part 1+Word格式.docx

part 1+Word格式.docx

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Normally,duringhernearlyquarter-milewalktoherlab,Katherinefeltcalmedbythebreathingsoundsofthebuilding.Tonight,however,thepulsinghadheronedge.Whatshehadlearnedaboutherbrothertodaywouldhavetroubledanyone,andyetbecausePeterwastheonlyfamilyshehadintheworld,Katherinefeltespeciallydisturbedtothinkhemightbekeepingsecretsfromher.

Asfarassheknew,hehadkeptasecretfromheronlyonce...awonderfulsecretthatwashiddenattheendofthisveryhallway.Threeyearsago,herbrotherhadwalkedKatherinedownthiscorridor,introducinghertotheSMSCbyproudlyshowingoffsomeofthebuilding’smoreunusualitems—theMarsmeteoriteALH-84001,thehandwrittenpictographicdiaryofSittingBull,acollectionofwax-sealedBalljarscontainingoriginalspecimenscollectedbyCharlesDarwin.

Atonepoint,theywalkedpastaheavydoorwithasmallwindow.Katherinecaughtaglimpseofwhatlaybeyondandgasped.“Whatintheworldisthat?

!

”

Herbrotherchuckledandkeptwalking.“PodThree.It’scalledWetPod.Prettyunusualsight,isn’tit?

Terrifyingismorelikeit.Katherinehurriedafterhim.Thisbuildingwaslikeanotherplanet.

“WhatIreallywanttoshowyouisinPodFive,”herbrothersaid,guidingherdowntheseeminglyendlesscorridor.“It’sournewestaddition.ItwasbuilttohouseartifactsfromthebasementoftheNationalMuseumofNaturalHistory.Thatcollectionisscheduledforrelocationhereinaboutfiveyears,whichmeansPodFiveissittingemptyatthemoment.”

Katherineglancedover.“Empty?

Sowhyarewelookingatit?

Herbrother’sgrayeyesflashedafamiliarmischief.“Itoccurredtomethatbecausenobodyisusingthespace,maybeyoucoulduseit.”

“Me?

“Sure.Ithoughtmaybeyoucoulduseadedicatedlabspace—afacilitywhereyoucanactuallyperformsomeofthetheoreticalexperimentsyou’vebeendevelopingforalltheseyears.”

Katherinestaredatherbrotherinshock.“But,Peter,thoseexperimentsaretheoretical!

Toactuallyperformthemwouldbealmostimpossible.”

“Nothingisimpossible,Katherine,andthisbuildingisperfectforyou.TheSMSCisnotjustawarehouseoftreasures;

it’soneoftheworld’smostadvancedscientificresearchfacilities.We’reconstantlytakingpiecesfromthecollectionandexaminingthemwiththebestquantitativetechnologiesmoneycanbuy.Alltheequipmentyoucouldpossiblyneedwouldbehereatyourdisposal.”

“Peter,thetechnologiesrequiredtoruntheseexperimentsare—”“Alreadyinplace.”Hesmiledbroadly.“Thelabisdone.”Katherinestoppedshort.

Herbrotherpointeddownthelongcorridor.“We’regoingtoseeitnow.”Katherinecouldbarelyspeak.“You...youbuiltmealab?

“It’smyjob.TheSmithsonianwasestablishedtoadvancescientificknowledge.Assecretary,Imusttakethatchargeseriously.Ibelievetheexperimentsyou’veproposedhavethepotentialtopushtheboundariesofscienceintounchartedterritory.”Peterstoppedandlookedhersquarelyintheeyes.“Whetherornotyouweremysister,Iwouldfeelobligedtosupportthisresearch.Yourideasarebrilliant.Theworlddeservestoseewheretheylead.”

“Peter,Ican’tpossibly—”

“Okay,relax...itwasmyownmoney,andnobody’susingPodFiverightnow.Whenyou’redonewithyourexperiments,you’llmoveout.Besides,PodFivehassomeuniquepropertiesthatwillbeperfectforyourwork.”

Katherinecouldnotimaginewhatamassive,emptypodmightofferthatwouldserveherresearch,butshesensedshewasabouttofindout.Theyhadjustreachedasteeldoorwithboldlystenciledletters:

POD5

Herbrotherinsertedhiskeycardintoaslotandanelectronickeypadlitup.Heraisedhisfingertotypehisaccesscode,butpaused,archinghiseyebrowsinthesamemischievouswayhealwayshadasaboy.“Yousureyou’reready?

Shenodded.Mybrother,alwaystheshowman.

“Standback.”Peterhitthekeys.Thesteeldoorhissedloudlyopen.

Beyondthethresholdwasonlyinkyblackness...ayawningvoid.Ahollowmoanseemedtoechooutofthedepths.Katherinefeltacoldblastofairemanatingfromwithin.ItwaslikestaringintotheGrandCanyonatnight.

“PictureanemptyairlinehangarwaitingforafleetofAirbuses,”herbrothersaid,“andyougetthebasicidea.”

Katherinefeltherselftakeastepbackward.

“Thepoditselfisfartoovoluminoustobeheated,butyourlabisathermallyinsulatedcinder-blockroom,roughlyacube,locatedinthefarthestcornerofthepodformaximumseparation.”

Katherinetriedtopictureit.Aboxinsideabox.Shestrainedtoseeintothedarkness,butitwasabsolute.“Howfarback?

“Prettyfar...afootballfieldwouldfiteasilyinhere.Ishouldwarnyou,though,thewalkisalittleunnerving.It’sexceptionallydark.”

Katherinepeeredtentativelyaroundthecorner.“Nolightswitch?

”“PodFiveisnotyetwiredforelectricity.”

“But...thenhowcanalabfunction?

”Hewinked.“Hydrogenfuelcell.”

Katherine’sjawdropped.“You’rekidding,right?

“Enoughcleanpowertorunasmalltown.Yourlabenjoysfullradio-frequencyseparationfromtherestofthebuilding.What’smore,allpodexteriorsaresealedwithphoto-resistantmembranestoprotecttheartifactsinsidefromsolarradiation.Essentially,thispodisasealed,energy-neutralenvironment.”

KatherinewasstartingtocomprehendtheappealofPod5.Becausemuchofherworkcenteredonquantifyingpreviouslyunknownenergyfields,herexperimentsneededtobeperformedinalocationisolatedfromanyextraneousradiationor“whitenoise.”Thisincludedinterferenceassubtleas“brainradiation”or“thoughtemissions”generatedbypeoplenearby.Forthisreason,auniversitycampusorhospitallabwouldn’twork,butadesertedpodattheSMSCcouldnothavebeenmoreperfect.

“Let’sgobackandhavealook.”Herbrotherwasgrinningashesteppedintothevastdarkness.“Justfollowme.”

Katherinestalledatthethreshold.Overahundredyardsintotaldarkness?

Shewantedtosuggestaflashlight,butherbrotherhadalreadydisappearedintotheabyss.

“Peter?

”shecalled.

“Leapoffaith,”hecalledback,hisvoicealreadyfadingaway.“You’llfindyourway.Trustme.”

He’skidding,right?

Katherine’sheartwaspoundingasshesteppedafewfeetoverthethreshold,tryingtopeerintothedarkness.Ican’tseeathing!

Suddenlythesteeldoorhissedandslammedshutbehindher,plungingherintototalblackness.Notaspeckoflightanywhere.“Peter?

Silence.

You’llfindyourway.Trustme.

Tentative,sheinchedforwardblindly.Leapoffaith?

Katherinecouldnotevenseeherhanddirectlyinfrontofherface.Shekeptmovingforward,butwithinamatterofseconds,shewasentirelylost.WhereamIgoing?

Thatwasthreeyearsago.

Now,asKatherinearrivedatthesameheavymetaldoor,sherealizedhowfarshehadcomesincethatfirstnight.Herlab—nicknamedtheCube—hadbecomeherhome,asanctuarywithinthedepthsofPod5.Exactlyasherbrotherhadpredicted,shehadfoundherwaythroughthedarknessthatnight,andeverydaysince—thankstoaningeniouslysimpleguidancesystemthatherbrotherhadletherdiscoverforherself.

Farmoreimportant,herbrother’sotherpredictionhadcometrueaswell:

Katherine’sexperimentshadproducedastonishingresults,particularlyinthelastsixmonths,breakthroughsthatwouldalterentireparadigmsofthinking.Katherineandherbrotherhadagreedtokeepherresultsabsolutelysecretuntiltheimplicationsweremorefullyunderstood.Onedaysoon,however,Katherineknewshewouldpublishsomeofthemosttransformativescientificrevelationsinhumanhistory.

Asecretlabinasecretmuseum,shethought,insertingherkeycardintothePod5door.Thekeypadlitup,andKatherinetypedherPIN.

Thesteeldoorhissedopen.

Thefamiliarhollowmoanwasaccompaniedbythesameblastofcoldair.Asalways,Katherinefeltherpulseratestarttoclimb.

Strangestcommuteonearth.

Steelingherselfforthejourney,KatherineSolomonglancedatherwatchasshesteppedintothevoid.Tonight,however,atroubledthoughtfollowedherinside.WhereisPeter?

CHAPTER12

CapitolpolicechiefTrentAndersonhadoverseensecurityintheU.S.CapitolComplexforoveradecade.Aburly,square-chestedmanwithachiseledfaceandredhair,hekepthishaircroppedinabuzzcut,givinghimanairofmilitaryauthority.Heworeavisiblesidearmasawarningtoanyonefoolishenoughtoquestiontheextentofhisauthority.

Andersonspentthemajorityofhistimecoordinatinghissmallarmyofpoliceofficersfromahigh-techsurveillancecenterinthebasementoftheCapitol.Hereheoversawastaffoftechnicianswhowatchedvisualmonitors,computerreadouts,andatelephoneswitchboa