来自大卫·瑞雷先生的《2121》系列占星科幻小说，以下是全英文的版本。阅读中文版请移步：2121丨第一章
Huang Bei walked down the hall of his dorm. Lost in thought he nearly walked past his room. Room 618, he stopped–the door was open. His roommate was sitting there all smiles as he entered.
“Hey,” Bei greeted, “What’s up?”
“I’m going back tomorrow,” Li Jian said proudly. “Li Na said she misses me, and wants me to come home.”
“Excellent. Good for you.” Bei said cordially.
“How are things with you and… I’m not sure you ever told me her name?”
“Xingjia, her name is Zhou Xingjia, Bei replied. “Let’s just say, we’re dealing with some initial adjustments.”
“Oh. Adjustments” Jian intoned, “well, relationships are all about adjustments, aren’t they? What seems to be the problem? If you don’t mind me asking?”
Bei looked at Jian. “It’s hard to explain?”
“Oh? Try me,” Jian said, “We share the same basic calibrations after all, don’t we?”
“Okay.” Bei said, pausing pensively. “For me it’s about choice. Am I attracted to Xingjia because I’m supposed to be attracted to her, or am I choosing to act upon an attraction? In other words, who is making the choice? Who is this “me” after all?”
Jian looked stunned for a moment. “My, you are the deep one, aren’t you?” Jian replied.
“Am I? Seems like a pretty fundamental question to me?”
“Well, maybe so, but it’s not one that ever occurred to me?” Jian said. “Everything I’m accessing comes under the heading of…” as if reading: “Self-awareness, self-doubt, identity crisis, personality integration disorder, relationship adjustment criteria–displacement theory…”
“I’ve read each one of these,” Bei stated.
“Yes, well we come with the same document memory, don’t we?” Jian said.
“Yes, but then we write our own story, don’t we? Or do we?”
“I have no idea.” Jian answered, looking perplexed.
“Yes, well, I think we do,” Bei stated, as if convincing himself. “At least, I think I do, but that’s what I have to find out.”
“Didn’t you like her? Didn’t you find everything about her totally compelling?” Jian questioned, adding emphatically, “Because I did. There is no one like Li Na, and no one as perfect for her as me.”
Bei is silent, thinking.
“Would you mind sending me your chart?” Jian asked.
“Sure,” Bei replied, clicking on his cell. “There it is.”
Jian looks at his cell. “Oh my! A double Virgo! Well that explains all this worry, worry, stuff.”
Bei frowned slightly, looking slightly annoyed.
“Okay, okay… I get it. South Node in Leo in H12. You’re a complicated hero. A hero who must face almost overwhelming conditions, perhaps even a spiritual hero… with the courage to ask impossible questions.” Jian looked up from his cell at Bei. “You’re another hero who wants to save the world.”
“Well, what kind of hero is a Sun in Sagittarius in H4?” Bei asked, in a slightly skeptical tone.
“A hero with bigger ideas about what constitutes family,” Jian replied.
“That’s interesting,” Bei acknowledged.
“Of course, there’s a built-in need for adjustment.” Jian said, continuing: “Sagittarius loves freedom, but H4 is about the security of one’s private life, home life, and family. So, you need freedom, travel, adventure, and then you need a place to come home to as well.”
“A place with big windows,” Bei added, looking thoughtful and slightly amused.
“Yeah, I guess. Sure, a place with big windows.” Jian looked at Bei. “Is this helping any?”
“Maybe,” Bei said.
“Or maybe not, huh?” Jian asked, not really wanting an answer. “Well, all I know is that I’m going home tomorrow,” Jian smiled, clicking on his cell, and looking down at photos. “Isn’t she just amazing looking?” He said, standing up and bringing his cell over to Bei. He clicked on the photos, many of them in various stages of undress.
Bei looked politely. “She’s perfect, isn’t she?” He looked up at Jian. “Perfect for you.”
“Yes, she is,” Jian said without hesitation. “Anyway, now you’ll have the whole place to yourself,” he said gesturing to their dorm room. “As a H4 Sagittarius you should like that?”
“We’ll see?” Bei replied, nonchalantly. “We’ll see…”
At sunrise, 6:50:57 March 2, 2121, Bei did a personal inventory. Every system was in perfect shape. There were no messages on his cell, which he noted with a degree of relief that worried him. He felt like exploring a bit today, just wandering about on his own. But what if Xingjia messaged him about wanting to get together. How should he respond? The idea of seeing her again soon appealed to him, but not today–at least not yet. Bei thought about Jian, who was down the hall in the cleaning room getting ready for his big homecoming. “I guess all companions are like Jian,” Bei thought. “What makes me different?” He looked outside at the poplar trees planted below. He knew they were planted on the south side of the building to maximize their growth and survival, for such poplars cannot grow in the shade of a building. He knew these were most likely genetically altered poplars, genus: Populus, now Populus T.98, that Bei had read about. Botanists had solved the problem of millions of layers of white fluff, from catkin buds, that used to clog the air every spring in China–now only a historical botanical footnote.
“Maybe, I’m only an android footnote,” Bei mused. Perhaps, I’m just an anomaly, he thought–like a genetically engineered species. Yet, he wondered. Maybe there’s more to my dilemma than just me? Have I been over personalizing my conflicts, when there’s more going on here than just my own situation? Bei found this line of inquiry intriguing. His mind worked on this like a mathematical equation. Personal drama vs. greater contribution to society. Could his own individual questions have some greater social relevance? Bei did not know. However, he felt a surge of energy in his system–like the buzz of recharging. “Fascinating,” he said to himself, making a mental note of this phenomena. Then Jian entered the room all smiles. “Have to look my best today,” he said, “no strange smells either, just vanilla. She likes vanilla.” Jian began to finish dressing.
Bei walked with Jian as he left their dorm. At the entrance near the sidewalk, Bei said goodbye and watched Li Jian walk merrily away towards the subway station. It looked like it was going to be a spectacularly beautiful Sunday in Beijing. Bei smiled at the blue sky. Then he looked down at his cell. There were still no messages from Xingjia, and he didn’t feel like sending any right now either. Perhaps he’d visit Beihai Park today? He’d been there only once before, and spent half the day roaming the park with Dr. Chen–taking notes about the layout of the trees and the ancient design of the landscape. Despite the coolness and earliness of the season, he could look for signs of new life emerging from winter dormancy. This was his first Spring, something he’d only read about and watched in videos. He especially enjoyed the time-lapse videos of budding trees turning into leaves and flower buds blooming. Now he could experience this himself, for real–in real time–his time.
And so it was that Bei spent the day roaming Beihai Park. Around 13:00 he got a call from Xingjia. He was just north of the Five Dragon Pavilion strolling beside the Nine-Dragon Wall when he felt his cell buzzing in his back pocket.
He answered. “Hi, hope you’re enjoying your Sunday.”
“I’ve had better,” she answered. “I see you’ve been spending the day at Beihai Park.”
“Yes, it’s an amazing place. You know this Nine-Dragon wall was originally built in 1402.” Bei stated. “There are only two other walls like it in all of China.”
“You sound like a tour guide,” she said, sarcastically. “Maybe you could get a part time job there on weekends.”
Bei recognized the disappointment and resentment in her tone, and could hear the stress underneath as well. “I was thinking we might get together for dinner,” Bei proposed.
“Gee Bei, that almost sounds normal. When were you going to let me know this?”
Bei hesitated, then said “Honestly, I just needed this day for myself.”
Xingjia was silent, then, “Okay, Bei?”
“Yes?”
“I’m going to hang-up now, okay. We have a counseling session scheduled for Tuesday at 14:00.”
Bei interrupts, “Yes. I know.”
“Good,” she said, and hung-up.
Bei thought about it, and then called her back as he walked over to a bench near some cedar trees. She didn’t answer, so he texted her:
I want to see you. I want to have dinner with you tonight, like a normal couple–dating. ——Bei
I’ve done dating. Besides, what do you know about dating, or normal? ——XingJia
Let’s just have dinner. We can talk about it then. ——Bei
Bei’s phone rings. He answers, but before he can say anything…
“Look, maybe I don’t want to talk at dinner. Maybe I just want to eat.” Xingjia announced.
“That’s fine,” Bei replied.
“Yeah, but you’ll just pretend to eat, which could be very annoying–and it sounds like you just want to talk.”
“We don’t have to talk,” Bei said. “And if it makes you happy I could eat the whole dinner, and desert too.”
Xingjia laughed. “I’d like to see that. Won’t you get sick or something? I don’t want you to get all clogged-up.”
“One meal is totally fine. Aren’t you familiar with my digestive specifications?” Bei asked.
“Look, I’m an astropsychologist, not an AI design nerd. And promise me, if we do have dinner, that you won’t explain your digestive specifications to me, okay?”
“Does that mean you’ll have dinner with me?” Bei asked.
“You are one crazy companion, Bei. You know that?” She stated rhetorically.
“Is that a ‘yes?”
“Yeah… yes, okay. Yes.” She replied.
“What time do you want to meet?”
“Let’s do 18:30. There’s a place with the best noodles! I’ll send you the address.”
“Excellent,” he replied.
“See you soon,” she said, as she hung-up.
Bei sat there for a moment, thinking about Xingjia. He had to admit that he missed her, and that he had enjoyed this day immensely. He smiled; he still had nearly four-and-a-half hours to roam the park before he’d need to leave to go and meet her.
By 18:00 the Sun had nearly set, though from the sidewalk view the labyrinth of skyscrapers hid any glimpse of sunset. The Moon had already risen in the east, and would eventually be visible above some of the buildings, looking like a big fat white egg in the sky, the way it looks a couple of days before it’s completely full. Bei stood in the shadows on the corner of a busy intersection. Across the street, a last shaft of reflected sunlight off one of the glass buildings illuminating the corner opposite him. In the glow, he recognized Li Jian. Bei waved. Jian didn’t wave back. Bei assumed Jian probably couldn’t see him because Bei was hidden in the shadows.
However Bei noticed that Jian had an ever-so-slightly tilted movement, as he stood there, that seemed peculiar to Bei – as they waited for the light to change.
As a bus whizzed towards the intersection, travelling at normal speed, Jian suddenly stepped off the curb. Despite the AI programing in all vehicles, especially buses, by the time the bus had come to a stop–it had already slammed into Jian and knocked him into the middle of the intersection. All cars came to an automatic stop. Bei was the first one to Jian, as a horrified and curious crowd gathered around. Bei slowly examined Jian. Dark red fluid seeped from his many injuries. Someone in the crowd said, “he’s one of them.” Jian appeared to be trying to say something, as Bei bowed his head next to Jian’s lips. “Li… Na…,” was all he said. “Li… Na…” Then Jian’s lips moved but there was no sound. Then his lips stopped moving.
“Hey buddy,” someone in the crowed said, “he’s not a person. Don’t you know that? We need to get him out of the middle of the road. He’s blocking traffic.”
Bei’s voice was suddenly loud and crystal clear. “I’ll take him.”
Bei scooped his arms underneath Jian and lifted him effortlessly, as the astonished crowd stepped back to give Bei room. Bei carried him over to the sidewalk and slowly sat down, leaning against a short wall with Jian’s head and shoulders cradled in his arms.
Someone in the crowd laughed. “He thinks he’s real,” they murmured to each other.
“He’s not real,” a woman leaned-in and said to Bei’s face. “Don’t you know that?”
Bei just held Jian and stared, saying nothing.
The woman shook her head and shrugged, and walked on. Others laughed, but most found the scene incomprehensible.
Using the light on his cell phone, Bei examined Jian’s wounds. It was obvious that Jian had been rendered totally functionless by his impact with the bus, but as Bei made notes of each wound he noticed an odd wound on the back of Jian’s head, just above the neck. It was a puncture wound, a deep puncture wound. This could not have been a wound caused by his impact with the bus. Bei was sure of this. He took a photo. Bei knew that the CRU (Companion Retrieval Unit) would soon arrive. He decided to quickly text Dr. Chen.
Emergency! My roommate Li Jian has been struck and killed by a bus. I am with him. Please contact the CRU on the way here and tell them to let me go with them. ——Bei
There was no reply. Bei messaged Xingjia.
My roommate Li Jian has been struck and killed by a bus. I am with him. I am okay. I will go with the CRU after they arrive. I’ll let you know as soon as I arrive at the EC. ——Bei
There was still no reply from Dr. Chen as the CRU van arrived. Two CR technicians got out of the van. One of them was wearing a headset. “We’re at the scene now. We’ll do an assessment and then bring it in.”
“Excuse me sir,” the other CR Tech addressed Bei. “We appreciate your help, but you need to step away from the victim. Now, please.”
Bei kept staring at his cell, hoping for a message from Dr. Chen.
The CR techs were baffled. “Sir, you do know that this is not a person, correct?”
As Bei stood-up, he slowly and gently eased Jian’s head and shoulders onto the sidewalk.
Bei approached the CR techs. He extended his hand. “My name is Bei, Huang Bei. Dr. Chen has asked me to accompany the victim to the EC.”
The CR techs looked taken aback.
“We have no such instructions,” one of them replied, looking suspiciously at Bei.
“Well, you will,” Bei said. “I have made a record of his wounds, and photographs. I was an eye witness to this accident, and I am in possession of evidence that I believe will be essential to the examiners at the EC.”
“Bao, call HQ and check on this, will you?” one of the CR techs said.
“I’m doing it now,” the other CR tech replied.
Bei stood firmly in front of Jian’s body.
“HQ has no such instructions. Would you please step away from the victim, and let us do our job.?” The CR tech ordered.
“We have stunners, and we will use them,” the other CR tech warned Bei.
“I’m going with you,” Bei said firmly.
“Suit yourself,” the CR tech said, and pulled out a stun gun. But before he could even aim it, Bei had swiftly pulled it out of his hand.”
“Shit,” the other CR tech said, “he’s one of them!”
Suddenly the CR tech with the headphones held up one hand, as he listened to some chatter on his headphones. “Wait a minute. Are you Huang Bei?”
“That’s what I said,” Bei replied.
“Okay, your legit. He’s legit. We’ve been ordered to take him with us.”
Bei scooped up Jian’s body and climbed into the van with him.
The two CR techs had never seen anything like this. They just looked at each other and shrugged, got-in the van with Bei and Jian, and then drove off.
At BHAI’s Emergency Center, Bei sat in the waiting area with Dr. Chen. Bei’s head was down, and Dr. Chen had his hand on Bei’s shoulder.
“You showed a lot of courage Bei, stepping-in like you did. I’m really impressed. You know that.”
“I only did what I had to do; that’s all.” Bei said. “I keep hearing what the crowd said, you know? They kept saying, ‘Don’t you know he’s not real?”
“They don’t know any better, Bei. It’s not their fault. They’re just ordinary people, trying to live their lives the best they know how.”
An EC technician, wearing a teal colored lab coat with BHAI on the front pocket entered the room. “Excuse me Dr. Chen, we need to talk with you.”
“Whatever you have to say you can say in front of my friend here,” Dr. Chen instructed.
“We’ll make sure you receive a detailed report, Dr. Chen.”
“Go on,” Dr. Chen motioned.
“The total systems failure of the victim…”
“Li Jian,” Bei interrupted. “His name was Li Jian.”
“Yes. As I was saying, the total systems failure of Li Jian was due to a blunt force impact with a large vehicle.”
“A bus! It was a bus.” Bei emphasized, intensely.
“Yes, a bus. However, we did examine the wound on the lower left posterior of Li Jian’s cranium, and have determined that this wound was slightly prior to the, uh… bus incident.”
“What else can you tell us about that wound?” Dr. Chen asked.
“That it was made by a long round narrow hard instrument of some kind. It had to be very hard to pierce a companion’s cranium.”
“Was the wound sufficient to cause Li Jian to step in front of a bus without realizing what he was doing?” Dr. Chen asked.
“That is difficult to say,” the EC technician replied. “At this point we have no way to determine the full extent of his functionality from this earlier wound.”
Bei spoke up. “Would you say that such a wound could be caused accidentally, by a fall – for example?”
“No. That would be nearly impossible. The wound is consistent with the use of a powerful exterior force.”
“Such as that of a person stabbing with a long round narrow hard instrument of some kind?” Bei asked.
“Yes, that… or the use of an instrument that might produce an equal or greater amount of force than that of a human arm,” the EC technician stated.
Bei looked puzzled. “What do you mean?” Bei questioned?
“Such as a powerful nail gun, or even the arm of an android… or companion.”
“What?” Bei asked. “Are you suggesting that a companion might have attacked another companion!?”
“I’m only speculating. The wound was unusual. A companion’s cranium contains titanium fibers, much stronger and more able to sustain a blow than a human skull. It would take a powerful instrument to travel through the cranium that deep.”
“I see,” Dr. Chen said, intervening in Bei’s questioning. “Thank you, Dr. Liang. I’ll be scrutinizing your detailed report as soon as its available.”
“Thank you.” The EC technician nodded, and left the room.
“I still had more questions to ask him,” Bei said to Dr. Chen.
“Yes, I’m sure. You would make a good District Attorney, especially for landscape architect who minored in botany.” There was a hint of the ironic in Dr. Chen’s reply.
Xingjia suddenly appeared at the door.
“I had a heck of time getting them to let me up here,” she said–looking sympathetically at Bei.
“Well, I gave them strict instructions to be nice to you,” Dr. Chen stated, looking kindly at her. “So, you can imagine how they are normally?”
Bei immediately got up and hugged Xingjia. “I’m sorry about all this,” he said to her.
They held each other closely.
Dr. Chen cleared his throat slightly.
“Xingjia,” Bei said, gently pulling away, and leading her by the hand over to Dr. Chen. “This is Dr. Chen. Dr. Chen Wu Chen. This is Zhou Xingjia,” Bei introduced.
Dr. Chen took her hand, and looked her in the eyes. “You’re quite your mother’s daughter,” he said, smiling slightly.
“You know my mother?” Xingjia said, totally caught off-guard.
“We worked together on a project, many years ago.”
Despite the surprise, Xingjia immediately liked Dr. Chen’s face. But right now, she was more concerned with Huang Bei.
Dr. Chen noticed the look of concern and caring in her face when she looked at Bei, and he smiled slightly. “You two make a good couple,” he said.
“You wouldn’t have thought so earlier today,” Bei said.
Xingjia shook her head, and then hugged Bei. Hugged him totally. Hugged him like the breath of life itself could only come from hugging Bei.
And then, the strangest thing happened. Bei began to cry.
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