bill_the_galactic_hero_v1.1-第10部分

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　　〃Now　hear　this；　the　orders　direct　from　the　Old　Man　himself；　Captain　Zekial；　that　you　all　have　been　waiting　to　hear。　We're　heading　into　action；　so　we　are　going　to　have　a　clean　buckle…down　fore　and　aft；　stow　all　loose　gear。〃
　　A　low；　heartfelt　groan　of　pain　echoed　from　every　partment　of　the　immense　ship。

VI

　　There　was　plenty　of　latrine　rumor　and　scuttlebutt　about　this　first　flight　of　the　Chris　Keeler；　but　none　of　it　was　true。　The　rumors　were　planted　by　undercover　MPs　and　were　valueless。　About　the　only　thing　they　could　be　sure　of　was　that　they　might　be　going　someplace　because　they　seemed　to　be　getting　ready　to　go　someplace。　Even　Tembo　admitted　to　that　as　they　lashed　down　fuses　in　the　storeroom。
　　〃Then　again；〃　he　added；　〃we　might　be　doing　all　this　just　to　fool　any　spies　into　thinking　we　are　going　someplace；　when　really　some　other　ships　are　going　there。〃
　　〃Where？〃　Bill　asked　irritably；　tying　his　forefinger　into　a　knot　and　removing　part　of　the　nail　when　he　pulled　it　free。
　　〃Why　anyplace　at　all；　it　doesn't　matter。〃　Tembo　was　undisturbed　by　anything　that　did　not　bear　on　his　faith。　〃But　I　do　know　where　you　are　going；　Bill。〃
　　〃Where？〃　Eagerly。　A　perennial　sucker　for　a　rumor。
　　〃Straight　to　hell　unless　you　are　saved。〃
　　〃Not　again　。　。　。〃　Bill　pleaded。
　　〃Look　there；〃　Tembo　said　temptingly；　and　projected　a　heavenly　scene　with　golden　gates；　clouds；　and　a　soft　tom…tom　beat　in　the　background。
　　〃Knock　off　that　salvation…crap！〃　First　Class　Spleen　shouted；　and　the　scene　vanished。
　　Something　tugged　slightly　at　Bill's　stomach；　but　he　ignored　it　as　being　just　another　of　the　symptoms　sent　up　continually　by　his　panic…stricken　gut；　which　thought　it　was　starving　to　death　and　hadn't　yet　realized　that　all　its　marvelous　grinding　and　dissolving　machinery　had　been　condemned　to　a　liquid　diet。　But　Tembo　stopped　work　and　cocked　his　head　to　one　side；　then　poked　himself　experimentally　in　the　stomach。
　　〃We're　moving；〃　he　said　positively；　〃and　going　interstellar　too。　They've　turned　on　the　star…drive。〃
　　〃You　mean　we　are　breaking　through　into　sub…space　and　will　soon　experience　the　terrible　wrenching　at　every　fiber　of　our　being？〃
　　〃No；　they　don't　use　the　old　sub…space　drive　any　more；　because　though　a　lot　of　ships　broke　through　into　sub…space　with　a　fiber…wrenching　jerk；　none　of　them　have　yet　broke　back　out。　I　read　in　the　Trooper's　Times　where　some　mathematician
said　that　there　had　been　a　slight　error　in　the　equations　and　that　time　was　different　in　sub…space；　but　it　was　different　faster　not　different　slower；　so　that　it　will　be　maybe　forever　before　those　ships　e　out。〃
　　〃Then　we're　going　into　hyper…space？〃
　　〃No　such　thing。〃
　　〃Or　we're　being　dissolved　into　our　ponent　atoms　and　recorded　in　the　memory　of　a　giant　putor　who　thinks　we　are　somewhere　else　so　there　we　are？〃
　　〃Wow！〃　Tembo　said；　his…eyebrows　crawling　up　to　his　hairline。　〃For　a　Zoroastrian　farm　boy　you　have　some　strange　ideas！　Have　you　been　smoking　or　drinking　something　I　don't　know　about？〃
　　〃Tell　me！〃　Bill　pleaded。　〃If　it's　not　one　of　them…what　is　it？　We're　going　to　have　to　cross　interstellar　space　to　fight　the　Chingers。　How　are　we　going　to　do　it？〃
　　〃It's　like　this。〃　Tembo　looked　around　to　make　sure　that　First　Class　Spleen　was　out　of　sight；　then　put　his　cupped　hands　together　to　form　a　ball。　〃You　make　believe　that　my　hands　are　the　ship；　just　floating　in　space。　Then　the　Bloater　Drive　is　turned　on…〃
　　〃The　what？〃
　　〃The　Bloater　Drive。　It's　called　that　because　it　bloats　things　up。　You　know；　everything　is　made　up　of　little　bitty　things　called　electrons；　protons；　neutrons；　trontrons；　things　like　that；　sort　of　held　together　by　a　kind　of　binding　energy。　Now；　if　you　weaken　the　energy　that　holds　things　together…　I　forgot　to　tell　you　that　also　they　are　spinning　around　all　the　time　like　crazy；　or　maybe　you　already　knew…you　weaken　the　energy；　and　because　they　are　going　around　so　fast　all　the　little　pieces　start　to　move　away　from　each　other；　and　the　weaker　the　energy　the　farther　apart　they　move。　Are　you　with　me　so　far？〃
　　〃I　think　I　am；　but　I'm　not　sure　that　I　like　it。〃
　　〃Keep　cool。　Now…see　my　hands？　As　the　energy　gets　weaker　the　ship　gets　bigger；〃　he　moved　his　hands　further　apart。　〃It　gets　bigger　and　bigger　until　it　is　as　big　as　a　planet；　then　as　big　as　a　sun　then　a　whole　stellar　system。　The　Bloater　Drive　can　make　us　just　as　big　as　we　want　to　be；　then　it's　turned　the　other　way　and　we　shrink　back　to　our　regular　size　and　there　we　are。〃
　　〃Where　are　we？〃
　　〃Wherever　we　want　to　be；〃　Tembo　answered　patiently。
　　Bill　turned　away　and　industriously　rubbed　shine…o　onto　a　fuse　as　First　Class　Spleen　sauntered　by；　a　suspicious　glint　in　his　eye。　As　soon　as　he　had　turned　the　corner；　Bill　leaned　over　and　hissed　at　Tembo。
　　〃How　can　we　be　anywhere　else　than　where　we　started？　Getting　bigger；　getting　smaller　doesn't　get　us　anyplace。〃
　　〃Well；　they're　pretty　tricky　with　the　old　Bloater　Drive。　The　way　I　heard　it　it's　like　you　take　a　rubber　band　and　hold　one　end　in　each　hand。　You　don't　move　your　left　hand；　but　you　stretch　the　band　out　as　far　as　it　will　go　with　your　right　hand。　When　you　let　the　band　shrink　back　again　you　keep　your　right　hand　steady　and　let　go　with　your　left。　See？　You　never　moved　the　rubber　band；　just　stretched　it　and　let　it　snap…but　it　has　moved　over。　Like　our　ship　is　doing　now。　It's　getting　bigger；　but　in　one　direction。　When　the　nose　reaches　wherever　we　are　going　the　stern　will　be　wherever　we　were。　Then　we　shrink；　and　bangol　there　we　are。　And　you　can　get　into　heaven　just　that　easily；　my　son；　if　only　。　。　。〃
〃Preaching　on　government　time；　Tembol〃　First　Class　Spleen　howled　from　the　other　side　of　the　fuse　rack　over　which　he　was　looking　with　a　mirror　tied　to　the　end　of　a　rod。　〃I'll　have　you　polishing　fuse　clips　for　a　year。　You've　been　warned　before。〃
　　They　tied　and　polished　in　silence　after　that；　until　the　little　planet　about　as　big　as　a　tennis　ball　swam　in　through　the　bulkhead。　A　perfect　little　planet　with　tiny　icecaps；　cold　fronts；　cloud　cover；　oceans；　and　the　works。
　　〃What's　that？〃　Bill　yiped。
　　〃Bad　navigation；〃　Tembo　scowled。　〃Backlash；　the　ship　is　slipping　back　a　little　on　one　end　instead　of　going　all　the　other　way。　No…no！　Don't　touch　it；　it　can　cause　accidents　sometimes。　That's　the　planet　we　just　left；　Phigerinadon　II。〃
　　〃My　home；〃　Bill　sobbed；　and　felt　the　tears　rise　as　the　planet　shrank　to　the　size　of　a　marble。　〃So　long；　Mom。〃　He　waved　as　the　marble　shrank　to　a　mote；　then　vanished。
　　After　this　the　journey　was　uneventful；　particularly　since　they　could　not　feel　when　they　were　moving；　did　not　know　when　they　stopped；　and　had　no　idea　where　they　were。　Though　they　were　sure　they　had　arrived　somewhere　when　they　were　ordered　to　strip　the　lashings　from　the　fuses。　The　inaction　continued　for　three　watches；　and　then　the　General　Quarters　alarm　sounded。　Bill　ran　with　the　others；　happy　for　the　first　time　since　he　had　enlisted。　All　the　sacrifices；　the
hardships　would　not　be　in　vain。　He　was　seeing　action　at　last　against　the　dirty　Chingers。
　　They　stood　in　first　position　opposite　the　fuse　racks；　eyes　intent　on　the　red　bands　on　the　fuses　that　were　called　the　fusebands。　Through　the　soles　of　his　boots　Bill　could　feel　a　faint；　distant　tremor　in　the　deck。
　　〃What's　that？〃　he　asked　Tembo　out　of　the　corner　of　his　mouth。
　　〃Main　drive；　not　the　Bloater　Drive。　Atomic　engines。　Means　we　must　be　maneuvering；　doing　something。〃
　　〃But　what？〃
　　〃Watch　them　fusebandsl〃　First　Class　Spleen　shouted。
　　Bill　was　beginning　to　sweat…then　suddenly　realized　that　it　was　being　excruciatingly　hot。　Tembo；　without　taking　his　eyes　from　the　fuses；　slipped　out　of　his　clothes　and　folded　them　neatly　behind　him。
　　〃Are　we　allowed　to　do　that？〃　Bill　asked；　pulling　at　his　collar。　〃What's　happening？〃
　　〃It's　against　regulations；　but　you　have　to　strip　or　cook。　Peel；　son；　or　you　will　die　unblessed。　We　must　be　going　into　action　because　the　shields　are　up。　Seventeen　force　screens；　one　electromagnetic　screen；　a　double…armored　hull；　and　a　thin　layer　of　pseudo…living　jelly　that　flows　over　and　seals　any　openings。　With　all　that　stuff　there　is　absolutely　no　energy　loss　from　the　ship；　nor　any　way　to　get　rid　of　energy。　Or　heat。　With　the　engines　running　and　everyone　sweating　it　can　get　pretty　hot。　Even　hotter　when　the　guns　fire。〃
　　The　temperature　stayed　high；　just　at　the　boundary　of　tolerability　for　hours；　while　they　stared　at　the　fusebands。　At　one　point　there　was　a　tiny　plink　that　Bill　felt　through　his　bare　feet　on　the　hot　metal　rather　than　heard。
　　〃And　what　was　that？〃
　　〃Torpedoes　being　fired。〃
　　〃At　what？〃
　　Tembo　just　shrugged　in　answer　and　never　let　his　vigilant　gaze　stray　from　the　fusebands。　Bill　writhed　with　frustration；　boredom；　heat　rash；　and　fatigue　for　another　hour；　until　the　all　clear　blew　and　a　breath　of　cool　air　came　in　from　the　ventilators。　By　the　time　he　had　pulled　his　uniform　back　on　Tembo　was　gone；　and　he　trudged　wearily　back　to　his　quarters。
　　There　was　a　new　mimeographed　notice　pinned　to　the　bulletin　board　in　the　corridor　and　he　bent　to　read　its　blurred　message。

FROM：　Captain　Zekial　TO：　All　Personnel　RE：　Recent　engagement　On　23/11…8956　this　ship　did　participate　in　the　destruction　by　atomic　torpedo　of　the　enemy　installation　17KL…345　and　did　in　concert　with　the　other　vessels　of　said　flotilla　Red　Crutch　acplis