Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Change your position!

Avadan woke up from the unconscious state, and found himself lying on the platform like a piece of beef, waiting to be slaughtered. It was already an hour ago.In the interim, nothing happened but this passionate, feverish and fruitless conversation to while away the unbearable time. It wasn't for nothing, at least he knew that.To let them lie there bewildered, not even bothering to send a guard, even convinced of the impossibility of any danger, is to make them realize how weak their own strength is, and it is enough to destroy any stubborn mind.When the interrogators finally arrived, he would not be so tough, or even completely lose the will to resist.

Alvardan needed a quiet break, so he said, "I think there's a spy beam listening in here, and we should say less." "No," said Schwartz in a flat tone, "nobody's listening." The archaeologist almost said, "How do you know?" but he never said it. Because that ability does exist!It is not himself who has this power, but someone from the past.This man claims to be from Earth, and he wants to die! When he raised his head, his eyes could only scan a small piece of roof.Turning his head, he could see Schechter's thin silhouette; turning to the other side, he saw a hollow wall.If he looked up, he could catch a glimpse of Paula's pale, sleepy expression.

Occasionally, a burning thought would arise in his mind that he was part of the Empire—Empire, by the stars, and now he was imprisoned as a citizen of the galaxy, out of law.It is really a heinous crime for the people on earth to treat him like this. And this idea gradually faded away. Maybe they should have put him next to Paula... No, it was as good as that, he wasn't flattering the way he was. "Bell?" The name turned into sound waves and reached his ears. In this whirlpool of impending death, Alvadan felt an indescribable sweetness. "What's the matter, Paula?"

"Do you think they'll be waiting long?" "Probably not, darling . . . what a pity. We wasted two months, weren't we?" "It's my fault," she whispered, "my fault. We might have been able to seize the last few minutes, though. It's just—not necessary." Aivadan couldn't answer, the thoughts in his mind were spinning rapidly, like a wheel that was oiled and couldn't stop.Suddenly, the stiff body seemed to feel the hard plastic underneath. Could it be his hallucination?How long will the paralysis last? Be sure to enlist Schwartz's help.He tried to hold on to his thoughts—knowing it wasn't going to work.

He said, "Swartz—" Schwartz was also lying helpless on the platform, but he suffered another unexpected torment, and he felt four painful hearts at the same time. If he were alone, he should be able to restrain any desire, wait for a quiet death in infinite peace, and suppress the last love of life.Just two days ago - or three days?Because he still has nostalgia for life, he fled that farm in a hurry. But, can he do it now?Schechter was full of helpless and hopeless fear of death, like being shrouded in a shroud; while in Alvardan's strong and healthy heart, he was full of strong remorse and rebellious intentions; as for the young woman In his heart, he was filled with deep sorrow and disappointment.

He should close his mind.Why did he need to know the pain of others?Life is his own life, and death is his own death. But those emotions tapped him softly and constantly—drilling in through the cracks in his heart. Then, Alvadan called out: "Swartz." Schwartz knew that they wanted to rescue them himself.Why did he do that?Why did he do that? "Swartz," Alvardan said again flatteringly, "you can live a hero, and there's nothing here worth dying for—not for those out there." Schwartz thought back to his early years, clutching those memories desperately in his wavering mind.This strange mixture of past and present finally filled him with righteous indignation.

But his tone was calm and restrained: "Yes, I can live to be a hero - and a traitor. They want to kill me, those people outside. You call them those people, that's just what you say They have another name in your heart, although I don't know, and I know that it is a despicable word. And this is not because of their despicableness, but because they are earthlings." "You're talking nonsense." Alvadan protested fiercely. "I'm not talking nonsense," he replied, with equal intensity, "everybody here knew it. They wanted to kill me, yes, but it was because they thought I was one of your kind--judgment in one fell swoop The life and death of a planet, spit on it with contempt, and slowly suffocate it with intolerable superiority. Well, now that these insects threaten the godlike overlord, prepare yourselves for defense. I am One of them, don't ask me to help you."

"Your tone is that of those fanatics." Alvadan looked unbelievable, "Why? Have you been persecuted? Your world is a vast and independent planet, and you said it yourself. Although you are the earth Man, your earth is the only home of life. You are one of us, man, one of the rulers. Why identify with a hopeless ruin? This is not the planet you remember, compared to this sick world Up, my planet is more like that old Earth." Schwartz laughed. "I'm one of the Rulers, don't you? Well, let's not get into that, it's not worth the trouble. Let's talk about you, you're the galaxy An excellent specimen from us. You have great measure, an unusually tolerant heart, and take pride in the fact that you treat Dr. Schechter as an equal. But deep down in you—not so deep as I see What's not clear—you can't really accept him. You don't like the way he talks, you don't like the way he looks. In fact, you don't like him at all, even if he is willing to betray the earth... Yeah, recently you And kissed an Earth woman, and looking back, you think that was a pity. You're ashamed of that..."

"By all the stars, I don't have... Paula," he argued desperately. "Don't believe him, don't listen to what he says." Paula said in a calm tone: "Don't deny it, and don't be upset about it, Bell. He saw through the thoughts left over from your childhood. If he looked into my heart, he would see the same content. If he used the same If he looks into his own mind in the way of a villain, he will find similar thoughts." Schwartz felt flushed. When Paula spoke directly to Schwartz, her voice did not rise or become more intense: "Schwartz, if you can read other people's minds, check mine. Tell me, Did I intend to mutiny. Check my father's mind again and see for yourself, if he is willing to cooperate with those lunatics who are ready to destroy the galaxy, can he easily avoid the sixty limit. What can he gain by mutiny Benefits?... Then you check again to see which one of us wants to harm the earth, or earthlings.

"You said you had a glimpse of Boches's mind, I don't know if you have the chance to go deep into those dregs. But when he comes again, when it's too late, get in and take a look, and forcefully poke his mind away .and you'll find out he's a madman—then, die!" Schwartz was silent. Alvardan hastily interjected: "Okay, Schwartz, come and study my mind, you can go as deep as you like. I was born on Byron in the Sirius region, and grew up in an atmosphere of anti-Earthism, so In the depths of my subconscious, there are inevitably flaws and stupidities. But you look at the surface of my psyche and tell me, have I ever struggled with my own paranoia as an adult. Not with other people , that is much easier, but with myself, and spare no effort.

"Swartz, you don't know our history! You don't know the wars and disasters during the tens of thousands of years when humans opened up the Milky Way. You don't know that the first few centuries of the empire were just autocracy and riots Alternative chaos. Only in the past two hundred years has our imperial government been truly representative. Under its rule, each world has cultural autonomy, can be its own master, and in a common government There is an opportunity to speak. "In the past history of mankind, there has never been such freedom from war and poverty; the institutions of the galaxy have never been so harmonious; the prospects for the future have never been so bright. Do you want to destroy it all and start again? Why? What? An authoritarian theocracy filled with suspicion and hatred? "The grievances of the earth are real. As long as this galaxy exists, it will be resolved one day. But their plan is not the solution. Do you know what they plan to do?" If Evadan also possessed Schwartz's current abilities, he would be able to perceive Schwartz's inner struggle.However, he also knew, just by intuition, that it was time to pause now. Schwartz was indeed impressed.Let so many worlds perish, fester and consume in terrible diseases... Is he really an earthling?Just an earthling?When he was young, he came to America from Europe, but even so, is he not the same person anymore?If the human beings of later generations left the devastated earth and immigrated to other worlds, wouldn't they be regarded as earthlings any more?Doesn't the whole galaxy belong to him?Aren't they all—all—his descendants, his countrymen? He said in a heavy tone, "Well, I'm on your side. How can I help you?" "How far can you reach minds?" Alvardan asked eagerly.He spoke hurriedly, as if worried that the other party would change his mind again. "I don't know, there's some mind out there, I guess the guards. I think I can even reach out into the street, but the farther I go, the less sensitive it becomes." "Naturally," said Alvadan, "but what about the headmaster's secretary? Can you recognize his mind?" "I don't know," Schwartz murmured. There was a moment of silence...these few minutes were unbearable. Then Schwartz said, "Your minds are getting in my way. Don't look at me, think of something else." Others tried to do it, and after a while, Schwartz said, "No—I can't—I can't." Avadan suddenly said excitedly: "I can move a little bit—Galaxy, my two feet can swing... oh!" Every movement was accompanied by severe pain. He said, "How much harm can you do to someone else, Schwartz? I mean, more than you did to me?" "I killed a man." "Really? How did you do it?" "I don't know, anyway, it did it. That's—that's—" Schwartz tried to put the indescribable into words, and his helpless expression seemed almost comical. "Okay, can you deal with several people at the same time?" "I've never tried it, but I don't think so. I can't see through two minds at the same time." Paula interrupted, "You can't let him kill the Headmaster's secretary, Bell, that won't work." "Why doesn't it work?" "Then how are we going to get out? Even if we find the headmaster's secretary and kill him immediately, there are still hundreds of people waiting for us outside. Didn't you expect this?" But Schwartz interrupted suddenly, saying in a hoarse voice, "I found him." "Who?" The other three asked at the same time, and even Schector looked at him eagerly. "Secretary to the Dean, I think that was his spiritual contact." "Don't let him run away." In order to issue a stern warning, Alvadan almost rolled over.He then fell off the platform, hitting the floor with a semi-paralyzed leg.He tried to use that leg to slowly prop up his body, but it was almost impossible. Paula yelled, "You're hurt!" As she tried to raise her elbow, she felt her arm joints begin to loosen. "No, that's all right. Drain him dry, Schwartz, get all the information you can." Schwartz shot out as much mental power as he could until his head hurt.He clawed blindly and clumsily with the tendrils of his mind, like a baby's half-managed fingers trying to grasp something barely within reach.Before that, all the objects he came into contact with were unselected, but now he was looking for—looking for— He struggled to catch something: "The joy of victory! He's absolutely sure of the outcome...about the space bullets or something. He's activating them...no, not activating, something else...he's about to activate them .” Schechter groaned, "It's a virus-carrying self-guided missile, Avadan, targeting each planet separately." "But where are they kept, Schwartz?" Alvardan insisted on an answer. "Listen, man, listen to—" "There is a building that I...can't...see...clearly...five points...a star...a name, maybe Shenlu..." Schector interrupted again: "That's it, I swear to all the stars of the galaxy, that's it. That's the temple on the God's Way, surrounded on all sides by pockets of radioactive mines, and no one can go there except the ancients. Is it near the confluence of two great rivers, Schwartz?" "I can't...yes...yes...yes..." "When, Schwartz, when? When are they going to launch?" "I can't see the date, but soon—soon. His mind is full of that...soon to begin." His own mind seemed exhausted. When Avadan finally got up on his hands and knees, his mouth was parched and his whole body was hot. His limbs were still shaking and he couldn't straighten them at all. "Is he coming here?" "Yes, he's at the door." His voice became lower and lower, and when the door opened, he immediately stopped talking. Boches appeared triumphant and triumphant, and his tone was one of cold sarcasm: "Dr. Alvardan! Wouldn't it be better if you returned to your seat?" Alvardan looked up at him, aware that the sentence was a great insult to his situation, but he didn't know how to respond, so he didn't speak at all.Enduring the severe pain, he slowly bent his limbs and lay down on the floor again.He breathed heavily and waited silently.If the strength of the hands and feet can be restored a bit, if it can deliver a fatal blow, if there is a way to seize the opponent's weapon... The Master Secretary wears a gleaming plastic belt to hold his robes in place.But what hangs lightly on the belt is not a nerve whip, but a large hand gun, which can blast a person into countless atoms in an instant. The headmaster's secretary looked at the four people in front of him with a wild sense of satisfaction.He didn't want to think about that girl at all, but now it's tantamount to killing them all.One is a traitor to Earth, one is a spy of the Empire, and the other is a mysterious figure who has been under surveillance for two months.Besides, is there anyone else? To tell the truth, there was Ennias, and behind him was the Empire.These spies and traitors are their fists, and now the fists are bound, but the active mind is still hiding somewhere, and perhaps will send other fists. The head secretary stood leisurely with his hands folded on his chest, saying that he didn't take these people seriously at all, so there was no need to maintain a state of vigilance.He said calmly and gently: "Now it is necessary to clarify the matter thoroughly. There is a war between the earth and the empire. Although war has not been declared, it is indeed a war. You are our captives. In this case , will definitely accept the necessary punishment. And for spies and traitors, the recognized punishment is naturally the death penalty—” "Only in a declared and legitimate war," interjected Avadan grimly. "A legal war?" the Patriarch's secretary asked with some sarcasm. "What is a legal war? Earth has always been at war with the Milky Way, whether we mention it politely or not." "Don't talk to him," Paula said softly to Avadan, "let him finish talking as soon as possible." Alvardan smiled at her, it was a weird and erratic smile, because he was staggering to his feet with all his strength, still panting for breath. Boches smiled softly.He took a few steps forward in a leisurely manner, and came to the archaeologist in the Sirius region.Then, with the same leisurely movement, he gently placed one hand on the other's broad chest, and then pushed forward. Aivadan's arm was still in a state of disobedience, and he couldn't obey his master's order to reach out to block.His trunk muscles are in a state of stagnation, and he can only adjust his body balance at a snail's pace.And so Avardan fell straight down. Paula was gasping for breath.She desperately pulled the disobedient muscles and bones, and slowly, slowly climbed down from the platform she was on. Boches didn't stop her, watching her crawl towards Alvadan. "Your lover," he said, "your strong alien lover. Run to him, girl! What are you waiting for? Hold your hero tight and fall into his arms, forgetting He was the product of the blood and sweat of a billion martyrs of the earth. Now he lies there, heroic and courageous -- thrown into the embrace of the earth with a slight push of the hand of an earthling." Kneeling beside Alvadan now, Paula put her hand over the back of his head, feeling for any bleeding or horrific splinters.Aivadan slowly opened his eyes and made a "It's okay!" mouth shape. "He's a coward," said Paula, "who would only bully a quadriplegic and have the face to boast of his victories. Believe me, my dear, there are few Earthlings like him." "I know, otherwise you wouldn't be an Earth woman." The headmaster's secretary's attitude became tougher: "As I said just now, everyone's life here has been confiscated. But, it can still be redeemed. Are you interested in knowing the price?" Paula said proudly, "Swap places with us, and you'll do it, I'm sure of that." "Shh, Paula." Alvadan's breathing has not yet fully returned to normal, "What proposal do you have?" "Oh," said Boches, "are you willing to sell yourself? Like me, say? Me, a lowly earthling?" "I know what you are the best." Alvadan retorted, "As for another question, I'm not trying to sell myself, I want to redeem her." "I refuse to be redeemed," said Paula. "It's really touching." The head secretary said through gritted teeth, "He touches our women, our earth mothers, but still pretends to be a victim." "What exactly do you propose?" Alvardan asked. "Well, word of our plan has apparently leaked. How it got to Dr. Schechter's ears is not difficult to imagine, but how the Empire would know is quite puzzling. Therefore, We want to know how much the Empire knows. Not what you find out, Avardan, but how much the Empire knows." "I'm an archaeologist, not some kind of spy." Alvadan said slowly, "As for how much the empire knows, I don't know at all—but I hope they know a lot." "I guess so too. It's all right, you can change your mind. Think about it, you all think about it." From the beginning to the end, Schwartz didn't say a word, he didn't even raise his eyes... The secretary of the dean waited for a long time, and then said in a more violent tone: "Then, let me inform you of the price of non-cooperation. I will not let you die, because I am quite sure that you are all mentally prepared , ready to accept this unpleasant and inevitable end. Dr. Schechter and this woman, his daughter—she is, unfortunately, too deeply involved in this matter. These two are citizens of Earth, and in the present In this case, it would be best to dispose of these two men with synaptic amplifiers. Do you understand, Dr. Schechter?" The physicist's eyes were full of deep fear. "Yes, I can see you understand," said Boches, "of course we can tune the synaptic amplifier just enough to destroy brain tissue just enough to produce a brainless idiot. It is a most disgusting state: you must be fed, or you will starve; you must be cleaned, or you will live in a cesspit; you must be locked up, or you will become A crowd-watched monster. Perhaps this will serve as a lesson to others in the great times to come." "As for you," the head secretary turned to Alvadan, "and your friend Schwartz, you two are citizens of the Empire, so it is suitable for an interesting experiment. The concentrated fever virus we made, from Haven't tried it on you galactic brutes. Would be fun to have the two of you prove our calculations right. Use a small dose, understand, so you don't get sick and die quickly. As long as we Dilute the injection enough that it will take a full week for the virus to take your life, and that will be a very painful experience." He paused, squinting at them. "These consequences," he added, "are all because you are not willing to say a few words now. How much does the Empire know? Are there any other spies still operating at this time? If they are going to fight back, what is their plan?" what?" Dr. Schechter murmured, "Once we tell you what you want to know, how do we know you won't kill us right away?" "I promise you, if you refuse, you will die a terrible death. You must gamble the other way, how?" "Can't you give us a moment?" "Aren't I giving it to you? It's been ten minutes since I came in and I'm still waiting patiently... Well, do you have anything to say? Why, no? Time won't wait forever Go down, you have to understand this. Alvardan, you're still tensing up, you think maybe I can't pull out the pistol in time, you can rush to me. Well, so what if you can? There are hundreds of people out there , even without me, my plan will continue to be carried out. Even your different punishments do not need to be supervised by me. "Or maybe it was you, Schwartz. You killed our agent once, you did it, didn't you? Maybe you think you can kill me now?" It was the first time Schwartz looked at Boches, and he said icily, "I can, but I don't want to." "You are so kind." "Not at all, I'm cruel. You said it yourself that there are things worse than death." Aivadan stared at Schwartz suddenly, with boundless hope unconsciously rising in his heart.