Атлант расправил плечи
The Generator
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Theunitknownas"ProjectF"—inhonorofitsoriginator,Dr.Ferris—wasasmallstructureofreinforcedconcrete,lowontheslopeofthehillthatsupportedtheStateScienceInstituteonahigher,morepubliclevel.Onlythesmallgraypatchoftheunit’sroofcouldbeseenfromtheInstitute’swindows,hiddeninajungleofancienttrees;itlookednobiggerthanthecoverofamanhole.
Theunitconsistedoftwostoriesintheshapeofasmallcubeplacedasymmetricallyontopofalargerone.Thefirststoryhadnowindows,onlyadoorstuddedwithironspikes;thesecondstoryhadbutonewindow,asifinreluctantconcessiontodaylight,likeafacewithasingleeye.ThemenonthestaffoftheInstitutefeltnocuriosityaboutthatstructureandavoidedthepathsthatleddowntoitsdoor;nobodyhadeversuggestedit,buttheyhadtheimpressionthatthestructurehousedaprojectdevotedtoexperimentswiththegermsofdeadlydiseases.
Thetwofloorswereoccupiedbylaboratoriesthatcontainedagreatmanycageswithguineapigs,dogsandrats.Buttheheartandmeaningofthestructurewasaroominitscellar,deepundertheground;theroomhadbeenincompetentlylinedwiththeporoussheetsofsoundproofingmaterial;thesheetshadbeguntocrackandthenakedrockofacaveshowedthrough.
Theunitwasalwaysprotectedbyasquadoffourspecialguards.
