mc.prey-第55章

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　anything。　There's　no　brain；　no　higher　control　in　that　swarm。〃
　〃Group　mind？〃　Mae　said。　〃Hive　mind？〃
　〃In　a　way；〃　I　said。　〃The　point　is；　there　is　no　central　control。〃
　〃But　it　looks　so　controlled；〃　she　said。　〃It　looks　like　a　defined；　purposeful　organism。〃
　〃Yeah；　well；　so　do　we；〃　Charley　said；　with　a　harsh　laugh。
　Nobody　else　laughed　with　him。
　If　you　want　to　think　of　it　that　way；　a　human　being　is　actually　a　giant　swarm。　Or　more　precisely；　it's　a　swarm　of　swarms；　because　each　organ…blood；　liver；　kidneys…is　a　separate　swarm。　What　we　refer　to　as　a　〃body〃　is　really　the　bination　of　all　these　organ　swarms。　We　think　our　bodies　are　solid；　but　that's　only　because　we　can't　see　what　is　going　on　at　the　cellular　level。　If　you　could　enlarge　the　human　body；　blow　it　up　to　a　vast　size；　you　would　see　that　it　was　literally　nothing　but　a　swirling　mass　of　cells　and　atoms；　clustered　together　into　smaller　swirls　of　cells　and　atoms。
　Who　cares？　Well；　it　turns　out　a　lot　of　processing　occurs　at　the　level　of　the　organs。　Human　behavior　is　determined　in　many　places。　The　control　of　our　behavior　is　not　located　in　our　brains。　It's　all　over　our　bodies。
　So　you　could　argue　that　〃swarm　intelligence〃　rules　human　beings；　too。　Balance　is　controlled　by　the　cerebellar　swarm；　and　rarely　es　to　consciousness。　Other　processing　occurs　in　the　spinal　cord；　the　stomach；　the　intestine。　A　lot　of　vision　takes　place　in　the　eyeballs；　long　before　the　brain　is　involved。
　And　for　that　matter；　a　lot　of　sophisticated　brain　processing　occurs　beneath　awareness；　too。　An　easy　proof　is　object　avoidance。　A　mobile　robot　has　to　devote　a　tremendous　amount　of　processing　time　simply　to　avoid　obstacles　in　the　environment。　Human　beings　do；　too；　but　they're　never　aware　of　it…until　the　lights　go　out。　Then　they　learn　painfully　just　how　much　processing　is　really　required。
　So　there's　an　argument　that　the　whole　structure　of　consciousness；　and　the　human　sense　of　self…control　and　purposefulness；　is　a　user　illusion。　We　don't　have　conscious　control　over　ourselves　at　all。　We　just　think　we　do。
　Just　because　human　beings　went　around　thinking　of　themselves　as　〃I〃　didn't　mean　that　it　was　true。　And　for　all　we　knew；　this　damned　swarm　had　some　sort　of　rudimentary　sense　of　itself　as　an　entity。　Or；　if　it　didn't；　it　might　very　soon　start　to。
　Watching　the　faceless　man　on　the　monitor；　we　saw　that　the　image　was　now　being　unstable。　The　swarm　had　trouble　keeping　the　appearance　solid。　Instead　it　fluctuated：　at　moments；　the　face　and　shoulders　seemed　to　dissolve　into　dust；　then　reemerge　as　solid　again。　It　was　strange　to　watch　it。
　〃Losing　its　grip？〃　Bobby　said。
　〃No；　I　think　it's　getting　tired；〃　Charley　said。
　〃You　mean　it's　running　out　of　power。〃
　〃Yeah；　probably。　It'd　take　a　lot　of　extra　juice　to　tilt　all　those　particles　into　exact　orientations。〃
　Indeed；　the　swarm　was　reverting　back　to　a　cloud　appearance　again。
　〃So　this　is　a　low…power　mode？〃　I　said。
　〃Yeah。　I'm　sure　they　were　optimized　for　power　management。〃
　〃Or　they　are　now；〃　I　said。
　It　was　getting　darker　quickly；　now。　The　orange　was　gone　from　the　sky。　The　monitor　was　starting　to　lose　definition。
　The　swarm　turned；　and　swirled　away。
　〃I'll　be　goddamned；〃　Charley　said。
　I　watched　the　swarm　disappear　into　the　horizon。
　〃Three　hours；〃　I　said；　〃and　they're　history。〃
　　
　DAY　6　
　10：12　P。M。
　Charley　went　back　to　bed　right　after　dinner。　He　was　still　asleep　at　ten　that　night；　when　Mae　and　I　were　preparing　to　go　out　again。　We　were　wearing　down　vests　and　jackets；　because　it　was　going　to　be　cold。　We　needed　a　third　person　to　go　with　us。　Ricky　said　he　had　to　wait　for　Julia；　who　was　flying　in　any　minute　now；　that　was　fine　with　me；　I　didn't　want　him　anyway。　Vince　was　off　somewhere　watching　TV　and　drinking　beer。　That　left　Bobby。　Bobby　didn't　want　to　go；　but　Mae　shamed　him　into　ing。　There　was　a　question　about　how　the　three　of　us　would　get　around；　since　it　was　possible　the　swarm　hiding　place　might　be　some　distance　away；　perhaps　even　several　miles。　We　still　had　David's　dirt　bike；　but　that　could　only　sit　two。　It　turned　out　Vince　had　an　ATV　in　the　shed。　I　went　to　see　him　in　the　power　unit　to　ask　him　for　the　key。
　〃Don't　need　a　key；〃　he　said。　He　was　sitting　on　a　couch；　watching　Who　Wants　to　Be　a　Millionaire。　I　heard　Regis　say；　〃Final　answer？〃
　〃I　said；　What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Key's　in　it；〃　Vince　said。　〃Always　there。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute；〃　I　said。　〃You　mean　there　was　a　vehicle　in　the　shed　with　keys　in　it　all　the　time？〃
　〃Sure。〃　On　the　TV；　I　heard；　〃For　four　thousand　dollars；　what　is　the　name　of　the　smallest　state　in　Europe？〃
　〃Why　didn't　anybody　tell　me？〃　I　said；　starting　to　get　mad。
　Vince　shrugged。　〃Couldn't　say。　Nobody　asked　me。〃
　I　stalked　back　to　the　main　unit。　〃Where　the　hell　is　Ricky？〃
　〃He's　on　the　phone；〃　Bobby　said。　〃Talking　to　the　brass　back　in　the　Valley。〃
　Mae　said；　〃Take　it　easy。〃
　〃I'm　taking　it　easy；〃　I　said。　〃Which　phone？　In　the　main　unit？〃
　〃Jack。〃　She　put　her　hands　on　my　shoulders；　stopped　me。　〃It's　after　ten　o'clock。　Forget　it。〃
　〃Forget　it？　He　could　have　gotten　us　killed。〃
　〃And　right　now　we　have　work　to　do。〃
　I　looked　at　her　calm　face；　her　steady　expression。　I　thought　of　the　swift　way　she　had　eviscerated　the　rabbit。
　〃You're　right；〃　I　said。
　〃Good；〃　she　said；　turning　away。　〃Now　I　think　as　soon　as　we　get　some　backpacks；　we'll　be　ready　to　go。〃
　There　was　a　reason；　I　thought；　why　Mae　never　lost　an　argument。　I　went　to　the　storage　cupboard　and　got　out　three　packs。　I　threw　one　to　Bobby。
　〃Let's　hit　the　road；〃　I　said。
　It　was　a　clear　night；　filled　with　stars。　We　walked　in　darkness　toward　the　storage　shed；　a　dark　outline　against　the　dark　sky。　I　pushed　the　dirt　bike　along。　None　of　us　talked　for　a　while。　Finally；　Bobby　said；　〃We're　going　to　need　lights。〃
　〃We're　going　to　need　a　lot　of　things；〃　Mae　said。　〃I　made　a　list。〃　We　came　to　the　storage　shed；　and　pushed　open　the　door。　I　saw　Bobby　hang　back　in　the　darkness。　I　went　in；　and　fumbled　for　the　lights。　I　flicked　them　on。　The　interior　of　the　storage　shed　appeared　just　as　we　had　left　it。　Mae　unzipped　her　backpack　and　began　walking　down　the　row　of　shelves。　〃We　need　portable　lights　。。。　ignition　fuses　。。。　flares　。。。　oxygen　。。。〃
　Bobby　said；　〃Oxygen？　Really？〃
　〃If　this　site　is　underground；　yes；　we　may　。。。　and　we　need　thermite。〃
　I　said；　〃Rosie　had　it。　Maybe　she　set　it　down　when　she　。。。　I'll　look。〃　I　went　into　the　next　room。　The　box　of　thermite　tubes　lay　overturned　on　the　floor；　the　tubes　nearby。　Rosie　must　have　dropped　it　when　she　ran。　I　wondered　if　she　had　had　any　in　her　hand。　I　looked　over　at　her　body　by　the　door。
　Rosie's　body　was　gone。
　〃Jesus。〃
　Bobby　came　running　in。　〃What　is　it？　What's　wrong？〃
　I　pointed　to　the　door。　〃Rosie's　gone。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　gone？〃
　I　looked　at　him。　〃Gone；　Bobby。　The　body　was　here　before　and　now　it's　gone。〃
　〃How　can　that　be？　An　animal？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　I　went　over　and　crouched　down　at　the　spot　where　her　body　had　been。　When　I　had　last　seen　her；　five　or　six　hours　ago；　her　body　had　been　covered　with　a　milky　secretion。　Some　of　that　secretion　covered　the　floor；　too。　It　looked　exactly　like　thick；　dried　milk。　Up　where　her　head　had　been；　the　secretion　was　smooth　and　undisturbed。　But　closer　to　the　door；　it　appeared　to　have　been　scraped。　There　were　streaks　in　the　coating。　〃It　looks　like　she　was　dragged　out；〃　Bobby　said。
　〃Yes。〃
　I　peered　closely　at　the　secretion；　looking　for　footprints。　A　coyote　alone　couldn't　have　dragged　her；　a　pack　of　animals　would　be　needed　to　pull　her　out　the　door。　They　would　surely　leave　marks。　I　saw　none。
　I　got　up　and　walked　to　the　door。　Bobby　stood　beside　me；　looking　out　into　the　darkness。
　〃You　see　anything？〃　he　said。
　〃No。〃
　I　returned　to　Mae。　She　had　found　everything。　She　had　coiled　magnesium　fuse。　She　had　flare　guns。　She　had　portable　halogen　flashlights。　She　had　head…mounted　lamps　with　big　elastic　bands。　She　had　small　binoculars　and　night…vision　goggles。　She　had　a　field　radio。　And　she　had　oxygen　bottles　and　clear…plastic　gas　masks。　I　was　uneasy　when　I　recognized　that　these　were　the　same　plastic　masks　I　had　seen　on　the　men　in　the　SSVT　van　back　in　California　last　night；　except　they　weren't　silvered。
　And　then　I　thought；　Was　it　only　last　night？　It　was。　Hardly　tw