michael crichton.congo-第14章

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　And　she　was　getting　worked　up；　beginning　what　the　Project　Amy　staff　called　〃sequencing。〃　Just　as　human　beings　first　became　red…faced；　and　then　tensed　their　bodies；　and　then　shouted　and　threw　things　before　they　finally　resorted　to　direct　physical　aggression；　so　gorillas　passed　through　a　stereotyped　behavioral　sequence　on　the　way　to　physical　aggression。　Tearing　up　paper；　or　grass；　would　be　followed　by　lateral　crablike　movements　and　grunts。　Then　she　would　slap　the　ground；　making　as　much　noise　as　possible。
　And　then　Amy　would　charge；　if　he　didn't　interrupt　the　sequence。
　〃Amy；〃　he　said　sternly。　〃Karen　button　woman。〃
　Amy　stopped　shredding。　In　her　world；　〃button〃　was　the　acknowledged　term　for　a　person　of　high　status。　
　Amy　was　extremely　sensitive　to　individual　moods　and　behavior；　and　she　had　no　difficulty　observing　the　staff　and　deciding　who　was　superior　to　whom。　But　among　strangers；　Amy　as　a　gorilla　was　utterly　impervious　to　formal　human　status　cues；　the　principal　indicators…clothing；　bearing；　and　speech…had　no　meaning　to　her。
　As　a　young　animal；　she　had　inexplicably　attacked　policemen。　After　several　biting　episodes　and　threatened　lawsuits；
　they　finally　learned　that　Amy　found　police　uniforms　with　their　shiny　buttons　clown　like　and　ridiculous；　she　assumed　that　anyone　so　foolishly　dressed　must　be　of　inferior　status　and　safe　to　attack。　After　they　had　taught　her　the　concept　of　〃button；〃　she　treated　anyone　in　uniform　with　deference。
　Amy　now　stared　at　〃button〃　Ross　with　new　respect。　Surrounded　by　the　torn　paper；　she　seemed　suddenly　embarrassed；　as　if　she　had　made　a　social　error。　Without　being　told；　she　went　and　stood　in　the　corner；　facing　the　wall。
　〃What's　that　about？〃　Ross　said。
　〃She　knows　she's　been　bad。〃
　〃You　make　her　stand　in　the　corner；　like　a　child？　She　didn't　mean　any　harm。〃　Before　Elliot　could　warn　against　it；　she　went　over　to　Amy。　Amy　stared　steadfastly　at　the　corner。
　Ross　unshouldered　her　purse　and　set　it　on　the　floor　within　Amy's　reach。　Nothing　happened　for　a　moment。　Then　Amy　took　the　purse；　looked　at　Karen；　then　looked　at　Peter。
　Peter　said；　〃She'll　wreck　whatever's　inside。〃
　〃That's　all　right。〃
　Amy　immediately　opened　the　brass　clasp；　and　dumped　the　contents　on　the　floor。　She　began　sifting　through；　signing；　Lipstick　lipstick；　Amy　like　Amy　want　lipstick　want。
　〃She　wants　lipstick。〃
　Ross　bent　over　and　found　it　for　her。　Amy　removed　the　cap　and　smeared　a　red　circle　on　Karen's　face。　She　then　smiled　and　grunted　happily；　and　crossed　the　room　to　her　mirror；　which　was　mounted　on　the　floor。　She　applied　lipstick。
　〃I　think　we're　doing　better；〃　Karen　Ross　said。
　Across　the　room；　Amy　squatted　by　the　mirror；　happily　making　a　mess　of　her　face。　She　grinned　at　her　smart　image；　then　applied　lipstick　to　her　teeth。　It　seemed　a　good　time　to　ask　her　the　question。　〃Amy　want　take　trip？〃　Peter　said。
　Amy　loved　trips；　and　regarded　them　as　special　treats。　After　an　especially　good　day；　Elliot　often　took　her　for　a　ride　to　a　nearby　drive…in；　where　she　would　have　an　orange　drink；　sucking　it　through　the　straw　and　enjoying　the　motion　she　caused　among　the　other　people　there。　Lipstick　and　an　offer　of　a　trip　was　almost　too　much　pleasure　for　one　morning。　She　signed；　Car　trip？
　〃No；　not　in　the　car。　A　long　trip。　Many　days。〃
　Leave　house？
　〃Yes；　leave　house。　Many　days。〃
　This　made　her　suspicious。　The　only　times　she　had　left　the　house　for　many　days　had　been　during　hospitalizations　for　pneumonia　and　urinary…tract　infections；　they　had　not　been　pleasant　trips。　She　signed；　Where　go　trip？
　〃To　the　jungle；　Amy。〃
　There　was　a　long　pause。　At　first　he　thought　she　had　not　understood；　but　she　knew　the　word　for　jungle；　and　she　should　be　able　to　put　it　all　together。　Amy　signed　thoughtfully　to　herself；　repetitively　as　she　always　did　when　she　was　mulling　things　over：　Jungle　trip　trip　jungle　go　trip　jungle　go。　She　set　aside　her　lipstick。　She　stared　at　the　bits　of　paper　on　the　floor；　and　then　she　began　to　pick　them　up　and　put　them　in　the　wastebasket。
　〃What　does　that　mean？〃　Karen　Ross　asked。
　〃That　means　Amy　wants　to　take　a　trip；〃　Peter　Elliot　said。
　
　6。　Departure
　
　THE　HINGED　NOSE　OF　THE　BOEING　747　CARGO　JET　lay　open　like　a　jaw；　exposing　the　cavernous；　brightly　lit　interior。　The　plane　had　been　flown　up　from　Houston　to　San　Francisco　that　afternoon；　it　was　now　nine　o'clock　at　night；　and　puzzled　workers　were　loading　on　the　large　aluminum　travel　cage；　boxes　of　vitamin　pills；　a　portable　potty；　and　cartons　of　toys。　One　workman　pulled　out　a　Mickey　Mouse　drinking　cup　and　stared　at　it；　shaking　his　head。
　Outside　on　the　concrete；　Elliot　stood　with　Amy；　who　covered　her　ears　against　the　whine　of　the　jet　engines。　She　signed　to　Peter；　Birds　noisy。
　〃We　fly　bird；　Amy；〃　he　said。
　Amy　had　never　flown　before；　and　had　never　seen　an　airplane　at　close　hand。　We　go　car；　she　decided；　looking　at　the　plane。
　〃We　can't　go　by　car。　We　fly。〃　Fly　where　fly？　Amy　signed。
　〃Fly　jungle。〃
　This　seemed　to　perplex　her；　but　he　did　not　want　to　explain　further。　Like　all　gorillas；　Amy　had　an　aversion　to　water；　refusing　to　cross　even　small　streams。　He　knew　she　would　be　distressed　to　hear　that　they　would　be　flying　over　large　bodies　of　water。　Changing　the　subject；　he　suggested　they　board　the　plane　and　look　around。　As　they　climbed　the　sloping　ramp　up　the　nose；　Amy　signed；　Where　button　woman？
　He　had　not　seen　Ross。　for　the　last　five　hours；　and　was　surprised　to　discover　that　she　was　already　on　board；　talking　on　a　telephone　mounted　on　a　wall　of　the　cargo　hold；　one　hand　cupped　over　her　free　ear　to　block　the　noise。　Elliot　overheard　her　say；　〃Well；　Irving　seems　to　think　it's　enough。
　Yes；　we　have　four　nine…oh…seven　units　and　we　are　prepared　to　match　and　absorb。　Two　micro　HUDs；　that's　all。　。　。　Yes；　why　not？〃　She　finished　the　call；　turned　to　Elliot　and　Amy。
　〃Everything　okay？〃　he　asked。
　〃Fine。　I'll　show　you　around。〃　She　led　him　deeper　into　the　cargo　hold；　with　Amy　at　his　side。　Elliot　glanced　back　and　saw　the　chauffeur　ing　up　the　ramp　with　a　series　of　numbered　metal　boxes　marked　INTEC；　INC。　followed　by　serial　numbers。
　〃This；〃　Karen　Ross　said；　〃is　the　main　cargo　hold。〃　It　was　filled　with　four…wheel…drive　trucks；　Land　Cruisers；　amphibious　vehicles；　inflatable　boats；　and　racks　of　clothing；　equipment；　food…all　tagged　with　puter　codes；　all　loaded　in　modules。　Ross　explained　that　ERTS　could　outfit　expeditions　to　any　geographical　and　climatic　condition　in　a　matter　of　hours。　She　kept　emphasizing　the　speed　possible　with　puter　assembly。
　〃Why　the　rush？〃　Elliot　asked。
　〃It's　business；〃　Karen　Ross　said。　〃Four　years　ago；　there　were　no　panies　like　ERTS。　Now　there　are　nine　around　the　world；　and　what　they　all　sell　is　petitive　advantage；　meaning　speed。　Back　in　the　sixties；　a　pany…say；　an　oil　pany…might　spend　months　or　years　investigating　a　possible　site。　But　that's　no　longer　petitive；　business　decisions　are　made　in　weeks　or　days。　The　pace　of　everything　has　speeded　up。　We're　already　looking　to　the　nineteen…eighties；　where　we'll　provide　answers　in　hours。　Right　now　the　average　ERTS　contract　runs　a　little　under　three　weeks；　or　five　hundred　hours。　But　by　1990　there　will　be　'close　of　business'　data…an　executive　can　call　us　in　the　morning　for　information　anywhere　in　the　world；　and　have　a　plete　report　transmitted　by　puter　to　his　desk　before　close　of　business　that　evening；　say　ten　to　twelve　hours。〃
　As　they　continued　the　tour；　Elliot　noticed　that　although　the　trucks　and　vehicles　caught　the　eye　first；　much　of　the　aircraft　storage　space　was　given　over　to　aluminum　modules　marked　〃C3I。〃
　〃That's　right；〃　Ross　said。　〃mand…Control　munications　and　Intelligence。　They're　micronic　ponents；　the　most　expensive　budget　item　we　carry。　When　we　started　outfitting　expeditions；　twelve　percent　of　the　cost　went　to　electronics。　Now　it's　up　to　thirty…one　percent；　and　climbing　every　year。　It's　field　munications；　remote　sensing；　defense；　and　soon。〃
　She　led　them　to　the　rear　of　the　plane；　where　there　was　a　modular　living　area；　nicely　furnished；　with　a　large　puter　console；　and　bunks　for　sleeping。
　Amy　signed；　Nice　house。
　''Yes；　it　is　nice。''
　They　were　introduced　to　Jensen；　a　young　bearded　geologist；　and　to　Irving；　who　announced　that　he　was　the　〃triple　B。〃　The　two　men　were　running　so