简介太阳是一个巨大的燃烧着的火球。没有来自太阳的光和热,我们就不能在地球这颗行星上生存。在这颗行星周围有臭氧层保护着我们免受太阳之火的伤害。但是如果臭氧层破裂,将会怎样呢?现在臭氧层上已经有了小洞,有人说那些小洞会变得越来越大——直到有一天再没有任何东西挡在我们和太阳的火焰之间。事情发生在2222年。地球人制造了AOL——人工臭氧层。美丽的地球又有了1000年的生命。树又发芽了,下雨了,河里有了水……但现在是2522年,人工臭氧层已经破裂。幼嫩的树林开始枯萎,河流也逐渐干涸。凯和瑞拉从他们的宇宙飞船里看到了这危险的情景,可他们又能做些什么呢?月亮下面的部族里住着他们的朋友,可是路途遥远,而地球首领高格又不肯听从他们的指挥。本书的作者罗维纳·阿金耶米是英国人。曾在非洲居住和工作了多年。现在她在剑桥工作和生活。1AOLFivehundredkilometresoverEurope,ShipOM-45movednorth.Inaroomatthebackoftheship,Kiahwatchedthenumbersonthecomputerinfrontofhim.‘Timefordinner,’Rillasaid.ThenumberschangedquicklyandKiah'seyesdidn'tmove.Rillawentacrosstheroomtohistable.Shebegantowatchthenumbers,too.‘What'swrongwiththesatellite?’sheasked.Shewasabeautifulgirl,abouttwentyyearsold,withlongblackhairandbigeyes.‘Nothing'swrongwiththesatellite,’Kiahansweredquietly.‘It'stheAOL.’Hebegantowritethenumbersinthebookonhistable.Suddenly,thenumbersstoppedchanging.KiahlookedatRilla.‘OverEurope,’hesaid.‘It'shappening.TheAOLisbreakingup.TherearebigholesintheAOLandthey'regettingbigger.’‘You'reright!ShallweseeCaptainSerunow,beforedinner?’Kiahstoodup.Hewasnearlytwometrestall,withdarkeyesandhair.‘Yes,comeon,’hesaid.Quickly,theywenttoCaptainSeru'sroom.Theywaitedatthedoor.‘Comein!’captainSerucalled.Shewasalittlewomanwithafatface.‘Comein!Wouldyoulikeadrink?’‘No,thankyou,’Kiahanswered.‘I'dlikeyoutolookatthesenumbers.’KiahgaveCaptainSeruhisbook.1人工臭氧层OM-45号宇宙飞船在欧洲上空500公里的高度向北飞行。飞船尾部的一个房间里,凯注视着面前计算机屏幕上的数字。“该吃饭了。”瑞拉叫他。那些数字飞快地变换着,凯眼都不眨一下。瑞拉穿过房间走到他的桌旁。她也开始观察那些数字。“卫星怎么了?”她问。她是个美丽的女孩,大约二十岁,黑黑的长发,大大的眼睛。“卫星没问题,”凯平静地回答,“是人工臭氧层。”他伏在桌上,开始往一个本子上记录那些数字。突然,那些数字停止了变换。凯转向瑞拉。“在欧洲上空,”他说,“已经开始了。人工臭氧层正在破裂。那上面本来就有大洞了,现在那些洞还在增大。”“说得对,咱们现在去见塞鲁船长吧,待会儿再吃饭好吗?”凯站起身。他身高几乎有两米,眼睛和头发都是黑色的。“好,走吧。”他说。他们迅速朝塞鲁船长的房间走去。他们等在船长的门外。“进来!”塞鲁船长喊道。她是个胖脸的小个子女人。“进来!喝点什么吗?”“不用,谢谢,”凯说,“我想请您看看这些数字。”凯把自己的笔记本递给塞鲁船长。CaptainSerulookedatthenumbers.Suddenly,herfacechanged.‘No,no,’shesaid.‘Idon'twanttotalk.It'slateandI'mtired.Sitdownandhaveadrink.’KiahandRillasatdown.TherewasabigwindowinCaptainSeru'sroom.Kiahlookedoutofthewindowatthedarksky.HesawtheMoon.Itwascoldandwhiteinthedarksky.‘CaptainSeru,’hebegan.‘It'simportant.Lookatthosenumberscarefully.TheAOLisbeginningto—’‘Stop!’captainSerustoodupandputherhandsinherpockets.Shewenttothewindowandlookedatthesky.‘Threehundredyearsago,Earthnearlydied,’Rillasaid.‘EarthstoppeddyingbecauseoftheAOL.Butnow,overEurope,theAOLisbreakingup.WewouldlikeyoutotalktoEarthCommander.’CaptainSerudidnotmove.‘DoyourememberAdai?’sheasked.Shedidn'twaitforananswer.‘Iwasonhisship,twoyearsago.Oneevening,thesatellitegaveusinterestingnumbersabouttheAOL.WewentbacktoEarthandsawEarthCommander.’captainSerustoppedspeaking.RillalookedatKiah.‘Andthen?’sheaskedCaptainSeru.‘Gogwasangry,veryangry,’captainSerusaid.‘Intheend,hesentAdaitotheMoon.Adai'stherenow,CommanderoftheMooncolony,undertheMoon.’Kiahwaitedforasecondortwo.‘IknowaboutAdai.ButweneedtotalktoEarthCommanderagain.Thesenumbersareworse.’CaptainSeru'sfacewentred.‘Youdon'tunderstand.I'mnotgoingtotalktoGog.Lasttime,hesentmetoaweathershipintheAntarctic!ThisismyfirstShipfortwoyears!’AndCaptainSerubegandrinking.Kiahstoodup.‘Thankyou,CaptainSeru.’CaptainSerusaidnothing.KiahandRillalefttheroom,andwalkedslowlydownstairs.TheShipwasdarkandquiet.Itwaseighto'clockandevery-bodywasatdinner.‘Whatarewegoingtodonext?’Rillaasked.‘IneedtotalktoAdai,’Kiahsaid.塞鲁船长看了看那些数字。突然,她的脸色变了。“不,不,”她说,“我不想谈。时候不早了,我也累了。坐下喝点什么吧。”凯和瑞拉坐了下来。塞鲁船长的房间里有一扇大窗子。凯透过玻璃凝望黑色的天空。他看见了月亮。在黑色的天幕下月亮显得冰冷皎洁。“塞鲁船长,”他开口了,“这事很重要。仔细看看那些数字。人工臭氧层已经开始……”“别说了。”塞鲁船长站起身把双手插进衣兜。她走到窗前注视着天空。“300年前,地球几乎毁灭,”瑞拉说,“因为有人工臭氧层地球才免于灾难。但是现在,在欧洲上空,人工臭氧层正在破裂。我们希望您能和地球司令高格谈一谈。”塞鲁船长没有动。“你还记得阿岱吗?”她问。不等回答,她接着说:“两年前我在他的船上。一天晚上卫星发回了关于人工臭氧层的一些不寻常的数据。我们回到地球去见地球司令。”塞鲁船长停了下来。瑞拉看了一眼凯。“然后呢?”她问船长。“高格生气了,特别生气,”塞鲁船长说,“最后,他把阿岱分配到了月球。阿岱现在还在那儿,在月亮下面作月亮部族的司令。”凯等了一两秒钟:“我知道阿岱的事。但是我们需要再和地球司令谈谈。这些数据比上次的还要糟。”塞鲁船长的脸涨红了:“你不明白。我不会去跟高格说的。上次他把我发配到了南极的一艘气象飞船上。我第一次在飞船上呆了两年。”塞鲁船长喝了一口水。凯站起身:“谢谢您,塞鲁船长。”塞鲁船长没说话。凯和瑞拉出了门,脚步迟缓地下楼去了。飞船里寂静漆黑。8点钟了,大家都在吃饭。“下一步咱们怎们办?”瑞拉问。“我得跟阿岱谈谈。”凯说。‘OK,talktoAdai.Buthe'sfarawayontheMooncolony,’Rillasaid.‘Let'svisitCommanderZadak.’‘Zadak?CommanderofAustralia?He'sfamous!’‘Yes.He'smyfather'sfriend.HeworkedwithmyfatherinBraziltenyearsago.Perhapshecanhelpus.’Kiahsmiled.‘Good!WereturntoEarthnextweek.IcanphoneAdaifromKisanganiandthenwecangotoAustralia.Butnow,I'mhungry!Let'sgetsomedinner.’2VisittoAustraliaOnFriday,afterthreeweeksinspace,KiahandRillafinishedworkandleftShipOM-45onaspaceplanetoKisangani.KiahphonedAdaiandRillaphonedCommanderZadakinAustralia.ThenextmorningtheytookanaeroplanetoSydney.AtaxitookthemfromtheairporttoCommanderZadak'soffice,somekilometresnorthofSydney.‘Waitforushere,’Kiahsaidtothetaxidriver.KiahandRillawalkedtothegate.Abouttenguardsstoodinfrontofthegate.Acrosstheroad,atrainwaited.‘Rilla,OM-45,’Rillasaid.‘ToseeCommanderZadakatfour-thirty.’‘LetmecalltheCommander'soffice,’theguardsaid.KiahandRillawaited.ItwashotandKiahbegantofeelthirsty.Theguardcameback.‘I'msorry,’hesaid.‘TheCom-mandercan'tseeyou.’‘ButItalkedtotheCommanderyesterday,’Rillasaid.‘Hewantedtoseeusatfour-thirty.’‘TheCommand