michael crichton.congo-第48节

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gh　for　him　to　touch　them；　close　enough　to　smell　the　sweet；　musty　odor　of　their　bodies。　They　were　agitated；　the　males　had　started　grunting；　a　rhythmic　ho…ho…ho。
　He　decided　he　had　better　get　to　his　feet；　slowly　and　methodically。　He　thought　that　if　he　could　put　some　distance　between　himself　and　the　animals；　their　sense　of　threat　would　be　reduced。　But　as　soon　as　he　began　to　move　the　grunting　grew　louder；　and　one　of　the　males　began　a　sideways　crablike　movement；　slapping　the　ground　with　his　flat　palms。
　Immediately　Elliot　lay　back　down。　The　gorillas　relaxed；
　and　he　decided　he　had　done　the　correct　thing。　The　animals　were　confused　by　this　human　being　crashing　down　in　their　midst；　they　apparently　did　not　expect　contact　with　men　in　foraging　areas。
　He　decided　to　wait　them　out；　if　necessary　remaining　on　his　back　for　several　hours　until　they　lost　interest　and　moved　off。　He　breathed　slowly；　regularly；　aware　that　he　was　sweating。　Probably　he　smelled　of　fear…but　like　men；　gorillas　had　a　poorly　developed　sense　of　smell。　They　did　not　react…to　the　odor　of　fear。　He　waited。　The　gorillas　were　sighing　and　signing　swiftly；　trying　to　decide　what　to　do。　Then　one　male　abruptly　resumed　his　crabwise　movements；　slapping　the　ground　and　staring　at　Elliot。　Elliot　did　not　move。　In　his　mind；　he　reviewed　the　stages　of　attack　behavior：　grunting；　sideways　movement；　slapping；　tearing　up　grass；　beating　chest…　Charging。
　The　male　gorilla　began　tearing　up　grass。　Elliot　felt　his　heart　pounding。　The　gorilla　was　a　huge　animal；　easily　three　hundred　pounds。　He　reared　up　on　his　hind　legs　and　beat　his　chest　with　flat　palms；　making　a　hollow　sound。　Elliot　wondered　what　Munro　was　doing　above。　And　then　he　heard　a　crash；　and　he　looked　to　see　Amy　tumbling　down　the　hillside；　breaking　her　fall　by　grabbing　at　branches　and　ferns。　She　landed　at　Elliot's　feet。
　The　gorillas　could　not　have　been　more　surprised。　The　large　male　ceased　beating　his　chest；　dropped　down　from　his　upright　posture；　and　glowered　at　Amy。
　Amy　grunted。
　The　large　male　moved　menacingly　toward　Peter；　but　he　never　took　his　eyes　off　Amy。　Amy　watched　him　without　response。　It　was　a　clear　test　of　dominance。　The　male　moved　closer　and　closer；　without　hesitation。
　Amy　bellowed；　a　deafening　sound；　Elliot　jumped　in　surprise。　He　had　only　heard　her　do　it　once　or　twice　before　in　moments　of　extreme　rage。　It　was　unusual　for　females　to　roar；　and　the　other　gorillas　were　alarmed。　Amy's　forearms　stiffened；　her　back　went　rigid；　her　face　became　tense。　She　stared　aggressively　at　the　male　and　roared　again。
　The　male　paused；　tilted　his　head　to　one　side。　He　seemed　to　be　thinking　it　over。　Finally　he　hacked　off；　rejoining　the　semicircle　of　gray　apes　around　Elliot's　head。
　Amy　deliberately　rested　her　hand　on　Elliot's　leg；　establishing　possession。　A　juvenile　male；　four　or　five　years　old；　impulsively　scurried　forward；　baring　his　teeth。　Amy　slapped　him　across　the　face；　and　the　juvenile　whined　and　scrambled　back　to　the　safety　of　his　group。
　Amy　glowered　at　the　other　gorillas。　And　then　she　began　signing。　Go　away　leave　Amy　go　away。
　The　gorillas　did　not　respond。
　Peter　good　human　person。　But　she　seemed　to　be　aware　that　the　gorillas　did　not　understand；　for　she　then　did　something　remarkable：　she　sighed；　making　the　same　wheezing　sound　that　the　gorillas　made。
　The　gorillas　were　startled；　and　stared　at　one　another。
　But　if　Amy　was　speaking　their　language；　it　was　without　effect：　they　remained　where　they　were。　And　the　more　she　sighed；　the　more　their　reaction　diminished；　until　finally　they　stared　blandly　at　her。
　She　was　not　getting　through　to　them。
　Amy　now　came　alongside　Peter's　head　and　began　to　groom　him；　plucking　at　his　beard　and　scalp。　The　gray　gorillas　signed　rapidly。　Then　the　male　began　his　rhythmic　ho…ho…ho　once　more。　When　she　saw　this　Amy　turned　to　Peter　and　signed；　Amy　hug　Peter。　He　was　surprised：　Amy　never　volunteered
　to　hug　Peter。　Ordinarily　she　only　wanted　Peter　to　hug　and　tickle　Amy。
　Elliot　sat　up　and　she　immediately　pulled　him　to　her　chest；　pressing　his　face　into　her　hair。　At　once　the　male　gorilla　ceased　grunting。　The　gray　gorillas　began　to　backpedal；　as　if　they
　had　mitted　some　error。　In　that　moment；　Elliot　under…　
　stood：　she　was　treating　him　like　her　infant。
　This　was　classic　primate　behavior　in　aggressive　situations。　Primates　carried　strong　inhibitions　against　harming　infants；　and　this　inhibition　was　invoked　by　adult　animals
　in　many　contexts。　Male　baboons　often　ended　their　fight　when　one　male　grabbed　an　infant　and　clutched　it　to　his　chest；　the　sight　of　the　small　animal　inhibited　further　attack。　Chimpanzees　showed　wore　subtle　variations　of　the　same　thing。　If　juvenile　chimp　play　turned　too　brutal；　a　male　would　grab　one　juvenile　and　clutch　it　maternally；　even　though　in　this　case　both　parent　and　child　were　symbolic。　Yet　the　posture　was　sufficient　to　evoke　the　inhibition　against　further　violence。　In　this　case　Amy　was　not　only　halting　the　male's　attack　but　protecting　Elliot　as　well；　by　treating　him　as　an　infant…if　the　gorillas　would　accept　a　bearded　six…foot…tall　infant。
　They　did。
　They　disappeared　hack　into　the　foliage。　Amy　released　Elliot　from　her　fierce　grip。　She　looked　at　him　and　signed；　Dumb　things。
　〃Thank　you；　Amy；〃　he　said　and　kissed　her。
　Peter　tickle　Amy　Amy　good　gorilla。
　〃You　bet；〃　he　said；　and　he　tickled　her　for　the　next　several　minutes；　while　she　rolled　on　the　ground；　grunting　happily。
　
　It　was　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　when　they　returned　to　camp。　Ross　said；　〃Did　you　get　a　gorilla？〃
　〃No；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃Well；　it　doesn't　matter；〃　Ross；　said；　〃because　I　can't　raise　Houston。〃
　Elliot　was　stunned：　〃More　electronic　jamming？〃
　〃Worse　than　that；〃　Ross　said。　She　had　spent　an　hour　trying　to　establish　a　satellite　link　with　Houston；　and　had　failed。　Each　time　the　link　was　broken　within　seconds。　Finally；　after　confirming　that　there　was　no　fault　with　her　equipment；　she　had　checked　the　date。　〃It's　June　24；〃　she　said。　〃And　we　had　munications　trouble　with　the　last　Congo　expedition　on　May　28。　That's　twenty…seven　days　ago。〃
　When　Elliot　still　didn't　get　it；　Munro　said；　〃She's　telling　you　it's　solar。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ross　said。　〃This　is　an　ionospheric　disturbance　of　solar　origin。〃　Most　disruptions　of　the　earth's　ionosphere…the　thin　layer　of　ionized　molecules　50…250　miles　up…were　caused　by　phenomena　such　as　sunspots　on　the　surface　of　the　sun。　Since　the　sun　rotated　every　twenty…seven　days；　these　disturbances　often　recurred　a　month　later。
　''Okay；〃　Elliot　said；　〃it's　solar。　How　long　will　it　last？〃
　Ross　shook　her　head。　〃Ordinarily；　I　would　say　a　few　hours；　a　day　at　most。　But　this　seems　to　be　a　severe　disturbance　and　it's　e　up　very　suddenly。　Five　hours　ago　we　had　perfect　munications…and　now　we　have　none　at　all。　Something　unusual　is　going　on。　It　could　last　a　week。〃
　〃No　munications　for　a　week？　No　puter　tie…ins；　no　nothing？〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ross　said　evenly。　〃From　this　moment　on；　we　are　entirely　cut　off　from　the　outside　world。〃
　
　5。　Isolation
　
　THE　LARGEST　SOLAR　FLARE　OF　1979　WAS　RECORDED　on　June　24；　by　the　Kitt　Peak　Observatory　near　Tucson；　Arizona；　and　duly　passed　on　to　the　Space　Environment　Services　Center　in　Boulder；　Colorado。　At　first　the　SESC　did　not　believe　the　ining　data：　even　by　the　gigantic　standards　of　solar　astronomy；　this　flare；　designated　78/06/4l4aa；　was　a　monster。
　The　cause　of　solar　flares　is　unknown；　but　they　are　generally　associated　with　sunspots。　In　this　case　the　flare　appeared　as　an　extremely　bright　spot　ten　thousand　miles　in　diameter；　affecting　not　only　alpha　hydrogen　and　ionized　calcium　spectral　lines　but　also　the　white　light　spectrum　from　the　sun。　Such　a　〃continuous　spectrum〃　flare　was　extremely　rare。
　Nor　could　the　SESC　believe　the　puted　consequences。　Solar　flares　release　an　enormous　amount　of　energy；　even　a　modest　flare　can　double　the　amount　of　ultraviolet　radiation　emitted　by　the　entire　solar　surface。　But　flare　78/06/4l4aa　was　almost　tripling　ultraviolet　emissions。　Within　8。3　minutes　of　its　first　appearances　along　the　rotating　rim…the　time　it　takes　light　to　reach　the　earth　from　the　sun…this　surge　of　ultraviolet　radiation　began　to　disrupt　the　ionosphere　of　the　earth。
　The　consequence　of　the　flare　was　that　radio　munications　on　a　planet　ninety…three　million　miles　away　were　seriously　disrupted。　This　was　especially　true　for　radio　transmissions　which　utilized　low　signal　strengths。　mercial　radio　stations　generating　kilowatts　of　power　were　hardly
　inconvenienced；　but　the　Congo　Field　Survey；　transmitting　signals　on　the　order　of　twenty　thousand　watts；　was　unable　to　establish　satellite　links。　And　since　the　solar　flare　also　ejected　X…rays　and　atomic　particles　which　would　not　reach　the　earth　for　a　full　day；　the　radio　disruption　would　last　at　least　one　day；　and　perhaps　longer。　At　ERTS　in　Houston；　technicians　reported　to　Travis　that　the　SESC　predicted　a　time　course　of　ionic　disruption　of　four　to　eight　days。
　〃That's　how　it　looks。　Ross'll　probably　figure　it　out；〃　the　technician　said；　〃when　she　can't　re…establish　today。〃
　〃They　need　that　puter　hookup；〃　Travis　said。　The　ERTS　staff　had　run　five　puter　simulations　and　the　oute　was　always　the　same…short　of　airlifting　in　a　small　army；　Ross's　expedition　was　in　serious　trouble。　Survival　projections　wer