the.stainless.steel.rats.revenge-第20部分

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　　　　〃Never。　Weaklings；　that's　all。〃
　　　　All　of　which　gave　me　pause　to　think；　and　with　thought　came　suspicion　and　after　this　the　dawning　light　of　discovery。　Pieces　began　to　fall　into　shape　in　my　mind　and　I　tried　not　to　get　too　excited。　It　was　a　formless　idea　yetbut　if　it　workedif　it　worked！
　　　　Then　I　would　know　how　the　Cliaandians　managed　their　invasion　trick。　Simple；　like　all　good　ideas；　and　foolproof　as　well。
　　　　〃I'll　need　your　help；〃　I　told　Taze。　〃I'll　stay　in　the　Space　Armada；　at　least　for　the　moment；　since　I　can　learn　more　there。　But　I　won't　leave　this　planet。　This　is　where　the　Cliaandians　are　the　weakest　and　this　is　where　they　are　going　to　be　beaten。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　the　Special　Corps？〃　
　　　　〃No。〃
　　　　〃Well　you　have　now。　It　is；　well；　it　is　the　group　that　is　going　to　help　you。　I　work　for　them　and　they　should　be　keeping　an　eye　on　me。　They　saw　the　fleet　leave　Cliaand　and　are　certain　to　have　followed　it　here。　That　was　one　of　the　developments　we　had　planned　for。　Right　now　a　message　drone　should　be　circling　this　planet。　It　will　relay　any　messages　to　the　Corps　and　we　will　have　all　the　help　we　need。　Can　you　get　access　to　a　medium　powered　radio　transmitter？〃
　　　　〃Yesbut　why　should　I？　Why　should　I　believe　you？　You　could　be　lying。〃
　　　　〃I　could　bebut　you　can't　take　the　chance。〃　I　scratched　feverishly　on　a　message　form。　〃I'm　leaving　you　now；　I　have　to　get　back　to　my　ship　before　they　begin　to　wonder　where　I　have　gone。　Here　is　the　message　you　are　to　transmit　on　this　frequency。　You　can　do　it　without　getting　caught；　it's　easy　enough。　And　you　lose　nothing　by　doing　it。　And　you　may　save　your　planet。〃　
　　　　She　was　still　doubtful；　looking　at　the　paper。
　　　　〃It's　so　hard　to　believe。　That　you　are　really　a　spyand　want　to　help　us。〃
　　　　〃You　can　believe　he　is　a　spy；　take　my　word　for　it；〃　a　voice　said　from　the　doorway　behind　me　and　I　felt　a　cold　hand　clamp　down　on　my　heart。　I　turned；　slowly。
　　　　Kraj；　the　man　in　gray　was　standing　there。　Two　other　gray　uniformed　men　stood　behind　him　leveling　their　weapons　at　me。　Kraj　pointed　his　finger　like　a　third　gun。
　　　　〃We　have　been　watching　you；　spy；　and　waiting　for　this　information。　Now　we　can　proceed　with　the　destruction　of　your　Special　Corps。〃

Chapter　13

　　　　〃People　seem　to　be　popping　up　in　doorways　a　lot　today；　ha　ha；〃　I　said　with　a　joviality　I　certainly　did　not　feel。　Kraj　smiled　a　very　wintry　smile。
　　　　〃If　you　mean　the　colonel；　yes；　I　had　him　watching　you。　Now　try　to　act　the　fool。　Pas　Ratunkowy；　or　whatever　your　name　really　is。〃　
　　　　〃Hulja；　Vaska；　Lieutenant　in　the　Space　Armada。〃　
　　　　〃Flight…Major　Hulja　has　been　found　in　the　Dosadan…Glup　Robotnik　Hotel；　which　discovery　put　us　on　your　trail。　Yours　was　a　most　ingenious　plan　and　might　have　succeeded　had　not　an　optical　pickup　burned　out。　The　repairman　sent　to　order　the　matter　discovered　the　Flight…Major　and　his　delusion　about　the　date　and　this　was　brought　to　my　attention。　I'll　take　that。〃
　　　　Kraj　lifted　the　message　form　from　Taze's　unresisting　fingers。　He　seemed　very　much　in　control　of　the　situation。　I　clutched　my　chest　in　the　area　of　my　heart；　rolled　up　my　eyes　and　staggered　backwards。
　　　　〃Too　much　。　。　。〃　I　muttered。　〃Heart　going　。　。　。　don't　shoot　。　。　。　this　is　the　end。〃
　　　　Kraj　and　his　two　men　looked　on　coldly　while　I　was　going　through　all　this　for　their　benefit；　until　the　dramatic　moment　when　I　clutched　at　my　throat　and　shrieked　with　pain；　my　body　arched　and　every　muscle　taut；　then　fell　over　backwards　through　the　window。
　　　　It　was　nicely　done　with　plenty　of　crashing　glass；　and　I　flipped　in　midair　and　landed　on　my　shoulder　and　did　a　roll　and　came　up　to　my　feet；　ready　to　run。
　　　　Looking　right　up　the　barrel　of　a　gaussrifle　held　by　another　silent　and　unsmiling　man　in　gray。　He　scored　zero　as　a　conversationalist　and　for　the　moment　I　could　think　of　nothing　bright　to　say　myself。　Kraj's　voice　came　clearly　through　the　broken　window　behind　me。
　　　　〃Take　the　girl　to　the　prison　camp；　we　have　no　further　need　for　her。　The　rest　of　us　will　return　with　the　spy。　Be　on　guard　constantly；　you　have　seen　what　he　can　do。〃
　　　　Not　very　much；　I　thought　to　myself　in　a　sudden　gloomy　depression。　Not　very　much　at　all。　I　had　penetrated　all　right；　and　found　out　what　I　wanted　to　know；　but　I　had　not　been　able　to　get　my　information　out。　Which　made　it　useless。　Worse　than　useless。　Kraj　might　be　able　to　turn　my　message　to　his　own　ends　which　I　was　sure　were　pretty　nasty　ones。　This　dark　state　of　mind　persisted　while　the　rest　of　the　doom…faced　gray　men　surrounded　me　and　trotted　me　off　to　a　waiting　truck。　There　was　no　chance　at　all　to　escape：　they　were　very　efficient　with　those　guns。
　　　　It　was　a　brief　trip；　though　a　remarkably　unfortable　one。　The　vehicle　was　a　captured　Burada　truck　that　must　have　been　used　for　the　transport　of　garbage　or　something　worse。　I　was　the　only　one　who　seemed　bothered　by　the　permeating　smell。　The　gray　men　neither　mented　on　it　nor　took　their　eyes　from　me　once　during　the　trip；　At　least　the　vehicle　was　silent　and　smooth；　it　burned　gas　in　a　fuel　cell　to　generate　electricitysupplied　to　a　separate　drive　motor　in　each　wheel。　I　considered　desperate　plans　of　ripping　up　one　of　the　cables　where　it　passed　by　my　feet；　of　leaping　out　of　the　rear　of　the　truck　and　so　forth。　None　of　this　was　much　good　and　we　reached　our　destination　with　our　relative　positions　unchanged。　At　gunpoint　I　was　herded　into　a　mandeered　building；　into　an　empty　room　where；　still　at　gunpoint；　I　was　ordered　to　strip。　With　a　portable　fluoroscope　and　cold　probes；　most　humiliating；　they　removed　all　devices　and　gadgetry　from　my　person；　then　gave　me　new　clothes。
　　　　These　clothes　were　something　else　again。　A　single…piece　overall　made　of　soft　and　flexible　plastic　they　provided　protection　and　warmth　for　the　wearer。　Yet　they　were　the　ideal　prison　dress　because　they　were　pletely　transparent。　This　continual　shielded…nakedness　was　certainly　not　morale　building　and　I　began　to　have　even　more　respect　for　the　gray　men。　And　everything　done　in　silence　despite　my　attempts　at　conversation。　The　final　sartorial　touch　was　a　metal　collar　that　locked　around　my　neck。　A　cable　ran　from　the　collar　to　a　box　one　of　the　gray　men　held。　All　of　this　had　a　very　ominous　look　to　it。　My　suspicions　were　justified　when　the　others　left　with　all　of　the　weapons　and　he　faced　me；　box　in　hand。
　　　　〃I　can　do　this；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　as　gray　as　his　garb　and　pressed　a　button　on　the　box。
　　　　The　thing　I　experienced　next　was　quite　unexpected　and　singularly　painful。　In　a　single　instant　I　was　blinded　by　exploding　lights　of　a　color　and　fury　I　had　never　seen　before。　Sound　greater　than　sound　filled　my　ears　and　every　square　inch　of　my　skin　burned　with　fire　as　though　I　had　been　dropped　into　an　acid　bath。　These　interesting　things　went　on　for　a　longer　time　than　I　really　appreciated　and　then　suddenly　vanished　as　quickly　as　they　had　begun。　Sight　and　hearing　returned　and　I　found　myself　lying　on　the　floor　with　a　sore　spot　on　the　back　of　my　head　where　I　had　cracked　it　when　I　fell。　It　felt　rather　good　just　to　lie　there。　That　little　box　must　generate　neural　currents　on　selected　frequencies。　No　need　to　torture　the　body　when　you　can　feed　specific　pain　impulses　into　the　nervous　system。　
　　　　〃Stand；〃　my　captor　said；　and　I　did　rather　quickly。
　　　　〃If　you　wish　to　convey　the　message　that　you　can　do　that　whenever　you　want；　and　right　now　you　want　me　to　behavethe　message　has　been　received。　But　speak　and　I　shall　obey。　I'll　be　a　good　boy。〃　
　　　　For　the　time　being。　Until　I　found　a　way　to　get　out　of　this　stainless　steel　rat　trap。　I　trotted　along　docilely　to　another　room　where　Kraj　waited　for　me　behind　a　large　metal　desk。　The　room　was　dusty　and　blank　areas　on　the　wall　showed　where　pictures　and　pieces　of　furniture　had　been　removed。　The　only　new　item；　other　than　the　desk；　was　a　shining　hook　recently　affixed　in　the　ceiling。　I　was　not　at　all　surprised　when　the　hook　fitted　into　a　ring　on　the　box　and　I　was　leashed；　standing　before　my　captor。
　　　　Kraj　looked　me　up　and　down；　examining　me　closely；　a　very　easy　thing　to　do　considering　the　transparent　condition　of　my　clothing。　I　have　never　suffered　from　a　nudity　taboo　so　this　did　not　bother　me。　It　was　the　cold　and　unemotional　look　in　his　eyes　that　was　more　off…putting。　At　the　present　moment　I　was；　to　use　the　classical　term；　pletely　at　his　mercy。　I　had　no　idea　of　what　nastiness　he　had　in　mind　for　me　and　I　determined　to　at　least　attempt　to　ameliorate　it　a　bit。
　　　　〃What　would　you　like　to　know？〃　I　asked。　
　　　　〃A　number　of　things；　but　that　will　e　later。〃　
　　　　〃What's　wrong　with　now？　Considering　the　state　of　modern　hypnotic　techniques；　drug　therapy　and　old…fashioned　torturelike　your　nerve　machine　hereit　is　impossible　to　keep　facts　from　a　determined　interrogator。　Therefore　ask　and　I　shall　answer。〃　What　little　I　knew　about　the　Special　Corps　he　was　wele　to。　All　of　the　locations　of　the　bases　were　kept　secret　from　us；　undoubtedly　with　an　interrogation　like　this　in　mind。　I　was　surprised　when　he　shook　his　head　in　a　slow　no。
　　　　〃You　will　give　me　the　information　later。　First　you　must　be　convinced　of　the　seriousness　of　my　aims。　I　intend　to　question　you；　then　to　enlist　your　services　in　our　cause。　Voluntarily。　In　order　to　convince　you　of　this　I　must　begin　by　saying　you　will　not　be　killed。　Strong　men　face　death　bravely。　It　is　an　eas