Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty-Four Strange Partners

Dr. David Brown is the kind of scientist who likes to discuss abstract theories, dislikes and distrusts machines.Most of his dissertation topics were theoretical, and he hated the complexity and refinement of empirical science.Scientific experiments have to deal with instruments, or worse, with engineers.Dr. Brown disliked these people, thinking they were no different from good carpenters and plumbers.In his view, they were only valuable if their experimental data confirmed his theory, and he acquiesced in their existence. Frances couldn't help giggling when Nicole asked Dr. Brown a few simple questions about how the automatic sled worked. "He has absolutely no idea," said the Italian female reporter. "He doesn't pay attention to these things. Believe it or not, he can't even drive an electric car? I once saw him staring at a food processing robot. He fiddled with it for half an hour, trying to figure out how to use it, but couldn't figure it out. If no one helped him, he would starve to death."

"Come on, Frances," said Nicole, as the two women climbed into the sled, "he's not that bad. Anyway, he'll use the computer, the communications equipment, and those image-processing systems on the Newton. So , you are too exaggerated!" On the way, the two talked softly, and Dr. Brown sat in the back seat depressed.He sighed and said, "I said, can you two weird women talk about something more important? Or, can you explain why that stupid Japanese sneaked out of the camp in the middle of the night .” "According to Maxwell's assistant, the sycophant Jinger, many people on the planet believe that our kind Japanese doctor was kidnapped by the Rama people."

"Come on, Frances, be serious. Why did Dr. Gao An decide to go alone?" "I think," Nicole said slowly, "because he was apprehensive about the exploration plan. You know how fervently he believed in the importance of 'New York,' and after what happened to Wilson...well, he was very worried that he might Carry out the order to evacuate. Even if we were to return, the Sea of ​​Columns would probably have melted by then, and getting to 'New York' would certainly have more difficulties." According to Nicole's usual character, she would have immediately told Brown and Sabatini about Takagishi's heart problem, but she knew intuitively that these two people could not be trusted.

"He didn't look like a frizzy guy," Brown said. "I guess he heard or saw something." "Maybe he has a headache or can't sleep for some reason." Frances went on to say, "When Reggie Wilson has a headache or something on his mind at night, he often walks back and forth outside alone." Brown leaned forward and said to Nicole: "By the way, Frances told me that you think Wilson's mood swings may have been exacerbated by the headache medicines he was taking. Of course you understand what they do. You were so quick to discern that day. I was very impressed with the medicine I was taking."

"Speaking of drugs," Frances added after a pause, "Garos Tabry mentioned that you told him you were concerned about Posov's death. I don't quite understand what he said, but I I think he said you thought his illness was a reaction to a drug." The sled was running steadily over the ice, and the conversation seemed casual and careless, with no apparent reason for suspicion. "However," Nicole reminded herself, as she pondered how to respond to Frances, "the last two sentences sound so seamless that they seem to have been rehearsed." She turned to look at Dr. Brown.Frances, she felt, could cover up everything effortlessly and flawlessly, but whether or not they had rehearsed it in advance, she could certainly see the answer in the change of expression on Dr. Brown's face.As she looked down motionlessly, the muscles on his face were shaking slightly.

"Tabri and I had a discussion once, and we studied and speculated on the cause of General Posov's stomach pain." Nichol replied lightly, "Anyway, Posov's appendix is ​​healthy, so it must be There was another cause for the severe abdominal pain. During our discussion, I mentioned to Gallos that a drug reaction could not be ruled out, but it wasn't too likely." Dr. Brown's expression relaxed, and he immediately changed the topic, but Frances was not satisfied with Nicole's statement. "If I'm not mistaken, our Italian reporter will have more questions to ask," thought Nicole.She glanced back at Frances to see that she wasn't listening to Brown in the backseat.

Brown babbles about how people on Earth are reacting to Wilson's death. Frances said nothing, lost in thought. Brown stopped talking, and for a moment there was silence. Nicole looked several kilometers away, and the high cliffs and the skyscrapers of "New York" towered in front of him, forbidding.Rama is truly a world full of splendor and glory. For a while, Nicole felt sad and guilty that she could not trust Dr. Brown and Frances. She said to herself in her heart: "Even in the face of such a huge challenge, human beings are not in the same boat. It's a humbling move in one direction."

"It's really hard to imagine how you covered up all this." Frances suddenly broke the silence, turned and said to Nicole coldly, "Even for such a long time, the reporters didn't catch this sensational news. In fact It doesn't take a lot of cleverness to imagine what's going on." Brown was completely bewildered and asked, "What the hell are you talking about?" "It's our world-famous life science officer," Frances replied. "Don't you think it's funny? After all these years, the public still doesn't know who her daughter's father is."

"Madame Sabatini," Nicole shouted suddenly in Italian, "I told you once that this is none of your business. I will not allow this insolent interference with my privacy." "I just want to remind you, Nicole," Frances quickly interrupted her, also switching to Italian, "you also have secrets that you don't want to be revealed." David Brown stared blankly at the two women, bewildered by the sudden change, and had no idea what was going on. "So, David," Frances said, in a custodian tone, "you just told us about the mood of people on Earth, do you think we'll be forced to go back? Or just abort the operation?"

"There will be a special meeting of the 'COG Executive Committee' later this week," replied Brown, who hesitated for a moment in bewilderment, "and Maxwell guesses we'll be ordered to abandon the whole operation." "This is typical nervousness. These bureaucrats are always unwilling to take a little risk." Frances commented, "This is the first time in history that humans have pre-prepared to explore the spacecraft of alien intelligent creatures. But the politicians on Earth It’s amazing how far-sighted it is to continue to pretend like nothing happened.”

Nicole de Jardin did not hear the subsequent conversation between Frances and Dr. Brown, her brain was still analyzing the sudden episode that had just occurred. "She must think I have evidence of the drug in Posov's body," Nicole thought, "so she threatened me, and there is no other explanation." When they came to the edge of the icy sea, Frances spent 10 minutes setting up the camera robot and recording equipment in order to "systematically" film their "search for missing colleagues in the alien city". Nicole complained to Brown that it was a waste of time, but Brown and Francie ignored it.She refused to help with setting up the camera equipment, much to the apparent annoyance of the two men. By the time Frances finished her preparations, Nicole had climbed the steps and started studying the skyscrapers.Hear Frances begging millions of viewers across the planet to pay attention to this dramatic moment. "Right now, I am standing outside the mysterious city of 'New York', not far from here, where I heard a 'strange noise' with Dr. After Dr. Gao An left the camp, this 'New York' city was his destination. He must have wanted to come here alone for unapproved investigation activities... "What the hell happened to the professor? Why didn't he answer our call? We all witnessed a horrific tragedy yesterday when reporter Reggie Wilson ventured to my rescue. Mr. Wilson was stuck in the rover and there was no could escape the giant claws of the crab-shaped creatures. Did the same fate befall our Rama experts? Could it be that these aliens, who created such admirable spaceships long ago, really set a trap to Killing unsuspecting visitors? We can't be sure. But we..." Standing on a high place with a bird's-eye view of the whole city, Nicole ignored Frances' nonsense at all, and she was imagining which direction Dr. Gao An would go.After consulting the map of Rama on the palmtop, she thought: "He must be walking towards the geometric center of the city. He was sure that the geometric shape implied something." She decided on the direction of the search.