。　His　back　against　the　smooth　trunk；　Jason　sank　slowly　down　to　the　ground；　letting　the　sun　soak　into　him。
　 Exhaustion　had　him　light…headed；　and　his　lips　were　cracked　from　thirst。　Almost　continuous　coughing　tore　at　his　chest　with　fingers　of　fire。　Though　the　sun　was　still　low；　it　was　hot　already；　burning　his　skin　dry。　Dry　and　hot。
　 It　wasn't　right。　This　thought　kept　nagging　at　his　brain　until　he　admitted　it。　Turned　it　over　and　over　and　looked　at　it　from　all　sides。　What　wasn't　right？　The　way　he　felt。
　 Pneumonia。　He　had　all　the　symptoms。
　 His　dry　lips　cracked　and　blood　moistened　them　when　he　smiled。　He　had　avoided　all　the　animal　perils　of　Pyrrus；　all　the　big　carnivores　and　poisonous　reptiles；　only　to　be　laid　low　by　the　smallest　beast　of　them　all。　Well；　he　had　the　remedy　for　this　one　too。　Rolling　up　his　sleeve　with　shaking　fingers；　he　pressed　the　mouth　of　the　medikit　to　his　bare　arm。　It　clicked　and　began　to　drone　an　angry　whine。　That　meant　something；　he　knew；　but　he　just　couldn't　remember　what。　Holding　it　up　he　saw　that　one　of　the　hypodermics　was　projecting　halfway　from　its　socket。　Of　course。　It　was　empty　of　whatever　antibiotic　the　analyzer　had　called　for。　It　needed　refilling。
　 Jason　hurled　the　thing　away　with　a　curse；　and　it　splashed　into　a　poo1　and　was　gone。　End　of　medicine；　end　of　medikit；　end　of　Jason　dinAlt。
　Singlehanded　battler　against　the　perils　of　deathworld。　Stronghearted　stranger　who　could　do　as　well　as　the　natives。　It　had　taken　him　all　of　one　day　on　his　own　to　get　his　death　warrant　signed。
　 A　choking　growl　echoed　behind　him。　He　turned；　dropped　and　fired　in　the　same　motion。　It　was　all　over　before　his　conscious　mind　was　aware　it　had　happened。　Pyrran　t