michael crichton.congo-第13节

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　〃That　means　Amy　wants　to　take　a　trip；〃　Peter　Elliot　said。
　
　6。　Departure
　
　THE　HINGED　NOSE　OF　THE　BOEING　747　CARGO　JET　lay　open　like　a　jaw；　exposing　the　cavernous；　brightly　lit　interior。　The　plane　had　been　flown　up　from　Houston　to　San　Francisco　that　afternoon；　it　was　now　nine　o'clock　at　night；　and　puzzled　workers　were　loading　on　the　large　aluminum　travel　cage；　boxes　of　vitamin　pills；　a　portable　potty；　and　cartons　of　toys。　One　workman　pulled　out　a　Mickey　Mouse　drinking　cup　and　stared　at　it；　shaking　his　head。
　Outside　on　the　concrete；　Elliot　stood　with　Amy；　who　covered　her　ears　against　the　whine　of　the　jet　engines。　She　signed　to　Peter；　Birds　noisy。
　〃We　fly　bird；　Amy；〃　he　said。
　Amy　had　never　flown　before；　and　had　never　seen　an　airplane　at　close　hand。　We　go　car；　she　decided；　looking　at　the　plane。
　〃We　can't　go　by　car。　We　fly。〃　Fly　where　fly？　Amy　signed。
　〃Fly　jungle。〃
　This　seemed　to　perplex　her；　but　he　did　not　want　to　explain　further。　Like　all　gorillas；　Amy　had　an　aversion　to　water；　refusing　to　cross　even　small　streams。　He　knew　she　would　be　distressed　to　hear　that　they　would　be　flying　over　large　bodies　of　water。　Changing　the　subject；　he　suggested　they　board　the　plane　and　look　around。　As　they　climbed　the　sloping　ramp　up　the　nose；　Amy　signed；　Where　button　woman？
　He　had　not　seen　Ross。　for　the　last　five　hours；　and　was　surprised　to　discover　that　she　was　already　on　board；　talking　on　a　telephone　mounted　on　a　wall　of　the　cargo　hold；　one　hand　cupped　over　her　free　ear　to　block　the　noise。　Elliot　overheard　her　say；　〃Well；　Irving　seems　to　think　it's　enough。
　Yes；　we　have　four　nine…oh…seven　units　and　we　are　prepared　to　match　and　absorb。　Two　micro　HUDs；　that's　all。　。　。　Yes；　why　not？〃　She　finished　the　call；　turned　to　Elliot　and　Amy。
　〃Everything　okay？〃　he　asked。
　〃Fine。　I'll　show　you　around。〃　She　led　him　deeper　into　the　cargo　hold；　with　Amy　at　his　side。　Elliot　glanced　back　and　saw　the　chauffeur　ing　up　the　ramp　with　a　series　of　numbered　metal　boxes　marked　INTEC；　INC。　followed　by　serial　numbers。
　〃This；〃　Karen　Ross　said；　〃is　the　main　cargo　hold。〃　It　was　filled　with　four…wheel…drive　trucks；　Land　Cruisers；　amphibious　vehicles；　inflatable　boats；　and　racks　of　clothing；　equipment；　food…all　tagged　with　puter　codes；　all　loaded　in　modules。　Ross　explained　that　ERTS　could　outfit　expeditions　to　any　geographical　and　climatic　condition　in　a　matter　of　hours。　She　kept　emphasizing　the　speed　possible　with　puter　assembly。
　〃Why　the　rush？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃It's　business；〃　Karen　Ross　said。　〃Four　years　ago；　there　were　no　panies　like　ERTS。　Now　there　are　nine　around　the　world；　and　what　they　all　sell　is　petitive　advantage；　meaning　speed。　Back　in　the　sixties；　a　pany…say；　an　oil　pany…might　spend　months　or　years　investigating　a　possible　site。　But　that's　no　longer　petitive；　business　decisions　are　made　in　weeks　or　days。　The　pace　of　everything　has　speeded　up。　We're　already　looking　to　the　nineteen…eighties；　where　we'll　provide　answers　in　hours。　Right　now　the　average　ERTS　contract　runs　a　little　under　three　weeks；　or　five　hundred　hours。　But　by　1990　there　will　be　'close　of　business'　data…an　executive　can　call　us　in　the　morning　for　information　anywhere　in　the　world；　and　have　a　plete　report　transmitted　by　puter　to　his　desk　before　close　of　business　that　evening；　say　ten　to　twelve　hours。〃
　As　they　continued　the　tour；　Elliot　noticed　that　although　the　trucks　and　vehicles　caught　the　eye　first；　much　of　the　aircraft　storage　space　was　given　over　to　aluminum　modules　marked　〃C3I。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ross　said。　〃mand…Control　munications　and　Intelligence。　They're　micronic　ponents；　the　most　expensive　budget　item　we　carry。　When　we　started　outfitting　expeditions；　twelve　percent　of　the　cost　went　to　electronics。　Now　it's　up　to　thirty…one　percent；　and　climbing　every　year。　It's　field　munications；　remote　sensing；　defense；　and　soon。〃
　She　led　them　to　the　rear　of　the　plane；　where　there　was　a　modular　living　area；　nicely　furnished；　with　a　large　puter　console；　and　bunks　for　sleeping。
　Amy　signed；　Nice　house。
　''Yes；　it　is　nice。''
　They　were　introduced　to　Jensen；　a　young　bearded　geologist；　and　to　Irving；　who　announced　that　he　was　the　〃triple　B。〃　The　two　men　were　running　some　kind　of　probability　study　on　the　puter　but　they　paused　to　shake　hands　with　Amy；　who　regarded　them　gravely；　and　then　turned　her　attention　to　the　screen。　Amy　was　captivated　by　the　colorful　screen　images　and　bright　LEDs；　and　kept　trying　to　punch　the　keys　herself。　She　signed；　Amy　play　box。
　〃Not　now；　Amy；〃　Elliot　said；　and　swatted　her　hands　away。
　Jensen　asked；　〃Is　she　always　this　way？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　so；〃　Elliot…　said。　〃She　likes　puters。　She's　worked　around　them　ever　since　she　was　very　young；　and　she　thinks　of　them　as　her　private　property。〃　And　then　he　added；　〃What's　a　triple　E？〃
　〃Expedition　electronic　expert；〃　Irving　said　cheerfully。　He　was　a　short　man　with　an　impish　quick　smile。　〃Doing　the　best　I　can。　We　picked　up　some　stuff　from　Intec；　that's　about　all。　God　knows　what　the　Japanese　and　the　Germans　will　throw　at　us。〃
　〃Oh；　damn；　there　she　goes；〃　Jensen　said；　laughing　as　Amy　pushed　the　keyboard。
　Elliot　said；　〃Amy；　no！〃
　〃It's　just　a　game。　Probably　not　interesting　to　apes；〃　Jensen　said。　And　he　added；　〃She　can't　hurt　anything。〃
　Amy　signed；　Amy　good　gorilla；　and　pushed　the　keys　on　the　puter　again。　She　appeared　relaxed；　and　Elliot　was　grateful　for　the　distraction　the　puter　provided。　He　was　always　amused　by　the　sight　of　Amy's　heavy　dark　form　before　a　puter　console。　She　would　touch　her　lower　lip　thoughtfully　before　pushing　the　keys；　in　what　seemed　a　parody　of　human　behavior。
　Ross；　practical　as　always；　brought　them　back　to　mundane　matters。　〃Will　Amy　sleep　on　one　of　the　bunks？〃
　Elliot　shook　his　head。　〃No。　Gorillas　expect　to　make　a　fresh　bed　each　night。　Give　her　some　blankets；　and　she'll　twist　them　into　a　nest　on　the　floor　and　sleep　there。〃
　Ross　nodded。　〃What　about　her　vitamins　and　medications？　Will　she　swallow　pills？〃
　〃Ordinarily　you　have　to　bribe　her；　or　hide　the　pills　in　a　piece　of　banana。　She　tends　to　gulp　banana；　without　chewing　it　
　〃Without　chewing。〃　Ross　nodded　as　if　that　were　important。　〃We　have　a　standard　issue；〃　she　said。　〃I'll　see　that　she　gets　them。〃
　〃She　takes　the　same　vitamins　that　people　do；　except　that　she'll　need　lots　of　ascorbic　acid。〃
　〃We　issue　three　thousand　units　a　day。　That's　enough？　Good。　And　she'll　tolerate　anti…malarials？　We　have　to　start　them　right　away。〃
　〃Generally　speaking；〃　Elliot　said；　〃she　has　the　same　reaction　to　medication　as　people。〃
　Ross　nodded。　〃Will　the　cabin　pressurization　bother　her？　It's　set　at　five　thousand　feet。〃
　Elliot　shook　his　head。　〃She's　a　mountain　gorilla；　and　they　live　at　five　thousand　to　nine　thousand　feet；　so　she's　actually　altitude…adapted。　But　she's　acclimated　to　a　moist　climate　and　she　dehydrates　quickly；　we'll　have　to　keep　forcing　fluids　on　her。〃
　〃Can　she　use　the　head？〃
　〃The　seat's　probably　too　high　for　her；〃　Elliot　said；　〃but　I　brought　her　potty。〃
　〃She'll　use　her　potty？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　〃I　have　a　new　collar　for　her；　will　she　wear　it？〃
　〃If　you　give　it　to　her　as　a　gift。〃
　As　they　reviewed　other　details　of　Amy's　requirements；　Elliot　realized　that　something　had　happened　during　the　last　　few　hours；　almost　without　his　knowing　it：　Amy's　unpredictable；　dream…driven　neurotic　behavior　had　fallen　away。　It　was　as　if　the　earlier　behavior　was　irrelevant；　now　that　she　was　going　on　a　trip；　she　was　no　longer　moody　and　introspective；　her　interests　were　outgoing；　she　was　once　again　a　youthful　female　gorilla。　He　found　himself　wondering　whether　her　dreams；　her　depression…finger　paintings；　everything…were　a　result　of　her　confined　laboratory　environment　for　so　many　years。　At　first　the　laboratory　had　been　agreeable；　like　a　crib　for　young　children。　But　perhaps　in　later　years　it　pinched。　Perhaps；　he　thought；　Amy　just　needed　a　little　excitement。
　Excitement　was　in　the　air：　as　he　talked　with　Ross；　Elliot　felt　something　remarkable　was　about　to　happen。　This　expedition　with　Amy　was　the　first　example　of　an　event　primate　researchers　had　predicted　for　years…the　Pearl　thesis。
　Frederick　Pearl　was　a　theoretical　animal　behaviorist。　At　a　meeting　of　the　American　Ethnological　Society　in　New　York　in　1972；　he　had　said；　〃Now　that　primates　have　learned　sign　language；　it　is　only　a　matter　of　time　until　someone　takes　an　animal　into　the　field　to　assist　the　study　of　wild　animals　of　the　same　species。　We　can　imagine　language…skilled　primates　acting　as　interpreters　or　perhaps　even　as　ambassadors　for　mankind；　in　contact　with　wild　creatures。〃
　Pearl's　thesis　attracted　considerable　attention；　and　funding　from　the　U。S。　Air　Force；　which　had　supported　linguistic　research　since　the　l960s。　According　to　one　story；　the　Air　Force　had　a　secret　project　called　CONTOUR；　involving　possible　contact　with　alien　life　forms。　The　official　military　position　was　that　UFOs　were　of　natural　origin…but　the　military　was　covering　its　bets。　Should　alien　contact　occur；　linguistic　fundamentals　were　obviously　critically　important。　And　taking　primates　into　the　field　was　seen　as　an　example　of　contact　with　〃alien　intelligence〃；　hence　the　Air　Force　funding。
　Pearl　predicted　that　fieldwork　would　be　undertaken　before　1976；　but　in　fact　no　one　had　yet　done　it。　The　reason　was　that　on