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1、AboveItAllbyRobertJ.SawyerCopyright©1996byRobertJ.SawyerAllRightsReservedFirstpublishedintheanthologyDante'sDisciples,editedbyPeterCrowtherandEdwardE.Kramer(WhiteWolf,February1996).WinneroftheCompuServeScienceFictionandFantasyForum'sSixthAnnualHOMerAwardfo
2、rBestShortStoryoftheYear.Rhymeswithfear.Page1ThewordsechoedinColonelPaulRackham'sheadashefloatedinDiscovery'sairlock,thebulkyMannedManeuveringUnitclampedtohisback.Airwasbeingpumpedout;coldvacuumwasformingaroundhim.Rhymeswithfear.Heshouldhavesaidno,shouldha
3、veletMcGovernoroneoftheotherstakethespacewalkinstead.ButHoustonhadsuggestedthatRackhamdoit,andtodemurehe'dhaveneededtostateareason.Justadeadbody,hetoldhimself.Nothingtobeafraidof.Therewasatimewhenamilitarymancouldn'thaveavoidedseeingdeath--butRackhamhadjus
4、tbeenfinishinghighschoolduringDesertStorm.Sure,asatestpilot,he'dwatchedcolleaguesdieincrashes,buthe'dneveractuallyseenthebodies.Andwhenhismotherpassedon,she'dhadaclosedcasket.Hischoice,that,madewithouthesitationthemomentthefuneraldirectorhadaskedhim--hisfa
5、ther,stillinanursinghome,hadbeeninnoconditiontomakethearrangements.Rackhamwaswearingliquid-coolinglongjohnsbeneathhisspacesuit,tubescirculatingwateraroundhimtoremoveexcessbodyheat.Heshuddered,andthetubesmovedinunison,likeahundredserpentswrithing.Hecheckedt
6、hebarometer,sawthatthelock'spressurehaddroppedbelow0.2psi--justatraceofatmosphereleft.Heclosedhiseyesforamoment,tryingtocalmhimself,thenreachedoutaglovedhandandturnedtheactuatorthatopenedtheoutercircularhatch."I'mleavingtheairlock,"hesaid.Hewaswearingthest
7、andard"SnoopyEars"communicationscarrier,whichcoveredmostofhisheadbeneaththespacehelmet.Twothinmicrophonesprotrudedinfrontofhismouth."Copythat,Paul,"saidMcGovern,upintheshuttle'scockpit."GoodPage2luck."RackhampushedtheleftMMUarmrestcontrolforward.Puffsofnit
8、rogenpropelledhimoutintothecargobay.Thelongspacedoorsthatnormallyformedthebay'sroofwerealreadyopen,andoverheadhesawEarthinallitsblue-and-whiteglory.Headjustedhispitchwithhisrighthandcontrol,thenbeganrisingup.
