dk.solesurvivor-第53部分

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　　'Don't　be　silly。　You'll　make　it。'
　　'Listen；'　she　said；　and　again　she　projected　the　charisma　that　manded　attention。
　　He　listened　as　she　told　him　the　way；　and　his　familiarity　with　the　Big　Bear　area　was　such　that　he　didn't　need　to　write　down　the　directions。
　　'And　as　for　Infiniface；'　she　said；　'I　trust　them；　and　they　are　my　natural　allies…and　Nina's…as　Mark　said。　But　I'm　afraid　they　can　be　too　easily　infiltrated。　That's　why　I　wouldn't　let　them　e　with　us　tonight。　But　if　we're　not　followed；　then　this　car　is　clean；　and　maybe　their　security　is　good　enough。　If　worse　es　to　worst　and　you　don't　know　where　to　turn。　。　。　they　may　be　your　best　hope。'
　　His　chest　tightened　and　his　throat　thickened　as　she　spoke；　and　finally　he　said；　'I　don't　want　to　hear　any　more　of　this。　I'll　get　you　to　Nina　in　time。'
　　Rose's　right　hand　trembled　now；　and　Joe　was　not　certain　that　she　could　hold　the　Orange　Crush。　But　she　managed　it；　drinking　thirstily。
　　As　he　drove　back　onto　the　San　Bernardino　Freeway；　heading　east；　she　said；　'I've　never　meant　to　hurt　you；　Joe。'
　　'You　haven't。'
　　'I've　done　a　terrible　thing　though。'
　　He　glanced　at　her。　He　didn't　dare　ask　what　she　had　done。　He　kept　that　shiny　black　pearl　of　knowledge　tucked　deep　in　the　purse　of　his　mind。
　　'Don't　hate　me　too　much。'
　　'I　don't　hate　you　at　all。'
　　'My　motives　were　good。　They　haven't　always　been。　Certainly　weren't　spotless　when　I　went　to　work　at　Project　Ninety…nine。　But　my　motives　were　good　this　time；　Joe。'
　　Driving　out　of　the　light　storm　of　Los　Angeles　and　its　suburbs；　toward　the　mountain　darkness　where　Nina　dwelled；　Joe　waited　for　Rose　to　tell　him　why　he　should　hate　her。
　　'So　。　。　。　let　me　tell　you；'　she　said；　'about　the　project's　only　true　success　。　。
　　
　　Ascend；　now；　in　the　elevator　from　the　little　glimpse　of　hell　at　the　bottom　of　those　six　subterranean　levels；　leaving　the　boy　in　his　containment　vessel；　and　e　all　the　way　up　to　the　security　room　where　the　descent　began。　Farther　still；　to　the　southeast　corner　of　the　ground　floor；　where　CCY…21…21　resides。
　　She　was　conceived　without　passion　in　the　same　month　as　89…58；　though　she　was　the　project　not　of　Doctors　Blom　and　Ramlock；　but　of　Rose　Tucker。　She　is　a　lovely　child；　delicate；　fair　of　face；　with　golden　hair　and　amethyst　eyes。　Although　the　majority　of　the　orphans　living　here　are　of　average　intelligence；　CCY…21…21　has　an　unusually　high　IQ；　even　higher　perhaps　than　89…58；　and　she　loves　to　learn。　She　is　a　quiet　girl；　with　much　grace　and　natural　charm；　but　for　the　first　three　years　of　her　life；　she　exhibits　no　paranormal　abilities。
　　Then　on　a　sunny　May　afternoon；　when　she　is　participating　in　a　session　of　supervised　play　with　other　children　on　the　orphanage　lawn；　she　finds　a　sparrow　with　a　broken　wing　and　one　torn　eye。　It　lies　in　the　grass　beneath　a　tree；　flopping　weakly；　and　when　she　gathers　it　into　her　small　hands；　it　bees　fearfully　still。　Crying；　the　girl　hurries　with　the　bird　to　the　nearest　handler；　asking　what　can　be　done。　The　sparrow　is　now　so　weak　and　so　paralysed　by　fear　that　it　can　only　feebly　work　its　beak…and　produces　no　sound　whatsoever。　The　bird　is　dying；　the　handler　sees　nothing　to　be　done；　but　the　girl　will　not　accept　the　sparrow's　pending　death。　She　sits　on　the　ground；　grips　the　bird　gently　in　her　left　hand；　and　carefully　strokes　it　with　her　right；　singing　softly　to　it　a　song　about　Robin　Red　Breast…and　in　but　a　minute　the　sparrow　is　restored。　The　fractures　in　the　wing　knit　firm　again；　and　the　torn　eye　heals　into　a　bright；　clear　orb。　The　bird　sings…and　flies。
　　CCY…21…21　bees　the　centre　of　a　happy　whirlwind　of　attention。　Rose　Tucker；　who　has　been　driven　to　the　contemplation　of　suicide　by　the　nightmare　of　Project　99；　is　as　reborn　as　the　bird；　stepping　back　from　the　abyss　into　which　she　has　been　peering。　For　the　next　fifteen　months；　21…21's　healing　power　is　explored。　At　first　it　is　an　unreliable　talent；　which　she　cannot　exercise　at　will；　but　month　by　wondrous　month　she　learns　to　summon　and　control　her　gift；　until　she　can　apply　it　whenever　asked　to　do　so。　Those　on　Project　99　with　medical　problems　are　brought　to　a　level　of　health　they　never　expected　to　enjoy　again。　A　select　few　politicians　and　military　figures…and　members　of　their　families…suffering　from　life…threatening　illnesses；　are　brought　secretly　to　the　child　to　be　healed。　There　are　those　in　Project　99　who　believe　that　21…21　is　their　greatest　asset…although　others　find　89…58；　in　spite　of　the　considerable　control　problems　that　he　poses；　to　be　the　most　interesting　and　most　valuable　property　in　the　long　run。
　　Now；　look　here；　e　forward　in　time　to　one　rainy　day　in　August；　fifteen　months　after　the　restoration　of　the　injured　sparrow。　A　staff　geneticist　named　Amos　has　been　diagnosed　with　pancreatic　cancer；　one　of　the　deadliest　forms　of　the　disease。　While　healing　Amos　with　only　a　soft　and　lingering　touch；　the　girl　detects　an　illness　in　addition　to　the　malignancy；　this　one　not　of　a　physical　nature　but　nonetheless　debilitating。　Perhaps　because　of　what　he　has　seen　at　Project　99；　perhaps　for　numerous　other　reasons　that　have　accumulated　throughout　his　fifty　years；　Amos　has　decided　that　life　is　without　purpose　or　meaning；　that　we　have　no　destiny　but　the　void；　that　we　are　only　dust　in　the　wind。　This　darkness　in　him　is　blacker　than　the　cancer；　and　the　girl　heals　this；　as　well；　by　the　simple　expediency　of　showing　Amos　the　light　of　God　and　the　strange　dimensional　lattices　of　realms　beyond　our　own。
　　Once　shown　these　things；　Amos　is　so　overe　with　joy　and　awe　that　he　cycles　between　laughter　and　weeping；　and　to　the　eyes　of　the　others　in　the　room…a　researcher　named　Janice；　another　named　Vincent…he　seems　to　be　seized　by　an　alarming　hysteria。　When　Amos　urges　the　girl　to　bring　Janice　into　the　same　light　that　she　has　shown　to　him；　she　gives　the　gift　again。
　　Janice；　however；　reacts　differently　from　Amos。　Humbled　and　frightened；　she　collapses　in　remorse。　She　claws　at　herself　in　regret　for　the　way　she　has　lived　her　life　and　in　grief　for　those　she　has　betrayed　and　harmed；　and　her　anguish　is　frightening。
　　Tumult。
　　Rose　is　summoned。　Janice　and　Amos　are　isolated　for　observation　and　evaluation。　What　has　the　girl　done？　What　Amos　tells　them　seems　like　the　happy　babbling　of　a　harmlessly　deranged　man；　but　babbling　nonetheless；　and　from　one　who　was　but　a　few　minutes　ago　a　scientist　of　serious…if　not　brooding…disposition。
　　Baffled　and　concerned　by　the　strikingly　different　reactions　of　Amos　and　Janice；　the　girl　withdraws　and　bees　unmunicative。　Rose　works　in　private　with　21…21　for　more　than　two　hours　before　she　finally　begins　to　pry　the　astounding　explanation　from　her。　The　child　cannot　understand　why　the　revelation　that　she's　brought　to　Amos　and　Janice　would　overwhelm　them　so　pletely　or　why　Janice's　reaction　is　a　mix　of　euphoria　and　self…flagellation。
　　Having　been　born　with　a　full　awareness　of　her　place　and　purpose　in　the　universe；　with　an　understanding　of　the　ladder　of　destinies　that　she　will　climb　through　infinity；　with　the　certain　knowledge　of　life　everlasting　carried　in　her　genes；　she　cannot　ever　fully　grasp　the　shattering　power　of　this　revelation　when　she　brings　it　to　those　who　have　spent　their　lives　in　the　mud　of　doubt　and　the　dust　of　despair。
　　Expecting　nothing　more　than　that　she　is　going　to　experience　the　psychic　equivalent　of　a　magic…lantern　show；　a　tour　of　a　child's　sweet　fantasy　of　God；　Rose　asks　to　be　shown。　And　is　shown。　And　is　forever　changed。　Because　at　the　touch　of　the　child's　hand；　she　is　opened　to　the　fullness　of　existence。　What　she　experiences　is　beyond　her　powers　to　describe；　and　even　as　torrents　of　joy　surge　through　her　and　wash　away　all　the　countless　grieves　and　miseries　of　her　life　heretofore；　she　is　flooded；　as　well；　with　terror；　for　she　is　aware　not　only　of　the　promise　of　a　bright　eternity　but　of　expectations　that　she　must　strive　to　fulfil　in　all　the　days　of　life　ahead　of　her　in　this　world　and　in　the　worlds　to　e；　expectations　that　frighten　her　because　she　is　unsure　that　she　can　ever　meet　them。　Like　Janice；　she　is　acutely　aware　of　every　mean　act　and　unkindness　and　lie　and　betrayal　of　which　she　has　ever　been　guilty；　and　she　recognizes　that　she　still　has　the　capacity　for　selfishness；　pettiness；　and　cruelty；　she　yearns　to　transcend　her　past　even　as　she　quakes　at　the　fortitude　required　to　do　so。
　　When　the　vision　passes　and　she　finds　herself　in　the　girl's　room　as　before；　she　harbours　no　doubt　that　what　she　saw　was　real；　truth　in　its　purest　form；　and　not　merely　the　child's　delusion　transmitted　through　psychic　power。　For　almost　half　an　hour　she　cannot　speak　but　sits　shaking；　her　face　buried　in　her　hands。
　　Gradually；　she　begins　to　realize　the　implications　of　what　has　happened　here。　There　are　basically　two。　First；　if　this　revelation　can　be　brought　to　the　world；　even　to　as　many　as　the　girl　can　touch…all　that　is　now　will　pass　away。　Once　one　has　seen…not　taken　on　faith　but　seen…that　there　is　life　beyond；　even　if　the　nature　of　it　remains　profoundly　mysterious　and　even　as　fearsome　as　it　is　glorious；　then　all　that　was　once　important　seems　insignificant。　Avenues　of　wondrous　possibilities　abound　where　once　there　was　a　single　alley　through　the　darkness。　The　world　as　we　know　it　ends。
　　Second：　There　are　those　who　will　not　wele　the　end　of　the　old　order；　who　have　taught　themselves　to　thrive　on　power　and　on　the　pain　and　humiliation　of　others。　Indeed；　the　world　is　full　of　them；　and　they　will　not　want　to　receive　the　girl's　gift。　They　will　fear　the　girl　and　everything　that　she　promises。　And　they　will　either　sedate　and　isolate　her　in　a　containment　vessel…or　they　will　kill　her。
　　She　is　as　gifted　as　any　messiah…but　she　is　human。　She　can　heal　the　wing　of　a　broken　bird　and　bring　sight　to　its　blinded　eye。　She　can　banish　cancer　from　a　disease…riddled　man。　But　she　is　not　an　angel　with　a　cloak　of　invulnerability。　She　is　flesh　and　bone。　Her　precious　power　resides　in　the　delicate　tissues　of　her　singular　brain。　If　the　magazine　of　a　pistol　is　emptied　into　the　back　of　her　head；　she　will　die　like　any　other　child；　dead；　she　cannot　heal　herself。　Although　her　soul　will　proceed　into　other　realms；　she　will　be　lost　to　this　troubled　place　that　needs　her。　The　world　will　not　be　changed；　peace　will　not　replace　turmoil；　and　there　will　be　no　end　to　loneliness　and　despair。
　　Rose　quickly　bees　convinced　that　the　project's　directors　will　opt　for　termination。　The　moment　that　they　understand　what　this　little　girl　is；　they　will　kill　her。
　　Before　nightfall；　they　will　kill　her。
　　Certainly　before　midnight；　they　will　kill　her。
　　They　will　not　be　willing　to　risk　consigning　her　to　a　containment　vessel。　The　boy　possesses　only　the　power　of　destruction；　but　21…21　possesses　the　power　of　enlightenment；　which　is　immeasurably　the　more　dangerous　of　the　two。
　　They　will　shoot　her　down；　soak　her　corpse　with　gasoline；　set　her　remains　afire；　and　later　scatter　her　charred　bones。
　　Rose　must　act…and　quickly。　The　girl　must　be　spirited　out　of　the　orphanage　and　hidden　before　they　can　destroy　her。
　　
　　'Joe？'
　　Against　a　field　of　stars；　as　though　at　this　moment　erupting　from　the　crust　of　the　earth；　the　black　mountains　shouldered　darkly　across　the　horizon。
　　'Joe；　I'm　sorry。'　Her　voice　was　frail。　'I'm　so　sorry。'
　　They　were　speeding　north　on　State　Highway