michael crichton.congo-第16部分

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！


　〃I　need　it　overnight；　Tom；〃　Elliot　said。　〃I'll　call　you　back　in　twenty…four　hours。〃
　
　
　
　
　3。 Inside　the　Coffin
　
　IN　ONE　CORNER　OF　THE　747　LIVING　MODULE　WAS　A　sound…baffled　fiberglass　booth；　with　a　hinged　hood　and　a　small　CRT　screen；　it　was　called　〃the　coffin〃　because　of　the　claustrophobic　feeling　that　came　from　working　inside　it。　As　the　airplane　crossed　the　mid…Atlantic；　Ross　stepped　inside　the　coffin。　She　had　a　last　look　at　Elliot　and　Amy…both　asleep；　both　snoring　loudly…and　Jensen　and　Irving　playing　〃submarine　chase〃　on　the　puter　console；　as　she　lowered　the　hood。
　Ross　was　tired；　but　she　did　not　expect　to　get　much　sleep　for　the　next　two　weeks；　which　was　as　long　as　she　thought　the　expedition　would　last。　Within　fourteen　days…336　hours…　Ross's　team　would　either　have　beaten　the　Euro…Japanese　consortium　or　she　would　have　failed　and　the　Zaire　Virunga　mineral　exploration　rights　would　be　lost　forever。
　The　race　was　already　under　way；　and　Karen　Ross　did　not　intend　to　lose　it。
　She　punched　Houston　coordinates；　including　her　own　sender　designation；　and　waited　while　the　scrambler　interlocked。　From　now　on；　there　would　be　a　signal　delay　of　five　seconds　at　both　ends；　because　both　she　and　Houston　would　be　sending　in　coded　burst　transmissions　to　elude　passive　listeners。
　The　screen　glowed：　TRAVIS。
　She　typed　back：　R　OS　S。　She　picked　up　the　telephone　receiver。
　〃It's　a　bitch；〃　Travis　said；　although　it　was　not　Travis's　voice；　but　a　puter…generated　flat　audio　signal；　without　expression。
　〃Tell　me；〃　Ross　said。
　〃The　consortium's　rolling；〃　Travis's　surrogate　voice　said。　〃Details；〃　Ross　said；　and　waited　for　the　five…second　delay。　She　could　imagine　Travis　in　the　CCR　in　Houston；　hearing　her　own　puter…generated　voice。　That　flat　voice　required　a　change　in　speech　patterns；　what　was　ordinarily　conveyed　by　phrasing　and　emphasis　had　to　be　made　explicit。
　〃They　know　you're　on　your　way；〃　Travis's　voice　whined。　〃They　are　pushing　their　own　schedule。　The　Germans　are　behind　it…your　friend　Richter。　I'm　arranging　a　feeding　in　a　matter　of　minutes。　That's　the　good　news。〃
　〃And　the　bad　news？〃
　〃The　Congo　has　gone　to　hell　in　the　last　ten　hours；〃　Travis　said。　〃We　have　a　nasty　GPU。〃
　〃Print；〃　she　said。
　On　the　screen；　she　saw　printed　GEOPOLITICAL　UPDATE；　followed　by　a　dense　paragraph。　It　read：
　
　ZAIRE　EMBASSY　WASHINGTON　STATES　EASTERN　BORDERS　VIA　RWANDA　CLOSED　/　NO　EXPLANATION　/　PRESUMPTION　101　AMIN　TROOPS　FLEEING　TANZANIAN
　INVASION　UGANDA　INTO　EASTERN　ZAIRE　/　CONSEQUENT　DISRUPTION　/　BUT　FACTS　DIFFER　/　LOCAL　TRIBES　｛KIGANI｝　ON　RAMPAGE　/　REPORTED　ATROCITIES　AND　CANNIBALISM　ETC　/　FOREST…DWELLING　PYGMIES　UNRELIABLE　/　KILLING　ALL　VISITORS　CONGO　RAIN　FOREST　/　ZAIRE　GOVERNMENT　DISPATCHED　GENERAL　MUGURU　（AKA　BUTCHER　OF　STAN…　LEYVILLE）　/　PUT　DOWN　KIGANI　REBELLION　'AT　ALL　COSTS'　/　SITUATION　HIGHLY　UNSTABLE　/　ONLY　LEGAL　ENTRY　INTO　ZAIRE　NOW　WEST　THROUGH　KINSHASA　/　YOU　ARE　ON　YOUR　OWN　/　ACQUISITION　WHITE　HUNTER
　MUNRO　NOW　PARAMOUNT　IMPORTANCE　WHATEVER　COST　/　KEEP　HIM　FROM　CONSORTIUM　WILL　PAY　ANYTHING　/　YOUR　SITUATION　EXTREME　DANGER　/　MUST　HAVE　MUNRO　TO　SURVIVE　/
　
　She　stared　at　the　screen。　It　was　the　worst　possible　news。　She　said；　〃Have　you　got　a　time　course？〃
　
　EURO…JAPANESE　CONSORTIUM　NOW　PRISES　MORIKAWA　（JAPAN）　/　GERLICH　（GERMANY）　/　VOORSTER　（AMSTERDAM）　/　UNFORTUNATELY　HAVE　RESOLVED
　DIFFERENCES　NOW　IN　PLETE　ACCORD　/　MONITORING　US　CANNOT　ANTICIPATE　SECURE　TRANSMISSIONS　ANYTIME　HENCEFORTH　/　ANTICIPATE　ELECTRONIC
　COUNTERMEASURES　AND　WARFARE　TACTICS　IN　PURSUIT　OF　TWO…B　GOAL　/　THEY　WILL　ENTER　CONGO　（RELIABLE　SOURCE）　WITHIN　48　HOURS　NOW　SEEKING　MUNRO　/
　
　〃When　will　they　reach　Tangier？〃　she　asked。
　〃In　six　hours。　You？〃
　〃Seven　hours。　And　Munro？〃
　〃We　don't　know　about　Munro；〃　Travis　said。　〃Can　you　booby　him？〃
　〃Absolutely；〃　Ross　said。　〃I'll　arrange　the　booby　now。　If　Munro　doesn't　see　things　our　way；　I　promise　you　it'll　be　seventy…two　hours　before　he's　allowed　out　of　the　country。〃
　〃What've　you　got？〃　Travis　asked。
　〃Czech　submachine　guns。　Found　on　the　premises；　with　his　prints　on　them；　carefully　applied。　That　should　do　it。〃
　〃That　should　do　it；〃　Travis　agreed。　〃What　about　your　passengers？〃　He　was　referring　to　Elliot　and　Amy。
　〃They're　fine；〃　Ross　said。　〃They　know　nothing。〃
　〃Keep　it　that　way；〃　Travis　said；　and　hung　up。
　
　4。 Feeding　Time
　
　〃IT'S　FEEDING　TIME；〃　TRAVIS　CALLED　CHEERFULLY。　〃Who's　at　the　trough？〃
　〃We've　got　five　tap　dancers　on　Beta　dataline；〃　Rogers　said。　Rogers　was　the　electronic　surveillance　expert；　the　bug　catcher。
　〃Anybody　we　know？〃
　〃Know　them　all；〃　Rogers　said；　slightly　annoyed。　〃Beta　line　is　our　main　cross…trunk　line　in…house；　so　whoever　wants　to　tap　in　to　our　system　will　naturally　plug　in　there。　You　get　more　bits　and　pieces　that　way。　Of　course　we　aren't　using　Beta　anymore　except　for　routine　uncoded　garbage…taxes　and　payroll；　that　stuff。〃
　〃We　have　to　arrange　a　feed；〃　Travis　said。　A　feed　meant　putting　false　data　out　over　a　tapped　line；　to　be　picked　up。　It　was　a　delicate　operation。　〃You　have　the　consortium　on　the　line？〃
　〃Sure。　What　do　you　want　to　feed　them？〃
　〃Coordinates　for　the　lost　city；〃　Travis　said。
　Rogers　nodded；　mopping　his　brow。　He　was　a　portly　man　who　sweated　profusely。　〃How　good　do　you　want　it？〃
　〃Damned　good；〃　Travis　said。　〃You　won't　fool　the　Japanese　with　static。〃
　〃You　don't　want　to　give　them　the　actual　co…ords？〃
　〃God；　no。　But　I　want　them　reasonably　close。　Say；　within　two　hundred　kilometers。〃
　〃Can　do；〃　Rogers　said。
　〃Coded？〃　Travis　said。
　'Of　course。　〃
　〃You　have　a　code　they　can　break　in　twelve　to　fifteen　hours？〃
　Rogers　nodded。　〃We've　got　a　dilly。　Looks　like　hell；　but　then　when　you　work　it；　it　pops　out。　Got　an　internal　weakness　in　concealed　lettering　frequency。　At　the　other　end；　looks　like　we　made　a　mistake；　but　it's　very　breakable。〃
　〃It　can't　be　too　easy；〃　Travis　warned。
　〃Oh；　no；　they'll　earn　their　yen。　They'll　never　suspect　a　feed。　We　ran　it　past　the　army　and　they　came　back　all　smiles；　teaching　us　a　lesson。　Never　knew　it　was　a　setup。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Travis　said；　〃put　the　data　out；　and　let's　feed　them。　I　want　something　that'll　give　them　a　sense　of　confidence　for　the　next　forty…eight　hours　or　more…until　they　figure　out　that　we've　screwed　them。〃
　〃Delighted；〃　Rogers　said；　and　he　moved　off　to　Beta　terminal。
　Travis　sighed。　The　feeding　would　soon　begin；　and　he　hoped　it　would　protect　his　team　in　the　field…long　enough　for　them　to　get　to　the　diamonds　first。
　
　5。 Dangerous　Signatures
　
　THE　SOFT　MURMUR　OF　VOICES　WOKE　HIM。
　〃How　unequivocal　is　that　signature？〃
　〃Pretty　damn　unequivocal。　Here's　the　pissup；　nine　days　ago；　and　it's　not　even　epicentered。〃
　〃That's　cloud　cover？〃
　〃No；　that's　not　cloud　cover；　it's　too　black。　That's　ejecta　from　the　signature。〃
　〃Hell。〃
　Elliot　opened　his　eyes　to　see　dawn　breaking　as　a　thin　red　line　against　blue…black　through　the　windows　of　the　passenger　partment。　His　watch　read　5：11…five　in　the　morning；　San　Francisco　time。　He　had　slept　only　two　hours　since　calling　Seamans。　He　yawned　and　glanced　down　at　Amy；　curled　up　in　her　nest　of　blankets　on　the　floor。　Amy　snored　loudly。　The　other　bunks　were　unoccupied。
　He　heard　soft　voices　again；　and　looked　toward　the　puter　console。　Jensen　and　Irving　were　staring　at　a　screen　and　talking　quietly。　〃Dangerous　signature。　We　got　a　puter　projection　on　that？〃
　〃ing。　It'll　take　a　while。　I　asked　for　a　five…year　run…back；　as　well　as　the　other　pissups。〃
　Elliot　climbed　out　of　his　cot　and　looked　at　the　screen。　〃What's　pissups？〃　he　said。
　〃PSOPs　are　prior　significant　orbital　passes　by　the　satellite；〃　Jensen　explained。　〃They're　called　pissups　because　we　usually　ask　for　them　when　we're　already　pissing　upwind。　We've　been　looking　at　this　volcanic　signature　here；〃　Jensen　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。　〃It's　not　too　promising。〃
　〃What　volcanic　signature？〃　Elliot　asked。
　They　showed　him　the　billowing　plumes　of　smoke…dark　green　in　artificial　puter…generated　colors…which　belched　from　the　mouth　of　Mukenko；　one　of　the　active　volcanoes　of　the　Virunga　range。　〃Mukenko　erupts　on　the　average　of　once　every　three　years；〃　Irving　said。　〃The　last　eruption　was　March；　1977；　but　it　looks　like　it's　gearing　up　for　another　full　eruption　in　the　next　week　or　so。　We're　waiting　now　for　the　probability　assessment。〃
　〃Does　Ross　know　about　this？〃
　They　shrugged。　〃She　knows；　but　she　doesn't　seem　worried。　She　got　an　urgent　GPU…geopolitical　update…from　Houston　about　two　hours　ago；　and　she　went　directly　into　the　cargo　bay。　Haven't　seen　her　since。〃
　Elliot　went　into　the　dimly　lit　cargo　bay　of　the　jet。　The　cargo　bay　was　not　insulated　and　it　was　chilly：　the　trucks　had　a　thin　frost　on　metal　and　glass；　and　his　breath　hissed　from　his　mouth。　He　found　Karen　Ross　working　at　a　table　under　low　pools　of　light。　Her　back　was　turned　to　him；　but　when　he　approached；　she　dropped　what　she　was　doing　and　turned　to　face　him。
　〃I　thought　you　were　asleep；〃　she　said。
　〃I　got　restless。　What's　going　on？〃
　〃Just　checking　supplies。　This　is　our　advanced　technology　unit；〃　she　said；　lifting　up　a　small　backpack。　〃We've　developed　a　miniaturized　package　for　field　parties；　twenty　pounds　of　equipment　contains　everything　a　man　needs　for　two　weeks：
　food；　water；　clothing；　everything。〃
　〃Even　water？〃　Elliot　a