[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
CRICHTON WAS WAITING for her, with Ladrow Buford hopping nervously about at
his side. There were eight or nine of the other scientists gathered around
him, and half a dozen sec men. Krysty was immediately aware of a barely
suppressed air of intense excitement.
The old man greeted Krysty with a warm smile. "Sleep well, child?" he asked.
"Sure. Can we get one thing straight right away?"
"Of course?"
"I don't like being held a prisoner. Don't like being cut off from my friends.
I guess they're prisoners, as well. And I want to know what's been done to
send out search parties to look for Ryan and Trader."
Crichton's smile disappeared like a rabbit down a hole. "What you don't like
doesn't matter. I've had enough of your outlander arrogance. This is the
Crichton Institute, founded by my grandmother." A thread of white frothy
spittle sprayed from his lips. "We have been playing Mr. Nice Guy with you
peasants far too long."
"Peasants! Just"
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Deathlands Genesis Echo
"I will have you beaten unconscious by the sec men if I have to. Whatever it
takes to shut you up. Your friends are our prisoners. We shall find uses for
them. The albino boy might be interesting, and the black woman."
Krysty felt a wave of anger swelling inside her. Despite her efforts to use
the Gaia power to calm herself, she was aware that the rage was in danger of
running the red arrow and getting beyond her control.
Buford was watching her closely, and he tugged at Crichton's sleeve,
whispering something urgently in his ear.
"You think she" Crichton muttered. "Not with all these guns around her,
surely. If we could try the experiment while she is in such a vein it would
be" Krysty couldn't catch the rest of what was said.
Ellison caught her eye and winked at her. It helped Krysty break the vicious
spiral of rising anger that had trapped her, and she felt her breathing
slowing, control fighting its way back into her mind.
Crichton turned to her. "We have wasted enough time. For your information, we
believe your companionsthe middle-aged man and the one with an eye missingare
probably dead. We have sent out search parties. If they are found, they will
be dealt with out in the field. Neither are of any value to us here." He wiped
his hands together. "Now, we will attempt what my colleagues call 'the big
one.' The excitement is nearly too much to bear." His face had become flushed,
and Krysty noticed he was rubbing his left arm with his right hand. "Perhaps,
Ladrow, you would give me one of my green pills. It would be a sad irony if I
was to miss my date with destiny."
Buford had reached into the pocket of his lab coat and fished out a small
black box. He opened it and offered a tablet to his boss, who laid it beneath
his tongue.
"Thank you," he said. "Now, let us to it. This is the day that we have been
working toward for a hundred years."
"FEAR IS A BEAST that can be small and easily beaten, or it can grow and swell
until it could swallow the world. The decision is yours alone."
That was what Krysty's mother had said in one of her lectures on life and
living.
It came back to Krysty as she was marched, under escort, into the largest
laboratory she had yet seen. It was divided in two by a huge powered door, and
she couldn't yet see what lay in that distant half.
There were a number of cubicles of different sizes, scattered around the part
of the room where she stood.
Most of them had walls of clear glass, though one or two were heavily smoked.
The rest of the lab looked like sets for predark science-fiction vids, with
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
bubbling retorts, whirring computers and flashing lights.
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Deathlands Genesis Echo
None of it made the least sense to Krysty.
"Sit over there," Buford directed her. "Professor Crichton has to go and rest
a little. His health is far from excellent. But he has delegated to me the
responsibility for continuing. And" he paused for effect, throwing out his
chest like a pouter pigeon, "he has allowed me the honor of telling you of the
work we have done here. The work which is now near to its conclusion."
"So, tell me."
It took the better part of an hour, with his narrative constantly being
interrupted by Krysty's questions.
At the end, she sat back, fighting to mask her emotions, trying to recount
what she'd learned.
"You have nearly mastered the skill of duplicating living creatures while
removing or controlling their worse aspects? Is that it?"
Buford nodded, his glasses glinting, his bald skull shining under the harsh
overhead lights. "That really is a massive oversimplification, but yes. It
will mean a Deathlands free from genetic mutations. As we copy, so we improve.
That was the maxim of our beloved founder. Simple genetic engineering that
will rearrange the DNA of our specimens. Any kinks in the chain can be removed
and tweaked sideways." He demonstrated with a delicate gesture of his hands.
"A cleaner world." Krysty rubbed the side of her nose. "Uncle Tyas McCann,
back when I was a girl, had plenty of old books. There was one from the Nazi
times. Talked about something called eugenics. Racial cleansing. Rid the world
of undesirables. Stop any kind of physical or social deviation from the norm."
She paused. "They called it their 'final solution,' back then."
"Yes, yes!" He clapped his bony hands together. "You see, don't you? Oh,
Krysty, I am so glad you do both see and understand."
"I understand real well. Though I'm not sure I believe it. I heard it took
years and years to try to reproduce even the simplest organism."
"Not now." He looked around, then limped over to a cage of silvered wire on a
bench, leaning heavily on his cane. "This rat, for instance."
It was white, with a pattern of black spots and patches, including one that
looked amazingly like a spoon with a curved handle. Its eyes were pink, and
its nostrils twitched as it peered out of its prison.
"You see its markings, Krysty?"
"Yeah."
"The bit here, like a ladle? Good. Now, I shall take it beyond the doors and
return with it in less than five minutes. Sit quiet and wait."
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Deathlands Genesis Echo
THE SEC MEN STARED at her with a studied indifference, except for Ellison, who
came and stood by her. "Having fun, Red?" he asked. "Better than watching
paint dry, ain't it?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
CRICHTON WAS WAITING for her, with Ladrow Buford hopping nervously about at
his side. There were eight or nine of the other scientists gathered around
him, and half a dozen sec men. Krysty was immediately aware of a barely
suppressed air of intense excitement.
The old man greeted Krysty with a warm smile. "Sleep well, child?" he asked.
"Sure. Can we get one thing straight right away?"
"Of course?"
"I don't like being held a prisoner. Don't like being cut off from my friends.
I guess they're prisoners, as well. And I want to know what's been done to
send out search parties to look for Ryan and Trader."
Crichton's smile disappeared like a rabbit down a hole. "What you don't like
doesn't matter. I've had enough of your outlander arrogance. This is the
Crichton Institute, founded by my grandmother." A thread of white frothy
spittle sprayed from his lips. "We have been playing Mr. Nice Guy with you
peasants far too long."
"Peasants! Just"
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20025%20-%20Genesi
s%20Echo.html (186 of 225) [1/3/2005 10:51:07 PM]
Deathlands Genesis Echo
"I will have you beaten unconscious by the sec men if I have to. Whatever it
takes to shut you up. Your friends are our prisoners. We shall find uses for
them. The albino boy might be interesting, and the black woman."
Krysty felt a wave of anger swelling inside her. Despite her efforts to use
the Gaia power to calm herself, she was aware that the rage was in danger of
running the red arrow and getting beyond her control.
Buford was watching her closely, and he tugged at Crichton's sleeve,
whispering something urgently in his ear.
"You think she" Crichton muttered. "Not with all these guns around her,
surely. If we could try the experiment while she is in such a vein it would
be" Krysty couldn't catch the rest of what was said.
Ellison caught her eye and winked at her. It helped Krysty break the vicious
spiral of rising anger that had trapped her, and she felt her breathing
slowing, control fighting its way back into her mind.
Crichton turned to her. "We have wasted enough time. For your information, we
believe your companionsthe middle-aged man and the one with an eye missingare
probably dead. We have sent out search parties. If they are found, they will
be dealt with out in the field. Neither are of any value to us here." He wiped
his hands together. "Now, we will attempt what my colleagues call 'the big
one.' The excitement is nearly too much to bear." His face had become flushed,
and Krysty noticed he was rubbing his left arm with his right hand. "Perhaps,
Ladrow, you would give me one of my green pills. It would be a sad irony if I
was to miss my date with destiny."
Buford had reached into the pocket of his lab coat and fished out a small
black box. He opened it and offered a tablet to his boss, who laid it beneath
his tongue.
"Thank you," he said. "Now, let us to it. This is the day that we have been
working toward for a hundred years."
"FEAR IS A BEAST that can be small and easily beaten, or it can grow and swell
until it could swallow the world. The decision is yours alone."
That was what Krysty's mother had said in one of her lectures on life and
living.
It came back to Krysty as she was marched, under escort, into the largest
laboratory she had yet seen. It was divided in two by a huge powered door, and
she couldn't yet see what lay in that distant half.
There were a number of cubicles of different sizes, scattered around the part
of the room where she stood.
Most of them had walls of clear glass, though one or two were heavily smoked.
The rest of the lab looked like sets for predark science-fiction vids, with
Page 120
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
bubbling retorts, whirring computers and flashing lights.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20025%20-%20Genesi
s%20Echo.html (187 of 225) [1/3/2005 10:51:07 PM]
Deathlands Genesis Echo
None of it made the least sense to Krysty.
"Sit over there," Buford directed her. "Professor Crichton has to go and rest
a little. His health is far from excellent. But he has delegated to me the
responsibility for continuing. And" he paused for effect, throwing out his
chest like a pouter pigeon, "he has allowed me the honor of telling you of the
work we have done here. The work which is now near to its conclusion."
"So, tell me."
It took the better part of an hour, with his narrative constantly being
interrupted by Krysty's questions.
At the end, she sat back, fighting to mask her emotions, trying to recount
what she'd learned.
"You have nearly mastered the skill of duplicating living creatures while
removing or controlling their worse aspects? Is that it?"
Buford nodded, his glasses glinting, his bald skull shining under the harsh
overhead lights. "That really is a massive oversimplification, but yes. It
will mean a Deathlands free from genetic mutations. As we copy, so we improve.
That was the maxim of our beloved founder. Simple genetic engineering that
will rearrange the DNA of our specimens. Any kinks in the chain can be removed
and tweaked sideways." He demonstrated with a delicate gesture of his hands.
"A cleaner world." Krysty rubbed the side of her nose. "Uncle Tyas McCann,
back when I was a girl, had plenty of old books. There was one from the Nazi
times. Talked about something called eugenics. Racial cleansing. Rid the world
of undesirables. Stop any kind of physical or social deviation from the norm."
She paused. "They called it their 'final solution,' back then."
"Yes, yes!" He clapped his bony hands together. "You see, don't you? Oh,
Krysty, I am so glad you do both see and understand."
"I understand real well. Though I'm not sure I believe it. I heard it took
years and years to try to reproduce even the simplest organism."
"Not now." He looked around, then limped over to a cage of silvered wire on a
bench, leaning heavily on his cane. "This rat, for instance."
It was white, with a pattern of black spots and patches, including one that
looked amazingly like a spoon with a curved handle. Its eyes were pink, and
its nostrils twitched as it peered out of its prison.
"You see its markings, Krysty?"
"Yeah."
"The bit here, like a ladle? Good. Now, I shall take it beyond the doors and
return with it in less than five minutes. Sit quiet and wait."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Deathlands%20025%20-%20Genesi
s%20Echo.html (188 of 225) [1/3/2005 10:51:07 PM]
Deathlands Genesis Echo
THE SEC MEN STARED at her with a studied indifference, except for Ellison, who
came and stood by her. "Having fun, Red?" he asked. "Better than watching
paint dry, ain't it?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]