"David Gerrold - Chtorr 3 - A Rage for Revenge" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gerrold David)

know it. You don't need me to tell it to you. But I'm going to say it anyway so that the people in the room
who don't know it can hear it too.
"The fundamental law of biology is Survive! If the organism doesn't survive, it can't do anything else.
"Now . . . we are going to see some of our fellow human beings, and very probably many of the
members of this group, creating some extraordinary operating modes in order to do just that. Part of our
job here will be to explore those modes-to see what they suggest for the rest of us. We need to know
what is wanted and needed for human beings to survive on a Chtorraninfested planet. We need to know,
what will human beings become in the process?.
"Here in this room, in this course, we will lay the groundwork for the job to be done. We will train
ourselves in the unexpected. We will prepare ourselves for the impossible. In this room, we will begin the
task of creating the future. In other words, we will not only test the definition of humanity-ultimately, we
may have to redefine humanity. Not because we want to, but because that may very well be the ultimate
price for survival.
"And I want you all to know something," Foreman interrupted himself suddenly. He stabbed the air with
his forefinger. "We have always had the opportunity to redefine ourselves as a species-but we've always
avoided the confrontation with that opportunity by squabbling amongst ourselves over mates and bananas
instead. We don't have that luxury any more. The opportunity is no longer an opportunity. Now it is a
mandate."

26 DAVID GERROLD
A RAGE FOR REVENGE 27

Foreman turned back to Dr. Chin and looked her square in the eye. "So, I ask you again. Is this the
game you want to play? If you want to play, then sit down. If you want to leave, the door is behind you.
But be clear about your choice. There are no second chances. Once you're out the door, you can't come
back." He waited. "So, what's it to be?"
"You're a very impressive speaker," Dr. Chin admitted. "But I don't think so. I don't think I want to
`select' myself onto this football team, if you don't mind."
Foreman nodded. "I don't mind at all. It's a very clear choice. You've been very responsible. You
listened, you chose." He started to turn away as if he were dismissing her, then abruptly turned back as if
he had just remembered something else. "I just want you to know one thing before you leave." His voice
became very quiet, very calm. "When you walk out that door, you not only give up your place in the
game, you also give up your right to complain if you don't like how it turns out."
"I don't agree with that either," she said, and started working her way toward the aisle. "Goodbye, Dr.
Foreman." She stopped and looked at him. "I'm going to fight you and your group. I'm going to organize
the scientific and political communities against you. I think you're dangerous."
Foreman turned to the rest of us. "You have just seen a demonstration of what Dr. Chin does instead of
committing herself. Dr. Chin doesn't act, she reacts."
She glared at him-it rolled off him like rainwater-then she turned and strode up the aisle. TWELVE
opened the door for her, and she was gone.
"Anyone else?" invited Foreman.
Three more people got up and headed for the door.
Foreman waited until they were gone. "Anyone else?" he asked. "Last call. "
I thought about it. I'd survived worse. I could survive this. I remained seated.
Foreman's expression was hard to read. It looked like a challenge. He said, "This is it. There won't be
any more chances to leave. If you stay, you're committing to stay to the end. . . . Nobody else got up.
The room was painfully silent.
Foreman waited another moment. He returned to his podium and took another drink of water. He turned
to the manual on the music stand and flipped over two or three pages. He studied them thoughtfully for a
moment, then he looked up at us and said, "So