Jill's eyes widened, and she said, "If I hadn't had too much to drink, Ben, I'd swear you just said all Mars belonged to that sick man."
"Exactly. He occupied Mars and stayed there as long as the law required. Smith is the king of Mars, its president, its citizens, you name it. If Victor wasn't on Mars If the crew is left behind, Smith's ownership of Mars may expire and become invalid. After all, he left Mars and came to Earth. But the "Victor" kept people and continued the occupation of Mars. Smith does not need to communicate with the "Victor" Those who remain on Mars share sovereignty, and those are only immigrants until Smith grants them Martian citizenship."
"It's unbelievable!"
"But it's perfectly legal, baby. Now see why so many people are interested in Smith? See why the authorities want to hide him from the world? What they're doing is illegal. Smith not only Is the master of Mars, and at the same time a citizen of the United States, a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Free World. And the law prohibits depriving a citizen, even if he is a criminal, of the right to contact with the outside world. Indeed a Führer) forbidding him from public meetings, especially from members of the news media (meaning myself), is an unkind act. Are you still reluctant to sneak me in?"
"Huh? Ben, you're scaring the hell out of me. What'd they do to me if I got caught?"
"Well... it won't be too strict, just find three doctors to issue a certificate of mental illness, then throw you into a soft-walled hut for mental patients and lock you up, and only let you write a letter every ten or eight years—— — that's all. My concern is, what are they going to do with him?"
"What can they do?"
"Well, it can kill him, for example, from overweight and fatigue."
"You mean, they're going to murder him!"
"Tsk! Tsk! Don't put it so harshly. I don't think so. First of all, Smith is a rich mine of information; in addition, he is the bridge we have to communicate with the only alien civilization we have encountered so far. How well do you know the classics? Have you read George Wells' War on the Martians?"
"I read it, a long time ago, when I was studying."
"Imagine that the Martians are extremely vicious and have no good intentions towards humans-in fact, there is such a possibility. What kind of stick will they wield against humans? We have no way of knowing. With Smith as the mediator, the first Star Wars may not have An outbreak is necessary. Although this possibility is unlikely, the authorities dare not completely dismiss it and take it lightly. From a political point of view, the discovery of life on Mars is a new situation, and they have not yet figured it out. come."
"You mean he won't be in danger?"
"Not yet. The Secretary-General has to think about it. You know, his position is already in jeopardy."
"I never cared about politics."
"Should care, politics matter as much as your heartbeat."
"Usually I don't pay much attention to the beating of my heart."
"Don't interrupt me while I'm eloquent. Majorities headed by Douglas are patchwork mobs that can fall apart overnight. Pakistan, for example, needs only a sneeze to flee. If there is a vote of no confidence, Douglas Likely to be kicked out of office and go back to being his cheap lawyer. The Visitor from Mars can make him or break him. Would you like to sneak me in?"
"I'm going to be locked up in a convent. Is there any more coffee?"
"I'll go and have a look."
The two stood up.Jill stretched her waist and said, "Hey, I'm an old bone! Forget about the coffee, Ben, I have a lot of things to do tomorrow. Can you take me home? It's better to call an air taxi, it's safer."
"Well, although it's not too late." He walked into the bedroom and came out with something the size of a lighter. "You really don't want to sneak me in?"
"My God, Ben, I'd like to, but—"
"Never mind, this sort of thing is dangerous—I don't just mean your future." Ben showed her what he had in his hand. "Would you mind bugging him for me?"
"Huh? What is this?"
"A good helper for intrigue, the best tool since humans learned to put hypnotics in wine. Miniature tape recorders, clockwork drives, and anti-eavesdropping detectors can't find it. The interior is completely packaged in plastic, and it won't be thrown out of an air taxi." It broke. The signal it sends is very weak, like a watch, and it is shielded so that it will not be exposed, and it can continue to work for 24 hours. After that, just remove the cassette and insert another. The cassette comes with a new Clockwork, sealed together, can continue to work for twenty-four hours."
"Will it explode?" Jill asked nervously.
"You can put this thing in the oven to bake."
"But, I'm afraid of entering that ward again."
"But it's okay to go into the room next to it, isn't it?"
"I suppose so."
"The thing's ears are as long as a donkey's. Just stick the concave side against the wall and fix it."
"But even the room next door, if I go in and out, I'm sure I'll be found eventually. Ben, I know of another ward, in another corridor, but it shares a wall with his, and Ann walks there. ?"
"Great! So, are you willing to do it?"
"Well...give it to me first, let me think about it."
Ben Caxton wiped the bug with his handkerchief. "Put gloves on."
"why?"
"Owning this thing alone is enough to send you to a cell for a vacation. Put on gloves and touch it, and don't let anyone find out you have this thing."
"These prospects you have envisioned for me are wonderful. Thank you!"
"Want to quit?"
Jill let out a long breath, "No."
"Girl!" He glanced up as the lights flickered. "It must be your taxi. I called when I went in to get the bug."
"Oh. Find out where my shoes are. Don't go upstairs to see me off. The less people see us together, the better!"
"Listen to you."
Ben knelt down and put Jill's shoes on.Standing up, Jill took his head in both hands and kissed him. "Dear Ben, it's not going to come to fruition. Also, I never thought you'd be a criminal before. But your steak is pretty well done - if I choose the roasting program... ...If one day I can use something to blackmail you and make you propose to me again, maybe I will marry you. "
"My marriage proposal remains valid."
"A robber always ends up taking his concubine home, doesn't he? What do you call it, 'Love'?" She hurried away.
The process of installing a bug is a breeze.Jill used to go over to chat with the bedridden patient in the ward in the next corridor.She taped the tape recorder to the wall above a closet and complained that the cleaning lady never cleaned the closet shelves.
It was also easy to change the tape the next day, before the patient woke up.When she awoke, Jill was already in the chair.Jill told the patient some gossip about the ward, and it was easy to get away with it.
The replaced tapes were sent by mail.The postal system seemed a lot safer than the sneaky tricks of spies.I had a little trouble changing the tape for the third time.She waited for a long time that day, and did not do it until the patient fell asleep.But as soon as he climbed onto the chair, the patient woke up with a start. "Oh, it's you, Miss Boardman," greeted the patient.
Jill was petrified. "Hello, Mrs. Fritchley," she managed to answer, "how are you sleeping?"
"It's so-so, but the back hurts badly." The woman muttered angrily.
"I'll rub it for you."
"It doesn't work. Why do you keep messing around in the cabinet? Is there something wrong?" Jill's heart rose to her throat, and she swallowed it with difficulty. "Mouse," she replied.
"Rat? Ahhh! It's terrible, I want to change the ward!"
Jill unscrewed the tape recorder and stuffed it into his pocket.She jumped down from her chair and said comfortingly, "No, no, Mrs. Fritschley, I just checked to see if there were any mouse holes, and I found nothing."
"Really not?"
"Really not. Let me rub your back for you and turn over."
Jill decided to take a risk and try her luck in the unoccupied lounge at K-12.She was given a common key for hospital staff.Only to find that the lounge was unlocked and contained two Marines.Apparently, the security force has been strengthened.One of them turned around as she pushed open the door. "Who are you looking for?" a soldier asked.
"Don't sit on the bed, lads," Jill snapped. "If we need a chair, we'll get someone to bring it." The guard rose reluctantly.Jill was gone, trying to keep her trembling legs under control.
Until after get off work, the tape recorder is still in her pocket.She decided to return the thing to Ben Caxton as soon as possible.As she lifted off to Ben's apartment, she felt her breathing easier.On the way, she called him.
"This is Ben Caxton."
"I'm Jill and I want to see you."
"It's not wise to do that," said Ben slowly.
"You must see me, I'm already on my way."
"Since you must see it, then—come on."
"So enthusiastic!"
"Look, honey, it's not—"
"Goodbye!" Jill hung up the phone.After a while she calmed down and decided not to take it out on Ben—the trick was beyond their capabilities, at least beyond hers.She shouldn't touch anything about politics.
After snuggling into Ben's arms, Jill felt more at ease.Ben is such a sweet guy, maybe she should marry him.She was about to say something, but he covered her mouth.Ben whispered, "Shut up, I might be listening."
Jill nodded, took out the tape recorder silently, and handed it to him.He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing, and handed her a copy of the afternoon edition of the Post.
"Have you read the newspaper?" He said in a normal voice, "I'll wash up first, and read the newspaper when I'm here."
"Thanks." When Jill took the newspaper, Ben pointed to a column in the paper, and walked away with the tape recorder.The author of that article was none other than Ben himself.
ben carsonston
As we all know, prisons and hospitals have one thing in common: getting in is easy and getting out is difficult.As far as personal freedom is concerned, the situation of patients is often worse than that of prisoners.Prisoners can still see a lawyer, ask a notary, ask for habeas corpus, and ask the police to show the reasons for their imprisonment in open court.
And what about patients?An ordinary doctor—a special family in the crowd, a "no visit" sign can isolate patients from the world until they are completely forgotten by people, which is more thorough than their forgetting.
Then again, it is still permissible for the patient to meet with relatives—but today's visitor from Mars does not have this kind of treatment, because he does not seem to have any relatives.The astronauts of the ill-fated Messenger spacecraft have few relatives on Earth.Even if the "man in the iron mask"—sorry, I mean, the visitor from Mars—has relatives to defend his interests, thousands of journalists have been unable to find out.
So, who is speaking for the visitors from Mars?And who ordered armed soldiers to guard him?What kind of terrible strange disease did he suffer from, so that he could neither visit nor interview?Please answer now, Mr. Secretary-General.What "frail body" and "overweight and fatigue" are all untenable.If it is the above reasons, a little nurse weighing ninety pounds is enough to take care of the job, why bother with heavily armed guards?
This so-called "disease" is probably caused by money, right?Or (let's put it mildly) a political imperative?
There are many more words like this.Jill understood that the intention was to anger the authorities and force them to appear in public.Jill faintly felt that it would take a lot of risk to challenge the authorities and provoke power.But she still doesn't know how big the danger is and what kind of appearance it will appear in.
Jill flipped through the pages of the newspaper.It is filled with a large number of reports about the "Victor", pictures of Secretary General Douglas awarding medals to the astronauts, interviews with Captain Van Tromp and his partners, and pictures of Martians and Martian cities. There was little news, except for a briefing that said he was recovering from the fatigue of star travel.
Ben came out and laid some translucent papers on Jill's lap. "Newspaper, here, here is another one." After finishing speaking, he went in again.
Jill saw that the so-called "newspaper" was actually a transcript compiled from the first wiretapped tape.Each paragraph is preceded by a speaker.If the identity cannot be determined, the words "the first person's voice" and "the second person's voice" should be marked; if the identity can be determined, the name of the speaker should be directly marked.A line of words was written on the header: "All voices are male voices".
Most of the audio clips document how Smith was fed, scrubbed, massaged, and walked under the guidance of a person labeled "Dr. Nelson" and a person labeled "Second Doctor."
But there is still a part of the content that has nothing to do with nursing and training.Jill rereads the passage:
Dr. Nelson: How are you feeling, son?Do you have the strength to speak?
Smith: Yes.
Dr. Nelson: Someone wants to talk to you.
Smith: (Pause) Who? (This note: Smith always has a pause before speaking, without exception.)
Dr. Nelson: He is our important (inaudible below, suspected Martian language), our oldest "spiritual elder".Do you agree to talk to him?
Smith: (Long pause) I'm very happy.Ling Lao speaks, I listen, and I grow.
Nelson: No, no!He wants to ask you a question.
Smith: I can't teach Ling Lao.
Nelson: But the old spirit wants to hear from you.Do you agree with him asking you questions?
Smith: Yes.
(Noise.)
Nelson: This way please, sir.I'll have Mahmed translate for you.
Underneath it said "New Voice", Ben crossed out these three words and rewritten it as "Secretary Douglas!!!"
Secretary General: I don't need an interpreter. You said that Smith understands English.
Nelson: Well, he can either say he understands English or he doesn't, sir.He knew quite a few words, but, according to Mahmed, he lacked the cultural background needed to integrate them.As a result, his words are often difficult to understand.
Secretary General: Oh, I believe we can handle it.I remember when I was young, I hitchhiked throughout Brazil, and I didn’t know a word of Portuguese when I started.Please give us an introduction and then back away.
Nelson: Sir?It is better for me to accompany the patient.
Secretary-General: Is that so, Doctor?Sorry, I'm afraid I'll just have to hold on.
Nelson: I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I also have to stick around.Your Excellency, medical ethics require—
Secretary-General: (interrupting) I am a lawyer and know a thing or two about doctor-patient jurisprudence, so don't tell me that set of "medical ethics" and other nonsense.Did the patient himself appoint you to heal him?
Nelson: Not exactly, but—
Secretary-General: Does he have the opportunity to choose his own doctor?I doubt it.He was placed under the guardianship of the government, so I am equivalent to his relatives, which is a fact and a legal principle.I wish to speak to him alone.
Nelson: [Long pause, abruptly] Your Excellency, if you say so, I will have to resign as his doctor.
Secretary-General: Come on, doctor, I didn't question your medical skills.But you can't keep a mother from meeting her son alone, can you?Do you think I'm going to hurt him?
Nelson: Where, but—
Secretary-General: Then why do you object?Come, come, introduce me to him, that's all.We fight endlessly, lest your patient will be upset.
Nelson: Sir, I will introduce you.After that, you have to hire another doctor to take care of your... ward.
Secretary-General: I'm sorry, doctor, I'm really sorry.I can't accept your resignation just yet - we'll talk about that later.Now, please introduce us.
Nelson: This way please, sir.My child, this one is the one who wants to see you, the spirit elder of our earth.
Smith: (voice unintelligible)
Secretary-General: What did he say?
Nelson: A polite hello.Mahmed said, it can be translated as "I'm just an egg", which roughly means this.Be friendly.Children, speak like adults.
Smith: Yes.
Nelson: Allow me to remind you one last thing, sir, it is best to use simple words when speaking.
Secretary General: Oh, I will.
Nelson: Goodbye, sir.Goodbye, child.
Secretary-General: Thank you, doctor, and see you later.
Secretary General: (continued) How do you feel?
Smith: It feels good.
Secretary-General: That's good.If you have any requirements, just ask, we hope you will be happy.Now, I have a little thing here to ask you to help me.Can you write?
Smith: "Writing"?What is "writing"?
Secretary-General: Well—a thumbprint is fine too.I want to read you a document, there's a lot of legalese in it, and to put it simply, it's - you agree that in view of your departure from Mars, you voluntarily waive - just don't - all rights you may have there .Understand?You give those rights to the government and let the government manage them for you.
Smith: (no answer)
Secretary-General: Then let's put it another way.Mars doesn't belong to you, does it?
Smith: (long pause) I don't understand.
Secretary General: Well... let's try again.You want to stay here, don't you?
Smith: I don't know.I was sent by the spirit elders. (A series of indistinguishable sounds, like bullfrogs and cats fighting.)
Secretary General: Damn it!It took so long to teach him such a little English!Listen, kid, don't worry.Let me grab your thumb and press a stamp on the bottom of this piece of paper.Right hand, give me your right hand.Ah, no, twist and turn!do not move!I won't hurt you...doctor!Doctor Nelson! "
Second Doctor: What's the matter, Your Excellency?
Secretary General: Call Dr. Nelson!
Second Doctor: Dr. Nelson?he's gone.He said, you fired him.
Secretary-General: What did Nelson say?damn it!do something!Quickly take measures to rescue him, give him artificial respiration, and give him a booster.Don't just stand there--don't you see he's dying?
Assistant Physician: I don't think any action is necessary, sir.Leave him alone, he will wake up.It was Dr. Nelson's old way.
Secretary General: Goddamn Dr. Nelson!
The Secretary-General's voice did not reappear, nor did Nelson's.But Jill could guess it herself.According to the gossip she heard in the cafeteria, she estimated that Smith had become autistic again, as if suffering from catalepsy.The transcript below also captures two conversations.Qi—: There's no need to be so quiet, he can't hear him anyway.Two: Take the plate away and feed him after waking up.
When the transcript was finished, Jill went back and read it again.
At this time, Ben came out from the back room with a few more pages of newly sorted audio transcripts in his hand.But he didn't give it to Jill, just asked, "Are you hungry?"
"starving."
"Go, go kill a cow to eat."
They walked silently to the helipad on the roof, boarded an air taxi, and flew straight to Alexanderplatz and landed in an air taxi, where they changed cars.Ben chose an air taxi with a Baltimore license plate.After takeoff, he set his destination for Hagerstown, Maryland.Only then did he say with confidence: "Now I can speak loudly."
"Ben, why are you so mysterious?"
"I'm sorry, baby. I don't know if my apartment is being tapped, but I figured I would be tapped, and they would be tapped on me. Likewise, taxis near my apartment might be tapped, of course, just maybe .You know, Secret Service's eyeliner is everywhere. But this one——" Ben patted the seat cushion under his buttocks, and said proudly, "they won't be able to spy on all the thousands of taxis, right? .This one was picked at random, so it should be safe."
Jill shivered unconsciously. "Ben, didn't you say that they would..." The following words were too low to be heard.
"Of course I would! I wrote that column you just read nine hours ago. It's no wonder the authorities don't get kicked when they get punched."
"You've been playing against the authorities, and you haven't seen what they've done to you."
"That was the past, this time is different. This time it's a sensitive issue, and I accused them of illegally detaining politicians. Jill, the government is an organism, and like all life, the survival instinct is its most basic characteristic. You hit it, it It's going to fight back. This time, I punched hard, how can it give up?" Ben sighed, "But I really shouldn't have involved you."
"I'm not afraid. After I return the bug to you, I won't be afraid anymore."
"You're with me. That alone should be enough if things get really difficult."
Jill was silent.The biggest punishment she received was just a slap on the butt when she was a child, and an occasional reprimand when she grew up.Now that she is in danger, she doesn't believe it.As a nurse, she'd seen the consequences of cruelty—but how could that happen to her?
The air taxi began a pre-landing circle.Finally Jill broke the silence and asked, "Ben? What if the patient dies?"
"Huh?" Ben frowned. "Good question. If there are no other questions, this is the end of the lesson."
"Be serious."
"Well... Jill, this question has kept me up for several nights. My most reasonable conclusion is that once Smith dies, his sovereignty over Mars will naturally disappear, and the "Victor" left behind on Mars The team may claim they have sovereignty over Mars - but I'm almost certain that the authorities signed an agreement with these people before they left Earth. Although the 'Victor' belongs to the Federation of Free Worlds, this agreement will likely put Mars Control of affairs was placed in the hands of Douglas. If so, Douglas could remain in charge for a long time. But there is another possibility: whether Smith lives or dies, it makes no difference at all."
"Huh? Why?"
"The 'Larkin ruling' may not apply to Mars at all. Because the moon was uninhabited back then, but the situation on Mars today is different-there are Martians on it. The current law is blank on how to treat Martians. But out of reality Politically, a federal court may still rule that the presence of humans on a planet occupied by non-human races does not mean anything. In that case, any human rights on Mars would have to be obtained from the Martians."
"But, Ben, that's the only way to go. It's too... too ridiculous for a person to own a planet!"
"Don't tell the lawyer that the absurdity is not absurd. It is a compulsory course in law school to be cautious in small things and confused in big ones. Besides, there are precedents. In the fifteenth century, the Pope decreed that the Western Hemisphere was granted to Spain and Portugal. No one cares about living there. Native Indians with their own laws, culture and property. The papal charter may not be a dead letter. Look at the map and notice where Spanish is spoken and where Portuguese is spoken in South America."
"Yes, but—it's not the fifteenth century after all, Ben."
"In the lawyer's eyes, there is no difference between the two, Jill. If the federal court rules that the 'Larkin ruling' continues to apply, then Smith will have interests worth hundreds of millions of dollars. If he cedes these interests to the authorities, it means Secretary Douglas will rule everything."
"Ben, why do people fight for so much power?"
"Why do moths jump into the fire? Also, if the status of 'Lord of Mars' is only nominal, the huge financial assets in Smith's hands are real, and its importance is not in the name of 'Lord of Mars'." The federal court can deprive him of the title of "Lord of Mars", but his ownership of the patents of the "Lyle Thruster" and the stock shares of Huanyue Company cannot be shaken by any force. What would happen if he died? Needless to say, there would suddenly be thousands of cousins. But the NSF was too experienced with these bloodsuckers, and that's what they'd been doing for years. The most likely outcome is this: If Smith dies without leaving a will, his fortune will pass to the public."
"Do you mean the Commonwealth of the Free World, or the United States?"
"It's another question I can't answer. Smith's parents came from two member states of the Federation, but he himself was born outside the Federation... This point, for those who decide the ownership of the shares and patents, is very important. It's so important. Smith himself must have thought nothing of it. He can't even tell the difference between a stock and a ticket. It depends on who gets to hold him. He's a risk, I dare say, Even the most famous insurance company, Lloyd’s, would not dare to apply for personal insurance for him.”
"Poor child! The poorest baby!"
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