michael crichton.congo-第61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！


team　was　in　serious　jeopardy；　and　the　Congo　team　was　classified　CANNY…ERTS　puter　slang　fur　〃can　not　estimate。〃　Travis　had　had　two　CANNY　teams　in　the　past…in　the　Amazon　in　1976；　and　in　Sri　Lanka　in　1978…　and　he　had　lost　people　from　both　groups。
　Things　were　going　badly。　Yet　this　latest　GSFC　was　much　better　than　the　previous　report。　They　had…it　seemed…　managed　a　brief　transmission　contact　with　the　Congo　several　hours　earlier；　although　there　was　no　verification　response　from　Ross。　He　wondered　whether　the　team　had　received　the　warning　or　not。　He　stared　at　the　black　sphere　with　frustration。
　Richards；　one　of　the　main　data　programmers；　stuck　his　head　in　the　door。　〃I　have　something　relevant　to　the　CFS。〃
　〃Fire　away；〃　Travis　said。　Any　news　relevant　to　the　Congo　Field　Survey　was　of　interest。
　〃The　South　African　seismological　Station　at　the　University　of　Jo'burg　reports　tremors　initiating　at　twelve　oh　four　P。M。　local　time。　Estimated　epicenter　coordinates　are　consistent　with　Mount　Mukenko　in　the　Virunga　chain。　The　tremors　are　multiple；　running　Richter　five　to　eight。〃
　〃Any　confirmation？〃　Travis　asked。
　〃Nairobi　is　the　nearest　station；　and　they're　puting　a　Richter　six　to　nine；　or　a　Morelli　Nine；　with　heavy　downfall　of　ejecta　from　the　cone。　They　are　also　predicting　that　the　LAC；　the　local　atmospheric　conditions；　are　conducive　to　severe　electrical　discharges。〃
　Travis　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Twelve　oh　four　local　time　is　nearly　an　hour　ago；〃　he　said。　〃Why　wasn't　I　informed？〃
　Richards　said；　〃It　didn't　e　in　from　the　African　stations　until　now。　I　guess　they　figure　it's　no　big　deal；　another　volcano。〃
　Travis　sighed。　That　was　the　trouble…volcanic　activity
　was　now　recognized　as　a　mon　phenomenon　on　the　earth's　surface。　Since　1965；　the　first　year　that　global　records　were　kept；　there　had　been　twenty…two　major　eruptions　each　year；　roughly　one　eruption　every　two　weeks。
　Outlying　stations　were　in　no　hurry　to　report　such　〃ordinary〃　occurrences…to　delay　was　proof　of　fashionable　boredom。
　〃But　they　have　problems；〃　Richards　said。　〃With　the　satellites　disrupted　by　the　sunspots；　everybody　has　to　transmit　surface　cable。　And　I　guess　as　far　as　they're　concerned；　the　northeast　Congo　is　uninhabited。〃
　Travis　said；　〃How　bad　is　a　Morelli　Nine？〃
　Richards　paused。　〃It's　pretty　bad；　Mr。　Travis。〃
　
　
　
　
　5。〃Everything　Was　Moving〃
　
　IN　THE　CONGO；　EARTH　MOVEMENT　WAS　RICHTER　scale　8；　a　Moreili　scale　IX。　At　this　severity；　the　earth　shakes　so　badly　a　man　has　difficulty　standing。　There　are　lateral　shifts　in　the　earth　and　rifts　open　up；　trees　and　even　steel…frame　buildings　topple。
　For　Elliot；　Ross；　and　Munro；　the　five　minutes　following　the　onset　of　the　eruption　were　a　bizarre　nightmare。　Elliot　recalled　that　〃everything　was　moving。　We　were　all　literally　knocked　off　our　feet；　we　had　to　crawl　on　our　hands　and　knees；　like　babies。　Even　after　we　got　away　from　mine…shaft　tunnels；　the　city　swayed　like　a　wobbling　toy。　It　was　quite　a　while…maybe　half　a　minute…before　the　buildings　began　to　collapse。　Then　everything　came　down　at　once：　walls　caving　in；　ceilings　collapsing；　big　blocks　of　stone　crashing　down　into　the　jungle。　The　trees　were　swaying　too；　and　pretty　soon　they　began　falling　over。〃
　The　noise　of　this　collapse　was　incredible；　and　added　to　that　was　the　sound　from　Mukenko。　The　volcano　wasn't　rumbling　anymore；　they　heard　staccato　explosions　of　lava　blasting　from　the　cone。　These　explosions　produced　shock　waves；　even　when　the　earth　was　solid　under　their　feet；　they　were　knocked　over　without　warning　by　blasts　of　hot　air。　〃It　was；〃　Elliot　recalled；　〃just　like　being　in　the　middle　of　a　war。〃
　Amy　was　panic…stricken。　Grunting　in　terror；　she　leapt　into　Elliot's　arms…and　promptly　urinated　on　his　clothes…as　they　began　to　run　back　toward　the　camp。
　A　sharp　tremor　brought　Ross　to　the　ground。　She　picked　herself　up；　and　stumbled　onward；　acutely　aware　of　the　humidity　and　the　dense　ash　and　dust　ejected　by　the　volcano。　Within　minutes；　the　sky　above　them　was　dark　as　night；　and　the　first　flashes　of　lightning　cracked　through　the　boiling　clouds。　It　had　rained　the　night　before；　the　jungle　surrounding　them　was　wet；　the　air　supersaturated　with　moisture。　In　short；　they　had　all　the　requisites　for　a　lightning　storm。　Ross　felt　herself　torn　between　the　perverse　desire　to　watch　this　unique　theoretical　phenomenon　and　the　desire　to　run　for　her　life。
　In　a　searing　burst　of　blue…white　light；　the　lightning　storm　struck。　Bolts　of　electricity　crackled　all　around　them　like　rain；　Ross　later　estimated　there　were　two　hundred　bolts　within　the　first　minute…nearly　three　every　second。　The　familiar　shattering　crack　of　lightning　was　not　punctuation　but　a　continuous　sound；　a　mar　like　a　waterfall。　The　booming　thunder　caused　sharp　ear　pains；　and　the　acpanying　shock　waves　literally　knocked　them　backward。
　Everything　happened　so　fast　that　they　had　little　chance　to　absorb　sensations。　Their　ordinary　expectations　were　turned　upside　down。　One　of　the　porters；　Amburi；　had　e　back　toward　the　city　to　find　them。　They　saw　him　standing　in　a　clearing；　waving　them　ahead；　when　a　lightning　bolt　crashed　up　through　a　nearby　tree　into　the　sky。　Ross　had　known　that　the　lightning　flash　came　after　the　invisible　downward　flow　of　electrons　and　actually　ran　upward　from　the　ground　to　the　clouds　above。　But　to　see　it！　The　explosive　flash　lifted　Amburi　off　his　feet　and　tossed　him　through　the　air　toward　them；　he　scrambled　to　his　feet；　shouting　hysterically　in　Swahili。
　All　around　them　trees　were　cracking；　splitting　and　hissing　clouds　of　moisture　as　the　lightning　bolts　shot　upward　through　them。　Ross　later　said；　〃The　lightning　was　everywhere；　the　blinding　flashes　were　continuous；　with　this　terrible　sizzling　sound。　That　man　＇Amburi＇　was　screaming　and　the　next　instant　the　lightning　grounded　through　him。　I　was　close　enough　to　touch　him　but　there　was　very　little　heat；　just　white　light。　He　went　rigid　and　there　was　this　terrible　smell　as　his　whole　body　burst　into　flame；　and　he　fell　to　the　ground。　Munro　rolled　on　him　to　put　out　the　fire　but　he　was　dead；　and　we　ran　on。　There　was　no　time　to　react；　we　kept　falling　down　from　the　＇Earthquake＇　tremors。　Soon　we　were　all　half…blinded　from　the　lightning。　I　remember　hearing　somebody　screaming　but　I　didn't　know　who　it　was。　I　was　sure　we　would　all　die。〃
　Near　camp；　a　gigantic　tree　crashed　down　before　them；　presenting　an　obstacle　as　broad　and　high　as　a　three…story　building。　As　they　clambered　through　it；　lightning　sizzled　through　the　damp　branches；　stripping　off　bark；　glowing　and　scorching。　Amy　howled　when　a　white　bolt　streaked　across　her　hand　as　she　gripped　a　wet　branch。　Immediately　she　dived　to　the　ground；　burying　her　head　in　the　low　foliage；　refusing　to　move。　Elliot　had　to　drag　her　the　remaining　distance　to　the　camp。
　Munro　was　the　first　to　reach　camp。　He　found　Kahega　trying　to　pack　the　tents　for　their　departure；　but　it　was　impossible　with　the　tremors　and　the　lightning　crashing　down　through　the　dark　ashen　sky。　One　Mylar　tent　burst　into　flames。　They　smelled　the　harsh　burning　plastic。　The　dish　antenna；　resting　on　the　ground；　was　struck　and　split　apart；　sending　metal　fragments　flying。
　〃Leave！〃　Munro　shouted。　〃Leave！〃
　〃Ndio　mzee！〃　Kahega　shouted；　grabbing　his　pack　hastily。　He　glanced　back　toward　the　others；　and　in　that　moment　Elliot　stumbled　out　of　the　black　gloom　with　Amy　clinging　to　his　chest。　He　had　injured　his　ankle　and　was　limping　slightly。
　Amy　quickly　dropped　to　the　ground。
　〃Leave！〃　Munro　shouted。
　As　Elliot　moved　on；　Ross　emerged　from　the　darkness　of　the　ashen　atmosphere；　coughing；　bent　double。　The　left　side　of　her　body　was　scorched　and　blackened；　and　the　skin　of　her　left　hand　was　burned。　She　had　been　struck　by　Lightning；　although　she　had　no　later　memory　of　it。　She　pointed　to　her　nose　and　throat；　coughing。　〃Burns。　。　。　hurts。　。　。〃
　〃It's　the　gas；〃　Munro　shouted。　He　put　his　arm　around　her　and　half…lifted　her　from　her　feet；　carrying　her　away。　〃We　have　to　get　uphill！〃
　An　hour　later；　on　higher　ground；　they　had　a　final　view　of　the　city　engulfed　with　smoke　and　ash。　Farther　up　on　the　slopes　of　the　volcano；　they　saw　a　line　of　trees　burst　into　flames　as　an　unseen　dark　wave　of　lava　came　sliding　down　the　mountainside。　They　heard　agonized　bellows　of　pain　from　the　gray　gor