mc.prey-第44章

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　〃Shut　up；　Charley。〃
　Rosie　went　to　the　refrigerator　and　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　water。　She　gave　it　to　David；　who　drank　as　he　cried。　She　helped　him　to　his　feet；　nodded　to　me　that　she'd　take　it　from　here。　I　went　back　to　the　center　of　the　room；　where　the　others　were　standing　by　the　workstation　screen。　On　the　screen；　the　lines　of　code　had　been　replaced　by　a　monitor　view　of　the　north　face　of　the　main　building。　Four　swarms　were　there；　glinting　silver　as　they　moved　up　and　down　the　length　of　the　building。
　〃What're　they　doing？〃　I　said。
　〃Trying　to　get　in。〃
　I　said；　〃Why　do　they　do　that？〃
　〃We're　not　sure；〃　Mae　said。
　We　watched　for　a　moment　in　silence。　Once　again　I　was　struck　by　the　purposefulness　of　their　behavior。　They　reminded　me　of　bears　trying　to　break　into　a　trailer　to　get　food。　They　paused　at　every　doorway　and　closed　window；　hovering　there；　moving　up　and　down　along　the　seals；　until　finally　moving　on　to　the　next　opening。
　I　said；　〃And　do　they　always　try　the　doors　like　that？〃
　〃Yes。　Why？〃
　〃Because　it　looks　like　they　don't　remember　that　the　doors　are　sealed。〃
　〃No；〃　Charley　said。　〃They　don't　remember。〃
　〃Because　they　don't　have　enough　memory？〃
　〃Either　that；〃　he　said；　〃or　this　is　another　generation。〃
　〃You　mean　these　are　new　swarms　since　noon？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　I　looked　at　my　watch。　〃There's　a　new　generation　every　three　hours？〃
　Charley　shrugged。　〃I　couldn't　say。　We　never　found　where　they　reproduce。　I'm　just　guessing。〃　The　possibility　that　new　generations　were　ing　that　fast　meant　that　whatever　evolutionary　mechanism　was　built　into　the　code　was　progressing　fast；　too。　Ordinarily；　genetic　algorithms…which　modeled　reproduction　to　arrive　at　solutions…ordinarily；　they　ran　between　500　and　5；000　generations　to　arrive　at　an　optimization。　If　these　swarms　were　reproducing　every　three　hours；　it　meant　they　had　turned　over　something　like　100　generations　in　the　last　two　weeks。　And　with　100　generations；　the　behavior　would　be　much　sharper。
　Mae　watched　them　on　the　monitor　and　said；　〃At　least　they're　staying　by　the　main　building。　It　seems　like　they　don't　know　we're　here。〃
　〃How　would　they　know？〃　I　said。
　〃They　wouldn't；〃　Charley　said。　〃Their　main　sensory　modality　is　vision。　They　may　have　picked　up　a　little　auditory　over　the　generations；　but　it's　still　primarily　vision。　If　they　don't　see　it；　it　doesn't　exist　for　them。〃
　Rosie　came　over　with　David。　He　said；　〃I'm　really　sorry；　guys。〃
　〃No　problem。〃
　〃It's　okay；　David。〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　happened。　I　just　couldn't　stand　it。〃
　Charley　said；　〃Don't　worry；　David。　We　understand。　You're　a　psycho　and　you　cracked。　We　get　the　picture。　No　problem。〃
　Rosie　put　her　arm　around　David；　who　blew　his　nose　loudly。　She　stared　at　the　monitor。　〃What's　happening　with　them　now？〃　Rosie　said。
　〃They　don't　seem　to　know　we're　here。〃
　〃Okay　。。。〃
　〃We're　hoping　it　stays　that　way。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　And　if　it　doesn't？〃　Rosie　said。
　I　had　been　thinking　about　that。　〃If　it　doesn't；　we　rely　on　the　holes　in　the　PREDPREY　assumptions。　We　exploit　the　weaknesses　in　the　programming。〃
　〃Which　means？〃
　〃We　flock；〃　I　said。
　Charley　gave　a　horse　laugh。　〃Yeah；　right；　we　flock…and　pray　like　hell！〃
　〃I'm　serious；〃　I　said。
　Over　the　last　thirty　years；　scientists　had　studied　predator…prey　interactions　in　everything　from　the　lion　to　the　hyena　to　the　warrior　ant。　There　was　now　a　much　better　understanding　of　how　prey　defended　themselves。　Animals　like　zebras　and　caribou　didn't　live　in　herds　because　they　were　sociable；　herding　was　a　defense　against　predation。　Large　numbers　of　animals　provided　increased　vigilance。　And　attacking　predators　were　often　confused　when　the　herd　fled　in　all　directions。　Sometimes　they　literally　stopped　cold。　Show　a　predator　too　many　moving　targets　and　it　often　chased　none。
　The　same　thing　was　true　of　flocking　birds　and　schooling　fish…those　coordinated　group　movements　made　it　harder　for　predators　to　pick　out　a　single　individual。　Predators　were　drawn　to　attack　an　animal　that　was　distinctive　in　some　way。　That　was　one　reason　why　they　attacked　infants　so　often…not　only　because　they　were　easier　prey；　but　because　they　looked　different。　In　the　same　way；　predators　killed　more　males　than　females　because　nondominant　males　tended　to　hang　on　the　outskirts　of　the　herd；　where　they　were　more　noticeable。　In　fact；　thirty　years　ago　when　Hans　Kruuk　studied　hyenas　in　the　Serengeti；　he　found　that　putting　paint　on　an　animal　guaranteed　it　would　be　killed　in　the　next　attack。　That　was　the　power　of　difference。
　So　the　message　was　simple。　Stay　together。　Stay　the　same。
　That　was　our　best　chance。
　But　I　hoped　it　wouldn't　e　to　that。
　The　swarms　disappeared　for　a　while。　They　had　gone　around　to　the　other　side　of　the　laboratory　building。　We　waited　tensely。　Eventually　they　reappeared。　They　once　again　moved　along　the　side　of　the　building；　trying　openings　one　after　another。
　We　all　watched　the　monitor。　David　Brooks　was　sweating　profusely。　He　wiped　his　forehead　with　his　sleeve。　〃How　long　are　they　going　to　keep　doing　that？〃
　〃As　long　as　they　fucking　want；〃　Charley　said。
　Mae　said；　〃At　least　until　the　wind　kicks　up　again。　And　it　doesn't　look　like　that's　going　to　happen　soon。〃
　〃Jesus；〃　David　said。　〃I　don't　know　how　you　guys　can　stand　it。〃　He　was　pale；　sweat　had　dripped　from　his　eyebrows　onto　his　glasses。　He　looked　like　he　was　going　to　pass　out。　I　said；　〃David。　Do　you　want　to　sit　down？〃
　〃Maybe　I　better。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃e　on；　David；〃　Rosie　said。　She　took　him　across　the　room　to　the　sink；　and　sat　him　on　the　floor。　He　hugged　his　knees；　put　his　head　down。　She　put　cold　water　on　a　paper　towel　and　placed　it　on　the　back　of　his　neck。　Her　gestures　were　tender。
　〃That　fucking　guy；〃　Charley　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃That's　all　we　need　right　now。〃
　〃Charley；〃　Mae　said；　〃you're　not　helping　。。。〃
　〃So　what？　We're　trapped　in　this　fucking　shed；　it's　not　fucking　airtight；　there's　nothing　we　can　do；　no　place　we　can　go；　and　he's　fucking　cracking　up；　makes　everything　worse。〃
　〃Yes；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃that's　all　true。　And　you're　not　helping　it。〃
　Charley　gave　her　a　look；　and　began　to　hum　the　theme　from　The　Twilight　Zone。　〃Charley；〃　I　said。　〃Pay　attention。〃　I　was　watching　the　swarms。　Their　behavior　had　subtly　changed。　They　no　longer　stayed　close　to　the　building。　Instead；　they　now　moved　in　a　zigzag　pattern　away　from　the　wall　into　the　desert；　and　then　back　again。　They　were　all　doing　it；　in　a　kind　of　fluid　dance。
　Mae　saw　it；　too。　〃New　behavior　。。。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃Their　strategy　isn't　working；　so　they're　trying　something　else。〃
　〃Not　going　to　do　shit　for　them；〃　Charley　said。　〃They　can　zigzag　all　they　want；　it　won't　open　any　doors。〃
　Even　so；　I　was　fascinated　to　see　this　emergent　behavior。　The　zigzags　were　being　more　exaggerated；　the　swarms　were　moving　farther　and　farther　away　from　the　buildings。　Their　strategy　was　shifting　progressively。　It　was　evolving　as　we　watched。　〃It's　really　amazing；〃　I　said。　〃Little　fuckers；〃　Charley　said。
　One　of　the　swarms　was　now　quite　close　to　the　rabbit　carcass。　It　approached　within　a　few　yards；　and　swirled　away　again；　heading　back　to　the　main　building。　A　thought　occurred　to　me。　〃How　well　do　the　swarms　see？〃
　The　headset　clicked。　It　was　Ricky。　〃They　see　fabulously；〃　he　said。　〃It's　what　they　were　made　to　do；　after　all。　Eyesight's　twenty…oh…five；〃　he　said。　〃Fantastic　resolution。　Better　than　any　human。〃　I　said；　〃And　how　do　they　do　the　imaging？〃　Because　they　were　just　a　series　of　individual　particles。　Like　the　rods　and　cones　in　the　eye；　central　processing　was　required　to　form　a　picture　from　all　the　inputs。　How　was　that　processing　acplished？
　Ricky　coughed。　〃Uh　。。。　not　sure。〃
　Charley　said；　〃It　showed　up　in　later　generations。〃
　〃You　mean　they　evolved　vision　on　their　own？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃And　we　don't　know　how　they　do　it　。。。〃
　〃No。　We　just　know　they　just　do。〃
　We　watched　as　the　swarm　angled　away　from　the　wall；　moved　back　near　the　rabbit；　then　returned　to　the　wall　once　more。　The　other　swarms　were　farther　down　the　building；　doing　the　same　thing。　Swirling　out　into　the　desert；　then　swirling　back　again。　Over　the　headset；　Ricky　said；　〃Why　do　you　ask？〃
　〃Because。〃
　〃You　think　they'll　find　the　rabbit？〃
　〃I'm　not　worried　about　the　rabbit；〃　I　said。　〃Anyway；　it　looks　like　the