13
马克带着马奈斯和詹丝去大餐厅。他是早班的工人，刚下班。马奈斯好像有点不太高兴，
因为他竟然需要人带路，很没面子。这位副保安官很在乎那种男性尊严，明明不认得路却非要
装出一副识途老马的样子。他走在前面，想证明自己真的认得路。每次走到路口，他就会停下
脚步，有点犹豫地指着某个方向，然后马克就会大笑起来，说他指错方向了。
“怎么每条路看起来都一样。”他嘴里咕哝着，但还是继续走在前面。
詹丝看他拼命想展现男性雄风，觉得很好笑。她走在后面和那个年轻工人聊天，因为她发
现他和茱丽叶都是在早班工作。他身上散发出一种“底层”的气味。每次有工人到她办公室去修
理东西的时候，身上都会散发出那种气味。那是他们工作环境特有的气味，混杂着汗臭味、油
污味，还有若隐若现的化学药品味。她很熟悉那种气味。但此刻，她开始训练自己不要去在意
那种气味。她发现马克个性温和，心地善良，因为有人用手推车载着零件冲过他们旁边的时
候，他会赶紧伸手去搀住她的手臂。那条走廊灯光昏暗，头顶上全是水管电线，人来人往，而
马克竟然认得迎面走来的任何一个人。詹丝感觉得到，他虽然是个工人，可是浑身却散发出一
种高贵的气息，散发出一种自信。即使灯光昏暗，他的笑容依然显得如此灿烂，散发着迷人的
光辉。
过了一会儿，那台推车渐渐走远，“哗啦啦”的嘈杂声也消失了，这时候，她才开口问
他：“你是不是很了解茱丽叶？”
“祖儿？她就像我妹妹一样。在我们这底下，大家就像一家人。”
他那种口气，仿佛他们这里和地堡其他地方都不一样。没多久，走在前面的马奈斯又来到
另一个路口，他拼命搔头，不知道该猜哪个方向才对。这时候，转角那边有一对夫妻模样的工
人迎面挤过来，有说有笑，和他们擦身而过。马克和他们打个招呼，聊了几句，可是詹丝发现
他们说的简直就像是什么外国话，她根本听不懂。她开始怀疑马克说得没错，这地堡最深层的
地方，也许真的和其他楼层完全不一样。这里的人坦率质朴，想到什么就说什么，喜怒哀乐全
写在脸上，就仿佛这里的水管电线一样，赤裸裸地暴露在天花板上，毫无遮掩。
“从这里。”这里是一条很宽的走廊，马克伸手指着走廊尽头。那里面传来刀叉碰撞铁盘的
叮当声，还有闹哄哄的讲话声。
“那么，茱丽叶的事，你可以多说一些给我们听听看吗？”詹丝继续追问。马克帮她拉开
门，她对他微微一笑。“你觉得她有什么特别的地方，都可以说来听听看。”马奈斯看到餐厅里
有好几个空位，于是就走过去，他们跟在后面。餐厅的服务生在餐桌间跑来跑去，忙成一团，
他们把饭菜端到桌上，那些工人不需要排队等。每张桌子桌面都满是刮痕，旁边的铝制长板凳
也都很老旧，椅面凹凸不平。詹丝他们还来不及坐下，服务生已经从整条面包上撕下几大块放
在桌上，又端上几碗汤和几杯水，水杯边缘还夹着柠檬片。
那个大块头服务生帮他们上好菜，摆好汤匙。马克坐下来，跟他说了声谢谢。詹丝转头看
看四周，想找找看有没有餐巾纸，可是却看到邻桌的工人胸前的口袋里都挂着一块油腻腻的
布，他们把那块布掏出来当餐巾。这时候，马克忽然开口问她：“你是想听我帮她说好话，担保
她绝对没问题？”
“什么都可以，只要你知道的都可以说。”她说。
马奈斯打量着面包，拿到鼻子前面嗅一嗅，然后把面包的一角泡进汤里。隔壁那桌的人忽
然窃笑起来，好像有人说了什么笑话。
“我只知道，无论你交代什么工作给她，她都会做得好好的。没有她做不到的，永远都是这
样。不过，你应该用不着听我说这个吧，因为，为了她，你大老远到这里来，我相信你应该已
经打定主意了。”
他舀起一匙汤啜了一口。詹丝拿起汤匙，发现汤匙已经弯了，满是缺口凹痕，而且尾端有
刮伤，好像曾经被用来挖过什么东西。
“你认识她多久了？”马奈斯问。他嘴里嚼着沾湿的面包，一副充满男性气概的模样，因为
邻桌的工人都是这样吃，他当然不能落在人后。
“我是在这里出生的。”马克告诉他们。餐厅里人声嘈杂，他必须说得很大声，“祖儿来的时
候，我还在发电厂当学徒，她比我小一岁。当初，我跟自己打赌，赌她两个礼拜就会发疯，又
哭又闹说她要走。很多逃家的孩子，还有那些在其他楼层混不下去的，都会跑到我们这里来。
他们都以为，在别的地方闯了祸，跑到这里来就没事了——”
说到这里他忽然停住了，眼睛忽然一亮，因为他看到一个女人走到桌子对面，挤到马奈斯
旁边的座位上。那女人相貌很端庄，她从胸前口袋掏出那块布擦擦手，然后站起来弯腰凑近马
克，在他脸上亲了一下。
“亲爱的，你应该还记得马奈斯副保安官吧？”马克伸手指向马奈斯，而马奈斯正抬起手掌
搓搓嘴边的胡子。“这是我太太，雪莉。”马奈斯和雪莉握握手。雪莉指关节黑黑的，看起来像
是永远洗不掉。那是她的工作烙印在她身上的痕迹。
“这位是我们的首长，詹丝。”詹丝也和雪莉握手。詹丝忽然觉得很自豪，因为她竟然有勇
气去握那只脏兮兮、油腻腻的手。
“很荣幸见到你。”说着雪莉就坐下了。刚刚他们在寒暄的时候，服务生已经把饭菜放到她
桌上，碗里的汤面还在摇晃，热气腾腾。
“长官，是不是我们这里又有人犯罪了？”雪莉撕下一小块面包，对马奈斯微微一笑，暗示
她是在开玩笑。
“这次首长亲自出马，是为了要游说祖儿跟他们到上面去。”马克说。詹丝注意到他朝他太
太挑了挑眉毛，一副不可置信的表情，好像认定她会白费功夫。
“那就祝你好运了。”她说，“在我看来，如果那女孩子肯搬到别的层楼，那么她唯一会去
的，一定是底下的矿场。”
詹丝想追问她这句话是什么意思，可是马克忽然转头看着她，继续他刚刚没说完的话：
“祖儿来的时候，我还在发电厂当学徒——”
“还在说你当年当学徒的陈年往事啊，不怕他们无聊死？”雪莉说。
“我是要告诉他们祖儿刚来的时候的事。”
他太太嫣然一笑。
“当时我正跟着老沃学习，那时候，他还能偶尔到外面走动走动——”
“噢，对了，沃克。”马奈斯不自觉地抓起汤匙朝詹丝挥舞了几下，“那老家伙功夫很厉害，
而且他从早到晚窝在他的工坊里，根本不出门。”
詹丝点点头，努力想听懂他们在说什么。这时邻桌的几个工人已经吃饱，站起来准备要离
开了，马克和雪莉朝他们挥挥手说再见，又和其中几个人说了两句，然后才又转回来跟詹丝说
话。
“刚刚说到哪里了？”马克说，“噢，对了，有一天，祖儿拖着一个抽水马达到老沃的工坊，
那是我第一次见到她。”马克端起杯子喝了一口水。“那是她到下面来之后，他们要她做的第一
件事。这里我要先强调一下，当时她还不过是个小女孩，对不对？才十二岁，瘦得皮包骨。反
正就是刚从中段楼层来的菜鸟。”说到这里他挥挥手，一副很瞧不起那种人的样子。“他们叫她
把那些大得吓死人的抽水马达搬到老沃的工坊，让老沃换掉马达轴心的铜线，意思就是，要先
把轴心的铜线拉出来，然后再重新缠上新的铜线。那铜线拉出来大概有一公里半那么长。”
说到这里，马克大笑起来：“呃，应该是说，他们是要叫老沃克把那些工作丢给我。总而言
之，那就像是要给刚进门的徒弟下马威，懂吧？大家都是这样对付徒弟的，不是吗？挫挫他们
的锐气。”
詹丝和马奈斯都没有反应。马克耸耸肩，然后又继续说：“总之，那些抽水马达重得要命，
对吧？绝对比她的体重还重，说不定重两倍。然后，她必须用尽吃奶的力把马达弄上推车，然
后推上四层楼的楼梯——”
“等一下，楼梯？怎么推？”詹丝忽然追问。她无法想象，那种年纪的小女生怎么搬得动比
她重两倍的铁马达。
“他们才不管她用什么办法。用滑轮、绳子，甚至想办法给别人一点好处，找人帮忙，随便
她。目的就是要看看她有什么本事，懂吗？他们总共弄了十个那种马达等她搬——”
“十个！”詹丝自言自语嘀咕着。
“没错，而且，其实可能只有两个真的需要换铜线。”雪莉补了一句。
“哦，真的吗？”马克大笑起来，“所以，老沃克和我就打赌了，看她多久会受不了，回楼上
去找她爸爸哭诉。”
“我赌一个礼拜。”雪莉说。
马克拿汤匙搅着碗里的汤，摇摇头：“没想到后来，那些马达竟然全部被她搞定了。大家都
傻眼了，搞不懂她是怎么办到的。一直到过了好几年以后，她才告诉我们真相。”
“当时我就坐在那张餐桌旁边听她说。”她指着附近一张桌子，“我笑到肚子痛。这辈子从来
没有笑得那么惨。”
“她说了什么？”詹丝急着问。她已经听得入迷，忘了喝汤。她的汤都凉了。
“呃，那个礼拜我就一直在搞那十个马达，把铜线缠到轴心上。那一整个礼拜，我一直都在
等着看她什么时候会放弃。我很希望她放弃，因为我手指头痛得要命。她绝对没办法把十个马
达全部弄上来。绝对不可能。”马克摇摇头。“绝对不可能。可是，结果我还是一直缠铜线，缠
好了她就把马达拖出去，然后过没多久，又拖一个进来。结果，六天之内，那些马达就全部弄
完了。然后，那小鬼就去找诺克斯，诺克斯当时还是排班经理。她说她想休一天假。”
雪莉大笑起来，低头看着碗里的汤。
“她一定是找到人帮她。”马奈斯说，“说不定是有人可怜她。”
马克揉揉眼睛，摇摇头，“噢，根本不可能。要是有人帮她，一定会被人看到，一定会有人
说出去。特别是，万一诺克斯问起来，谁敢不说？那位老先生一直逼问她是谁帮她的，她就是
不说，气得他差点脑充血。当时，她站在那里，像石头一样一动也不动，稳如泰山，一点都不
怕。她就只是耸耸肩，一声不吭。”
“她到底是怎么办到的？”这下子詹丝急了。她迫不及待想知道。
马克微微一笑：“她只搬了一个马达。搬那玩意儿上楼梯，搬得她腰差点断掉，不过，她就
只搬了那一个。”
“是啊，结果，你就一直重复缠那个马达的铜线，总共缠了十次。”雪莉说。
“喂，用不着你提醒我。”
“等一下。”詹丝两手一抬，“那其他那些马达呢？”
“她自己缠的。这都要怪老沃，他真是话太多了。那天晚上，她跑到我们工坊来，吵了我们
一晚上。她一直问东问西，缠着我不放，看我怎么修理第一个马达。后来，等我弄好了，她就
把那个马达放进推车，推到外面的走廊，不过，她并没有下楼梯，而是把推车推到隔壁的油漆
间里藏起来。然后，她自己下楼梯，去拿第二个马达，然后拖着马达拐个弯，拖进到转角的工
具间。整个晚上，她都窝在那里研究怎么缠马达的铜线。”
“噢。”詹丝嗯了一声，终于想通是怎么回事了，“然后，第二天早上，她就跑到你们隔壁的
油漆间，把那个修好的马达推过去给你。”
“没错。然后她就跑四层楼到下面去缠铜线，而我也在上面干同样的事。”
马奈斯爆笑出来，两手往桌上一拍，碗和面包都震得跳起来。
“那个礼拜，我平均一天要缠两个马达。真要命。”
“如果算精确一点，平均一天才一个吧。”雪莉纠正他，笑个不停。
“好啦，而且她动作比我快，进度慢慢超过我，后来，那些马达都完工交出去之后，她还多
出了一天空当，所以她说她想休假。”
“如果我没记错的话，他们真的放了她一天假。”雪莉边说边摇头，“小学徒竟然可以放假，
天塌下来了。”
“别忘了，一开始他们根本没指望她有办法完成这件工作。”
“聪明的孩子。”詹丝笑着说。
“聪明得吓人。”马克说。
“那么，那天放假，她去干什么？”马奈斯问。
马克用手指捏起那片柠檬，浸泡在杯子的水里，就这样手悬在半空中好一会儿。
“那天她窝在我们工坊里，缠着我和老沃克，东摸摸西摸摸，东问西问，这个怎么做，那个
怎么做，那些电线是干什么用的，螺帽要怎么转松，诸如此类，打破砂锅问到底。”他举起杯子
啜了一口水，“说了半天，其实我只想强调一件事。要是你打算把一项工作交付给祖儿，那么，
你要很小心。”
“为什么要小心？”马奈斯问。
马克抬头看看头顶上乱七八糟的水管电线。
“因为她一定会做得超水准，比完美更完美。而且，那些事都是一开始你根本不敢奢望她办
得到的。”
Part 2 Proper Gauge 14
Part 2 Proper Gauge
14
After their meal, Shirly and Marck gave them directions to the bunk room. Jahns watched as the
young married couple exchanged kisses. Marck was coming off his shift while Shirly was going onto
hers. The shared meal was breakfast for one and supper for the other. Jahns thanked them both for
their time and complimented the food, then she and Marnes left a mess hall nearly as noisy as the
generator room had been and followed the winding corridors toward their beds for the night.
Marnes would be staying in the communal bunk room used by junior first-shift mechanics. A
small cot had been made up for him that Jahns gauged to be half a foot too short. Down the hall from
the bunk room, a small apartment had been reserved for Jahns. The two of them decided to wait
there, biding their time in private, rubbing the aches in their legs, talking about how different
everything in the down deep was, until there was a knock on their door. Juliette pushed it open and
stepped inside.
“They got you both in one room?” Juliette asked, surprised.
Jahns laughed. “No, they’ve got the deputy in the bunk room. And I would’ve been happy staying
out there with the others.”
“Forget it,” Juliette said. “They put up recruits and visiting families in here all the time. It’s
nothing.”
Jahns watched as Juliette placed a length of string in her mouth, then gathered her hair, still wet
from a shower, and tied it up in a tail. She had changed into another pair of overalls, and Jahns
guessed the stains in them were permanent, that the fabric was actually laundered and ready for
another shift.
“So how soon could we announce this power holiday?” Juliette asked. She finished her knot and
crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall beside the door. “I would think you’d wanna take
advantage of the post-cleaning mood, right?”
“How soon can you start?” Jahns asked. She realized, suddenly, that part of the reason she wanted
this woman as her sheriff was that she felt unattainable. Jahns glanced over at Marnes and wondered
how much of his attraction to her, all those many years ago when she was young and with Donald,
had been as simply motivated.
“I can start tomorrow,” Juliette said. “We could have the backup generator online by morning. I
could work another shift tonight to make sure the gaskets and seals—”
“No,” Jahns said, raising her hand. “How soon can you start as sheriff?” She dug through her open
bag, sorting folders across the bed, looking for the contract.
“I’m—I thought we discussed this. I have no interest in being—”
“They make the best ones,” Marnes said. “The ones who have no interest in it.” He stood across
from Juliette, his thumbs tucked into his overalls, leaning against one of the small apartment’s walls.
“I’m sorry, but there’s no one down here who can just slip into my boots,” Juliette said, shaking
her head. “I don’t think you two understand all that we do—”
“I don’t think you understand what we do up top,” Jahns said. “Or why we need you.”
Juliette tossed her head and laughed. “Look, I’ve got machines down here that you can’t possibly
—”
“And what good are they?” Jahns asked. “What do these machines do?”
“They keep this whole goddamned place running!” Juliette declared. “The oxygen you breathe?
We recycle that down here. The toxins you exhale? We pump them back into the earth. You want me
to write up a list of everything oil makes? Every piece of plastic, every ounce of rubber, all the
solvents and cleaners, and I’m not talking about the power it generates, but everything else!”
“And yet it was all here before you were born,” Jahns pointed out.
“Well, it wouldn’t have lasted my lifetime, I’ll tell you that. Not in the state it was in.” She
crossed her arms again and leaned back against the wall. “I don’t think you get what a mess we’d be
in without these machines.”
“And I don’t think you get how pointless these machines are going to become without all these
people.”
Juliette looked away. It was the first time Jahns had seen her flinch.
“Why don’t you ever visit your father?”
Juliette snapped her head around and looked at the other wall. She wiped some loose hair back
from her forehead. “Go look at my work log,” she said. “Tell me when I’d fit it in.”
Before Jahns could reply, could say that it was family, that there’s always time, Juliette turned to
face her. “Do you think I don’t care about people? Is that it? Because you’d be wrong. I care about
every person in this silo. And the men and women down here, the forgotten floors of Mechanical, this
is my family. I visit with them every day. I break bread with them several times a day. We work, live,
and die alongside one another.” She looked to Marnes. “Isn’t that right? You’ve seen it.”
Marnes didn’t say anything. Jahns wondered if she was referring specifically to the “dying” part.
“Did you ask him why he never comes to see me? Because he has all the time in the world. He has
nothing up there.”
“Yes, we met with him. Your father seemed like a very busy man. As determined as you.”
Juliette looked away.
“And as stubborn.” Jahns left the paperwork on the bed and went to stand by the door, just a pace
away from Juliette. She could smell the soap in the younger woman’s hair. Could see her nostrils
flare with her rapid, heavy breathing.
“The days pile up and weigh small decisions down, don’t they? That decision not to visit. The first
few days slide by easy enough; anger and youth power them along. But then they pile up like
unrecycled trash. Isn’t that right?”
Juliette waved her hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about days becoming weeks becoming months becoming years.” She almost said that
she’d been through the same exact thing, was still piling them up, but Marnes was in the room,
listening. “After a while, you’re staying mad just to justify an old mistake. Then it’s just a game. Two
people staring away, refusing to look back over their shoulders, afraid to be the first one to take that
chance—”
“It wasn’t like that,” Juliette said. “I don’t want your job. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of others
who do.”
“If it’s not you, it’s someone I’m not sure I can trust. Not anymore.”
“Then give it to the next girl.” She smiled.
“It’s you or him. And I think he’ll be getting more guidance from the thirties than he will from
me, or from the Pact.”
Juliette seemed to react to this. Her arms loosened across her chest. She turned and met Jahns’s
gaze. Marnes was studying all this from across the room.
“The last sheriff, Holston, what happened to him?”
“He went to cleaning,” Jahns said.
“He volunteered,” Marnes added gruffly.
“I know, but why?” She frowned. “I heard it was his wife.”
“There’s all kinds of speculation—”
“I remember him talking about her, when you two came down to look into George’s death. I
thought, at first, that he was flirting with me, but all he could talk about was this wife of his.”
“They were in the lottery while we were down here,” Marnes reminded her.
“Yeah. That’s right.” She studied the bed for a while. Paperwork was spread across it.
“I wouldn’t know how to do this job. I only know how to fix things.”
“It’s the same thing,” Marnes told her. “You were a big help with our case down here. You see
how things work. How they fit together. Little clues that other people miss.”
“You’re talking about machines,” she said.
“People aren’t much different,” Marnes told her.
“I think you already know this,” Jahns said. “I think you have the right attitude, actually. The right
disposition. This is only slightly a political office. Distance is good.”
Juliette shook her head and looked back to Marnes. “So you nominated me for this, is that it? I
wondered how this came up. Seemed like something right out of the ground.”
“You’d be good at it,” Marnes told her. “I think you’d be damned good at anything you set your
mind to. And this is more important work than you think.”
“And I’d live up top?”
“Your office is on level one. Near the airlock.”
Juliette seemed to mull this over. Jahns was excited that she was even asking questions.
“The pay is more than you’re making now, even with the extra shifts.”
“You checked?”
Jahns nodded. “I took some liberties before we came down.”
“Like talking to my father.”
“That’s right. He would love to see you, you know. If you came with us.”
Juliette looked down at her boots. “Not sure about that.”
“There’s one other thing,” Marnes said, catching Jahns’s eye. He glanced at the paperwork on the
bed. The crisply folded contract for Peter Billings was on top. “IT,” he reminded her.
Jahns caught his drift.
“There’s one matter to clear up, before you accept.”
“I’m not sure I’m accepting. I’d want to hear more about this power holiday, organize the work
shifts down here—”
“According to tradition, IT signs off on all nominated positions—”
Juliette rolled her eyes and blew out her breath. “IT.”
“Yes, and we checked in with them on the way down as well, just to smooth things over.”
“I’m sure,” Juliette said.
“It’s about these requisitions,” Marnes interjected.
Juliette turned to him.
“We know it probably ain’t nothing, but it’s gonna come up—”
“Wait, is this about the heat tape?”
“Heat tape?”
“Yeah.” Juliette frowned and shook her head. “Those bastards.”
Jahns mimed pinching two inches of air. “They had a folder on you this thick. Said you were
skimming supplies meant for them.”
“No they didn’t. Are you kidding?” She pointed toward the door. “We can’t get any of the
supplies we need because of them. When I needed heat tape—we had a leak in a heat exchanger a
few months back—we couldn’t get any because Supply tells us the backing material for the tape is all
spoken for. Now, we had that order in a while back, and then I find out from one of our porters that
the tape is going to IT, that they’ve got miles of the stuff for the skins of all their test suits.”
Juliette took a deep breath.
“So I had some intercepted.” She looked to Marnes as she admitted this. “Look, I’m keeping the
power on so they can do whatever it is they do up there, and I can’t get basic supplies. And even
when I do, the quality is complete crap, probably because of unrealistic quotas, rushing the
manufacturing chain—”
“If these are items you really needed,” Jahns interrupted, “then I understand.”
She looked to Marnes, who smiled and dipped his chin as if to say he’d told her this was the right
woman for the job.
Jahns ignored him. “I’m actually glad to hear your side of this,” she told Juliette. “And I wish I
made this trip more often, as sore as my legs are. There are things we take for granted up top, mostly
because they aren’t well understood. I can see now that our offices need to be in better
communication, have more of the constant contact I have with IT.”
“I’ve been saying that for just about twenty years,” Juliette said. “Down here, we joke that this
place was laid out to keep us well out of the way. And that’s how it feels, sometimes.”
“Well, if you come up top, if you take this job, people will hear you. You could be the first link in
that chain of command.”
“Where would IT fall?”
“There will be resistance, but that’s normal with them. I’ve handled it before. I’ll wire my office
for some emergency waivers. We’ll make them retroactive, get these acquisitions aboveboard.” Jahns
studied the younger woman. “As long as I have your assurance that every one of those diverted
supplies were absolutely necessary.”
Juliette did not flinch away from the challenge. “They were,” she said. “Not that it mattered. The
stuff we got from them was crap. Couldn’t have fallen apart better if it’d been designed to. I’ll tell
you what, we finally got our shipment from Supply and have extra tape. I’d love to drop off a peace
offering on our way up. Our design is so much better—”
“Our way up?” Jahns asked, making sure she understood what Juliette was saying, what she was
agreeing to.
Juliette looked them both over. She nodded. “You’ll have to give me a week to sort out the
generator. I’m holding you to that power holiday. And just so you understand, I’ll always consider
myself Mechanical, and I’ll be doing this partly because I see what happens when problems are
ignored. My big push down here has been preventive maintenance. No more waiting for things to
break before we fix them, but to go around and make them hum while they’re still working. Too
many issues have been ignored, let degrade. And I think, if the silo can be thought of as one big
engine, we are like the dirty oil pan down here that needs some people’s attention.” She reached her
hand out to Jahns. “Get me that power holiday, and I’m your man.”
Jahns smiled and took her hand, admired the warmth and power in her confident handshake.
“I’ll get on it first thing in the morning,” she said. “And thank you. Welcome aboard.”
Marnes crossed the room to shake Juliette’s hand as well. “Nice to have you on, boss.”
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!