michael crichton.congo-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ne　tent　burned　brightly；　sending　up　clouds　of　black　smoke。　They　saw　several　dead　bodies。
　〃Jesus；〃　one　technician　said。
　〃Back　scan；〃　Ross　said。　〃Spot　resolve　to　six…six。〃
　On　the　screens；　the　camera　panned　back　across　the　camp。　They　looked　at　the　jungle。　They　still　saw　no　sign　of　life。
　〃Down　pan。　Reverse　sweep。〃
　Onscreen；　the　camera　panned　down　to　show　the　silver　dish　of　the　portable　antenna；　and　the　black　box　of　the　transmitter。　Nearby　was　another　body；　one　of　the　geologists；　lying　on　his　back。
　〃Jesus；　that's　Roger　　　　　
　〃Zoom　and　T…lock；〃　Ross　said。　On　the　tape；　her　voice　sounds　cool；　almost　detached。
　The　camera　zoomed　in　on　the　face。　What　they　saw　was　grotesque；　the　head　crushed　and　leaking　blood　from　eyes　and　nose；　mouth　gaping　toward　the　sky。
　〃What　did　that？〃
　At　that　moment；　a　shadow　fell　across　the　dead　face　onscreen。　Ross　jumped　forward；　grabbing　the　joystick　and　hitting　the　zoom　control。　The　image　widened　swiftly；　they　could　see　the　outline　of　the　shadow　now。　It　was　a　man。　And　he　was　moving。
　〃Somebody's　there！　Somebody's　still　alive！〃
　〃He's　limping。　Looks　wounded。〃
　Ross　stared　at　the　shadow。　It　did　not　look　to　her　like　a　limping　man；　something　was　wrong；　she　couldn't　put　her　finger　on　what　it　was。
　〃He's　going　to　walk　in　front　of　the　lens；〃　she　said。　It　was　almost　too　much　to　hope　for。　〃What's　that　audio　static？〃
　They　were　hearing　an　odd　sound；　like　a　hissing　or　a　sighing。
　〃It's　not　static；　it's　in　the　transmission。〃
　〃Resolve　it；〃　Ross　said。　The　technicians　punched　buttons；　altering　the　audio　frequencies；　but　the　sound　remained　peculiar　and　indistinct。　And　then　the　shadow　moved；　and　the　man　stepped　in　front　of　the　lens。
　〃Diopter；〃　Ross　said；　but　it　was　too　late。　The　face　had　already　appeared；　very　near　the　lens。　It　was　too　close　to　focus　without　a　diopter。　They　saw　a　blurred；　dark　shape；　nothing　more。　Before　they　could　click　in　the　diopter；　it　was　gone。
　〃A　native？〃
　〃This　region　of　the　Congo　is　uninhabited；〃　Ross　said。
　〃Something　inhabits　it。〃
　〃Pan　scan；〃　Ross　said。　〃See　if　you　can　get　him　onscreen　again。〃
　The　camera　continued　to　pan。　She　could　imagine　it　sitting　on　its　tripod　in　the　jungle；　motor　whirring　as　the　lens　head　swung　around。　Then　suddenly　the　image　tilted　and　fell　sideways。
　〃He　knocked　it　over。〃
　〃Damn！〃
　The　video　image　crackled；　shifting　lines　of　static。　It　became　very　difficult　to　see。
　〃Resolve　it！　Resolve　it！〃
　They　had　a　final　glimpse　of　a　large　face　and　a　dark　hand　as　the　silver　dish　antenna　was　smashed。　The　image　from　the　Congo　shrank　to　a　spot；　and　was　gone。
　
　2。Interference　Signature
　
　DURING　JUNE　OF　1979；　EARTH　RESOURCES　TECHNOLOGY　had　field　teams　studying　uranium　deposits　in　Bolivia；　copper　deposits　in　Pakistan；　agricultural　field　utilization　in　Kashmir；　glacier　advance　in　Iceland；　timber　resources　in　Malaysia；　and　diamond　deposits　in　the　Congo。　This　was　not　unusual　for　ERTS；　they　generally　had　between　six　and　eight　groups　in　the　field　at　any　time。
　Since　their　teams　were　often　in　hazardous　or　politically　unstable　regions；　they　were　vigilant　in　watching　for　the　first　signs　of　〃interference　signatures。〃　（In　remote…sensing　terminology；　a　〃signature〃　is　the　characteristic　appearance　of　an　object　or　geological　feature　in　a　photograph　or　video　image。）　Most　interference　signatures　were　political。　In　1977；　ERTS　had　airlifted　a　team　out　of　Borneo　during　a　local　munist　uprising；　and　again　from　Nigeria　in　1978　during　a　military　coup。　Occasionally　the　signatures　were　geological；　they　had　pulled　a　team　from　Guatemala　in　1976　after　the　earthquake　there。
　In　the　opinion　of　R。　B。　Travis；　called　out　of　bed　in　the　late　hours　of　June　13；　1979；　the　videotapes　from　the　Congo　were　〃the　worst　interference　signature　ever；〃　but　the　problem　remained　mysterious。　All　they　knew　was　that　the　camp　had　been　destroyed　in　a　mere　six　minutes…the　time　between　the　signal　initiation　from　Houston　and　the　reception　in　the　Congo。　The　rapidity　was　frightening；　Travis's　first　instruction　to　his　team　was　to　figure　out　〃what　the　hell　happened　out　there。〃
　A　heavyset　man　of　forty…eight；　Travis　was　accustomed　to　crises。　By　training　he　was　an　engineer　with　a　background　in　satellite　construction　for　RCA　and　later　Rockwell；　in　his　thirties　he　had　shifted　to　management；　being　what　aerospace　engineers　called　a　〃rain　dancer。〃　panies　manufacturing　satellites　contracted　eighteen　to　twenty…four　months　in　advance　for　a　launch　rocket　to　put　the　satellite　in　orbit…and　then　hoped　that　the　satellite；　with　its　half…million　working　parts；　would　be　ready　on　the　assigned　day。　If　it　was　not；　the　only　alternative　was　to　pray　for　bad　weather　delaying　the　launch；　to　dance　for　rain。
　Travis　had　managed　to　keep　a　sense　of　humor　after　a　decade　of　high…tech　problems；　his　management　philosophy　was　summarized　by　a　large　sign　mounted　behind　his　desk；　which　read　〃S。D。T。A。G。W。〃　It　stood　for　〃Some　Damn　Thing　Always　Goes　Wrong。〃
　But　Travis　was　not　amused　on　the　night　of　June　13。　His　entire　expedition　had　been　lost；　all　the　ERTS　party　killed…　eight　of　his　people；　and　however　many　local　porters　were　with　them。　The　worst　disaster　in　ERTS　history；　worse　even　than　Nigeria　in　'78。　Travis　felt　fatigued；　mentally　drained；　as　he　thought　of　all　the　phone　calls　ahead　of　him。　Not　the　calls　he　would　make；　but　those　he　would　receive。　Would　so…and…so　be　back　in　time　for　a　daughter's　graduation；　a　son's　Little　League　playoff？　Those　calls　would　be　routed　to　Travis；　and　he　would　have　to　listen　to　the　bright　expectation　in　the　voices；　the　hopefulness；　and　his　own　careful　answers…he　wasn't　sure；　he　understood　the　problem；　he　would　do　his　best；　of　course；　of　course。　。　。　。　The　ing　deception　exhausted　him　in　advance。
　Because　Travis　couldn't　tell　anyone　what　had　happened　for　at　least　two　weeks；　perhaps　a　month。　And　then　he　would　be　making　phone　calls　himself；　and　visits　to　the　homes；　and　attending　the　memorial　services　where　there　would　be　no　casket；　a　deadly　blank　space；　a　gap；　and　the　inevitable　questions　from　families　and　relatives　that　he　couldn't　answer　while　they　scrutinized　his　face；　looking　for　the　least　muscle　twitch；　or　hesitation；　or　sign。
　What　could　he　tell　them？
　That　was　his　only　consolation…perhaps　in　a　few　weeks；　Travis　could　tell　them　more。　One　thing　was　certain：　if　he　were　to　make　the　dreadful　calls　tonight；　he　could　tell　the
　families　nothing　at　all；　for　ERTS　had　no　idea　what　had　gone　wrong。　That　fact　added　to　Travis's　sense　of　exhaustion。　And　there　were　details：　Morris；　the　insurance　auditor；　came　in　and　said；　〃What　do　you　want　to　do　about　the　terms？〃　ERTS　took　Out　term　life　insurance　policies　for　every　expedition　member；　and　also　for　local　porters。　African　porters　received　U。S。　15；000　each　in　insurance；　which　seemed　trivial　until　one　recognized　that　African　per　capita　ine　averaged　U。S。　180　per　year。　But　Travis　had　always　argued　that　local　expedition　people　should　share　risk　benefits…even　if　it　meant　paying　widowed　families　a　small　fortune；　in　their　terms。　Even　if　it　cost　ERTS　a　small　fortune　for　the　insurance。
　〃Hold　them；〃　Travis　said。
　〃Those　policies　are　costing　us　per　day…〃
　〃Hold　them；〃　Travis　said。
　〃For　how　long？〃
　〃Thirty　days；〃　Travis　said。
　〃Thirty　more　days？〃
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃But　we　know　the　holders　are　dead。〃　Morris　could　not　reconcile　himself　to　the　waste　of　money。　His　actuarial　mind　rebelled。
　〃That's　right；〃　Travis　said。　〃But　you'd　better　slip　the　porters'　families　some　cash　to　keep　them　quiet。〃
　〃Jesus。　How　much　are　we　talking　about？〃
　〃Five　hundred　dollars　each。〃
　〃How　do　we　account　that？〃
　〃Legal　fees；〃　Travis　said。　〃Bury　it　in　legal；　local　disposition。''
　〃And　the　American　team　people　that　we've　lost？〃
　〃They　have　MasterCard；〃　Travis　said。　〃Stop　worrying。〃
　Roberts；　the　British…born　ERTS　press　liaison；　came　into　his　office。　〃You　want　to　open　this　can　up？〃
　〃No；〃　Travis　said。　〃I　want　to　kill　it。〃
　〃For　how　long？〃
　〃Thirty　days。
　〃Bloody　hell。　Your　own　staff　will　leak　inside　thirty　days；〃　Roberts　said。　〃I　promise　you。〃
　〃If　they　do；　you'll　squash　it；〃　Travis　said。　〃I　need　another　thirty　days　to　make　this　contract。〃
　〃Do　we　know　what　happened　out　there？〃
　〃No；〃　Travis　said。　〃But　we　will。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃From　the　tap