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02 Devourer（第1页）

02　Devourer

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&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!’