mc.prey-第48节

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　David's　body　wasn't　there。　It　wasn't　in　the　frame。　Earlier　in　the　day；　I　had　seen　his　body　slide　out　the　door　and　disappear　from　view；　so　it　should　be　lying　outside。　Given　the　slight　grade；　it　might　have　rolled　a　few　yards　from　the　door；　but　not　more　than　that。　No　body。
　But　perhaps　I　was　mistaken。　Or　perhaps　there　were　coyotes。　In　any　case　the　camera　image　had　now　changed。　I'd　have　to　sit　through　another　cycle　to　see　it　again。　I　decided　not　to　wait。　If　David's　body　was　gone；　there　was　nothing　I　could　do　about　it　now。　It　was　about　seven　o'clock　when　we　sat　down　to　eat　dinner　in　the　little　kitchen　of　the　residential　module。　Bobby　brought　out　plates　of　ravioli　with　tomato　sauce；　and　mixed　vegetables。　I　had　been　a　stay…at…home　dad　long　enough　to　recognize　the　brands　of　frozen　food　he　was　using。　〃I　really　think　that　Contadina　is　better　ravioli。〃
　Bobby　shrugged。　〃I　go　to　the　fridge；　I　find　what's　there。〃
　I　was　surprisingly　hungry。　I　ate　everything　on　my　plate。
　〃Couldn't　have　been　that　bad；〃　Bobby　said。
　Mae　was　silent　as　she　ate；　as　usual。　Beside　her；　Vince　ate　noisily。　Ricky　was　at　the　far　end　of　the　table；　away　from　me；　looking　down　at　his　food　and　not　meeting　my　eyes。　It　was　all　right　with　me。　Nobody　wanted　to　talk　about　Rosie　and　David；　but　the　empty　stools　around　the　table　were　pretty　obvious。　Bobby　said　to　me；　〃So；　you're　going　to　go　out　tonight？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃When　is　it　dark？〃
　〃Sunset　should　be　around　seven…twenty；〃　Bobby　said。　He　flicked　on　a　monitor　on　the　wall。　〃I'll　get　you　the　exact　time。〃
　I　said；　〃So　we　can　go　out　three　hours　after　that。　Sometime　after　ten。〃
　Bobby　said；　〃And　you　think　you　can　track　the　swarm？〃
　〃We　should。　Charley　sprayed　one　swarm　pretty　thoroughly。〃
　〃As　a　result　of　which；　I　glow　in　the　dark；〃　Charley　said；　laughing。　He　came　into　the　room　and　sat　down。
　Everyone　greeted　him　enthusiastically。　If　nothing　else；　it　felt　better　to　have　another　body　at　the　table。　I　asked　him　how　he　felt。
　〃Okay。　A　little　weak。　And　I　have　a　fucking　headache　from　hell。〃
　〃I　know。　Me　too。〃
　〃And　me；〃　Mae　said。
　〃It's　worse　than　the　headache　Ricky　gives　me；〃　Charley　said；　looking　down　the　table。　〃Lasts　longer；　too。〃
　Ricky　said　nothing。　Just　continued　eating。
　〃Do　you　suppose　these　things　get　into　your　brain？〃　Charley　said。　〃I　mean；　they're　nanoparticles。　They　can　get　inhaled；　cross　the　blood…brain　barrier　。。。　and　go　into　the　brain？〃
　Bobby　pushed　a　plate　of　pasta　in　front　of　Charley。　He　immediately　ground　pepper　all　over　it。
　〃Don't　you　want　to　taste　it？〃
　〃No　offense。　But　I'm　sure　it　needs　it。〃　He　started　to　eat。
　〃I　mean；〃　he　continued；　〃that's　what　everybody's　worried　about　nanotechnology　polluting　the　environment；　right？　Nanoparticles　are　small　enough　to　get　places　nobody's　ever　had　to　worry　about　before。　They　can　get　into　the　synapses　between　neurons。　They　can　get　into　the　cytoplasm　of　cardiac　cells。　They　can　get　into　cell　nuclei。　They're　small　enough　to　go　anywhere　inside　the　body。　So　maybe　we're　infected；　Jack。〃
　〃You　don't　seem　that　worried　about　it；〃　Ricky　said。
　〃Hey；　what　can　I　do　about　it　now？　Hope　I　give　it　to　you；　is　about　all。　Hey；　this　spaghetti's　not　bad。〃
　〃Ravioli；〃　Bobby　said。
　〃Whatever。　Just　needs　a　little　pepper。〃　He　ground　some　more　over　the　top。　〃Sundown　is　seven…twenty…seven；〃　Bobby　said；　reading　the　time　off　the　monitor。　He　went　back　to　eating。　〃And　it　does　not　need　pepper。〃
　〃Fucking　does。〃
　〃I　already　put　in　pepper。〃
　〃Needs　more。〃
　I　said；　〃Guys？　Are　we　missing　anybody？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so；　why？〃
　I　pointed　to　the　monitor。　〃Who's　that　standing　out　in　the　desert？〃
　　
　DAY　6　
　7：12　P。M。
　〃Oh　shit；〃　Bobby　said。　He　jumped　up　from　the　table　and　ran　out　of　the　room。　Everyone　else　did；　too。　I　followed　the　others。
　Ricky　was　holding　his　radio　as　he　went：　〃Vince；　lock　us　down。　Vince？〃
　〃We're　locked　down；〃　Vince　said。　〃Pressure　is　five　plus。〃
　〃Why　didn't　the　alarm　go　off？〃
　〃Can't　say。　Maybe　they've　learned　to　get　past　that；　too。〃
　I　followed　everybody　into　the　utility　room；　where　there　were　large　wall…mounted　liquid　crystal　displays　showing　the　outside　video　cameras。　Views　of　the　desert　from　all　angles。　The　sun　was　already　below　the　horizon；　but　the　sky　was　a　bright　orange；　fading　into　purple　and　then　dark　blue。　Silhouetted　against　this　sky　was　a　young　man　with　short　hair。　He　was　wearing　jeans　and　a　white　T…shirt　and　looked　like　a　surfer。　I　couldn't　see　his　face　clearly　in　the　failing　light；　but　even　so；　watching　the　way　he　moved；　I　thought　there　was　something　familiar　about　him。
　〃We　got　any　floodlights　out　there？〃　Charley　said。　He　was　walking　around；　holding　his　bowl　of　pasta；　still　eating。
　〃Lights　ing　up；〃　Bobby　said；　and　a　moment　later　the　young　man　stood　in　glaring　light。　Now　I　could　see　him　clearly…
　And　then　it　hit　me。　It　looked　like　the　same　kid　who　had　been　in　Julia's　car　last　night　after　dinner；　when　she　drove　away；　just　before　her　accident。　The　same　blond　surfer　kid　who；　now　that　I　saw　him　again；　looked　like…
　〃Jesus；　Ricky；〃　Bobby　said。　〃He　looks　like　you。〃
　〃You're　right；〃　Mae　said。　〃It's　Ricky。　Even　the　T…shirt。〃
　Ricky　was　getting　a　soft　drink　out　of　the　dispensing　machine。　He　turned　toward　the　display　screen。　〃What're　you　guys　talking　about？〃
　〃He　looks　like　you；〃　Mae　said。　〃He　even　has　your　T…shirt　with　I　Am　Root　on　the　front。〃　Ricky　looked　at　his　own　T…shirt；　then　back　at　the　screen。　He　was　silent　for　a　moment。　〃I'll　be　damned。〃
　I　said；　〃You've　never　been　out　of　the　building；　Ricky。　How　e　it's　you？〃
　〃Fucking　beats　me；〃　Ricky　said。　He　shrugged　casually。　Too　casually？
　Mae　said；　〃I　can't　make　out　the　face　very　well。　I　mean　the　features。〃　Charley　moved　closer　to　the　largest　of　the　screens　and　squinted　at　the　image。　〃The　reason　you　can't　see　features；〃　he　said；　〃is　because　there　aren't　any。〃
　〃Oh；　e　on。〃
　〃Charley；　it's　a　resolution　artifact；　that's　all。〃
　〃It's　not；〃　Charley　said。　〃There're　no　fucking　features。　Zoom　it　in　and　see　for　yourself。〃　Bobby　zoomed。　The　image　of　the　blond　head　enlarged。　The　figure　was　moving　back　and　forth；　in　and　out　of　the　frame；　but　it　was　immediately　clear　that　Charley　was　right。　There　were　no　features。　There　was　an　oval　patch　of　pale　skin　beneath　the　blond　hairline；　and　there　was　the　suggestion　of　a　nose　and　brow　ridges；　and　a　sort　of　mound　where　the　lips　should　be。　But　there　were　no　actual　features。
　It　was　as　if　a　sculptor　had　started　to　carve　a　face；　and　had　stopped　before　he　was　finished。　It　was　an　unfinished　face。
　Except　that　the　eyebrows　moved；　from　time　to　time。　A　sort　of　wiggle；　or　flutter。　Or　perhaps　that　was　an　artifact。
　〃You　know　what　we're　looking　at　here；　don't　you？〃　Charley　said。　He　sounded　worried。　〃Pan　down。　Let's　see　the　rest　of　him。〃　Bobby　panned　down；　and　we　saw　white　sneakers　moving　over　the　desert　dirt。　Except　the　sneakers　didn't　seem　to　be　touching　the　ground；　but　rather　hovering　just　above　it。　And　the　sneakers　themselves　were　sort　of　blurry。　There　was　a　hint　of　shoelaces；　and　a　streak　where　a　Nike　logo　would　be。　But　it　was　like　a　sketch；　rather　than　an　actual　sneaker。
　〃This　is　very　weird；〃　Mae　said。
　〃Not　weird　at　all；〃　Charley　said。　〃It's　a　calculated　approximation　for　density。　The　swarm　doesn't　have　enough　agents　to　make　high…resolution　shoes。　So　it's　approximating。〃
　〃Or　else；〃　I　said；　〃it's　the　best　it　can　do　with　the　materials　at　hand。　It　must　be　generating　all　these　colors　by　tilting　its　photovoltaic　surface　at　slight　angles；　catching　the　light。　It's　like　those　flash　cards　the　crowd　holds　up　in　football　stadiums　to　make　a　picture。〃
　〃In　which　case；〃　Charley　said；　〃its　behavior　is　quite　sophisticated。〃
　〃More　sophisticated　than　what　we　saw　earlier；〃　I　said。
　〃Oh；　for　Christ's　sake；〃　Ricky　said　irritably。　〃You're　acting　like　this　swarm　is　Einstein。〃
　〃Obviously　not；〃　Charley　said；　〃　'cause　if　it's　modeling　you；　it's　certainly　no　Einstein。〃
　〃Give　it　a　rest；　Charley。〃
　〃I　would；　Ricky；　but　you're　such　an　asshole　I　get　provoked　over　and　over。〃
　Bobby　said；　〃Why　don't　you　both　give　it　a　rest？〃
　Mae　turned　to　me　and　said；　〃Why　is　the　swarm　doing　this？　Imitating　the　prey？〃
　〃Basically；　yes；〃　I　said。
　〃I　hate　to　think　of　us　as　prey；〃　Ricky　said。
　Mae　said；　〃You　mean　it's　been　coded　to；　literally；　physically　imitate　the　prey？〃
　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃The　program　instruction　is　more　generalized　than　that。　It　simply　directs　the　agents　to　attain　the　goal。　So　we　are　seeing　one　possible　emergent　solution。　Which　is　more　advanced　than　the　previous　version。　Before；　it　had　trouble　making　a　stable　2…D　image。　Now　it's　modeling　in　three　dimensions。〃
　I　glanced　at　the　programmers。　They　had　stricken　looks　on　their　faces。　They　knew　exactly　how　big　an　advance　they　were　witnessing。　The　transition　to　three　dimensions　meant　that　not　only　was　the　swarm　now　imitating　our　external　appearance；　it　was　also　imitating　our　behavior。　Our　walks；　our　gestures。　Which　implied　a　far　more　plicated　internal　model。　Mae　said；　〃And　the　swarm　decided　this　on　its　own？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃Although　I'm　not　sure　'decided'　is　the　right　term。　The　emergent　behavior　is　the　sum　of　individual　agent　behaviors。　There　isn't　anybody　there　to　'decide'　anything。　There's　no　brain；　no　higher　control　in　that　swarm。〃
　〃Group　mind？〃　Mae　said。　〃Hive　mind