jurassic.park-第77节

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't　get…name。〃
　　　　Tim　looked　frantically　at　the　others。　Gennaro　reached　for　the　phone。　〃Let　me　do　this。　Can　you　get　his　name？〃
　　　　There　was　the　sharp　crackle　of　static。　〃…got　to　be　a　joke　or　else…a　frigging　ham　operator…omething。〃
　　　　Tim　was　working　on　the　keyboard；　there　was　probably　some　kind　of　a　way　to　find　out　who　Freddy　was。　。　。　。
　　　　〃Can　you　hear　me？〃　Gennaro　said；　into　the　phone。　〃If　you　can　hear　me；　answer　me　now；　over。〃
　　　　〃Son；〃　came　the　drawled　reply；　〃we　don't　know　who　the　hell　you　are；　but　you're　not　funny；　and　we're　about　to　dock　and　we've　got　work　to　do。　Now；　identify　yourself　properly　or　get　off　this　channel。〃
　　　　Tim　watched　as　the　screen　printed　out　FARRELL；　FREDERICK　D；　（CAPT。）。
　　　　〃Try　this　for　identification；　Captain　Farrell；〃　Gennaro　said。　〃If　you　don't　turn　that　boat　around　and　return　to　this　island　immediately；　you　will　be　found　in　violation　of　Section　509　of　the　Uniform　Maritime　Act；　you　will　he　subject　to　revocation　of　license；　penalties　in　excess　of　fifty　thousand　dollars；　and　five　years　in　jail。　Do　you　hear　that？〃
　　　　There　was　a　silence。
　　　　〃Do　you　copy　that；　Captain　Farrell？〃
　　　　And　then；　distantly；　they　heard　a　voice　say；　〃I　copy；〃　and　another　voice　said；　〃All　ahead　stern。〃　The　boat　began　to　turn　away　from　the　dock。
　　　　Lex　began　to　cheer。　Tim　collapsed　back　in　the　chair；　wiping　the　sweat　from　his　forehead。
　　　　Grant　said；　〃What's　the　Uniform　Maritime　Act？〃
　　　　〃Who　the　hell　knows？〃　Gennaro　said。
　　　　They　all　watched　the　screen　in　satisfaction。　The　boat　was　definitely　heading　away　from　the　shore。
　　　　〃I　guess　the　hard　part's　finished；〃　Gennaro　said。　Grant　shook　his　head。　〃The　hard　part；〃　he　said；　is　just　beginning。〃

SEVENTH　ITERATION

〃Increasingly；　the　mathematics　will　demand　the　courage　to
face　its　implications。〃
IAN　MALCOLM

Destroying　the　World

They　moved　Malcolm　to　another　room　in　the　lodge；　to　a　clean　bed。　Hammond　seemed　to　revive；　and　began　bustling　around；　straightening　up；　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃at　least　disaster　is　averted。〃
　　　　〃What　disaster　is　that？〃　Malcolm　said；　sighing。
　　　　〃Well；〃　Hammond　said；　〃they　didn't　get　free　and　overrun　the　world。〃
　　　　Malcolm　sat　up　on　one　elbow。　〃You　were　worried　about　that？〃
　　　　〃Surely　that's　what　was　at　stake；〃　Hammond　said。　〃These　animals；　lacking　predators；　might　get　out　and　destroy　the　planet。〃
　　　　〃You　egomaniacal　idiot〃　Malcolm　said；　in　fury。　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　what　you　are　talking　about？　You　think　you　can　destroy　the　planet？　My；　what　intoxicating　power　you　must　have。〃　Malcolm　sank　back　on　the　bed。　〃You　can't　destroy　this　planet。　You　can't　even　e　close。〃
　　　　〃Most　people　believe；〃　Hammond　said　stiffly；　〃that　the　planet　is　in　jeopardy。〃
　　　　〃Well；　it's　not；〃　Malcolm　said。
　　　　〃All　the　experts　agree　that　our　planet　is　in　trouble。〃
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃Let　me　tell　you　about　our　planet；〃　he　said。　〃Our　planet　is　four　and　a　half　billion　years　old。　There　has　been　life　on　this　planet　for　nearly　that　long。　Three　point　eight　billion　years。　The　first　bacteria。　And；　later；　the　first　multicellular　animals；　then　the　first　plex　creatures；　in　the　sea；　on　the　land。　Then　the　great　sweeping　ages　of　animals…the　amphibians；　the　dinosaurs；　the　mammals；　each　lasting　millions　upon　millions　of　years。　Great　dynasties　of　creatures　arising；　flourishing；　dying　away；　All　this　happening　against　a　background　of　continuous　and　violent　upheaval；　mountain　ranges　thrust　up　and　eroded　away；　etary　impacts；　volcanic　eruptions；　oceans　rising　and　falling；　whole　continents　moving　。　。　。　Endless　constant　and　violent　change　。　。　。　Even　today；　the　greatest　geographical　feature　on　the　planet　es　from　two　great　continents　colliding；　buckling　to　make　the　Himalayan　mountain　range　over　millions　of　years。　The　planet　has　survived　everything；　in　its　time。　It　will　certainly　survive　us。〃
　　　　Hammond　frowned。　〃Just　because　it　lasted　a　long　time；〃　he　said；　〃doesn't　mean　it　is　permanent。　If　there　was　a　radiation　accident　。　。　。〃
　　　　〃Suppose　there　was；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃Let's　say　we　had　a　bad　one；　and　all　the　plants　and　animals　died；　and　the　earth　was　clicking　hot　for　a　hunred　thousand　years。　Life　would　survive　somewhere…under　the　soil；　or　perhaps　frozen　in　Arctic　ice。　And　after　all　those　years；　when　the　planet　was　no　longer　inhospitable；　life　would　again　spread　over　the　planet。　The　evolutionary　process　would　begin　again。　It　might　take　a　few　billion　years　for　life　to　regain　its　present　variety。　And　of　course　it　would　be　very　different　from　what　it　is　now。　But　the　earth　would　survive　our　folly。　Life　would　survive　our　folly。　Only　we；〃　Malcolm　said；　〃think　it　wouldn't。〃
　　　　Hammond　said；　〃Well；　if　the　ozone　layer　gets　thinner…〃
　　　　〃There　will　be　more　ultraviolet　radiation　reaching　the　surface。　So　what？〃
　　　　〃Well。　It'll　cause　skin　cancer。〃
　　　　Malcolm　shook　his　head。　〃Ultraviolet　radiation　is　good　for　life。　It's　powerful　energy。　It　promotes　mutation；　change。　Many　forms　of　life　will　thrive　with　more　UV　radiation。〃
　　　　〃And　many　others　will　die　out；〃　Hammond　said。
　　　　Malcolm　sighed。　〃You　think　this　is　the　first　time　such　a　thing　has　happened？　Don't　you　know　about　oxygen？〃
　　　　〃I　know　it's　necessary　for　life。〃
　　　　〃It　is　now；　〃　Malcolm　said。　〃But　oxygen　is　actually　a　metabolic　poison。　It's　a　corrosive　gas；　like　fluorine；　which　is　used　to　etch　glass。　And　when　oxygen　was　first　produced　as　a　waste　product　by　certain　plant　cells…say；　around　three　billion　years　ago…it　created　a　crisis　for　all　other　life　on　our　planet。　Those　plant　cells　were　polluting　the　environment　with　a　deadly　poison。　They　were　exhaling　a　lethal　gas；　and　building　up　its　concentration。　A　planet　like　Venus　has　less　than　one　percent　oxygen。　On　earth；　the　concentration　of　oxygen　was　going　up　rapidly…five；　ten；　eventually　twentyone　percent！　Earth　had　an　atmosphere　of　pure　poison！　Inpatible　with　life！　〃
　　　　Hammond　looked　irritated。　〃So　what　is　your　point？　That　modern　pollutants　will　be　incorporated；　too？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃My　point　is　that　life　on　earth　can　take　care　of　itself。　In　the　thinking　of　a　human　being；　a　hundred　years　is　a　long　time。　A　hundred　years　ago；　we　didn't　have　cars　and　airplanes　and　puters　and　vaccines。　。　。　。　It　was　a　whole　different　world。　But　to　the　earth；　a　hundred　years　is　nothing。　A　million　years　is　nothing。　This　planet　lives　and　breathes　on　a　much　vaster　scale。　We　can't　imagine　its　slow　and　powerful　rhythms；　and　we　haven't　got　the　humility　to　try。　We　have　been　residents　here　for　the　blink　of　an　eye。　If　we　are　gone　tomorrow；　the　earth　will　not　miss　us。〃
　　　　And　we　very　well　might　be　gone；〃　Hammond　said；　huffing。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Malcolm　said。　〃We　might。〃
　　　　〃So　what　are　you　saying？　We　shouldn't　care　about　the　environment？〃
　　　　〃No；　of　course　not。〃
　　　　〃Then　what？〃
　　　　Malcolm　coughed；　and　stared　into　the　distance。　〃Let's　be　clear。　The　planet　is　not　in　jeopardy。　We　are　in　jeopardy。　We　haven't　got　the　power　to　destroy　the　planet…or　to　save　it。　But　we　might　have　the　power　to　save　ourselves。〃

Under　Control

Four　hours　had　passed。　It　was　afternoon；　the　sun　was　falling。　The　air　conditioning　was　back　on　in　the　control　room；　and　the　puter　was　functioning　properly。　As　near　as　they　could　determine；　out　of　twenty…four　people　on　the　island；　eight　were　dead　and　six　more　were　missing。　The　visitor　center　and　the　Safari　Lodge　were　both　secure；　and　the　northern　perimeter　seemed　to　be　clear　of　dinosaurs。　They　had　called　authorities　in　San　José　for　help。　The　Costa　Rican　National　Guard　was　on　its　way；　as　well　as　an　air　ambulance　to　carry　Malcolm　to　a　hospital。　But　over　the　telephone；　the　Costa　Rican　guard　had　been　distinctly　cautious…　undoubtedly　calls　would　go　back　and　forth　between　San　José　and　Washington　before　help　was　finally　sent　to　the　island。　And　now　it　was　growing　late　in　the　day…　if　the　helicopters　did　not　arrive　soon；　they　would　have　to　wait　until　morning。
　　　　In　the　meantime；　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　wait。　The　ship　was　returning；　the　crew　had　discovered　three　young　raptors　scampering　about　in　one　of　the　aft　holds；　and　had　killed　the　animals。　On　Isla　Nublar；　the　immediate　danger　appeared　to　have　passed；　everyone　was　in　either　the　visitor　center　or　the　lodge。　Tim　had　gotten　quite　good　with　the　puter；　and　he　flashed　up　a　new　screen。

　　　　
Total　Animals 292____________________________________　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　 Species Expected Found Ver

Tyrannosaurs 2 1 4。1
　Maiasaurs 22 20 ？？
　Stegosaurs 4 1 3。9
　Triceratops 8 6 3。1
　Propsognathids 65 64 ？？
　Othnielia 23 15 3。1
　Velociraptors 37 27 ？？
　Apatosaurs 17 12 3。1
　Hadrosaurs 11 5 3。1
　Dilophosaurs 7 4 4。3
　Pterosaurs 6 5 4。3
　Hypsilophodontids 34 14 ？？
　Euoplocepbalids 16 9 4。0
　Styracosaurs 18 7 3。9
　Callovosaurs 22 13 4。1
　　　　 Total 292 203


　　　〃What　the　hell　is　it　doing　now？〃　Gennaro　said。　〃Now　it　says　there　are　fewer　animals？〃
　　　　Grant　nodded。　〃Probably。〃
　　　　Ellie　said；　〃Jurassic　Park　is　finally　ing　under　control。〃
　　　　〃Meaning　what？〃
　　　　〃Equilibrium。〃　Grant　pointed　to　the　monitors。　On　one　of　them；　the　hypsilophodonts　leapt　into　the　air　as　a　pack　of　velociraptors　entered　the　field　from　the　west。