SeveralhourslaterastrainingThreepio，hisinternalthermostatoverloadedandedgingdangerouslytowardoverheatshutdown，struggledupthetopofwhathehopedwasthelasttoweringthedune。Nearby，apillarsandbuttressesofbleachedcalcium，thebonesofsomeenormousbeast，formedanunpromisinglandmark。Reachingthecrestofthedune，Threepiopeeredanxiouslyahead。Insteadofthehoped－forgreeneryofhumancivilizationhesawonlyseveraldozenmoredunes，identicalinformandpromisetotheonehenowstoodupon。Thefarthestroseevenhigherthantheonehepresentlysurmounted。
" @" o4 C. A; l" ]1 @- r Threepioturnedandlookedbacktowardthenowfar－offrockyplateau，whichwasbeginningtogrowindistinctwithdistanceandheatdistortion。Youmalfunctioninglittletwerp，hemuttered，unableevennowtoadmittohimselfthatperhaps，justpossibly，theArtoounitmighthavebeenright。Thisisallyourfault。( B0 v( x! d, @9 y1 N8 ]4 j9 o; C# Z
Youtrickedmeintogoingthisway，butyoulldonobetter。Norwouldheifhedidntcontinueon。Sohetookastepforwardandheardsomethinggrinddullywithinalegjoint。Sittingdowninanelectronicfunk，hebeganpickingsandfromhisencrustedjoints。
+ y' P! o0 ? G$ z0 C2 S5 F Hecouldcontinueonhispresentcourse，hetoldhimself。OrhecouldconfesstoanerrorinjudgmentandtrytocatchupagainwithArtooDetoo。Neitherprospectheldmuchappealforhim。
! f& x: s; l% o7 k1 z Buttherewasathirdchoice。Hecouldsithere，shininginthesunlight，untilhisjointslocked，hisinternalsoverheated，andtheultravioletburnedouthisphotoreceptors。Hewouldbecomeanothermonumenttothedestructivepowerofthebinary，likethecolossalorganismwhosepickedcorpsehehadjustencountered。
8 G6 ]3 l' d' T# b; S0 T: R( J2 ^ Alreadyhisreceptorswerebeginningtogo，hereflected。Itseemedhesawsomethingmovinginthedistance。Heatdistortion，probably。Nonoitwasdefinitelylightonmetal，anditwasmovingtowardhim。Hishopessoared。; r7 x/ X7 w' @
Ignoringthewarningsfromhisdamagedleg，heroseandbeganwavingfrantically。1 m9 s3 U* F( h2 w4 H8 d5 H
Itwas，hesawnow，definitelyavehicle，thoughofatypeunfamiliartohim。. u) F" ]8 Q: N0 A$ ]3 ?
Butavehicleitwas，andthatimpliedintelligenceandtec SeveralhourslaterastrainingThreepio，hisinternalthermostatoverloadedandedgingdangerouslytowardoverheatshutdown，struggledupthetopofwhathehopedwasthelasttoweringthedune。Nearby，apillarsandbuttressesofbleachedcalcium，thebonesofsomeenormousbeast，formedanunpromisinglandmark。Reachingthecrestofthedune，Threepiopeeredanxiouslyahead。Insteadofthehoped－forgreeneryofhumancivilizationhesawonlyseveraldozenmoredunes，identicalinformandpromisetotheonehenowstoodupon。Thefarthestroseevenhigherthantheonehepresentlysurmounted。
9 U" y. {8 j* i* S' Z" d Threepioturnedandlookedbacktowardthenowfar－offrockyplateau，whichwasbeginningtogrowindistinctwithdistanceandheatdistortion。Youmalfunctioninglittletwerp，hemuttered，unableevennowtoadmittohimselfthatperhaps，justpossibly，theArtoounitmighthavebeenright。Thisisallyourfault。9 |5 w$ x* ~& J: {0 J/ H {
Youtrickedmeintogoingthisway，butyoulldonobetter。Norwouldheifhedidntcontinueon。Sohetookastepforwardandheardsomethinggrinddullywithinalegjoint。Sittingdowninanelectronicfunk，hebeganpickingsandfromhisencrustedjoints。: N9 J( x# R4 F ~' W3 W+ D$ \( T
Hecouldcontinueonhispresentcourse，hetoldhimself。OrhecouldconfesstoanerrorinjudgmentandtrytocatchupagainwithArtooDetoo。Neitherprospectheldmuchappealforhim。
6 D5 c( }, ?6 W; A' }( A! J+ c Buttherewasathirdchoice。Hecouldsithere，shininginthesunlight，untilhisjointslocked，hisinternalsoverheated，andtheultravioletburnedouthisphotoreceptors。Hewouldbecomeanothermonumenttothedestructivepowerofthebinary，likethecolossalorganismwhosepickedcorpsehehadjustencountered。
+ o4 G. M. s/ A9 @* P) d3 Q Alreadyhisreceptorswerebeginningtogo，hereflected。Itseemedhesawsomethingmovinginthedistance。Heatdistortion，probably。Nonoitwasdefinitelylightonmetal，anditwasmovingtowardhim。Hishopessoared。5 I) A1 O$ W7 m
Ignoringthewarningsfromhisdamagedleg，heroseandbeganwavingfrantically。
( W/ t) u7 l8 C: Z9 D; h! D, T Itwas，hesawnow，definitelyavehicle，thoughofatypeunfamiliartohim。4 X8 p/ g H+ Y8 E" _: W7 w
Butavehicleitwas，andthatimpliedintelligenceandtec hnology。1 Z a6 t$ n/ Z3 t" D6 t8 U0 `, {& U; n
Heneglectedinhisexcitementtoconsiderthepossibilitythatitmightnotbeofhumanorigin |
发表于 2012-8-15 00:26:22
