mc.prey-第42章

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　I　sighed。　〃Yes；　Eric。〃
　〃When　are　you　ing　back？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure；　son。〃
　〃Will　you　be　here　for　dinner？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　not。　Why？　What's　the　problem？〃
　〃She　is　such　an　asshole。〃
　〃Eric；　just　tell　me　what　the　problem…〃
　〃Aunt　Ellen　sticks　up　for　her　all　the　time。　It's　not　fair。〃
　〃I'm　kind　of　busy　now；　Eric；　so　just　tell　me…〃
　〃Why？　What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃Just　tell　me　what's　wrong；　son。〃
　〃Never　mind；〃　he　said；　turning　sulky；　〃if　you're　not　ing　home；　it　doesn't　matter。　Where　are　you；　anyway？　Are　you　in　the　desert？〃
　〃Yes。　How　did　you　know　that？〃
　〃I　talked　to　Mom。　Aunt　Ellen　made　us　go　to　the　hospital　to　see　her。　It's　not　fair。　I　didn't　want　to　go。　She　made　me　anyway。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　How　is　Mom？〃
　〃She's　checking　out　of　the　hospital。〃
　〃She's　finished　all　her　tests？〃
　〃The　doctors　wanted　her　to　stay；〃　Eric　said。　〃But　she　wants　to　get　out。　She　has　a　cast　on　her　arm；　that's　all。　She　says　everything　else　is　fine。　Dad？　Why　do　I　always　have　to　do　what　Aunt　Ellen　says？　It's　not　fair。〃
　〃Let　me　talk　to　Ellen。〃
　〃She　isn't　here。　She　took　Nicole　to　buy　a　new　dress　for　her　play。〃
　〃Who's　with　you　at　the　house？〃
　〃Maria。〃
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃Have　you　done　your　homework？〃
　〃Not　yet。〃
　〃Well；　get　busy；　son。　I　want　your　homework　done　before　dinner。〃　It　was　amazing　how　these　lines　just　popped　out　of　a　parent's　mouth。
　By　now　I　had　reached　the　storage　room　door。　I　stared　at　all　the　warning　signs。　There　were　several　I　didn't　know；　like　a　diamond　made　up　of　four　different　colored　squares　inside；　each　with　a　number。　Mae　unlocked　the　door　and　went　in。
　〃Dad？〃　Eric　started　to　cry。　〃When　are　you　ing　home？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　〃I　hope　by　tomorrow。〃
　〃Okay。　Promise？〃
　〃I　promise。〃
　I　could　hear　him　sniffling；　and　then　through　the　phone　a　long　snarff　sound　as　he　wiped　his　nose　on　his　shirt。　I　told　him　he　could　call　me　later　if　he　wanted　to。　He　seemed　better；　and　said　okay；　and　then　said　good…bye。
　I　hung　up；　and　entered　the　storage　building。
　The　interior　was　divided　into　two　large　storage　rooms；　with　shelves　on　all　four　walls；　and　freestanding　shelves　in　the　middle　of　the　rooms。　Concrete　walls；　concrete　floor。　There　was　another　door　in　the　second　room；　and　a　corrugated　rollup　door　for　truck　deliveries。　Hot　sunlight　came　in　through　wood…frame　windows。　The　air…conditioning　rumbled　noisily　but；　as　Mae　had　said；　the　rooms　were　still　hot。　I　closed　the　door　behind　me；　and　looked　at　the　seal。　It　was　just　ordinary　weather　stripping。　The　shed　was　definitely　not　airtight。　I　walked　along　the　shelves；　stacked　with　bins　of　spare　parts　for　the　fabrication　machinery；　and　the　labs。　The　second　room　had　more　mundane　items：　cleaning　supplies；　toilet　paper；　bars　of　soap；　boxes　of　cereal；　and　a　couple　of　refrigerators　filled　with　food。　I　turned　to　Mae。　〃Where　are　the　isotopes？〃
　〃Over　here。〃　She　led　me　around　a　set　of　shelves；　to　a　steel　lid　set　in　the　concrete　floor。　The　lid　was　about　three　feet　in　diameter。　It　looked　like　a　buried　garbage　can；　except　for　the　glowing　LED　and　keypad　in　the　center。　Mae　dropped　to　one　knee；　and　punched　in　a　code　quickly。　The　lid　lifted　with　a　hiss。
　I　saw　a　ladder　that　led　down　into　a　circular　steel　chamber。　The　isotopes　were　stored　in　metal　containers　of　different　sizes。　Apparently　Mae　could　tell　which　they　were　just　by　looking；　because　she　said；　〃We　have　Selenium…172。　Shall　we　use　that？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　Mae　started　to　climb　down　into　the　chamber。
　〃Will　you　fucking　cut　it　out？〃　In　a　corner　of　the　room；　David　Brooks　jumped　back　from　Charley　Davenport。　Charley　was　holding　a　big　spray　bottle　of　Windex　cleaner。　He　was　testing　the　squeeze　trigger　mechanism；　and　in　the　process　spraying　streaks　of　water　on　David。　It　didn't　look　accidental。　〃Give　me　that　damn　thing；〃　David　said；　snatching　the　bottle　away。　〃I　think　it　might　work；〃　Charley　said　blandly。　〃But　we'd　need　a　remote　mechanism。〃　From　the　first　room；　Rosie　said；　〃Would　this　work？〃　She　held　up　a　shiny　cylinder；　with　wires　dangling　from　it。　〃Isn't　this　a　solenoid　relay？〃
　〃Yes；〃　David　said。　〃But　I　doubt　it　can　exert　enough　force　to　squeeze　this　bottle。　Has　it　got　a　rating？　We　need　something　bigger。〃
　〃And　don't　forget；　you　also　need　a　remote　controller；〃　Charley　said。　〃Unless　you　want　to　stand　there　and　spray　the　fucker　yourself。〃
　Mae　came　up　from　below；　carrying　a　heavy　metal　tube。　She　walked　to　the　sink；　and　reached　for　a　bottle　of　straw…colored　liquid。　She　pulled　on　heavy　rubber…coated　gloves；　and　started　to　mix　the　isotope　into　the　liquid。　A　radiation　counter　over　the　sink　was　chattering。　Over　the　headset；　Ricky　said；　〃Aren't　you　guys　forgetting　something？　Even　if　you　have　a　remote；　how　are　you　going　to　get　the　cloud　to　e　to　it？　Because　I　don't　think　the　swarm　will　just　e　over　and　stand　there　while　you　hose　it　down。〃
　〃We'll　find　something　to　attract　them；〃　I　said。
　〃Like　what？〃
　〃They　were　attracted　to　the　rabbit。〃
　〃We　don't　have　any　rabbits。〃
　Charley　said；　〃You　know；　Ricky；　you　are　a　very　negative　person。〃
　〃I'm　just　telling　you　the　facts。〃
　〃Thank　you　for　sharing；〃　Charley　said。
　Like　Mae；　Charley　was　seeing　it；　too：　Ricky　had　dragged　his　feet　every　step　of　the　way。　It　was　as　if　Ricky　wanted　to　keep　the　swarms　alive。　Which　made　no　sense　at　all。　But　that's　how　he　was　behaving。
　I　would　have　said　something　to　Charley　about　Ricky；　but　over　our　headsets　everybody　heard　everything。　The　downside　of　modern　munications：　everybody　can　listen　in。　〃Hey　guys？〃　It　was　Bobby　Lembeck。　〃How's　it　ing？〃
　〃We're　getting　there。　Why？〃
　〃The　wind's　dropping。〃
　〃What　is　it　now？〃　I　said。
　〃Fifteen　knots。　Down　from　eighteen。〃
　〃That's　still　strong；〃　I　said。　〃We're　okay。〃
　〃I　know。　I'm　just　telling　you。〃
　From　the　next　room；　Rosie　said；　〃What's　thermite？〃　In　her　hand　she　held　a　plastic　tray　filled　with　thumb…sized　metal　tubes。
　〃Careful　with　that；〃　David　said。　〃It　must　be　left　over　from　construction。　I　guess　they　did　thermite　welding。〃
　〃But　what　is　it？〃
　〃Thermite　is　aluminum　and　iron　oxide；〃　David　said。　〃It　burns　very　hot…three　thousand　degrees…and　so　bright　you　can't　look　directly　at　it。　And　it'll　melt　steel　for　welding。〃
　〃How　much　of　that　have　we　got？〃　I　said　to　Rosie。　〃Because　we　can　use　it　tonight。〃
　〃There's　four　boxes　back　there。〃　She　plucked　one　tube　from　the　box。　〃So　how　do　you　set　'em　off？〃
　〃Be　careful；　Rosie。　That's　a　magnesium　wrapper。　Any　decent　heat　source　will　ignite　it。〃
　〃Even　matches？〃
　〃If　you　want　to　lose　your　hand。　Better　use　road　flares；　something　with　a　fuse。〃
　〃I'll　see；〃　she　said；　and　she　disappeared　around　the　corner。
　The　radiation　counter　was　still　clicking。　I　turned　to　the　sink。　Mae　had　capped　the　isotope　tube。　She　was　now　pouring　the　straw…colored　liquid　into　a　Windex　bottle。　〃Hey；　guys？〃　It　was　Bobby　Lembeck　again。　〃I'm　picking　up　some　instability。　Wind's　fluctuating　at　twelve　knots。〃
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃We　don't　need　to　hear　every　little　change；　Bobby。〃
　〃I'm　seeing　some　instability；　is　all。〃
　〃I　think　we're　okay　for　the　moment；　Bobby。〃
　Mae　was　going　to　be　another　few　minutes；　in　any　case。　I　went　over　to　a　puter　workstation　and　turned　it　on。　The　screen　glowed；　there　was　a　menu　of　options。　Aloud；　I　said；　〃Ricky；　can　I　put　up　the　swarm　code　on　this　monitor？〃
　〃The　code？〃　Ricky　said。　He　sounded　alarmed。　〃What　do　you　want　the　code　for？〃
　〃I　want　to　see　what　you　guys　have　done。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Ricky；　for　Christ's　sake；　can　I　see　it　or　not？〃
　〃Sure；　of　course　you　can。　All　the　code　revisions　are　in　the　directory　slash　code。　It's　passworded。〃
　I　was　typing。　I　found　the　directory。　But　I　wasn't　being　allowed　to　enter　it。　〃And　the　password　is？〃
　〃It's　l…a…n…g…t…o…n；　all　lowercase。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　I　entered　the　password。　I　was　now　in　the　directory；　looking　at　a　list　of　program　modifications；　each　with　file　size　and　date。　The　document　sizes　were　large；　which　meant　that　these　were　all　programs　for　other　aspects　of　the　swarm　mechanism。　Because　the　code　for　the　particles　themselves　would　be　small…just　a　few　lines；　maybe　eight；　ten　kilobytes；　no　more。　〃Ricky。〃
　〃Yes；　Jack。〃
　〃Where's　the　particle　code？〃
　〃Isn't　it　there？〃
　〃God　damn　it；　Ricky。　Stop　screwing　around。〃
　〃Hey；　Jack；　I'm　not　responsible　for　the　archiving…〃
　〃Ricky；　these　are　workfiles；　not