jefflong.yearzero-第20章

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hen　lost　their　mates。　Death　had　taken　her　Victor　just　six　months　ago；　and　tried　to　take　her；　too。　The　surgeons　had　repaired　her　broken　heart；　but　she　was　still　frail。　Impulsively　Abbot　wanted　to　take　her　hand　in　his；　to　hold　it　without　the　excuse　of　fear　or　consolation；　just　to　remind　them　both　of　what　might　have　been。　But　he　did　not。　If　they　were　younger　and　it　mattered；　perhaps。　But　neither　of　them　would　marry　again。　That's　how　it　was。
　The　bus　wound　toward　the　mesa　top。　They　passed　through　Los　Alamos；　and　its　plain　buildings　and　green　park　could　have　been　anywhere　in　1970s　Middle　America。　It　was　a　pany　town。　Their　business　was　simple：　Big　Science。
　The　bus　stopped　at　a　bridge　above　a　sheer　canyon。　Traffic　normally　flowed　into　the　research　plex　beyond。　But　this　morning；　following　the　demonstration　outside　Rancho　Encantado；　heavily　armed　Pro　Force　soldiers　were　ready　and　waiting。　An　officer　with　a　clipboard　mounted　the　bus　and　walked　down　the　aisle　to　where　Abbot　and　Golding　sat。　Golding　knew　right　where　to　sign　the　paperwork。　He　said；　〃Thank　you；　ma'am；〃　and　started　handing　out　security　badges　and　dosimeters。　Soldiers　waved　the　bus　through　a　makeshift　barricade。　As　they　crossed　the　bridge；　the　air　of　tension　relaxed。　The　sight　of　machine　guns　on　hummers　was　a　novelty　to　many　of　the　scientists。　They　treated　the　security　badges　and　radiation　tags　like　tickets　to　a　James　Bond　theme　park。
　Occupying　some　twenty　square　miles；　the　laboratory　grounds　were　hived　off　into　technical　areas　containing　research　facilities　and　office　buildings。　Back　in　the　early　'50s；　when　Godzilla　and　the　Blob　were　leaving　wakes　of　fear；　the　U。S。　Atomic　Energy　mission　had　been　tasked　to　study　mutations　caused　by　ionizing　radiation。　If　they　were　going　to　start　dropping　H…bombs　or　building　nuclear　reactors；　the　government　wanted　to　know　the　consequences。　With　time；　the　Mesa　had　gotten　a　makeover　of　sorts。　The　Atomic　Energy　mission　had　bee　the　Department　of　Energy。　Los　Alamos　had　e　under　the　administration　of　the　University　of　California。　Genetic　research　morphed　into　the　Human　Genome　Project。　And　now　two　former　peaceniks；　Elise　Golding　and　Paul　Abbot；　were　largely　in　control　of　the　birthplace　of　the　Bomb。
　They　reached　an　empty　parking　lot　in　front　of　a　newly　built　structure。　ALPHALABORATORY；　read　a　sign。　The　bus　stopped。　A　solitary；　twisted　figure　awaited　them　in　a　wheelchair。　He　looked　like　a　broken　fighter　pilot；　his　wheelchair　a　veritable　cockpit　bristling　with　gadgets；　joysticks；　and　a　built…in　puter　terminal。
　〃Cavendish；〃　one　of　the　passengers　hissed。
　Someone　said；　〃The　dark　prince。〃
　He　looked　much　the　way　Abbot　remembered　him　at　the　mission　hearings　in　Washington　two　and　three　years　ago。　No　buttons：　a　turtleneck。　Penny　loafers。　The　small　chin　shaved　clean。
　The　occassion　of　the　first　Congressional　hearing　had　been　Cavendish's　infamous　〃meat　tree。〃　Funded　by　Burger　King；　working　in　a　private　lab　in　Nebraska；　Cavendish　had　conjured　up　a　herd　of　headless　cows。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Cavendish's　cows　did　have　heads；　but　genetically　stripped　to　the　basics；　a　tiny　bone　casing　with　a　hole　for　breathing　and　one　for　tube　feeding。　He'd　deleted　eyes；　ears；　jaws；　and　horns；　anything　superfluous　to　rudimentary　existence。　Technically　each　animal　had　a　brain。　The　nubbin　of　a　brain　stem　ensured　that　the　lungs　respirated　and　the　food　digested。
　Until　then；　no　one　had　ever　heard　of　Edward　Cavendish。　That　changed。　Skirting　the　academic　publishing　process；　he'd　released　the　story　directly　to　the　public。　His　photos　had　shocked　the　world。　Meat　trees；　he'd　dubbed　his　creations。　He　offered　a　variety　of　uses　and　excuses　for　them。　The　animals　would　provide　a　cheap　protein　source　for　the　Third　World。　Housed　in　factories；　they　would　save　the　rainforest　and　return　America's　grazing　lands　to　the　buffalo。　And　since　his　mutant　cattle　were　born　into　a　state　of　a；　he　pointed　out；　they　felt　no　pain　at　〃harvest。〃　They　had　no　consciousness；　no　〃animal　soul；〃　meaning　even　vegans　could　eat　them　without　qualm。
　The　pundits　quickly　jumped　on　the　real　underlying　issue。　If　one　could　create　headless　cows　for　harvest；　why　not　headless　humans　for　organ　transplants？　For　a　few　horrified　weeks；　Cavendish　had　dominated　international　attention；　even　edging　out　the　latest　supertyphoons　in　Bangladesh　and　car　bombings　in　Quebec。　The　supermarket　tabloids　whipped　public　hysteria　into　a　froth。　Everyone　had　an　opinion；　from　cowboys　predicting　the　end　of　family　farms　to　bishops　and　philosophers　damning　his　twist　on　nature。　All　in　all；　the　incident　had　been　a　bold；　clumsy　ing…out　party　for　himself；　a　one…man　show。　Congress　quickly　passed　a　law　against　meat　trees。　But　that　wasn't　the　end　of　Cavendish。
　The　second　time　Abbot　met　him　had　been　after　the　Neandertal　incident。　Using　DNA　from　a　frozen　dental　nerve　in　a　preserved　mandible；　and　〃borrowing〃　a　Jersey　milk　cow　for　the　womb；　he　had　cloned　a　Neandertal　infant。　Again　his　creation　shocked　the　world；　and　carried　an　underlying　twist。　SinceH。　neandertalis　was　by　strictest　definition　notH。　sapiens；　Cavendish　had　managed　to　break　the　taboo　against　human　cloning　without　technically　breaking　it。　The　psychological　barrier　was　crossed。　Human　cloning　had　arrived。
　A　Presidential　mission；　chaired　by　Abbot；　had　dutifully　listened　to　the　moralists　and　Chicken　Littles。　During　the　course　of　the　hearings；　Abbot　had　e　to　respect　Cavendish。　The　young　man's　contempt　for　timid　research　sprang　from　a　deep　vein　of　misanthropy。　He　had　smarts　andcojones；　and　the　cunning　of　a　young　Turk。　In　certain　ways；　he　was　a　dead　ringer　for　Abbot　himself　back　before　he'd　learned　the　public　was　not　a　tool；　it　was　the　toolbox。
　〃I　thought　he'd　been　outlawed；〃　one　of　the　scientists　said。
　〃Censured；　not　outlawed；〃　a　woman　said。　〃He's　still　being　allowed　to　dabble。　Here。　Subsidized　with　taxpayer　money！〃
　It　was　Abbot　who　had　〃disappeared〃　Cavendish　into　Los　Alamos　after　the　Neandertal　controversy。　Elise　despised　the　man；　but　accepted　Abbot's　reasoning。　Science　could　not　afford　to　lose　a　mind　like　Cavendish's。　At　the　same　time；　they　couldn't　afford　to　have　him　running　amok　in　the　world　at　large。　At　Los　Alamos…in　theory…his　genius　could　be　caged　under　the　watchful　scrutiny　of　his　greatest　critic；　Elise。　The　problem　was　she　had　fifty　other　projects　to　oversee；　plus　budget　meetings　and　a　university　system　to　help　administer。　Her　heart　attack　had　effectively　halted　all　oversight。　No　one　was　quite　sure　what　Cavendish　had　been　up　to　for　the　last　six　months。　An　artificial　womb　was　in　the　making；　Abbot　knew　that　much。　And　Miranda　was　somehow　involved。
　He　looked　for　her　out　his　window。　As　the　years　caught　up　with　him；　Abbot　missed　his　rebel　daughter　more　and　more。　It　was　no　surprise　she　had　not　e　out　to　greet　him。　Cold；　lofty　Miranda。　The　daughter　of　her　cold；　lofty　father。　Elise　read　his　disappointment。　〃We'll　find　her；〃　she　said。　〃She　wants　to　see　you。〃
　〃Don't　pretend；〃　he　said；　〃please。〃
　〃Take　her　on　her　terms；〃　Elise　said。　〃That　would　be　a　start。　Be　proud　of　her。〃
　〃You　think　I'm　not？〃
　〃Paul；〃　she　said；　〃Miranda　is　not　your　enemy。〃
　〃What？〃
　But　Elise　was　silent。
　Grunting　under　the　weight　of　their　weapons　and　riot　gear；　the　cops　dismounted　first　and　took　positions。　Like　children　on　a　field　trip；　the　scientists　filed　out　of　the　bus。　Several　of　the　elders　needed　a　hand　descending　the　steps。　It　was　early　September；　and　the　air　was　chill　up　here　at　eight…thousand　feet。　They　clustered　uncertainly；　some　bundled　in　wool　blankets　with　the　Rancho　Encantado　logo。
　〃Good　morning；〃　Cavendish　cheerfully　greeted　no　one　in　particular。　His　eyes　swept　across　them；　a　head　count。　He　noticed　Abbot。　He　noticed　Golding。　He　recognized　power。
　〃Ha；〃　someone　tossed　back　at　him。　Now　that　they　were　on　the　outside　of　it；　the　passengers　were　shocked　by　how　much　punishment　the　schoolbus　had　taken。
　Cavendish　seemed　oblivious　to　the　spoliation。　〃Follow　me；〃　he　said。　〃You're　late。　It's　almost　time。〃
　〃This　better　be　good；〃　a　woman　enunciated　loudly。
　〃Damn　good；〃　another　added。
　They　were　rude；　Abbot　saw；　because　they　were　intensely　curious　and　didn't　want　to　admit　it。　Also；　Cavendish　scared　them。　The　group　started　inside。　Cavendish　waited　while　Abbot　helped　Elise　down　the　steps。