michael crichton.congo-第3章

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rtificial　contrast　colors；　blue　and　purple　and　green；　she　glanced　at　her　watch　impatiently。　She　was　waiting　for　the　next　field　transmission　from　Africa。
　It　was　now　10：15　P。M。　Houston　time；　but　there　was　no　indication　of　time　or　place　in　the　room。　Day　or　night；　the　main　data　facility　of　ERTS　remained　the　same。　Beneath　banks　of　special　kalon　fluorescent　lights；　programming　crews　in　sweaters　worked　at　long　rows　of　quietly　clicking　puter　terminals；　providing　real…time　inputs　to　the　field　parties　that　ERTS　maintained　around　the　world。　This　timeless　quality　was　understood　to　be　necessary　for　the　puters；　which　required　a　constant　temperature　of　60　degrees；　dedicated　electrical　lines；　special　color…corrected　lights　that　did　not　interfere　with　circuitry。　It　was　an　environment　made　for　machines；　the　needs　of　people　were　secondary。
　But　there　was　another　rationale　for　the　main　facility　design。　ERTS　wanted　programmers　in　Houston　to　identify　with　the　field　parties；　and　if　possible　to　live　on　their　schedules。　Inputting　baseball　games　and　other　local　events　was　discouraged；　there　was　no　clock　which　showed　Houston　time；　although　on　the　far　wall　eight　large　digital　clocks　recorded　local　time　for　the　various　field　parties。
　The　clock　marked　CONGO　FIELD　PARTY　read　06：15　A。M。　when　the　overhead　inter　said；　〃Dr。　Ross；　CCR　bounce。〃
　She　left　the　console　after　punching　in　the　digital　password　blocking　codes。　Every　ERTS　terminal　had　a　password　control；　like　a　bination　lock。　It　was　part　of　an　elaborate　system　to　prevent　outside　sources　tapping　into　their　enormous　data　bank。　ERTS　dealt　in　information；　and　as　R。　B。　Travis；　the　head　of　ERTS；　was　fond　of　saying；　the　easiest　way　to　obtain　information　was　to　steal　it。
　She　crossed　the　room　with　long　strides。　Karen　Ross　was　nearly　six　feet　tall；　an　attractive　though　ungainly　girl。　Only　twenty…four　years　old；　she　was　younger　than　most　of　the　programmers；　but　despite　her　youth；　she　had　a　self…possession　that　most　people　found　striking…even　a　little　unsettling。　Karen　Ross　was　a　genuine　mathematical　prodigy。
　At　the　age　of　two；　while　acpanying　her　mother　to　the　supermarket；　she　had　worked　out　in　her　head　whether　a　ten…ounce　can　at　19C　was　cheaper　than　a　one…pound…twelve…ounce　can　at　79C。　At　three；　she　startled　her　father　by　observing　that；　unlike　other　numbers；　zero　meant　different　things　in　different　positions。　By　eight；　she　had　mastered　algebra　and　geometry；　by　ten；　she　had　taught　herself　calculus；　she　entered　M。I。T。　at　thirteen　and　proceeded　to　make　a　series　of　brilliant　discoveries　in　abstract　mathematics；　culminating　in　a　treatise；　〃Topological　Prediction　in　n…Space；〃　which　was　useful　for　decision　matrices；　critical　path　analyses；　and　multidimensional　mapping。　This　interest　had　brought　her　to　the　attention　of　ERTS；　where　she　was　made　the　youngest　field　supervisor　in　the　pany。
　Not　everyone　liked　her。　The　years　of　isolation；　of　being　the　youngest　person　in　any　room；　had　left　her　aloof　and　rather　distant。　One　co…worker　described　her　as　〃logical　to　a　fault。〃　Her　chilly　demeanor　had　earned　her　the　title　〃Ross　Glacier；〃　after　the　Antarctic　formation。
　And　her　youth　still　held　her　back…at　least；　age　was　Travis's　excuse　when　he　refused　to　let　her　lead　the　Congo　expedition　into　the　field；　even　though　she　had　derived　all　the　Congo　database；　and　by　rights　should　have　been　the　onsite　team　leader。　〃I'm　sorry；〃　Travis　had　said；　〃but　this　con…
　tract's　too　big；　and　I　just　can't　let　you　have　it。〃　She　had　pressed；　reminding　him　of　her　successes　leading　teams　the　year　before　to　Pahang　and　Zambia。　Finally　he　had　said；　〃Look；　Karen；　that　site's　ten　thousand　miles　away；　in　four…plus　terrain。　We　need　more　than　a　console　hotdogger　out　there。〃
　She　bridled　under　the　implication　that　that　was　all　she　was…a　console　hotdogger；　fast　at　the　keyboard；　good　at　playing　with　Travis's　toys。　She　wanted　to　prove　herself　in　a　four…plus　field　situation。　And　the　next　time　she　was　determined　to　make　Travis　let　her　go。
　Ross　pressed　the　button　for　the　third…floor　elevator；　marked　〃CX　Access　Only。〃　She　caught　an　envious　glance　from　one　of　the　programmers　while　she　waited　for　the　elevator　to　arrive。　Within　ERTS；　status　was　not　measured　by　salary；　title；　the　size　of　one's　office；　or　the　other　usual　corporate　indicators　of　power。　Status　at　ERTS　was　purely　a　matter　of　access　to　information…and　Karen　Ross　was　one　of　eight　people　in　the　pany　who　had　access　to　the　third　floor　at　any　time。
　She　stepped　onto　the　third…floor　elevator；　glancing　up　at　the　scanner　lens　mounted　over　the　door。　At　ERTS　the　elevators　traveled　only　one　floor；　and　all　were　equipped　with　passive　scanners；　it　was　one　way　that　ERTS　kept　track　of　the　movements　of　personnel　while　they　were　in　the　building。　She　said　〃Karen　Ross〃　for　the　voice　monitors；　and　turned　in　a　full　circle　for　the　scanners。　There　was　a　soft　electronic　bleep；　and　the　door　slid　open　at　the　third　floor。
　She　emerged　into　a　small　square　room　with　a　ceiling　video　monitor；　and　faced　the　unmarked　outer　door　of　the　munications　Control　Room。　She　repeated　〃Karen　Ross；〃　and　inserted　her　electronic　identicard　in　the　slot；　resting　her　fingers　on　the　metallic　edge　of　the　card　so　the　puter　could　record　galvanic　skin　potentials。　（This　was　a　refinement　instituted　three　months　earlier；　after　Travis　learned　that　Army　experiments　with　vocal　cord　surgery　had　altered　voice　characteristics　precisely　enough　to　false…positive　Voiceident　programs。）　After　a　cycling　pause；　the　door　buzzed　open。　She　went　inside。
　With　its　red　night　lights；　munications　Control　was
　like　a　soft；　warm　womb…an　impression　heightened　by　the　cramped；　almost　claustrophobic　quality　of　the　room；　packed　with　electronic　equipment。　From　floor　to　ceiling；　dozens　of　video　monitors　and　LEDs　flickered　and　glowed　as　the　technicians　spoke　in　hushed　tones；　setting　dials　and　twisting　knobs。　The　CCR　was　the　electronic　nerve　center　of　ERTS：
　all　munications　from　field　parties　around　the　world　were　routed　through　here。　Everything　in　the　CCR　was　recorded；　not　only　ining　data　but　room　voice　responses；　so　the　exact　conversation　on　the　night　of　June　13；　1979；　is　known。
　One　of　the　technicians　said　to　her；　〃We'll　have　the　transponders　hooked　in　in　a　minute。　You　want　coffee？〃
　〃No；〃　Ross　said。
　〃You　want　to　be　out　there；　right？〃
　〃I　earned　it；〃　she　said。　She　stared　at　the　video　screens；　at　the　bewildering　display　of　rotating　and　shifting　forms　as　the　technicians　began　the　litany　of　locking　in　the　bird　bounce；　a　transmission　from　a　satellite　in　orbit；　720　miles　over　their　heads。
　〃Signal　key。〃
　〃Signal　key。　Password　mark。〃
　〃Password　mark。〃
　〃Carrier　fix。〃
　〃Carrier　fix。　We're　rolling。〃
　She　paid　hardly　any　attention　to　the　familiar　phrases。　She　watched　as　the　screens　displayed　gray　fields　of　crackling　static。
　〃Did　we　open　or　did　they　open？〃　she　asked。
　〃We　initiated；〃　a　technician　said。　〃We　had　it　down　on　the　call　sheet　to　check　them　at　dawn　local　time。　So　when　they　didn't　initiate；　we　did。〃
　〃I　wonder　why　they　didn't　initiate；〃　Ross　said。　〃Is　something　wrong？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　We　put　out　the　initiation　trigger　and　they　picked　it　up　and　locked　in　within　fifteen　seconds；　all　the　appropriate　codes。　Ah；　here　we　go。〃
　At　6：22　A。M。　Congo　time；　the　transmission　came　through：
　there　was　a　final　blur　of　gray　static　and　then　the　screens　cleared。　They　were　looking　at　a　part　of　the　camp　in　the
　Congo；　apparently　a　view　from　a　tripod…mounted　video　camera。　They　saw　two　tents；　a　low　smoldering　fire；　the　lingering　wisps　of　a　foggy　dawn。　There　was　no　sign　of　activity；　no　people。
　One　of　the　technicians　laughed。　〃We　caught　them　still　sleeping。　Guess　they　do　need　you　there。〃　Ross　was　known　for　her　insistence　on　formalities。
　〃Lock　your　remote；〃　she　said。
　The　technician　punched　in　the　remote　override。　The　field　camera；　ten　thousand　miles　away；　came　under　their　control　in　Houston。
　〃Pan　scan；〃　she　said。
　At　the　console；　the　technician　used　a　joystick。　They　watched　as　the　video　images　shifted　to　the　left；　and　they　saw　more　of　the　camp。　The　camp　was　destroyed：　tents　crushed　and　torn；　supply　tarp　pulled　away；　equipment　scattered　in　the　mud。　One　tent　burned　brightly；　sending　up　clouds　of　black　smoke。　They　saw　several　dead　bodies。
　〃Jesus；〃