mc.prey-第23节

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　〃No；　not　at　all；〃　Ricky　said；　giving　them　a　hard　look。　〃I　just　want　Jack　to　have　some　background　first。　I　want　to　go　over　that　with　him。〃
　David　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Well；　how　much　time　do　you　think　that　will　take？　Because　I　figure　we've　got…〃
　〃I　said；　Let　me　show　him　around；　for　Christ's　sake！〃　Ricky　was　almost　snarling。　I　was　surprised；　I'd　never　seen　him　lose　his　temper　before。　But　apparently　they　had：
　〃Okay；　okay；　Ricky。〃
　〃Hey；　you're　the　boss；　Ricky。〃
　〃That's　right；　I　am；〃　Ricky　said；　still　visibly　angry。　〃And　by　the　way；　your　break　ended　ten　minutes　ago。　So　let's　get　back　to　work。〃　He　looked　into　the　adjoining　game　room。　〃Where　are　the　others？〃
　〃Fixing　the　perimeter　sensors。〃
　〃You　mean　they're　outside？〃
　〃No；　no。　They're　in　the　utility　room。　Bobby　thinks　there's　a　calibration　problem　with　the　sensor　units。〃
　〃Great。　Did　anybody　tell　Vince？〃
　〃No。　It's　software：　Bobby's　taking　care　of　it。〃
　It　was　at　that　point　that　my　cell　phone　beeped。　I　was　surprised；　pulled　it　out　of　my　pocket。　I　turned　to　the　others。　〃Cell　phones　work？〃
　〃Yeah；〃　Ricky　said；　〃we're　wired　here。〃　He　went　back　to　his　argument　with　David　and　Rosie。　I　stepped　into　the　corridor　and　got　my　messages。　There　was　only　one；　from　the　hospital；　about　Julia。　〃We　understand　you　are　Ms。　Forman's　husband；　and　if　you　could　call　us　please　as　soon　as　possible　。。。〃　Then　an　extension　for　a　Dr。　Rana。　I　dialed　back　at　once。　The　switchboard　put　me　through。　〃ICU。〃
　I　asked　for　Dr。　Rana；　and　waited　until　he　came　on。　I　said；　〃This　is　Jack　Forman。　Julia　Forman's　husband。〃
　〃Oh　yes；　Mr。　Forman。〃　A　pleasant；　melodic　voice。　〃Thank　you　for　calling　back。　I　understand　you　acpanied　your　wife　to　the　hospital　last　night。　Yes？　Well　then　you　know　the　seriousness　of　her　injuries；　or　should　I　say　her　potential　injuries。　We　really　do　feel　that　she　needs　to　have　a　thorough　workup　for　cervical　fracture；　and　for　subdural　hematoma；　and　she　needs　a　pelvic　fracture　workup　as　well。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃That's　what　I　was　told　last　night。　Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃Actually；　there　is。　Your　wife　is　refusing　treatment。〃
　〃She　is？〃
　〃Last　night；　she　allowed　us　to　take　X…rays　and　to　set　the　fractures　in　her　wrist。　We've　explained　to　her　that　X…rays　are　limited　in　what　we　can　see；　and　that　it　is　quite　important　for　her　to　have　an　MRI；　but　she　is　refusing　that。〃
　I　said；　〃Why？〃
　〃She　says　she　doesn't　need　it。〃
　〃Of　course　she　needs　it；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；　she　does；　Mr。　Forman；〃　Rana　said。　〃I　don't　want　to　alarm　you　but　the　concern　with　pelvic　fracture　is　massive　hemorrhaging　into　the　abdomen　and；　well；　bleeding　to　death。　It　can　happen　very　quickly；　and…〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　〃We'd　like　you　to　talk　to　her。〃
　〃Of　course。　Put　her　on。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　she's　gone　for　some　additional　X…rays　just　now。　Is　there　a　number　where　you　can　be　reached？　Your　cell　phone？　All　right。　One　other　thing；　Mr。　Forman；　we　weren't　able　to　take　a　psychiatric　history　from　your　wife　。。。〃
　〃Why　is　that？〃
　〃She　refuses　to　talk　about　it。　I'm　referring　to　drugs；　any　history　of　behavioral　disorders；　that　kind　of　thing。　Can　you　shed　any　light　in　that　area？〃
　〃I'll　try　。。。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　alarm　you；　but　your　wife　has　been；　well；　a　bit　on　the　irrational　side。　At　times；　almost　delusional。〃
　〃She's　been　under　a　lot　of　stress　lately；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；　I　am　sure　that　contributes；〃　Dr。　Rana　said　smoothly。　〃And　she　has　suffered　a　severe　head　injury；　which　we　need　to　investigate　further。　I　don't　want　to　alarm　you；　but　frankly　it　was　the　opinion　of　the　psychiatric　consult　that　your　wife　was　suffering　from　a　bipolar　disorder；　or　a　drug　disorder；　or　both。〃
　〃I　see　。。。〃
　〃And　of　course　such　questions　naturally　arise　in　the　context　of　a　single…car　automobile　accident　。。。〃
　He　meant　that　the　accident　might　be　a　suicide　attempt。　I　didn't　think　that　was　likely。　〃I　have　no　knowledge　of　my　wife　taking　drugs；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　have　been　concerned　about　her　behavior　for；　oh；　a　few　weeks　now。〃
　Ricky　came　over；　and　stood　by　me　impatiently。　I　put　my　hand　over　the　phone。　〃It's　about　Julia。〃　He　nodded；　and　glanced　at　his　watch。　Raised　his　eyebrows。　I　thought　it　was　pretty　odd；　that　he　would　push　me　when　I　was　talking　to　the　hospital　about　my　wife…and　his　immediate　superior。　The　doctor　rambled　on　for　a　while；　and　I　did　my　best　to　answer　his　questions；　but　the　fact　was　I　didn't　have　any　information　that　could　help　him。　He　said　he　would　have　Julia　call　when　she　got　back；　and　I　said　I　would　wait　for　the　call。　I　flipped　the　phone　closed。　Ricky　said；　〃Okay；　fine。　Sorry　to　rush　you；　Jack；　but　。。。　you　know；　I've　got　a　lot　to　show　you。〃
　〃Is　there　a　time　problem？〃　I　said。
　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe。〃
　I　started　to　ask　what　he　meant　by　that；　but　he　was　already　leading　me　forward；　walking　quickly。　We　left　the　residential　area；　passing　through　another　glass　door；　and　down　another　passageway。　This　passage；　I　noticed；　was　tightly　sealed。　We　walked　along　a　glass　walkway　suspended　above　the　floor。　The　glass　had　little　perforations；　and　beneath　was　a　series　of　vacuum　ducts　for　suction。　By　now　I　was　growing　accustomed　to　the　constant　hiss　of　the　air　handlers。　Midway　down　the　corridor　was　another　pair　of　glass　doors。　We　had　to　go　through　them　one　at　a　time。　They　parted　as　we　went　through；　and　closed　behind　us。　Continuing　on；　I　again　had　the　distinct　feeling　of　being　in　a　prison；　of　going　through　a　succession　of　barred　gates；　going　deeper　and　deeper　into　something。
　It　might　be　all　high…tech　and　shiny　glass　walls…but　it　was　still　a　prison。
　　
　DAY　6　
　8：12　A。M。
　We　came　into　a　large　room　marked　UTILITY　and　beneath　it；　MOLSTOCK/FABSTOCK/FEEDSTOCK。　The　walls　and　ceiling　were　covered　with　the　familiar　smooth　plastic　laminate。　Large　laminated　containers　were　stacked　on　the　floor。　Off　to　the　right　I　saw　a　row　of　big　stainless…steel　kettles；　sunk　below　ground　with　lots　of　piping　and　valves　surrounding　them；　and　ing　up　to　the　first…floor　level。　It　looked　exactly　like　a　microbrewery；　and　I　was　about　to　ask　Ricky　about　it　when　he　said；　〃So　there　you　are！〃　Working　at　a　junction　box　beneath　a　monitor　screen　were　three　more　members　of　my　old　team。　They　looked　slightly　guilty　as　we　came　up；　like　kids　caught　with　their　hands　in　the　cookie　jar。　Of　course　Bobby　Lembeck　was　their　leader。　At　thirty…five；　Bobby　now　supervised　more　code　than　he　wrote；　but　he　could　still　write　when　he　wanted　to。　As　always；　he　was　wearing　faded　jeans　and　a　Ghost　in　the　Shell　T…shirt；　his　ubiquitous　Walkman　clamped　to　his　waist。　Then　there　was　Mae　Chang；　beautiful　and　delicate；　about　as　different　from　Rosie　Castro　as　any　woman　could　be。　Mae　had　worked　as　a　field　biologist　in　Sichuan　studying　the　golden　snub…nosed　monkey　before　turning　to　programming　in　her　mid…twenties。　Her　time　in　the　field；　as　well　as　her　natural　inclination；　led　her　to　be　almost　silent。　Mae　said　very　little；　moved　almost　soundlessly；　and　never　raised　her　voice…but　she　never　lost　an　argument；　either。　Like　many　field　biologists；　she　had　developed　the　uncanny　ability　to　slip　into　the　background；　to　bee　unnoticed；　almost　to　vanish。
　And　finally　Charley　Davenport；　grumpy；　rumpled；　and　already　overweight　at　thirty。　Slow　and　lumbering；　he　looked　as　if　he　had　slept　in　his　clothes；　and　in　fact　he　often　did；　after　a　marathon　programming　session。　Charley　had　worked　under　John　Holland　in　Chicago　and　Doyne　Farmer　at　Los　Alamos。　He　was　an　expert　in　genetic　algorithms；　the　kind　of　programming　that　mimicked　natural　selection　to　hone　answers。　But　he　was　an　irritating　personality…he　hummed；　he　snorted；　talked　to　himself；　and　farted　with　noisy　abandon。　The　group　only　tolerated　him　because　he　was　so　talented。
　〃Does　it　really　take　three　people　to　do　this？〃　Ricky　said；　after　I'd　shaken　hands　all　around。
　〃Yes；〃　Bobby　said；　〃it　does　take　three　people；　El　Rooto；　because　it's　plicated。〃
　〃Why？　And　don't　call　me　El　Rooto。〃
　〃I　obey；　Mr。　Root。〃
　〃Just　get　on　with　it　。。。〃
　〃Well；〃　Bobby　said；　〃I　started　to　check　the　sensors　after　this　morning's　episode；　and　it　looks　to　me　like　they're　miscalibrated。　But　since　nobody　is　going　outside；　the　question　is　whether　we're　reading　them　wrong；　or　whether　the　sensors　themselves　are　faulty；　or　just　scaled　wrong　on　the　equipment　in　here。　Mae　knows　these　sensors；　she's　used　them　in　China。　I'm　making　code　revisions　now。　And　Charley　is　here　because　he　won't　go　away　and　leave　us　alone。〃
　〃Shit；　I　have　better　things　to　do；〃　Charley　said。　〃But　I　wrote　the　algorithm　that　controls　the　sensors；　and　we　need　to　optimize　the　sensor　code　after　they're　done。　I'm　just　waiting　until　they　stop　screwing　around。　Then　I'll　optimize。〃　He　looked　pointedly　at　Bobby。　〃None　of　these　guys　can　optimize　worth　a　damn。〃
　Mae　said；　〃Bobby　can。〃
　〃Yeah；　if　you　give　him　six　months；　maybe。〃
　〃Children；　children；〃　Ricky　said。　〃Let's　not　make　a　scene　in　front　of　our　guest。〃　I　smiled　blandly。　The　truth　was；　I　hadn't　been　paying　attention　to　what　they　were　saying。　I　was　just　watching　them。　These　were　three　of　my　best　programmers…and　when　they　had　worked　for　me；　they　had　been　self…assured　to　the　point　of　arrogance。　But　now　I　was　struck　by　how　nervous　the　group　was。　They　were　all　on　edge；　bickering；　jumpy。　And　thinking　back；　I　realized　that　Rosie　and　David　had　been　on　edge；　too。
　Charle