deathworld-第12章

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　 〃Stellar　Transport；〃　Jason　told　her；　as　he　tried　the　lock　mechanism。　〃I've　heard　of　them　but　I've　never　seen　one。　They　were　built　during　the　last　wave　of　galactic　expansion。　Really　nothing　more　than　gigantic　metal　containers；　put　together　in　space。　After　they　were　loaded　with　people；　machinery　and　supplies；　they　would　be　towed　to　whatever　planetary　system　had　been　chosen。　These　same　tugs　and　one…shot　rockets　would　brake　the　S。T。's　in　for　a　landing。　Then　leave　them　there。　The　hull　was　a　ready　source　of　metal　and　the　colonists　could　start　right　in　building　their　new　world。　And　they　were　big。　All　of　them　held　at　least　fifty　thousand　people。〃
　 Only　after　he　said　it；　did　he　realize　the　significance　of　his　words。　Meta's　deadly　stare　drove　it　home。　There　were　now　less　people　on　Pyrrus　than　had　been　in　the　original　settlement。
　 And　human　population；　without　rigid　birth　controls；　usually　increased　geometrically。　Jason　remembered　Mete's　itchy　trigger　finger。
　 〃But　we　can't　be　sure　how　many　people　were　aboard　this　one；〃　he　said　hurriedly。　〃Or　even　if　this　is　the　log　of　the　ship　that　settled　Pyrrus。　Can　you　find　something　to　pry　this　open　…　with？　The　lock　is　corroded　into　a　single　lump。〃
　 Meta　took　her　anger　out　on　the　box。　Her　fingers　managed　to　force　a　gap　between　lid　and　bottom。　She　wrenched　at　it。　Rusty　metal　screeched　and　tore。　The　lid　came　off　in　her　hands　and　a　heavy　book　thudded　to　the　table。
　 The　cover　legend　destroyed　all　doubt。
　 LOG　OF　S。T。　POLLUX　VICTORY。　OUTWARD　BOUND…　SETANI　TO　PYRRUS。　55；000　SETfLERS　ABOARD。
　 Meta　couldn't　argue　now。　She　stood　behind　Jason　with　tight…clenched　fists　and　read　over　his　shoulder　as　he　turned　the　brittle；　yellowed　pages。　He　quickly　skipped　through　the　opening　part　that　covered　the　sailing　preparations　and　trip　out。　Only　when　he　had　reacled　the　actual　land…　ing　did　he　start　reading　slowly。　The　impact　of　the　ancient　words　leaped　out　at　him。
　 〃Here　it　is！〃　Jason　shouted。　〃Proof　positive　that　we're　on　the　right　trail。　Even　you　will　have　to　admit　that。　Read　it；　right　here。〃
　 second　day　since　the　tugs　left；　we　are　pletely　on　our　own　now。　The　settlers　still　haven't　grown　used　to　this　planet；　though　we　have　orientation　talks　every　night。　As　well　as　the　morale　agents　who　I　have　working　twenty　hours　a　day。　I　suppose　I　really　can't　blame　the　people；　they　all　lived　in　the　underways　of　Setani　and　I　doubt　if　they　saw　the　sun　once　a　year。　This　planet　has　weather　with　a　vengeance；　worse　than　anything　I've　seen　on　a　hundred　other　planets。　Was　I　wrong　during　the　original　planning　stages　not　to　insist　on　settlers　from　one　of　the　agrarian　worlds？　People　who　could　handle　the　outdoors。　These　citified　Setanians　are　afraid　to　go　out　in　the　rain。　But　of　course　they　have　adapted　pletely　to　their　native　1。5　gravity　so　the　z　gee　here　doesn't　bother　them　much。　That　was　the　factor　that　decided　us。　Anyway；　too　late　now　to　do　anything　about　it。　Or　about　the　unending　cycle　of　rain；　snow；　hail；　hurricanes　and　such。　Answer　will　be　to　start　the　mines　going；　sell　the　metals　and　build　pletely　enclosed　cities。
　 The　only　thing　on　this　forsaken　planet　that　isn't　actually　against　us　are　the　animals。　A　few　large　predators　at　first；　but　the　guards　made　short　work　of　them。　The　rest　of　the　wild　life　leaves　us　alone。　Glad　of　that！　They　have　been　fighting　for　existence　so　long　that　I　have　never　seen　a　more　deadly　looking　collection。　Even　the　little　rodents　no　bigger　than　a　man's　hand　are　armored　like　tanks。　。
　 〃I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it；〃　Meta　broke　in。　〃That　can't　be　Pyrrus　he's　writing　about。　。　。　。〃　Her　words　died　away　as　Jason　wordlessly　pointed　to　the　title　on　the　cover。
　 He　continued　scanning　the　pages；　flipping　them　quickly。　A　sentence　caught　his　eye　and　he　stopped。　Jamming　his　finger　against　the　place；　he　read　aloud。
　 and　troubles　keep　piling　up。　First　Har　Palo　with　his　theory　that　the　vulcanism　is　so　close　to　the　surface　that　the　ground　keeps　warm；　and　the　crops　grow　so　well。　Even　if　he　is　right…what　can　we　do？　We　must　be　self…dependent　if　we　intend　to　survive。　And　now　this　other　thing。　It　seems　that　the　forest　fire　drove　a　lot　of　new　species　our　way。　Animals；　insects　and　even　birds　have　attacked　the　people。　（Note　for　Har：　check　if　possible　seasonal　migration　might　explain　attacks。）
　There　have　been　fourteen　deaths　from　wounds　and　poisoning。　We'll　have　to　enforce　the　rules　for　insect　lotion　at　all　times。　And；　I　suppose；　build　some　kind　of　perimeter　defense　to　keep　the　larger　beasts　out　of　the　camp。〃
　 〃This　is　a　beginning；〃　Jason　said。　〃At　least　now　we　are　aware　of　the　real　nature　of　the　battle　we're　engaged　in。　It　doesn't　make　Pyrrus　any　easier　to　handle；　or　make　the　life　forms　less　dangerous；　to　know　that　they　were　once　better　disposed　toward　mankind。　All　this　does　is　point　the　way。　Something　took　the　peaceful　life　forms；　shook　them　up；　and　turned　this　planet　into　one　big　deathtrap　for　mankind。　That　something　is　what　I　want　to　uncover。〃
　12
　 Further　reading　of　the　log　produced　no　new　evidence。　There　was　a　good　deal　more　information　about　the　early　animal　and　plant　life　and　how　deadly　they　were；　as　well　as　the　first　defenses　against　them。　Interesting　historically；　but　of　no　use　whatsoever　in　countering　the　menace。　The　captain　apparently　never　thought　that　life　forms　were　altering　on　Pyrrus；　believing　instead　that　dangerous　beasts　were　being　discovered。　He　never　lived　to　change　his　mind。　The　last　entry　in　the　log；　less　than　two　months　after　the　first　attack；　was　very　brief。　And　in　a　different　handwriting。
　 Captain　Kurkowski　died　today；　of　poisoning　following　an　insect　bite。　His　death　is　greatly　mourned。
　 The　〃why〃　of　the　planetary　revulsion　had　yet　to　be　uncovered。
　 〃Kerk　must　see　this　book；〃　Jason　said。　〃He　should　have　some　idea　of　the　progress　being　made。　Can　we　get　transportation…or　do　we　walk　to　city　hall？〃
　 〃Walk；　of　course；〃　Meta　said。
　 〃Then　you　bring　the　book。　At　two…G's　I　find　it　very　hard　to　be　a　gentleman　and　carry　the　packages。〃
　 They　had　just　entered　Kerk's　outer　office　when　a　shiill　screaming　burst　out　of　the　phone　screen。　It　took　Jason　a　moment　to　realize　that　it　was　a　mechanical　signal；　not　a　human　voice。
　 〃What　is　it？〃　he　asked。
　 Kerk　burst　through　the　door　and　headed　for　the　street　entrance。　Everyone　else　in　the　office　was　going　the　same　way。　Meta　looked　confused；　leaning　toward　the　door；　then　looking　back　at　Jason。
　 〃What　does　it　mean？　Can't　you　tell　me？〃　He　shook　her　arm。
　 〃Sector　alarm。　A　major　breakthrough　of　some　kind　at　the　perimeter。　Everyone　but　other　perimeter　guards　has　to　answer。〃
　 〃Well　go　then；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　worry　about　me。　I'll　be　all　right。〃
　 His　words　acted　like　a　trigger　release。　Meta's　gun　was　in　her　hand　and　she　was　gone　before　he　had　finished　speaking。　Jason　sat　down　wearily　in　the　deserted　office。
　 The　unnatural　silence　in　the　building　began　to　get　on　his　nerves。　He　shifted　his　chair　over　to　the　phone　screen　and　switched　it　on　to　receive。　The　screen　exploded　with　color　and　sound。　At　first　Jason　could　make　no　sense　of　it　at　all。　Just　a　confused　jumble　of　faces　and　voices。　It　was　a　multichannel　set　designed　for　military　use。　A　number　of　images　were　carried　on　the　screen　at　one　time；　rows　of　heads　or　hazy　backgrounds　where　the　user　had　left　the　field　of　view。　Many　of　the　heads　were　talking　at　the　same　time　and　the　babble　of　their　voices　made　no　sense　whatsoever。
　 After　examining　the　controls　and　making　a　few　experiments；　Jason　began　to　understand　the　operation。　Though　all　stations　were　on　the　screen　at　all　times；　their　audio　channels　could　be　controlled。　In　that　way　two；　three　or　more　stations　could　be　hooked　together　in　a　linkup。　They　would　be　in　round…robin　munication　with　each　other；　yet　never　out　of　contact　with　the　other　stations。
　 Identification　between　voice　and　sound　was　automatic。　Whenever　one　of　the　pictured　images　spoke；　the　image　would　glow　red。　By　trial　and　error；　Jason　brought　in　the　audio　for　the　stations　he　wanted　and　tried　to　follow　the　course　of　the　attack。
　 Very　quickly　he　realized　this　was　something　out　of　the　ordinary。　In　some　way；　no　one　made　it　clear；　a　section　of　the　perimeter　had　been　broken　through　and　emergency　defenses　had　to　be　thrown　up　to　encapsulate　it。　Kerk　seemed　to　be　in　charge；　at　least　he　was　the　only　one　with　an　override　transmitter。　He　used　it　for　general　mands。　The　many；　tiny　images　faded　and　his　face　appeared　on　top　of　them；　filling　the　entire　screen。
　 〃All　perimeter　stations　sent　25　per　cent　of　your　plement　to　Area
　52。〃
　
　 The　small　images　reappeared　and　the　babble　increased；　red　lights　flickering　from　face　to　face。
　 〃…abandon　the　first　floor；　acid　bombs　can't　reach。〃
　 〃If　we　hold　we'll　be　cut　off；　but　salient　is　past　us　on　the　west　flank。　Request　support。〃
　 〃DON'T；　MERVV…IT'S　USELESS！〃　…
　 and　the　napalm　tanks　are　almost　gone。　Orders？〃
　 〃The　truck　is　still　there；　get　it　to　the　supply　warehouse；　you'll　find　replacements…〃　…
　 Out　of　the　welter　of　talk；　only　the　last　two　fragments　made　any　sense。　Jason　had　noticed　the　signs　below　when　he　came　in。　The　first　two　floors　of　the　building　below　him　were　jammed　with　military　supplies。　This　was　his　chance　to　get　into　the　act。
　 Just　sitting　and　watching　was　frustrating。　Particularly　when　it　was　a
　desperate　emergency。　He　didn't　overvalue　his　worth；　but　he　was　sure　there　was　always　room　for　another　gun。
　 By　the　time　he　had　dragged　himself　down　to　the~street　level；　a　turbotruck　had　slammed　to　a　stop　in　front　of　the　loading　platform。　Two　Pyrrans　were　rolling　out　drums　of　napalm　with　a　reckless　disregard　for　their　own　safety。　Jason　didn't　dare　enter　that　maelstrom　of　rolling　metal。　He　found　he　could　be　of　use　tugging　the　heavy　drums　into　position　on　the　truck　while　the　others　rolled　them　up。　They　accepted　his　aid　without　acknowledgment。
　 It　was　exhausting；　sweaty　work；　hauling　the　leaden　drums　into　place　against　the　heavy　gravity。　After　a　minute；　Jason　worked　by　touch　through　a　red　haze　of　hammering　blood。　He　realized　the　job　was　done　only　when　the　truck　suddenly　leaped　forward　and　he　was　thrown　to　the　floor。　He　lay　there；　his　chest　heaving。　As　the　driver　hurled　the　heavy　vehicle　along；　all　Jason　could　do　was　bounce　around　in　the　bottom。　He　could　see　well　enough；　but　was　still　gasping　for　breath　when　they　braked　at　the　fighting　zone。
　 To　Jason；　it　was　a　scene　of　incredible　confusion。　Guns　firing；　flames；　men　and　women　running　on　all　sides。　The　napalm　drums　were　unloaded　without　his　help　and　the　truck　vanished　for　more。　Jason　leaned　against　a　wall　of　a　half…destroyed　building　and　tried　to　get　his　bearings。　It　was　impossible。　There　seemed　to　be　a　great　number　of　small　animals；　he　killed　two　that　attacked　him。　Other　than　that　he　couldn't　determine　the　nature　of　the　battle。
　 A　Pyrran；　tan　face　white　with　pain　and　exertion；　stumbled　up。　His　right　arm；　wet　with　raw　flesh　and　dripping　blood；　hung　limply　at　his　side。　It　was　covered　with　freshly　applied　surgical　foam。　He　held　his　gun　in　his　left　hand；　a　stump　of　control　cable　dangling　from　it。　Jason　thought　the　man　was　looking　for　medical　aid。　He　couldn't　have　been　more　wrong。
　 Clenching　the　gun　in　his　teeth；　the　Pyrran　clutched　a　barrel　of　napalm　with　his　good　hand　and　hurled　it　over　on　its　side。　Then；　with　the　gun　once　more　in　his　hand；　he　began　to