michael crichton.congo-第49节

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rt　of　airlifting　in　a　small　army；　Ross's　expedition　was　in　serious　trouble。　Survival　projections　were　running　〃point　two　four　four　and　change〃…　only　one　chance　in　four　that　the　Congo　expedition　would　get　out　alive；　assuming　the　help　of　the　puter　link　which　was　now　broken。
　Travis　wondered　if　Ross　and　the　others　realized　how　grave　their　situation　was。　〃Any　new　Band　Five　on　Mukenko？〃　Travis　asked。
　Band　5　on　Landsat　satellites　recorded　infrared　data。　On　its　last　pass　over　the　Congo；　Landsat　had　acquired　significant　new　information　on　Mukenko。　The　volcano　had　bee　much　hotter　in　the　nine　days　since　the　previous　Landsat　pass；　the　temperature　increase　was　on　the　order　of　8　degrees。
　〃Nothing　new；〃　the　technician　said。　〃And　the　puters　don't　project　an　eruption。　Four　degrees　of　orbital　change　are　Within　sensor　error　on　that　system；　and　the　additional　four　degrees　have　no　predictive　value。〃
　〃Well；　that's　something；〃　Travis　said。　〃But　what　are　they　going　to　do　about　the　apes　now　that　they're　cut　off　from　the　puter？〃
　
　That　was　the　question　the　Congo　Field　Survey　had　been　asking　themselves　for　the　better　part　of　an　hour。　With　munications　disrupted　the　only　puters　available　were　the　puters　in　their　own　heads。　And　those　puters　were　not　powerful　enough。
　Elliot　found　it　strange　to　think　that　his　own　brain　was　inadequate。　〃We　had　all　bee　accustomed　to　the　availability　of　puting　power；〃　he　said　later。　〃In　any　decent　laboratory　you　can　get　all　the　memory　and　all　the　putation　speed　you　could　want；　day　or　night。　We　were　so　used　to　it　we　had　e　to　take　it　for　granted。
　Of　course　they　could　have　eventually　worked　out　the　ape　language；　but　they　were　up　against　a　time　factor：　they　didn't　have　months　to　puzzle　it　out；　they　had　hours。　Cut　off　from　the　APE　program　their　situation　was　ominous。　Munro　said　that　they　could　not　survive　another　night　of　frontal　attack；　and　they　had　every　reason　to　expect　an　attack　that　night。
　Amy's　rescue　of　Elliot　suggested　their　plan。　Amy　had　shown　some　ability　to　municate　with　the　gorillas；　perhaps　she　could　translate　for　them　as　well。　〃It's　worth　a　try；〃　Elliot　insisted。　
　Unfortunately；　Amy　herself　denied　that　this　was　possible。　In　response　to　the　question　〃Amy　talk　thing　talk？〃　She
　signed；　No　talk。
　〃Not　at　all？〃　Elliot　said；　remembering　the　way　she　had　signed。　〃Peter　see　Amy　talk　thing　talk。〃
　No　talk。　Make　noise。
　He　concluded　from　this　that　she　was　able　to　mimic　the　gorilla　verbalizations　but　had　no　knowledge　of　their　meaning。　It　was　now　past　two；　they　had　only　four　or　five　hours　until　nightfall。
　Munro　said；　〃Give　it　up。　She　obviously　can't　help　us。〃　Munro　preferred　to　break　camp　and　fight　their　way　out　in　daylight。　He　was　convinced　that　they　could　not　survive　another　night　among　the　gorillas。
　But　something　nagged　at　Elliot's　mind。
　After　years　of　working　with　Amy；　he　knew　she　had　the　maddening　literal…mindedness　of　a　child。　With　Amy；　especially　when　she　was　feeling　uncooperative；　it　was　necessary　to　be　exact　to　elicit　the　appropriate　response。　Now　he　looked　at　Amy　and　said；　〃Amy　talk　thing　talk？〃
　No　talk。
　〃Amy　understand　thing　talk？〃
　Amy　did　not　answer。　She　was　chewing　on　vines；　preoccupied。
　〃Amy；　listen　to　Peter。〃　She　stared　at　him。　〃Amy　understand　thing　talk？〃
　Amy　understand　thing　talk；　she　signed　back。　She　did　it　so　matter…of…factly　that　at　first　he　wondered　if　she　realized　what　he　was　asking　her。
　〃Amy　watch　thing　talk；　Amy　understand　talk？〃
　Amy　understand。
　〃Amy　sure？〃
　Amy　sure。
　〃I'll　be　goddamned；〃　Elliot　said。
　Munro　was　shaking　his　head。　〃We've　only　got　a　few　hours
　of　daylight　left；〃　he　said。　〃And　even　if　you　do　learn　their　language；　how　are　you　going　to　talk　to　them？〃
　
　6。Amy　Talk　Thing　Talk
　
　AT　3　P。M。；　ELLIOT　AND　AMY　WERE　PLETELY　concealed　in　the　foliage　along　the　hillside。　The　only　sign　of　their　presence　was　the　slender　cone　of　the　microphone　that　protruded　through　the　foliage。　The　microphone　was　connected　to　the　videotape　recorder　at　Elliot's　feet；　which　he　used　to　record　the　sounds　of　the　gorillas　on　the　hills　beyond。
　The　only　difficulty　was　trying　to　determine　which　gorilla　the　directional　microphone　had　focused　on…and　which　gorilla　Amy　had　focused　on；　and　whether　they　were　the　same　gorilla。　He　could　never　be　quite　sure　that　Amy　was　translating　the　verbal　utterances　of　the　same　animal　that　he　was　recording。　There　were　eight　gorillas　in　the　nearest　group　and　Amy　kept　getting　distracted。　One　female　had　a　six…month…old　infant；　and　at　one　point；　when　the　baby　was　bitten　by　a　bee；　Amy　signed；　Baby　mad。　But　Elliot　was　recording　a　male。
　Amy；　he　signed。　Pay　attention。
　Amy　pay　attention。　Amy　good　gorilla。
　Yes；　he　signed。　Amy　good　gorilla。　Amy　pay　attention　man　thing。
　Amy　not　like。
　He　swore　silently；　and　erased　half　an　hour　of　translations　from　Amy。　She　had　obviously　been　paying　attention　to　the　wrong　gorilla。　When　he　started　the　tape　again；　he　decided　that　this　time　he　would　record　whatever　Amy　was　watching。　He　signed；　What　thing　Amy　watch？
　Amy　watch　baby。
　That　wouldn't　work；　because　the　baby　didn't　speak。　He　signed；　Amy　watch　woman　thing。
　Amy　like　watch　baby。
　This　dependency　on　Amy　was　like　a　bad　dream。　He　was　in　the　hands　of　an　animal　whose　thinking　and　behavior　he　barely　understood；　he　was　cut　off　from　the　wider　society　of　human　beings　and　human　machinery；　thus　increasing　his　dependency　on　the　animal；　and　yet　he　had　to　trust　her。
　After　another　hour；　with　the　sunlight　fading；　he　took　Amy　back　down　the　hillside　to　the　camp。
　
　Munro　had　planned　as　best　he　could。
　First　he　dug　a　series　of　holes　like　elephant　traps　outside　the　camp；　they　were　deep　pits　lined　with　sharp　stakes；　covered　with　leaves　and　branches。
　He　widened　the　moat　in　several　places；　and　cleared　away　dead　trees　and　underbrush　that　might　be　used　as　bridges。
　He　cut　down　the　low　tree　branches　overhanging　the　camp；　so　that　if　gorillas　went　into　the　trees；　they　would　be　kept　at　least　thirty　feet　above　the　ground…too　high　to　jump　down。
　He　gave　three　of　the　remaining　porters；　Muzezi；　Amburi；　and　Harawi；　shotguns　along　with　a　supply　of　tear…gas　canisters。
　With　Ross；　he　boosted　power　on　the　perimeter　fence　to　almost　200　amps。　This　was　the　maximum　the　thin　mesh　could　handle　without　melting；　they　had　been　obliged　to　reduce　the　pulses　from　four　to　two　per　second。　But　the　additional　current　changed　the　fence　from　a　deterrent　to　a　lethal　barrier。　The　first　animals　to　hit　that　fence　would　be　immediately　killed；　although　the　likelihood　of　shorts　and　a　dead　fence　was　considerably　increased。
　At　sunset；　Munro　made　his　most　difficult　decision。　He　loaded　the　stubby　tripod…mounted　RFSDs　with　half　their　remaining　ammunition。　When　that　was　gone；　the　machines　would　simply　stop　firing。　From　that　point　on；　Munro　was　counting　on　Elliot　and　Amy　and　their　translation。
　And　Elliot　did　not　look　very　happy　when　he　came　back　down　the　hill。
　
　7。Final　Defense
　
　〃How　LONG　UNTIL　YOU'RE　READY？〃　MUNRO　asked　him。
　〃Couple　of　hours；　maybe　more。〃　Elliot　asked　Ross　to　help　him；　and　Amy　went　to　get　food　from　Kahega。　She　seemed　very　proud　of　herself；　and　behaved　like　an　important　person　in　the　group。
　Ross　said；　〃Did　it　work？〃
　〃We'll　know　in　a　minute；〃　Elliot　said。　His　first　plan　was　to　run　the　only　kind　of　internal　check　on　Amy　that　he　could；　by　verifying　repetitions　of　sounds。　If　she　had　consistently　translated　sounds　in　the　same　way；　they　would　have　a　reason　for　confidence。
　But　it　was　painstaking　work。　They　had　only　the　half…inch　VTR　and　the　small　pocket　tape　recorder；　there　were　no　connecting　cables。　They　called　for　silence　from　the　others　in　the　camp　and　proceeded　to　run　the　checks；　taping；　retaping；　listening　to　the　whispering　sounds。
　At　once　they　found　that　their　ears　simply　weren't　capable　of　discriminating　the　sounds…everything　sounded　the　same。　Then　Ross　had　an　idea。
　〃These　sounds　taped；〃　she　said；　〃as　electrical　signals。〃
　〃Yes　。　。
　〃Well；　the　linkup　transmitter　has　a　256K　memory。〃
　〃But　we　can't　link　up　to　the　Houston　puter。〃
　〃I　don't　mean　that；〃　Ross　said。　She　explained　that　the　satellite　linkup　was　made　by　having　the　256K　puter　on…site　match　an　internally　generated　signal…like　a　video　test　pattern…to　a　transmitted　signal　from　Houston。　That　was　how　they　locked　on。　The　machine　was　built　that　way；　but　they　could　use　the　matching　program　for　other　purposes。
　〃You　mean　we　can　use　it　to　pare　these　sounds？〃　Elliot　said。
　They　could；　but　it　was　incredibly　slow。　They　had　to　transfer　the　taped　sounds　to　the　puter　memory；　and　rerecord　it　in　the　VTR；　on　another　portion　of　the　tape　bandwidth。　Then　they　had　to　input　that　signal　into　the　puter　memory；　and　run　a　second　parison　tape　on　the　VTR。　Elliot　found　that　he　was　standing　by；　watching　Ross　shuffle　tape　cartridges　and　mini　floppy　discs。　Every　half　hour；　Munro　would　wander　over　to　ask　how　it　was　ing；　Ross　became　increasingly　snappish　and　irritable。　〃We're　going　as　fast　as　we　can；〃　she　said。
　It　was　now　eight　o'clock。
　But　the　first　results　were　encouraging：　Amy　was　indeed　consistent　in　her　translations。　By　nine　o'clock　they　had　quantified　matching　on　almost　a　dozen　words：
　
　
　FOOD 。9213 。112
　EAT 。8844 。334
　WATER 。9978 。004
　DRINK 。7743 。334
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