SeveralhourslaterastrainingThreepio，hisinternalthermostatoverloadedandedgingdangerouslytowardoverheatshutdown，struggledupthetopofwhathehopedwasthelasttoweringthedune。Nearby，apillarsandbuttressesofbleachedcalcium，thebonesofsomeenormousbeast，formedanunpromisinglandmark。Reachingthecrestofthedune，Threepiopeeredanxiouslyahead。Insteadofthehoped－forgreeneryofhumancivilizationhesawonlyseveraldozenmoredunes，identicalinformandpromisetotheonehenowstoodupon。Thefarthestroseevenhigherthantheonehepresentlysurmounted。
9 E+ s! H) u( u* b5 n( B# t% \# N Threepioturnedandlookedbacktowardthenowfar－offrockyplateau，whichwasbeginningtogrowindistinctwithdistanceandheatdistortion。Youmalfunctioninglittletwerp，hemuttered，unableevennowtoadmittohimselfthatperhaps，justpossibly，theArtoounitmighthavebeenright。Thisisallyourfault。
( @3 A* H& O1 _" y9 G$ z Youtrickedmeintogoingthisway，butyoulldonobetter。Norwouldheifhedidntcontinueon。Sohetookastepforwardandheardsomethinggrinddullywithinalegjoint。Sittingdowninanelectronicfunk，hebeganpickingsandfromhisencrustedjoints。
$ J2 A6 H; M g+ r, D9 p Hecouldcontinueonhispresentcourse，hetoldhimself。OrhecouldconfesstoanerrorinjudgmentandtrytocatchupagainwithArtooDetoo。Neitherprospectheldmuchappealforhim。
6 R+ J5 ?8 i! v Buttherewasathirdchoice。Hecouldsithere，shininginthesunlight，untilhisjointslocked，hisinternalsoverheated，andtheultravioletburnedouthisphotoreceptors。Hewouldbecomeanothermonumenttothedestructivepowerofthebinary，likethecolossalorganismwhosepickedcorpsehehadjustencountered。7 t8 L- ^2 A8 f* ~
Alreadyhisreceptorswerebeginningtogo，hereflected。Itseemedhesawsomethingmovinginthedistance。Heatdistortion，probably。Nonoitwasdefinitelylightonmetal，anditwasmovingtowardhim。Hishopessoared。
3 ]5 T' _7 l& Z) { {. a! ?9 J Ignoringthewarningsfromhisdamagedleg，heroseandbeganwavingfrantically。7 U( P2 y" n; K: `8 X
Itwas，hesawnow，definitelyavehicle，thoughofatypeunfamiliartohim。, ~. G' Z4 ?! H2 H W2 y
Butavehicleitwas，andthatimpliedintelligenceandtec SeveralhourslaterastrainingThreepio，hisinternalthermostatoverloadedandedgingdangerouslytowardoverheatshutdown，struggledupthetopofwhathehopedwasthelasttoweringthedune。Nearby，apillarsandbuttressesofbleachedcalcium，thebonesofsomeenormousbeast，formedanunpromisinglandmark。Reachingthecrestofthedune，Threepiopeeredanxiouslyahead。Insteadofthehoped－forgreeneryofhumancivilizationhesawonlyseveraldozenmoredunes，identicalinformandpromisetotheonehenowstoodupon。Thefarthestroseevenhigherthantheonehepresentlysurmounted。
# A* |: |; U% p Threepioturnedandlookedbacktowardthenowfar－offrockyplateau，whichwasbeginningtogrowindistinctwithdistanceandheatdistortion。Youmalfunctioninglittletwerp，hemuttered，unableevennowtoadmittohimselfthatperhaps，justpossibly，theArtoounitmighthavebeenright。Thisisallyourfault。) t( k. D1 O* \
Youtrickedmeintogoingthisway，butyoulldonobetter。Norwouldheifhedidntcontinueon。Sohetookastepforwardandheardsomethinggrinddullywithinalegjoint。Sittingdowninanelectronicfunk，hebeganpickingsandfromhisencrustedjoints。" K; N* @4 }5 a: o
Hecouldcontinueonhispresentcourse，hetoldhimself。OrhecouldconfesstoanerrorinjudgmentandtrytocatchupagainwithArtooDetoo。Neitherprospectheldmuchappealforhim。- ~9 g! t- J; e: }# b8 T
Buttherewasathirdchoice。Hecouldsithere，shininginthesunlight，untilhisjointslocked，hisinternalsoverheated，andtheultravioletburnedouthisphotoreceptors。Hewouldbecomeanothermonumenttothedestructivepowerofthebinary，likethecolossalorganismwhosepickedcorpsehehadjustencountered。+ {. T" L; _! H3 G) I' c) x4 E
Alreadyhisreceptorswerebeginningtogo，hereflected。Itseemedhesawsomethingmovinginthedistance。Heatdistortion，probably。Nonoitwasdefinitelylightonmetal，anditwasmovingtowardhim。Hishopessoared。
7 p! z) h5 h2 Y# E. ~4 e, u, B0 G Ignoringthewarningsfromhisdamagedleg，heroseandbeganwavingfrantically。& x4 K' s# c; j
Itwas，hesawnow，definitelyavehicle，thoughofatypeunfamiliartohim。
7 A% `8 U& r5 i4 H Butavehicleitwas，andthatimpliedintelligenceandtec hnology。2 B+ s5 F( e( a, x, [
Heneglectedinhisexcitementtoconsiderthepossibilitythatitmightnotbeofhumanorigin |
发表于 2012-8-15 00:26:22
