rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第37章

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　Mightily　Rockson　struggled　with　his　bindings；　smashing　his　awkwardly　immobilized　body　again　and　again　against　the　other　bolted…down　seats。　At　last　the　sturdy　metal　of　the　chair　gave　way　to　the　immense　power　of　the　Warrior　from　the　Surface；　and　he　shook　off　the　pieces　and　together　with　Rona　started　making　the　rounds　of　the　other　Freefighters；　managing　to　free　most　of　them　before　the　star；　which　had　set　for　a　brief　time；　rose　again　in　the　〃southeast。〃
　Again　the　false　Antares　started　its　randomly　programmed　death…ray　crisscross　of　the　seats。　Backs　of　chairs；　seared　in　half；　flopped　to　the　floor　smoking　hot。
　It　got　worse。　A　second　and　a　third　star；　blue…white　Sirius　and　flickering　Vega；　also　started　sending　out　the　concentrated　thin　beams　of　laser　heat。　The　crisscrossing　beams　were　sure　to　hit　one　of　them。　Those　that　had　been　helped　free　valiantly　risked　their　own　lives　to　unbind　their　panions；　ignoring　the　personal　danger。
　McCaughlin　and　Archer　didn't　need　any　help　tearing　their　chairs　out　of　the　floor　once　that　strategy　was　broached　to　them。　And　they　straightened　up　and　their　massive　thighs　and　rippling　sinews　broke　their　perches　to　fragments。　Archer　even　succeeded　in　jerking　his　wrists　so　violently　that　the　chains　holding　them　tore　open。
　〃Hit　the　floor；　keep　under　the　cover　of　the　chairs；　and　work　yourselves　up　the　aisles　to　the　door；〃　Rock　ordered。
　Rockson　realized　that　there　was　a　way　to　quickly　remove　the　encumbering　chains　on　their　ankles　and　wrists。　But　it　was　an　insanely　desperate　way。　Still；　if　they　were　careful；　and　quick。。。
　〃Freefighters；　hold　up　your　chains　as　accurately　as　you　can　figure　when　the　beams　of　light　sweep　by。　The　laser　can　free　us　as　well　as　kill。〃
　To　demonstrate；　Rockson　observed　the　killing　beam　of　Vega　as　it　slid　hissing　across　the　third　row。　He　rushed　over　and　held　his　chain　at　a　precise　position　…　he　hoped　…　　success！　The　chain　was　so　hot　from　transmitted　heat　that　he　winced　in　pain；　but　it　was　severed。　The　dangling　pieces　were　not　a　real　problem；　the　important　thing　was　he　could　use　his　hands　unencumbered。
　Chen　tried　it　next；　and　then　the　others。　In　a　short　while；　with　a　lot　of　skill　and　luck；　they　had　managed　to　unshackle　themselves。
　In　every　scene　of　horror　there　is　a　edic　element。　Archer　looked　like　a　big　rolling　grizzly　as　he　fell　to　the　floor　and　lifted　his　legs　wide　to　the　cutting　heat　of　a　beam　from　Sirius。　He　succeeded　nicely。　The　big　mountain　man　was　more　dexterous　…　when　he　had　to　be　…　than　he　looked。
　Rockson　thought　that　they　had　all　had　succeeded　in　cutting　their　chains　without　casualty。　Then　there　was　a　cry　of　agony。　Danik　had　been　clipped　by　the　beam　of　death　as　he　did　his　chains　free。　〃I　…　I'm　okay；〃　he　winced。
　〃Good　man；〃　Rock　said；　and　he　meant　it。　Danik　was　shaping　up。　He　was　no　longer　a　wimpy；　fearful　mole　of　a　man。　He　was　one　of　them。　Rock　told　him　as　much；　and　Danik　smiled　in　the　flickering　death　light。　〃Thank　you。〃
　Chen　crawled　over　and　ministered　some　salve　to　the　burned…off　inch　of　Danik's　shoulder。　And　applied　the　Plasti…seal；　Century　City's　bined　antiseptic　and　healing　bandage；　that　he　had　secreted。
　Rockson　believed　that　once　the　deadly　star…beams　had　crossed　every　chair　in　the　auditorium；　the　rays　would　cease。　And　he　was　correct。　The　stars　stayed　on；　however；　and　they　were　able　to　see　by　their　bined　light。　See　enough　to　make　their　way　to　the　door　they　had　entered　by。
　There　was　no　handle；　and　there　was　no　seam　wide　enough　to　even　get　the　thin　blade　of　Rock's　balisong　knife　into。　But　there　was　a　code…punch　panel；　the　kind　that　requires　a　numerical　code　in　order　to　make　the　door　open。
　The　punch…code　control　was　hexagonal；　made　of　cold　steel。　In　the　artificial　starlight　Rockson's　keen　mutant　eyes　noted　that　there　were　buttons　at　each　corner　of　the　metal　hexagon。　And　one　button　in　the　middle。　He　read　the　sign　next　to　the　device。
　Open　door　by　punching　in　the　smaller　magic　number　in　the　center　and　then　punch　in　the　appropriate　numbers　1　through　13　on　each　of　the　points　of　the　hexagon。　Reading　across　each　line　adds　up　to　the　larger　sacred　number。　CAUTION；　improper　numbers　will　result　in　activation　of　the　planetarium's　cremation　cycle　and　the　planetarium　will　be　heated　to　a　temperature　of　451　degrees　within　ten　seconds。
　Rockson　frowned。　〃Any　ideas；　gang？　Danik；　you　should　know。　You　live　here。〃
　Danik　flustered；　〃But…but　each　of　us　has　our　life　specialty。　We　do　not　study　Liberal　Arts　…　we　do　not　have　the　well…rounded　curriculum　that　you　free　men　have。　I　am　a　waterworks　engineer。　Aside　from　nursery　school；　all　my　education　has　been　about　engineering。　No　magic　numbers。　That　is　a　historian's　knowledge。　Stafford　is　a　historian。　I've　not　heard　of　sacred　numbers；　not　once　in　all　my　life　in　Eden。〃
　〃Chen；〃　Rock　whispered；　〃have　any　idea　how　to　solve　this　thing。〃
　〃Well；　there　were　some　things　I　studied　about　magic　squares　in　ancient　China。　The　ancients　were　fond　of　mathematical　puzzles。　But　they　are　all　based　upon　a　set　of　sacred　concepts。　The　concept　is　the　key。　Unless　we　know　the　concept　behind　the　code；　we　can't　chance　a　try。〃
　〃Everyone　think。　I've　got　to　be　sure　of　the　numbers；　or　we　will　be　burned　alive。〃
　〃I　don't　know　much　math　…　but　I　think　I've　got　the　concept；〃　said　Rona。　〃I've　been　fascinated　by　dismal　Eden　City　…　no　friezes；　no　borders；　ledges；　parapets；　nothing　in　the　way　of　adornment　on　any　of　the　architecture。　And　there　is　only　one　geometric　shape　aside　from　the　cube。　That　shape　is　the　seven…sided　polygon。　I　think　the　smaller　magic　number　might　be　seven。　I　counted　the　steps　from　the　dock　to　the　shore。　Seven。　And　the　steps　from　the　ground　to　the　entrance　to　Government　Building　is　twenty…one。　Try　seven　as　the　central　magic　number　and　twenty…one　as　the　number　that　is　the　total　of　each　line。　Punch　in　seven　in　the　middle；　and　starting　at　the　top　corner　of　the　septagon　…　that's　a　seven…sided　polygon　…　try　thirteen；　then　six　then　eleven；　then　one；　then　eight；　then　three。　Of　course；　the　numbers　around　the　edge　could　be　different…they　just　have　to　add　up　to　twenty…one。〃
　〃My　God；　how　do　you　know　this；　Rona　。　。　。〃
　〃It　isn't　mystically　arrived　it。　I　noticed　the　number　of　steps　in　the　city；　and　the　shapes　of　the　few　buildings　that　weren't　cubical。　And　I　asked　a　guard　about　it　…　down　in　the　dungeon。　He　was　playing　with　a　kind　of　Rubik's　cube　with　seven　sides。　It　had　the　same　puzzle　about　'magic　numbers'；　and　…〃
　〃Never　underestimate　a　woman；〃　McCaughlin　said　admiringly。　〃Heaven　preserve　you；　fair　Rona。　You　are　the　best。〃
　Rockson　sighed　heavily。　〃Here　goes。。。〃　He　punched　in　Rona's　numbers。　Then　he　pushed　the　red　button。
　The　door　swung　slowly　open。　Artificial　daylight　flooded　into　their　would…be　tomb。
　They　were　free。
　They　cautiously　ran　the　distance　to　the　next　building；　one　at　a　time。　The　streets　were　deserted。　〃It　must　be　the　sleep　hours；〃　Danik　said。　〃I'm　tired。　We　all　get　tired　at　the　same　time。。。〃
　There　was　the　sound　of　approaching　footfalls。　Rockson　and　the　others　pressed　close　to　the　building　wall。
　A　startled　pair　of　lower…rank　Civil　Guards　rounded　the　corner。　They　saw　the　Freefighters　too　late。　They　were　beset　immediately；　and　died　with　startled　expressions；　their　heat　guns　still　in　their　holsters。
　〃I　would　prefer　my　Liberator；〃　McCaughlin　said　as　the　Freefighters　made　their　way　through　the　streets　of　Eden；　startling　the　few　timid　passersby　with　their　presence。　He　was　holding　one　of　the　paper…light　heat　guns　that　the　Edenites　called　disintegrators。　Rona　had　the　other　one。
　〃We'll　get　our　weapons　back。〃　Rona　promised。　〃They're　all　piled　up　in　a　side　room　to　Stafford's　throne　chamber。　I　saw　them　cart　the　whole　pile　in　there　and　just　toss　them　on　the　floor。　They　don't　really　know　what　to　make　of　them；　I　suppose。。。〃
　The　group　of　determined　Americans　reached　the　corner　just　across　from　the　Government　Building。　Rockson　had　wondered　what　the　effective　range　of　a　heat　gun　was；　and　now　was　the　time　to　find　out。　He　peered　around　a　corner。　There　were　two　guards；　one　on　either　side　of　the　open　doorway。
　Rona　touched　Rock's　shoulder。　〃Let　me　and　McCaughlin　do　the　honors。。。〃
　Rock　stared　for　a　second　into　those　determined　green　eyes。　Then　he　said；　〃Okay；　see　if　you　can　hit　them　with　those　pop…shooters；　b