mc.prey-第21部分

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　〃Actually；　there　is。　Your　wife　is　refusing　treatment。〃
　〃She　is？〃
　〃Last　night；　she　allowed　us　to　take　X…rays　and　to　set　the　fractures　in　her　wrist。　We've　explained　to　her　that　X…rays　are　limited　in　what　we　can　see；　and　that　it　is　quite　important　for　her　to　have　an　MRI；　but　she　is　refusing　that。〃
　I　said；　〃Why？〃
　〃She　says　she　doesn't　need　it。〃
　〃Of　course　she　needs　it；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；　she　does；　Mr。　Forman；〃　Rana　said。　〃I　don't　want　to　alarm　you　but　the　concern　with　pelvic　fracture　is　massive　hemorrhaging　into　the　abdomen　and；　well；　bleeding　to　death。　It　can　happen　very　quickly；　and…〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　〃We'd　like　you　to　talk　to　her。〃
　〃Of　course。　Put　her　on。〃
　〃Unfortunately；　she's　gone　for　some　additional　X…rays　just　now。　Is　there　a　number　where　you　can　be　reached？　Your　cell　phone？　All　right。　One　other　thing；　Mr。　Forman；　we　weren't　able　to　take　a　psychiatric　history　from　your　wife　。。。〃
　〃Why　is　that？〃
　〃She　refuses　to　talk　about　it。　I'm　referring　to　drugs；　any　history　of　behavioral　disorders；　that　kind　of　thing。　Can　you　shed　any　light　in　that　area？〃
　〃I'll　try　。。。〃
　〃I　don't　want　to　alarm　you；　but　your　wife　has　been；　well；　a　bit　on　the　irrational　side。　At　times；　almost　delusional。〃
　〃She's　been　under　a　lot　of　stress　lately；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；　I　am　sure　that　contributes；〃　Dr。　Rana　said　smoothly。　〃And　she　has　suffered　a　severe　head　injury；　which　we　need　to　investigate　further。　I　don't　want　to　alarm　you；　but　frankly　it　was　the　opinion　of　the　psychiatric　consult　that　your　wife　was　suffering　from　a　bipolar　disorder；　or　a　drug　disorder；　or　both。〃
　〃I　see　。。。〃
　〃And　of　course　such　questions　naturally　arise　in　the　context　of　a　single…car　automobile　accident　。。。〃
　He　meant　that　the　accident　might　be　a　suicide　attempt。　I　didn't　think　that　was　likely。　〃I　have　no　knowledge　of　my　wife　taking　drugs；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　have　been　concerned　about　her　behavior　for；　oh；　a　few　weeks　now。〃
　Ricky　came　over；　and　stood　by　me　impatiently。　I　put　my　hand　over　the　phone。　〃It's　about　Julia。〃　He　nodded；　and　glanced　at　his　watch。　Raised　his　eyebrows。　I　thought　it　was　pretty　odd；　that　he　would　push　me　when　I　was　talking　to　the　hospital　about　my　wife…and　his　immediate　superior。　The　doctor　rambled　on　for　a　while；　and　I　did　my　best　to　answer　his　questions；　but　the　fact　was　I　didn't　have　any　information　that　could　help　him。　He　said　he　would　have　Julia　call　when　she　got　back；　and　I　said　I　would　wait　for　the　call。　I　flipped　the　phone　closed。　Ricky　said；　〃Okay；　fine。　Sorry　to　rush　you；　Jack；　but　。。。　you　know；　I've　got　a　lot　to　show　you。〃
　〃Is　there　a　time　problem？〃　I　said。
　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe。〃
　I　started　to　ask　what　he　meant　by　that；　but　he　was　already　leading　me　forward；　walking　quickly。　We　left　the　residential　area；　passing　through　another　glass　door；　and　down　another　passageway。　This　passage；　I　noticed；　was　tightly　sealed。　We　walked　along　a　glass　walkway　suspended　above　the　floor。　The　glass　had　little　perforations；　and　beneath　was　a　series　of　vacuum　ducts　for　suction。　By　now　I　was　growing　accustomed　to　the　constant　hiss　of　the　air　handlers。　Midway　down　the　corridor　was　another　pair　of　glass　doors。　We　had　to　go　through　them　one　at　a　time。　They　parted　as　we　went　through；　and　closed　behind　us。　Continuing　on；　I　again　had　the　distinct　feeling　of　being　in　a　prison；　of　going　through　a　succession　of　barred　gates；　going　deeper　and　deeper　into　something。
　It　might　be　all　high…tech　and　shiny　glass　walls…but　it　was　still　a　prison。
　　
　DAY　6　
　8：12　A。M。
　We　came　into　a　large　room　marked　UTILITY　and　beneath　it；　MOLSTOCK/FABSTOCK/FEEDSTOCK。　The　walls　and　ceiling　were　covered　with　the　familiar　smooth　plastic　laminate。　Large　laminated　containers　were　stacked　on　the　floor。　Off　to　the　right　I　saw　a　row　of　big　stainless…steel　kettles；　sunk　below　ground　with　lots　of　piping　and　valves　surrounding　them；　and　ing　up　to　the　first…floor　level。　It　looked　exactly　like　a　microbrewery；　and　I　was　about　to　ask　Ricky　about　it　when　he　said；　〃So　there　you　are！〃　Working　at　a　junction　box　beneath　a　monitor　screen　were　three　more　members　of　my　old　team。　They　looked　slightly　guilty　as　we　came　up；　like　kids　caught　with　their　hands　in　the　cookie　jar。　Of　course　Bobby　Lembeck　was　their　leader。　At　thirty…five；　Bobby　now　supervised　more　code　than　he　wrote；　but　he　could　still　write　when　he　wanted　to。　As　always；　he　was　wearing　faded　jeans　and　a　Ghost　in　the　Shell　T…shirt；　his　ubiquitous　Walkman　clamped　to　his　waist。　Then　there　was　Mae　Chang；　beautiful　and　delicate；　about　as　different　from　Rosie　Castro　as　any　woman　could　be。　Mae　had　worked　as　a　field　biologist　in　Sichuan　studying　the　golden　snub…nosed　monkey　before　turning　to　programming　in　her　mid…twenties。　Her　time　in　the　field；　as　well　as　her　natural　inclination；　led　her　to　be　almost　silent。　Mae　said　very　little；　moved　almost　soundlessly；　and　never　raised　her　voice…but　she　never　lost　an　argument；　either。　Like　many　field　biologists；　she　had　developed　the　uncanny　ability　to　slip　into　the　background；　to　bee　unnoticed；　almost　to　vanish。
　And　finally　Charley　Davenport；　grumpy；　rumpled；　and　already　overweight　at　thirty。　Slow　and　lumbering；　he　looked　as　if　he　had　slept　in　his　clothes；　and　in　fact　he　often　did；　after　a　marathon　programming　session。　Charley　had　worked　under　John　Holland　in　Chicago　and　Doyne　Farmer　at　Los　Alamos。　He　was　an　expert　in　genetic　algorithms；　the　kind　of　programming　that　mimicked　natural　selection　to　hone　answers。　But　he　was　an　irritating　personality…he　hummed；　he　snorted；　talked　to　himself；　and　farted　with　noisy　abandon。　The　group　only　tolerated　him　because　he　was　so　talented。
　〃Does　it　really　take　three　people　to　do　this？〃　Ricky　said；　after　I'd　shaken　hands　all　around。
　〃Yes；〃　Bobby　said；　〃it　does　take　three　people；　El　Rooto；　because　it's　plicated。〃
　〃Why？　And　don't　call　me　El　Rooto。〃
　〃I　obey；　Mr。　Root。〃
　〃Just　get　on　with　it　。。。〃
　〃Well；〃　Bobby　said；　〃I　started　to　check　the　sensors　after　this　morning's　episode；　and　it　looks　to　me　like　they're　miscalibrated。　But　since　nobody　is　going　outside；　the　question　is　whether　we're　reading　them　wrong；　or　whether　the　sensors　themselves　are　faulty；　or　just　scaled　wrong　on　the　equipment　in　here。　Mae　knows　these　sensors；　she's　used　them　in　China。　I'm　making　code　revisions　now。　And　Charley　is　here　because　he　won't　go　away　and　leave　us　alone。〃
　〃Shit；　I　have　better　things　to　do；〃　Charley　said。　〃But　I　wrote　the　algorithm　that　controls　the　sensors；　and　we　need　to　optimize　the　sensor　code　after　they're　done。　I'm　just　waiting　until　they　stop　screwing　around。　Then　I'll　optimize。〃　He　looked　pointedly　at　Bobby。　〃None　of　these　guys　can　optimize　worth　a　damn。〃
　Mae　said；　〃Bobby　can。〃
　〃Yeah；　if　you　give　him　six　months；　maybe。〃
　〃Children；　children；〃　Ricky　said。　〃Let's　not　make　a　scene　in　front　of　our　guest。〃　I　smiled　blandly。　The　truth　was；　I　hadn't　been　paying　attention　to　what　they　were　saying。　I　was　just　watching　them。　These　were　three　of　my　best　programmers…and　when　they　had　worked　for　me；　they　had　been　self…assured　to　the　point　of　arrogance。　But　now　I　was　struck　by　how　nervous　the　group　was。　They　were　all　on　edge；　bickering；　jumpy。　And　thinking　back；　I　realized　that　Rosie　and　David　had　been　on　edge；　too。
　Charley　started　humming　in　that　irritating　way　of　his。
　〃Oh；　Christ；〃　Bobby　Lembeck　said。　〃Would　you　tell　him　to　shut　up？〃
　Ricky　said；　〃Charley；　you　know　we've　talked　about　the　humming。〃
　Charley　continued　to　hum。
　〃Charley　。。。〃
　Charley　gave　a　long；　theatrical　sigh。　He　stopped　humming。
　〃Thank　you；〃　Bobby　said。
　Charley　rolled　his　eyes；　and　looked　at　the　ceiling。
　〃All　right；〃　Ricky　said。　〃Finish　up　quickly；　and　get　back　to　your　stations。〃
　〃Okay；　fine。〃
　〃I　want　everybody　in　place　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Bobby　said。
　〃I'm　serious。　In　your　places。〃
　〃For　Christ's　sake；　Ricky；　okay；　okay。　Now　will　you　stop　talking　and　let　us　work？〃　Leaving　the　group　behind；　Ricky　took　me　across　the　floor　to　a　small　room。　I　said；　〃Ricky；　these　kids　aren't　the　way　they　were　when　they　worked　for　me。〃
　〃I　know。　Everybody's　a　little　uptight　right　now。〃
　〃And　why　is　that？〃
　〃Because　of　what's　going　on　here。〃
　〃And　what　is　going　on　here？〃
　He　stopped　before　a　small　cubicle　on　the　other　side　of　the　room。　〃Julia　couldn't　tell　you；　because　it　was　classified。〃　He　touched　the　door　with　a　keycard。　I　said；　〃Classified？　Medical　imaging　is　classified？〃
　The　door　latch　clicked　open；　and　we　went　inside。　The　door　closed　behind　us。　I　saw　a　table；　two　chairs；　a　puter　monitor　and　a　keyboard。　Ricky　sat　down；　and　immediately　started　typing。　〃The　medical　imaging　project　was　just　an　afterthought；〃　he　said；　〃a　minor　mercial　application　of　the　technology　we　are　already　developing。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　Which　is？〃
　〃Military。〃
　〃Xymos　is　doing　military　work？〃
　〃Yes。　Under　contract。〃　He　paused。　〃Two　years　ago；　the　Department　of　Defense　realized　from　their　experience　in　Bosnia　that　there　was　enormous　value　to　robot　aircraft　that　could　fly　overhead　and　transmit　battlefield　images　in　real　time。　The　Pentagon　knew　that　there　would　be　more　and　more　sophisticated　uses　for　these　flying　cameras　in　future　wars。　You　could　use　them　to　spot　the　locations　of　enemy　troops；　even　when　they　were　hidden　in　jungle　or　in　buildings；　you　could　use　them　to　control　laser…guided　rocket　fire；　or　to　identify　the　location　of　friendly　troops；　and　so　on。　manders　on　the　ground　could　call　up　the　images　they　wanted；　in　the　spectra　they　wanted…visible；　infrared；　UV；　whatever。　Real…time　imaging　was　going　to　be　a　very　powerful　tool　in　future　warfare。〃
　〃Okay　。。。〃
　〃But　obviously；〃　Ricky　said；　〃these　robot　cameras　were　vulnerable。　You　could　shoot　them　down　like　pigeons。　The　Pentagon　wanted　a　camera　that　couldn't　be　shot　down。　They　imagined　something　very　small；　maybe　the　size　of　a　dragonfly…a　target　too　small　to　hit。　But　there　were　problems　with　power　supply；　with　small　control　surfaces；　and　with　resolution　using　such　a　small　lens。　They　needed　a　bigger　lens。〃
　I　nodded。　〃And　so　you　thought　of　a　swarm　of　nanoponents。〃
　〃That's　right。〃　Ricky　pointed　to　the　screen；　where　a　cluster　of　black　spots　wheeled　and　turned　in　the　air；　like　birds。　〃A　cloud　of　ponents　would　allow　you　to　make　a　camera　with　as　large　a　lens　as　you　wanted。　And　it　couldn't　be　shot　down　because　a　bu