rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第5章

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ock　Team。　When　things　got　rough；　when　all　hope　appeared　lost；　McCaughlin's　gentle　wit　and　wry　jokes　saved　the　day。　He　was　a　must　on　every　mission。
　Then　there　was　Archer；　the　near…mute　mountain　man　who　Rockson　had　once　saved　from　a　quicksand　pool。　Archer　was　the　oddest　of　the　bunch。　He　lived　deep　in　the　twisting　maze　of　conduit　tunnels　deep　below　Century　City；　preferring　isolation　and　quiet　to　panionship。　And　why　not？　Archer；　named　thus　because　of　his　fantastic　homemade　metal　crossbow　and　the　special　arrows　that　he　always　carried；　had　lived　alone　most　of　his　life。　Until　he　was　found　in　his　desperate　condition　by　Rockson。　Now　Archer　had　allegiance　to　Rockson　and　Rockson　alone。　Because　he　always　wore　his　same　bearskin　clothing；　and　seldom　if　ever　bathed；　some　inhabitants　of　the　rather　neat　underground　city　shunned　him　…　and　he　shunned　them。　Still；　when　out　in　the　open；　his　scent　wasn't　too　bad；　and　he　was　a　good　man　to　have　around。
　Scheransky　was　the　latest　addition　to　the　team　led　by　the　Doomsday　Warrior。　He　was　a　Russian　defector；　who　liked　to　describe　himself　as　〃Russian；　not　Soviet。〃　He　was　proud　of　his　people　and　their　ingenuity　and　many　achievements；　and　lived　for　the　day　when　the　hated　dictatorship　of　his　native　land　could　be　brought　down　to　let　democracy　finally　reign。　A　short　man；　he　had　once　been　chubby；　but　now　this　dark…eyed；　blond…haired　technical　wizard　had　slimmed　down；　gotten　hard　and　muscled　in　the　fight　for　freedom。
　Rona　Wallender；　the　only　female　member　of　the　Rockson　team；　had　been　left　behind　on　the　Rock　Team　mission　to　Alaska。　Not　that　the　Amazon…like　tanned　beauty　had　wanted　to　be　left　behind。　She　was　a　crack　shot；　and　trained　in　survival　and　the　martial　arts。　Frequently；　Rona　was　Rockson's　panion　when　he　hunted　bear　and　deer　in　the　wilderness　of　the　Rockies。　And　the　stunning　redhead；　all　five　foot　ten　of　her；　never　failed　to　bag　her　share　of　dangerous　quarry。　She　had　been　Rockson's　lover　for　years。　Not　that　the　Doomsday　Warrior　didn't　dally　here　and　there　with　other　females　from　time　to　time。
　Danik　learned　that　last　Rock　Team　mission　to　save　freedom　had　ended　with　a　triumph　for　his　forces　of　liberty。　While　the　Rock　Team　had　engaged　Killov's　army　in　a　deadly　firefight　in　the　Arctic　darkness；　the　Doomsday　Warrior　had　mandeered　a　Soviet　jet　and　chased　after　the　deadly　missile　launched　by　KGB　head　Killov。　Rockson　had　destroyed　Killov's　deadly　missile　in　midair。　Then　Rockson　had　crash…landed　in　the　desert。　And　after　being　captured　by　a　Soviet　patrol；　he　had　encountered　a　strange　megastorm。　The　nature　of　that　storm；　and　its　consequences　for　Rockson；　was　classified　material；　and　not　available　on　tape。
　The　taped　account　of　the　adventure　finished　with　the　Doomsday　Warrior　staggering　into　Century　City's　south　portal　nine　months　ago；　about　as　near　death　as　Danik　had　been。
　When　he　awoke；　Danik　had　only　one　thing　in　mind。　To　travel　to　Eden　with　this　man…among…men；　with　this　hero　of　the　twenty…first　century；　Ted　Rockson；　and　his　team　of　Freefighters。　If　Danik　should　die；　then　it　would　be　a　noble　death；　to　be　among　such　brave　warriors。
　After　a　breakfast　of　fresh　scrambled　hawk　eggs　and　coffee；　served　in　his　room　by　a　pretty　orderly　named　Janet；　Danik　eagerly　set　off　down　the　corridors　he　was　being　familiar　with　to　his　morning　meeting　with　the　entire　Rock　Team。　Danik　was　elated。　He　had　remembered　something。　Not　much；　but　something。　Perhaps　it　would　be　enough。
　
　
　CHAPTER　4
　
　Rockson　had　gathered　most　of　the　Rock　Team　in　the　Security　office。　They　sat　with　notepads　in　front　of　them；　around　the　shiny…surfaced　conference　table。　Rath　was　there　of　course　too。　The　door　opened　a　moment　after　the　bat　veterans　had　all　arrived。　Rock　looked　up；　expecting　to　see　Danik。　But　instead　it　was　Rona。　All　dressed　up　in　full　bat　gear。
　〃Rona；　what　the　hell　are　you　doing　down　here？〃　he　bellowed。
　〃I　want　in　on　this　one。　Rock。　You　left　me　out　of　the　Alaska　mission　…　I'm　going　on　this　one。〃
　〃Like　hell　you　are。　I'm　only　taking　members　of　my　northern　team。　The　winter　team。　You're　out。〃
　〃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'