jurassic.park-第14节

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　　　　〃Well；　not　officially；〃　Hammond　said。　〃But　the　hotel　is　built；　so　there　is　a　place　to　stay。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃And　the　animals？〃
　　　　〃Of　course；　the　animals　are　all　there。　All　in　their　spaces。〃
　　　　Gennaro　said；　〃I　remember　in　the　original　proposal　you　were　hoping　for　a　total　of　twelve。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Ob；　we're　far　beyond　that。　We　have　two　hundred　and　thirty…eight　an'mals；　Donald。〃
　　　　Two　hundred　and　thirty…eight？〃
　　　　The　old　man　giggled；　pleased　at　Gennaro's　reaction。　〃You　can't　imagine　it。　We　have　herds　of　them。〃
　　　　〃Two　hundred　and　thirty…eight　。　。　。　How　many　species？〃
　　　　〃Fifteen　different　species；　Donald。〃
　　　　〃That's　incredible；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃That's　fantastic。　And　what　about　all　the　other　things　you　wanted？　The　facilities？　The　puters？〃
　　　　〃All　of　it；　all　of　it；〃　Hammond　said。　〃Everything　on　that　island　is　state…of…the…art。　You'll　see　for　yourself；　Donald。　It's　perfectly　wonderful。　That's　why　this　。　。　。　concern　。　。　。　is　so　misplaced。　There's　absolutely　no　problem　with　the　island。〃
　　　　Gennaro　said；　〃Then　there　should　be　absolutely　no　problem　with　an　inspection。〃
　　　　〃And　there　isn't；〃　Hammond　said。　〃But　it　slows　things　down。　Everything　has　to　stop　for　the　official　visit。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃You've　had　delays　anyway。　You've　postponed　the　opening。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　that　〃　Hammond　tugged　at　the　red　silk　handkerchief　in　the　breast　pocket　of　his　sportcoat。　〃It　was　bound　to　happen。　Bound　to　happen。〃
　　　　〃Why？〃　Gennaro　asked。
　　　　〃Well；　Donald；〃　Hammond　said；　〃to　explain　that；　you　have　to　go　back　to　the　initial　concept　of　the　resort。　The　concept　of　the　most　advanced　amusement　park　in　the　world；　bining　the　latest　electronic　and　biological　technologies。　I'm　not　talking　about　rides。　Everybody　has　rides。　Coney　Island　has　rides。　And　these　days　everybody　has　animatronic　environments。　The　haunted　house；　the　pirate　den；　the　wild　west；　the　earthquake…everyone　has　those　things。　So　we　set　out　to　make　biological　attractions。　Living　attractions。　Attractions　so　astonishing　they　would　capture　the　imagination　of　the　entire　world。〃
　　　　Gennaro　had　to　smile。　It　was　almost　the　same　speech；　word　for　word；　that　he　had　used　on　the　investors；　so　many　years　ago。　〃And　we　can　never　forget　the　ultimate　object　of　the　project　in　Costa　Rica…to　make　money；〃　Hammond　said；　staring　out　the　windows　of　the　jet。　〃Lots　and　lots　of　money。
　　　　〃I　remember；〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　〃And　the　secret　to　making　money　in　a　park；〃　Hammond　said；　〃is　to　limit　your　Personnel　costs。　The　food　handlers；　ticket　takers；　cleanup　crews；　repair　teams。　To　make　a　park　that　runs　with　minimal　staff。　That　was　why　we　invested　in　all　the　puter　technology…we　automated　wherever　we　could。〃
　　　　〃I　remember。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃But　the　plain　fact　is；〃　Hammond　said；　when　you　put　together　all　the　animals　and　all　the　puter　systems；　you　run　into　snags。　Who　ever　got　a　major　puter　system　up　and　running　on　schedule？　Nobody　I　know。〃
　　　　〃So　you've　just　had　normal　start…up　delays？〃
　　　　〃Yes；　that's　right；〃　Hammond　said。　〃Normal　delays。〃
　　　　〃I　heard　there　were　accidents　during　construction；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃Some　workmen　died。　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Yes；　there　were　several　accidents；〃　Hammond　said。　〃And　a　total　of　three　deaths。　Two　workers　died　building　the　cliff　road。　One　other　died　as　a　result　of　an　earth…mover　accident　in　January。　But　we　haven't　had　any　accidents　for　months　now。〃　He　put　his　band　on　the　younger　man's　arm。　〃Donald；〃　he　said；　〃believe　me　when　I　tell　you　that　everything　on　the　island　is　going　forward　as　planned。　Everything　on　that　island　is　perfectly　fine。〃
　　　　The　inter　clicked。　The　pilot　said；　〃Seat　belts；　please。　We're　landing　in　Choteau。〃

Choteau

Dry　plains　stretched　away　toward　distant　black　buttes。　The　afternoon　wind　blew　dust　and　tumbleweed　across　the　cracked　concrete。　Grant　stood　with　Ellie　near　the　Jeep　and　waited　while　the　sleek　Grumman　jet　circled　for　a　landing。
　　　　〃I　hate　to　wait　on　the　money　men；〃　Grant　grumbled。
　　　　Ellie　shrugged。〃Goes　with　the　job。〃
　　　　Although　many　fields　of　science；　such　as　physics　and　chemistry；　had　bee　federally　funded；　paleontology　remained　strongly　dependent　on　private　patrons。　Quite　apart　from　his　own　curiosity　about　the　island　in　Costa　Rica；　Grant　understood　that；　if　John　Hammond　asked　for　his　help；　he　would　give　it。　That　was　how　patronage　worked…how　it　had　always　worked。
　　　　The　little　jet　landed　and　rolled　quickly　toward　them。　Ellie　shouldered　her　bag。　The　iet　came　to　a　stop　and　a　stewardess　in　a　blue　uniform　opened　the　door。
　　　　Inside；　he　was　surprised　at　how　cramped　it　was；　despite　the　luxurious　appointments。　Grant　had　to　hunch　over　as　he　went　to　shake　Hammond's　hand。
　　　　〃Dr。　Grant　and　Dr。　Sattler；〃　Hammond　said。　〃It's　good　of　you　to　join　us。　Allow　me　to　introduce　my　associate；　Donald　Gennaro。〃
　　　　Gennaro　was　a　stocky；　muscular　man　in　his　mid…thirties　wearing　an　Armani　suit　and　wire…frame　glasses。　Grant　disliked　him　on　sight。　He　shook　hands　quickly。　When　Ellie　shook　hands；　Gennaro　said　in　surprise；　〃You're　a　woman。〃
　　　　〃These　things　happen；〃　she　said；　and　Grant　thought：　She　doesn't　like　him；　either…
　　　　Hammond　turned　to　Gennaro。　〃You　know；　of　course；　what　Dr。　Grant　and　Dr。　Sattler　do。　They　are　paleontologists。　They　dig　up　dinosaurs。〃　And　then　he　began　to　laugh；　as　if　he　found　the　idea　very　funny。
　　　　〃Take　your　seats；　please；〃　the　stewardess　said；　closing　the　door。　Immediately　the　plane　began　to　move。
　　　　〃You'll　have　to　excuse　us；〃　Hammond　said；　〃but　we　are　in　a　bit　of　a　rush。　Donald　thinks　it's　important　we　get　right　down　there。〃
　　　　The　pilot　announced　four　hours'　flying　time　to　Dallas；　where　they　would　refuel；　and　then　go　on　to　Costa　Rica；　arriving　the　following　morning。
　　　　〃And　how　long　will　we　be　in　Costa　Rica？〃　Grant　asked。
　　　　〃Well；　that　really　depends；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃We　have　a　few　things　to　clear　up。〃
　　　　〃Take　my　word　for　it；〃　Hammond　said；　turning　to　Grant。　〃We'll　be　down　there　no　more　than　forty…eight　hours。〃
　　　　Grant　buckled　his　seat　belt。　〃This　island　of　yours　that　we're　going　to…I　haven't　heard　anything　about　it　before。　Is　it　some　kind　of　secret？〃
　　　　〃In　a　way；〃　Hammond　said。　〃We　have　been　very；　very　careful　about　making　sure　nobody　knows　about　it；　until　the　day　we　finally　open　that　island　to　a　surprised　and　delighted　public。〃

Target　of　Opportunity

The　Biosyn　Corporation　of　Cupertino；　California；　had　never　called　an　emergency　meeting　of　its　board　of　directors。　The　ten　directors　now　sitting　in　the　conference　room　were　irritable　and　impatient。　It　was　8：00　p。m。　They　had　been　talking　among　themselves　for　the　last　ten　minutes；　but　slowly　had　fallen　silent。　Shuffling　papers。　Looking　pointedly　at　their　watches。
　　　　〃What　are　we　waiting　for？〃　one　asked。
　　　　〃One　more；〃　Lewis　Dodgson　said。　〃We　need　one　more。〃　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　Ron　Meyer's　office　had　said　he　was　ing　up　on　the　six　o'clock　plane　from　San　Diego。　He　should　be　here　by　now；　even　allowing　for　traffic　from　the　airport。
　　　　〃You　need　a　quorum？〃　another　director　asked。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Dodgson　said。　〃We　do。〃
　　　　That　shut　them　up　for　a　moment。　A　quorum　meant　that　they　were　going　to　be　asked　to　make　an　important　decision。　And　God　knows　they　were；　although　Dodgson　would　have　preferred　not　to　call　a　meeting　at　all。　But　Steingarten；　the　head　of　Biosyn；　was　adamant。　〃You'll　have　to　get　their　agreement　for　this　one；　Lew；〃　he　had　said。
　　　　Depending　on　who　you　talked　to；　Lewis　Dodgson　was　famous　as　the　most　aggressive　geneticist　of　his　generation；　or　the　most　reckless。　Thirty…four；　balding；　hawk…faced；　and　intense；　he　had　been　dismissed　by　Johns　Hopkins　as　a　graduate　student；　for　planning　gene　therapy　on　human　patients　without　obtaining　the　proper　FDA　protocols。　Hired　by　Biosyn；　he　had　conducted　the　controversial　rabies　vaccine　test　in　Chile。　Now　he　was　the　head　of　product　development　at　Biosyn；　which　supposedly　consisted　of　〃reverse　engineering〃：　taking　a　petitor's　product；　tearing　it　apart；　learning　how　it　worked；　and　then　making　your　own　version。　In　practice；　it　involved　industrial　espionage；　much　of　it　directed　toward　the　InGen　corporation。
　　　　In　the　1980s；　a　few　genetic　engineering　panies　began　to　ask；　〃What　is　the　biological　equivalent　of　a　Sony　Walkman？〃　These　panies　weren't　interested　in　pharmaceuticals　or　health；　they　were　interested　in　entertainment；　sports；　leisure　activities；　cosmetics；　and　pets。　The　perceived　demand　for　〃consumer　biologicals〃　in　the　1990s　was　high。　InGen　and　Biosyn　were　both　at　work　in　this　field。
　　　　Biosyn　had　already　achieved　some　success；　engineering　a　new；　pale　trout　under　contract　to　the　Department　of　Fish　and　Game　of　the　State　of　Idaho。　This　trout　was　easier　to　spot　in　streams；　and　was　said　to　represent　a　step　forward　in　angling。　（At　least；　it　eliminated　plaints　to　the　Fish　and　Came　Department　that　there　were　no　trout　in　the　streams。）　The　fact　that　the　pale　trout　sometimes　died　of　sunburn；　and　that　its　flesh　was　soggy　and　tasteless；　was　not　discussed。　Biosyn　was　still　working　on　that；　and…
　　　　The　door　opened　and　Ron　Meyer　entered　the　room；　slipped　into　a　seat。　Dodgson　now　had　his　quorum。　He　immediately　stood。
　　　　〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　〃we're　here　tonight　to　consider　a　target　of　opportunity：　InGen。〃
　　　　Dodgson　quickly　reviewed　the　background。　InGen's　start…up　in　1983；　with　Japanese　investors。　The　purchase　of　three　Cray　XMP　super