gns.throwback-第56部分

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　　'She　cries。'　The　pilot　gave　a　guttural　laugh。　'Make　a　note　of　that　for　the　files；　Bill。　We've　heard'em　scream　but　we've　never　yet　found　one　that　cried。　Don't　look　so　worried；　Bill；　they　can't　talk。　But　even　if　she　did　manage　to　squeal　nobody　would　give　a　shit。　They're　animals。'
　　
　　They　pushed　her　ahead　of　them　out　through　the　door；　the　gun　jabbing　into　her　back。　She　saw　the　helicopter　standing　on　a　flat　piece　of　ground　that　the　gales　which　had　brought　the　blizzards　had　swept　clear；　a　huge　silent　metal　bird　of　prey。　And　it　had　found　its　prey。
　　
　　Please　let　me　go；　you've　had　what　you　want。　Please！　She　stopped　and　something　hard　struck　her　across　the　back　of　the　head　so　that　she　stumbled　and　nearly　fell。　She　almost　blacked　out　and　then　they　were　forcing　her　up　the　rungs　of　the　short　ladder　into　the　helicopter；　shoving　her　into　the　rear　seat。
　　
　　'Let's　go　out　of　this　God…awful　place；'　the　co…pilot　muttered。　'I　can't　wait　to　get　back　to　base。　Hell；　imagine　anybody　living　out　here。'
　　
　　The　chassis　vibrated　and　Jackie　clung　to　her　seat。　The　man　called　Bill　still　had　the　pistol　trained　on　her；　maybe　thought　that　she　would　attack　them　in　a　wild　frenzy；　afraid　of　a　weeping　girl　who　asked　nothing　else　than　to　be　freed　back　into　this　environment　of　death。
　　
　　She　felt　the　helicopter　begin　to　take　off；　rising　vertically；　shuddering；　straining；　roaring　its　ferocity　at　the　world　below。　A　stark　white　unbroken　landscape　beneath；　rolling　hills　that　went　on　and　on。
　　
　　Jackie　peered　down；　mutely　screamed　her　frustration　and　hopelessness。　It　had　taken　her　months　to　trek　back　here；　she　had　almost　made　it　back　to　her　mate　and　then　suddenly　these　men　had　appeared　and　were　spiriting　her　away。　Primitive　fear；　she　wanted　to　leap　out；　to　fall；　to　die　down　there　in　the　snow。　Because　it　was　home。
　　
　　Faster　now；　the　scenic　view　a　dazzling　blur　in　the　bright　sunlight；　the　tops　of　coniferous　trees　dull　green　where　they　poked　clear　of　the　snow。　Scattered　dwellings　like　symmetrical　buried　boxes。　All　being　left　behind。
　　
　　A　sudden　jerk　that　threw　her　forward　so　that　she　banged　her　head；　cried　out。　The　helicopter　bucked；　sent　her　slithering　on　to　the　floor。　The　two　men　were　trying　to　shout　to　each　other　and　she　felt　their　fear　rather　than　heard　it；　Bill's　eyes　wide　with　terror　behind　his　thick　goggles。
　　
　　And　at　that　moment　the　noise　cut　out。　Nothing；　just　a　rush　of　air；　a　sensation　of　dizziness；　the　only　roaring　that　in　her　own　ears。
　　
　　'For　fuck's　sake！'
　　
　　A　scream；　she　thought　it　came　from　the　pilot。　Clung　tightly　to　the　stanchion　of　her　seat；　shut　her　eyes　tightly。
　　
　　'Fucking　shit！'　Both　men　were　yelling；　screaming；　struggling　desperately　with　levers　on　the　instrument　panel。
　　
　　Plunging　downwards；　the　rotor　blades　spinning　slower　and　slower。
　　

　　Jackie　did　not　even　brace　herself　for　the　inevitable　impact；　just　saw　in　her　mind　the　face　which　no　longer　eluded　her；　wept　because　she　remembered　more　clearly　than　ever　now；　and　knew　that　she　would　never　see　it　again。
　　
　　And　then　they　hit　the　snow…covered　hillside；　bounced；　slewed；　the　helicopter　breaking　up　and　leaving　a　trail　of　debris　in　its　wake　as　it　rolled　downhill；　finally　struck　an　outcrop　of　rock　and　was　crunched　into　a　ball　of　mangled　metal。
　　
　　
　　
　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY…FIVE
　　
　　REITZE　HAD　coughed　and　spat　blood　into　the　wash…basin　that　morning；　then　vomited；　clinging　on　to　the　stand；　otherwise　he　would　have　fallen。　The　room　around　him　swam　and　he　had　to　wait　for　it　to　steady。
　　
　　He　forced　himself　to　think　logically；　didn't　like　what　his　thoughts　came　up　with。　The　tests　had　proved　conclusive；　too　conclusive。　They　would　not　be　making　any　more　tests　because　they　had　achieved　the　ultimate…death；　the　end　of　civilisation。
　　
　　A　cancerous　side…effect　to　the　skin　disease；　a　contagious　one。　The　reversion　had　only　been　a　symptom　of　what　was　to　follow。　The　body's　resistance　was　lowered；　vulnerable　to　just　about　anything　that　was　going；　like　AIDS　in　a　way。　Severe　cold　had　killed　off　most　of　the　population　and　those　who　survived　ended　up　with　this　spreading　cancer　that　grew　like　couch　grass　in　May。　And　if　you　missed　it　once　you　caught　it　off　somebody　else。
　　
　　He　brushed　his　teeth；　tried　to　get　the　taste　out　of　his　mouth。　It　didn't　work；　smelled　like　your　shit　had　e　up　the　wrong　way。　Bastards；　not　just　the　fuckers　who　had　started　all　this　but　the　throwbacks　themselves；　disease…carrying　apes　that　should　have　been　driven　into　the　hills　in　the　beginning　and　left　there。　Instead　they　were　brought　in　here　for　tests　and　this　was　what　you　ended　up　with；　a　dose　of　internal　syphilis。
　　
　　Reitze　began　to　pull　on　his　shirt；　coughed　again　and　spotted　it　with　crimson。　Even　so　he　needed　a　Camel；　he　wouldn't　gain　anything　by　kicking　the　habit　now。
　　
　　He　let　himself　out　of　his　room　and　went　down　to　the　laboratory。　There　was　no　sign　of　Westcote；　Barnes　or　Newman；　and　he　didn't　think　they　would　be　showing　up。
　　
　　Caldecott　and　his　ministers　had　been　moved　across　to　the　other　centre；　the　one　where　Royalty　was　housed；　the　final　bastion。　The　last　step　to　preserve　life　as　Mankind　knew　it。
　　
　　Sketchy　reports　were　still　filtering　in　from　the　States　but　now　winter　had　hit　them　hard　too。　Whole　settlements　of　throwbacks　were　reported　dead　and　there　had　been　outbreaks　of　the　Coughing　Death　reported　in　New　York；　Los　Angeles　and　Houston。　Undoubtedly　it　was　in　a　lot　of　other　places；　too；　but　the　news　had　not　e　through。　Maybe　nobody　really　wanted　to　know。
　　
　　The　Professor's　lips　tightened　into　a　bloodless　slit；　those　eyes　behind　the　rimless　lenses　were　no　longer　expressionless。　He　crossed　to　the　first　experimental　chamber；　peered　in　through　the　tiny　window。　One　of　them　was　stiH　alive；　two　lay　dead　on　the　floor；　their　bodies　streaked　with　pink　phlegm　as　though　haemorrhaging　snails　had　crawled　all　over　them。　The　third　was　sitting　propped　up　against　the　far　wall；　for　him　time　was　running　out　too。
　　
　　Reitze　went　to　one　of　the　cupboards；　unlocked　it　and　took　down　a　red…labelled　bottle；　filled　a　syringe　from　it。　He　laughed　softly　to　himself；　heard　his　lungs　rattle。　There　wasn't　much　time　left　for　any　of　them。
　　
　　There　was　fear　in　the　captive's　eyes　when　Reitze　opened　the　door；　sheer　terror　that　had　those　twin　orbs　rolling　right　up　until　only　the　whites　were　visible；　arms　and　legs　twitching；　the　nearest　they　could　get　to　crazy　headlong　flight。　A　rush　of　liquid　anal　wind。　The　bastard　knows；　Reitze　thought。　He　might　be　the　equivalent　of　a　Stone　Age　man　but　he　knows　just　what　I'm　going　to　do　to　him。
　　
　　A　prick　just　beneath　the　skin　on　the　neck；　pressing　the　plunger　slowly　until　all　the　grey　fluid　had　emptied　out　of　the　cartridge。　Withdrawing；　standing　back　to　watch；　to　gloat。
　　
　　The　eyeballs　dropped　back　down；　Reitze　thought　they　clicked。　The　mouth　opened；　the　tongue　protruded；　darted　like　a　snake's；　the　saliva　thick　and　frothy；　mucus　beginning　to　ooze　out　of　the　flared　nostrils。
　　
　　The　limbs　jerked；　twitched；　went　into　spasms；　the　head　nodding　like　a　puppet's；　stretching　so　that　the　veins　in　the　neck　bulged　and　stood　out。　One　scream　and　then　the　vocal　cords　gave　out；　just　left　the　victim　mouthing　his　cries　of　agony　mutely。　Fingers　and　toes　bent　over；　long　nails　digging　deep　into　the　flesh　so　that　blood　began　to　flow。
　　
　　A　silent　scream；　a　choking　cough　that　brought　up　a　blob　of　black　congealed　blood；　almost　drowning　in　a　second　until　he　got　it　out。　Pain　and　hate　in　those　eyes；　an　expression　that　bridged　a　gap　spanning　thousands　of　years。
　　
　　And　Reitze　stood　back　and　laughed；　coughed　his　own　blood　and　still　laughed。　If　only　the　other　two　had　not　died　overnight　they　could　have　had　the　same。　ML　273；　a　formula　that　destroyed　the　body　in　much　the　same　way　as　strychnine　did　only　much；　much　faster；　did　not　act　on　the　brain。　You　only　died　when　you　couldn't　stand　the　pain　any　longer。
　　
　　He　watched　the　throwback　disintegrating；　nerves　stretch　and　break；　vomiting　his　life's　blood　in　huge　splodges　until　the　skin　whitened　to　the　colour　of　pork。　Twitching　because　he　hadn't　the　strength　to　writhe　and　convulse；　biting