K-Pax (50 page)

"An
d
wha
t
goe
s
o
n
i
n
th
e
laboratories?"

"Oh
,
identifyin
g
th
e
od
d
ne
w
compoun
d
tha
t
migh
t
tur
n
u
p
i
n
a
nove
l
plan
t
variant
,
fo
r
example."

"Yo
u
mea
n
it
s
chemistry?"

"Yes."

"
I
assum
e
 
you
r
 
chemist
s
 
ca
n
 
produc
e
 
al
l
 
thes
e
 
natura
l
 
product
s
 
synthetically
.
 
Wh
y
 
d
o
 
yo
u
 
stil
l
 
get

the
m
fro
m
plants?"

"N
o
on
e
eve
r
`synthesizes
'
anythin
g
o
n
K-PAX."

"Wh
y
not?"

"What'
s
th
e
point?"

"Well..
.
yo
u
migh
t
fin
d
a
usefu
l
ne
w
drug
,
fo
r
example
.
O
r
a
bette
r
floo
r
wax."

"W
e
 
hav
e
 
a
 
herba
l
 
preparatio
n
 
fo
r
 
ever
y
 
know
n
 
disease
.
 
An
d
 
w
e
 
don'
t
 
hav
e
 
floor
s
 
t
o
 
wax
.
 
Why shoul
d
w
e
mak
e
re
d
gras
s
o
r
blu
e
trees?"

"You'r
e
sayin
g
tha
t
everythin
g
i
s
alread
y
known."

"No
t
everything
.
That'
s
wh
y
I'
m
here."

"Asid
e
fro
m
th
e
occasiona
l
interstella
r
trip
,
though
,
i
t
sound
s
prett
y
dul
l
livin
g
o
n
you
r
planet."

H
e
snappe
d
bac
k
with
:
"I
s
i
t
an
y
dulle
r
tha
n
o
n
EARTH
?
Whos
e
inhabitant
s
spen
d
mos
t
 
o
f
 
thei
r
 
lives
tryin
g
t
o
ge
t
laid
,
watchin
g
sitcom
s
o
n
television
,
an
d
gruntin
g
fo
r
money?"

I
note
d
dow
n
 
thi
s
 
sudde
n
 
outburs
t
 
an
d
 
remarked
,
 
casually
:
 
"
I
 
mea
n
 
i
t
 
seem
s
 
prett
y
 
dul
l
 
wit
h
 
nothing
muc
h
lef
t
t
o
discover."

"Gene
,
gene
,
gene.
"
I
t
sounde
d
lik
e
 
a
 
bel
l
 
tolling
.
 
"N
o
 
singl
e
 
individua
l
 
know
s
 
ver
y
 
much
.
 
N
o
 
matter
ho
w
muc
h
on
e
learns
,
ther
e
i
s
alway
s
mor
e
t
o
know."

"Bu
t
someon
e
alread
y
know
s
it."

"Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
listene
d
t
o
a
mozar
t
symphony?"

"Onc
e
o
r
twice."

"I
s
i
t
dul
l
th
e
secon
d
time
,
o
r
th
e
third
,
o
r
th
e
twentieth?"

"No
,
i
f
anything..."

"Exactly."

"Wha
t
abou
t
physics?"

"Wha
t
abou
t
it?"

"Ar
e
al
l
th
e
law
s
o
f
physic
s
known?"

"Hav
e
yo
u
eve
r
hear
d
o
f
heisenberg?"

"Yes
,
I'v
e
hear
d
o
f
him."

"H
e
wa
s
wrong."

"Wit
h
tha
t
i
n
mind
,
wha
t
ca
n
 
yo
u
 
tel
l
 
u
s
 
abou
t
 
th
e
 
fundamenta
l
 
law
s
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
universe
?
 
Ligh
t
 
travel
,
 
for
example.
"
Hi
s
customar
y
smil
e
becam
e
eve
n
broade
r
tha
n
usual.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Wh
y
not?"

"I
f
I
tol
d
you
,
you'
d
blo
w
yourselve
s
up
.
O
r
worse
,
someon
e
else."

"Perhap
s
yo
u
coul
d
tel
l
m
e
on
e
thing
,
a
t
least
.
Wha
t
d
o
yo
u
us
e
fo
r
powe
r
o
n
K-PAX?"

"Tha
t
 
I
 
ca
n
 
tel
l
 
yo
u
 
becaus
e
 
yo
u
 
hav
e
 
i
t
 
already
,
 
o
r
 
soo
n
 
will
.
 
W
e
 
us
e
 
typ
e
 
on
e
 
an
d
 
typ
e
 
tw
o
 
solar
energies
.
Excep
t
fo
r
traveling
,
an
d
certai
n
othe
r
processes
,
whe
n
w
e
us
e
tha
t
 
o
f
 
light
.
 
You'
d
 
b
e
 
surprised
ho
w
muc
h
energ
y
ther
e
i
s
i
n
a
bea
m
o
f
light."

"Wha
t
ar
e
typ
e
on
e
an
d
typ
e
tw
o
sola
r
energies?"

"Typ
e
on
e
i
s
th
e
energ
y
o
f
th
e
stars
:
nuclea
r
fusion
.
Th
e
othe
r
i
s
th
e
typ
e
o
f
radiatio
n
 
tha
t
 
warm
s
 
your
planet."

"Isn'
t
ther
e
enoug
h
o
f
th
e
fusio
n
type
?
Wh
y
d
o
yo
u
nee
d
th
e
other?"

"Spoke
n
lik
e
a
tru
e
hom
o
sapiens."

"Meaning?"

"Yo
u
human
s
 
jus
t
 
can'
t
 
see
m
 
t
o
 
lear
n
 
fro
m
 
you
r
 
mistakes
.
 
Yo
u
 
finall
y
 
discove
r
 
tha
t
 
burnin
g
 
al
l
 
that
coa
l
 
an
d
 
oi
l
 
an
d
 
woo
d
 
destroy
s
 
you
r
 
ai
r
 
an
d
 
you
r
 
climate
.
 
The
n
 
wha
t
 
d
o
 
yo
u
 
d
o
 
bu
t
 
g
o
 
hell-ben
t
 
after
solar
,
 
wind
,
 
geothermal
,
 
an
d
 
tida
l
 
energ
y
 
withou
t
 
an
y
 
though
t
 
whatsoeve
r
 
abou
t
 
th
e
 
consequences.
People!
"
H
e
sighe
d
an
d
wagge
d
hi
s
head.

"Yo
u
haven'
t
answere
d
m
y
question."

"Isn'
t
 
i
t
 
obvious
?
 
Th
e
 
us
e
 
o
f
 
on
e
 
produce
s
 
heat
;
 
th
e
 
othe
r
 
consume
s
 
it
.
 
Th
e
 
ne
t
 
effec
t
 
i
s
 
tha
t
 
we

neithe
r
war
m
no
r
coo
l
ou
r
planet
.
An
d
ther
e
i
s
n
o
wast
e
o
r
pollution."

"Hav
e
yo
u
alway
s
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
ta
p
thes
e
energ
y
sources?"

"O
f
cours
e
not
.
Onl
y
fo
r
th
e
las
t
fe
w
billio
n
years."

"Wha
t
abou
t
befor
e
that?"

"Well
,
 
w
e
 
foole
d
 
aroun
d
 
wit
h
 
magneti
c
 
field
s
 
fo
r
 
a
 
while
,
 
an
d
 
bacteria
l
 
deca
y
 
an
d
 
th
e
 
like
.
 
Bu
t
 
we soo
n
realize
d
tha
t
n
o
matte
r
wha
t
w
e
tried
,
ther
e
wa
s
som
e
effec
t
o
r
othe
r
o
n
ou
r
air
,
o
r
ou
r
 
temperature,
o
r
ou
r
climate
.
Gravitatio
n
energ
y
i
s
eve
n
worse
.
S
o
w
e
mad
e
d
o
wit
h
 
ou
r
 
muscle
s
 
unti
l
someon
e
 
figured
ou
t
ho
w
t
o
fus
e
atom
s
safely."

"Wh
o
figure
d
tha
t
out?"

"Yo
u
mea
n
hi
s
name?"

"Yes."

"
I
hav
e
n
o
idea
.
W
e
don'
t
worshi
p
heroe
s
o
n
K-PAX."

"Wha
t
abou
t
nuclea
r
fission?"

"Impossible
.
Ou
r
being
s
rejecte
d
i
t
immediately."

"Why
?
Becaus
e
o
f
th
e
danger
,
o
f
a
n
accident?"

"Tha
t
i
s
a
smal
l
matte
r
compare
d
t
o
th
e
wast
e
that'
s
produced."

"Yo
u
neve
r
foun
d
anythin
g
t
o
contai
n
it?"

"Wher
e
woul
d
w
e
fin
d
somethin
g
tha
t
last
s
forever?"

"Let'
s
tur
n
t
o
astronomy
.
O
r
bette
r
yet
,
cosmology."

"On
e
o
f
m
y
favorit
e
subjects."

"Tel
l
me
:
Wha
t
i
s
th
e
fat
e
o
f
th
e
universe?"

"Fate?"

"I
s
i
t
goin
g
t
o
collaps
e
bac
k
o
n
itself
,
o
r
wil
l
i
t
g
o
o
n
expandin
g
forever?"

"You'l
l
lov
e
this
:
both."

"Both?"

"I
t
wil
l
collapse
,
the
n
expan
d
again
,
the
n
repea
t
an
d
repea
t
an
d
repeat."

"
I
don'
t
kno
w
whethe
r
t
o
tak
e
an
y
comfor
t
i
n
tha
t
o
r
not."

"Befor
e
yo
u
decide-there'
s
more."

"More?

H
e
 
guffawed
,
 
th
e
 
firs
t
 
tim
e
 
I
 
ha
d
 
eve
r
 
hear
d
 
hi
m
 
laugh
.
 
"Whe
n
 
th
e
 
UNIVERS
E
 
expand
s
 
again,
everythin
g
wil
l
b
e
a
s
i
t
wa
s
before!"

"Yo
u
mean-"

"Exactly
.
Whateve
r
mistake
s
yo
u
mad
e
thi
s
tim
e
 
aroun
d
 
yo
u
 
wil
l
liv
e
throug
h
 
agai
n
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
nex
t
 
pass,
ove
r
an
d
ove
r
an
d
over
,
foreve
r
an
d
 
ever
,
 
amen!
"
 
Hi
s
 
demeano
r
 
ha
d
 
suddenl
y
 
changed
.
 
Fo
r
 
a
 
secon
d
 
I
though
t
h
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
brea
k
int
o
tears
.
Bu
t
h
e
quickl
y
becam
e
himsel
f
again
,
smilin
g
an
d
confident.

"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
kno
w
that
?
It'
s
no
t
possibl
e
t
o
kno
w
that
,
i
s
it?"