Chapter 18 third quarter

While waiting for his boss to arrive, Rubens stayed in the small conference room attached to the operations command, combing through the past materials. The first is the communication records of Kento Koga intercepted by the National Security Agency.The researchers went to protein databases on the Internet and performed a BLAST search for "variant GPR769."Later, he called a man named Yoshihara and asked to meet in order to collect information about alveolar epithelial sclerosis.According to the CIA's investigation, Yoshihara was an intern at a university hospital. Next came a warning call from New York to Kento Koga.It was from a public phone.The National Security Agency found out that the voice on the phone was synthesized by a computer, and the Japanese was unnatural.Although the meaning is understandable, it sounds rather weird to native Japanese speakers.NSA linguists quickly figured out why: the Japanese was translated from English using commercially available translation software.Most of the people who sent the warning did not understand Japanese, and the warning itself was very short, so it was simply translated by machine.The question is, who is this person?How would he know the contents of Nemesis' plan?

The last file Rubens looked at was a list of private military company employees who had been killed by militants in Iraq, including the fifteen originally selected for the Guardians program.Because the alternates died one after another, the players other than Warren Garrett had to be replaced by people who were not on the list, namely Jonathan Jaeger, Kashiwahara Mihiro, and Scott Miles. The White House has turned its attention to the question of why Iraqi militants struck precisely.The marching route is not fixed, but the enemy can launch an ambush. How did they learn the details of the top-secret plan?Were U.S. military communications intercepted and cracked?

Rubens digresses to reflect on an attack in Iraq.In a local city, four private military company security personnel were killed.These former special forces members were ambushed in an urban area, received dozens of shots at a very short distance, and were killed on the spot.During the live chorus of "Allahu Akbar," ordinary citizens' hatred of Americans exploded.The security personnel of private military companies are not bound by the law, and they will not be held accountable for indiscriminately killing innocent people in Iraq.Such an arrogant attitude will inevitably accelerate the rise of anti-American sentiment.One corpse was kicked and beaten until its head almost fell off, while others were hung from bridges on main roads.

The barbaric act spurred the United States to launch a frenzied retaliation.The U.S. Army united with the Iraqi Army, organized 8,000 troops, and began to launch a general attack on local cities that were regarded as strongholds of anti-American forces.In order to avenge the four, a fierce street battle broke out, and 1,800 soldiers and citizens died.In addition, the U.S. military also used a large number of depleted uranium bombs, causing the site to be contaminated by radioactive substances.In the future, there will be a large number of cancer patients and deformed children here.And all of this is done by the creatures on this planet who claim to have the highest intelligence.

"What happened?" A calm voice came from behind. Rubens turned to see Dr. Gardner standing in the doorway.Because it was called out late at night, he was wearing casual clothes without a tie. After the technology consultant sat down across the table, Rubens asked, "Did we underestimate the intelligence level of Nous?" As soon as Rubens asked this question, Gardner realized that there was a major problem, and his eyes suddenly became serious. "There is such a possibility. Regarding Nu Si's intelligence, it is still impossible to make a definite conclusion at this stage, and we can only make a common presumption."

"That is to say, it cannot be denied that Nu Si's intelligence may have surpassed that of modern humans?" Gardner nodded. "Or he's particularly good at certain areas, like factoring factors." "anything else?" "Look back at the Heisman Report." Gardner folded his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. Space' and 'having a sixth sense' are dubious. If Nous wants to think about space beyond 4 dimensions, he must use mathematical abstractions. 'Having a sixth sense' is the realm of mysticism. As a scientist, I have nothing to say about that Can say."

Rubens felt the same way. "There is also an 'infinitely developed moral consciousness'. A life with this consciousness is equivalent to a god. This is not a question that scientists should discuss." Rubens agrees with this. "I think there are only two things that are correct. The first is to have 'spiritual traits that cannot be understood by our understanding'. Of course modern people cannot understand the thoughts and feelings of Nous. Because if the brain changes, the spirit and thinking will also change. Aren't we just at the mercy of people with thicker corpus callosum now and have to submit?"

Rubens smiled.A person with a thicker corpus callosum refers to a woman. "I want to emphasize the last point." Gardner sat up straight in the chair and leaned over the table. "That's the problem we must pay attention to." Rubens was relieved that his views were consistent with those of technology consultants: "Is it the ability to 'grasp complex wholes quickly'?" "Although this sentence is short, its connotation is very rich, including doubts about reductionism, confusion before the chaotic state, etc. This is the ability that scientists in the second half of the last century expected the next generation of intelligent life to have. By the way , haven’t you learned this knowledge?”

"I studied Complex Adaptive Systems Theory at the Santa Fe Institute, which gave me an understanding of complex systems." "If Nous has the ability to 'quickly grasp complex wholes', what will happen specifically?" "The unpredictable state we call 'chaos' may be predictable for Nous. In other words, in the field of complex systems, a paradigm shift has taken place." Rubens realized only here, How huge is the gap between the next generation of humans and modern humans, "If this is the case, then not only natural phenomena, but also complex systems such as psychological and social phenomena, Nuss can build highly accurate models for them. Specifically, he Not only can life phenomena be analyzed more thoroughly, but economic trends, earthquake occurrences, and long-term climate changes can also be accurately predicted.”

"Maybe, Nous can accurately predict the weather ten years from now." "you could put it that way." "I have an important question: If Nous has acquired this ability, can we understand his mind? If Nous wrote a book explaining how to predict the weather, can we understand what is in the book?" Although the question was sharp and unexpected, Rubens replied without hesitation: "I'm afraid not. Nous's intelligence far exceeds that of human beings, and it is impossible for human beings to keep up with his thinking." "It should be." Gardner smiled faintly, "You are right, Arthur."

The small meeting room, where the discussion atmosphere was lively, suddenly fell silent.In Rubens' view, the smile on the tech consultant's face is both helpless and relaxed.Acknowledging the possibility of human intelligence evolution means agreeing that the intelligence of modern humans is limited.Not only intelligence, but the superhuman traits pointed out by the "Heisman Report" are exactly what modern people lack.We do not have "quick grasp of complex wholes" nor "infinitely developed moral consciousness".This is not a matter of rationality, but of biological habits.Only a man who has both his appetite and his sexual desires satisfied can talk of world peace.Once hunger is confronted, the hidden nature is immediately exposed.As a Chinese thinker in the third century B.C. said, human beings "want and hate the same things, want more but have few things, and if there are few things, we must fight." Mankind's prayers for eternal peace are always unfulfilled, because in human history, there has always been cannibalism.This barbaric practice will not be eradicated until we exterminate ourselves and leave the problem to a new generation of humans. A question arose in Rubens' mind: Is Nous more morally noble, or more brutal?Is he willing to coexist with a race with lower intelligence, or is he going to wipe us out?Even if he is willing to coexist with us, we will still be dominated by them.Just like modern humans protect endangered animals, superhumans will probably keep a small part of us and manage them. There is a knock on the door, and Overseer Eldridge emerges with Military Advisor Colonel Stokes.Eldridge was dressed in civilian clothes in a turtleneck and jacket, while Stokes was in military uniform. "I have briefed the Colonel," said Eldridge. Stock nodded: "I heard that the planners have taken actions beyond expectations." "yes." "I don't think there's any need to panic. Special Forces members are trained to react to situations on the spot. Is this operation part of it?" Rubens was going to speak out about that astonishing hypothesis, but after careful consideration, he decided to wait. "The CIA analyst responsible for satellite image analysis is rushing over. When he arrives, he will be able to understand the details." Eldridge nodded, "The action should now be based on objective evidence. Didn't it be discovered that there was an encrypted communication between Congo and Japan? It still hasn't been cracked yet. If that was an act that hindered the Nemesis plan, then the four planners The executor may encounter unexpected events." Stokes asked Rubens: "How is the Japanese investigation going?" "The hiding place of Kento Koga has been locked. He is lurking in a place called Machida. Tomorrow we will start to monitor the station. But the number of people available in Japan is limited, and other investigations are not satisfactory." "How many of us are there?" "There are ten full-time local police officers, but they are too busy just to monitor Kento Koga's whereabouts. In addition, there are also the head of the CIA branch and the local staff he recruited." Gardner asked: "The so-called local staff are the people code-named 'scientists'?" "good." "What is his origin? What is his relationship with Koga Seiji?" "Well..." Rubens and the military adviser looked at each other in blank dismay. "Because the CIA is entrusted with carte blanche, I don't know." "Collate the situation well and prepare for the worst," Eldridge said. "If the plan continues to get out of hand, take emergency measures immediately." "What measure?" Gardner asked. "Add the four plan executors, Nigel Pierce, and Kento Koga to the list of terrorists, and request the public security authorities of various countries to arrest them, and then implement special transfers on them." "What is a special transfer?" "You don't need to worry about this, Doctor." Eldridge said perfunctorily. "The so-called 'barbaric means'?" Facing the innocent and curious Gardner, the senior government official replied in an official tone: "This is an administrative measure formulated in accordance with National Security Decree No. 77 and Presidential Decree No. 62. The specific content is confidential. It was signed by the President. order, and the various agencies will act. Do you understand the explanation?" This is equivalent to saying nothing, in short: don't delve into this issue.Gardner also tactfully gave up: "Well, I understand." For Rubens, the greatest miscalculation was the actions of Kento Koga.It was beyond Rubens' expectation that a mere graduate student could escape from the hands of the judiciary and go into hiding.If Kento Koga had surrendered to the police early and accepted interrogation by the Ministry of Public Security, maybe he could have been properly dealt with.But now Eldridge has only tough countermeasures on his mind.Like other bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., Eldridge feared staining his career, so he was thinking in line with the Vance administration.Once Kento Koga is arrested, he will be sent to a country that replaces the United States for torture, and he will never return to his family.Rubens wanted to lend a helping hand to him, but it was Eldridge who was calling the shots on Japanese agents. "That's the end of Japan's problem. What kind of emergency measures will the Congo side take?" Gardner continued to ask. "If the planners take an unexpected action, kill them and Nigel Pierce immediately. We plan to use the armed elements in the rainforest to mop them up." Gardner's eyes widened: "Will the illegal armed forces in Congo help us?" "We plan to ask a local arms dealer to tell the militants that there are five white terrorists lurking in the Ituri forest, and if they are caught, they can get a huge bounty. Those guys will mobilize tens of thousands of troops to encircle and suppress them. Pierce and others." "However, if the virus that causes evolution really exists, militants may also be infected." "Don't worry about this. The report obtained by Rubens shows that the virus theory has been denied." Rubens secretly groaned.I originally wanted to forge papers to rescue Jaeger and others, but the result was counterproductive. At this time, the phone on the desk rang, and a subordinate asked to enter the room. "Come in," Rubens ordered.Dias, a CIA agent who participated in the Nemesis project, entered the conference room with his colleagues. "This is Frank Hewitt in charge of image analysis." The tall, lanky man Dias introduced had a laptop under his arm.After the necessary pleasantries, Hewitt connected the computer to the projector and began to report. "This is a satellite reconnaissance image taken over the Congo not long ago." The Overseer and two advisors watched carefully.The picture reflecting the situation in the rainforest is black and white, and day and night cannot be distinguished.Project Guardian executors are approaching the farthest of the "U"-shaped huts. "This cottage is supposed to be Nigel Pierce's." "What evidence?" Rubens asked. Hewitt zoomed in on a part of the frame. "In the shadow of the hut, a geometric structure was found. That's the panel of the solar charger." "I see." In the Congo rainforest without electricity, Pierce uses solar energy to power his computer. Dias pointed at the four people on the screen one by one with a laser pointer and said: "The one with the medical bag is Miles; the one with the communication equipment is Garrett; of the remaining two, the one with the longer arm is Jaeger." .” Rubens asked the military adviser: "Colonel, what do you think they are doing?" Stokes squinted suspiciously and said, "It looks like they're not going to kill Pierce, but to kidnap him." Jaeger leaned his upper body into the hut, and the other three continued to maintain a defensive formation.Then, everything stands still.Ten seconds later, Bai Yuan put down his assault rifle, replaced it with a pistol, and came to Jaeger.At this time, something happened, and the bodies of both of them started to move violently, but because their upper bodies were inside the hut, they couldn't see the details clearly. "It's here." Hewitt played back the video and repeated it several times, "If you want to know what happened, the clue is in the corner of the screen." The center of the frame shifts to the back of the hut, and a tree is magnified many times until a gray square of pixels covers the screen. "At the same time, what's happening here is this—" The initially black square turned gray for a split second, and then slowly returned to black. "A part of the trunk heats up instantly. Of course, this is not a natural phenomenon. A small high-temperature object flying at high speed shot into the trunk." "That is to say?" Eldridge was eager to hear the conclusion. "Judging from the behavior of the two entering the hut, Kashiwahara, who was about to shoot, was blocked by Jaeger, and the fired bullet deviated from the target. Although the trajectory of the bullet cannot be accurately determined, I think it should be about 30 degrees above. Moreover, from the hut After exiting, Kashiwahara did not put the gun back in the holster on his lap, but hid it in his waist. He may have done this because he realized that he was being watched by an infrared surveillance satellite." "How do they know they're being watched?" asked Stokes, puzzled. Eldridge also had a look of confusion on his face, so he had no choice but to turn his attention to the highly intelligent planner. Rubens believed things were going for the worst: satellite images had been intercepted, and the United States was already facing a major threat to national security.Not only that, but the Vance administration may have fallen into the trap entirely.It is not himself who controls this top-secret plan, but Nous.Rubens ordered Dias and Hewitt to leave the room, put his elbows on the table, his head in his hands, and fell into deep thought. The initial basis for the creation of the Nemesis project was that email from Nigel Pierce.But before sending the letter, the sender should have foreseen that the email would be intercepted by the "echelon", the purpose is to test the attitude of the White House after learning that a new human has evolved.Surrounded by armed forces in the heart of the Congo, Pierce and Nous must have hoped that the U.S. government would protect them. However, the Vance government decided to obliterate superhumans.In this way, Pierce and others had only one way to escape to the outside world, and that was to fight back with force.But since the activities of private military companies are monitored by the Pentagon, it is impossible to use mercenaries.So they thought of instigating the executor of the guardian plan and making them stand on their side. Convincing Warren Garrett was easy.The White House wanted him gone, and Garrett presumably realized it himself.To survive, Garrett can only betray his employer. The remaining three should also be selected based on certain criteria.Therefore, candidates who did not meet this standard were successively killed in Iraq.Nuss disclosed the stolen American classified information to Iraqi militants and killed people with a knife.In the end, only Jaeger, Miles and Kashiwahara were left who met the criteria. As for the reasons for choosing former members of the Air Force Parachute Rescue Team and Japanese mercenaries, Rubens does not yet know.Still, the reasons for choosing Jaeger are clear.Combining the actions of Kento Koga in Japan, it can be speculated that Pierce has told this former member of the "Green Beret" special forces that there is a way to treat alveolar epithelial cell sclerosis.Jaeger has decided to be an enemy of the United States in order to save his son who is suffering from illness. Behind this plan, there is a network connecting Japan and the United States centered on Pierce in the Congo.The deceased Koga Seiji got acquainted with Pierce who went to Zaire for epidemiological investigation, and was involved in this conspiracy.And when he died, his son inherited the work of developing drugs to treat terminal illnesses.However, whether or not Nuss is involved, it is doubtful whether a specific drug for alveolar epithelial sclerosis will be developed.No matter what method is used, the time is too tight. Eldridge broke the long silence and asked, "What are you thinking?" Rubens hesitated, what should be said and what should not be said?How can sacrifices be kept to a minimum?Now that the mercenaries have been absorbed into Nu Si's side, while rescuing them, Nu Si will survive.If we do that, not only the United States, but the entire human society will be in crisis. Nous' intelligence level is sufficient to intercept the classified intelligence of the United States.Next, not only will he not show an infinitely developed moral consciousness, but he will kill humans instead.He used extremely ingenious techniques to kill fifteen candidates for the Guardian operation.Isn't this three-year-old child the enemy of mankind? "Initiate emergency measures." Colonel Stokes broke the silence. "Although it is very regrettable, we cannot tolerate the abnormal behavior of the plan executor. Perhaps the Guardian project has to enter the final stage." Rubens speculated that the mercenary must choose to betray.They already know that the antiviral drugs they carry around are actually highly toxic chemicals. "I agree too." Dr. Gardner answered. "Three people, including me, are in favor." Eldridge said, turning to Rubens. "Do you have any objections?" "Well, no." Rubens did not dare to raise objections.He thinks it's time to wait and see. "Then, from now on, the plan will enter the emergency response stage." Project Nemesis will turn into a duel between humans and metahumans, Rubens thought to himself. However, how much chance can human beings have? The coolness of dawn in the forest hits you. In the Kanga Youqun camp shrouded in morning mist, voices could be heard from the huts lined up together, but no one was there.A column of smoke rose from the leaf-covered roof, and a fire was burning inside the house. The executors of the guardian plan only took a short nap, because they were going back to the depths of the forest to pick up their backpacks before the sun rose.For Jaeger, apart from lack of sleep, his body is also extremely cold.He has been worried about his son.Last contact with Lydia was a week ago. "'Guardian' is a really fitting name," Garrett said, setting the equipment under the lush trees outside the camp. "We've become anthropologists and the child's guardians, haven't we?" Also my son's guardian, Jaeger thought. Miles said urgently: "I really want to see Akili sooner." "Will be disappointed," said Mick coldly. "He's a horrible kid." Jaeger asked the Japanese half-jokingly: "Mick, don't you like children?" "That child is not human." "I'm asking about the children of humans." Mick stared at Jaeger, guessing his purpose for asking this question: "I don't like weak people. They don't fight back when they are beaten, they just cry. I feel uncomfortable when I see such people." "It was when you were a child." A trace of hatred flashed in Mick's eyes, but he immediately put on his signature sneer: "When I grow up, I will repay those who bullied me tenfold." Jaeger gets a glimpse of the dark psychology that dominates Mick.The Japanese took steroids to strengthen his muscles, and went overseas to learn combat skills, just to be able to be beaten without crying, and to be able to fight back against his opponents.This extreme approach just reflects that he was bullied as a child. At this time, there were footsteps in the fog, and a tall man was walking towards them.The eyes of the mercenaries were attracted by the small figure walking beside Pierce.Akili was only wearing coarse trousers, and the mercenaries were able to observe his whole body.From the neck down, it is indistinguishable from a human three-year-old child.However, as soon as he saw his protruding and heavy forehead and those peculiar eyes, he knew that he was a species other than human beings.Even though he had just woken up, the sharp gaze that had frozen Jaeger last night was still undiminished.The child who was holding Pierce's hand and walking towards him shaking his head gave an unreal feeling no matter how he looked at it, as if he was a monster running out of a movie. "It's cute," Miles said. The other three looked at the health guard in surprise, "Are you kidding me?" "No kidding. Achille's eyes look like cat's eyes." That's true, but Jaeger doesn't think there's anything cute about it.Unbelievably, looking at Akili in front of him, Jaeger was in awe, as if he was being forced to look at religious paintings, which made him very uncomfortable. "I like dogs." "It's like a cat," Garrett said. "It's like looking right into our hearts. But a lion's eyes are also like a cat's." "I guess he's a lion," Mick whispered. "That kid's pretty dangerous. Better get rid of him sooner." "Don't shoot indiscriminately." Jaeger stopped him. "Good morning." Pierce came to the players and greeted happily, "Everyone, this is Akili." The team members bent over to look at Aqili, and the child rolled his eyes and stared at everyone with a serious expression.Pierce reported the names of the mercenaries who became the child's guardian one by one, but Akili's expression did not relax in the slightest. Garrett asked, "Does this kid understand English?" "Understood. However, because of the retardation of the pharynx, he still can't speak." Pierce revealed the laptop under his arm. "When he wants to speak, Akili will type it out through the keyboard." In the environment that can be called a secret place deep in the rainforest, such a means of expression seems out of place.Jaeger asked directly: "Akili, is what Mr. Pierce said just now true?" Akili nodded immediately.The team members couldn't help but marvel. Garrett then asked, "Can you really crack the code?" Akili nodded again. "How to do it?" Akili looked up at Pierce and gestured for the computer.The anthropologist handed out the keyboard, and Akili's little hands started to dance.Two fingers tapped alternately, and a line of text appeared on the screen: Even if you tell the method of cracking it, you will not be able to understand it. Garrett smiled wryly, "I'm despised." Jaeger, who was watching Akili from the sidelines, had some doubts.Looking at the way the child was typing on the keyboard, he was really not agile.Moving so slowly, but writing a program to invade the military communication network, regardless of his intelligence level, it is impossible just from the perspective of workload.So Jaeger asked, "Can alveolar epithelial sclerosis be treated?" Achilles nodded. "How?" The answer emerged on the computer screen: "First write the pharmaceutical software, then use the software to design drugs, and finally actually synthesize the compound." "Who wrote this software?" "I write." Jaeger thought that the child might have been trained to type out the answers to the pre-estimated questions. "Can I make one last confirmation?" Garrett asked Jaeger for permission, "I want to confirm whether Pierce's words are reliable." "What are you going to do?" Pierce asked. "Gather everyone here." "why?" "If you want us to protect you, do as I say." Pierce turned around with dissatisfaction on his face, and shouted in the local language towards the camp.People peeked out from the hut and came out. Jaeger and the others moved to the square in the center of the camp, and the short Mbuti people walked towards them.The forty Mbuti men showed little vigilance.Their heights only reached the mercenary's chest, and they all had shy smiles on their faces. The word "Karibu" came out of Mbuti's mouth one after another. Myers didn't understand the meaning, so he said "Karibu" too, which made the Mbuti people laugh. "'Karib' means 'welcome,'" Pierce said, "'hello' means 'Habali.'" Jaeger and others began to say "Habali", and the Mbuti people were even happier and answered with "Habali". "Tell them we're their friends." Garrett looked around at the Mbuti people, and spoke slowly in a language that seemed to be Swahili.The CIA agent who was first recruited into the Guardian program seems to have mastered the local lingua franca early on.He seemed to be asking, "Does anyone understand Swahili?" More than half of the people raised their hands.Then there was a question and answer between the two sides, and then Garrett waved to a man.The man who came before Jaeger and the others was about 30 years old, with a lonely expression, wearing an old T-shirt and shorts, about 1.4 meters tall, and his physique was about the same among the Mbuti people. "His name is Aximo, and he is Aqili's father." After listening to Garrett's introduction, Jaeger carefully observed the short man.He is an ordinary person, except for being shorter than Westerners, there is nothing unusual about him. "We have one more question," Miles said. "Can I ask him if Akili has a brother?" Garrett nodded and asked Ashmore a question in Swahili.Ashmore gesticulated and replied with a sad expression.Garrett listened, seeming to have a hard time understanding, but after a lengthy question and answer, he finally managed to translate: "Achille has no brothers. Ashmore's first wife fell ill during pregnancy He asked Muzunge, a white doctor, to treat him, but his wife was taken to a distant hospital and never came back, so she should have died." "Muzunge, Muzunge..." Aximo muttered repeatedly, pointing at Mick next to him.In his eyes, Asians are also a part of whites. "Later, Ashmore's younger brother was bitten to death by a poisonous snake, so he married his younger brother's wife, who was also Aqili's mother. But she died of heavy bleeding shortly after giving birth to Aqili." The sadness on Ashmore's face reflects the cruel reality in primitive society.Due to lack of medical care, he lost two wives, his younger brother, and his first child who was supposed to be born. "Afterwards, Aximo didn't marry another wife, so he only had one child, Akili." "The deaths of the two wives should be caused by the fetuses." Miles said, "It seems that the mutation of the brain is most likely inherited from the paternal line. Ashmore's germ cells have mutated and are inherited by his children down." Mick sneered: "Having an abnormal father, the child really suffers." "This is very important. If the mutation is inherited from the paternal line, then not only Aqili will be eliminated, but his father will also be included. If he has another child, he may also have the same mutation as Aqili. " "Don't worry about that," Pierce said. "As soon as we leave, the Kanga group will cease to exist. The forty members here will be scattered among other groups. They don't have resident registration, and outsiders won't be able to find Aki." Leigh's father." At this moment Ashmer cried out, repeating the words "Kuaili" and "Ikni" in a distressed tone.Garrett asked many times, and finally translated what the other party wanted to say: "He said that Achille was born like that because of food. Achille's mother ate animals that could not be eaten when she was pregnant with him. " "It's impossible." Miles denied solemnly. Garrett looked up, speaking in Swahili to the surrounding pygmies.After Miles' words were translated into the local language, the pygmies yelled in unison.The crowd crowded around Garrett, getting tighter.Although Jaeger couldn't understand the content of the conversation, it could be seen that the Pygmies were very excited. After listening to everyone's speeches one by one, Garrett explained to his companions: "I asked them about Akili. Everyone here thinks Akili is not an ordinary person. Not only is his appearance different, but his abilities are also very unusual. " "In what ways?" Jaeger asked. "He understood words very early. He could speak not only Kimbuti, but also Swahili and Gingwana, a dialect of Swahili. He also understood English. During the rainy season, They lived near the farmer's village, and he used this time to master the calculations. Thanks to him, they did not miscalculate when they sold the meat to the farming Bila people." "This kind of thing, can't all children with brighter minds do it?" "There are other manifestations. It's unbelievable to say it—" Garrett continued with a puzzled look, "Akili can manipulate leaves with magical power." "Leaves? What do you mean?" "I don't understand either." "Isn't it all right to ask yourself?" After finishing speaking, Miles squatted in front of Akili, "Did you hear what I just said?" Achilles nodded. "What's the matter with manipulating the leaves? Can you demonstrate it to us?" Akili's expression changed.He narrowed his eyes and closed his mouth tightly.Jaeger thought the kid was laughing.It was the expression of a child immersed in the game. Aki used his fingers to draw a small circle on the ground under his feet, picked up the fallen leaves, and stood up.Then straighten your arms, hold the leaves high, as if calculating something, move around in a circle, and finally let go of your fingers and drop the leaves.The leaves fluttered down and fell into the circle drawn by Akili. It took Jaeger and others a moment to realize that this was an unexplainable phenomenon.Miles also picks up the leaves and drops them in imitation of Achille.After being released from his hands, the leaf was disturbed by unpredictable air currents, and it landed a meter away from the target. "How do you do that?" Miles asked. Akili typed the answer on the keyboard: "I know the trajectory of leaves." "How do you know?" "All I can say is, I just know." Such an explanation is not convincing, but one thing is certain, Akili has mysterious abilities that others do not possess.Although humans can launch rockets and land on the moon, they cannot predict the trajectory of a leaf falling from a height of one meter. "Everyone, can we stop here?" Pierce said while switching the screen on the computer, "In five minutes, the reconnaissance satellite will come." The mercenaries looked at each other in confusion. "We can only choose to believe," Garrett said. "If we had swallowed the capsule we were carrying, we would have been poisoned to death." The players had to nod their heads in agreement, and then moved into the forest. Pierce stayed in the square, explaining something to the Pygmies.Mostly let them behave as usual.The Mbuti returned to their huts and started cooking. In the forest that cannot be observed by the reconnaissance satellites, the executors of the Guardian program meet up with Pierce, Ashmore, and Achille. "I want to go after breakfast," Pierce said. "Show me the map." Garrett took out the map and spread it out in front of everyone. "First, let me introduce the general situation. Although the Nemesis plan is very well prepared, the emergency response measures are limited to Congo. Therefore, as long as we cross the border, we will win. Our task is to break through the border, and the enemy must will do everything in its power to stop us." Now everyone is at the eastern end of the Congo, only 130 kilometers away from Uganda, and it only takes four days to get there.However, there are more than 20 armed forces near the border.To use a football analogy, this is a battle of offense and defense in the first five yards of the goal area. "Is the route across the border decided?" Jaeger asked. "Several plans have been prepared. The best route will be selected based on the actual situation." Pierce pointed to the map and introduced three options, all of which lead to the eastern border of Congo.第一条是穿过东部的布尼阿，第二条是穿过东南的贝尼，这两条线路进入的都是乌干达。第三条是南下到格玛附近，逃往卢旺达。其他任何方向都不能选，比如往西走，刚果辽阔的国土就会成为他们最大的障碍。 “你们怎么看？” “我赞成往东走，但时间上特别紧张。”耶格答道，“我们只有五天的口粮。虽然可以靠打猎为生，但光是捕获猎物就需要耗费大半天，哪有时间逃出去？” “这个不用担心。我已在沿途准备了补给物资和交通工具。” “太好了。”盖瑞特惊叹道，“可是，问题还不止这个。随着时间的推移，五角大楼将会采用一切对抗手段。如果我们太磨蹭，就会遭到猛烈反击。” “那就选择最短的路线吧，也就是正东那条。布尼阿前有一座叫科曼达的城镇，那里准备有车。考虑到道路状况，这条路比东南那条更省时间。但我们必须徒步去科曼达。” 距离一百公里，行军需要三日。耶格吩咐盖瑞特联络泽塔安保公司。 “就说迈尔斯感染了疟疾，'天使'被迫延期。” “明白。”守护者计划的执行期限还剩五天。只要骗过五角大楼，就能在被他们发现前离开刚果。 “大家在离开营地之前，将GPS的电源都关掉。否则会暴露我们的位置。” 米克立马反驳道：“但如果关掉了GPS，如何在没有参照物的雨林中导航呢？光靠指南针和步测，如何到达一百公里外的目的地？” “艾希莫会与我们同行一段距离。”皮尔斯说。 “艾希莫？” 见大家都在俯视自己，阿基利的父亲露出谦虚的微笑。 “那岂不是更糟？这家伙连指南针都没有啊。” “在森林中，艾希莫判断方向的能力比我们更优秀。”人类学家加强语气道，“包括你在内。” “既然要返回你的故乡，你就少抱怨两句吧。”迈尔斯安抚米克道，然后对皮尔斯说，“离开刚果后，如何前往最终目的地日本呢？” “我准备了若干方案，但现在决定路线还为时尚早。目前我们要集中精力突破国境，这是最大的难关。” "clear." 耶格看了眼手表，确定了开始行动的时间。“六点出发，在此之前吃完饭，别忘了头上有侦察卫星。” 众人正要散会，突然响起了电子仪器发出的声音。皮尔斯从腰带里取出一部小型电脑。这不是同阿基利沟通时所用的笔记本电脑。A5大小的黑色机器与卫星手机相连。 人类学者凝视着电脑屏幕，脸色渐渐阴沉下来。 耶格问：“是电子邮件？谁发来的？” “别问了。” “你在国外也有帮手吧？” “有人提供情报，但我不会透露他的名字。” “他提供了什么情报？” “敌人比我们预想的更强大，已经察觉到我们的行动了。”皮尔斯关上电脑屏幕，对众人说，“涅墨西斯计划进入了紧急处置阶段。我们被列入了恐怖分子名单，悬赏一千万美元通缉。这一带的武装势力必定会趋之若鹜，对我们大肆围剿。” 不过，守护者计划的执行者都面不改色。 迈尔斯说：“出逃线路改为南方怎么样？” “不。”盖瑞特摇头说，“南边也有武装势力盘踞。假如去那里，我们就会被两面夹击。” 耶格打开地图说：“东侧的国境线有一百公里长，虽然敌人数以万计，但我们应该能找到突破口。就按照原定计划，向东部进发。” “现在广播找人：铃木义信先生，如果您在，请到七楼咨询台。” 反复播放的室内广播令人生厌。这里是新宿一座大楼内的大书店，图书品种丰富，在东京数一数二。研人正在这里寻找专业书籍。今晚，等李正勋到了之后，就要开始开发治疗肺泡上皮细胞硬化症的特效药。但因为研人现在不能去大学图书馆，所以必须提前准备一些与新药开发有关的文献资料。 “铃木义信先生……” 厚厚的学术书都定价不菲，但研人不用担心钱的问题，想买哪本都可以，因为他手上有一张“铃木义信”的银行卡。 “铃木义信先生，如果您在，请到七楼咨询台。” 研人突然抬起头？ 铃木义信？ 尽管铃木这个姓很常见，但名也一致的话就不是偶然了。莫非有人在找我？ But who would it be? 研人的脑海里条件反射般蹦出一个念头：这会不会是警察的圈套？研人差点儿拔腿就跑，但总觉得这不太可能。警察应该不知道自己有“铃木义信”的银行卡。否则早就冻结账户，阻止资金流出了。此外还有一个疑点。现在播放广播找研人，说明对方知道研人正在书店。但既然知道他在这里，为什么不直接实施逮捕呢？ 研人抑制住心头的恐惧，努力让自己冷静下来。自从收到父亲的电子邮件之后，发生的一连串事情，都受到严密逻辑的支配。如果有第三者知道“铃木义信”这个姓名，那就应当是熟悉内情的人，也就是知道父亲计划的人。 也许自己还有同盟者，研人猜想。会不会是警察来搜查出租屋的那个早上给他打警告电话的人？那通电话，除了内容之外，还有许多地方令他费解。来电显示不是“陌生号码”，而是“不明号码”。这就是说，对方很可能是从海外打来的。如果对方是外国人，电话中不自然的日语就解释得通了。莫非那个人如今到了日本，要找自己？ 研人将放回书架的书再次取出来。对方会通过室内广播找自己，可能预估到研人会判断对方不是警察。 书店内排满书架，视野不开阔。研人离开“药学”区，假装平静地朝收银台走。从书架间的过道偷看柜台，他发现那里只有店员，没有别的客人。 身穿制服、负责咨询的女店员瞟了眼手表，再次对准室内广播用麦克风念道，“现在广播找人：铃木义信先生，铃木义信先生……” 研人下定决心，朝咨询台走去。 “我就是铃木。”他说。 女店员从麦克风前转过头，“啊，铃木先生，让您久等了。您丢失的东西送到了。” “丢失的东西？” “这是不是铃木先生的东西呢？” 说着，女店员就递过来一部手机。 “对不起，为了查出失主，我看了手机里的内容。”女店员打开手机说。在机主信息栏里，显示着这部手机的号码、邮箱以及“铃木义信”四个汉字。“当然，我只看了这些。” “不好意思。”研人说，心想必须处理好这一突然事件，“是在哪儿找到的？” “'有机化学'区前面。” “是谁送过来的？” “是我发现的。” “掉在地板上了？” "Ok." “真不好意思。” 研人伸手去拿手机，但女店员在交出手机前说：“如果有能确认您姓名的物品，能否给我看看？” “姓名？”研人竭力抑制住惊慌，“姓名……姓名……我这会儿只带了银行卡。” "That's fine." 研人从钱包中取出“铃木义信”的银行卡，交给女店员。 “非常感谢。”女店员微笑着将手机交给研人。 研人移动到旁边的收银台，给抱来的书付款。朝电梯走去时，他发现自己已浑身冷汗。必须尽早离开这座大楼，找个咖啡馆之类的地方检查这部手机。到底是谁，出于何种目的，费尽心思设计这么一出？这时，尖利的手机来电铃声突然响起，研人吓得差点跳了起来。 屏幕上的来电提醒写着“帕皮”二字，这是研人小时候养过的宠物狗的名字。对方似乎想借此表示自己同研人是一伙的。研人冲入电梯旁很少有人经过的楼梯口，接起电话。 "Hey?" “你是研人君吧？”话筒中传出瘆人的声音。那是用机器改变了频率的低沉声音，仿佛从地底传出一样。“我要说一件重要的事，你要一字不落地听好。” 研人没有问对方的身份，而是照吩咐竖起了耳朵。从日语的流畅度判断，对方不是外国人。看来，研人在日本和海外各有一名帮手。 “刚才你拿到的手机，不会被窃听，请安心使用。” 对方从头到尾看到了手机到研人手里的过程。那人此刻肯定就在这座楼里。研人从楼梯口探出半截身子，观察书店内部，但没有发现打手机的客人。 “不过，”低沉的声音继续道，“打电话时，务必选择好对象。给家人、朋友打电话非常危险。从他们的电话可以逆向追踪到你。” “那有这手机岂不是没多大意义？” “不，意义非常大。有了这手机，我就可以随时与你联系。” “你同我是一伙的？” “不错。”尽管被机器改变了声调，但还是听得出对方声音的亲切。 "what's your name?" “帕皮。”对方抿嘴笑道。 "Can I ask you a question?" “那要看问的是什么。” 研人用手挡在手机送话器四周，小声问：“《海斯曼报告》第五节中的内容，会在现实中发生吗？” “问题真尖锐啊。有出息。你读过那份报告了吧？” "yes." “我刚才说的，就是对你问题的回答。” 研人将其理解为肯定。 “今后，这部手机一定不能关机，要随时保持可接通状态。睡觉时也一样，可以吗？” "OK." “还有，从町田的实验室去别处时，不要乘电车。町田站的检票口从明天起就会有警察监视。” 研人打了个冷战。不知不觉间，警察的搜索范围就离自己如此之近。警察到底是怎么查到的呢？他想到的是电子钱包的使用记录。上下电车时，需要使用铁路公司发行的磁卡。如今已经到了必须怀疑周遭一切的地步了吗？研人想。 “不坐电车，那用什么交通工具？” “坐出租车安全。你的钱足够用吧？除了町田站之外，你住的出租屋、大学校园、大学医院和你的老家，这四处地点也不能接近。那里也埋伏了警察。追踪你的警察总共有十名。听懂了吗？” "clear." “那再联系。过一阵子，我会告诉你小笔记本电脑如何使用。” “小笔记本电脑？是无法启动的黑色的那台吧？” 但对方已经挂断了电话。研人立即打开手机通讯录，里面只有帕皮一个人的电话。试着再打过去，对方却已经关机。即便在书店中搜索，不知道对方的长相也是白搭。至于如何使用无法启动的A5大小笔记本，看来只好等下次对方联系自己时再说了。 可是，研人暗忖，对方为什么不愿以真声示人呢？莫非对方是研人认识的人，怕研人靠声音识破？ 总之，研人走下楼梯，来到新宿的街上。只需这么一部通信机器，孤立的自己就能再次与世界相连，他不由得安心下来。 研人在大街上迈开步子，考虑现在就把前几天该打的电话给打了，于是从口袋里取出记着电话号码的笔记本。他听从帕皮的警告，先在大脑中想了想给哪些人打才安全。警察知不知道他同报纸记者有交往呢？尽管他认为应该没事，但因为刚好走过电话亭，所以以防万一，还是决定用公用电话打过去。 投入硬币，拨打号码，往常立刻就接起电话的菅井，这次却迟迟没有应答。回铃音响了大概十下，话筒里终于传来了熟悉的声音。 "Hey?" “我是古贺。” “啊，研人君啊。” 研人听出对方所处的环境十分嘈杂。 “菅井先生，你现在在哪儿？” “我在出差，”父亲的老朋友答道，“但接电话没问题。你是想知道之前你问我的那个女研究者的事？” “不错，关于坂井友理这个人，你查出来什么没有？” “研人君说的人我不清楚，但我找到了一个年纪相符的嫌疑人。东京都医生联合会的名簿上，记载着一个同名同姓的医生。” “医生？”研人搜寻记忆，想起了大学校园的阴暗角落中，主动找到自己谈话的坂井友理。不施粉黛的面庞，独特的清爽感觉——说她是医生，完全说得通。 “当时的电话簿上，刊登有这名医生执业的医院广告。是父女两代人经营的诊所。” “诊所主攻什么方向？” “妇产科。” 回答出人意料。如果是内科或心脏科，那就同肺泡上皮细胞硬化症有关了。 “去这家医院的话，就能见到本人吧？” “我是在八年前的医生联合会名簿上找到她的名字的，后来这个名字就消失了。她脱离了医生联合会，关闭了经营的诊所。” "What happened?" “不知道，我会继续调查。也许会查出她在什么地方同你父亲有联系。” “不好意思。”有这名报纸记者做援军，研人心里踏实了许多，“菅井先生，真的非常感谢你。” “怎么又在感谢我？”菅井笑道，然后双方简单地道别，挂断了电话。 研人走出电话亭，一边朝新宿站走一边思索。怎样才能调查出坂井友理更详细的情况？她在大学现身时，要是自己记下了那辆商务车的车牌号就好了。他正为此后悔时，手机响了。 研人停下脚步。来电显示是“不明号码”，研人不禁紧张起来。是海外打来的电话。会不会是给自己发警告的那个外国人？研人跑进小巷，按下接听键，将手机贴在耳边。 “Hello？” 对方张嘴竟是英语，研人不由得惊慌失措。说话的是个女人。不知为何，研人的脑海里冒出了金发美女的形象。 “哈……哈罗？”研人口齿不清地回复。 对方用极快的语速喋喋不休地说起来，但研人一个字也没听懂。他唯一明白的是，这个女人正处在混乱状态。 研人努力将大脑切换到英语会话模式，挤出了一句老套的英语句型：“你能说慢点吗？” 对方顿了一下，然后说：“你是谁？” “我？我的名字是古贺研人。” “研人？你现在在哪儿？不，我是问，我在给什么地方打电话呢？” 研人以为自己理解错了对方的话，于是又说：“请等等。我不明白你说的话。” “我也不明白自己在做什么。”女人的口气缓和下来，尽量让自己恢复平静，“研人，你听好，我接到一个陌生人打来的电话。他告诉了我这个电话号码，让我打电话过去，向你报告我儿子的病情。他说，这样你就能救我的儿子。” “我能救你的儿子？” “是的。难道不对吗？” 研人突然想起了一句话：某一天，将有一个美国人来访。 “我能问问你叫什么吗？” “莉迪亚。莉迪亚·耶格。” “莉迪亚·耶古女士？” 对方放缓语速，纠正道：“是耶格。” “耶格女士。”研人注意着发音，道，“你是美国人？” “是，但我现在在里斯本。” 肺泡上皮细胞硬化症的世界权威就在里斯本。 “你打来，是为了治你孩子的病？” “是的！是的！”莉迪亚·耶格大叫起来，仿佛终于找到了救孩子的方法。 “你认识叫古贺诚治的日本人吗？” "do not know." “你丈夫认识吗？” “你是说约翰？他去国外了，我没法同他取得联系，不知道他认不认识这个日本人。” “约翰·耶格先生做什么工作？病毒学研究者吗？” “不。”莉迪亚说，然后沉默片刻，告诉研人，耶格先生在私营军事公司当佣兵。 研人反复问过几遍，但仍然不知道那是什么意思。多半是跟军事有关的工作吧。“你认识我们吗？”莉迪亚反问道，“约翰，也就是乔纳森·耶格，我，还有我们的孩子贾斯汀？” 研人记下了贾斯汀·耶格这个名字，这是继小林舞花之后第二个需要他拯救性命的孩子。 “我也不认识你们。你们多半是父亲的朋友介绍来的吧。是谁让你打这个电话的？” “一个美国人。东部口音，上年纪了。” 这是不是就是给研人打来警告电话的人呢？ “这下你明白状况了吧？” “是的。”研人答道。 “那你如何救我儿子？” “开发新药。”研人答道，但双肩立刻就感到了重压。如果新药开发失败，那电话另一头的女人就会坠入绝望的深渊。 “这种药物能救贾斯汀吧？”莉迪亚说，声音阴郁，“我给你说说这边的情况。检查数值特别不好。按医生的话说，状况危急。也就是说，贾斯汀可能活不到下个月。” 研人无言以对，仿佛胸口遭受重击一般。贾斯汀·耶格的病况同小林舞花一样，离最后期限不到一个月。如果不能遵照父亲的遗言，在“2月28日之前完成”，两个孩子都会死掉。 “求你了，请你一定救救我的孩子。”莉迪亚的话语中听不出惹人怜悯的软弱，反而透露着与折磨她儿子的病魔对决的强烈意志。研人不禁想起了自己的母亲。这种坚强，一定是超越了语言、宗教、人种，为所有人类所共有的“善”吧。我一定要让遥远国度的这位勇敢母亲实现愿望。 “耶格女士，”研人抬头望天，尽量不让对方听出自己的喘息声，然后下定决心，说出了堪称人生最大赌注的一句话，“我答应你，一定会救你的孩子。” 鲁本斯深陷在自家客厅的沙发里，台灯灯罩下的光洒在身旁。 非洲东部时间凌晨两点，美国中部时间上午八点。 本打算回家小睡，但棘手的问题堆在面前，哪有心思睡眠。手中的便笺本上，问题被一一罗列出来。 鲁本斯举棋不定。尽管他不愿看到有人在自己制订的计划中死亡，但为了达到这个目的，就可以让奴斯存活下来吗？无论如何，现在涅墨西斯计划还没完全失控。必须预估对方的行动，抢占先机。如果自己猜得没错的话，奴斯计划在佣兵的保护下逃往国外。鲁本斯的视线落在便笺本上。 皮尔斯等人打算从什么地点逃离刚果？ 这是最要紧的问题。非洲大陆广袤无垠，中情局的工作人员有限，无法覆盖全域。一旦皮尔斯等人逃离刚果，再想追踪他们就几乎不可能了。对涅墨西斯计划来说，唯一的有利因素是刚果国内的交通状况。以面积而论，刚果的国土与西欧相当。但这个国家的交通设施非常落后，只有一条连接东西的道路，除此之外，就得依靠飞机和沿刚果河而下的船。皮尔斯等人应该也非常清楚，这些交通网的要冲都被监视了。所以，他们的目标只有一个，那就是可以徒步穿越的东部国境线。军事顾问斯托克斯正在拉拢当地反政府势力。从地理上看，这是正确的判断。伊图里森林东侧，二十多个武装集团林立。要想阻止皮尔斯等人逃往国外，只能将希望寄托在这些“名声不太好的家伙”上面。 逃离非洲大陆的目的地是哪里？ 如果皮尔斯等人逃出刚果，留在非洲大陆的可能性将非常低。这群人中大多是白人，在非洲行动太惹眼。那他们打算去哪儿呢？ 鲁本斯望向便笺本上的第三条，寻找启示。 四名佣兵的选拔标准是什么？ 奴斯陆续杀害了守护者计划的其他候选人，选定如今这四个计划执行者保护自己。 鲁本斯推测，在选拔他们的理由中，一定隐藏着破解奴斯逃亡计划的钥匙。选拔耶格和盖瑞特，是因为他们具有背叛雇主的条件，这点鲁本斯自己也考察过。那剩下的两人，柏原和迈尔斯，选拔他们的理由是什么？ 鲁本斯从公文包中取出报告，回顾选拔计划执行者的过程。在柏原干宏上升为第一候选人之前，三名候选人遇袭身亡。这三个人同柏原有何区别？从技能考察，无论是空降资格还是实战经验，他们作为佣兵的能力并无差异。唯一不同的是“使用语言”这一项，只有柏原懂他的母语日语。这时鲁本斯想起了古贺诚治撰写的论文。那篇学术论文竟然一反常规，是用日语写的。考虑到科学世界中英语是通用语，只能理解为古贺博士不擅长英语。换言之，柏原入选的理由会不会是让他充当与日本联络的角色呢？如果这一推理正确，古贺博士死后，负责在日本联络的就是他的儿子，那个叫研人的年轻人。国防情报局的调查