michael crichton.congo-第23节

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　Something　in　her　tone　suggested　that　she　planned　to　leave　Amy　behind。　The　idea　appalled　Elliot。　〃We've　got　to　get　her　back；〃　he　said。　〃Amy　is　my　responsibility；　I　can't　possibly　abandon　her　here…〃
　〃Seventy…two　minutes；〃　Ross　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。　〃We　have　exactly　one　hour　and　twelve　minutes　before　we　blow　the　timeline。〃　She　turned　to　Munro。　〃And　we　have　to　switch　over　to　the　second　contingency。〃
　〃Fine；〃　Munro　said。　〃I'll　get　the　men　working　on　it。〃
　〃In　a　new　plane；〃　Ross　said。　〃We　can't　take　this　one；　it's　contaminated。〃　She　was　punching　in　call　letters　to　the　puter　console；　her　fingers　clicking　on　the　keys。　〃We'll　take　it　straight　to　point　M；〃　Ross　said。　〃Okay？〃
　〃Absolutely；〃　Munro　said。
　Elliot　said；　〃I　won't　leave　Amy。　If　you're　going　to　leave　her　behind；　you'll　have　to　leave　me　as　well…〃　Elliot　stopped。
　Printed　on　the　screen　was　the　message　FORGET　GORILLA　PROCEED　TO　NEXT　CHECKPOINT　URGENT　APE　NOT　SIGNIFICANT　TIMELINE　OUTE　PUTER　VERIFICATION　REPEAT　PROCEED　WITHOUT　AMY。
　〃You　can't　leave　her　behind；〃　Elliot　said。　〃I'll　stay　behind；　too。〃
　〃Let　me　tell　you　something；〃　Ross　said。　〃I　never　believed　that　Amy　was　important　to　this　expedition…or　you　either。　From　the　very　beginning　she　was　just　a　diversion。　When　I　came　to　San　Francisco；　I　was　followed。　You　and　Amy　provided　a　diversion。　You　threw　the　consortium　into　a　spin。　It　was　worth　it。　Now　it's　not　worth　it。　We'll　leave　you　both　behind　if　we　have　to。　I　couldn't　care　less。〃
　
　7。 Bugs
　
　〃WELL；　GODDAMN　IT；〃　ELLIOT　BEGAN；　〃DO　YOU　mean　to　tell　me　that。　。　。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ross　said　coldly。　〃You're　expendable。〃　But　even　as　she　spoke；　she　grabbed　his　arm　firmly　and　led　him　out　of　the　airplane　while　she　held　her　finger　to　her　lips。
　Elliot　realized　that　she　intended　to　pacify　him　in　private；　Amy　was　his　responsibility；　and　to　hell　with　all　the　diamonds　and　international　intrigue。　Outside　on　the　concrete　runway　he　repeated　stubbornly；　〃I'm　not　leaving　without　Amy。〃
　〃Neither　am　I。〃　Ross　walked　quickly　across　the　runway　toward　a　police　helicopter。
　Elliot　hurried　to　catch　up。　〃What？〃
　〃Don't　you　understand　anything？〃　Ross　said。　〃That　airplane's　not　clean。　It's　full　of　bugs；　and　the　consortium's　listening　in。　I　made　that　speech　for　their　benefit。〃
　〃But　who　was　following　you　in　San　Francisco？〃
　〃Nobody。　They're　going　to　spend　hours　trying　to　figure　out　who　was。〃
　〃Amy　and　I　weren't　just　a　diversion？〃
　〃Not　at　all；〃　she　said。　〃Look：　we　don't　know　what　happened　to　the　last　ERTS　Congo　team；　but　no　matter　what　you　or　Travis　or　anyone　else　says；　I　think　gorillas　were　involved。　And　I　think　that　Amy　will　help　us　when　we　get　there。〃
　〃As　an　ambassador？〃
　〃We　need　information；〃　Ross　said。　〃And　she　knows　more　about　gorillas　than　we　do。〃
　〃But　can　you　find　her　in　an　hour　and　ten　minutes？〃
　〃Hell；　no；〃　Ross　said；　checking　her　watch。　〃This　won't　take　more　than　twenty　minutes。〃
　　〃Lower！　Lower！〃
　Ross　was　shouting　into　her　radio　headset　as　she　sat　alongside　the　police　helicopter　pilot。　The　helicopter　was　circling　the　tower　of　Government　House；　turning　and　moving　north；　toward　the　Hilton。
　〃This　is　not　acceptable；　madam；〃　the　pilot　said　politely。　〃We　fly　below　airspace　limitations。〃
　〃You're　too　damn　high！〃　Ross　said。　She　was　looking　at　a　box　on　her　knees；　with　four　pass…point　digital　readouts。　She　flicked　switches　quickly；　while　the　radio　crackled　with　angry　plaints　from　Nairobi　tower。
　〃East　now；　due　east；〃　she　instructed；　and　the　helicopter　tilted　and　moved　east；　toward　the　poor　outskirts　of　the　city。
　In　the　back；　Elliot　felt　his　stomach　twist　with　each　banking　turn　on　the　helicopter。　His　head　pounded　and　he　felt　awful；　but　he　had　insisted　on　ing。　He　was　the　only　person　knowledgeable　enough　to　minister　to　Amy　if　she　was　in　medical　trouble。
　Now；　sitting　alongside　the　pilot；　Ross　said；　〃Get　a　reading；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　northeast。　The　helicopter　thumped　over　crude　shacks；　junked　automobile　lots；　dirt　roads。　〃Slower　now；　slower。　。
　The　readouts　glowed；　the　numbers　shifting。　Elliot　saw　them　all　go　to　zero；　simultaneously。
　〃Down！〃　Ross　shouted；　and　the　helicopter　descended　in　the　center　of　a　vast　garbage　dump。
　The　pilot　remained　with　the　helicopter；　his　final　words　were　disquieting。　〃Where　there's　garbage；　there's　rats；〃　he　said。
　〃Rats　don't　bother　me；〃　Ross　said；　climbing　out　with　her　box　in　her　hand。
　〃Where　there's　rats；　there's　cobras；〃　the　pilot　said。
　〃Oh；〃　Ross　said。
　She　crossed　the　dump　with　Elliot。　There　was　a　stiff　breeze；　papers　and　debris　ruffled　at　their　feet。　Elliot's　head　ached；　and　the　odors　arising　from　the　dump　nauseated　him。
　〃Not　far　now；〃　Ross　said；　watching　the　box。　She　was　excited；　glancing　at　her　watch。
　〃Here？〃
　She　bent　over　and　picked　through　the　trash；　her　hand　making　circles；　digging　deeper　in　frustration；　elbow…deep　in　the　trash。
　Finally　she　came　up　with　a　necklace…a　necklace　she　had　given　Amy　when　they　first　boarded　the　airplane　in　San　Francisco。　She　turned　it　over；　examining　the　plastic　name　tag　on　it；　which　Elliot　noticed　was　unusually　thick。　There　were　fresh　scratches　on　the　back。
　〃Hell；〃　Ross　said。　〃Sixteen　minutes　shot。〃　And　she　hurried　back　to　the　waiting　helicopter。
　Elliot　fell　into　step　beside　her。　〃But　how　can　you　find　her　if　they　got　rid　of　her　necklace　bug？〃
　〃Nobody；〃　Ross　said；　〃plants　only　one　bug。　This　was　just　a　decoy；　they　were　supposed　to　find　it。〃　She　pointed　to　the　scratches　on　the　back。　〃But　they're　clever；　they　reset　the　frequencies。〃
　〃Maybe　they　got　rid　of　the　second　bug；　too；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃They　didn't；〃　Ross　said。　The　helicopter　lifted　off；　a　thundering　whirr　of　blades；　and　the　paper　and　trash　of　the　dump　swirled　in　circles　beneath　them。　She　pressed　her　mouthpiece　to　her　lips　and　said　to　the　pilot；　〃Take　me　to　the　largest　scrap　metal　source　in　Nairobi。〃
　Within　nine　minutes；　they　had　picked　up　another　very　weak　signal；　located　within　an　automobile　junkyard。　The　helicopter　landed　in　the　street　outside；　drawing　dozens　of　shouting　children。　Ross　went　with　Elliot　into　the　junkyard；　moving　past　the　rusting　hulks　of　cars　and　trucks。
　〃You're　sure　she's　here？〃　Elliot　said。
　〃No　question。　They　have　to　surround　her　with　metal；　it's　the　only　thing　they　can　do。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Shielding。〃　She　picked　her　way　around　the　broken　cars；　pausing　frequently　to　refer　to　her　electronic　box。
　Then　Elliot　heard　a　grunt。
　It　came　from　inside　an　ancient　rust…red　Mercedes　bus。　Elliot　climbed　through　the　shattered　doors；　the　rubber　gaskets　crumbling　in　his　hands；　into　the　interior。　He　found　Amy　on　her　back；　tied　with　adhesive　tape。　She　was　groggy；　but　plained　loudly　when　he　tore　the　tape　off　her　hair。
　He　located　the　broken　needle　in　her　right　chest　and　plucked　it　out　with　forceps；　Amy　shrieked；　then　hugged　him。　He　heard　the　far…off　whine　of　a　police　siren。
　〃It's　all　right；　Amy；　it's　all　right；〃　he　said。　He　set　her　down　and　examined　her　more　carefully。　She　seemed　to　be　okay。
　And　then　he　said；　〃Where's　the　second　bug？〃
　Ross　grinned。　〃She　swallowed　it。〃
　Now　that　Amy　was　safe；　Elliot　felt　a　wave　of　anger。　〃You　made　her　swallow　it？　An　electronic　bug？　Don't　you　realize　that　she　is　a　very　delicate　animal　and　her　health　is　extremely　precarious…〃
　〃Don't　get　worked　up；〃　Ross　said。　〃Remember　the　vitamins　I　gave　you？　You　swallowed　one；　too。〃　She　glanced　at　her　watch。　〃Thirty…two　minutes；〃　she　said。　〃Not　bad　at　all。　We　have　forty　minutes　before　we　have　to　leave　Nairobi。〃
　
　8。Present　Point
　
　MUNRO　SAT　IN　THE　747；　PUNCHING　KEYS　ON　THE　puter。　He　watched　as　the　lines　crisscrossed　over　the　maps；　ticking　out　datalines；　timelines；　information　lock　coordinates。
　The　puter　ran　through　possible　expedition　routines　quickly；　testing　a　new　one　every　ten　seconds。　After　each　data　fit；　outes　were　printed…cost；　logistical　difficulties；　supply　problems；　total　elapsed　times　from　Houston；　from　Present　Point　（Nairobi）；　where　they　were　now。
　Looking　for　a　solution。
　It　wasn't　like　the　old　days；　Munro　thought。　Even　five　years　ago；　expeditions　were　still　run　on　guesswork　and　luck。　But　now　every　expedition　employed　real…time　puter　planning；　Munro　had　long　since　been　forced　to　learn　BASIC　and　TW/GESHUND　and　other　major　interactive　languages。　Nobody　did　it　by　the　seat　of　the　pants　anymore。　The　business　had　changed。
　Munro　had　decided　to　join　the　ERTS　expedition　precisely　because　of　those　changes。　Certainly　he　hadn't　joined　because　of　Karen　Ross；　who　was　stubborn　and　inexperienced。　But　ERTS　had　the　most　elaborate　working　database；　and　the　most　sophisticated　planning　programs。　In　the　long　run；　he　expected　those　programs　to　make　the　crucial　difference。　And　he　liked　a　smaller　team；　once　the　consortium　was　in　the　field；　their　working　party　of　thirty　was　going　to　prove　unwieldy。
　But　he　had　to　find　a　faster　timeline　to　get　them　in。　Munro　pressed　the　buttons；　watching　the　data　flash　up。　He　set　trajectories；　intersections；　junctions。　Then；　with　a　practiced　eye；　he　began　to　eliminate　alternatives。　He　closed　out　pathways；　shut　down　airfields；　eliminated　truck　routes；　avoided　river　crossings。
　The　puter　kept　ing　back　with　reduced　times；　but　from　Present　Point　（Nairobi）　the　total　elapsed　times　were　always　too　long。　The　best　projection　beat　the　consortium　by　thirt