Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The Storm at the Entry Station

Bao Qisi walked into the cabin and said, "Did Trevize tell you that we may jump into hyperspace at any time?" Pelorat was staring at the picture disk, he raised his head and said, "Actually, he just stopped by to say hello and told me 'within half an hour'." "I don't like to think about this kind of thing, Pei, I've never liked jumping, it makes me have a weird feeling that my internal organs are about to come out." Pelorat looked a little surprised. "I never thought you'd be a space traveler, my love, Bliss." "I am not referring specifically to my personal experience. As far as Gaia's components are concerned, this is not a feeling unique to me. Gaia itself does not have the opportunity to do space travel very often. Due to the nature of me/us/Gaia, I/we /Gaia is not engaged in exploration, trade, or space travel. However, manned entry stations are required...”

"That's why we were lucky enough to meet you." "Yes, Pei." She gave him an affectionate smile, "For various reasons, we also need to send people to visit Sai Xier or other star fields-usually in secret. Darkness always needs to undergo a transition. Of course, when it comes to which part of Gaia undergoes a transition, all Gaia can feel it." "That's really bad," said Pelorat. "There are worse things. Since most Gaia don't undergo the transition, the effect is greatly diluted, however, I seem to feel it more strongly than most Gaia. That's what I've been trying to tell Trevize For one thing, while all Gaias are Gaias, the components are not exactly the same, and we all have individual differences. For some reason, I am particularly sensitive to structural transitions in my body."

"Wait a minute!" Pelorat seemed to think of something suddenly, "Trevize explained to me that you can only feel that terrible feeling in an ordinary spaceship. Ordinary spaceships enter people When in hyperspace, you will definitely leave the force field of the galaxy, and return to the force field when you return to ordinary space. That feeling is produced in the process of going and coming. But the Far Star is a space-focused ship. The ship, which is not affected by the force field at all, does not actually leave and re-enter the force field when making the jump. Therefore, we will not feel anything, dear, I can assure you from personal experience. "

"That's really good. I really regret not discussing it with you sooner, so I can save myself from worrying so much." "There's another benefit," said Pelorat, feeling refreshed at the rare opportunity to be a space narrator. "A general spacecraft must be far away from a huge object in ordinary space, such as a star, before it can make a transition. One of the reasons is that the closer the star is, the stronger the force field is, and the more intense the feeling caused by the transition. In addition, if the force field is stronger , if you want to make a safe transition and come to the expected ordinary space destination, the equations that need to be solved are more complicated.

"However, in the focused spacecraft, there is no 'jumping' at all. Moreover, this spacecraft has a new type of computer, many times more advanced than ordinary computers, capable of processing complex equations with extraordinary power and high speed. Therefore, the Far Star does not need to sail in space for a few weeks in order to avoid a star and reach a safe and comfortable transition site. It only needs to fly for two or three days. Especially since we are not limited by our efforts field, and is not subject to inertial effects—I admit I don’t know the theory, but Trevize told me this—and so Farstar can accelerate faster than any ordinary spaceship."

"Very well," said Bliss, "it's all thanks to Choi's ability to pilot this remarkable spaceship." Pelorat frowned slightly. "Please, Bliss, please say 'Trevize'." "I will, I will. But I want to relax while he's away." "Come on, you shouldn't get into the habit, dear, he's quite sensitive about it." "That's not what he's sensitive to. He's sensitive to me. He doesn't like me." "It's not like that," said Pelorat gravely; "I discussed it with him--well, well, don't frown, I'm very skillful, my dear. He assures me he's not I like you, but I still have doubts about Gaia. He has to choose Gaia as the blueprint for the future of mankind, which makes him unhappy. We must understand this. When he slowly understands the advantages of Gaia, he will be fine gone."

"I hope so, but it's not just Gaia. No matter what he tells you, Pei—remember, he has a crush on you and doesn't want to make you sad—he just doesn't like me as a person." "No, Bliss, it's impossible." "Just because you like me doesn't mean everyone has to like me, Bae. Let me explain to you, Trey—well, Trevize thinks I'm a robot." Pelorat, who was always expressionless, now had a look of surprise on his face."There's no way he thinks you're a cyborg," he said. "What's the big deal about that? It's a well-known fact that Gaia was created with the help of robots."

"Androids may help, like mechanical devices, but it was humans who created Gaia, humans from Earth. That's how Trevize thinks, and I know he thinks so." "I told you and Trevize that Gaia's memories do not contain any information about Earth. Robots do exist in our oldest memories, though, and there are some that exist even three thousand years after Gaia's founding, their The work was to transform Gaia into a habitable world. At that time, we were also working on the development of Gaia's planetary level consciousness - this work took a long time, dear Pei. The reason why our early memories are blurred , this is another reason, perhaps not as Trevize imagined, it is the power from the earth that erases them..."

"Yes, Bliss," said Pelorat anxiously, "but what about the robots?" "Well, after Gaia was formed, the robots all left. We don't want to include robots in Gaia, because we always believe that, whether it is an isolated society or a planetary life form, as long as it contains robots, eventually would be harmful to humans. I don't know how we arrived at this conclusion, but it may be based on some event in early galactic history that Gaia's memory doesn't extend there." "If the robot leaves..." "That's right, but what if some stayed? If I were one of them, maybe I'm fifteen thousand years old. Trevize doubts that."

Pelorat shook his head slowly. "But you're not." "Are you sure you really believe it?" "Of course I believe that you are not a robot." "how do you know?" "I know, Precious, that there is nothing artificial about you. If I don't know, no one will." "Because I told you I wasn't." "Ah, but if you're a real robot, maybe you're designed to tell me you're a natural person, and you might even be programmed to believe you're a real person. The operational definition is the only thing we have, We can only come up with such a definition."

She put her arms around Pelorat's neck and began to kiss him.The more she kissed, the more passionate she was, almost unable to stop, Pelorat managed to squeeze out a little voice, and said as if his mouth was covered: "But we promised Trevize that we would not turn this spaceship into a honeymoon Hut, so as not to embarrass him." Bao Qisi coaxed him and said: "Let us reach the state of selflessness, and there will be no time to think about promises." Pelorat felt very embarrassed. "But I can't do it, my dear. I know it must upset you, Bliss, but I've been working my brains all the time, and it's not in my nature to let my feelings get carried away. It's been my whole life." Habit, perhaps annoying to others, and sooner or later the woman I live with will resent it. My first wife—but I don't think this is the right time to discuss that... "Yes, it's really not suitable, but it's not so strict, and you are not my first lover." "Oh!" Pelorat was a little at a loss, but immediately noticed Bao Qisi's faint smile.He said hastily, "I mean, of course not. I never expected myself to be—anyway, my first wife didn't like my habit." "But I like it, and I find your habit of constantly lost in thought very charming." "I can't believe it, but I did have another thought. We've all agreed that a robot is no different from a real person, however, I'm an isolated being, as you know, I'm not part of Gaia. We're in When making out, even if you let me occasionally participate in Gaia, you are still sharing emotions outside of Gaia, and the intensity of this emotion may not be comparable to Gaia to Gaia love." Bao Qisi said: "Falling in love with you, Pei, has a special kind of joy, and I am already satisfied." "It's not just as simple as you falling in love with me. You are not just yourself, what if Gaia thinks this is a kind of corruption?" "If it thinks that way, I must know, because I am Gaia. Since I can get pleasure from you, Gaia can too. When we make love, all Gaia share the pleasure. When I say I love You, it's like saying Gaia loves you, even though it's only my part that plays the direct role—you seem confused." "As an isolated being, Bliss, I really don't know much." "We can always draw an analogy to the isolated body. When you whistle, it's your whole body, you creature, trying to make a tune, but it's only your lips, your tongue, that do the job directly. and lungs, your right big toe does nothing." "It might beat time." "But that's not a necessary movement for whistling. Tapping the big toe is not the movement itself, but the response to the movement. In fact, of course, all parts of Gaia respond to my emotions in some way, just as I respond to other members. Emotions respond as well." "I think there is no need to blush at such things," said Pelorat. "Not at all." "But it brings a weird sense of duty to me, that while I'm trying to make you happy, I feel like I have to try to make all of Gaia's creatures happy." "Should be every atom - but you did. That communal joy I let you briefly share, you did contribute to it. I guess your contribution is so small it's hard to see, but it's there , and you know it's there, and it makes you happier." "I wish I could be sure of one thing," Pelorat said. "Glenn was so busy flying the ship through hyperspace that he couldn't leave the cockpit for a while." "You want a honeymoon, don't you?" "yes." "Then get a piece of paper, write 'Honeymoon Cottage', and stick it outside the door. If he insists on coming in, that's his problem." Pelorat obeyed.In their ensuing bliss, the Farstar finally made the jump.Neither Pelorat nor Bao Qisi had noticed it. In fact, even if they were paying attention, it was impossible for them to feel anything. It was only a few months before Pelorat met Trevize, left Terminus, and took his first interstellar journey.Prior to this, he had spent most of his life entirely on Terminus, more than half a century before and after (according to Galactic Standard Time). In his mind, he had become a space veteran these past few months.He had seen three planets from space: Terminus, Sessel, and Gaia.Now, he saw another one on the display screen, but this time through the computer-controlled telescopic device-this planet was Complon. Still, it was his fourth inexplicable disappointment.For some unknown reason, he always believed that when looking down from space on a world suitable for habitation, one should be able to see the outline of continents embedded in the ocean; and if it was a dry world, one should also be able to see the outline of lakes embedded in the land. But he never saw it. If a world is habitable, it should have both an atmosphere and a hydrosphere; since there is air and moisture, there must be clouds on the surface; and if there are clouds, the appearance will be quite hazy.This time was no exception. Pelorat found that there were countless white swirls underneath, and occasionally some pale blue or rusty brown spots could be glimpsed. He wondered sullenly, if an image of a distant planet, three hundred thousand kilometers away, was projected onto a screen, would anyone be able to tell which world it was?Who can tell the similarities and differences between the two swirling clouds? Baoqisi looked at Pelorat with happy eyes. "What's the matter, Pei? You don't seem very happy." "I found that all planets look similar from space." Trevize said, "So what, Janov? If you were sailing the seas of Terminus, every coastline that appeared on the horizon would be all the same. Unless you knew what you were looking for—a special a mountain peak, or an outlying island with a special shape." "I think that's true," said Pelorat, but he was clearly not satisfied. "But what can you look for in a mass of moving clouds? Even if you try, you may be on the dark side of the planet before you know it." "Look more closely, Janov. If you look carefully at the patterns of the clouds, you will find that they all tend to the same pattern, which is to orbit the planet around a certain center, and that center is one of the north and south poles." "Which pole is it?" Baoqisi seemed very interested. "To us, the planet rotates in a clockwise direction, so by definition the end we look down on is the South Pole. Since this center is about fifteen degrees from the day-night line, which is the shadow line of the planet, The rotation axis of the planet and the normal line of the revolution plane form an angle of 21 degrees, so the current season should be mid-spring or mid-summer. As for which one it is, it depends on whether the South Pole is moving away from or approaching the day-night boundary. The computer can calculate this The orbits of the planets, if I ask it, I get the answer instantly. The capital of this world is north of the equator, so the season there is mid-autumn or mid-winter." Pelorat frowned. "You can see all of this?" He looked at the cloud as if thinking it would (or should) speak to him now, but of course it couldn't. "That's not all," Trevizes said. "If you look closely at the polar regions, there are no cracks in the clouds there, which is very different from other regions. In fact, there are still cracks, but under the cracks, there are no cracks. It's ice, so what you see is white." "Ah," said Pelorat, "I suppose there must be such a phenomenon at the poles." "Any habitable planet exists, of course. Inanimate planets may have no air or water at all, or may have symptoms that suggest that their gas clouds are not 'water clouds', or their ice layers are not 'water ice'. The planet has none of those symptoms, so we know we're looking at water clouds and ice. "Next, we should pay attention to this large day zone on the sun's surface. Experienced people can tell at a glance that its area is larger than average. In addition, you can observe a rather dim orange glow from the reflected light. This means that the temperature of Complon's sun is lower than that of Terminus, although compared with Terminus, Complon is closer to its sun, but because the temperature of this star is relatively low, it is suitable for habitable world , Complon can be regarded as a cold world." "You are like a living film book! My brother." Pelorat said in a tone of admiration. "Don't admire me too much," Trevize showed a sincere smile, "The computer gave me all the statistics about this world, including its slightly lower average temperature. Now that you know the result, it's not difficult to find some reasons in reverse Inference. In fact, Complon is currently on the verge of an ice age, and if the conditions of the land type were not suitable, it would have already entered an ice age." Baoqisi bit her lower lip. "I don't like the cold world." "We have warm clothes," Trevize said. "That's not to say, human beings are not born to adapt to cold climates. We don't have thick fur or feathers, and we don't have enough subcutaneous fat to keep out the cold. A world with a cold climate seems to be somewhat disregarding the well-being of its members." Trevize said, "Isn't Gaia mild everywhere?" "That's true for most of the regions, and we also have some frigid regions for boreal flora and fauna, and some tropical regions for tropical flora and fauna. But most of the regions are spring-like all year round, never too cold or too hot, allowing other creatures to All living comfortably, including humans of course." "Including humans, of course. In this regard, all parts of Gaia are equal, although some members, such as humans, are clearly more equal than others." "Don't make unwise sarcasm," Bao Qisi looked a little annoyed, "the level and level of consciousness and self-awareness are very important factors. Compared with a human member and a rock of the same weight, humans are naturally compared to Gaia. Useful, and therefore Gaia's nature and function as a whole must be measured in terms of humans - but not as seen in your isolated worlds. Also, Gaia, the higher self, will use other The standard self-measurement, and maybe even for a long period of time, will be measured by the standard inside the rock. This must not be ignored, otherwise every part of Gaia will be affected, and we will not want an unnecessary volcanic eruption, right?" "Of course not," Trevize said, "if it's not necessary." "You can't hear that, can you?" "Listen," Trevize said, "we have worlds with temperatures below or above average, worlds with tropical forests taking up large areas, and worlds with savannahs. No two worlds are exactly alike, For creatures adapted to a world, that's home. I'm personally used to Terminus's fairly mild climate—in fact, we keep it almost as moderate as Gaia's. But I'd also like to be elsewhere, at least temporarily Change the environment. Compared with us, Bao Qisi, what Gaia lacks is change. If Gaia expands into the Gaia galaxy, will every world in the galaxy be forced to undergo transformation? This kind of monotony will be unbearable. " "If it's unbearable, if people seem to want some variety, diversity can still be preserved." "Is this a reward from the Central Committee?" Trevize sarcastically said, "As far as it can tolerate, set aside a little bit of freedom? I'd rather leave it to nature to decide." "You didn't really leave it to nature to decide. Every world in the galaxy that is suitable for humans has been transformed. When those worlds were discovered by humans, their natural environment could not allow humans to live comfortably, so every This world has been made as habitable as possible. If this world is too cold, I am sure its inhabitants cannot do better. Even so, the places where they actually live must be artificially heated to a suitable temperature. Temperature. So you don’t have to be so high-minded and let nature decide what to say.” Trevize said, "You're speaking for Gaia, I suppose." "I always speak for Gaia, and I am Gaia." "If Gaia is so confident in her own superiority, why do you need my decision? Why don't you go forward yourself?" Baoqisi paused for a moment, as if concentrating her thoughts. "Because it's unwise to be overconfident. We always instinctively see our own strengths more clearly than our weaknesses. We desire to do the right thing. It doesn't have to be what we think is right, but it must be objectively correct. Sex—if there is such a thing as objective correctness. After much searching, you seem to be the shortest route to objective correctness, so we ask you to be our guide." "What an objective correctness," Trevize said in a sad tone. "I don't even understand the decision I'm proud of. I have to do everything possible to find evidence." "You'll find it," said Bliss. "I hope so too." Trevize responded. "To tell you the truth, brother," said Pelorat, "I think that this conversation, Baoqisi has easily won the upper hand. Why don't you see that her argument is enough to show that you decided to use Gaia Is it right to be a blueprint for the future of mankind?" "Because," Trevize snapped, "I hadn't heard these arguments when I made my decision, and I didn't know the details of Gaia at the time. Some other factor influenced me, at least subconsciously, That's a factor that has nothing to do with the details of Gaia, but it must be something more fundamental, and it's that factor that I had to find out." Pelorat reached out to pat Trevize and comforted him, "Don't be angry, Grant." "I'm not angry, I just feel the pressure is too much to bear, I don't want to be the focus of the whole galaxy." Bliss said, "I don't blame you for that, Trevize. I'm really sorry you had to accept this role because of your talent—when do we land in Complon?" "In three days," Trevize said, "we'll have to make a stop at one of the entry points on the track." Pelorat said: "There should be no problem, right?" Trevize shrugged. "It depends on many factors, including the number of spacecraft coming to this world, the number of entry points, and more importantly, the special regulations for approving or denying entry, which may change at any time. " Pelorat said angrily: "What do you mean by denying entry? How can they deny entry to citizens of the base? Isn't Complon part of the base's territory?" "Well, yes, no, it's a delicate legal question, and I'm not sure how Complon interprets it. I think there's a chance we'll be rejected, but I don't think it's very likely." "What do we do if we get rejected?" "I don't know either." Trevize said, "Let's wait and see what happens, and don't waste our energy on imaginary situations." They were now quite close to Complon, and even without the aid of telescopic equipment, it was a sizeable spherical object.If magnified by a telescope, even the inbound space station can be seen.These entry stations are deeper into space than most man-made objects in orbit, and each is brightly lit. Far Star is slowly approaching the planet from the south pole, and it can be seen that half of the planet's surface is always bathed in sunlight.The entry station on the night side is a spot of light, which is naturally very clear, and they are all evenly arranged in a large arc.There are six ingress stations clearly visible (and undoubtedly six more on the solar side), all orbiting the planet at the same constant velocity. Pelorat was in awe of the sight.He said: "Those lights that are closer to the planet, what are they?" Trevize said: "I don't know much about this planet, so I can't answer it. Some may be factories in orbit, laboratories or observatories, or even inhabited space towns. Some planets like to have artificial celestial bodies from It's pretty dark outside, except for the entry points, like Terminus. Complon is clearly more open in that regard." "Which immigration station are we going to, Grant?" "It's up to them to decide. I've sent a request to land at Complon, and sooner or later I'll hear back with directions to which port of entry we should fly to, and when we should report. Much depends on how many spacecraft are currently waiting. Immigration, if there are dozens of spacecraft queuing up at every entry point, we have no choice but to wait patiently." Bliss said: "In the past, I only had two hyperspace travel experiences, both times to Seychelle or the nearby starry sky. I have never been so far away from Gaia." Trevize stared at her sharply. "Does it matter? You're still Gaia, right?" Baoqisi seemed a little annoyed for a while, but soon softened and let out a slightly embarrassed laugh. "I must admit that you caught my tongue wrong this time, Trevize. The name 'Gaia' has double meanings. It can be used to refer to a spherical solid planet in space, a planet with a solid body; it can also refer to a planet that includes Life forms including this planet. Strictly speaking, we should use two different nouns for these two different concepts, but Gaia people can always understand what the other party is referring to from the meaning of the context. I Acknowledge that isolates can sometimes be confused." "Okay, so," Trevize said, "are you still a part of Gaia when you're thousands of parsecs away from the planet Gaia?" "I'm still Gaia by definition of a living being." "Without any attenuation?" "Essentially nothing has changed, and I'm sure I told you that it's a bit difficult to stay Gaia across hyperspace, but I remain that way." Trevize said, "Have you ever thought of Gaia as a galactic quackon—a fabled tentacle-filled monster whose tentacles penetrate every corner. You just send a few Gaias to each inhabitant. The world, is to build the Gaia galaxy. In fact, you may have done so. Where are the Gaians? I think there is at least one on Terminus, and there is at least one on Trantor. This operation has been carried out To what level?" Bliss looked rather unhappy. "I said I wouldn't lie to you, Trevize, but that doesn't mean I'm obliged to tell you the whole truth. There are some things you don't need to know, and the position and identity of Gaia's independent members is one of them." "Even if I don't need to know their whereabouts, Bao Qisi, do I need to know why these tentacles exist?" "Gaia doesn't think you need to know either." "I think I can guess, though—you believe you are the Guardians of the Galaxy." "We desire to have a safe, stable, peaceful and prosperous galaxy, and the Seldon Plan, at least the one drawn up by Hari Seldon, is to develop a more stable and feasible first galaxy than the First Galactic Empire." The Second Empire. Afterwards, the Seldon plan has been continuously revised and improved by the Second Base, and until now, it seems to be going smoothly." "Gaia doesn't want the original plan for the Second Empire to come to fruition, do you? What you want is the Gaia galaxy—a living galaxy." "Since we have your permission, we hope that the Gaia galaxy will finally appear. If you don't allow it, we will work hard to run Seldon's Second Empire and make it as safe and stable as possible." "But the Second Empire..." There was a soft rumble in Trevize's ear, and he said, "The computer sent me a signal. I think it has instructions for the immigration station. I'll come as I go." He stepped into the cockpit, put his hands on the palm outlines of the table, and immediately sensed which entry point to go to—including the coordinates of that entry point for the Complon axis of rotation (from the center to the North Pole), and the designated forward course. Trevize signaled his agreement, and leaned back in his chair to rest for a while. The Seldon Project!He hadn't thought of it for a long time.The First Galactic Empire has long since collapsed. The base first competed with the Empire for hegemony, and then rose from the ruins of the Empire. It has been five hundred years—everything is proceeding according to Seldon’s plan. During the period, it was also interrupted by the "Mule Rebellion". The mule once posed a fatal threat to the Seldon plan and almost shattered the entire plan, but the base finally survived the crisis.This may be a helping hand from the Second Foundation, which has been hiding behind the scenes, but it may also come from Gaia, who is more secretive. Now the threat to Seldon's plan is far more severe than that of mules.The empire that was originally planned to be born was eliminated and replaced by an unprecedented organization - the Gaia galaxy, and he himself agreed to do so! But why?Is there a flaw in Seldon's plan?Are there fundamental flaws? For a split second, Trevize seemed to feel that the flaw really existed, and he knew what the flaw was, and he knew it when he made the decision.But the flash of light—if it was true—had come and gone so quickly that it left no impression on his mind. Maybe the moment when I made the decision and the flash of inspiration just now, the two epiphanies were just an illusion.After all, he knew nothing about the Seldon Project other than the basic assumptions that made psychohistory work.Moreover, he had absolutely no idea of ​​the details, especially the mathematical theory. He closed his eyes and began to meditate... The result is a blank. Did the computer ever supply itself with extra power?He put his hands on the table, and immediately felt the warm hands of the computer tightly held.He closed his eyes, contemplating again... It's still blank. The Complon customs officer who boarded the Far Star was wearing a full-text identification card, which showed his round and fat face with a sparse beard, which was simply lifelike.Below the full photo is his name: Al Kendry. He is not tall, but his figure is as round as his face, and his expression and attitude are easy-going and energetic.At this moment, he was looking at the spaceship, with a look of obvious surprise on his face. He said, "How did you come so fast? We thought we'd have to wait at least two hours." "This is a new type of spaceship." Trevize replied in a neutral tone. However, Kendry is obviously not as young as he looks. As soon as he entered the cockpit, he immediately asked: "Driven by force?" Trevize felt that there was no need to deny such an obvious fact, so he replied in a flat tone: "Yes." "Interesting, we've heard of it, but never seen it. Is the engine in the hull?" "That's right." Kendry glanced at the computer. "The same goes for the computer wiring?" "Yes, at least as far as I know, I've never seen it myself." "Okay. What I need is the relevant documents of this spacecraft, including the engine number, manufacturing location, identification code, and all related information. I am sure these are all in the computer, and it may spit out an official document in half a second. data card." Sure enough, the information was printed out quickly, and Kendry looked around again. "Are the three of you alone on the spaceship?" Trevize replied, "Yes." "Are there any live animals? Plants? How is your health?" "No animals, no plants, and good health." Trevize answered simply. "Hmm!" Kendry said, taking notes, "Could you put your hand in here, please? It's just a routine check—the right hand." Trevize glanced at the device.The use of such inspection instruments is becoming more and more common, and the speed of improvement is very fast.Just by looking at how backward the micro-detectors used in a world are, you can almost know the level of backwardness of that world itself.However, no matter how backward the world is, there are very few people who do not use this kind of equipment at all.Micro-detectors are a product of the collapse of the Empire; as the disintegrating worlds of the galaxy grow more and more afraid of the diseases and alien microorganisms of other worlds, they all strengthen their defenses. "What is this?" Bao Qisi asked in a low voice, seeming very interested.Then she craned her neck and looked from one side of the instrument to the other. Pelorat said, "Micro-detectors, I believe that's what they're called." Trevize added: "It's not a magical thing, this machine can automatically check a certain part of your body, from the inside out, to see if there are any microorganisms that can transmit diseases." "This machine can also classify microorganisms," said Kendry with a somewhat exaggerated pride. "It was developed locally in Complon—sorry, you haven't stretched out your right hand yet." Trevize inserted his right hand in, and saw a string of small red dots dancing non-stop along a set of horizontal lines.Kendry flipped a switch, and the machine immediately printed a copy of the color screen. "Please sign this, sir," he said. Trevize signed, then asked: "How bad is my health? Is there any serious danger?" Kendry said: "I'm not a doctor, so I can't go into details, but these badges are not a big deal, and you won't be sent back or quarantined, that's all I care about." "I'm really lucky." Trevize laughed at himself while shaking his right hand, trying to get rid of the slight pain. "It's your turn, sir," Kendry said. With some hesitation, Pelorat put his hand into the instrument.After the inspection, he also signed the color report. "You're next, ma'am." 饼了一会儿，肯德瑞看着检查结果说：“我从来没见过像这样的结果。”他抬起头来望着宝绮思，脸上露出敬畏的表情。“你没有任何征状，完全没有。” 宝绮思露出迷人的笑容。“真好。” “是啊，女士，我真羡慕你。”他又翻回第一张报表，“你的身分证件，崔维兹先生。” 崔维兹掏出证件，肯德瑞看了一眼，又露出惊讶的表情，抬起头来说：“端点星立法机构的议员？” "That's right." “基地的高级官员？” 崔维兹以淡淡的口气说：“完全正确，所以请让我们尽速通关，好吗？” “您是这艘太空船的船长？” "yes." “来访的目的？” “有关基地安全事宜，这就是我能告诉你的一切，你明白了吗？” “明白了，阁下。你们预计停留多久？” “我不知道，大概一个星期。” “没问题，阁下。这位先生呢？” “他是詹诺夫·裴洛拉特博士，”崔维兹说：“你已经有了他的签名，我可以替他担保。他是端点星的学者，我这次的访问任务，由他担任我的助理。” “我了解，阁下，伹我必须查看他的身分证件。规定就是规定，我只能这么说。希望您能谅解，阁下。” 于是裴洛拉特掏出他的证件。 肯德瑞点了点头。“你的呢，小姐？” 崔维兹冷静地说：“没有必要麻烦这位小姐，我也替她担保。” “我知道，阁下，但我还是要看她的身分证件。” 宝绮思说：“只怕我身边没有任何证件，先生。” 肯德瑞皱起眉头。“请问你说什么？” 崔维兹说：“这位年轻小姐没带任何证件，她一时疏忽。不过这一点关系也没有，我可以负完全责任。” 肯德瑞说：“我希望能让您负责，可是我爱莫能助，要负责任的人是我。这种情况没什么大不了，想要取得一份副本应该不成问题。这位年轻女士，我想也是来自端点星吧。” “不，她不是。” “那么，是从基地领域的某个世界来的？” “其实也不是。” 肯德瑞以锐利的目光看了看宝绮思，又看了看崔维兹。“这就有些麻烦了，议员先生。要想从非基地的世界取得证件副本，可能得多花点时间。由于你不是基地公民，宝绮思小姐，我需要知道你出生的世界，以及你是哪个世界的公民，然后你得等证件副本来了再说。” 崔维兹又说：“听着，肯德瑞先生，我看没什么理由浪费任何时间。我是基地政府的高级官员，我来此地执行一项着大任务，绝不能让一些无聊的手续耽误我的行程。” “我无权决定，议员先生。如果我能作主，我现在就会让你们降落康普隆，可是我有本厚厚的规章手册，它规范了我的每项行动。我必须依照规章办事，否则规章会反过来办我——当然，我想此刻一定有康普隆的政府官员等候您，如果您能告诉我他是谁，我马上会跟他联络，而如果他命令我让您通关，那我一定照办。” 崔维兹犹豫了一会儿，然后说：“这样做不太高明，肯德瑞先生。我可不可以跟你的顶头上司谈谈？” “当然可以，可是您不能说见他就见他……” “只要他知道想见他的是一名基地官员，我确定他立刻会来……” “老实说，”肯德瑞道：“这话别传出去，那样只会把事情越弄越糟。我们并非基地首都的直辖领域，这您是知道的，我们名义上是基地的'联合势力'，这点我们非常在意。民众绝不希望政府表现得像基地的傀儡——我只是在说明大众的意见，希望您能了解。因此，他们会竭尽全力展示独立的地位。如果我的上司拒绝一名基地官员的要求，他很可能因此获得特殊的嘉奖。” 崔维兹的表情转趋阴郁。“你也会吗？” 肯德瑞摇了摇头。“我的工作和政治还沾不上边，阁下。不论我做了什么，也不会有人给我嘉奖，他们只要肯付薪水给我，那我就谢天谢地了。我非伹得不到任何嘉奖，反而动辄得咎，很容易受到各种处分；我可不希望因此受到连累。” “以我的地位，你知道，我可以照顾你。” “不行，阁下。对不起，这样说可能很失礼，但我不认为您有办法——此外，阁下，这句话很难出口，伹请您千万别送什么贵着东西给我。最近抓得很紧，接受这些东西的官员，会被他们拿来杀一儆百，而且他们抓贿的本事很高明。” “我不是想贿赂你。我只是在想，如果你耽误了我的任务，端点星的市长会怎样对付你。” “议员先生，只要我拿规章手册当挡箭牌，我就百分之百安全。若是康普隆主席团的成员受到基地的责难，那是他们的事，跟我没关系。不过如果有帮助的话，阁下，我可以让您和裴洛拉特博士通关，驾着你们的太空船先行着陆。只要您将宝绮思小姐留在入境站，我们可以负责收容她，等到她的证件副本送来之后，我们立刻送她下去。假如因为某种原因，无法取得她的证件，我们会以商用交通工具送她回到她的世界，不过这样一来，只怕有人得负责支付她的交通费用。” 崔维兹注意到裴洛拉特的表情变化，于是说：“肯德瑞先生，我们能不能到驾驶舱私下谈谈？” “当然可以，但我不能在这里停留太久，否则会让人起疑。” “不会太久的。”崔维兹说。 进了驾驶舱后，崔维兹故意把舱门紧紧关上，然后低声道：“我到过很多地方，肯德瑞先生，却从来没见过像你们这样，如此刻板地强调各种琐碎的入境法规，尤其是面对基地公民和基地官员的时候。” “伹那个年轻女子不是基地来的。” “即使这样也不应该。” 肯德瑞说：“这种事情时松时紧，前些时候发生了一些丑闻，所以目前凡事都很严格。如果你们明年再来，也许根本不会有任何麻烦，可是现在我一点办法也没有。” “试试看，肯德瑞先生。”崔维兹的语气越来越柔和，“我全仰赖你开恩了，我把你当成哥儿们来拜托。裴洛拉特和我从事这项任务已有一段日子，他和我——就只有他和我两个人。我们是好朋友没错，可是旅途中仍难免寂寞，相信你懂得我的意思。不久以前，袭洛拉特遇到这个小泵娘，我不必告诉你事情的经过，反正我们最后决定带她一块上路。偶尔用用她，可以让我们保持身心健康。 “问题是裴洛拉特在端点星已有家室。我自己无所谓，这你应该了解，但裴洛拉特年纪比我大，他已经到了那种有点——不顾一切的年龄。这种年纪的男人，都会想尽办法着拾青春，所以他无法放弃她。然而，如果她出现在正式文件中，那么老裴洛拉特回到端点星之后，就要吃不了兜着走，可有受不完的罪了。 “我们没有做什么坏事，你应该了解。宝绮思小姐——她说那就是她的名字；想想她是干哪行的，这个名字实在贴切——她不算是个精明的孩子，我们也不需要她多精明。你非登记她不可吗？能不能说太空船上只有我和裴洛拉特？我们离开端点星的时候，纪录上只有我们两人。其实根本不必登记这个女子，反正她完全不带任何疾病，这点你自己也注意到了。” 肯德瑞露出一副愁眉苦脸的样子。“我实在不想为难你们，我了解这种情况，而且请您相信，我也十分同情。您想想，在入境站值一次班就得待上好几个月，这能有什么乐趣？而且入境站中也没有女性，康普隆谤本不允许这种事情。”他摇了摇头，“我也有老婆，所以我能了解。可是，请听我说，即使我让你们通开，一旦他们发现那个——呃——小姐没有证件，她就会马上入狱；您和裴洛拉特先生也将惹上大麻烦，消息很快就会传回端点星；我自己则注定会丢掉这份差事。” “肯德瑞先生，”崔维兹说：“请相信我，我只要踏上康普隆就安全了。我可以对某些适当人士透露我的任务，等我讲清楚之后，就不会再有任何麻烦。对于现在这件事，万一有人追究的话，我会负完全责任——不过我想不大可能会有人追究。更着要的一点，是我会举荐你升级，而且一定能成功，因为若是有人迟疑，我保证会让端点星对他全力施压。这样一来，裴洛拉特就可以松一口气。” 肯德瑞犹豫了一下，然后说：“好吧，我让你们通关。可是我得警告你们，为了预防事迹败露，我现在就要开始设法自保。我绝不会为你们着想。我很了解康普隆处理这种案子的方式，你们却完全没有概念；不守规矩的人，在康普隆可没有好日子过。” “谢谢你，肯德瑞先生。”崔维兹说：“不会有任何麻烦的，我向你保证。”