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02 Devourer（第1页）

02　Devourer

&alfromEridanus

Itwasrightinfrontofhim，butthestillcouldbarelymakeoutitstraalliure。Flhtheblackvoidofspace，itwashiddenbythedarkness，likeapieceofglasssuhemurkydepths。Odistortihtitspassageprovokedallotaisposition。Soonitwaslostagain，disappearinginthespathestars。

&heSusdistaernallighttwistingandtwiheireyes。Itgavetheastart，buthemaintainedhisproverbial‘Asianlikethedozeingbesidehim，hemaogaspinshock。Theimmediatelyuhecrystal，amerethirtyfeetaway，hadmovedinfrontoftheSun，shiningsixtymilliohedistahethreeturiestoe，thisstraawouldplayfrequentlyaind，andhewouldwohishadbeenanomenofhumanity’sfatetoe。

AsthehighestrankiheUioeForspace，theaheforterplaaryassets。Itwasatinyunit，butitedwiththemostpowerfulnuclearonshumanityhadeverdevised。ItsenemieswerelifelessrthroughspaeteoritesthattheearlywarermitoEarth。ThemissioeForcewastoredirectortodestroytheseobjects。

Theyhadbeerolformorethantwodeow，yettheyhadneverhadacetodeploytheirbombs。AllrhtowarranttheiruseseemedtoavoidEarth，wilfullydeheirceflory。

Now，hohaddiscoveredthiscrystalatadistawoastronomiits。Thecrystal’strajectoryitousasitwasutterlyunnatural，takingitstraightto>

&ainandhisunitcautiouslyapproached，theirspacesuits’boostersspirailsarouraastheyclosedtothirtyfeet，amistylightflashedtolifeial，clearlyrevealingitsprismatieabouttelong。Asthespacepatroldrewheyakeouttheiallispropulsiohewasnowfloatilyinfronthisglhthandtowardthecrystal，heiy’sfirsttaextra-terrestrialintelligence。

Ashereachedout，thecrystalbesparentoncemore。Abrilliantlyagentolifeiwasamangagirl，withhuge，rollingeyesandlonghairthatcastoherfeet。Shewasweariiful，flowingskirt，aodriftdreamilyiniers。

‘War!Warning!TheDevourerapproaches!’sheimmediatelyshouted，striwithobviouspanic。Herlargeeyesstaredatthe，alithearmpointingawayfromtheSuninunmistakablealarm。Therecouldbelittledoubttheunseeoyheels。

‘Wheredoyou?’thequired，byallappearaurbed。

‘EpsilonEridani，asyouapparentlycallit，andbyyoftime，Ihavetravelledforsixtythousandyears，’shereplied，befainraisiheDevourerapproaches!TheDevourerapproaches!’

&ainuedhisenquiry。‘Areyoualive?’

‘Oferelyamessage，’cametherespowasonlyashortreprieve。‘TheDevourerapproaches!TheDevourerapproaches!’

‘HowisitthatyouspeakEnglish?’theued。

Thegirlagaihesitation。‘Ilearransit，’shesaid，onlyto，‘TheDevourerapproaches!TheDevourerapproaches!’

‘Andthatyoulookasyoudo…?’Thelethisquestiontrailoff。

‘Isawitintransit，’shesaid，beforegtoshoutwithevergreaterurgency。‘TheDevourerapproaches!TheDevourerapproaches!Oh，surelytheDevourermustterrifyyou。’

‘WhatistheDevourer?’thefinallyasked。

‘Inappeararesemblesagigantictyre。Hm，yes，thatwouldbeananalogythatworksforyou，’thegirlfromEridanusbegaion。

‘Youareverywellatedorkonourworld，’theterrupted，raisinganeyebrowbehindhisvisor。

‘Ibecameatedintransit，’thegirlreplied，befaingout:‘TheDevourerapproaches!’Withthatlastcry，sheflashedtoohecrystal。Whereshehadbeenaseageofthe‘tyre’appeared，anditindeedcloselyresembledatyre，eventhoughitssurfaceglowedwithphosphorestlight。

‘Heisit?’oherofficersqueried。

‘Thirty-ohousaaldiameter。The‘tyre’s’bodyissixthousandmileswide，andtheholeinthemiddlehasadiameterofhousandmiles。’

Thereausebeforesomeohequestionnowoneveryone’smihemilesyaboutourmiles?’

Thegirlansweredimmediatelyandcalmly。‘Ofcourse。Itissethatite，justlikeoneofyhtfitaroundasoccerball。Ohasencasedaworld，itbegiheplauralresourlytospitouttheremainslikeacherrypitwhenitisdone!’

&herpausebeforetheain，hisvoicequiveringwithtrepidatioilldoandwhattheDevourerreallyis。’

Thegirlialofferedmoreinformationwithouthesitation。‘Itisageionship，althoughwedonotkoing。IhegiantlizardsthatpilottheDevourersurelydonotknow。HaviheMilkyWayfortensofmillioheyhavelyfottenbinandtheirinalpurpose。Butthismuchis:i，whentheDevourerwasbuilt，itwasmuchsmaller。Iteatsplaogrow，anditdevouredourworld!’

AsshefiheimageoftheDevourerialgrew，graduallydominatiiresurfaeapparentthatitwasslowlydesgupontheuor’sworld。Seenthroughtheeyesofthepla’sinhabitants，theirworldhadbeorethaomofaslowlyspinning，iplexstructureswereclearlyvisible，gthewallsofthistitafirst，theyremiainofinfinitelymagnifiedmicroprocessorcircuitry。Thehattheywerearingofcities，stretgtheentireinnerringoftheDevup，theimageialrevealedacircleofblueradiaingfromthewell’smouth。Intheskyabove，itfantichalooffire，engthestars。

ThegirlfromEridanustoldthemthattheywereseeiheDevourer’saftringengine。Asshespoke，herentirebodyeruptedintoaflowingflourish，andevenherghairbegantowaveliketlesstwistingarms，witheverylastpartofherexpressierror。

‘WhatyisthedevofthethirdplaofEpsilonEridahem。‘Thefirstthingyouwouldhavenoticed，hadyoubeenonourworldthen，wasyourbodybeinglighter。Yousee，theDevravitationalpullhtoteractourpla’sgravity。Thedestruthiswroughtwasdevastating。First，ouredtomeettheDevourerasitpassedoverourplahen，astheDevourermovedtofullyencircleourworld，thewatersfollowedittotheequator。Astheosswepttheglobe，thewavestheheclouds。

‘Theiioourts，rippiasiftheywerenothingbuttissuepaper。Ourseaflooranddrylandwerepockmarkedbytlessvolis。’Thegirlpausediive，onlytopickitupwithafluttereyes。‘Ohadencircledourequator，theDevourerstopped，perfectlymatgourplasorbitaroundourSun。Ourwhtinitsmaw。

&heplunderofaworldelesscablesthousandsofmileslongareloweredfromtheDevourer’siothepla’ssurfacebelow。Aireworldistrapped，likeaflyinthewebofaicspider。Gianttransportmodulesarethebadforthbetweeaakingwiththemthepla’sodatmosphere。Astheyshuttletoandfro，othertitaniesbegintodrilldeepi’scrust，freiosatisfytheDever。’Thegirlagainpaused，hereyesstarihedistance。Sheresumedasabruptlyasshehadstopped。‘Devoureracelouteachravity，galow-gravityzoyre-likeentitya。ThiszomucheasierttheplaotheDevourer。Theepiderisextremelyeffit。’

‘Expressediime，theDevourerooaworldforaturyorso。Afteritisdone，alloftheplamosphereiothing。AstheDeves，itsgravitywillalsoevehepla，slitaloor。Iheplawillbee…’thegirlpausedathirdtime，thistimestrugglingforwordsrathertha，‘howwouldyoucallit?Yes，discus-shaped。TheDevsuckedtheplaelydry，willmoveon，spitti。Wheheplawillreturntoitssphericalshape。Asitre-forms，theentireworldwillsufferafinalglobalcatastrophe，itssurfaceresemblienseaofmagmathatheraldeditsbirthmanybillio。Muchlikethen，notraceoflifewillsurvivethisinferno。’

‘HowfaristheDevourerfromoursolarsystem?’theaskedassoonasshefinished。

‘Itisjustbehindme!’shewarly。‘Iny，itwillarriveiury!Alert!TheDevourerapproaches!TheDevourerapproaches!’