mc.risingsun-第40章

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　〃Picking　up　a　midterm；〃　Theresa　said。　〃I'm　just　helping　run　the　real…time　progressions。　They're　finishing　now。〃　I　had　the　impression　that　she　was　older　than　the　other　students。　It　was　hard　to　say　why；　exactly。　It　certainly　wasn't　her　clothes：　she　wore　a　bright　colored　headband　and　a　U2　T…shirt　under　a　jeans　jacket。　But　she　had　a　calm　quality　that　made　her　seem　older。
　〃Can　you　switch　to　something　else？〃　Sanders　said；　walking　around　the　table　to　look　at　the　monitor。　〃Because　we　have　a　rush　job　here。　We　have　to　help　out　the　police。〃　I　followed　Sanders；　ducking　pipes。
　〃Sure；　I　guess；〃　the　woman　said。　She　started　to　shut　down　units　on　the　desk。　Her　back　was　turned　to　me；　and　then　finally　I　could　see　her。　She　was　dark；　exotic…looking；　almost　Eurasian。　In　fact　she　was　beautiful；　drop…dead　beautiful。　She　looked　like　one　of　those　high　cheek…boned　models　in　magazines。　And　for　a　moment　I　was　confused；　because　this　woman　was　too　beautiful　to　be　working　in　some　basement　electronics　laboratory。　It　didn't　make　sense。
　〃Say　hello　to　Theresa　Asakuma；〃　he　said。　〃The　only　Japanese　graduate　student　working　here。〃
　〃Hi；〃　I　said。　I　blushed。　I　felt　stupid。　I　felt　that　information　was　ing　at　me　too　fast。　And　all　things　considered；　I　would　rather　not　have　a　Japanese　handling　these　tapes。　But　her　first　name　wasn't　Japanese；　and　she　didn't　look　Japanese；　she　looked　Eurasian　or　perhaps　part　Japanese；　so　exotic；　maybe　she　was　even…
　〃Good　morning；　Lieutenant；〃　she　said。　She　extended　her　left　hand；　the　wrong　hand；　for　me　to　shake。　She　held　it　out　to　me　sideways；　the　way　someone　does　when　their　right　hand　is　injured。
　I　shook　hands　with　her。　〃Hello；　Miss　Asakuma。〃
　〃Theresa。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃Isn't　she　beautiful？〃　Sanders　said；　acting　as　if　he　took　credit　for　it。　〃Just　beautiful。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃Actually；　I'm　surprised　you're　not　a　model。〃
　There　was　an　awkward　moment。　I　couldn't　tell　why。　She　turned　quickly　away。
　〃It　never　interested　me；〃　she　said。
　And　Sanders　immediately　jumped　in　and　said；　〃Theresa；　Lieutenant　Smith　needs　us　to　copy　some　tapes。　These　tapes。〃
　Sanders　held　one　out　to　her。　She　took　it　in　her　left　hand　and　held　it　to　the　light。　Her　right　hand　remained　bent　at　the　elbow；　pressed　to　her　waist。　Then　I　saw　that　her　right　arm　was　withered；　ending　in　a　fleshy　stump　protruding　beyond　the　sleeve　of　her　jeans　jacket。　It　looked　like　the　arm　of　a　Thalidomide　baby。
　〃Quite　interesting；〃　she　said；　squinting　at　the　tape。　〃Eight…millimeter　high　density。　Maybe　it's　the　proprietary　digital　format　we've　been　hearing　about。　The　one　that　includes　real…time　image　enhancement。〃
　〃I'm　sorry；　I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　I　was　feeling　foolish　for　having　said　anything　about　being　a　model。　I　dug　into　my　box　and　brought　out　the　playback　machine。
　Theresa　immediately　took　a　screwdriver　and　removed　the　top。　She　bent　over　the　innards。　I　saw　a　green　circuit　board；　a　black　motor；　and　three　small　crystal　cylinders。　〃Yes。　It's　the　new　setup。　Very　slick。　Dr。　Sanders；　look：　they're　doing　it　with　just　three　heads。　The　board　must　generate　ponent　RGB；　because　over　here　…　you　think　this　is　pression　circuitry？〃
　〃Probably　digital　to　analog　converter；〃　Sanders　said。　〃Very　neat。　So　small。〃　He　turned　to　me；　holding　up　the　box。　〃You　know　how　the　Japanese　can　make　things　this　way　and　we　can't？　They　kaizen　'em。　A　process　of　deliberate；　patient；　continual　refinements。　Each　year　the　products　get　a　little　better；　a　little　smaller；　a　little　cheaper。　Americans　don't　think　that　way。　Americans　are　always　looking　for　the　quantum　leap；　the　big　advance　forward。　Americans　try　to　hit　a　home　run　…　to　knock　it　out　of　the　park　…　and　then　sit　back。　The　Japanese　just　hit　singles　all　day　long；　and　they　never　sit　back。　So　with　something　like　this；　you're　looking　at　an　expression　of　philosophy　as　much　as　anything。〃
　He　talked　like　this　for　a　while；　pivoting　the　cylinders；　admiring　it。　Finally　I　said；　〃Can　you　copy　the　tapes？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Theresa　said。　〃From　the　converter；　we　can　run　a　signal　out　of　this　machine　and　lay　it　down　on　whatever　media　you　like。　You　want　three…quarter？　Optical　master？　VHS？〃
　〃VHS；〃　I　said。
　〃That's　easy；〃　she　said。
　〃But　will　it　be　an　accurate　copy？　The　people　at　JPL　said　they　couldn't　guarantee　the　copy　would　be　accurate。〃
　〃Oh；　hell；　JPL；〃　Sanders　said。　〃They　just　talk　like　that　because　they　work　for　the　government。　We　get　things　done　here。　Right　Theresa？〃
　But　Theresa　wasn't　listening。　I　watched　her　plugging　cables　and　wires；　moving　swiftly　with　her　good　hand；　using　her　stump　to　stabilize　and　hold　the　box。　Like　many　disabled　people；　her　movements　were　so　fluid　it　was　hardly　noticeable　that　her　right　hand　was　missing。　Soon　she　had　the　small　playback　machine　hooked　to　a　second　recorder；　and　several　different　monitors。
　〃What're　all　these？〃
　〃To　check　the　signal。〃
　〃You　mean　for　playback？〃
　〃No。　The　big　monitor　there　will　show　the　image。　The　others　let　me　look　at　the　signal　characteristics；　and　the　data　map：　how　the　image　has　been　laid　down　on　the　tape。〃
　I　said；　〃You　need　to　do　that？〃
　〃No。　I　just　want　to　snoop。　I'm　curious　about　how　they've　set　up　this　high…density　format。〃
　Sanders　said　to　me；　〃What　is　the　actual　source　material？〃
　〃It's　from　an　office　security　camera。〃
　〃And　this　tape　is　original？〃
　〃I　think　so。　Why？〃
　〃Well；　if　it's　original　material　we　want　to　be　extra　careful　with　it；〃　Sanders　said。　He　was　talking　to　Theresa；　instructing　her。　〃We　don't　want　to　set　up　any　feedback　loops　scrambling　the　media　surface。　Or　signal　leaks　off　the　heads　that　will　promise　the　integrity　of　the　data　stream。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　she　said。　〃I　got　it　handled。〃　She　pointed　to　her　setup。　〃See　that？　It'll　warn　of　an　impedance　shift。　And　I'm　monitoring　the　central　processor　too。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Sanders　said。　He　was　beaming　like　a　proud　parent。
　〃How　long　will　this　take？〃　I　said。
　〃Not　long。　We　can　lay　down　the　signal　at　very　high　speed。　The　rate　limit　is　a　function　of　the　playback　device；　and　it　seems　to　have　a　fast…forward　scan。　So；　maybe　two　or　three　minutes　per　tape。〃
　I　glanced　at　my　watch。　〃I　have　a　ten…thirty　appointment　I　can't　be　late　for；　and　I　don't　want　to　leave　these　。　。　。〃
　〃You　need　all　of　them　done？〃
　〃Actually；　just　five　are　critical。〃
　〃Then　let's　do　those　first。〃
　We　ran　the　first　few　seconds　of　each　tape；　one　after　another；　looking　for　the　five　that　came　from　the　cameras　on　the　forty…sixth　floor。　As　each　tape　started；　I　saw　the　camera　image　on　the　central　monitor　of　Theresa's　table。　On　the　side　monitors；　signal　traces　bounced　and　jiggled　like　an　intensive　care　unit。　I　mentioned　it。
　〃That's　just　about　right；〃　she　said。　〃Intensive　care　for　video。〃　She　ejected　one　tape；　stuck　in　another；　and　started　it　up。　〃Oops。　Did　you　say　this　material　was　original？　It's　not。　These　tapes　are　copies。〃
　〃How　do　you　know？〃
　〃Because　we　got　a　windup　signature。〃　Theresa　bent　over　the　equipment；　staring　at　the　signal　traces；　making　fine　adjustments　with　her　knobs　and　dials。
　〃I　think　that's　what　you　got；　yes；〃　Sanders　said。　He　turned　to　me。　〃You　see；　with　video　it's　difficult　to　detect　a　copy　in　the　image　itself。　The　older　analog　video　shows　some　degradation　in　successive　generations；　but　in　a　digital　system　like　this；　there　is　no　difference　at　all。　Each　copy　is　literally　identical　to　the　master。〃
　〃Then　how　can　you　say　the　tapes　are　copies？〃
　〃Theresa　isn't　looking　at　the　picture；〃　Sanders　said。　〃She's　looking　at　the　signal。　Even　though　we　can't　detect　a　copy　from　the　image；　sometimes　we　can　determine　the　image　came　from　another　video　playback；　instead　of　a　camera。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃How？〃
　Theresa　said；　〃It　has　to　do　with　how　the　signal　is　laid　down　in　the　first　half…second　of　taping。　If　the　recording　video　is　started　before　the　playback　video；　there　is　sometimes　a　slight　fluctuation　in　the　signal　output　as　the　playback　machine　starts　up。　It's　a　mechanical　function：　the　playback　motors　can't　get　up　to　speed　instantaneously。　There　are　electronic　circuits　in　the　playback　machine　to　minimize　the　effect；　but　there's　always　an　interval　of　getting　up　to　speed。〃
　〃And　that's　what　you　detected？〃
　She　nodded。　〃It's　called　a　windup　signature。〃
　Sanders　said；　〃And　that　never　happens　if　the　signal　is　ing　direct　from　a