michael crichton.congo-第30节

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　Ross　was　now　getting　hit　by　a　〃symphony。〃　To　break　through　demanded　coordination　with　Houston…which　she　was　unable　to　arrange…but　ERTS　had　several　prearranged　routines。　She　tried　them　one　after　another　and　finally　broke　the　jamming　with　a　technique　called　interstitial　coding。　（Interstitial　coding　utilized　the　fact　that　even　dense　music　had　periods　of　silence；　or　interstices；　lasting　microseconds。　It　was　possible　to　monitor　the　jamming　signals；　identify　regularities　in　the　interstices；　and　then　transmit　in　bursts　during　the　silences。）
　Ross　was　gratified　to　see　the　little　screen　glow　in　a　multicolored　image…a　map　of　their　position　in　the　Congo。　She　punched　in　the　field　position　lock；　and　a　light　blinked　on　the　screen。　Words　appeared　in　〃shortline；〃　the　pressed　language　devised　for　small…screen　imagery。　F　I　L　D　TME…POSITN　CHEK；　PLS　CONFRM　LOCL　TME　18：04　H　6/17/79。　She　confirmed　that　it　was　indeed　just　after　6　P。M。　at　their　location。　Immediately；　overlaid　lines　produced　a　scrambled　pattern　as　their　Field　Time…Position　was　measured　against　the　puter　simulation　run　in　Houston　before　their　departure。
　Ross　was　prepared　for　bad　news。　According　to　her　mental　calculations；　they　had　fallen　some　seventy…odd　hours　behind　their　projected　timeline；　and　some　twenty…odd　hours　behind　the　consortium。
　Their　original　plan　had　called　for　them　to　jump　onto　the　slopes　of　Mukenko　at　2　P。M。　on　June　17；　arriving　at　Zinj　approximately　thirty…six　hours　later；　around　midday　of　June　19。　This　would　have　put　them　onsite　nearly　two　days　before　the　consortium。
　However；　the　SAM　attack　forced　them　to　jump　eighty　miles　south　of　their　intended　drop　zone。　The　jungle　terrain　before　them　was　varied；　and　they　could　expect　to　pick　up　time　rafting　on　rivers；　but　it　would　still　take　a　minimum　of　three　days　to　go　eighty　miles。
　That　meant　that　they　could　no　longer　expect　to　beat　the　consortium　to　the　site。　Instead　of　arriving　forty…eight　hours　ahead；　they　would　be　lucky　if　they　arrived　only　twenty…four　hours　too　late。
　To　her　surprise；　the　screen　blinked：　FILD　TME…POSITN　CHEK　：　…09　：　04　H　WEL　DUN。　They　were　only　nine　hours　off　their　simulation　timeline。
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃　Munro　asked；　looking　at　the　screen。
　There　was　only　one　possible　conclusion。　〃Something　has　slowed　the　consortium；〃　Ross　said。
　On　the　screen　they　read　EURO/NIP0N　C0NSRTIM　LEGL　TRUBL　GOMA　AIRPRT　ZAIR　THEIR　AIRCRFT　FOUND　RADIOACTIVE　TUF　LUK　FOR　THEM。
　〃Travis　has　been　working　back　in　Houston；〃　Ross　said。　She　could　imagine　what　it　must　have　cost　ERTS　to　put　in　the　fix　at　the　rural　airport　in　Goma。　〃But　it　means　we　can　still　do　it；　if　we　can　make　up　the　nine　hours。〃
　〃We　can　do　it；〃　Munro　said。
　
　In　the　light　of　the　setting　equatorial　sun；　Moruti　camp　gleamed　like　a　cluster　of　dazzling　jewels…a　silver　dish　antenna；　and　five　silver…domed　tents；　all　reflecting　the　fiery　sun。　Peter　Elliot　sat　on　the　hilltop　with　Amy　and　stared　at　the　rain　forest　spread　out　below　them。　As　night　fell；　the　first　hazy　strands　of　mist　appeared；　and　as　the　darkness　deepened　and　water　vapor　condensed　in　the　cooling　air；　the　forest　became　shrouded　in　dense；　darkening　fog。
　
　
　DAY　6：　LIKO
　June　18；　1979
　
　1。Rain　Forest　
　
　THE　NEXT　MORNING　THEY　ENTERED　THE　HUMID　perpetual　gloom　of　the　Congo　rain　forest。
　Munro　noted　the　return　of　old　feelings　of　oppression　and　claustrophobia；　tinged　with　a　strange；　overpowering　lassitude。　As　a　Congo　mercenary　in　the　1960s；　he　had　avoided　the　jungle　wherever　possible。　Most　military　engagements　had　occurred　in　open　spaces…in　the　Belgian　colonial　towns；　along　riverbanks；　beside　the　red　dirt　roads。　Nobody　wanted　to　fight　in　the　jungle；　the　mercenaries　hated　it；　and　the　superstitious　Sambas　feared　it。　When　the　mercenaries　advanced；　the　rebels　often　fled　into　the　bush；　but　they　never　went　very　far；　and　Munro's　troops　never　pursued　them。　They　just　waited　for　them　to　e　out　again。
　Even　in。　the　1960s　the　jungle　remained　terra　incognita；　…an　unknown　land　with　the　power　to　hold　the　technology　of　mechanized　warfare　beyond　its　periphery。　And　with　good　reason；　Munro　thought。　Men　just　did　not　belong　there。　He　was　not　pleased　to　be　back。
　Elliot；　never　having　been　in　a　rain　forest；　was　fascinated。　The　jungle　was　different　…from　the　way　he　had　imagined　it　to　be。　He　was　totally　unprepared　for　the　scale…the　gigantic　trees　soaring　over　his　head；　the　trunks　as　broad　as　a　house；　the　thick　snaking　moss…covered　roots。　To　move　in　the　vast　space　beneath　these　trees　was　like　being　in　a　very　dark　cathedral：　the　sun　was　pletely　blocked；　and　he　could　not　get　an　exposure　reading　on　his　camera。
　He　had　also　expected　the　jungle　to　be　much　denser　than　it　was。　Their　party　moved　through　it　freely；　in　a　surprising　way　it　seemed　barren　and　silent…there　were　occasional　birdcalls　and　cries　from　monkeys；　but　otherwise　a　profound　stillness　settled　over　them。　And　it　was　oddly　monotonous：　although　he　saw　every　shade　of　green　in　the　foliage　and　the　clinging　creeper　vines；　there　were　few　flowers　or　blooms。　Even　the　occasional　orchids　seemed　pale　and　muted。
　He　had　expected　rotting　decay　at　every　turn；　but　that　was　not　true　either。　The　ground　underfoot　was　often　firm；　and　the　air　had　a　neutral　smell。　But　it　was　incredibly　hot；　and　it　seemed　as　though　everything　was　wet…the　leaves；　the　ground；　the　trunks　of　the　trees；　the　oppressively　still　air　itself；　trapped　under　the　overhanging　trees。
　Elliot　would　have　agreed　with　Stanley's　description　from　a　century　before：　〃Overhead　the　wide…spreading　branches　absolutely　shut　out　the　daylight。　。　We　marched　in　a　feeble　twilight。　。　。　The　dew　dropped　and　pattered　on　us　incessantly。　。　。　Our　clothes　were　heavily　saturated　with　it。
　Perspiration　exuded　from　every　pore；　for　the　atmosphere　was　stifling。　。　。　。　What　a　forbidding　aspect　had　the　Dark　Unknown　which　confronted　us！〃
　Because　Elliot　had　looked　forward　to　his　first　experience　of　the　equatorial　African　rain　forest；　he　was　surprised　at　how　quickly　he　felt　oppressed…and　how　soon　he　entertained　thoughts　of　leaving　again。　Yet　the　tropical　rain　forests　had　spawned　most　new　life　forms；　including　man。　The　jungle　was　not　one　uniform　environment　but　many　different　microenvironments；　arranged　vertically　like　a　layer　cake。　Each　microenvironment　supported　a　bewildering　profusion　of　plant　and　animal　life；　but　there　were　typically　few　members　of　each　species。　The　tropical　jungle　supported　four　times　as　many　species　of　animal　life　as　a　parable　temperate　forest。　As　he　walked　through　the　forest；　Elliot　found　himself　thinking　of　it　as　an　enormous　hot；　dark　womb；　a　place　where　new　species　were　nourished　in　unchanging　conditions　until　they　were　ready　to　migrate　out　to　the　harsher　and　more　variable　temperate　zones。　That　was　the　way　it　had　been　for　millions　of　years。
　
　Amy's　behavior　immediately　changed　as　she　entered　the　vast　humid　darkness　of　her　original　home。　In　retrospect；　Elliot　believed　he　could　have　predicted　her　reaction；　had　he　Thought　it　through　clearly。
　Amy　no　longer　kept　up　with　the　group。
　She　insisted　on　foraging　along　the　trail；　pausing　to　sit　and　chew　tender　shoots　and　grasses。　She　could　not　be　budged　or　hurried；　and　ignored　Elliot's　requests　that　she　stay　with　them。　She　ate　lazily；　a　pleasant；　rather　vacant　expression　on　her　face。　In　shafts　of　sunlight；　she　would　lie　on　her　back；　and　belch；　and　sigh　contentedly。
　〃What　the　hell　is　this　all　about？〃　Ross　asked；　annoyed。　They　were　not　making　good　time。
　〃She's　bee　a　gorilla　again；〃　Elliot　said。　〃Gorillas　are　vegetarians；　and　they　spend　nearly　all　day　eating；　they're　large　animals；　and　they　need　a　lot　of　food。〃　Amy　had　immediately　reverted　to　these　traits。
　〃Well；　can't　you　make　her　keep　up　with　us？〃
　〃I'm　trying。　She　won't　pay　attention　to　me。〃　And　he　knew　why…Amy　was　finally　back　in　a　world　where　Peter　Elliot　was　irrelevant；　where　she　herself　could　find　food　and　security　and　shelter；　and　everything　else　that　she　wanted。
　〃School's　out；〃　Munro　said；　summarizing　the　situation。　But　he　had　a　solution。　〃Leave　her；〃　he　said　crisply；　and　he　led　the　party　onward。　He　took　Elliot　firmly　by　the　elbow。　〃Don't　look　back；〃　he　said。　〃Just　walk　on。　Ignore　her。〃
　They　continued　for　several　minutes　in　silence。　Elliot　said；　〃She　may　not　follow　us。〃　〃e；　e；　Professor；〃　Munro　said。　〃I　thought　you　knew　about　gorillas。〃
　〃I　do；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Then　you　know　there　are　none　in　this　part　of　the　rain　forest。〃
　Elliot　nodded；　he　had　seen　no　nests　or　spoor。　〃But　she　has　everything　she　needs　here。〃
　〃Not　everything；〃　Munro　said。　〃Not　without　other　gorillas　around。〃
　Like　all　higher　primates；　gorillas　were　social　animals。　They　lived　in　a　group；　and　they　were　not　fortable…or　safe…in　isolation。　In　fact；　most　primatologists　assumed　that　there　was　a　need　for　social　contact　as　strongly　perceived　as　hunger；　thirst；　or　fatigue。
　〃We're　her　troop；〃　Munro　said。　〃She　won't　let　us　get　far。〃
　Several　minutes　later；　Amy　came　crashing　through　the　underbrush　fifty　yards　ahead。　She　watched　the　group；　and　glared　at　Peter。
　〃Now　e　here；　Amy；〃　Munro　said；　〃and　I'll　tickle　you。〃　Amy　bounded　up　and　lay　on　her　back　in　front　of　him。　Munro　tickled　her。
　〃You　see；　Professor？　Nothing　to　it。〃
　Amy　never　strayed　far　from　the　group　again。
　
　If　Elliot　had　an　unfortable　sens