jurassic.park-第74节
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inpatible with the mand he was giving。 But what did that mean? Why was power inpatible?
〃Timmy 。 。 。〃 Lex said; tugging at his arm。
'Not now; Lex。〃
〃Yes; now; 〃 she said; and she pulled him away from the screen and the console。 And then he heard the snarling of raptors。
It was ing from the hallway。
In the skylight above Malcolm's bed; the raptors had almost bitten through the second metal bar。 They could now poke their heads entirely through the shattered glass; and lunge and snarl at the people below。 Then after a moment they would pull back; and resume chewing on the metal。
Malcolm said; 〃It won't be long now。 Three; four minutes。〃 He pressed the button on the radio: 〃Tim; are you there? Tim?〃
There was no answer。
Tim slipped out the door and saw the velociraptor; down at the far end of the corridor; standing by the balcony; He stared in astonishment。 How had it gotten out of the freezer?
Then; as he watched; a second raptor suddenly appeared on the balcony; and he understood。 The raptor hadn't e from the freezer at all。 It had e from outside。 It had jumped from the ground below。 The second raptor landed silently; perfectly balanced on the railing。 Tim couldn't believe it。 The big animal had jumped ten feet straight up。 More than ten feet。 Their legs must be incredibly powerful。
Lex whispered; 〃I thought you said they couldn't…〃
〃Ssshh。〃 Tim was trying to think; but he watched with a kind of fascinated dread as the third raptor leapt to the balcony。 The animals milled aimlessly in the corridor for a moment; and then they began to move forward in single file。 ing toward him and Lex。
Quietly; Tim pushed against the door at his back; to re…enter the control room。 But the door was stuck。 He pushed harder。
〃We're locked out;〃 Lex whispered。 〃Look。〃 She pointed to the slot for the security card alongside the door。 A bright red dot glowed。 Somehow the security doors had been activated。 〃You idiot; you locked us out!〃
Tim looked down the corridor。 He saw several more doors; but each had a red light glowing alongside。 That meant all the doors were locked。 There was nowhere they could go。
Then he saw a slumped shape on the floor at the far end of the corridor。 It was a dead guard。 A white security card was clipped to his belt。
〃e on;〃 he whispered。 They ran for the guard。 Tim got the card; and turned back。 But of course the raptors had seen them。 They snarled; and blocked the way back to the control room。 They began to spread apart; fanning out in the hallway to surround Tim and Lex。 Their heads began to duck rhythmically。
They were going to attack。
Tim did the only thing he could do。 Using the card; he opened the nearest door off the hallway and pushed Lex through。 As the door began to close slowly behind them; the raptors hissed and charged。
Lodge
Ian Malcolm drew each breath as if it might be his last。 He watched the raptors with dull eyes。 Harding took his blood pressure; frowned; took it again。 Ellie Sattler was wrapped in a blanket; shivering and cold。 Muldoon sat on the floor; propped against the wall。 Hammond was staring upward; not speaking。 They all listened to the radio。
〃What happened to Tim?〃 Hammond said。 〃Still no word?〃
〃I don't know。〃
Malcolm said; 〃Ugly; aren't they。 Truly ugly。〃
Hammond shook his head。 〃Who could have imagined it would turn out this way。〃
Ellie said; 〃Apparently Malcolm did。〃
〃I didn't imagine it;〃 Malcolm said。 〃I calculated it。〃
Hammond sighed。 〃No more of this; please。 He's been saying 'I told you so' for hours。 But nobody ever wanted this to happen。〃
〃It isn't a matter of wanting it or not;〃 Malcolm said; eyes closed。 He spoke slowly; through the drugs。 〃It's a matter of what you think you can acplish。 When the hunter goes out in the rain forest to seek food for his family; does he expect to control nature? No。 He imagines that nature is beyond him。 Beyond his understanding。 Beyond his control。 Maybe he prays to nature; to the fertility of the forest that provides for him。 He prays because he knows he doesn't control it。 He's at the mercy of it。
〃But you decide you won't be at the mercy of nature。 You decide you'll control nature; and from that moment on you're in deep trouble; because you can't do it。 Yet you have made systems that require you to do it。 And you can't do it…and you never have…and you never will。 Don't confuse things。 You can make a boat; but you can't make the ocean。 You can make an airplane; but you can't make the air。 Your powers are much less than your dreams of reason would have you believe。〃
〃He's lost me;〃 Hammond said; with a sigh; 〃Where did Tim go? He seemed such a responsible boy。〃
〃I'm sure he's trying to get control of the situation;〃 Malcolm said。 〃Like everybody else。〃
〃And Grant; too。 What happened to Grant?〃
Grant reached the rear door to the visitor center; the same door he had left twenty minutes before。 He tugged on the handle: it was locked。 Then he saw the little red light。 The security doors were reactivated! Damn! He ran around to the front of the building; and went through the shattered front doors into the main lobby; stopping by the guard desk where he had been earlier。 He could hear the dry hiss of his radio。 He went to the kitchen; looking for the kids; but the kitchen door was open; the kids gone。
He went upstairs but came to the glass panel marked CLOSED AREA and the door was locked。 He needed a security card to go farther。
Grant couldn't get in。
From somewhere inside the hallway; he heard the raptors snarling。
The leathery reptile skin touched Tim's face; the claws tore his shirt; and Tim fell onto his back; shrieking in fright。
〃Timmy!〃 Lex yelled。
Tim scrambled to his feet again。 The baby velociraptor perched on his shoulder; chirping and squeaking in panic。 Tim and Lex were in the white nursery。 There were toys on the floor: a rolling yellow ball; a doll; a plastic rattle。
〃It's the baby raptor;〃 Lex said; pointing to the animal gripping Tim's shoulder。
The little raptor burrowed its head into Tim's neck。 The poor thing was probably starving; Tim thought。
Lex came closer and the baby hopped onto her shoulder。 It rubbed against her neck。 〃Why is it doing that?〃 she said。 〃Is it scared?〃
〃I don't know;〃 Tim said。
She passed the raptor back to Tim。 The baby was chirping and squeaking; and hopping up and down on his shoulder excitedly。 It kept looking around; head moving quickly。 No doubt about it; the little thing was worked up and…
〃Tim;〃 Lex whispered。
The door to the hallway laadn't closed behind them after they entered the nursery。 Now the big velociraptors were ing through。 First one; then a second one。
Clearly agitated; the baby chirped and bounced on Tim's shoulder。 Tim knew he had to get away。 Maybe the baby would distract them。 After all; it was a baby raptor。 He plucked the little animal from his shoulder and threw it across the room。 The baby scurried between the legs of the adults。 The first raptor lowered its snout; sniffed at the baby delicately;
Tim took Lex's hand; and pulled her deeper into the nursery。 He had to find a door; a way to get out…
There was a high piercing shriek。 Tim looked back to see the baby in the jaws of the adult。 A second velociraptor came forward and tore at the limbs of the infant; trying to pull it from the mouth of the first。 The two raptors fought over the baby as it squealed。 Blood splattered in large drops onto the floor。
〃They ate him;〃 Lex said。
The raptors fought over the remains of the baby; rearing back and butting heads。 Tim found a door…it was unlocked…and went through; pulling Lex after him。
They were in another room; and from the deep green glow he realized it was the deserted DNA…extraction laboratory; the rows of stereo microscopes abandoned; the high…resolution screens showing frozen; giant black…and…white images of insects。 The flies and gnats that had bitten dinosaurs millions of years ago; sucking the blood that now had been used to re…create dinosaurs in the park。 They ran through the laboratory; and Tim could hear the snorts and snarls of the raptors; pursuing them; ing closer; and then he went to the back of the lab and through a door that must have had an alarm; because in the narrow corridor an intermittent siren sounded shrilly; and the lights overhead flashed on and off。 Running down the corridor; Tim was plunged into darkness…then light again…then darkness。 Over the sound of the alarm; he heard the raptors snort as they pursued him。 Lex was whimpering and moaning。 Tim saw another door ahead; with the blue biohazard sign; and he slammed into the door; and moved beyond it; and suddenly he collided with something big and Lex shrieked in terror。
〃Take it easy; kids;〃 a voice said。
Tim blinked in disbelief。 Standing above him was Dr。 Grant。 And next to him was Mr。 Gennaro。
Outside in the hallway; it had taken Grant nearly two minutes to realize that the dead guard down in the lobby probably had a security card。 He'd gone back and gotten it; and entered the upper corridor; moving quickly down the hallway。 He had followed the sound of the raptors