K-Pax (13 page)

PLANET
,
 
compare
d
 
t
o
 
EARTH-n
o
 
ocean
s
 
a
t
 
all
,
 
n
o
 
rivers
,
 
n
o
 
lakes-s
o
 
lif
e
 
bega
n
 
o
n
 
lan
d
 
or
,
 
more precisely
,
 
underground
.
 
You
r
 
specie
s
 
evolve
d
 
fro
m
 
th
e
 
fishes
;
 
ou
r
 
forefather
s
 
wer
e
 
somethin
g
 
lik
e
 
your
worms."

"An
d
ye
t
yo
u
evolve
d
int
o
somethin
g
ver
y
muc
h
lik
e
us."

"
I
though
t
I
explaine
d
tha
t
i
n
ou
r
previou
s
discussion
.
Yo
u
coul
d
chec
k
you
r
notes"

"Thi
s
i
s
al
l
ver
y
interesting-uh-prot
,
bu
t
wha
t
doe
s
paleontolog
y
hav
e
t
o
d
o
wit
h
you
r
upbringing?"

"Everythin
g
jus
t
a
s
i
t
doe
s
o
n
EARTH."

"Wh
y
don'
t
 
w
e
 
procee
d
 
wit
h
 
you
r
 
childhood
,
 
an
d
 
w
e
 
ca
n
 
com
e
 
bac
k
 
t
o
 
thi
s
 
relationshi
p
 
late
r
 
i
f
 
I

hav
e
an
y
question
s
abou
t
it
.
Woul
d
tha
t
b
e
al
l
right?" H
e
ben
t
ove
r
th
e
noteboo
k
again
.
"Certainly."

"Ver
y
 
well
.
 
First
,
 
let'
s
 
tal
k
 
abou
t
 
som
e
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
fundamenta
l
 
items
,
 
shal
l
 
we
?
 
Fo
r
 
example
,
 
ho
w
 
often
d
o
yo
u
se
e
you
r
parents
?
Ar
e
you
r
grandparent
s
stil
l
alive
?
D
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
brother
s
o
r
sisters?"

"Gene
,
 
gene
,
 
gene
.
 
Yo
u
 
haven'
t
 
bee
n
 
listening
.
 
Thing
s
 
ar
e
 
no
t
 
th
e
 
sam
e
 
o
n
 
K-PA
X
 
a
s
 
the
y
 
ar
e
 
on
EARTH
.
 
W
e
 
don'
t
 
hav
e
 
`families
'
 
a
s
 
yo
u
 
kno
w
 
th
e
 
term
.
 
Th
e
 
whol
e
 
ide
a
 
o
f
 
a
 
`family
'
 
woul
d
 
b
e
 
a
 
non
sequitu
r
o
n
ou
r
PLANET
,
an
d
o
n
mos
t
others
.
Childre
n
ar
e
no
t
raise
d
 
b
y
 
thei
r
 
biologica
l
 
parents
,
 
bu
t
 
by
everyone
.
The
y
circulat
e
amon
g
us
,
learnin
g
fro
m
one
,
the
n
another."

"Woul
d
i
t
b
e
fai
r
t
o
say
,
then
,
tha
t
a
s
a
chil
d
yo
u
ha
d
n
o
hom
e
t
o
g
o
to?"

"Exactly
.
No
w
you'v
e
go
t
it."

"I
n
othe
r
word
s
yo
u
neve
r
kne
w
you
r
parents."

"
I
ha
d
thousand
s
o
f
parents."

I
 
mad
e
 
a
 
not
e
 
tha
t
 
prot'
s
 
denyin
g
 
hi
s
 
fathe
r
 
an
d
 
mothe
r
 
confirme
d
 
m
y
 
earlie
r
 
suspicio
n
 
o
f
 
a
deep-seate
d
 
hatre
d
 
o
f
 
on
e
 
o
r
 
both
,
 
possibl
y
 
du
e
 
t
o
 
abuse
,
 
o
r
 
perhap
s
 
h
e
 
ha
d
 
bee
n
 
orphaned
,
 
or
neglected
,
o
r
eve
n
abandone
d
b
y
them
.
"Woul
d
yo
u
sa
y
yo
u
ha
d
a
happ
y
childhood?"

"Very."

"Ca
n
yo
u
thin
k
o
f
an
y
unpleasan
t
experience
s
yo
u
ha
d
a
s
a
child?"

prot'
s
eye
s
close
d
tightly
,
a
s
the
y
ofte
n
di
d
whe
n
h
e
trie
d
t
o
concentrat
e
o
r
t
o
recollec
t
something.

"No
t
really
.
Nothin
g
unusual
.
I
wa
s
knocke
d
dow
n
b
y
a
n
a
p
a
coupl
e
o
f
times
,
an
d
squirte
d
b
y
a
 
mot
onc
e
o
r
twice
.
An
d
I
ha
d
somethin
g
lik
e
you
r
measle
s
an
d
mumps
.
Littl
e
thing
s
lik
e
that."

"A
n 'ap'?"

"Lik
e
a
smal
l
elephant."

"Wher
e
wa
s
this?"

"O
n
K-PAX."

"Yes
,
bu
t
wher
e
o
n
K-PAX
?
You
r
ow
n
country?"

"W
e
don'
t
hav
e
countrie
s
o
n
K-PAX."

"Well
,
d
o
elephant
s
ru
n
aroun
d
loos
e
there?"

"Everythin
g
run
s
aroun
d
loos
e
there
.
W
e
don'
t
hav
e
zoos."

"Ar
e
an
y
o
f
th
e
animal
s
dangerous?"

"Onl
y
i
f
yo
u
ge
t
i
n
thei
r
way."

"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
a
wif
e
waitin
g
fo
r
yo
u
bac
k
o
n
K-PAX?
"
Thi
s
wa
s
anothe
r
tos
s
fro
m
lef
t
field
,
 
agai
n
 
to
determin
e
th
e
effec
t
o
f
a
ke
y
wor
d
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
patient'
s
 
stat
e
 
o
f
 
mind
.
 
Excep
t
 
fo
r
 
a
 
barel
y
 
perceptibl
e
 
shif
t
 
in
hi
s
chair
,
h
e
remaine
d
calm.