49 THE MINING STATION

CHAPTER 49 THE MINING STATION The mining station looked like a floating city, with buildings and walkways and machines and antennas rising up from a wide platform. That platform sat high above the waves on the station's base, which resembled a massive barrel floating upright in the water. Below the waterline were four enormous engines. The engines were not designed to move the station around—they were designed to keep it in place. They constantly adjusted to the changing conditions, slowing down, speeding up, turning in various directions. Wind could gust and waves could crash and currents could ebb and flow, but that station wouldn't budge as long as its engines were active. This complex, state-of-the-art industrial mining station had a name. It was called the Juggernaut.

第四十九章采矿站采矿站看起来像一个漂浮的城市，有建筑物、人行道、机器和天线从一个宽阔的平台上升起。 这个平台位于空间站底部的波浪之上，就像一个直立漂浮在水中的巨大桶。 水线下面有四个巨大的发动机。 这些引擎不是用来移动空间站的，而是用来固定空间站的。 他们不断地适应变化的条件，减速，加速，转向不同的方向。 风可以刮，浪可以撞，水流可以涨落，但只要它的引擎是活跃的，这个站就不会移动。 这个复杂的、最先进的工业采矿站有一个名字。 它被称为Juggernaut。

Roz needed to speak with the humans aboard the Juggernaut. But how would they react to an unknown

罗兹需要和神像上的人类说话。 但他们会如何应对未知

robot emerging from the sea? She had to proceed with caution. So when she came across a small iceberg drifting toward the station, she latched on to the bottom and let the current carry her, hidden from view. As Roz clung to the underside of the iceberg, she looked down. Somewhere far below, a giant mining robot was at work. But the ocean was deep, and she could see only darkness. And then she noticed movement, not from below but from ahead. The Juggernaut's huge, underwater door was opening. The door opened wider and wider, revealing three aquatic robots inside. The word HYDRO was etched into each of their bodies, followed by their individual unit number. They were HYDRO 1, HYDRO 2, and HYDRO 3. The HYDROs were large and streamlined, like robotic whales. Powerful engines enabled them to speed through the depths in any direction. When needed, two arms could extend from their sides, and at the end of each arm was an array of tools, including a claw strong enough to tear through steel. When the station's underwater door had fully opened, HYDRO 1 started to move. She cruised out through the doorway and was followed by her two partners. Together, the HYDROs dove toward the bottom of the ocean, and as they faded into the deep, the underwater door closed behind them.

机器人从海里冒出来？ 她必须小心行事。 因此，当她遇到一座向车站漂来的小冰山时，她抓住冰山底部，让水流带着她，隐藏起来。 罗兹紧紧抓住冰山底部，往下看。 在地下很远的地方，一个巨大的采矿机器人正在工作。 但是海洋很深，她只能看到一片黑暗。 然后她注意到有动静，不是从下面，而是从前面。 神像巨大的水下之门打开了。 门越开越大，里面露出了三个水上机器人。 HYDRO这个词被蚀刻在他们每个人的身上，后面跟着他们的个人单位编号。 它们是HYDRO 1， HYDRO 2和HYDRO 3。 HYDROs又大又流线型，就像机器鲸鱼。 强大的引擎使它们能够向任何方向快速穿过深海。 当需要的时候，两只手臂可以从两侧伸出来，在每只手臂的末端都有一系列工具，包括一个足以撕裂钢铁的爪子。 当空间站的水下门完全打开时，HYDRO 1号开始移动。 她信步走出门口，后面跟着她的两个舞伴。 HYDROs号一起向海底俯冲，当它们沉入深海时，水下的门在它们身后关上了。

Roz turned her attention up to the structures above. A tall ladder was bolted to the station's outer wall. She gently steered the iceberg toward the ladder, and a few minutes later, she was climbing. Up the side of the station she went, rung after rung, higher and higher. Once Roz reached the top of the ladder, she poked her head up and scanned the platform. Buildings, walkways, railings. Then, on the opposite side of the platform, a robot appeared. The robot looked similar to Roz, but bigger and bulkier, like he was built for working with heavy machines. His body was covered with dents and scrapes, and the name BOSUN 5 was lightly etched on his chest. He marched over to a stack of gigantic pipes, picked one up, and

罗兹把注意力转向了上面的建筑。 一个高高的梯子用螺栓固定在车站的外墙上。 她轻轻地把冰山移向梯子，几分钟后，她爬上了梯子。 她爬上车站，一阶又一阶，越爬越高。 一到梯子顶端，罗兹就抬起头，扫视了一下平台。 建筑物，人行道，栏杆。 然后，在站台的另一边，一个机器人出现了。 这个机器人看起来和罗兹很像，但更大更笨重，就像他是为了和重型机器一起工作而建造的一样。 他的身上布满了凹痕和擦伤，BOSUN 5的名字轻轻地蚀刻在他的胸前。 他大步走到一堆巨大的烟斗前，拿起一根，然后

carried it between buildings and out of sight. Another robot appeared. BOSUN 3 had a searing-hot blowtorch for a hand and was welding together steel beams. And there was BOSUN 9, fixing the roof of a building. A whole crew of BOSUN robots worked on the station. If any of them saw Roz, they might attack, and she might be destroyed before ever speaking with the humans. So she waited until the BOSUNs had finished their tasks and stomped away. Only then did she climb onto the platform. Within the jumble of structures on the Juggernaut, one towering building stood high above the rest. From the roof of that tower, Roz would have a clear view of the entire station, and she could plan the best way to introduce herself to the humans. Daylight was fading. As soon as the platform was cloaked in twilight, Roz

带着它穿过建筑物，消失在视线之外。 另一个机器人出现了。BOSUN 3的手拿着一个灼热的喷灯，正在焊接钢梁。 BOSUN 9正在修理一座建筑物的屋顶。 一群BOSUN机器人在空间站工作。 如果他们中有人看到罗兹，他们可能会攻击她，她可能会在与人类交谈之前被摧毁。 所以她一直等到bosun完成了他们的任务，然后跺着脚走开了。 她才爬上月台。 在神像上杂乱的建筑中，有一座高耸的建筑高于其他建筑。 从塔顶，罗兹可以清楚地看到整个空间站，她可以计划最好的方式向人类介绍自己。 天色渐暗。站台一被暮色笼罩，罗兹

started cautiously creeping toward the tower. She weaved between crates and past pieces of machinery. Suddenly, bright floodlights switched on, and Roz was lit up. Our robot had been spotted! She dashed into a narrow alley and waited for the BOSUN robots to come hunting for her. She waited and waited, but nothing happened. And then she noticed that across the station, every floodlight was illuminated. Roz hadn't been spotted after all. The lights had turned on automatically because it was growing dark. Rows of sturdy pipes ran up the back of the tower. Quickly, quietly, Roz climbed the pipes, all the way to the top floor, and pulled herself onto a balcony. Standing flat against the wall, she carefully peered through one of the windows. No robots or humans were in there, only desks and computers. Roz had discovered the control room. If she wanted to learn about the mining operation, this was the place to do it. But she had to act fast. The crew might return at any moment. So she pressed a button on the wall, the door slid open, and she stepped inside.

开始小心翼翼地向塔爬去。 她在板条箱和机器之间穿梭。 突然，明亮的泛光灯亮了起来，罗兹被照亮了。 我们的机器人被发现了！她冲进一条狭窄的小巷，等待BOSUN机器人来找她。 她等了又等，但什么也没发生。 然后她注意到车站对面的所有照明灯都亮着。 罗兹根本没有被发现。 灯是自动打开的，因为天黑了。 一排排坚固的管子在塔的后面延伸。 罗兹迅速、悄无声息地爬上水管，一直爬到顶楼，爬上了阳台。 她靠着墙站着，透过一扇窗户仔细地往外看。 里面没有机器人也没有人，只有桌子和电脑。 罗兹发现了控制室。 如果她想了解采矿作业，这里就是一个好地方。 但她必须迅速行动。船员们随时都可能回来。 于是她按下了墙上的一个按钮，门滑开了，她走了进去。