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The man's clothing was like none Rockson had ever encountered before。 Strange off…mauve color； with odd patterns flickering in and out of sight as he moved slowly to sit down。 He seemed weak。 He made no move to shake hands and introduce himself。 Rock waited for an explanation from Rath as to the identity of this odd man。
Rath said； as a way of introduction。 〃Rockson； this is Peth Danik。 He's a stranger in these parts。 Our security forces found him wandering some miles south of here。 He was about to be eaten by one of our more unsavory animal friends … a snow leopard。 He spent two days in the hospital being treated for hypothermia and a host of other things。 His eyes were nearly shot； but you know Schecter … he fixed them up pretty well。 Danik's story is a strange one indeed。 I want you to hear it firsthand。 I believe that what he has to say impacts our security； and the security of everyone on Earth。〃
〃Please begin。〃 Rock requested of the stranger。
The story Danik told in a strangely intoned voice was indeed bizarre。 He was； he claimed； from an unknown； pletely sealed off city buried in the Mexican mountains。 A place called Eden。 A totally contained biosphere closed off from the world since the war back in 1989。
〃We of Eden； until recently； all wanted our city to be forever hidden to the surface world。 After the bombs fell； after the nuclear war； we believed the world was no longer a fit place to live。 We expected that it never would be livable again； ever。
〃Eden is a ten…mile…long； mile…wide world unto itself。 It is a total ecosystem； self…renewing； self…contained。 It has a salt lake； with the microscopic creatures like diatoms and algae that a real ocean has； and it has a marshland area too。 Also there is a desert…in…miniature。 It is the area directly under our artificial sun … too hot to inhabit。 The sun； protected by a force field； is a lithium…ion crystal that can burn for a thousand years。 Not quite the same spectrum as the sun that warms the surface world。 It never can be turned off。 That is why there is a planetarium。 Every citizen in Eden spends one night a month under the stars projected inside our planetarium。 It was the belief of the constructors of Eden that mankind needs a little nighttime； a change from eternal sun。 The planetarium is where I learned of the stars； and how to tell direction by the stars。 When I came to the surface； and determined to travel north with my panions； who all perished on the journey I'm sad to say； I used the North Star to guide me。
〃Eden is much bigger； but far less developed； than Century City。 Our city was designed to sustain seven thousand people … and there are that number there now； the third and fourth generations of the original inhabitants。〃
Rockson spoke up。 〃You say that it is a plete ecosystem … a miniature self…renewing world like the Earth； in miniature。 Yet you fail to mention the terrain that on Earth helps recycle the air and water。 You didn't mention rain forests。 Without trees； the Earth's oxygen supply would diminish and all life would die out。 In the 1980s mankind was on the verge of destroying the Amazon jungle in Brazil； where most of the Earth's atmosphere is regenerated by the trees。 Then； of course； the war came； and one of its few beneficial effects was to stop the exploitation of the Amazon jungle。 Do you understand what I'm getting at？ A salt lake is part of an ecosystem； but how about greenery？ How about trees？〃
〃I understand； Rockson。 I omitted something。 The engineers of Eden had built substitutes for trees。 They made machines that mimic the properties of the rain forest … a giant filter that uses geothermal energy to strain the air of harmful waste gases and replenish it with oxygen。 Plus there is some air supply available from natural caverns； deeper under the Earth。 Pure cold air。 And we have some plants … mostly in the marshlands adjoining our lake。 Everything in Eden … or almost everything … is recycled。 Carbon dioxide exhaled by the people is used by the plants … like on the rest of the Earth。 They absorb the carbon dioxide from exhalation； and provide oxygen … helping our artificial means to do so。 Some of the human waste was supposed to be used to feed the algae in the water and fertilize crops … but this system was never pleted。 We have been living on canned food and some plastic…sealed dried food。〃
〃No crops？〃 Rath interjected。 〃Why； that's terrible。 Even here in Century City … and this is a city that doesn't seal itself off … we have hydroponic gardens。 Without fresh food； your health； even your ability to procreate； must suffer and …〃
〃Yes； it is a problem。 When the trouble began； I proposed getting supplies of fish and seeds from the surface； so that we might eat better； but Stafford … our dictator； who I will explain about momentarily … says all things from the surface are evil； contaminated。 We suffer ill health as you have stated； and breeding for us is impossible。 Sex does not exist in Eden。 We had our last child ten years ago。 We are dying out。〃
CHAPTER 2
Rockson was amazed by Danik's story so far。 He asked； 〃Who created Eden？ How was such a project begun back in the twentieth century？ Who had that vision？〃
〃The money came from an American millionaire。 Edward Renquist。 Renquist was obsessed with the idea that World War Three was inevitable。 This was because Renquist's own father perished in Hiroshima。〃
〃Was Renquist's father Japanese？〃 Rath asked。
〃No； his father； Johnathan； was an American POW in Hiroshima at the time the Americans nuked it … thus ending World War Two。 Jonathan survived the blast … unlike most of the city's inhabitants … because the jail was a solid building on the outskirts of the city。
〃The cell he was in had a hole blown in it； though。 He survived by immersing himself in a cesspool； breathing through a reed。 Unfortunately； he was discovered the next day by crazed survivors。 Since he was an American； like those who dropped the bomb； they tortured him to death … peeled his skin off inch by inch with surgical scissors。
〃Renquist was born the day his father died。 He grew up to be a brilliant youth and patented many inventions from the age of twelve onward。 He was always fearful； though。 Mankind used atomic weapons in Japan； in 1945； and Edward Renquist was certain the nukes would be used again。
〃He decided he would survive nuclear war when it came。 He created the concept； the design； the specialized equipment to build a self…contained buried world； a sealed biosphere … and called it Eden。
〃He wanted to decide who would live in the survival city。 After the war； which he knew would e； after the nuclear destruction was unleashed by the irrational minds of mankind； he wanted to start fresh； with nothing but brilliant men and women。 He wanted a new world； with himself in charge。
〃But Renquist didn't live to take advantage of his creation … he was killed； most likely in the vaporization of Austin； Texas； just two days before he was to join the people he selected in Eden。 The city was sealed off。 Its location was always a closely guarded secret； and if someone did survive to try to find it； they could hardly do so … a half mile of rock was avalanched over the site by special machinery automated in advance for that task。
〃My great…grandfather Ralf Danik was one of the original groups chosen to survive the war in the radiation…free city。 He was an engineer of the waterworks of Eden。 My ancestor； and the others with him； had no idea if the system they had created would work。 If not； they would all suffocate； or starve； or die of disease。 But it did work。 And since it had been sealed off before the fallout from the bombed cities came； it was radiation free。 The only radiation…free place in the world。
〃The people of Eden have never had news of the outside world … none at all。 Most of us in Eden believe we are the only people in the world。 We live from generation to generation inside the cave。 Safe。 Secure。 But gradually growing weaker。 No one knows just why。 Perhaps mankind just wasn't made too live so long in caves。 By my generation … the fifth … nearly all of us were sterile。 And a movement arose。
〃Some of us … I was the leader in the effort … said we must dig our way out； that we must attempt to live on the surface again。 Preliminary probes with detection equipment were burrowed up in pipes to the surface。 They showed higher radiation than normal； less oxygen。 But it was liveable； basically。 I wanted the tunnel to be widened … I wanted us out。
〃That's when the election was held。 We had democratic elections of our council every seven years。 I ran against a man named Stafford； a scientist who was convinced we should stay underground； that we should devote all our efforts to restore our genetic structure； so that we could have children better adapted to living underground。 He was … and is … convinced there is no way for us to exist on the surface。 He said our babies could be born in artificial uteruses； if women couldn't give birth。
〃My party； the Surface party； won the election handily； but Stafford broke into the century…old store…houses of weapons； and his followers armed themselves and pulled a coup d'état。
〃I and the others who had been freely elected were hunted down and killed one by one。 Our only hope was to reach the surface。 And six of us made it … through a series of ancient construction tunnels that had failed to collapse entirely after the burial of the city。
〃It was a wild world we encountered。 Supplyless； we decided to head north； toward the United States … or where the United States used to be。 We were Americans。 We hoped to find other Americans。 But all we found was death。
〃You must understand … underground we had no idea it was winter。 Bitter cold。 It was never any season underground。 We had forgotten the word。 We had forgotten the meaning even for bird and cloud … and for one other concept I learned on the perilous trek to this place： beauty。 For this world of yours； regardless of the dangers； is beautiful。 None of us were sorry to leave Eden。 We weren't really alive down there。
〃I really didn't know exactly where we were heading。。。 Our records showed a place called Denver was near the mountains called the Rockies。 We found an old map in an abandoned house and some clothing。 Rags； but they were warmer than our thin clothing。
〃We tried to hunt； with sharpened sticks； but were seldom successful。 We ate the few small animals we killed raw； not even having a means of lighting fires until we found a magnifying glass to focus the sun on twigs。 Of the six who started out from Eden … myself； Run Dutil； Sysin File； the others … I alone survived to reach this area。 And then I was dying； too。 I was delirious； out of my senses。 And； unknown to me； I was about to be eaten by some huge creature … which your patrol men shot dead。 They brought me here； gave me medical attention； and fed me and gave me that delicious thing … coffee … yes； that's it。 Coffee。 Wonderful。
〃I used your rapid…learning tapes； listened to them while I slept。 Absolutely an amazing achievement。 Sleep learning。 Fantastic。 Your kind Dr。 Schecter told me to rest after I had eaten； and attached the asleep…learning device。 It told me all about your fabulous city。 Century City is full of art； of fresh air； and … love。 Yes； love。 Something we had forgotten。 We though of procreation only as a process； not as the result of the love between male and female。 I have learned so much of your people already。 Eden will only live if it bees one of your allied free cities。 Open to the world。 Dedicated to the fighting of the Soviet occupiers。 Help me； Rockson … e back with me and help me free Eden。〃
〃Wow；〃 Rockson said。 He didn't know what else to say。
〃You must go to Eden with Peth Danik； Rockson；〃 Rath said。 〃Not only for their sake； but for our sake。 To stop Stafford； the mad dictator of Eden； from releasing Factor Q。〃
〃Factor Q？ What's that； Danik？〃
〃Rockson； I am sorry to say that when Stafford raided the ancient war supplies stored in Eden； he found a terrible weapon … a germ…warfare canister； Factor Q。 It's sort of a virus really … that spreads on the wind。 Once released on the surface … which is what Stafford has threatened to do … no human will be alive within a week。 The