jefflong.yearzero-第37章

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　beings；　the　clones　were　different；　like　machines　with　parts　that　wore　out　more　quickly。
　The　door　to　the　observation　booth　opened。　The　odor　of　garlic　blew　in。　Miranda　looked　and　it　was　Ochs；　and　that　was　not　good。　They　called　him　the　Grim　Reaper。　Cavendish　used　the　giant　to　bear　bad　news；　and　to　enforce　it；　too。　Every　throne　in　history　had　rested　on　such　henchmen。
　Ochs　had　a　big　turquoise　belt　buckle　from　one　of　the　pueblos。　He　was　blunt。　〃The　council　voted；〃　he　said。　He　shook　his　head　slowly　as　if　it　were　his　sad　duty。　〃She　has　to　go。〃
　Miranda　had　thought　through　her　reaction。　She　went　out　of　her　way　to　never　pull　rank。　But　something　had　to　be　done。　〃I'm　going　to　speak　to　my　father　about　this；〃　she　said。
　〃Dr。　Cavendish　already　took　care　of　that；〃　Ochs　said。　〃Your　father　agreed　that　the　council's　authority　is　absolute。　They　considered　your　request；　and　rejected　it。　That's　that。〃
　The　council：　a　rubber　stamp。　〃She　deserves　better。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。〃　He　wasn't。　It　didn't　matter；　he　was　just　the　messenger。　It　made　no　sense　to　talk　to　him。　Miranda　tried　anyway。
　〃She's　not　even　four；　for　god's　sake。〃
　〃A　feral　child；〃　said　Ochs。　〃Autistic。　Violent。　Even　in　the　best　of　times；　she'd　have　to　be　institutionalized。〃
　〃She　already　is；〃　Miranda　retorted。
　〃With　her　own　nursing　staff　and　a　room　with　a　view。　We　can't　afford　the　resources　anymore；〃　Ochs　said。
　We；thought　Miranda　bitterly。　The　Cavendish　regime。　〃Something　changed　her；〃　she　said。　〃Something　external。　This　isn't　her　fault。〃
　〃That's　beside　the　point；〃　Ochs　said。　〃You　saw　the　DNA　results。　She's　a　genetic　dead　end。　We　have　to　free　up　our　manpower　and　space。　The　cure　rules。〃　That　last　part　had　bee　a　war　cry。　The　cure　rules。　It　justified　anything。
　〃She's　innocent。　This　isn't　fair。〃
　〃She's　being　transferred；　that's　all。〃
　〃To　a　cage　in　the　earth。〃
　〃Your　cage。　She'll　be　in　Alpha　Lab；　your　building　in　your　technical　area。　Now　you'll　be　able　to　see　her　without　having　to　walk　all　the　way　over　here。〃　Ochs　smiled　at　her。
　Since　Elise's　death；　Miranda　had　fought　to　keep　the　plex　known　as　Technical　Area　Three　a　safe　haven　from　Cavendish's　strategy　of　pitting　them　against　one　another。　petition；　he　preached；　not　cooperation。The　arena　of　ideas。　In　the　space　of　a　few　months；　whipped　along　by　Cavendish；　Los　Alamos　had　started　to　show　fractures。
　There　was　growing　conflict　in　the　labs；　miniature　civil　wars　within　the　larger　civil　war　that　was　Los　Alamos　National　Laboratory。　People　had　thrown　tantrums。　Shouted。　Bullied。　Back　stabbed。　Experiments　were　sabotaged。
　Miranda　had　done　what　she　could　to　counter　Cavendish's　〃arena〃　philosophy。　For　all　their　differences；　the　labs　and　researchers　were　not　enemies。　Despair　and　guilt；　those　were　their　enemy。　Frustration　was　their　monster。　The　nation…the　world…had　placed　its　faith　in　their　genius；　and　they　were　failing。　Their　pain　was　like　a　running　sore。　The　suicide　rate　kept　climbing。　In　the　last　few　weeks；　five　more　scientists　had　taken　their　lives；　and　two　had　〃assisted〃　their　families。　Alcoholism　and　drug　abuse　were　on　the　rise；　this　among　men　and　women　with　the　highest　level　Q…clearance。　And　church　attendance　was　soaring。　In　itself；　religion　was　no　one's　business。　Los　Alamos　had　always　been　〃church　heavy。〃　But　the　overall　fact　was　that　scientists　were　losing　faith　in　their　own　science。
　In　the　beginning　Miranda　had　tried　to　act　the　way　she　imagined　Elise　would　have　acted。　She　went　from　lab　to　lab　and　preached　cooperation。　She　made　the　batants　join　hands；　literally　hold　hands；　to　wage　war　on　the　plague　microbe。　She　mediated。　She　found　the　middle　ground。　She　initiated　ho…ho's；　the　Silicon　Valley　equivalent　of　Friday　Afternoon　Clubs。　For　a　time；　it　had　seemed　to　work。　Then　another　controversy　would　spring　up。　Another　snatch　of　supplies　or　chemicals。　Another　headhunting　raid　on　a　lab。　Another　plagiarism　of　some　useless　idea。　Another　labor　dispute。　Another　of　Cavendish's　midnight　deportations。　The　list　was　endless。　Finally　Miranda　had　given　up　and　retreated　to　the　quiet　confines　of　Alpha　Lab。　Of　late；　she　didn't　want　to　hear　about　the　misery。　She　just　wanted　to　take　care　of　her　own。
　〃But　you're　taking　the　sun　away　from　her。〃
　〃It　could　be　worse。〃　That　was　the　truth。
　〃You　helped　create　her。　Doesn't　that　matter　to　you？〃
　〃It's　not　like　she　came　from　Adam's　rib。　All　I　did　was　provide　the　jawbone。〃　Ochs　smiled　at　his　little　joke。　〃You　take　her　too　seriously。　She　exists；　but　she's　nonexistent。　A　freak　in　time。〃
　Miranda　glared　at　him。　〃Where　did　Cavendish　find　you？〃
　〃The　world；　Dr。　Abbot。〃　Ochs　motioned　toward　the　door。　〃You　should　leave　now。〃
　What　did　it　matter　if　she　didn't　get　to　say　goodbye？　She　had　never　said　hello。　The　girl　didn't　even　know　Miranda　existed。
　The　steel　door　opened　beneath　the　painted　rainbow。　Four　men　entered　in　helmets　and　pads　and　carrying　Plexiglas　riot　shields。　One　had　a　long　jab…stick　for　tranquilizing　wild　animals。　They　manuevered　behind　the　child。
　〃This　is　unnecessary；〃　Miranda　said。
　〃They　know　what　they're　doing。〃
　The　man　with　the　jab…stick　reached　forward　and　speared　the　big　needle　into　the　girl's　thigh。　The　child　didn't　react；　but　Miranda　did。　〃I'm　going　in　there；〃　she　declared。
　〃Let　them　do　their　job。〃
　She　tried　to　shove　her　way　around　Ochs；　but　that　was　a　three　hundred　pound　impossibility。　〃Your　father　said　you'll　get　over　it；〃　Ochs　told　Miranda。　〃He　said　you　always　do。〃
　Over　her　shoulder　she　saw　the　little　girl　still　facing　the　wall；　still　erect。　The　man　prodded　her　with　the　butt　end　of　the　jab　stick　and　she　toppled　in　a　heap。
　
　13
　The　Sea
　
　MARCH；　THESAMEMONTH
　They　thought　the　gaunt　American　was　damned。　Nathan　Lee　thought　the　same　of　them；　his　fellow　passengers　on　this　fishing　trawler；　theIchotski。　But　they　were　damned　for　opposite　reasons。　Where　his　eyes　were　dark　with　exmunication；　theirs　shone　with　faith。　And　it　was　going　to　kill　them。
　There　were　forty…three　Chinese　and　Russian　refugees。　Most　were　families。　Like　him；　they　had　paid　small　fortunes　to　the　captain　and　his　crew。　What　none　seemed　to　understand　was　that　theIchotski　was　a　trap。　They　had　shipped　aboard　a　slaughterhouse。　Not　that　there　was　much　choice。　The　coastal　cities　were　polyglot　nightmares　jammed　with　Asians　and　Russians　frantic　for　passage　to　North　America。　You　paid　or　you　stayed。
　Nathan　Lee　counted　nineteen　children　among　the　passengers。　He　counted　the　women。　He　counted　the　men　and　pared　them　to　the　crew；　who　were　few　but　carried　guns。　Maybe　if　there　had　been　more　men　among　the　refugees。。。but　there　were　not。　Their　fate　was　sealed。　After　deciding　that；　Nathan　Lee　stayed　to　himself　and　refused　to　speak　with　anyone；　even　when　they　tried　a　few　words　in　English。　They　began　to　treat　at　him　as　an　omen　huddled　at　the　prow。
　The　March　sea　was　gray　and　choppy。　To　make　room　for　more　passengers；　the　trawler　was　towing　its　lifeboat　behind　on　a　fifty…foot　line。　It　was　a　mere　skiff；　as　shabby　as　the　trawler。　A　sheet　of　stretched　canvas　held　out　the　waves。　Overhead　the　mackerel　sky　was　slashed　with　gangrene　and　black。
　The　crew　waited　a　few　days　before　starting　in　on　them；　letting　the　bad　food　and　cold　and　seasickness　deplete　their　prey。　Three　women　were　taken　below　deck。　Everyone　could　hear　their　cries；　but　even　their　husbands　kept　stony　faces　and　did　not　move　to　rescue　them。　Nathan　Lee　saw　the　awful　shock　as　the　refugees　realized　they　were　captives。　Just　the　same；　they　seemed　to　believe　everything　would　still　turn　out　all　right；　that　the　raping　would　satisfy　the　sailors。　The　Alaskan　coast　lay　just　three　days　away。
　In　the　morning；　only　two　of　the　women　were　returned　to　the　open　deck。　The　husband　of　the　missing　woman　stood　up　to　protest；　but　a　giant；　scarred　sailor　struck　him　across　the　face。　Again　the　refugees　found　hope。　After　all；　the　sailor　had　merely　struck　the　husband；　not　killed　him。　Three　other　women　were　herded　down　the　stairs。
　Every　hour；　Nathan　Lee　secretly　checked　his　pass。　The　trawler　was　still　moving　due　east；　beneath　the　Arctic　Circle。　Soon　enough　it　would　surely　circle　back　to　the　Russian　coast。　The　turn　would　be　wide　and　imperceptible。　The　passengers　would　never　even　know　they　had　reversed　direction。　That　was　when　he　would　make　his　escape。
　In　the　aftern