michael crichton.congo-第53节

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　But　given　diversified　tactical　warfare；　the　number　of　weapons　and　〃systems　elements〃　increased　astronomically。　Modern　estimates　imagined　400　million　puters　in　the　field；　with　total　weapons　interactions　at　more　than　15　billion　in　the　first　half　hour　of　war。　This　meant　there　would　be　8　million　weapons　interactions　every　second；　in　a　bewildering　ultrafast　conflict　of　aircraft；　missiles；　tanks；　and　ground　troops。
　Such　a　war　was　only　manageable　by　machines；　human　response　times　were　simply　too　slow。　World　War　HI　would　not　be　a　push…button　war　because　as　General　Martin　said；　〃It　takes　too　long　for　a　man　to　push　the　button…at　least　1。8　seconds；　which　is　an　eternity　in　modem　warfare。〃
　This　fact　created　what　Martin　called　the　〃rock　problem。〃　Human　responses　were　geologically　slow；　pared　to　a　high…speed　puter。　〃A　modern　puter　performs　2；000；000　calculations　in　the　time　it　takes　a　man　to　blink。　Therefore；　from　the　point　of　view　of　puters　fighting　the　next　war；　human　beings　will　be　essentially　fixed　and　unchanging　elements；　like　rocks。　Human　wars　have　never　lasted　long　enough　to　take　into　account　the　rate　of　geological　change。　In　the　future；　puter　wars　will　not　last　long　enough　to　take　into　account　the　rate　of　human　change。〃
　Since　human　beings　responded　too　slowly；　it　was　necessary　for　them　to　relinquish　decision…making　control　of　the　war　to　the　faster　intelligence　of　puters。　〃In　the　ing　war；　we　must　abandon　any　hope　of　regulating　the　course　of　the　conflict。　If　we　decide　to　'run'　the　war　at　human　speed；　we　will　almost　surely　lose；　Our　only　hope　is　to　put　our　trust　in　machines。　This　makes　human　judgment；　human　values；　human　thinking　utterly　superfluous。　World　War　III　will　be　war　by　proxy：　a　pure　war　of　machines；　over　which　we　dare　exert　no　influence　for　fear　of　so　slowing　the　decision…making　mechanism　as　to　cause　our　defeat。〃　And　the　final；　crucial　transition…the　transition　from　puters　working　at　nanoseconds　to　puters　working　at　picoseconds…was　dependent　on　Type　IIb　diamonds。
　
　Elliot　was　appalled　by　this　prospect　of　turning　control　over　to　the　creations　of　men。
　Ross　shrugged。　〃It's　inevitable；〃　she　said。　〃In　Olduvai　Gorge　in　Tanzania；　there　are　traces　of　a　house　two　million　years　old。　The　hominid　creature　wasn't　satisfied　with　caves　and　other　natural　shelters；　he　created　his　own　acmodations。　Men　have　always　altered　the　natural　world　to　suit　their　purposes。〃
　〃But　you　can't　give　up　control；〃　Elliot　said。
　〃We've　been　doing　it　for　centuries；〃　Ross　said。　〃What's　a　domesticated　animal…or　a　pocket　calculator…except　an　attempt　to　give　up　control？　We　don't　want　to　plow　fields　or　do　square　roots　so　we　turn　the　job　over　to　some　other　intelligence；　which　we've　trained　or　bred　or　created。〃
　〃But　you　can't　let　your　creations　take　over。〃
　〃We've　been　doing　it　for　centuries；〃　Ross　repeated。　〃Look：　even　if　we　refused　to　develop　faster　puters；　the　Russians　would。　They'd　be　in　Zaire　right　now　looking　for　diamonds；　if　the　Chinese　weren't　keeping　them　out。　You　can't　stop　technological　advances。　As　soon　as　we　know　something　is　possible；　we　have　to　carry　it　out。〃
　〃No；〃　Elliot　said。　〃We　can　make　our　own　decisions。　I　won't　be　a　part　of　this。〃
　〃Then　leave；〃　she　said。　〃The　Congo's　no　place　for　academics；　anyway。〃
　She　began　unpacking　her　rucksack；　taking　out　a　series　of　white　ceramic　cones；　and　a　number　of　small　boxes　with　antennae。　She　attached　a　box　to　each　ceramic　cone；　then　entered　the　first　tunnel；　placed　the　cones　flat　against　the　walls；　moving　deeper　into　darkness。
　Peter　not　happy　Peter。
　〃No；〃　Elliot　said。　Why　not　happy'
　〃It's　hard　to　explain；　Amy；〃　he　said。
　Peter　tell　Amy　good　gorilla。
　〃I　know；　Amy。〃
　Karen　Ross　emerged　from　one　tunnel；　and　disappeared　into　the　second。　Elliot　saw　the　glow　of　her　flashlight　as　she　placed　the　cones；　and　then　she　was　hidden　from　view。
　Munro　came　out　into　the　sunlight；　his　pockets　bulging　with　diamonds。　〃Where's　Ross？〃
　〃In　the　tunnels。〃
　〃Doing　what？〃
　〃Some　kind　of　explosive　test；　looks　like。〃　Elliot　gestured　to　the　three　remaining　ceramic　cones　on　the　ground　near　her　pack。
　Munro　picked　up　one　cone；　and　turned　it　over。　〃Do　you　know　what　these　are？〃　he　asked。
　Elliot　shook　his　head。
　〃They're　RCs；〃　Munro　said；　〃and　she's　out　of　her　mind　to　place　them　here。　She　could　blow　the　whole　place　apart。〃
　
　Resonant　conventionals；　or　RCs；　were　timed　explosives；　a　potent　marriage　of　microelectronic　and　explosive　technology。　〃We　used　RCs　two　years　ago　on　bridges　in　Angola；〃
　Munro　explained。　〃Properly　sequenced；　six　ounces　of　explosive　can　bring　down　fifty　tons　of　braced　structural　steel。　You　need　one　of　those　sensors〃…he　gestured　to　a　control　box　lying　near　her　pack…〃which　monitors　shock　waves　from　the　early　charges；　and　detonates　the　later　charges　in　the　timed　sequence　to　set　up　resonating　waves　which　literally　shake　the　structure　to　pieces。　Very　impressive　to　see　it　happen。〃　Munro　glanced　up　at　Mukenko；　smoking　above　them。
　At　that　moment；　Ross　emerged　from　the　tunnel；　all　smiles。　〃We'll　soon　have　our　answers；〃　she　said。
　〃Answers？〃
　〃About　the　extent　of　the　kimberlite　deposits。　I've　set　twelve　seismic　charges；　which　is　enough　to　give　us　definitive　readings。〃
　〃You've　set　twelve　resonant　charges；〃　Munro　said。
　〃Well；　they're　all　I　brought。　We've　got　to　make　do。〃
　〃They'll　do；〃　Munro　said。　〃Perhaps　too　well。　That　volcano〃…he　pointed　upwards…〃is　in　an　eruptive　phase。〃
　〃I've　placed　a　total　of　eight　hundred　grams　of　explosive；〃　Ross　said。　〃That's　less　than　a　pound　and　a　half。　It　can't　make　the　slightest　difference。〃
　〃Let's　not　find　out。〃
　Elliot　listened　to　their　argument　with　mixed　feelings。　On　the　face　of　it；　Munro's　objections　seemed　absurd…a　few　trivial　explosive　charges；　however　timed；　could　not　possibly
　trigger　a　volcanic　eruption。　It　was　ridiculous；　Elliot　wondered　why　Munro　was　so　adamant　about　the　dangers。　It　was　almost　as　if　Munro　knew　something　that　Elliot　and　Ross　did　not…and　could　not　even　imagine。
　
　3。DOD/ARPD/VULCAN　　　7021
　
　IN　1978；　MUNRO　HAD　LED　A　ZAMBIA　EXPEDITION　which　included　Robert　Perry；　a　young　geologist　from　the　University　of　Hawaii。　Perry　had　worked　on　PROJECT　VULCAN；　the　most　advanced　program　financed　under　the　Department　of　Defense　Advanced　Research　Project　Division。
　VULCAN　was　so　controversial　that　during　the　1975　House　Armed　Services　Submittee　hearings；　project　DOD/　ARPD/VULCAN　7021　was　carefully　buried　among　〃miscellaneous　long…term　findings　of　national　security　significance。〃　But　the　following　year；　Congressman　David　Inaga　（D。；　Hawaii）　challenged　DOD　/　AR　PD/VULCAN。　demanding　to　know　〃its　exact　military　purpose；　and　why　it　should　be　funded　entirely　within　the　state　of　Hawaii。〃
　Pentagon　spokesmen　explained　blandly　that　VULCAN　was　a　〃tsunami　warning　system〃　of　value　to　the　residents　of　the　Hawaiian　islands；　as　well　as　to　military　installations　there。　Pentagon　experts　reminded　Inaga　that　in　1948　a　tsunami　had　swept　across　the　Pacific　Ocean；　first　devastating　Kauai；　but　moving　so　swiftly　along　the　Hawaiian　island　chain　that　when　it　struck　Oahu　and　Pearl　Harbor　twenty　minutes　later；　no　effective　warning　had　been　given。
　〃That　tsunami　was　triggered　by　an　underwater　volcanic　avalanche　off　the　coast　of　Japan；〃　they　said。　〃But　Hawaii　has　its　own　active　volcanoes；　and　now　that　Honolulu　is　a　city　of　half　a　million；　and　naval　presence　is　valued　at　more　than　thirty…five　billion　dollars；　the　ability　to　predict　tsunami　activity　secondary　to　eruptions　by　Hawaiian　volcanoes　assumes　major　long…term　significance。〃
　In　truth；　PROJECT　VULCAN　was　not　long…term　at　all；　it　was　intended　to　be　carried　out　at　the　next　eruption　of　Mauna　Loa；　the　largest　active　volcano　in　the　world；　located　on　the　big　island　of　Hawaii。　The　designated　purpose　of　VULCAN　was　to　control　volcanic　eruptions　as　they　progressed；　Mauna　Lea　was　chosen　because　its　eruptions　were　relatively　mild　and　gentle。
　Although　it　rose　to　an　altitude　of　only　13；500　feet；　Mauna　Lea　was　the　largest　mountain　in　the　world。　Measured　from　its　origin　at　the　depths　of　the　ocean　floor；　Mauna　Loa　had　more　than　twice　the　cubic　volume　of　Mount　Everest；　it　was　a　unique　and　extraordinary　geological　formation。　And　Mauna　Loa　had　long　since　bee　the　most　carefully　studied　volcano　in　history；　having　a　permanent　scientific　observation　station　on　its　crater　since　1928。　It　was　also　the　most　interfered…with　volcano　in　history；　since　the　lava　that　flowed　down　its　slopes　at　three…year　intervals　had　been　diverted　by　everything　from　aerial　bombers　to　local　crews　with　shovels　and　sandbags。
　VULCAN　intended　to　alter　the　course　of　a　Mauna　Loa　eruption　by　〃venting〃　the　giant　volcano；　releasing　the　enormous　quantities　of　molten　magma　by　a　series　of　timed；　non…nuclear　explosions　detonated　along　fault　lines　in　the　shield。　In　October；　1978；　VULCAN　was　carried　out　in　secret；　using　navy　helicopter　teams　experienced　in　detonating　high…explosive　resonant　conic　charges。　The　VULCAN　project　lasted　two　days；　on　the　third　day；　the　civilian　Mauna　Lea　Volcanic　Laboratory　publicly　announced　that　〃the　October　eruption　of　Mauna　Lea　has　been　milder　than　anticipated；　and　no　further　eruptive　episodes　are　expected。〃
　
　
　
　
　PROJECT　VULCAN　was　secret　but　Munro　had　heard　all　about　it　one　drunken　night　around　t