按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
that； in other forms； were so ripe in himself。
'Fairly early on；' she said； 'I did want out。 So I was invited for a private chat with the project director； who made it clear to me that there was no quitting now。 This had bee a job with lifetime tenure。 Even to attempt to leave Project Ninety…nine is to mit suicide…and to put the lives of your loved ones at risk as well。'
'But couldn't you have gone to the press； broken the story wide open； shut them down？'
'Probably not without physical evidence； and all I had was what was in my head。 Anyway； a couple of my colleagues had the idea that they could bring it all down； I think。 One of them suffered a timely stroke。 The other was shot three times in the head by a mugger…who was never caught。 For a while。 。 。 I was so depressed I considered killing myself and saving them the trouble。 But then along came CCY…21…21。。。'
First； born fourteen months ahead of CCY…21…21 was male subject SSW…89…58。 He exhibits prodigious talents in every regard and his story is of importance to you because of your own recent experiences with people who eviscerate themselves and set themselves afire…and because of your losses in Colorado。
By the time he is forty…two months old； SSW…89…58 possesses the language skills of the average first…year college student and is able to read a three…hundred…page volume in one to three hours； depending on the plexity of the text。 Higher math es to him as easily as eating ice cream； as do foreign languages from French to Japanese。 His physical development proceeds at an accelerated rate； as well； and by the time he is four； he stands as tall and is proportionately developed as the average seven…year…old。 Paranormal talents are anticipated； but researchers are surprised by 89…58's great breadth of more ordinary genius…which includes the ability to play any piece of piano music after hearing it once …and by his physical precocity； for which no genetic selection has been made。
When 89…58 begins to exhibit paranormal abilities； he proves to be phenomenally endowed。 His first startling achievement is remote viewing。 As a game； he describes to researchers the rooms in their own homes； where he has never visited。 He walks them through tours of museums to which he has never been admitted。 When he is shown a photograph of a Wyoming mountain in which is buried a top…secret Strategic Air mand defence centre； he describes in accurate detail the missile…status display boards in the war room。 He is considered an espionage asset of incalculable value…until； fortunately by degrees； he discovers that he is able to step into a human mind as easily as he steps into distant rooms。 He takes mental control of his primary handler； makes the man undress； and sends him through the halls of the orphanage； crowing like a rooster。 When SSW…89…58 relinquishes control of the handler and it is discovered what he's done； he is punished severely。 He resents the punishment； resents it deeply。 That night he conducts a remote viewing of the handler's home and enters the handler's mind at a distance of forty…six miles。 Using the handler's body； he brutally murders the man's wife and daughter； and then he walks the handler through suicide。
Subsequent to this episode； SSW…89…58 is subdued by the use of a massive dose of tranquillisers administered by a dart gun。 Two employees of Project 99 perish in this process。
Thereafter； for a period of eighteen days； he is maintained in a drug…induced a while a team of scientists designs and oversees the urgent construction of a suitable habitat for their prize…one which will sustain his life but assure that he remains controlled。 A faction of the staff suggests immediate termination of SSW…89…58； but this advice is considered and rejected。 Every endeavour is at some point troubled by pessimists。
Here； now； e into the security room in the southeast corner of the first floor of the orphanage。 In this place…if you were an employee…you must present yourself for the scrutiny of three guards； because this post is never manned by fewer； regardless of the hour。 You must place your right hand on a scanner that will identify you by your fingerprints。 You must peer into a retina scanner； as well； which will pare your retinal patterns to those recorded in the scan taken when you first accepted employment。
From here you descend in an elevator past five subterranean levels where much of the work of Project 99 is conducted。 You are interested； however； in the sixth and lowest level； where you walk to the end of a long corridor and through a grey metal door。 You stand in a plain room with simple institutional furnishings； with three security men； none of whom is interested in you。 These men work six…hour shifts to ensure that they remain alert not only to what is happening in this room and the next but to nuances in one another's behaviour。
One wall of this room features a large window that looks into the adjoining chamber。 Frequently you will see Dr。 Louis Blom or Dr。 Keith Ramlock…or both…at work beyond this glass； for they are the designers of SSW…89…58 and oversee the exploration and the utilization of his gifts。 When neither Dr。 Blom nor Dr。 Ramlock is present； at least three other members of their immediate staff are in attendance。
SSW…89…58 is never left unsupervised。
They were transitioning from Interstate 210 to Interstate 10 when Rose interrupted herself to say； 'Joe； could you find an exit with a service station？ I need to use a restroom。'
'What's wrong？'
'Nothing。 I just need 。 。 。 a restroom。 I hate to waste the time。 I want to get to Big Bear as quick as we can。 But I don't want to wet my pants； either。 No hurry。 Just somewhere in the next few miles； okay？'
'All right。'
She conducted him； once more； on her version of a remote viewing of Project 99 outside Manassas。
Onward； please； through the connecting door and into the final space； where stands the elaborate containment vessel in which 89…58 now lives and； barring any unforeseen and calamitous developments； in which he will spend the rest of his unnatural life。 This is a tank that somewhat resembles the iron lungs which； in more primitive decades； were used to sustain victims of poliomyelitis。 Nestled like a pecan in its shell； 89…58 is entirely enclosed； pressed between the mattress…soft halves of a lubricated body mould that restricts all movement； including even the movement of each finger； limiting him to facial expressions and twitches…which no one can see； anyway。 He is supplied with bottled air directly through a nose clip from tanks outside of the containment vessel。 Likewise； he is pierced by redundant intravenous…drip lines； one in each arm and one in his left thigh； through which he receives life…sustaining nourishment； a balance of fluids； and a variety of drugs as his handlers see fit to administer them。 He is permanently catheterised for the efficient elimination of waste。 If any of these IV drips or other lifelines works loose or otherwise fails； an insistent alarm immediately alerts the handlers； and in spite of the existence of redundant systems； repairs are undertaken without delay。
The researchers and their assistants conduct conversations as necessary with 89…58 through a speakerphone。 The clamshell body mould in which he lies inside the steel tank is equipped with audio feed to both of his ears and a microphone over his mouth。 The staff is able to reduce 89…58's words to a background whisper whenever they wish； but he does not enjoy an equivalent privilege to tune them out。 A clever video feed allows images to be transmitted by glass fibre to a pair of lenses fitted to 89…58's sockets； consequently； he can be shown photographs…and if necessary the geographical coordinates…of buildings and places in which he is required to conduct remote viewings。 Sometimes he is shown photographs of individuals against whom it is desired that he take one form of action or another。
During a remote viewing； 89…58 describes in vivid detail what he sees in whatever far place they have sent him； and he dutifully answers questions that his handlers put to him。 By monitoring his heart rate； blood pressure； respiratory rate； brainwaves； eyelid movements； and changes in the electrical conductivity of his skin； they are able to detect a lie with better than ninety…nine…percent accuracy。 Furthermore； they test him from time to time by remoting him to places on which extensive； reliable intelligence has already been gathered； his answers are subsequently pared to the material currently in file。
He has been known to be a bad boy。 He is not trusted。
When 89…58 is instructed to enter the mind of a specific person and either eliminate that individual or use him to eliminate another…which is most often a foreign national…the assignment is referred to as a 'wet mission。' This term is used partly because blood is spilled but largely because 89…58 is plunged not into the parative dryness of faraway rooms but into the murky depths of a human mind。 As he conducts a wet mission； 89…58 describes it to Dr。 Blom or Dr。 Ramlock； at least one of whom is always present during the event。 After numerous such missions； Blom and Ramlock and t