michael crichton.congo-第3节

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athematical　prodigy。
　At　the　age　of　two；　while　acpanying　her　mother　to　the　supermarket；　she　had　worked　out　in　her　head　whether　a　ten…ounce　can　at　19C　was　cheaper　than　a　one…pound…twelve…ounce　can　at　79C。　At　three；　she　startled　her　father　by　observing　that；　unlike　other　numbers；　zero　meant　different　things　in　different　positions。　By　eight；　she　had　mastered　algebra　and　geometry；　by　ten；　she　had　taught　herself　calculus；　she　entered　M。I。T。　at　thirteen　and　proceeded　to　make　a　series　of　brilliant　discoveries　in　abstract　mathematics；　culminating　in　a　treatise；　〃Topological　Prediction　in　n…Space；〃　which　was　useful　for　decision　matrices；　critical　path　analyses；　and　multidimensional　mapping。　This　interest　had　brought　her　to　the　attention　of　ERTS；　where　she　was　made　the　youngest　field　supervisor　in　the　pany。
　Not　everyone　liked　her。　The　years　of　isolation；　of　being　the　youngest　person　in　any　room；　had　left　her　aloof　and　rather　distant。　One　co…worker　described　her　as　〃logical　to　a　fault。〃　Her　chilly　demeanor　had　earned　her　the　title　〃Ross　Glacier；〃　after　the　Antarctic　formation。
　And　her　youth　still　held　her　back…at　least；　age　was　Travis's　excuse　when　he　refused　to　let　her　lead　the　Congo　expedition　into　the　field；　even　though　she　had　derived　all　the　Congo　database；　and　by　rights　should　have　been　the　onsite　team　leader。　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Travis　had　said；　〃but　this　con…
　tract's　too　big；　and　I　just　can't　let　you　have　it。〃　She　had　pressed；　reminding　him　of　her　successes　leading　teams　the　year　before　to　Pahang　and　Zambia。　Finally　he　had　said；　〃Look；　Karen；　that　site's　ten　thousand　miles　away；　in　four…plus　terrain。　We　need　more　than　a　console　hotdogger　out　there。〃
　She　bridled　under　the　implication　that　that　was　all　she　was…a　console　hotdogger；　fast　at　the　keyboard；　good　at　playing　with　Travis's　toys。　She　wanted　to　prove　herself　in　a　four…plus　field　situation。　And　the　next　time　she　was　determined　to　make　Travis　let　her　go。
　Ross　pressed　the　button　for　the　third…floor　elevator；　marked　〃CX　Access　Only。〃　She　caught　an　envious　glance　from　one　of　the　programmers　while　she　waited　for　the　elevator　to　arrive。　Within　ERTS；　status　was　not　measured　by　salary；　title；　the　size　of　one's　office；　or　the　other　usual　corporate　indicators　of　power。　Status　at　ERTS　was　purely　a　matter　of　access　to　information…and　Karen　Ross　was　one　of　eight　people　in　the　pany　who　had　access　to　the　third　floor　at　any　time。
　She　stepped　onto　the　third…floor　elevator；　glancing　up　at　the　scanner　lens　mounted　over　the　door。　At　ERTS　the　elevators　traveled　only　one　floor；　and　all　were　equipped　with　passive　scanners；　it　was　one　way　that　ERTS　kept　track　of　the　movements　of　personnel　while　they　were　in　the　building。　She　said　〃Karen　Ross〃　for　the　voice　monitors；　and　turned　in　a　full　circle　for　the　scanners。　There　was　a　soft　electronic　bleep；　and　the　door　slid　open　at　the　third　floor。
　She　emerged　into　a　small　square　room　with　a　ceiling　video　monitor；　and　faced　the　unmarked　outer　door　of　the　munications　Control　Room。　She　repeated　〃Karen　Ross；〃　and　inserted　her　electronic　identicard　in　the　slot；　resting　her　fingers　on　the　metallic　edge　of　the　card　so　the　puter　could　record　galvanic　skin　potentials。　（This　was　a　refinement　instituted　three　months　earlier；　after　Travis　learned　that　Army　experiments　with　vocal　cord　surgery　had　altered　voice　characteristics　precisely　enough　to　false…positive　Voiceident　programs。）　After　a　cycling　pause；　the　door　buzzed　open。　She　went　inside。
　With　its　red　night　lights；　munications　Control　was
　like　a　soft；　warm　womb…an　impression　heightened　by　the　cramped；　almost　claustrophobic　quality　of　the　room；　packed　with　electronic　equipment。　From　floor　to　ceiling；　dozens　of　video　monitors　and　LEDs　flickered　and　glowed　as　the　technicians　spoke　in　hushed　tones；　setting　dials　and　twisting　knobs。　The　CCR　was　the　electronic　nerve　center　of　ERTS：
　all　munications　from　field　parties　around　the　world　were　routed　through　here。　Everything　in　the　CCR　was　recorded；　not　only　ining　data　but　room　voice　responses；　so　the　exact　conversation　on　the　night　of　June　13；　1979；　is　known。
　One　of　the　technicians　said　to　her；　〃We'll　have　the　transponders　hooked　in　in　a　minute。　You　want　coffee？〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　said。
　〃You　want　to　be　out　there；　right？〃
　〃I　earned　it；〃　she　said。　She　stared　at　the　video　screens；　at　the　bewildering　display　of　rotating　and　shifting　forms　as　the　technicians　began　the　litany　of　locking　in　the　bird　bounce；　a　transmission　from　a　satellite　in　orbit；　720　miles　over　their　heads。
　〃Signal　key。〃
　〃Signal　key。　Password　mark。〃
　〃Password　mark。〃
　〃Carrier　fix。〃
　〃Carrier　fix。　We're　rolling。〃
　She　paid　hardly　any　attention　to　the　familiar　phrases。　She　watched　as　the　screens　displayed　gray　fields　of　crackling　static。
　〃Did　we　open　or　did　they　open？〃　she　asked。
　〃We　initiated；〃　a　technician　said。　〃We　had　it　down　on　the　call　sheet　to　check　them　at　dawn　local　time。　So　when　they　didn't　initiate；　we　did。〃
　〃I　wonder　why　they　didn't　initiate；〃　Ross　said。　〃Is　something　wrong？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　We　put　out　the　initiation　trigger　and　they　picked　it　up　and　locked　in　within　fifteen　seconds；　all　the　appropriate　codes。　Ah；　here　we　go。〃
　At　6：22　A。M。　Congo　time；　the　transmission　came　through：
　there　was　a　final　blur　of　gray　static　and　then　the　screens　cleared。　They　were　looking　at　a　part　of　the　camp　in　the
　Congo；　apparently　a　view　from　a　tripod…mounted　video　camera。　They　saw　two　tents；　a　low　smoldering　fire；　the　lingering　wisps　of　a　foggy　dawn。　There　was　no　sign　of　activity；　no　people。
　One　of　the　technicians　laughed。　〃We　caught　them　still　sleeping。　Guess　they　do　need　you　there。〃　Ross　was　known　for　her　insistence　on　formalities。
　〃Lock　your　remote；〃　she　said。
　The　technician　punched　in　the　remote　override。　The　field　camera；　ten　thousand　miles　away；　came　under　their　control　in　Houston。
　〃Pan　scan；〃　she　said。
　At　the　console；　the　technician　used　a　joystick。　They　watched　as　the　video　images　shifted　to　the　left；　and　they　saw　more　of　the　camp。　The　camp　was　destroyed：　tents　crushed　and　torn；　supply　tarp　pulled　away；　equipment　scattered　in　the　mud。　One　tent　burned　brightly；　sending　up　clouds　of　black　smoke。　They　saw　several　dead　bodies。
　〃Jesus；〃　one　technician　said。
　〃Back　scan；〃　Ross　said。　〃Spot　resolve　to　six…six。〃
　On　the　screens；　the　camera　panned　back　across　the　camp。　They　looked　at　the　jungle。　They　still　saw　no　sign　of　life。
　〃Down　pan。　Reverse　sweep。〃
　Onscreen；　the　camera　panned　down　to　show　the　silver　dish　of　the　portable　antenna；　and　the　black　box　of　the　transmitter。　Nearby　was　another　body；　one　of　the　geologists；　lying　on　his　back。
　〃Jesus；　that's　Roger　　　　　
　〃Zoom　and　T…lock；〃　Ross　said。　On　the　tape；　her　voice　sounds　cool；　almost　detached。
　The　camera　zoomed　in　on　the　face。　What　they　saw　was　grotesque；　the　head　crushed　and　leaking　blood　from　eyes　and　nose；　mouth　gaping　toward　the　sky。
　〃What　did　that？〃
　At　that　moment；　a　shadow　fell　across　the　dead　face　onscreen。　Ross　jumped　forward；　grabbing　the　joystick　and　hitting　the　zoom　control。　The　image　widened　swiftly；　they　could　see　the　outline　of　the　shadow　now。　It　was　a　man。　And　he　was　moving。
　〃Somebody's　there！　Somebody's　still　alive！〃
　〃He's　limping。　Looks　wounded。〃
　Ross　stared　at　the　shadow。　It　did　not　look　to　her　like　a　limping　man；　something　was　wrong；　she　couldn't　put　her　finger　on　what　it　was。
　〃He's　going　to　walk　in　front　of　the　lens；〃　she　said。　It　was　almost　too　much　to　hope　for。　〃What's　that　audio　static？〃
　They　were　hearing　an　odd　sound；　like　a　hissing　or　a　sighing。
　〃It's　not　static；　it's　in　the　transmission。〃
　〃Resolve　it；〃　Ross　said。　The　technicians　punched　buttons；　altering　the　audio　frequencies；　but　the　sound　remained　peculiar　and　indistinct。　And　then　the　shadow　moved；　and　the　man　stepped　in　front　of　the　lens。
　〃Diopter；〃　Ross　said；　but　it　was　too　late。　The　face　had　already　appeared；　very　near　the　lens。　It　was　too　close　to　focus　without　a　diopter。　They　saw　a　blurred；　dark　shape；　nothing　more。　Before　they　could　click　in　the　diopter；　it　was　gone。
　〃A　native？〃
　〃This　region　of　the　Congo　is　uninhabited；〃　Ross　said。
　〃Something　inhabits　it。〃
　〃Pan　scan；〃　Ross　said。　〃See　if　you　can　get　him　onscreen　again。〃
　The　camera　continued　to　pan。　She　could　imagine　it　sitting　on　its　tripod　in　the　jungle；　motor　whirring　as　the　lens　head　swung　around。　Then　suddenly　the　image　tilted　and　fell　sideways。
　〃He　knocked　it　over。〃
　〃Damn！〃
　The　video　image　crackled；　shifting　lines　of　static。　It　became　very　difficult　to　see。
　〃Resolve　it！　Resolve　it！〃
　They　had　a　final　glimpse　of　a　large　face　and　a　dark　hand　as　the　silver　dish　antenna　was　smashed。　The　image　from　the　Congo　shrank　to　a　spot；　and　was　gone。
　
　2。Interference　Signature
　
　DURING　JUNE　OF　1979；　EARTH　RESOURCES　TECHNOLOGY　had　field　teams　studying　uranium　deposits　in　Bolivia；　copper　deposits　in　Pakistan；　agricultural　field　utilization　in　Kashmir；　glacier　advance　in　Iceland；　timber　resources　in　Malaysia；　and　diamond　deposits　in　the　Congo。　This　was　not　unusual　for　ERTS；　they　generally　had　between　six　and　eight　groups　in　the　field　at　any　time。
　Since　their　teams　were　often　in　hazardous　or　politically　unstable　regions；　they　were　vigilant　in　watching　for　the　first　signs　of　〃interference　signatur