mc.prey-第45章

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　〃You　think　they'll　find　the　rabbit？〃
　〃I'm　not　worried　about　the　rabbit；〃　I　said。　〃Anyway；　it　looks　like　they　already　missed　it。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　〃Uh…oh；〃　Mae　said。
　〃Shit；〃　Charley　said；　and　he　gave　a　long　sigh。
　We　were　looking　at　the　nearest　swarm；　the　one　that　had　just　bypassed　the　rabbit。　That　swarm　had　moved　out　into　the　desert　again；　perhaps　ten　yards　away　from　the　rabbit。　But　instead　of　turning　back　in　its　usual　pattern；　it　had　paused　in　the　desert。　It　didn't　move；　but　the　silvery　column　rose　and　fell。
　〃Why　is　it　doing　that？〃　I　said。　〃That　up　and　down　thing？〃
　〃Something　to　do　with　imaging？　Focusing？〃
　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃I　mean；　why　did　it　stop？〃
　〃Program　stall？〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　doubt　it。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　〃I　think　it　sees　something。〃
　〃Like　what？〃　Charley　said。
　I　was　afraid　I　knew　the　answer。　The　swarm　represented　an　extremely　high…resolution　camera　bined　with　a　distributed　intelligence　network。　And　one　thing　distributed　networks　did　particularly　well　was　detect　patterns。　That　was　why　distributed　network　programs　were　used　to　recognize　faces　for　security　systems；　or　to　assemble　the　shattered　fragments　of　archaeological　pottery。　The　networks　could　find　patterns　in　data　better　than　the　human　eye。　〃What　patterns？〃　Charley　said；　when　I　told　him。　〃There's　nothing　out　there　to　detect　except　sand　and　cactus　thorns。〃
　Mae　said；　〃And　footprints。〃
　〃What？　You　mean　our　footprints？　From　us　walking　over　here？　Shit；　Mae；　the　sand's　been　blowing　for　the　last　fifteen　minutes。　There's　no　footprints　left　to　find。〃　We　watched　the　swarm　hang　there；　rising　and　falling　like　it　was　breathing。　The　cloud　had　turned　mostly　black　now；　with　just　an　occasional　glint　of　silver。　It　had　remained　at　the　same　spot　for　ten　or　fifteen　seconds；　pulsing　up　and　down。　The　other　swarms　were　continuing　in　their　zigzag　course；　but　this　one　stayed　where　it　was。
　Charley　bit　his　lip。　〃You　really　think　it　sees　something？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　〃Maybe。〃
　Suddenly；　the　swarm　rose　up；　and　began　to　move　again。　But　it　wasn't　ing　toward　us。　Instead；　it　moved　on　a　diagonal　over　the　desert；　heading　back　toward　the　door　in　the　power　building。　When　it　came　to　the　door；　it　stopped；　and　swirled　in　place。　〃What　the　hell？〃　Charley　said。
　I　knew　what　it　was。　So　did　Mae。　〃It　just　tracked　us；〃　she　said。　〃Backward。〃　The　swarm　had　followed　the　path　we　had　originally　taken　from　the　door　to　the　rabbit。　The　question　was；　what　would　it　do　next？
　The　next　five　minutes　were　tense。　The　swarm　retraced　its　path；　going　back　to　the　rabbit。　It　swirled　around　the　rabbit　for　a　while；　moving　in　slow　semicircles　back　and　forth。　Then　once　again　it　retraced　the　route　back　to　the　power　station　door。　It　stayed　at　the　door　for　a　while；　then　returned　to　the　rabbit。
　The　swarm　repeated　this　sequence　three　times。　Meanwhile；　the　other　swarms　had　continued　their　zigzagging　around　the　building；　and　were　now　out　of　sight。　The　solitary　swarm　returned　to　the　door；　then　headed　back　to　the　rabbit　again。
　〃It's　stuck　in　a　loop；〃　Charley　said。　〃It　just　does　the　same　thing　over　and　over　again。〃
　〃Lucky　for　us；〃　I　said。　I　was　waiting　to　see　if　the　swarm　would　modify　its　behavior。　So　far　it　hadn't。　And　if　it　had　very　little　memory；　then　it　might　be　like　an　Alzheimer's　patient；　unable　to　remember　it　had　done　all　this　before。
　Now　it　was　going　around　the　rabbit；　moving　in　semicircles。
　〃Definitely　stuck　in　a　loop；〃　Charley　said。
　I　waited。
　I　hadn't　been　able　to　review　all　the　changes　they'd　made　to　PREDPREY；　because　the　central　module　was　missing。　But　the　original　program　had　a　randomizing　element　built　into　it；　to　handle　situations　exactly　like　this。　Whenever　PREDPREY　failed　to　attain　its　goal；　and　there　were　no　specific　environmental　inputs　to　provoke　new　action；　then　its　behavior　was　randomly　modified。　This　was　a　well…known　solution。　For　example；　psychologists　now　believed　a　certain　amount　of　random　behavior　was　necessary　for　innovation。　You　couldn't　be　creative　without　striking　out　in　new　directions；　and　those　directions　were　likely　to　be　random…
　〃Uh…oh；〃　Mae　said。
　The　behavior　had　changed。
　The　swarm　moved　in　larger　circles；　going　around　and　around　the　rabbit。　And　almost　immediately；　it　came　across　another　path。　It　paused　a　moment；　and　then　suddenly　rose　up；　and　began　to　move　directly　toward　us。　It　was　following　exactly　the　same　path　we　had　taken；　walking　to　the　shed。
　〃Shit；〃　Charley　said。　〃I　think　we're　fucked。〃
　Mae　and　Charley　rushed　across　the　room　to　look　out　the　window。　David　and　Rosie　stood　and　peered　out　the　window　above　the　sink。　And　I　started　to　shout：　〃No；　no！　Get　away　from　the　windows！〃
　〃What？〃
　〃It's　visual；　remember？　Get　away　from　the　windows！〃
　There　was　no　good　place　to　hide　in　the　storage　room；　not　really。　Rosie　and　David　crawled　under　the　sink。　Charley　pushed　in　beside　them；　ignoring　their　protests。　Mae　slipped　into　the　shadows　of　one　corner　of　the　room；　easing　herself　into　the　space　where　two　shelves　didn't　quite　meet。　She　could　only　be　seen　from　the　west　window；　and　then　not　easily。　The　radio　crackled。　〃Hey　guys？〃　It　was　Ricky。　〃One's　heading　for　you。　And　uh　。。。　No　。。。　two　others　are　joining　it。〃
　〃Ricky；〃　I　said。　〃Go　off　air。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃No　more　radio　contact。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Off；　Ricky。〃
　I　dropped　down　on　my　knees　behind　a　cardboard　carton　of　supplies　in　the　main　room。　The　carton　wasn't　large　enough　to　hide　me　entirely…my　feet　stuck　out…but　like　Mae；　I　wasn't　easily　seen。　Someone　outside　would　have　to　look　at　an　angle　through　the　north　window　to　see　me。　In　any　case；　it　was　the　best　I　could　do。
　From　my　crouched　position；　I　could　just　see　the　others　huddled　beneath　the　sink。　I　couldn't　see　Mae　at　all；　unless　I　really　stuck　my　head　around　the　corner　of　the　carton。　When　I　did；　she　looked　quiet；　posed。　I　ducked　back　and　waited。
　I　heard　nothing　but　the　hum　of　the　air　conditioner。
　Ten　or　fifteen　seconds　passed。　I　could　see　the　sunlight　streaming　in　through　the　north　window　above　the　sink。　It　made　a　white　rectangle　on　the　floor　to　my　left。　My　headset　crackled。　〃Why　no　contact？〃
　〃Jesus　fucking　A；〃　Charley　muttered。
　I　put　my　finger　to　my　lips；　and　shook　my　head。
　〃Ricky；〃　I　said；　〃don't　these　things　have　auditory　capacity？〃
　〃Sure；　maybe　a　little；　but…〃
　〃Be　quiet　and　stay　off。〃
　〃But…〃
　I　reached　for　the　transmitter　at　my　belt；　and　clicked　it　off。　I　signaled　the　others　beneath　the　sink。　They　each　turned　their　transmitters　off。
　Charley　mouthed　something　to　me。　I　thought　he　mouthed；　〃That　fucking　guy　wants　us　killed。〃
　But　I　couldn't　be　sure。
　We　waited。
　It　couldn't　have　been　more　than　two　or　three　minutes；　but　it　seemed　forever。　My　knees　began　to　hurt　on　the　hard　concrete　floor。　Trying　to　get　more　fortable；　I　shifted　my　position　cautiously；　by　now　I　was　sure　the　first　swarm　was　in　our　vicinity。　It　hadn't　appeared　at　the　windows　yet；　and　I　wondered　what　was　taking　so　long。　Perhaps　as　it　followed　our　path　it　had　paused　to　inspect　the　cars。　I　wondered　what　swarm　intelligence　would　make　of　an　automobile。　How　puzzling　it　must　look　to　that　high…resolution　eye。　But　maybe　because　the　cars　were　inanimate；　the　swarm　would　ignore　them　as　some　sort　of　large；　brightly　colored　boulders。　But　still　。。。　What　was　taking　so　long？
　My　knees　hurt　more　with　every　passing　second。　I　changed　my　position；　putting　weight　on　my　hands　and　raising　my　knees　like　a　runner　at　the　blocks。　I　had　a　moment　of　temporary　relief。　I　was　so　focused　on　my　pain　that　I　didn't　notice　at　first　that　the　glaring　white　rectangle　on　the　floor　was　turning　darker　at　the　center；　and　spreading　out　to　the　sides。　In　a　moment　the　entire　rectangle　turned　dull　gray。
　The　swarm　was　here。
　I　wasn't　certain；　but　I　fancied　that　beneath　the　hum　of　the　air　conditioner　was　a　deep　thrumming　sound。　From　my　position　behind　the　crate；　I　saw　the　window　above　the　sink　grow　progressively　darker　from　swirling　black　particles。　It　was　as　if　there　was　a　dust　storm　right　outside。　Inside　the　shed　it　was　dark。　Surprisingly　dark。
　Underneath　the　sink；　David　Brooks　began　to　moan。　Charley　clapped　his　hand　over　his　mouth。　They　looked　upward；　even　though　the　sink　blocked　their　view　of　the　window　above　them。　And　then　the　swarm　vanished　from　the　window；　as　quickly　a