mc.theandromedastrein-第24节

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　　　They　walked　down　the　curved　corridor　to　a　room　marked　CENTRAL　CONTROL。　Leavitt　and　Stone　were　there；　working　quietly。　Central　Control　was　a　cramped　room；　stuffed　with　electronic　equipment。　One　wall　was　glass；　allowing　the　tails；　were　considered　particularly　trying。　Many　a　scientist　workers　to　look　into　the　adjacent　room。　
　
　　　Through　the　glass；　Hall　saw　mechanical　hands　moving　the　　capsule　to　a　table　and　setting　it　down。　Hall；　who　had　never　　seen　a　capsule　before；　watched　with　interest。　It　was　smaller　than　he　had　imagined；　no　more　than　a　yard　long；　one　end　was　seared　and　blackened　from　the　heat　of　reentry。　
　
　　　The　mechanical　hands；　under　Stone's　direction；　opened　the　little　scoop…shaped　trough　in　the　side　of　the　capsule　to　expose　the　interior。　
　
　　　〃There；〃　Stone　said；　taking　his　hands　from　the　controls。　The　controls　looked　like　a　pair　of　brass　knuckles；　the　operator　slipped　his　own　hands　into　them　and　moved　his　hands　as　he　wanted　the　mechanical　hands　to　move。　
　
　　　〃Our　next　step；〃　he　said；　〃is　to　determine　whether　there　is　still　anything　in　the　capsule　which　is　biologically　active。　　Suggestions？〃
　
　　　〃A　rat；〃　Leavitt　said。　〃Use　a　black　Norway。〃　
　
　　　The　black　Norway　rat　was　not　black　at　all；　the　name　simply　designated　a　strain　of　laboratory　animal；　perhaps　the　most　famous　strain　in　all　science。　Once；　of　course；　it　had　been　　both　black　and　Norwegian；　but　years　of　breeding　and　countless　generations　had　made　it　white；　small；　and　docile。　The　biological　explosion　had　created　a　demand　for　genetically　uniform　animals。　In　the　last　thirty　years　more　than　a　thousand　strains　of　〃pure〃　animals　had　been　evolved　artificially。　　In　the　case　of　the　black　Norwegian；　it　was　now　possible　for　a　　scientist　anywhere　in　the　world　to　conduct　experiments　using　this　animal　and　be　assured　that　other　scientists　elsewhere　could　repeat　or　enlarge　upon　his　work　using　virtually　identical　organisms。　
　
　　　〃Follow　with　a　rhesus；〃　Burton　said。　〃We　will　want　to　get　onto　primates　sooner　or　later。　　The　others　nodded。　Wildfire　was　prepared　to　conduct　experiments　with　monkeys　and　apes；　as　well　as　smaller；　cheaper　animals。　A　monkey　was　exceedingly　difficult　to　work　with：　the　little　primates　were　hostile；　quick；　intelligent。　Among　　scientists；　the　New　World　monkeys；　with　their　prehensile　tails；　were　considered　particularly　trying。　　Many　scientists　had　engaged　three　or　four　lab　assistants　to　hold　down　a　monkey　while　he　administered　an　injection　only　to　have　the　prehensile　tail　whip　up；　grasp　the　syringe；　and　fling　it　across　the　room。
　
　　　The　theory　behind　primate　experimentation　was　that　these　animals　were　closer　biologically　to　man。　In　the　1950's；　several　laboratories　even　attempted　experiments　on　gorillas；　going　to　great　trouble　and　expense　to　work　with　these　seemingly　most　human　of　animals。　However；　by　1960　it　had　been　demonstrated　that　of　the　apes；　the　chimpanzee　was　biochemically　more　like　man　than　the　gorilla。　（On　the　basis　of　similarity　to　man；　the　choice　of　laboratory　animals　is　often　surprising。　For　example；　the　hamster　is　preferred　for　immunological　and　cancer　studies；　since　his　responses　are　so　similar　to　man's；　while　for　studies　of　the　heart　and　circulation；　the　pig　is　considered　most　like　man。）
　
　　　Stone　put　his　hands　back　on　the　controls；　moving　them　gently。　Through　the　glass；　they　saw　the　black　metal　fingers　move　to　the　far　wall　of　the　adjoining　room；　where　several　caged　lab　animals　were　kept；　separated　from　the　room　by　hinged　airtight　doors。　The　wall　reminded　Hall　oddly　of　an　automat。
　
　　　The　mechanical　hands　opened　one　door　and　removed　a　rat　in　its　cage；　brought　it　into　the　room；　and　set　it　down　next　to　the　capsule。　The　rat　looked　around　the　room；　sniffed　the　air；　and　made　some　stretching　movements　with　its　neck。　A　moment　later　it　flopped　over　onto　its　side；　kicked　once；　and　was　still。
　
　　　It　had　happened　with　astonishing　speed。　Hall　could　hardly　believe　it　had　happened　at　all。
　
　　　〃My　God；〃　Stone　said。　〃What　a　time　course。〃
　　　〃That　will　make　it　difficult；〃　Leavitt　said。
　　　Burton　said；　〃We　can　try　tracers。。。〃
　　　〃Yes。　We'll　have　to　use　tracers　on　it；〃　Stone　said。　〃How　fast　are　our　scans？〃
　　　〃Milliseconds；　if　necessary。〃
　　　〃It　will　be　necessary。〃
　　　〃Try　the　rhesus；　〃　Burton　said。　〃You'll　want　a　post　on　it；　anyway。〃　
　
　　　Stone　directed　the　mechanical　hands　back　to　the　wall；　opening　another　door　and　withdrawing　a　cage　containing　a　large　brown　adult　rhesus　monkey。　The　monkey　screeched　as　it　was　lifted　and　banged　against　the　bars　of　its　cage。
　
　　　Then　it　died；　after　flinging　one　hand　to　its　chest　with　a　look　of　startled　surprise。
　
　　　Stone　shook　his　head。　〃Well；　at　least　we　know　it's　still　biologically　active。　Whatever　killed　everyone　in　Piedmont　is　still　there；　and　still　as　potent　as　ever。　〃　He　sighed。　〃If　potent　is　the　word。〃
　　　Leavitt　said；　〃We'd　better　start　a　scan　of　the　capsule。〃
　　　〃I'll　take　these　dead　animals；〃　Burton　said；　〃and　run　the　initial　vector　studies。　Then　I'll　autopsy　them。〃　
　
　　　Stone　worked　the　mechanical　hands　once　more。　He　picked　up　the　cages　that　held　the　rat　and　monkey　and　set　them　on　a　rubber　conveyor　belt　at　the　rear　of　the　room。　Then　he　pressed　a　button　on　a　control　console　marked　AUTOPSY。　The　conveyor　belt　began　to　move。
　
　　　Burton　left　the　room；　walking　down　the　corridor　to　the　autopsy　room；　knowing　that　the　conveyor　belt；　made　to　carry　materials　from　one　lab　to　another；　would　have　automatically　delivered　the　cages。
　
　　　Stone　said　to　Hall；　〃You're　the　practicing　physician　among　us。　I'm　afraid　you've　got　a　rather　tough　job　right　now。〃
　　　〃Pediatrician　and　geriatrist？〃
　　　〃Exactly。　See　what　you　can　do　about　them。　They're　both　in　our　miscellaneous　room；　the　room　we　built　precisely　for　unusual　circumstances　like　this。　There's　a　puter　linkup　there　that　should　help　you。　The　technician　will　show　you　how　it　works。〃　
　
　　　14。　Miscellaneous
　
　　　HALL　OPENED　THE　DOOR　MARKED　MISCELLANEOUS；　thinking　to　himself　that　his　job　was　indeed　miscellaneous　keeping　alive　an　old　man　and　a　tiny　infant。　Both　of　them　vital　to　the　project；　and　both　of　them；　no　doubt；　difficult　to　manage。
　
　　　He　found　himself　in　another　small　room　similar　to　the　control　room　he　had　just　left。　This　one　also　had　a　glass　window；　looking　inward　to　a　central　room。　In　the　room　were　two　beds；　and　on　the　beds；　Peter　Jackson　and　the　infant。　But　the　incredible　thing　was　the　suits：　standing　upright　in　the　room　were　four　clear　plastic　inflated　suits　in　the　shape　of　men。　From　each　suit；　a　tunnel　ran　back　to　the　wall。
　
　　　Obviously；　one　would　have　to　crawl　down　the　tunnel　and　then　stand　up　inside　the　suit。　Then　one　could　work　with　the　patients　inside　the　room。
　
　　　The　girl　who　was　to　be　his　assistant　was　working　in　the　room；　bent　over　the　puter　console。　She　introduced　herself　as　Karen　Anson；　and　explained　the　working　of　the　puter。
　
　　　〃This　is　just　one　substation　of　the　Wildfire　puter　on　the　first　level；〃　she　said。　〃There　are　thirty　substations　throughout　the　laboratory；　all　plugging　into　the　puter。　Thirty　different　people　can　work　at　once。〃
　
　　　Hall　nodded。　Time…sharing　was　a　concept　he　understood。　He　knew　that　as　many　as　two　hundred　people　had　been　able　to　use　the　same　puter　at　once；　the　principle　was　that　puters　operated　very　swiftly　in　fractions　of　a　second　while　people　operated　slowly；　in　seconds　or　minutes。　One　person　using　a　puter　was　inefficient；　because　it　took　several　minutes　to　punch　in　instructions；　while　the　puter　sat　around　idle；　waiting。　Once　instructions　were　fed　in；　the　puter　answered　almost　instantaneously。　This　meant　that　a　puter　was　rarely　〃working；〃　and　by　permitting　a　number　of　people　to　ask　questions　of　the　puter　simultaneously；　you　could　keep　the　machine　more　continuously　in　operation。
　
　　　〃If　the　puter　is　really　backed　up；　〃　the　technician　said；　〃there　may　be　a　delay　of　one　or　two　seconds　before　you　get　your　answer。　But　usually　it's　immediate。　What　we　are　using　here　is　the　MED　program。　Do　you　know　it？〃
　
　　　Hall　shook　his　head。
　
　　　〃It's　a　medical…data　analyzer；〃　she　said。　〃You　feed　in　information　and　it　will　diagnose　the　patient　and　tell　you　what　to　do　next　for　therapy；　or　to　confirm　the　diagnosis。〃
　　　〃Sounds　very　convenient。〃
　　　〃It's　fast；〃　she　said。　〃All　our　lab　studies　are　done　by　automated　machines。　So　we　can　have　plex　diagnoses　in　a　matter　of　minutes。〃
　　　Hall　looked　through　the　glass　at　the　two　patients。　〃What's　been　done　on　them　so　far？〃
　　　〃Nothing。　At　Level　I；　they　were　started　on　intravenous　infusions。　Plasma　for　Peter　Jackson；　dextrose　and　water　for　the　baby。　They　both　seem　well　hydrated　now；　and　in　no　distress。　Jackson　is　still　unconscious。　He　has　no　pupillary　signs　but　is　unresponsive　and　looks　anemic。〃
　
　　　Hall　nodded。　〃The　labs　here　can　do　everything？〃
　　　〃Everything。　Even　assays　for　adrenal　hormones　and　things　like　partial　thromboplastin　times。　Every　known　medical　test　is　possible。〃
　　　〃All　right。　We'd　better　get　started。〃
　
　　　She　turned　on　the　puter。　〃This　is　how　you　order　laboratory　tests；〃　she　said。　〃Use　this　light　pen　here；　and　check　off　the　tests　you　want。　Just　touch　the　pen　to　the　screen。〃　
　
　　　She　handed　him　a　small　penlight；　and　pushed　the　START　button。