mc.prey-第25节

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tion　better。〃　Having　watched　Julia's　demo　tape；　I　was　immensely　curious　to　see　what　he　showed　me　next。　Because　many　people　I　respected　thought　molecular　manufacturing　was　impossible。　One　of　the　major　theoretical　objections　was　the　time　it　would　take　to　build　a　working　molecule。　To　work　at　all；　the　nanoassembly　line　would　have　to　be　far　more　efficient　than　anything　previously　known　in　human　manufacturing。　Basically；　all　man…made　assembly　lines　ran　at　roughly　the　same　speed：　they　could　add　one　part　per　second。　An　automobile；　for　example；　had　a　few　thousand　parts。　You　could　build　a　car　in　a　matter　of　hours。　A　mercial　aircraft　had　six　million　parts；　and　took　several　months　to　build。
　But　a　typical　manufactured　molecule　consisted　of　1025　parts。　That　was　10；000；000；000；000；000；000；000；000　parts。　As　a　practical　matter；　this　number　was　unimaginably　large。　The　human　brain　couldn't　prehend　it。　But　calculations　showed　that　even　if　you　could　assemble　at　the　rate　of　a　million　parts　per　second；　the　time　to　plete　one　molecule　would　still　be　3；000　trillion　years…longer　than　the　known　age　of　the　universe。　And　that　was　a　problem。　It　was　known　as　the　build…time　problem。
　I　said　to　Ricky；　〃If　you're　doing　industrial　manufacturing　。。。〃
　〃We　are。〃
　〃Then　you　must　have　solved　the　build…time　problem。〃
　〃We　have。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃Just　wait。〃
　Most　scientists　assumed　this　problem　would　be　solved　by　building　from　larger　subunits；　molecular　fragments　consisting　of　billions　of　atoms。　That　would　cut　the　assembly　time　down　to　a　couple　of　years。　Then；　with　partial　self…assembly；　you　might　get　the　time　down　to　several　hours；　perhaps　even　one　hour。　But　even　with　further　refinements；　it　remained　a　theoretical　challenge　to　produce　mercial　quantities　of　product。　Because　the　goal　was　not　to　manufacture　a　single　molecule　in　an　hour。　The　goal　was　to　manufacture　several　pounds　of　molecules　in　an　hour。　No　one　had　ever　figured　out　how　to　do　that。
　We　passed　a　couple　of　laboratories；　including　one　that　looked　like　a　standard　microbiology　lab；　or　a　genetics　lab。　I　saw　Mae　standing　in　that　lab；　puttering　around。　I　started　to　ask　Ricky　why　he　had　a　microbiology　lab　here；　but　he　brushed　my　question　aside。　He　was　impatient　now；　in　a　hurry。　I　saw　him　glance　at　his　watch。　Directly　ahead　was　a　final　glass　airlock。　Stenciled　on　the　glass　door　was　MicroFabrication。　Ricky　waved　me　in。　〃One　at　a　time；〃　he　said。　〃That's　all　the　system　allows。〃
　I　stepped　in。　The　doors　hissed　shut　behind　me；　the　pressure　pads　again　thunking　shut。　Another　blast　of　air：　from　below；　from　the　sides；　from　above。　By　now　I　was　getting　used　to　it。　The　second　door　opened；　and　I　walked　forward　down　another　short　corridor；　opening　into　a　large　room　beyond。　I　saw　bright；　shining　white　light…so　bright　it　hurt　my　eyes。　Ricky　came　after　me；　talking　as　we　walked；　but　I　don't　remember　what　he　said。　I　couldn't　focus　on　his　words。　I　just　stared。　Because　by　now　I　was　inside　the　main　fab　building…a　huge　windowless　space；　like　a　giant　hangar　three　stories　high。　And　within　this　hangar　stood　a　structure　of　immense　plexity　that　seemed　to　hang　in　midair；　glowing　like　a　jewel。
　　
　DAY　6　
　9：12　A。M。
　At　first；　it　was　hard　to　understand　what　I　was　seeing…it　looked　like　an　enormous　glowing　octopus　rising　above　me；　with　glinting；　faceted　arms　extending　outward　in　all　directions；　throwing　plex　reflections　and　bands　of　color　onto　the　outer　walls。　Except　this　octopus　had　multiple　layers　of　arms。　One　layer　was　low；　just　a　foot　above　the　floor。　A　second　was　at　chest…level；　the　third　and　fourth　layers　were　higher；　above　my　head。　And　they　all　glowed；　sparkled　brilliantly。
　I　blinked；　dazzled。　I　began　to　make　out　the　details。　The　octopus　was　contained　within　an　irregular　three…story　framework　built　entirely　of　modular　glass　cubes。　Floors；　walls；　ceilings；　staircases…everything　was　cubes。　But　the　arrangement　was　haphazard；　as　if　someone　had　dumped　a　mound　of　giant　transparent　sugar　cubes　in　the　center　of　the　room。　Within　this　cluster　of　cubes　the　arms　of　the　octopus　snaked　off　in　all　directions。　The　whole　thing　was　held　up　by　a　web　of　black　anodized　struts　and　connectors；　but　they　were　obscured　by　the　reflections；　which　is　why　the　octopus　seemed　to　hang　in　midair。
　Ricky　grinned。　〃Convergent　assembly。　The　architecture　is　fractal。　Neat；　huh？〃　I　nodded　slowly。　I　was　seeing　more　details。　What　I　had　seen　as　an　octopus　was　actually　a　branching　tree　structure。　A　central　square　conduit　ran　vertically　through　the　center　of　the　room；　with　smaller　pipes　branching　off　on　all　sides。　From　these　branches；　even　smaller　pipes　branched　off　in　turn；　and　smaller　ones　still。　The　smallest　of　the　pipes　were　pencil…thin。　Everything　gleamed　as　if　it　were　mirrored。
　〃Why　is　it　so　bright？〃
　〃The　glass　has　diamondoid　coating；〃　he　said。　〃At　the　molecular　level；　glass　is　like　Swiss　cheese；　full　of　holes。　And　of　course　it's　a　liquid；　so　atoms　just　pass　right　through　it。〃
　〃So　you　coat　the　glass。〃
　〃Right。　Have　to。〃
　Within　this　shining　forest　of　branching　glass；　David　and　Rosie　moved；　making　notes；　adjusting　valves；　consulting　handheld　puters。　I　understood　that　I　was　looking　at　a　massively　parallel　assembly　line。　Small　fragments　of　molecules　were　introduced　into　the　smallest　pipes；　and　atoms　were　added　to　them。　When　that　was　finished；　they　moved　into　the　next　largest　pipes；　where　more　atoms　were　added。　In　this　way；　molecules　moved　progressively　toward　the　center　of　the　structure；　until　assembly　was　pleted；　and　they　were　discharged　into　the　central　pipe。　〃Exactly　right；〃　Ricky　said。　〃This　is　just　the　same　as　an　automobile　assembly　line；　except　that　it's　on　a　molecular　scale。　Molecules　start　at　the　ends；　and　e　down　the　line　to　the　center。　We　stick　on　a　protein　sequence　here；　a　methyl　group　there；　just　the　way　they　stick　doors　and　wheels　on　a　car。　At　the　end　of　the　line；　off　rolls　a　new；　custom…made　molecular　structure。　Built　to　our　specifications。〃
　〃And　the　different　arms？〃
　〃Make　different　molecules。　That's　why　the　arms　look　different。〃　In　several　places；　the　octopus　arm　passed　through　a　steel　tunnel　reinforced　with　heavy　bolts；　for　vacuum　ducting。　In　other　places；　a　cube　was　covered　with　quilted　silver　insulation；　and　I　saw　liquid　nitrogen　tanks　nearby；　extremely　low　temperatures　were　generated　in　that　section。
　〃Those're　our　cryogenic　rooms；〃　Ricky　said。　〃We　don't　go　very　low；　maybe　…70　Centigrade；　max。　e　on；　I'll　show　you。〃　He　led　me　through　the　plex；　following　glass　walkways　that　threaded　among　the　arms。　In　some　places；　a　short　staircase　enabled　us　to　step　over　the　lowest　arms。
　Ricky　chatted　continuously　about　technical　details：　vacuum…jacketed　hoses；　metal　phase　separators；　globe　check　valves。　When　we　reached　the　insulated　cube；　he　opened　the　heavy　door　to　reveal　a　small　room；　with　a　second　room　adjacent。　It　looked　like　a　pair　of　meat　lockers。　Small　glass　windows　were　set　in　each　door。　At　the　moment；　everything　was　at　room　temperature。　〃You　can　have　two　different　temps　here；〃　he　said。　〃Run　one　from　the　other；　if　you　want；　but　it's　usually　automated。〃
　Ricky　led　me　back　outside；　glancing　at　his　watch　as　he　did　so。　I　said；　〃Are　we　late　for　an　appointment？〃
　〃What？　No；　no。　Nothing　like　that。〃　Nearby　two　cubes　were　actually　solid　metal　rooms；　with　thick　electrical　cables　running　inside。　I　said；　〃Those　your　magnet　rooms？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ricky　said。　〃We've　got　pulsed　field　magnets　generating　33　Tesla　in　the　core。　That's　something　like　a　million　times　the　magnetic　field　of　the　earth。〃　With　a　grunt；　he　pushed　open　the　steel　door　to　the　nearest　magnet　room。　I　saw　a　large　doughnut…shaped　object；　about　six　feet　in　diameter；　with　a　hole　in　the　center　about　an　inch　wide。　The　doughnut　was　pletely　encased　in　tubing　and　plastic　insulation。　Heavy　steel　bolts　running　from　top　to　bottom　held　the　jacketing　in　place。
　〃Lot　of　cooling　for　this　puppy；　I　can　tell　you。　And　a　lot　of　power：　fifteen　kilovolts。　Takes　a　full…minute　load　time　for　the　capacitors。　And　of　course　we　can　only　pulse　it。　If　we　turned　it　on　continuously；　it'd　explode…ripped　apart　by　the　field　it　generates。〃　He　pointed　to　the　base　of　the　magnet；　where　there　was　a　round　push　button　at　knee　level。　〃That's　the　safety　cutoff　there；〃　he　said。　〃Just　in　case。　Hit　it　with　your　knee　if　your　hands　are　full。〃
　I　said；　〃So　you　use　high　magnetic　fields　to　do　part　of　your　assemb…〃
　But　Ricky　had　already　turned　and　headed　out　the　door；　again　glancing　at　his　watch。　I　hurried　after　him。
　〃Ricky　。。。〃
　〃I　have　more　to　show　you；〃　he　said。　〃We're　getting　to　the　end。〃
　〃Ricky；　this　is　all　very　impressive；〃　I　said；　gesturing　to　the　glowing　arms。　〃But　most　of　your　assembly　line　is　running　at　room　temperature…no　vacuum；　no　cryo；　no　mag　field。〃
　〃Right。　No　special　conditions。〃
　〃How　is　that　possible？〃
　He　shrugged。　〃The　assemblers　don't　need　it。〃
　〃The　assemblers？〃　I　said。　〃Are　you　telling　me　you've　got　molecular　assemblers　on　this　line？〃
　〃Yes。　Of　course。〃
　〃Assemblers　are　doing　your　fabrication　for　you？〃
　〃Of　course。　I　thought　you　understood　that。〃
　〃No；　Ricky；〃　I　said；　〃I　didn't　understand　that　at　all。　And　I　don't　like　to　be　lied　to。〃
　He　got　a　wounded　look　on　his　face。　〃I'm　not　lying。〃
　But　I　was　certain　that　he　was。
　One　of　the　first　things　scientists　learned　about　m