jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第48部分

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hird　kind　of　stuff？〃
　〃Graphics。　Here；　watch　this；〃　Phil　opened　another　file　using　the　mouse。　〃This　is　still　a　piece　of　crap；　but　it's　the　best　thing　this　bozo　programmed。〃　The　screen　was　split　with　a　line　marking　off　one　third　of　the　screen。　The　larger　portion　had　two　small　circles；　one　in　each　upper　corner　of　the　screen。　Phil　punched　a　key　and　the　two　circles　slowly　expanded。　When　they　met　the　screen　froze　and　the　letter　A　appeared　at　the　point　of　contact。　Another　letter　A　appeared　in　the　left…hand　column　with　three　sets　of　figures。　Phil　punched　another　key　and　the　circles　expanded　again。　As　soon　as　the　circles　finished　crossing　each　other　the　screen　froze　again。　This　time　two　more　letters　appeared；　a　B　and　a　C；　marking　the　two　new　contact　points　between　the　circles。　There　were　now　three　sets　of　three　figures　in　the　left…hand　column。　Terry　noticed　that　the　A　figures　had　changed。　Another　key　punch　and　the　circles　began　to　expand　again。　Terry　watched　the　A；　B；　and　C　columns　of　figures　change　as　the　circles　expanded。　When　they　reached　the　edge　of　the　screen　the　program　stopped。
　〃That's　it？〃　Bill　asked。　〃That's　all　it　does？〃
　〃I　told　you　it　was　a　piece　of　crap。　Part　of　this　stuff　is　dates　again。〃　Phil　pointed　to　the　columns　of　figures　on　the　left　side　of　the　screen；　〃Hard　to　tell　though　because　he　ran　all　the　numbers　together；　course　I　could　fix　it　in　a　jiff。〃
　〃No；　Phil。　What　about　the　rest　of　the　numbers？　Counting　the　dates；　it's　really　four　sets　of　numbers。　I　haven't　figured　out　the　other　three　yet。　Here；　look　at　this　one。〃　More　work　with　the　mouse　and　another　set　of　mands　filled　the　screen。　〃This　one's　a　little　different。〃
　Punching　more　keys；　Phil　called　up　another　program。　It　was　like　the　other　program　but　instead　of　two　expanding　circles；　these　began　to　pulse；　repeatedly　sending　out　expanding　waves。　As　one　circle　expanded；　another　circle　formed　within　it；　chasing　the　first　circle　to　the　edge　of　the　screen。　When　the　expanding　circles　nearly　reached　each　other；　the　image　switched　to　show　smaller　multiple　circles　expanding　within　each　other。
　〃He　adjusted　for　scale；　it's　the　same　circles；〃　Phil　added。
　The　circles　continued　to　expand；　but　one　by　one　the　inner　circles　overtook　the　outer　circles　and　merged　until　only　two　circles　remained。　Then　the　image　froze。　Terry　looked　over　at　the　numbers　on　the　left。　
　〃Phil；　what's　the　date　count？〃
　〃You　have　an　idea；　Terry？〃　Bill　asked。
　〃Remember　our　idea　about　Hiroshima　and　the　bomb？　Maybe　these　circles　start　with　the　bomb？〃
　Terry　and　Bill　looked　at　Phil　expectantly；　but　he　just　shook　his　head。
　〃Counts　wrong。　If　we　subtract　the　count　from　yesterday　then　we　miss　Hiroshima　by　seventeen　years　。　。　。　still。　。　。　that's　an　interesting　idea。〃
　Phil　drifted　inward；　reminding　Terry　of　Kenny's　drift　into　a　catatonic　state。　But　Bill　urged　Phil　on。　〃These　other　numbers；　do　they　have　something　to　do　with　the　frog　falls；　avalanches；　and　other　events　on　Kenny's　list？〃
　Phil　seemed　reluctant　to　e　back　from　wherever　he　was。
　〃You're　thinking　latitude　and　longitude；　aren't　you？　That's　what　I　was　working　on　when　you　got　here。　There's　too　many　numbers；　though。〃　Phil　looked　lost　in　thought　again。　〃All　right；　maybe　you　guys　can　help　me…I　think　I'm　getting　it。　Colonel；　I　need　some　more　data。〃
　Bill　agreed　to　get　him　whatever　he　needed。
　〃Hot　damn；〃　Phil　laughed；　〃some　of　it's　classified。〃
　
　Modern　munication　systems　are　made　up　of　radio；　television；　phone；　and　puter　networks。　To　keep　this　system　functioning；　there　must　be　transmission　and　reception　facilities；　copper　cables；　fiber　optic　lines；　broadcast　towers；　dish　antennae；　translators；　boosters；　switching　stations；　and　satellites。　Lose　a　part　of　this　system；　and　backup　systems　automatically　e　on…line。　Lose　the　backup　systems　and　puters　will　automatically　reroute　signals。　Lose　those　routes　and　the　system　fails。
　Like　everything　else　about　the　effect；　the　losses　were　uneven。　Some　satellites　were　lost；　and　others　lost　their　ground　munication　facilities。　Other　ground　stations　reestablished　contact　where　possible。　Underground　transmission　lines　were　left　intact；　as　were　transatlantic　and　transpacific　cables。　Cities　untouched　by　the　effect　kept　local　phone；　TV；　and　radio；　and　some　long…distance；　while　those　in　or　near　cities　sliced　by　the　effect　were　hardest　hit。　Some　lost　everything；　others　kept　some　local　radio　or　TV。　Military　bases　were　similar　but　reestablished　satellite　munication　sooner；　then　mandeered　civilian　lines；　further　snarling　civilian　munication。
　As　a　resuit　some　sat　riveted　to　TVs　witnessing　the　bizarre　unfold　before　them；　while　others　only　heard　rumors　and　half　truths。　Still　others　in　rural　pockets　continued　their　lives　pletely　unaware　of　the　drama　unfolding　across　the　face　of　the　planet。
　
　Nick　Paulson's　encounter　with　the　masturbator　left　him　wary　of　any　more　of　Elizabeth's　prognosticators。　Additional　psychics；　religious　fanatics；　and　nuts　were　still　being　rounded　up；　but　Nick　delegated　the　interviewing　to　the　CIA。　Instead；　Nick　bed　the　PresNet。
　Nick　used　the　directory　to　get　a　rough　map　of　which　parts　of　the　network　were　lost。　The　northeastern　part　of　the　country　was　mostly　off…line；　although　a　terminal　at　the　University　of　Delaware　and　one　in　New　Hampshire　were　listed。　The　Chicago　area　was　well　represented　as　were　the　states　surrounding　Illinois。　The　southeast　was　another　near…total　loss。　There　was　nothing　from　Georgia；　Mississippi；　and　Louisiana；　and　precious　little　from　the　rest　of　the　South。　There　were　three　terminals　listed　from　Florida　State　University　but　none　from　the　University　of　Miami。　There　were　few　advisors　in　the　far　West　except　for　California；　but　functioning　terminals　were　listed　in　Houston；　Galveston；　Reno；　Cheyenne；　and　several　in　the　Southern　California　basin。　Only　Seattle　was　represented　in　the　northwest；　with　terminals　at　the　University　of　Washington　and　Boeing。　Nothing　was　showing　for　Alaska；　Puerto　Rico；　or　Guam。　Three　stations　were　listed　as　on…line　in　Hawaii。　After　his　survey　Nick　estimated　only　a　third　of　the　network　was　still　functioning。
　The　reports　on　PresNet　described　the　kinds　of　impossible　topographical　changes　Nick　heard　described　on　the　radio。　One　posted　message　was　from　a　scientist　named　Robert　Cory　in　Houston；　who　was　bounced　off　the　highway　when　his　car　was　hit　by　a　pressure　wave。　Back　on　the　road；　he　rounded　a　curve　to　find　a　red　hot　lava　field。　Fires　were　spreading　along　the　highway。　Another　report　came　from　a　Mavis　Famsworth　in　Minneapolis；　who　described　a　loud　whooshing　sound　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　and　opened　her　drapes　to　find　herself　staring　at　a　jungle。　The　network　was　filled　with　these　kinds　of　reports；　but　Nick　was　frustrated　with　them。　They　were　too　descriptive　and　not　analytical。　The　PresNet　advisors　were　acting　like　tourists；　not　scientists。
　Nick　sent　an　all…points　message　requesting　direct　analysis　of　any　topographical　changes　the　associates　had　access　to。　He　also　asked　for　continued　reports　on　〃unusual　events；〃　but　to　look　for　mon　denominators。　Nick　hoped　this　would　begin　to　focus　the　work　of　the　network　scientists。　At　first　he　had　been　tempted　to　ask　for　reports　on　dinosaurs　or　other　prehistoric　life…forms；　but　he　knew　if　he　suggested　what　to　look　for；　that　would　limit　the　observations。
　The　phone　beeped　several　times　before　Nick　picked　it　up。　A　guard　announced　an　insistent　air　force　colonel　named　Conrad　was　at　the　gate　with　a　psychologist；　and　a　sergeant；　claiming　they　had　vital　information。　Nick　remembered　that　the　college　kid　from　Elizabeth's　list　was　to　be　acpanied　by　a　psychologist　and　a　colonel。　Frustrated　by　the　lack　of　information　on　the　PresNet；　he　agreed　to　see　them　but　swore　he'd　personally　castrate　any　of　them　that　started　masturbating。
　
　That　wasn't　necessary。　The　men　were　all…business。　None　of　them　was　wearing　a　uniform；　but　the　colonel's　military　bearing　and　demeanor　set　him　apart　instantly。　The　other　two　seemed　to　wear　rumpled　casual　clothes；　although　on　closer　inspection　it　appeared　the　taller　man　wore　rumpled　clothes；　and　the　shorter　Asian　was　a　rumpled　man　in　well…pressed　clothes。
　The　colonel　took　charge　and　ordered　Sergeant　Yamamoto　to　set　up　their　puter　equipment。　The　sergeant；　protesting；　looked　lustfully　at　Nick's　console；　so　Nick　invited　the　sergeant　to　help　himself。　After　brief　introductions；　the　colonel　said　abruptlyt　〃I　think　we　know　what's　happened。〃
　Nick's　hopes　sank。　The　colonel　was　as　confident　as　the　psychics；　and　experience　told　Nick　that　no　one　that　confident　was　ever　right。　His　explanation　made　a　good　story　though。　A　psychotic　college　student；　hostages　in　a　cave；　the　mountain　in　the　middle　of　the　freeway；　and　then　the　search　of　Kenny's　room。
　As　Bill　described　what　they　had　collected；　Terry　handed　examples　of　articles　and　showed　sections　of　books　to　Nick。　Dr。　Paulson　showed　none　of　the　skepticism　Terry　had　expected。
　〃You　think　these　events　have　something　to　do　with　what　happened？〃　Nick　asked。
　〃Kenny　Randall　certainly　did　and　he　worked　out　a　model。。。　Phil；　you　ready？〃　Colonel　Conrad　asked。
　〃Yeah；　here　we　go。　Remember　though；　this　thing's　a　piece　of　crap　and　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　programming。　The　colonel　here　won't　even　let　me　clean　it　up。〃　Phil　shook　his　head　and　punched　a