# ■ 5 Waiting for fifteen thousand years

It's too bright in here，'I said．'I can't see．'

The light suddenly wasn't so bright and I could see again．I was in a round room，which was empty except for a large square computer．

The computer didn't look like the modern computers we have．

You are't God！'I said．'You're just a computer！Just a strange old computer！'

A voice came from it．'Yes，this is computer．Who are you？'

Oh，the computer still worked！I was surprised as it looked so very old．It didn't speak in a natural way as modern computers do．

I'm Hummingbird，'I answered．

You are not a hummingbird．Hummingbirds fly in the forests here，in Star Zoo．You are human．You are not a child of Star Zoo．Computer is happy．'

I listened but I didn't understand．'Hummingbird'was just my name—and the name of one of the animals in the Book of Remembering．Why was this place called the Star Zoo？What was a 'zoo'？I had so many questions to ask！

Computer，'I said，'where do you come from？I never heard of a spaceship as big as this！You speak my language but it sounds different．Why do Hee-Haw and Hoo-Woo think you're God？'

Who is Hee-Haw？Who is Hoo-Woo？'the computer asked．

The two monsters that brought me here，'I answered．

Yes．Dondey．Wolf．All animals believe computer is God．Computer makes ultrasonic sound．Ultrasonics make fear．'

Animals？'I said slowly．Animals were only a story in the Book of Remembering．There were no animals alive today．What was the computer talking about？'Animals…like EeeEee and Cheep-Cheep？'

Eee－Eee is a squirrel，'the computer said．'Cheep-Cheep is a bird．Animals take care of you．'

I was very afraid．Donkey，wolf，squirrel，and bird were all animals named in the Book of Remembering．

Where did these animals come from？'I asked．

Star Zoo came from Earth，'the computer answered．'Star Zoo left Earth．Earth was hot．'

I suddenly couldn't stand．I fell down and my mind exploded again．This time I wasn't angry．I was sad，empty，afraid，and a little crazy．This was the Book of Remembering come to life！

Earth hot？That was the Burning！We made the Earth too hot and all life except humans died．And we humans did it！

Not necessary to fall down，'the computer said．'Computer is not God．Computer wants to talk to humans．Computer is sad that humans have not spoken for fifteen thousand years．'

I stood up slowly．The Book of Remembering was forremembering the animals but they had been dead for twenty thousand years．

But the animals were here！Yes，here in the Star Zoo，after travelling between stars for twenty thousand years！

Why did you leave Earth？What happened？'I asked．

The computer answered，'Humans polluted Earth．Earth was hot．Animals died．'

Yes，'I said．'I know that．'

The computer continued，'Humans made zoo in space．No money．Used plastic bottles．'

What？'I said．I didn't understand．

Collected old plastic bottles．Made zoo with plastic bottles．Cheap．Made big zoo with many rooms．'

Why are there different rooms？'I asked．

Animals and plants live in different ways，'the computer said．'Hot，cold，wet，dry．Impossible to keep all animals and all plants in one room．Need different things．Difficult work to get everything right．Necessary to have big computer．No money．Got old computer from army．'

So that's you？'I said．'You're an old army computer from Earth？'

Computer works and never stops．'

I understand！'I said．'A group of people made this Star Zoo．They knew that Earth was dying．They wanted to save the animals．They sent the Star Zoo away from Earth．'

Star Zoo went，'the computer said．'No money．Went slowly．'

Very slowly，'I agreed．'But What happened to the humans inside the Star Zoo？'

Five thousand years humans gave orders．Computer worked．Computer mended walls．Computer kept Star Zoo alive and safe．Star Zoo worked well．No problems．Humans stopped giving orders．Not necessary to talk． Humans enjoyed eating，playing，sleeping．Computer can do work．For fifteen thousand years computer has worked，thought，learnt，grown．Now you have come．Computer is happy．'

I was happy too and I wasn't afraid．It was wonderful news．The Galaxy wasn't empty！Animals could live on all the worlds and all humans could be happy again．

Humans were lonely without animals．Humans needed animals．

The animals must leave the Star Zoo，'I said to the computer．'We have planets where they can live．Do you agree？'

Star Zoo is not strong，'the computer said．'Holes in walls lose air and water．Animals need planets．Can have more animals on planets．'

Then I must go home，'I said．'I will come back with spaceships．We will take the animals to different planets．Planets everywhere in the Galaxy．'

Computer will choose planets for different animals，'it said．'First plants will grow．Animals will follow．'

You can tell us what to do，'I said．'This is wonderful．

I want to leave now．Is Hee-Haw waiting？'

Donkey waits．'the computer made a noise that was like crying．'Donkey has waited for a few minutes．Computer has waited for fifteen thousand years．You come back．Computer is sad and afraid．'

■ 5 一萬五千年的等待

“這兒太亮了，”我說，“我看不見。”

那盞燈馬上暗了一些，我又看得見了。我站在一個圓圓的房間裡，屋裡除了一臺四四方方的大電腦外什麼也沒有。

這臺電腦看上去和我們用的現代電腦不一樣。

“你不是上帝！”我說，“你不過是臺電腦而已！一臺怪模怪樣的破電腦而已！”

裡面傳出一個聲音：“對，我是電腦。你是誰？”

噢，這電腦還能運轉！我很驚奇，因為看上去它太破舊了。它說話的腔調不像現代電腦那麼自然。

“我是蜂鳥，”我回答。

“你不是蜂鳥。蜂鳥是在這森林裡飛的，在星際動物園。你是人。你不是星際動物園的孩子。電腦很高興。”

我聽著，但無法理解。“蜂鳥”只是我的名字——《往事追憶》中一種動物的名字。這個地方為什麼叫星際動物園？什麼是“動物園”？我有好多問題要問！

“電腦，”我說，“你是哪兒來的？我從沒聽說過這麼大的飛船！你講的是我的語言，可聽起來不大一樣。為什麼'嘻嗬'和'呼嗚'把你當上帝？”

“'嘻嗬'是誰？'呼嗚'又是誰？”電腦問道。

“帶我到這兒來的那兩個怪物，”我回答。

“哦。驢子、狼。所有的動物都把電腦當成上帝。電腦能發出超聲波。超聲波能引起恐懼。”

“動物？”我慢慢地問道。動物不過是《往事追憶》中的故事。今天沒有活著的動物了。這電腦在胡說什麼？“動物……'噫噫'和'嘁嘁'那樣的？”

“'噫噫'是隻松鼠，”電腦說，“'嘁嘁'是隻鳥。照料你的都是動物。”

我很害怕。驢子、狼、松鼠和鳥都是《往事追憶》中動物的名字。

“這些動物是哪兒來的？”我問道。

“星際動物園來自地球，”電腦回答，“星際動物園離開了地球。地球熱。”

我突然站不住了。我倒了下去，頭腦又發懵了。這次我沒有感到憤怒。我難過、空虛、恐懼，還有點狂亂。《往事追憶》變成了活生生的現實！

地球熱？那是因為大火災！我們把地球弄熱了，除了人類以外，所有的生物都死了。那是我們人類乾的！

“不必趴下，”電腦說，“電腦不是上帝。電腦想和人說話。電腦難過，人類已經一萬五千年沒說話了。”

我慢慢站起來。《往事追憶》是為了紀念動物的，但它們已經滅亡了兩萬年。

可動物就在這兒！是的，在星際動物園這兒，在星際間運行了兩萬年後到了這兒！

“你們為什麼離開地球？發生了什麼事？”我問。

電腦回答：“人類汙染了地球。地球熱。動物死了。”

“是的，”我說。“我知道這些。”

電腦接著說：“人類在太空建造動物園。沒有錢，就用塑料瓶子。”

“什麼？”我說。我不明白。

“回收舊塑料瓶子，用塑料瓶子建造動物園。便宜。建造了有很多房間的大動物園。”

“為什麼要分不同的房間？”我問。

“動物和植物的生活方式各不相同，”電腦說，“熱的、冷的、溼的、乾的。不可能把所有動物和所有植物都放在同一個房間裡。需要不同的東西。把一切都弄好是困難的工作。需要有大電腦。沒有錢，從軍隊弄來舊電腦。”

“就是你嗎？”我說，“你是從地球來的舊軍用電腦？”

“電腦永遠工作，從不停止。”

“我知道！”我說，“有一些人建造了這個星際動物園。他們知道地球就要滅亡。他們希望拯救動物。他們把星際動物園從地球上發射走了。”

“星際動物園走了，”電腦說，“沒有錢。慢慢地走了。”

“非常慢，”我也這麼認為。“但星際動物園裡的人呢？”

“人類在5000年發佈指令。電腦執行。電腦修補牆壁。電腦維持星際動物園的生存和安全。星際動物園運轉良好。沒有問題。人類不再給指令了。沒有必要說話。人類喜歡吃、玩、睡。電腦可以工作。一萬五千年了，電腦工作、思想、學習、成長。現在你來了。電腦高興。”

我也高興，我不害怕了。這是個好消息。銀河系不再是空蕩蕩的了！動物們可以在任何世界上生活，所有的人類又可以快樂了。

沒有動物，人類感覺孤獨。人類需要動物。

“動物們得離開星際動物園，”我對電腦說，“我們有行星，它們可以在上面生活。你同意麼？”

“星際動物園不結實，”電腦說，“牆上的破洞漏氣、漏水。動物們需要行星。行星上可以有更多的動物生活。”

“那我必須回家，”我說，“我會帶著些飛船來。我們把動物送到各個行星上去。銀河系裡的所有行星。”

“電腦將為不同的動物挑選行星，”它說，“先種植物。接著是動物。”

“你可以告訴我們怎麼做，”我說，“這太好了。我現在要走了。'嘻嗬'還在等著嗎？”

“驢子在等著。”電腦發出一種像哭一樣的聲音：“驢子等了幾分鐘。電腦等了一萬五千年。你回來了。電腦又難過，又害怕。”