michael crichton.congo-第5部分

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　She　now　had　a　static…free　image；　but　it　was　muddy　and　indistinct；　lacking　definition。　So　she　did　a　〃high…priced　spread〃…intensifying　the　image　by　spreading　the　gray…scale　values。　But　for　some　reason　she　also　got　a　phase　distortion　that　she　had　to　cancel；　and　that　released　spiking　glitches　previously　suppressed；　and　to　get　rid　of　the　glitches　she　had　to　run　three　other　programs。
　Technical　details　preoccupied　her　for　an　hour；　until　suddenly　the　image　〃popped；〃　ing　up　bright　and　clean。　She　caught　her　breath　as　she　saw　it。　The　screen　showed　a　dark；　brooding　face　with　heavy　brows；　watchful　eyes；　a　flattened　nose；　prognathous　lips。
　Frozen　on　the　video　screen　was　the　face　of　a　male　gorilla。
　
　Travis　walked　toward　her　from　across　the　room；　shaking　his　head。　〃We　finished　the　audio　recovery　on　that　hissing　noise。　The　puter　confirms　it　as　human　breathing；　with　at　least　four　separate　origins。　But　it's　damned　strange。　According　to　the　analysis；　the　sound　is　ing　from　inhalation；　not　exhalation；　the　way　people　usually　make　sounds。〃
　〃The　puter　is　wrong；〃　Ross　said。　〃It's　not　human。〃　She　pointed　to　the　screen；　and　the　face　of　the　gorilla。
　Travis　showed　no　surprise。　〃Artifact；〃　he　said。
　〃It's　no　artifact。〃
　〃You　did　fill…in…the…blanks；　and　you　got　an　artifact。　The　tag　team's　been　screwing　around　with　the　software　at　lunch　again。〃　The　tag　team…the　young　software　programmers…　had　a　tendency　to　convert　data　to　play　highly　sophisticated　versions　of　pinball　games。　Their　games　sometimes　got　sub…routed　into　other　programs。
　Ross　herself　had　plained　about　it。　〃But　this　image　is　real；〃　she　insisted；　pointing　to　the　screen。
　〃Look；〃　Travis　said；　〃last　week　Harry　did　fill…in…the…blanks　on　the　Karakorum　Mountains　and　he　got　back　a　lunar　landing　game。　You're　supposed　to　land　next　to　the　McDonald's　stand；　all　very　amusing。〃　He　walked　off。　〃You'd　better　meet　the　others　in　my　office。　We're　setting　advance　times　to　get　back　in。〃
　〃I'm　leading　the　next　team。〃
　Travis　shook　his　head。　〃Out　of　the　question。〃
　〃But　what　about　this？〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。
　〃I'm　not　buying　that　image；〃　Travis　said。　〃Gorillas　don't　behave　that　way。　It's　got　to　be　an　artifact。〃　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Right　now；　the　only　question　I　have　is　how　fast　we　can　put　a　team　back　in　the　Congo。〃
　
　4。Return　Expedition
　
　TRAVIS　HAD　NEVER　HAD　ANY　DOUBTS　IN　HIS　MIND
　about　going　back　in；　from　the　first　time　he　saw　the　videotapes　from　the　Congo；　the　only　question　was　how　best　to　do　it。　He　called　in　all　the　section　heads：　Accounts；　Diplo；　Remote；　Geo；　Logistics；　Legal。　They　were　all　yawning　and　rubbing　their　eyes。　Travis　began　by　saying；　〃I　want　us　back　in　the　Congo　in　ninety…six　hours。〃
　Then　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　let　them　tell　him　why　it　couldn't　be　done。　There　were　plenty　of　reasons。
　〃We　can't　assemble　the　air　cargo　units　for　shipment　in　less　than　a　hundred　and　sixty　hours；〃　Cameron；　the　logistics　man　said。
　〃We　can　postpone　the　Himalaya　team；　and　use　their　units；〃　Travis　said。
　〃But　that's　a　mountain　expedition。〃
　〃You　can　modify　the　units　in　nine　hours；〃　Travis　said。
　〃But　we　can't　get　equipment　to　fly　it　out；〃　Lewis；　the　transport　master；　said。
　〃Korean　Airlines　has　a　747　cargo　jet　available　at　SFX。　They　tell　me　it　can　be　down　here　in　nine　hours。〃
　〃They　have　a　plane　just　sitting　there？〃　Lewis　said；　incredulous。
　〃I　believe；〃　Travis　said；　〃that　they　had　a　last…minute　cancellation　from　another　customer。〃
　Irwin；　the　accountant；　groaned。　〃What'd　that　cost？〃
　〃We　can't　get　visas　from　the　Zaire　Embassy　in　Washington　in　time；〃　Martin；　the　diplomatic　man；　said。　〃And　there　is　serious　doubt　they'd　issue　them　to　us　at　all。　As　you　know；　the　first　set　of　Congo　visas　were　based　on　our　mineral　exploration　rights　with　the　Zaire　government；　and　our　MERs　are　non…exclusive。　We　were　granted　permission　to　go　in；　and　so　were　the　Japanese；　the　Germans；　and　the　Dutch；　who've　formed　a　mining　consortium。　The　first　ore…body　strike　takes　the　contract。　If　Zaire　suspects　that　our　expedition　is　in　trouble；　they'll　just　cancel　us　out　and　let　the　Euro…Japanese　consortium　try　their　luck。　There　are　thirty　Japanese　trade　officials　in　Kinshasa　right　now；　spending　yen　like　water。〃
　〃I　think　that's　right；〃　Travis　said。　〃If　it　became　known　that　our　expedition　is　in　trouble。〃
　〃It'll　bee　known　the　minute　we　apply　for　visas。〃
　〃We　won't　apply　for　them。　As　far　as　anybody　knows；〃　Travis　said；　〃we　still　have　an　expedition　in　Virunga。　If　we　put　a　second　small　team　into　the　field　fast　enough；　nobody　will　ever　know　that　it　wasn't　the　original　team。〃
　〃But　what　about　the　specific　personnel　visas　to　cross　the　borders；　the　manifests…〃
　〃Details；〃　Travis　said。　〃That's　what　liquor　is　for；〃　referring　to　bribes；　which　were　often　liquor。　In　many　parts　of　the　world；　expedition　teams　went　in　with　crates　of　liquor　and
　boxes　of　those　perennial　favorites；　transistor　radios　and　Polaroid　cameras。
　〃Details？　How're　you　going　to　cross　the　border？〃
　〃We'll　need　a　good　man　for　that。　Maybe　Munro。〃
　〃Munro？　That's　playing　rough。　The　Zaire　government　hates　Munro。〃
　〃He's　resourceful；　and　he　knows　the　area。〃
　Martin；　the　diplomatic　expert；　cleared　his　throat　and　said；　〃I'm　not　sure　I　should　be　here　for　this　discussion。　It　looks　to　me　as　if　you　are　proposing　to　enter　a　sovereign　state　with　an　illegal　party　led　by　a　former　Congo　mercenary　soldier　　　　　
　〃Not　at　all；〃　Travis　said。　〃I'm　obliged　to　put　a　support　party　into　the　field　to　assist　my　people　already　there。　Happens　all　the　time。　I　have　no　reason　to　think　anybody　is　in　trouble；　just　a　routine　support　party。　I　haven't　got　time　to　go　through　official　channels。　I　may　not　be　showing　the　best　judgment　in　whom　I　hire；　but　it's　nothing　more　serious　than　that。〃
　By　11：45　P。M。　on　the　night　of　June　13；　the　main　sequencing　of　the　next　ERTS　expedition　had　been　worked　out　and　confirmed　by　the　puter。　A　fully　loaded　747　could　leave　Houston　at　8　P。M。　the　following　evening；　June　14；　the　plane　could　be　in　Africa　on　June　15　to　pick　up　Munro　〃or　someone　like　him〃；　and　the　full　team　could　be　in　place　in　the　Congo　on　June　17。
　In　ninety…six　hours。
　
　From　the　main　data　room；　Karen　Ross　could　look　through　the　glass　walls　into　Travis's　office　and　see　the　arguments　taking　place。　In　her　logical　way；　she　concluded　that　Travis　had　〃Q'd〃　himself；　meaning　that　he　had　drawn　false　conclusions　from　insufficient　data；　and　had　said　Q。E。D。　too　soon。　Ross　felt　there　was　no　point　in　going　back　into　the　Congo　until　they　knew　what　they　were　up　against。　She　remained　at　her　console；　checking　the　image　she　had　recovered。
　Ross　bought　this　image…but　how　could　she　make　Travis　buy　it？
　In　the　highly　sophisticated　data…processing　world　of　ERTS；　there　was　a　constant　danger　that　extracted　information　would　begin　to　〃float〃…that　the　images　would　cut　loose　from　reality；　like　a　ship　cut　loose　from　its　moorings。　This　was　true　particularly　when　the　database　was　put　through　multiple　manipulations…when　you　were　rotating　106　pixels　in　puter…generated　hyperspace。
　So　ERTS　evolved　other　ways　to　check　the　validity　of　images　they　got　back　from　the　puter。　Ross　ran　two　check　programs　against　the　gorilla　image。　The　first　was　called　APNF；　for　Animation　Predicted　Next　Frame。
　It　was　possible　to　treat　videotape　as　if　it　were　movie　film；　a　succession　of　stills。　She　showed　the　puter　several　〃stills〃　in　succession；　and　then　asked　it　to　create　the　Predicted　Next　Frame。　This　PNF　was　then　checked　against　the　actual　next　frame。
　She　ran　eight　PNFs　in　a　row；　and　they　worked。　If　there　was　an　error　in　the　data　handling；　it　was　at　least　a　consistent　error。
　Encouraged；　she　next　ran　a　〃fast　and　dirty　threespace。〃　Here　the　flat　video　image　was　assumed　to　have　certain　three…dimensional　characteristics；　based　on　gray…scale　patterns。　In　essence；　the　puter　decided　that　the　shadow　of　a　nose；　or　a　mountain　range；　meant　that　the　nose　or　mountain　range　protruded　above　the　surrounding　surface。　Succeeding　images　could　be　checked　against　these　assumptions。　As　the　gorilla　moved；　the　puter　verified　that　the　flat　image　was；　indeed；　three…dimensional　and　coherent。
　This　proved　beyond　a　doubt　that　the　image　was　real。
　She　went　to　see　Travis。
　〃Let's　say　I　buy　this　image；〃　Travis　said；　frowning。　〃I　still　don't　see　why　you　should　take　the　next　expedition　in。〃
　Ross　said；　〃What　did　the　other　team　find？〃
　〃The　other　team？〃　Travis　asked　innocently。
　〃You　gave　that　tape　to　another　salvage　team　to　confirm　my　recovery；〃　Ross　said。
　Travis　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃They　haven't　pulled　any…
　thing　out　yet。〃　And　he　added；　〃We　all　know　you're　fast　with　the　database。〃
　Ross　smiled。　〃That's　why　you　need　me　to　take　the　expedition　in；〃　she　said。　〃I　know　the　database；　because　I　generated　the　database。　And　if　you　intend　to　send　another　team　in　right　away；　before　this　gorilla　thing　is　solved；　the　only　hope　you　have　is　for　the　team　leader　to　be　fast　onsite　with　the　data。　This　time；　you　need　a　console　hotdogger　in　the　field。　Or　the　next　expedition　will　end　up　like　the　last　one。　Because　you　still　don't　know　what　happened　to　the　last　expedition。〃
　Travis　sat　behind　his　desk；　and　stared　at　her　for　a　long　time。　She　recognized　his　hesitation　as　a　sign　that　he　was　weakening。
　〃And　I