"Not quite," Jason told him cheerily. "But I have killed the jump control so we can't get to another star. However there's nothing wrong with our space drive, so we can make a landing on one of the planets—you saw for yourself that there is at least one suitable for habitation."
"Where I will fix the jump drive and continue the voyage to Cassylia. You will have gained nothing."
"Perhaps," Jason answered in his most noncommittal voice, since he did not have the slightest intention of continuing the trip, no matter what Mikah Samon thought.
His captor had reached the same conclusion. "Put your hand back on the chair arm," he ordered, and locked the cuff1 into place again. He stumbled as the drive started and the ship changed direction. "What was that?" he asked.
"Emergency control. The ship's computer knows that something drastic is wrong, so it has taken over. You can override2 it with the manuals, but don't bother yet. The ship can do a better job than either of us with its senses and stored data. It will find the planet we're looking for, plot a course and get us there with the most economy of time and fuel. When we get into the atmosphere you can take over and look for a spot to set down."
"I don't believe a word you say now," Mikah said grimly. "I'm going to take control and get a call out on the emergency band. Someone will hear it." As he started forward the ship lurched again and all the lights went out. In the darkness flames could be seen flickering3 inside the controls. There was a hiss5 of foam6 and they vanished. With a weak flicker4 the emergency lighting7 circuit came on.
"Shouldn't have thrown the Ramon Lull8 book," Jason said. "The ship can't stomach it any more than I could."
"You are irreverent and profane," Mikah said through his clenched9 teeth, as he went to the controls. "You attempt to kill us both. You have no respect for your own life or mine. You're a man who deserves the worst punishment the law allows."
"I'm a gambler," Jason laughed. "Not at all as bad as you say. I take chances—but I only take them when the odds10 are right. You were carrying me back to certain death. The worst my wrecking11 the controls can do is administer the same end. So I took a chance. There is a bigger risk factor for you of course, but I'm afraid I didn't take that into consideration. After all, this entire affair is your idea. You'll just have to take the consequences of your own actions and not scold me for them."
"You're perfectly12 right," Mikah said quietly. "I should have been more alert. Now will you tell me what to do to save both our lives. None of the controls work."
"None! Did you try the emergency override? The big red switch under the safety housing."
"I did. It is dead, too."
Jason slumped13 back into the seat. It was a moment before he could speak. "Read one of your books, Mikah," he said at last. "Seek consolation14 in your philosophy. There's nothing we can do. It's all up to the computer now, and whatever is left of the circuits."
"Can't we help—repair anything?"
"Are you a ship technician? I'm not. We would probably do more harm than good."
It took two ship-days of very erratic15 flight to reach the planet. A haze16 of clouds obscured the atmosphere. They approached from the night side and no details were visible. Or lights.
"If there were cities we should see their lights—shouldn't we?" Mikah asked.
"Not necessarily. Could be storms. Could be enclosed cities. Could be only ocean in this hemisphere."
"Or it could be that there are no people down there. Even if the ship should get us down safely—what will it matter? We will be trapped for the rest of our lives on this lost planet at the end of the universe."
"Don't be so cheerful," Jason interrupted. "How about taking off these cuffs17 while we go down. It will probably be a rough landing and I'd like to have some kind of a chance."
Mikah frowned at him. "Will you give me your word of honor that you won't try to escape during the landing?"
"No. And if I gave it—would you believe it? If you let me go, you take your chances. Let neither of us think it will be any different."
"I have my duty to do," Mikah said. Jason remained locked in the chair.
They were in the atmosphere, the gentle sighing against the hull18 quickly climbed the scale to a shrill19 scream. The drive cut out and they were in free fall. Air friction20 heated the outer hull white-hot and the interior temperature quickly rose in spite of the cooling unit.
"What's happening?" Mikah asked. "You seem to know more about this. Are we through—going to crash?"
"Maybe. Could be only one of two things. Either the whole works has folded up—in which case we are going to be scattered21 in very small pieces all over the landscape, or the computer is saving itself for one last effort. I hope that's it. They build computers smart these days, all sort of problem-solving circuits. The hull and engines are in good shape—but the controls spotty and unreliable. In a case like this a good human pilot would let the ship drop as far and fast as it could before switching on the drive. Then turn it on full—thirteen gees22 or more, whatever he figured the passengers could take on the couches. The hull would take a beating, but who cares. The control circuits would be used the shortest amount of time in the simplest manner."
"Do you think that's what is happening?" Mikah asked, getting into his acceleration23 chair.
"That's what I hope is happening. Going to unlock the cuffs before you go to bed? It could be a bad landing and we might want to go places in a hurry."
Mikah considered, then took out his gun. "I'll unlock you, but I intend to shoot if you try anything. Once we are down you will be locked in again."
"Thanks for small blessings," Jason said, rubbing his wrists.
Deceleration jumped on them, kicked the air from their lungs in uncontrollable gasps24, sank them deep into the yielding couches. Mikah's gun was pressed into his chest, too heavy to lift. It made no difference, Jason could not stand nor move. He hovered25 on the border of consciousness, his vision flickering behind a black and red haze.
Just as suddenly the pressure was gone.
They were still falling.
The drive groaned26 in the stern of the ship and relays chattered27. But it didn't start again. The two men stared at each other, unmoving, for the unmeasurable unit of time that the ship fell.
As the ship dropped it turned and hit at an angle. The end came for Jason in an engulfing28 wave of thunder, shock and pain. Sudden impact pushed him against the restraining straps29, burst them with the inertia30 of his body, hurled31 him across the control room. His last conscious thought was to protect his head. He was lifting his arm when he struck the wall.
There is a cold that is so chilling it is a pain not a temperature. Cold that slices into the flesh before it numbs32 and kills.
Jason came to with the sound of his own voice crying hoarsely33. The cold was so great it filled the universe. Cold water he realized as he coughed it from his mouth and nose. Something was around him and it took an effort to recognize it as Mikah's arm; he was holding Jason's face above the surface while he swam. A receding34 blackness in the water could only have been the ship, giving off bubbles and groans35 as it died. The cold water didn't hurt now and Jason was just relaxing when he felt something solid under his feet.
"Stand up and walk, curse you," Mikah gasped36 hoarsely. "I can't ... carry you ... can't carry myself...."
They floundered out of the water, side by side, four-legged crawling beasts that could not stand erect37. Everything had an unreality to it and Jason found it hard to think. He should not stop, that he was sure of, but what else could he do? There was a flickering in the darkness, a wavering light coming towards them. Jason could say nothing, but he heard Mikah cry out for help.
Nearer came the light, some kind of a flare38 or torch, held high. Mikah pulled to his feet as the flame approached.
It was a nightmare. It wasn't a man but a thing that held the flare. A thing of angles, sharp corners, fang-faced and horrible. It had a clubbed extremity39 it used to strike down Mikah. The tall man fell wordlessly and the creature turned towards Jason. He had no strength to fight with, though he struggled to climb to his feet. His fingers scratched at the frosted sand, but he could not rise, and exhausted40 with this last effort he fell forward face down. Unconsciousness pulled at his brain but he would not submit. The flickering torchlight came closer and the scuffle of heavy feet in the sand; he could not have this horror behind him. With the last of his strength he levered himself over and lay on his back, staring up at the thing that stood over him, with the darkness of exhaustion41 filming his eyes.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
cuff
|
|
| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
override
|
|
| vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
flickering
|
|
| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
flicker
|
|
| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
hiss
|
|
| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
foam
|
|
| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
clenched
|
|
| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
odds
|
|
| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
wrecking
|
|
| 破坏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
slumped
|
|
| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
consolation
|
|
| n.安慰，慰问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
erratic
|
|
| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
haze
|
|
| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
cuffs
|
|
| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
hull
|
|
| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
shrill
|
|
| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
friction
|
|
| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
gees
|
|
| n.（美俚）一千元（gee的复数形式）v.驭马快走或向右（gee的第三人称单数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
acceleration
|
|
| n.加速，加速度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
gasps
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
hovered
|
|
| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
chattered
|
|
| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
engulfing
|
|
| adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
straps
|
|
| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
inertia
|
|
| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
numbs
|
|
| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
hoarsely
|
|
| adv.嘶哑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
receding
|
|
| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
groans
|
|
| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
flare
|
|
| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
extremity
|
|
| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |