《【英文文学】The Ethical Engineer.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《【英文文学】The Ethical Engineer.docx（84页珍藏版）》请在taowenge.com淘文阁网|工程机械CAD图纸|机械工程制图|CAD装配图下载|SolidWorks_CaTia_CAD_UG_PROE_设计图分享下载上搜索。
1、【英文文学】The Ethical EngineerChapter 1Jason dinAlt looked unhappily at the two stretchers as they were carried by. Are they at it again? he asked.Brucco nodded, the scowl permanently ingrained now on his hawklike face. We have only one thing to be thankful for. That isso far at leastthey havent used an
2、y weapons on each other.Jason looked down unbelievingly at the shredded clothing, crushed flesh and broken bones. The absence of weapons doesnt appear to make much difference when two Pyrrans start fighting. It seems impossible that this damage could be administered bare-handed.Well it was. Even you
3、 should know that much about Pyrrus by now. We take our fighting very seriously. But they never think how much more work it makes for me. Now I have to patch these two idiots up and try to find room for them in the ward. He stalked away, irritated and annoyed as always. Jason usually laughed at the
4、doctors irascible state, but not today.Today, and for some days past, he had found himself living with a persistent feeling of irritation, that had arrived at the same time as his discovery that it is far easier to fight a war than to administer a peace. The battle at the perimeter still continued,
5、since the massed malevolence of the Pyrran life forms were not going to call a truce simply because the two warring groups of humans had done so. There was battle on the perimeter and a continual feeling of unrest inside the city. So far there had been very little traffic between the city Pyrrans an
6、d those living outside the walls, and what contact there had been usually led to the kind of violence he had just witnessed. The only minor note of hope in this concert of discord was the fact that no one had diedas yetin any of these fearsome hand-to-hand conflicts. In spite of the apparent deadlin
7、ess of the encounters all of the Pyrrans seemed to understand that, despite past hatreds, they were all really on the same side. A distant rumble from the clouded sky broke through his thoughts.There is a ship on the radar, Meta said, coming out of the ground-control office and squinting up at the o
8、vercast. I wonder if it is that ecology expedition that Brucco arrangedor the cargo ship from Ondion?Well find out in a few minutes, Jason said, happy to forget his troubles for the moment in frank admiration, since just looking at Meta was enough to put a golden edge on this gloom-filled day. Stand
9、ing there, head back searching the sky, she managed to be beautiful even in the formless Pyrran coverall. Jason put his arms around her waist and exacted a great deal of pleasure from kissing the golden length of her up-stretched throat.Oh, Jason . not now, she said in exasperation. Pyrran minds, by
10、 necessity, run along one track at a time, and at the present moment she was thinking about the descending spaceship. With a quick motion, scarcely aware of her action, she pulled his hands from her and pushed him away, an easy enough thing for a Pyrran girl to do. But in doing so she half fractured
11、 one of his wrists, numbed the other, and knocked Jason to the ground.Darling . Im sorry, she gasped, suddenly realizing what she had done, bending quickly to help him up.Get away, you lady weight-lifter, he growled, pushing aside the proffered hand and struggling to his feet. When are you going to
12、realize that Im only human, not made of chrome steel bars like the rest of your people. He stifled the rest of his words in disgust, at himself, his temper, this deadly planet and the cantankerousness of its citizens that was scratching away at his nerves. He turned and stamped away, angry at himsel
13、f for taking out his vile mood on Meta, but still too annoyed to make peace.Meta watched him leave, trying to say something that would end this foolish quarrel, but unable to. The largest blank in the Pyrran personality was an almost complete lack of knowledge of human nature, and her struggle to fi
14、ll in the gapsgaps she was only just beginning to realize existedwas a difficult one. The stronger emotions of hate and fear were no strangers to her; but for the first time she was discovering how difficult and complex was this unusual feeling of love. She let Jason go because she was incapable of
15、any other action. Of course she could stop him by force, but if she had learned anything in the past few weeks, it was the discovery that this was one area where he was very sensitive. There was no doubt that she was far stronger than hephysicallyand he did not like to be reminded about it. She went
16、 back into the ground-control room, almost eager to deal with the impersonal faces of the dials and scopes, material and unchanging entities that posed no conflicting problems.Jason stood at the edge of the field and watched the ship come in for a landing, his anger forgotten temporarily in the pres
17、ence of this break in routine. Perhaps this was the shipful of scientific eggheads that Brucco was expecting; he hoped so. It would be a pleasant treat to have a conversation with someone about a topic more universal than the bore dimensions of guns. With practiced eye he watched the landing which w
18、as a little sloppy, either a new pilot or an old one who didnt care much. It was a small ship so not many people would be aboard. Then the spacer turned for a moment, in a landing correction, and he had a quick glimpse of a serial number and tantalizingly familiar insignia on its sternwhere had he s
19、een that before?The ship touched down and the flaring rockets died. There was only the click of cooling metal from the ship: no one emerged, nor did any of the Pyrrans seem interested enough in the newcomer to approach it. That must mean that no one had any business with it, and, of course, no curio
20、sity either, for this along with imagination was in very short supply on the war-torn planet. Since no one else was making any moves, Jason went forward to investigate for himself.A stingwing that had escaped the perimeter guards dived towards him and he blasted it automatically with his gun. The co
21、rpse thudded to the ground and the soil churned around it as the insectile scavengers fought for the flesh; only bare bones remained by the time he had taken two paces.A muffled whine of motors told him that the lower hatch was opening, and Jason watched as a hairline crack appeared in the thick met
22、al, then widened as the heavy door ground outwards. Through the opening he had a glimpse of a figure muffled in a heavy-duty spacesuit. That must be Metas work, she would have contacted the ship by radio while it was on its way down and explained the standing orders that no off-worlders were to be a
23、llowed out of their ships unless wearing the heaviest armor. Since the armed truce between the human inhabitants there had been a lessening of the relentless warfare the Pyrran life forms waged against the city, but only to a slight degree. Deadly beasts still abounded, and the air was thick with to
24、xic diseases. A stranger, unprotected, would be ill in five minutes, dead within tenor much sooner if a horndevil or other beast got to him in the interval.Jason felt a justified pride that he could walk this planet under his own power. The natives, adapted to the deadliness and heavy gravity since
25、birth, were still his superiors, but he was the only off-worlder who could stand the dangers of Pyrrus. His gun whined out of his power holster into his waiting hand as he searched for some target to use his talents on. An armored piece of nastiness, with a lot of legs, was crawling into hiding unde
26、r a rock and he blasted it neatly with a single shot. The gun snapped back into the holster and he turned to the open door of the spacer, his morale greatly improved.Welcome to Pyrrus, he told the ungainly figure that clumped out of the ship. There was a hefty maser-projector clutched in the armored
27、 gloves and whoever was inside the suit, the face was invisible behind the thick and tinted faceplate, seemed exceedingly nervous, turning to look in all directions.Dont worry, Jason said, fighting to keep a tone of smug satisfaction out of his voice, Ill take care of things for you. I dont know wha
28、t kind of horror stories you may have heard about Pyrrusbut theyre all true. Thats a nice looking heat ray you have there, but I doubt if you could move fast enough to use it.The figure lowered the gun and fumbled for a switch on the front of the space armor, it clicked and a speaker diaphragm rustl
29、ed.Im looking for a man called Jason dinAlt. Can you tell me if he is on this planet or if he has left?It was impossible to tell the speakers tone from the rasping diaphragm, and no face was visible that might betray an emotion. This was the moment when Jason should have shown caution, and have reme
30、mbered that there were thousands of policemen scattered across the galaxy who would heartily enjoy putting him under arrest. Yet he couldnt imagine any of them going to the trouble of following him here. And certainly there could be very little danger from a spacesuited man with a rifle, not to the
31、man who had learned to take Pyrrus on its own terms, and live.Im Jason dinAlt, he said. What do you want me for?Ive come a long way to find you, the speaker rasped. Nowthe gloved hand pointedwhat is THAT?Jasons reactions were instantaneous, conditioned to move without thought. He wheeled, crouched,
32、the gun in his hand and finger quivering lightly on the trigger, pointed in the indicated direction. There was nothing unusual to be seen, just an empty field and the control building at the edge.Whatever are you talking about . Jason asked, then stopped as it became very obvious what the stranger h
33、ad been talking about. The large, flanged mouth of the maser-projector ground into the small of his back. His own gun snapped halfway out of its holster, buzzed briefly, then slipped back as he realized his position.Thats much better, the stranger said. If you attempt to move, turn, lower your gun h
34、and or do anything I dont like Ill pull this trigger and.I know, Jason sighed, careful to stand with every muscle frozen. You will pull the trigger and burn a nice round hole through my backbone and intestines. But I would just like to know why? Who is it that is so interested in my worthless old ca
35、rcass that they were willing to pay interstellar freight charges to send you and that oversize toaster all the way here in order to threaten it?Jason was only talking to kill time, since he knew this situation would not stay static for long, not on Pyrrus. He was completely right because before he h
36、ad finished the ground-control door burst open and Meta ran out, circling to the left. At the same moment Kerk appeared from behind the building, his Pyrran reflexes absorbing the situation in an instant and with no perceptible delay he ran in the opposite direction. Both Pyrrans had their guns read
37、y and closed in with the merciless precision of trained predators.Tell them to stop, the suit speaker grated at Jason. Ill shoot you if they try anything.Hold it! Jason shouted, and the running Pyrrans stopped instantly. Dont come any closer and whatever you do dont shoot. He half-turned his head an
38、d spoke in a quieter voice to the suited figure behind him. Now you see where you stand. Lower the gun and get back into your ship, I guarantee youll stay alive if you do that at once.Dont try and buff me, dinAlt, the maser barrel pushed harder against his back. You are my prisoner and your friends
39、cant save you. Start walking backwards nowIll stay right behind you.Look, Jason said calmly, not permitting himself to get angry. Those are Pyrrans out there. Either of them could kill you so quickly that you couldnt possibly have time to pull that trigger. Im saving your lifethough I dont know why
40、Im botheringso be a good boy and get back into your ship and go home and well give you a T for trying.Could I have him, please Kerk? Meta called out, the deadly assumption of her remark punctuating Jasons logic. After all, Jason means more to me than you. Shall I kill him yet, Jason?Just shoot his g
41、un hand off, Meta, Kerk told her, in the same emotionless tone. I want to know who this is, why he came here, before he dies.Get back into your ship, you fool, Jason hissed. Youve got only seconds to live.Start walking backwards, his captor said. You are under arrest. Ill count to three, then shoot.
42、 One . two.Jason shuffled a cautious step to the rear and the Pyrran guns snapped up at the same instant, extended at arms length. Jason was so close to the man in the spacesuit that the guns could have been pointed at him, the eyes sighting carefully over the dark muzzles.Dont shoot! Jason shouted
43、to his friends.Dont worry, Kerk called back. We wont hit you.I know thatits this idiot here that Im worrying about. You just cant shoot him for trying to do his job. In fact Im surprised to find out that there is one honest cop left on any of the places Ive been.Dont talk so crazy, Meta said with ma
44、ddening sweetness. Well kill him, Jason. Well take care of you.Anger hit him. You will NOT take care of me because I can take care of myself. Either of you kill him and so help me Ill kill you. Jason shuffled backwards faster now until his legs hit the lower edge of the hatch. He clambered into it a
45、nd burst out laughing at the dumfounded expressions of his friends faces. The laugh died as something pricked the back of his neck. The pressure of the gun was gone and he swung around, surprised to see the floor rushing up towards him, but before it struck him blackness descended.Consciousness retu
46、rned, accompanied by a thudding headache that made Jason wince when he moved, and when he opened his eyes the pain of the light made him screw them shut again. Whatever the drug was that had knocked him out, it was fast working, and seemed to be oxidized just as quickly. The headache faded away to a
47、 dull throb and he could open his eyes without feeling that needles were being driven into them. He was seated in a standard spacechair that had been equipped with wrist and ankle locks, now well secured. A man sat in the chair next to him, intent on the spaceships controls; the ship was in flight a
48、nd well into space. The stranger was working the computer, cutting a tape to control their flight in jump-space.Jason took the opportunity to study the man. He seemed to be a little old for a policeman, though on second thought it was really hard to tell his age. His hair was gray and cropped as short as a skull cap, but the wrinkles on his leathery skin seemed to have been caused more by exposure than advanced years. Tall and firmly erect, he appeared underweight at first glance, until Jason realized this effect was caused by