rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第5节

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　〃I'm　in。〃
　Rock　sighed；　〃Look　Rona；　there　probably　isn't　a　mission　at　all。　I　assume　you're　familiar　by　now　with　the　events　of　the　past　few　days；　our　visitor　from　Eden？〃
　She　nodded。
　〃Well；　Danik　doesn't　remember　enough　to　lead　us　anywhere。　And　even　if　he　did；　unless　we　figure　out　some　way　to　get　through　a　thousand　miles　of　waist…high　snow　and　subzero　temperatures　…　even　these　men；　all　veterans　of　the　Alaska　mission　…　won't　be　able　to　do　a　thing。〃
　Before　the　argument　died　down；　Danik　came　in　on　schedule　and　seated　himself。　After　introductions；　Danik　told　of　his　new　recollections。　They　were　sketchy。　Danik　couldn't　trace　his　course　on　the　map　Rockson　had　spread　on　the　table。　There　was　no　need　for　such　maps　in　Eden。　He　did　remember　some　landmarks　along　the　route　he　had　taken　from　Eden。　The　team　eagerly　listened　to　these　recollections。
　〃I　remember　we　crossed　a　river　…　a　shallow　thing　that　my　friend　Run　Dutil　said　was　the　Rio　Grande。　Then　the　next　thing　I　recall；　two　days　later；　are　some　odd…shaped　rocks　…　about　fifty　feet　high。　Carved　by　the　surface　winds；　I　suppose。　One　looked　like　a　whale　…　I've　seen　your　pictures　of　whales。〃
　〃Does　that　formation　ring　any　bells？〃　Rock　asked。
　No　one　was　familiar　with　it。
　〃Anything　else？〃　the　Doomsday　Warrior　asked。
　Danik　offered　him　some　scattered　bizarre　landmarks；　descriptions　of　the　places　he　and　his　friends　had　taken　shelter　on　their　trek：　a　five…story…tall　teepee…shaped　souvenir　store　and　restaurant；　abandoned　no　doubt　in　the　first　few　days　after　the　1989　war。　There；　two　of　his　friends；　Sysin　Print　and　File　Format；　had　died；　he　didn't　know　of　what。　Perhaps　of　a　bination　of　the　cold　and　lack　of　food。
　Scheransky　asked；　〃What　is　the　derivation　of　your　friends'　names？　It　sounds　like　puter　talk。〃
　〃Most　of　us　in　Eden；　those　that　don't　have　a　famous　family　name；　are　named　by　puter　at　our　first　birthday。　The　names　are　the　result　of　a　registrar　picking　the　keys　of　the　birth　registry　puter　at　random；　until　a　systems　message　is　printed。　That　bees　the　child's　name。〃
　〃Please　go　on；〃　Rath　said；　〃and　no　more　interruptions。〃
　Danik　related　that　the　rest　of　the　desperate　party　of　Edenites　had　gone　on；　hopefully　straight　north；　and　reached　an　immense；　beautifully　arched；　perfectly　preserved　stone　bridge　going　nowhere；　sitting　in　a　shallow　desert　lake。　There；　two　more　friends　of　Danik's　pany　had　expired　as　they　all　huddled　together　for　warmth　in　an　old　concrete…slab　pile。　The　dead　were　entombed　behind　a　loose　foundation　stone　in　the　bridge。　The　temperature　had　dropped　from　that　day　onward。　On　the　last　leg　of　the　journey　to　Colorado；　Danik　and　his　last　surviving　panion；　Run　Dutil；　had　tried　to　make　notes　and　measurements　of　their　course；　using　a　toy　pass　Run　Dutil　had　found　in　a　collapsed　building　near　the　strange　stone　bridge。
　The　snows　kept　falling；　and　they　found　shelter。　Dutil　had　died　in　a　strange　building　filled　with　plastic　statues　of　Presidents　of　the　United　States。
　〃That's　all　I　can　recollect。〃　Danik　ended。　〃If　I　had　only　taken　that　notebook　of　Dutil's　out　of　his　dead　frozen　hand　…　but　I　didn't。　I　didn't　even　bury　him；　I　…　I　left　him　sitting　there。　I　was。。。　so　weak。　I　can't　give　you　a　clue　as　to　where　that　strange　building　with　plastic　Presidents　is。〃
　At　the　mention　of　the　last　odd　sight。　Rona　shouted　out；　〃I　think　I　know　the　place　he　means　…　it's　the　Presidential　Museum　outside　of　Colorado　Springs。　Once；　years　ago；　when　I　was　a　teenager；　I　went　there　with　a　scouting　team。　We　were　looking　for　signs　of　a　new　Soviet…made　road…and　found　it　too…blew　it　to　hell。　But　anyway；　we　came　across　this　old　building　half　collapsed。　We　went　inside　and　there　was　a　plastic　JFK　in　his　rocker；　and　a　glass　case　containing　plastic　statues　of　the　three　men　who　made　the　first　Moon　trip…Armstrong；　Aldrin；　and　Conrad。〃
　〃That's　it；〃　Danik　said；　elated。　〃You're　right。　There　were　those　astronaut　statues　too。〃
　〃Great；〃　exclaimed　Rath；　〃So；　Rockson；　we　can　get　your　attack　team　to　Colorado　Springs　…　a　mere　two　days'　journey。　Then　the　notebook　can　steer　you　on　the　rest　of　the　way。〃
　Rockson　was　only　somewhat　encouraged。　〃If　the　notebook　is　still　there；　and　if　Dutil's　scribblings　…　he　didn't　have　any　training　in　direction　finding　…　make　sense。　Two　big　ifs；　Rath。〃
　Rona　reached　across　the　table　to　touch　the　cold　thin　hands　of　the　stranger。　She　smiled　warmly；　asked。　〃Mr。　Dutil；　is　there　anything　else；　anything　at　all？〃
　Dutil　spewed　out　a　few　other　descriptions　of　the　trek　…　just　terrain　descriptions。　Crumbling　cliffs；　a　twisting　canyon　of　sandstone。
　Rock　couldn't　hazard　a　guess　at　Danik's　route。　Unless　Danik　remembered　where　he'd　started　out　from；　as　a　reference　point；　they　hadn't　much　to　go　on。　And　if　he　knew　that；　they'd　be　busying　themselves　to　get　there。
　〃I　agree；　we　go　to　the　President's　museum　and　then　look　for　the　notebook；〃　Rock　said。　〃We'll　at　least　give　Run　Dutil　a　decent　burial；　if　the　animals　haven't　had　him　by　now。　If　the　notebook　has　anything　useful　in　it　we　can　proceed　from　there。　But　I　need　some　ideas　for　travel　in　this　damned　weather。〃
　〃I　know　a　way　for　us　to　get　to　the　President　museum；　and　to　get　all　the　way　to　Eden；　despite　the　snow；〃　Rona　stated　firmly。
　〃How？〃
　〃Uh…uh。　First　you　promise　to　take　me　if　I　have　a　way　for　us　to　get　there；　then　I　tell　you。　Agreed？〃
　Rockson　wanted　to　know　her　idea。　He　said；　〃Agreed。〃
　Rona　told　him　〃Dogs。　We　make　sleds　and　use　dogs　just　like　you　did　in　Alaska。〃
　〃Rona；　there　are　no　dogs　here　in　Century　City。〃
　　〃Yes；　there　are。　You　remember　those　snow…wolf　pups　that　were　a　gift　of　the　New　Omicron　City　Council　upon　your　safe　return　from　the　Alaskan　mission？〃
　〃Yeah　…　some　gift。　They　near　took　one　of　my　fingers　off　…　you　can　still　see　the　stitches。　I　sent　them　down　to　the　kennel　area　for　study。　Haven't　heard　a　thing　…〃
　〃They're　all　grown　up；　and　since　they　never　lived　in　the　wild；　they're　mellowed。　They're　positively　almost　like　dogs。　Still　a　bit　wild　…　they　have　three　rows　of　teeth　…　but　I　think　they　might　do　handily　to　pull　sleds。　They　have　lot　of　spirit；　anyway。　Maybe。。。〃
　〃Hmmm。　Maybe　won't　do　…　besides；　they　would　be　only　one　year　old　now。〃
　Rona　was　undaunted。　〃I　went　to　see　them　this　morning。　They're　really　big；　Rock。　You　should　see　them。　Kathleen　down　in　Breeding　said　they're　training　well；　they　heel　and　sit　and　give　you　their　paw　and　everything。　And　there's　only　been　a　few　…　well；　accidents。。。〃
　〃Accidents？〃
　〃Well；　they　nipped　a　few　of　Conyer's　fingers　off。　But　that's　because　he　had　the　smell　of　some　meat　he　was　feeding　them　earlier　on　his　fingers。〃
　〃Great。　Forget　it；　Rona。　Any　other　ideas　on　how　to　beat　the　snow？〃
　〃How　about　getting　some　skis　and　skiing　to　Mexico？〃　McCaughlin　suggested。　〃Course。　I　don't　ski　so　well。　It　was　okay　to　have　skis　on　when　hanging　on　to　a　dog　sled；　but　I　don't　think　I　personally　could　manage　such　a　trek　on　skis。〃
　Detroit　said　they　could　never　ski　a　thousand…plus　miles　either。　Archer　shrugged。　He　took　off　his　floppy　hat；　because　it　was　warm　in　the　room。　Danik；　who　had　never　seen　Archer's　remodeled　forehead；　gasped。
　McCaughlin　smiled。　〃Don't　be　alarmed；　Danik。　Archer　had　some　crystals　implanted　up　there　in　his　head。　On　our　mission　north　last　year；　some　hairy　things　smashed　an　ax　down　on　his　skull　and　did　some　damage。　We　took　Archer　to　an　advanced　Eskimo　hospital；　and　they　patched　him　up　real　funny。　The　crystals　that　fill　that　gap　in　his　skull　look　pretty；　and　they　spark　blue　and　red　whenever　Archer　tries　to　think　too　profound　…　ain't　that　right；　partner？〃
　Archer　sort　of　growled　something；　and　his　beard　of　tangled　black　moved　up　and　down　like　he　was　a　chewing　something　he　didn't　like。　He　put　his　hat　back　on。
　〃Any　other　ideas　on　how　to　trek　in　this　bad　weather？〃　Rock　asked；　getting　the　show　back　on　the　road。
　There　were　none；　except　snowshoe　trekking。　And　that　would　take　longer　than　walking。　Time　was　the　crucial　factor。
　Rock　sighed。　〃Let's　have　a　look　at　these　dogs；　Rona。　Lead　on。〃
　The　rest　of　the　Freefighter　team　went　over　maps　trying　to　find　the　landmarks　Danik　had　reported　seeing　on　the　way　north。　Rock　and　Rona　rode　the　elevator　down　to　X　level　and　entered　the　animal　breeding　area。　The　smell　of　cow　dung　and　hay　and　so　on　made　Rona　sneeze。　But　Rock　inhaled　deeply。　〃Ah；　just　a　country　boy　at　heart。〃
　〃Give　me　a　break；〃　Rona　said。　〃I　get　hay　fever。〃
　Breeding　Section　was　cavernous　carved…out　area　about　100　meters　by　90　meters；　with　a　high　arched　ceiling　that　sported　hundreds　of　full…spectrum　lights。　It　felt　sort　of　like　sunlight　on　the　skin。　The　baaing　of　sheep　and　the　mooing　of　cows　from　the　many　rough…hewn　wooden　stalls　attested　to　the　success　of　the　efforts　of　Dr。　Kathleen　McCullough　and　her　staff。
　McCullough；　wearing　a　white　lab　smock　over　her　rather　tubby　middle…aged　body　was　carrying　a　clipboard；　met　them　halfway　up　to　the　canine　area。　〃Hi。〃　she　smiled；　revealing　several　gold　fillings。　〃I　was　told　you　would　be　interested　in　seeing　our　wolf…dogs；　Rock。〃
　〃Rona　no　doubt　told　you　that。　I'm　skeptical。　But　lead　on。〃
　They　went　past　a　stall　containing　several　cows　nibbling　on　bales　of　hay。　〃Sweet；　aren't　they？　They're　of　a　black…and…white　milk　cow　called　the　Guernsey　…　or　the　rad…resistant　twenty…first　century　equivalent　anyway。　They　give　lot