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！
as entirely convincing。
〃But actually； Hammond's tour skipped several steps in the process In one room； he showed you dinosaur DNA being extracted。 In the next room； he showed you eggs about to hatch。 It was very dramatic； but how had he gotten from DNA to a viable embryo？ You never saw that critical step。 It was just presented as having happened； between rooms。
〃The fact was； Hammond's whole show was too good to be true。 For example； he had a hatchery where the little dinosaurs pecked their way out of the eggs； while you watched in amazement。 But there were never any problems in the hatchery。 No stillbirths； no deformities； no difficulties of any sort。 In Hammond's presentation； this dazzling technology was carried off without a hitch。
〃And if you think about it； it couldn't possibly be true。 Hammond was claiming to manufacture extinct animals using cutting…edge technology。 But with any new manufacturing technology； initial yields are low： on the order of one percent or less。 So in fact； Hammond must have been growing thousands of dinosaur embryos to get a single live birth。 That implied a giant industrial operation； not the spotless little laboratory we were shown。〃
〃You mean this place；〃 Thorne said。
〃Yes。 Here； on another island； in secret； away from public scrutiny； Hammond was free to do his research； and deal with the unpleasant truth behind his beautiful little park。 Hammond's little genetic zoo was a showcase。 But this island was the real thing。 This is where the dinosaurs were made。〃
〃If the animals at the zoo were destroyed；〃 Eddie said； 〃how e they weren't destroyed on this island； too？〃
〃A critical question；〃 Malcolm said。 〃We should know the answer in a few minutes。〃 He shone his light down the tunnel； it glinted off glass walls。 〃Because； if I am not mistaken；〃 he said； 〃the first of the manufacturing bays is just ahead。〃
Arby
Arby awoke； sitting upright in bed； blinking his eyes in the Morning light that streamed in through the trailer windows。 In the next bunk； Kelly was still asleep； snoring loudly。
He looked out the window at the entrance to the big building； and s aw that the adults were gone。 The Explorer was standing by the entrance； but there was no one inside the car。 Their trailer sat isolated 'n the clearing of tall grass。 Arby felt entirely alone … frighteningly alone and a sudden sense of panic made his heart pound。 He never should have e here； he thought。 The whole idea was stupid。 And Worst Of all； it had been his plan。 The way they had huddled together in the trailer； and then had gone back to Thorne's office。 And Kelly had talked to Thorne； so that Arby could steal the key。 The way he had set up a delayed radio message to be transmitted to Thorne so that Thorne would think they were still in Woodside。 Arby had felt very clever at the time； but now he regretted it all。 He decided that he had to call Thorne immediately。 He had to turn himself in。 He was filled with an overwhelming desire to confess。
He needed to hear somebody's voice。 That was the truth。
He walked from the back of the trailer； where Kelly was sleeping； to the front； and turned on the ignition key in the dashboard。 He picked up the radio handset and said； 〃This is Arby。 Is anybody there？ Over。 This is Arby。〃
But nobody answered。 After a moment； he looked at the dashboard systems monitor； which registered all the systems that were operative。 He didn't see anything about munications。 It occurred to him that the munications system was probably hooked into the puter。 He decided to turn the puter on。
So he went back to the middle of the trailer； unstrapped the keyboard； plugged it in； and turned the puter on。 There was a menu screen that said 〃Thorne Field Systems〃 and underneath that a listing of subsystems inside the trailer。 One of them was radio munications。 So he clicked on that； and turned it on。
The puter screen showed a scrambled hash of static。 At the bottom was a mand line that read： 〃Multiple Frequency Inputs Received。 Do you want to Autotune？〃
Arby didn't know what that meant； but he was fearless around puters。 Autotune sounded interesting。 Without hesitation； he typed 〃Yes。〃
The static scramble remained on the screen； while numbers rolled at the bottom。 He guessed he was seeing frequencies in megahertz。 But he didn't really know。
And then； suddenly； the screen went blank； except for a single flashing word in the upper…left corner：
LOGIN：
He paused； frowning。 That was odd。 Apparently he was required to log into the trailer's puter system。 That meant he would need a password。 He tried： THORNE。
Nothing happened。
He waited a moment； then tried Thorne's initials： JT。
Nothing。
LEVINE。
Nothing。
THORNE FIELD SYSTEMS。
Nothing。
TFS。
Nothing。
FIELD。
Nothing。
USER。
Nothing。
Well； he thought； at least the system hadn't dumped him out。 Most networks logged you off after three wrong tries。 But apparently Thorne hadn't designed any security features into this one。 Arby would never have made it this way。 The system was too patient and helpful。
He tried： HELP。
The cursor moved to another line。 There was a pause。 The drives whirred。
〃Action；〃 he said； rubbing his hands。
Laboratory
As Thorne's eyes adjusted to the low light； he saw they were standing inside an enormous space； consisting of row after row of rectangular stainless…steel boxes； each fitted with a tangled maze of plastic tubing。 Everything was dusty； many of the boxes were knocked over。
〃The first rows；〃 Malcolm said； 〃are Nishihara gene sequencers。 And beyond are the automatic DNA synthesizers。〃
〃It's a factory；〃 Eddie said。 〃It's like agribusiness or something。〃
〃Yes； it is。〃
At the corner of the room was a printer； with some loose sheets of yellowing paper lying beside it。 Malcolm picked up one； and glanced at it。
＇GALRERYF1＇ Gailimimus erythroid…specific transcription factor eryf1
mRNA； plete cds。 ＇GALRERYF1 1068 bp ss…mRNA VRT 15…DEC…1989＇
SOURCE ＇SRC＇
Gallimimus bullatus （Male） 9 day embryonic blood； cDNA to mRNA；
clone E120…1。
ORGANISM Gallimimus bullatus
Animalia； Chordata； Vertebrata； Archosauria； Dinosauria；
Ornithomimisauria。
REFERENCE ＇REF＇
1 （bases 1 to 1418） T。R。Evans； 17…JUL…1989。
FEATURES ＇FEA＇
Location/Qualifiers
/note='Eryf1 protein gi： 212629〃
/codon_start=l
/translation=〃MEFVALGGPDAGSPTPFPDEAGAFLGLGGGPRTEAGGLLASYPP SGRVSLVPWADTOTLGTPQWVPPATQMEPPHYLELLQPPRGSPPHPSSGPLLPLSSGP PPCEARECVNCGATATPLWRRDGTGHYLCNACGLYHRLNGQNRPLIRPKKRLLVSKRA GTVCSNCQTSTTTLWRRSPMGDPVCNACGLYYKLHQVNRPLTMRKDGIQTRNRKVSSK GKKRRPPGGONPSATAGGGAPMGGGGDPSMPPPPPPPAAAPPQSDALYALGPVVLSGH FLPFGNSGGFFGGGAGGYTAPPGLSPQI〃
BASE COUNT ＇BAS＇
206 a 371 c 342 g 149 t
〃It's a reference to a puter database；〃 Malcolm said。 〃For some dinosaur blood factor。 Something to do with red cells。〃
〃And is that the sequence？〃
〃No；〃 Malcolm said。 He started shuffling through the papers。 〃No； the sequence should be a series of nucleotides。。。。Here。〃
He picke