mc.theandromedastrein-第27部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


er　of　coiling　was　determined　by　the　order　of　acids；　and　was　quite　specific：　a　protein　had　to　be　coiled　in　a　certain　way；　and　no　other；　or　it　failed　to　function。
　
　　　Another　ten　years。
　
　　　Rather　odd；　Leavitt　thought。　Hundreds　of　laboratories；　thousands　of　workers　throughout　the　world；　all　bent　on　discovering　such　essentially　simple　facts。　It　had　all　taken　years　and　years；　decades　of　patient　effort。
　
　　　And　now　there　was　this　machine。　The　machine　would　not；　of　course；　give　the　precise　order　of　amino　acids。　But　it　would　give　a　rough　percentage　position：　so　much　valine；　so　much　arginine；　so　much　cystine　and　proline　and　leucine。　And　that；　in　turn；　would　give　a　great　deal　of　information。
　
　　　Yet　it　was　a　shot　in　the　dark；　this　machine。　Because　they　had　no　reason　to　believe　that　either　the　rock　or　the　green　organism　was　posed　even　partially　of　proteins。　True；　every　living　thing　on　earth　had　at　least　some　proteins　but　that　didn't　mean　life　elsewhere　had　to　have　it。
　
　　　For　a　moment；　he　tried　to　imagine　life　without　proteins。　It　was　almost　impossible：　on　earth；　proteins　were　part　of　the　cell　wall；　and　prised　all　the　enzymes　known　to　man。　And　life　without　enzymes？　Was　that　possible？
　
　　　He　recalled　the　remark　of　George　Thompson；　the　British　biochemist；　who　had　called　enzymes　〃the　matchmakers　of　life。〃　It　was　true；　enzymes　acted　as　catalysts　for　all　chemical　reactions；　by　providing　a　surface　for　two　molecules　to　e　together　and　react　upon。　There　were　hundreds　of　thousands；　perhaps　millions；　of　enzymes；　each　existing　solely　to　aid　a　single　chemical　reaction。　Without　enzymes；　there　could　be　no　chemical　reactions。
　
　　　Without　chemical　reactions；　there　could　be　no　life。
　
　　　Or　could　there？
　
　　　It　was　a　long…standing　problem。　Early　in　planning　Wildfire；　the　question　had　been　posed：　How　do　you　study　a　form　of　life　totally　unlike　any　you　know？　How　would　you　even　know　it　was　alive？
　
　　　This　was　not　an　academic　matter。　Biology；　as　George　Wald　had　said；　was　a　unique　science　because　it　could　not　define　its　subject　matter。　Nobody　had　a　definition　for　life。　Nobody　knew　what　it　was；　really。　The　old　definitions　an　organism　that　showed　ingestion；　excretion；　metabolism；　reproduction；　and　so　on　were　worthless。　One　could　always　find　exceptions。
　
　　　The　group　had　finally　concluded　that　energy　conversion　was　the　hallmark　of　life。　All　living　organisms　in　some　way　took　in　energy　as　food；　or　sunlight　and　converted　it　to　another　form　of　energy；　and　put　it　to　use。　（Viruses　were　the　exception　to　this　rule；　but　the　group　was　prepared　to　define　viruses　as　nonliving。）
　
　　　For　the　next　meeting；　Leavitt　was　asked　to　prepare　a　rebuttal　to　the　definition。　He　pondered　it　for　a　week；　and　returned　with　three　objects：　a　swatch　of　black　cloth；　a　watch；　and　a　piece　of　granite。　He　set　them　down　before　the　group　and　said；　〃Gentleman；　I　give　you　three　living　things。〃
　
　　　He　then　challenged　the　team　to　prove　that　they　were　not　living。　He　placed　the　black　cloth　in　the　sunlight；　it　became　warm。　This；　he　announced；　was　an　example　of　energy　conversion…radiant　energy　to　heat。
　
　　　It　was　objected　that　this　was　merely　passive　energy　absorption；　not　conversion。　It　was　also　objected　that　the　conversion；　if　it　could　be　called　that；　was　not　purposeful。　It　served　no　function。
　
　　　〃How　do　you　know　it　is　not　purposeful？〃　Leavitt　had　demanded。
　
　　　They　then　turned　to　the　watch。　Leavitt　pointed　to　the　radium　dial；　which　glowed　in　the　dark。　Decay　was　taking　place；　and　light　was　being　produced。
　
　　　The　men　argued　that　this　was　merely　release　of　potential　energy　held　in　unstable　electron　levels。　But　there　was　growing　confusion；　Leavitt　was　making　his　point。
　
　　　Finally；　they　came　to　the　granite。　〃This　is　alive；〃　Leavitt　said。　〃It　is　living；　breathing；　walking；　and　talking。　Only　we　cannot　see　it；　because　it　is　happening　too　slowly。　Rock　has　a　lifespan　of　three　billion　years。　We　have　a　lifespan　of　sixty　or　seventy　years。　We　cannot　see　what　is　happening　to　this　rock　for　the　same　reason　that　we　cannot　make　out　the　tune　on　a　record　being　played　at　the　rate　of　one　revolution　every　century。　And　the　rock；　for　its　part；　is　not　even　aware　of　our　existence　because　we　are　alive　for　only　a　brief　instant　of　its　lifespan。　To　it；　we　are　like　flashes　in　the　dark。〃
　
　　　He　held　up　his　watch。
　
　　　His　point　was　clear　enough；　and　they　revised　their　thinking　in　one　important　respect。　They　conceded　that　it　was　possible　that　they　might　not　be　able　to　analyze　certain　life　forms。　It　was　possible　that　they　might　not　be　able　to　make　the　slightest　headway；　the　least　beginning；　in　such　an　analysis。
　
　　　But　Leavitt's　concerns　extended　beyond　this；　to　the　general　problem　of　action　in　uncertainty。　He　recalled　reading　Talbert　Gregson's　〃Planning　the　Unplanned〃　with　close　attention；　poring　over　the　plex　mathematical　models　the　author　had　devised　to　analyze　the　problem。　It　was　Gregson's　conviction　that：
　
　　　All　decisions　involving　uncertainty　fall　within　two　distinct　categories　those　with　contingencies；　and　those　without。　The　latter　are　distinctly　more　difficult　to　deal　with。
　
　　　Most　decisions；　and　nearly　all　human　interaction；　can　be　incorporated　into　a　contingencies　model。　For　example；　a　President　may　start　a　war；　a　man　may　sell　his　business；　or　divorce　his　wife。　Such　an　action　will　produce　a　reaction；　the　number　of　reactions　is　infinite　but　the　number　of　probable　reactions　is　manageably　small。　Before　making　a　decision；　an　individual　can　predict　various　reactions；　and　he　can　assess　his　original；　or　primary…mode；　decision　more　effectively。
　
　　　But　there　is　also　a　category　which　cannot　be　analyzed　by　contingencies。　This　category　involves　events　and　situations　which　are　absolutely　unpredictable；　not　merely　disasters　of　all　sorts；　but　those　also　including　rare　moments　Of　discovery　and　insight；　such　as　those　which　produced　the　laser；　or　penicillin。　Because　these　moments　are　unpredictable；　they　cannot　be　planned　for　in　any　logical　manner。　The　mathematics　are　wholly　unsatisfactory。
　
　　　We　may　only　take　fort　in　the　fact　that　such　situations；　for　ill　or　for　good；　are　exceedingly　rare。
　
　　　***
　
　　　Jeremy　Stone；　working　with　infinite　patience；　took　a　flake　of　the　green　material　and　dropped　it　into　molten　plastic。　The　plastic　was　the　size　and　shape　of　a　medicine　capsule。　He　waited　until　the　flake　was　firmly　imbedded；　and　poured　more　plastic　over　it。　He　then　transferred　the　plastic　pill　to　the　curing　room。
　
　　　Stone　envied　the　others　their　mechanized　routines。　The　preparation　of　samples　for　electron　microscopy　was　still　a　delicate　task　requiring　skilled　human　hands；　the　preparation　of　a　good　sample　was　as　demanding　a；　craft　as　that　ever　practiced　by　an　artisan　and　took　almost　as　long　to　learn。　Stone　had　worked　for　five　years　before　he　became　proficient　at　it。
　
　　　The　plastic　was　cured　in　a　special　high…speed　processing　unit；　but　it　would　still　take　five　hours　to　harden　to　proper　consistency。　The　curing　room　would　maintain　a　constant　temperature　of　61　deg　C。　with　a　relative　humidity　of　10　per　cent。
　
　　　Once　the　plastic　was　hardened；　he　would　scrape　it　away；　and　then　flake　off　a　small　bit　of　green　with　a　microtome。　This　would　go　into　the　electron　microscope。　The　flake　would　have　to　be　of　the　right　thickness　and　size；　a　small　round　shaving　1；500　angstroms　in　depth；　no　more。　
　
　　　Only　then　could　he　look　at　the　green　stuff；　whatever　it　was；　at　sixty　thousand　diameters　magnification。
　
　　　That；　he　thought；　would　be　interesting。
　
　　　In　general；　Stone　believed　the　work　was　going　well。　They　were　making　fine　progress；　moving　forward　in　several　promising　lines　of　inquiry。　But　most　important；　they　had　time。　There　was　no　rush；　no　panic；　no　need　to　fear。
　
　　　The　bomb　had　been　dropped　on　Piedmont。　That　would　destroy　airborne　organisms；　and　neutralize　the　source　of　infection。　Wildfire　was　the　only　place　that　any　further　infection　could　spread　from；　and　Wildfire　was　specifically　designed　to　prevent　that。　Should　isolation　be　broken　in　the　lab；　the　areas　that　were　contaminated　would　automatically　seal　off。　Within　a　half…second；　sliding　airtight　doors　would　close；　producing　a　new　configuration　for　the　lab。
　
　　　This　was　necessary　because　past　experience　in　other　laboratories　working　in　so…called　axenic；　or　germ…free；　atmospheres　indicated　that　contamination　occurred　in　15　per　cent　of　cases。　The　reasons　were　usually　structural　a　seal　burst；　a　glove　tore；　a　seam　split　but　the　contamination　occurred；　nonetheless。
　
　　　At　Wildfire；　they　were　prepared　for　that　eventuality。　But　if　it　did　not　happen；　and　the　odds　were　it　would　not；　then　they　could　work　safely　here　for　an　indefinite　period。　They　could　spend　a　month；　even　a　year；　working　on　the　organism。　There　was　no　problem；　no　problem　at　all。
　
　　　***
　
　　　Hall　walked　through　the　corridor；　looking　at　the　atomic…detonator　substations。　He　was　trying　to　memorize　their　positions。　There　were　five　on　the　floor；　positioned　at　intervals　along　the　central　corridor。　Each　was　the　same：　small　silver　boxes　no　larger　than　a　cigarette　packet。　Each　had　a　lock　for　the　key；　a　green　light　that　was　burning；　and　a　dark…red　light。
　
　　　Burton　had　explained　the　mechanism　earlier。　〃There　are　sensors　in　all　the　duct　systems　and　in　all　the　labs。　They　monitor　the　air　in　the　rooms　by　a　variety　of　chemical；　electronic；　and　straight　bioassay　devices。　The　bioassay　is　just　a　mouse　whose　heartbeat　is　being　monitored。　If　anything　goes　wrong　with　the　sensors；　the　lab　automatically　seals　off。　If　the　whole　floor　is　contaminated；　it　will　seal　off；　and　the　atomic　device　will　cut　in。　When　that　happens；　the　green　light　will　go　out；　and　the　red　light　will　begin　to　blink。　That　signals　the　start　of　the　three…minute　interval。　Unless　you　lock　in　your　key；　the　bomb　will　go　off　at　the　end　of　three　minutes。〃
　
　　　〃And　I　have　to　do　it　myself？〃
　　　Burton　nodded。　〃The　key　is　steel。　It　is　conductive。　The　lock　has　a　system　which　measures　the　capacitance　of　the　person　holding　the　key。　It　responds　to　general　body　size；　particularly　weight；　and　also　the　salt　content　of　sweat。　It's　quite　specific；　actually；　for　you。〃
　　　〃So　I'm　really　the　only　one？〃
　　　〃You　really　are。　And　you　only　have　one　key。　But　there's　a　plicating　problem。　The　blueprints　weren't　followed　exactly；　we　only　discovered　the　error　after　the　lab　was　finished　and　the　device　was　installed。　But　there　is　an　error：　we　are　short　three　detonator　substations。　There　are　only　five；　instead　of　eight。〃
　　　〃Meaning？〃
　　　〃Meaning　that　if　the　floor　starts　to　contaminate；　you　must　rush　to　locate　yourself　at　a　substation。　Otherwise　there　is　a　chance　you　could　be　sealed　off　in　a　sector　without　a　substation。　And　then；　in　the　event　of　a　malfunction　of　the　bacteriologic　sensors；　a　false　positive　malfunction；　the　laboratory　could　be　destroyed　needlessly。〃　
　　　〃That　seems　a　rather　serious　error　in　planning。〃
　　　〃It　turns　out；〃　Burton　said；　〃that　three　new　substations　were　going　to　be　added　next　month。　But　that　won't　help　us　now。　Just　keep　the　problem　in　mind；　and　everything'll　be　all　right。〃　
　
　　　***
　
　　　Leavitt　awoke　quickly；　rolling　out　of　bed　and　starting　to　dress。　He　was　excited：　he　had　just　had　an　idea。　A　fascinating　thing；　wild；　crazy；　b