論壇

第四章，077站

不知过了多久，一阵剧烈的晃动和尖锐刺耳的金属摩擦声将瑞克从并不安稳的睡梦中惊醒；窗外一片漆黑，只有几盏孤零零的、光线昏黄的站台灯在黑暗中勾勒出一个简陋站台的轮廓；列车广播里传来一个带着浓重鼻音、不甚清晰的男声：「……077号补给站，停车二十分钟……补给燃料及淡水……乘客可短暂下车活动，但请勿远离站台……注意保管随身物品……」 车厢里顿时响起一阵轻微的骚动和抱怨声，不少人揉着眼睛坐直了身体；瑞克也感到一阵尿意，他活动了一下僵硬的脖子和肩膀，随着几个同样睡眼惺忪的乘客一起站起身，向车厢连接处的盥洗室走去；解决完个人问题，他决定下车透透气，冰冷的空气或许能驱散残留的睡意；他裹紧外套，踏下踏板，一股凛冽得如同刀割般的寒气瞬间穿透衣物，让他打了个激灵，彻底清醒过来；077站台简陋得超乎想象，只有一条低矮的砖石站房，窗户里透出一点微弱的光，站台上覆盖着厚厚的积雪，在昏黄的灯光下泛着冰冷的白光；几个穿着臃肿皮毛大衣、戴着厚厚皮帽的身影在站台边缘摆起了小摊，售卖着一些粗糙但实用的东西：用厚实毛毡做的保温水壶套、粗线编织的厚袜子、硬邦邦的肉干、还有散发着刺鼻气味的劣质烟草；瑞克跺着脚取暖，走到一个售卖袜子的摊子前，摊主是个脸冻得通红、胡子上结满白霜的中年男人，他缩着脖子，只露出一双警惕而疲惫的眼睛；瑞克看中了一双看起来最厚实的灰色羊毛袜，「这个多少钱？」他问道，声音在寒冷的空气中显得有些发闷；摊主伸出戴着破旧皮手套的手，比划了一个数字，声音沙哑：「三枚铜板，先生。」 价格还算公道；瑞克摸出几枚冰冷的铜币递过去，摊主迅速接过，塞进怀里，同时把袜子塞给瑞克，整个过程快得几乎没有交流；瑞克拿着袜子，又看了看旁边摊子上黑乎乎、散发着可疑气味的肉干，最终还是没敢尝试；他站在站台上，呼出的气息瞬间凝结成白雾，抬头望向天空，深邃的墨蓝色天幕上，星辰从未如此清晰明亮，仿佛冰冷的钻石撒落在天鹅绒上，巨大而璀璨，低垂得似乎触手可及，带着一种远离尘嚣的、令人屏息的壮美和孤寂；远处是无边无际的、被白雪覆盖的黑暗荒原，只有列车粗重的喘息声证明着人类文明的微弱存在。很快，站台工作人员吹响了刺耳的哨子，催促乘客上车。瑞克最后看了一眼那辽阔得令人心悸的星空，转身快步踏上了冰冷的金属踏板。车厢门关闭，将刺骨的寒风隔绝在外。列车再次发出沉重的轰鸣，缓缓启动，将孤零零的077站台和那几盏昏黄的灯光，连同那片令人震撼的星空，一起抛入了身后无边的黑暗之中。

It was unknown how much time had passed when a violent shaking and a sharp, shrill sound of metal friction woke Rick up his restless sleep. Outside the window, it was pitch-dark, with only a few solitary, dim station lamps outlining the outline of a simple platform in the darkness. A male voice with a heavy nasal tone and unclear clarity came the train's announcement: "..." Supply Station No. 077, stop for twenty minutes... Replenish fuel and fresh water... Passengers may get off the train for a short while to move around, but please do not leave the platform... Take good care of your personal belongings..." Suddenly, a slight commotion and complaints rang out in the carriage. Many people rubbed their eyes and sat up straight. Rick also felt a urge to urinate. He stretched his stiff neck and shoulders and, along with several other sleepy-looking passengers, stood up and walked towards the washroom at the junction of the carriages. After solving his personal problems, he decided to get off the car to get some fresh air. The cold air might be able to dispel the remaining sleepiness. He tightly wrapped his coat, stepped on the pedal, and a sharp chill, as if cut by a knife, instantly pierced through his clothes, making him shiver and fully wake up. Platform 077 was so rudimentary that it was beyond imagination. There was only a low brick and stone station building. A faint light seeped through the Windows. The platform was covered with thick snow, which glowed with a cold white light under the dim yellow light. Several figures dressed in bulky fur coats and thick leather hats set up small stalls at the edge of the platform, selling some rough but practical items: thermos covers made of thick felt, thick socks woven with coarse thread, hard dried meat, and poor-quality tobacco with a pungent smell. Rick stomped his feet to keep warm and walked up to a sock stall. The stall owner was a middle-aged man with a red face the cold and a beard covered in white frost. He hunched his neck, revealing only a pair of vigilant and tired eyes. Rick took a fancy to a pair of grey wool socks that looked the thickest. "How much are these?" He asked, his voice sounding a little muffled in the cold air. The vendor stretched out his hand wearing tattered leather gloves and gestured a number, his voice hoarse: "Three copper coins, Sir." " The price is still reasonable. Rick took out a few cold copper coins and handed them over. The vendor quickly took them and stuffed them into his arms, while at the same time giving Rick socks. The whole process was so fast that there was almost no communication. Rick held the socks and looked at the black and suspiciingly smelly dried meat on the stall beside him. In the end, he still didn't dare to try. He stood on the platform, and the breath he exhaled instantly condensed into white mist. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the deep, dark blue sky had never seen the stars so clear and bright before, as if cold diamonds had been scattered on the velvet, huge and brilliant, hanging low as if within reach, carrying a kind of breathtaking grandeur and loneliness far the hustle and bustle. In the distance lies an endless, snow-covered dark wasteland, with only the heavy panting of the train testifies to the faint existence of human civilization. Soon, the platform staff blew a shrill whistle, urging passengers to board the train. Rick took one last look at the vast starry sky that made his heart race, then turned around and quickly stepped onto the cold metal pedal. The carriage door was closed, keeping the bone-chilling wind out. The train rumbled heavily again and started slowly, throwing the solitary Platform 077 and those few dim yellow lights, along with the breathtaking starry sky, into the boundless darkness behind them.