jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第39章

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　The　dinosaur　went　crazy　and　began　thrashing　its　head。　Its　power　was　stunning。　The　RV　shook　back　and　forth　with　the　wrenching　head；　the　thin　metal　of　the　doorway　screaming　with　each　motion。　Then；　with　a　powerful　jerk；　the　head　withdrew　from　the　doorway。　Suddenly　the　beast　slammed　against　the　side　of　the　RV；　again　and　again。　The　powerful　shocks　reverberated　inside；　making　it　impossible　to　stand。　The　dinosaur　was　systematically　crushing　the　full　length　of　the　RV。　A　particularly　vicious　slam　shattered　the　window　farthest　back；　showering　the　inside　with　glass。　Sarah's　fearful　squeal　could　be　heard　above　the　din。　Then　the　attacks　stopped；　and　only　Sarah's　squeals　continued；　eventually　dying　to　a　whimper。
　When　the　group　managed　to　get　their　own　breath　under　control；　they　heard　the　dinosaur　breathing　outside。　They　sat　paralyzed　with　fear；　afraid　to　move　lest　a　sound　would　bring　another　attack。　Colter；　the　spatula　still　in　his　hand；　started　to　move　to　the　window；　but　Dr。　Piltcher　grabbed　his　back　pocket。
　〃Whatever　you　do；　don't　hit　it　with　that　again！〃
　Colter　smiled　reassurance　and　handed　the　useless　weapon　to　Dr。　Piltcher。　Then　the　dinosaur　screamed。　Colter　dove　to　the　floor　just　before　another　slam　shattered　the　window。
　The　dinosaur　continued　crushing　the　side　of　the　RV；　deafening　the　cowering　occupants。　Then　it　stopped　again。　They　waited　fearfully；　afraid　to　move。　The　dinosaur　slammed　the　vehicle　twice；　then　took　up　a　station　outside　the　RV；　its　wet；　ragged　breathing　sounding　menacing。　Soont　it　was　clear；　the　animal　wasn't　going　to　leave　until　it　had　what　it　came　for。
　
　34。　　TIME　WAVES
　
　I　can　foretell　what　is　ing　because　I　know　what　has　been。
　…Zorastrus；　Prophet　of　Babylon
　
　Washington；　D。C。
　POSTQUILT：　MONDAY；　3：58　P。M。　EST
　
　　Frustrated；　Phil　stared　at　the　piles　in　front　of　him。　Kenny's　disks　were　divided　into　three　categories：　〃software；〃　〃use…less；〃　and　〃what　the　hell　is　this？〃　The　software　category　contained　mercial　programs　for　word　processing；　drawing；　or　spreadsheets。　The　〃useless〃　pile　included　data　storage　files　that　contained　Kenny's　term　papers；　book　reviews；　class　outlines；　and　letters　home。　Bill　snagged　the　disks　with　the　letters　on　them。　The　〃what　the　hell　is　this？〃　category　were　the　programs　Phil　was　concentrating　on。
　〃Why　don't　you　tell　us　what　you　know　so　far；　and　maybe　we　can　help　a　bit；〃　Bill　suggested。
　〃There's　a　dozen　programs　here　but　they　seem　to　be　of　three　types。〃　Phil　pulled　down　menus　with　the　mouse；　then　three　columns　filled　the　screen。　The　first　column　was　labeled　DATE；　the　second　was　labeled　PLACE；　and　the　third　EVENT。　The　first　entry　was　July　22；　1879；　London；　frog　fall。　The　second　entry　was　August　19；　1881；　Kiev；　Ukraine；　woman　burns。　The　third　entry　was　March　2；　1882；　St。　Augustine；　Florida；　ice　fall。　Terry　scanned　the　list。　These　were　the　kinds　of　events　Kenny's　books　and　files　were　filled　with。
　〃There's　five　hundred　and　twenty…two　entries　on　this　list。　There's　three　other　lists　too。　One　of　the　lists　isn't　in　any　kind　of　order。　It's　kind　of　a　hodgepodge　of　things　like　Sasquatch　and　yeti　sightings；　UFO　reports；　junk　like　that。　Most　of　it's　garbage　except　the　report　about　a　prehistoric　fish　caught　off　the　coast　of　South　America。　I　saw　a　picture　of　that　fish　so　I　know　it's　true。〃
　Terry　understood。　He'd　never　have　believed　the　I…5　mountain　either；　if　he　hadn't　seen　it　in　person。
　〃Some　of　this　stuff　is　pretty　old。　I　found　a　file　labeled　with　Zorastrus's　name。　It's　got　the　really　old　stuff　in　it。〃
　Bill　and　Terry　exchanged　glances。　The　name　Zorastrus　kept　ing　up。
　The　screen　now　filled　with　programming　mands。
　〃This　is　the　second　kind　of　stuff。　He's　got　several　versions　of　this　program。　You　can　see　what　he　was　trying　to　do。　Most　of　this　stuff　is　just　display　instructions…mands　to　read　his　data　array；　plete　some　calculations；　and　display　the　output。　The　important　part　is　here。〃　Phil　scrolled　the　program　until　his　finger　came　to　rest　at　a　particular　spot。　〃This　is　where　his　formula　starts。〃
　〃Formula　for　what？〃　Bill　asked。
　〃I　ain't　no　mathematician；〃　Phil　protested；　but　then　he　yielded。　〃It　looks　like　he's　trying　to　fit　a　curve　to　three　sets　of　variable　data。　Okay；　it's　like　this。　Let's　say　I　draw　a　line　on　a　piece　of　paper　through　points　A；　B；　and　C。　Then　I　want　to　know　where　that　line　will　be　if　I　add　an　inch　to　A；　an　inch　to　B；　and　an　inch　to　C。　That's　what　he　had　the　puter　doing。　He　wasn't　using　inches　though；　and　he　wasn't　always　adding　the　same　amount　to　each　reference　point；　and　sometimes　he　subtracts。〃
　〃If　he　wasn't　using　inches　what　was　he　using？〃　Bill　asked。
　〃The　only　one　I've　figured　out　is　this　one。〃　Phil　reached　up　and　tapped　the　third　column。　〃It　looks　like　it　varies　between　1　and　200；366。　One　set　ranges　from　1　to　366　and　the　other　from　between　1　and　200。　It　works　something　like　an　odometer。　Once　this　column　reaches　either　365　of　366　it　rolls　over　a　number　in　the　next　column。〃
　〃It's　counting　days　and　years？〃
　〃Yeah；　it　even　corrects　for　leap　year。〃
　〃Umm。　。。〃　Bill　began。　〃That　makes　sense。　Kenny　thinks　these　events　in　the　past　have　something　to　do　with　what's　happened。　What's　the　third　kind　of　stuff？〃
　〃Graphics。　Here；　watch　this；〃　Phil　opened　another　file　using　the　mouse。　〃This　is　still　a　piece　of　crap；　but　it's　the　best　thing　this　bozo　programmed。〃　The　screen　was　split　with　a　line　marking　off　one　third　of　the　screen。　The　larger　portion　had　two　small　circles；　one　in　each　upper　corner　of　the　screen。　Phil　punched　a　key　and　the　two　circles　slowly　expanded。　When　they　met　the　screen　froze　and　the　letter　A　appeared　at　the　point　of　contact。　Another　letter　A　appeared　in　the　left…hand　column　with　three　sets　of　figures。　Phil　punched　another　key　and　the　circles　expanded　again。　As　soon　as　the　circles　finished　crossing　each　other　the　screen　froze　again。　This　time　two　more　letters　appeared；　a　B　and　a　C；　marking　the　two　new　contact　points　between　the　circles。　There　were　now　three　sets　of　three　figures　in　the　left…hand　column。　Terry　noticed　that　the　A　figures　had　changed。　Another　key　punch　and　the　circles　began　to　expand　again。　Terry　watched　the　A；　B；　and　C　columns　of　figures　change　as　the　circles　expanded。　When　they　reached　the　edge　of　the　screen　the　program　stopped。
　〃That's　it？〃　Bill　asked。　〃That's　all　it　does？〃
　〃I　told　you　it　was　a　piece　of　crap。　Part　of　this　stuff　is　dates　again。〃　Phil　pointed　to　the　columns　of　figures　on　the　left　side　of　the　screen；　〃Hard　to　tell　though　because　he　ran　all　the　numbers　together；　course　I　could　fix　it　in　a　jiff。〃
　〃No；　Phil。　What　about　the　rest　of　the　numbers？　Counting　the　dates；　it's　really　four　sets　of　numbers。　I　haven't　figured　out　the　other　three　yet。　Here；　look　at　this　one。〃　More　work　with　the　mouse　and　another　set　of　mands　filled　the　screen。　〃This　one's　a　little　different。〃
　Punching　more　keys；　Phil　called　up　another　program。　It　was　like　the　other　program　but　instead　of　two　expanding　circles；　these　began　to　pulse；　repeatedly　sending　out　expanding　waves。　As　one　circle　expanded；　another　circle　formed　within　it；　chasing　the　first　circle　to　the　edge　of　the　screen。　When　the　expanding　circles　nearly　reached　each　other；　the　image　switched　to　show　smaller　multiple　circles　expanding　within　each　other。
　〃He　adjusted　for　scale；　it's　the　same　circles；〃　Phil　added。
　The　circles　continued　to　expand；　but　one　by　one　the　inner　circles　overtook　the　outer　circles　and　merged　until　only　two　circles　remained。　Then　the　image　froze。　Terry　looked　over　at　the　numbers　on　the　left。　
　〃Phil；　what's　the　date　count？〃
　〃You　have　an　idea；　Terry？〃　Bill　asked。
　〃Remember　our　idea　about　Hiroshima　and　the　bomb？　Maybe　these　circles　start　with　the　bomb？〃
　Terry　and　Bill　looked　at　Phil　expectantly；　but　he　just　shook　his　head。
　〃Counts　wrong。　If　we　subtract　the　count　from　yesterday　then　we　miss　Hiroshima　by　seventeen　years　。　。　。　still。　。　。　that's　an　interesting　idea。〃
　Phil　drifted　inward；　reminding　Terry　of　Kenny's　drift　into　a　catatonic　state。　But　Bill　urged　Phil　on。　〃These　other　numbers；　do　they　have　something　to　do　with　the　frog　falls；　avalanches；　and　other　events　on　Kenny's　list？〃
　Phil　seemed　reluctant　to　e　back　from　wherever　he　was。
　〃You're　thinking　latitude　and　longitude；　aren't　you？　That's　what　I　was　working　on　when　you　got　here。　There's　too　many　numbers；　though。〃　Phil　looked　lost　in　thought　again。　〃All　right；　maybe　you　guys　can　help　me…I　think　I'm　getting　it。　Colonel；　I　need　some　more　data。〃
　Bill　agreed　to　get　him　whatever　he　needed。
　〃Hot　damn；〃　Phil　laughed；　〃some　of　it's　classified。〃
　
　Modern　munication　systems　are　made　up　of　radio；　television；　phone；　and　puter　networks。　To　keep　this　system　functioning；　there　must　be　transmission　and　reception　facilities；　copper　cables；　fiber　optic　lines；　broadcast　towers；　dish　antennae；　translators；　boosters；　switching　stations；　and　satellites。　Lose　a　part　of　this　system；　and　backup　systems　automatically　e　on…line。　Lose　the　backup　systems　and　puters　will　automatically　reroute　signals。　Lose　those　routes　and　the　system　fails。
　Like　everything　else　about　the　effect；　the　losses　were　uneven。　Some　satellites　were　lost；　and　others　lost　their　ground　munication　facilities。　Other　ground　stations　reestablished　contact　where　possible。　Underground　transmission　lines　were　left　intact；　as　were　transatlantic　and　transpacific　cables。　Cities　untouched　by　the　effect　kept　local　phone；　TV；　and　radio；　and　some　long…distance；　while　those　in　or　near　cities　sliced　by　the　effect　were　hardest　hit。　Some　lost　everything；　others　kept　some　local　radio　or　TV。　Military　bases　were　similar　but　reestablished　satellite　munication　sooner；　then　mandeered　civilian　lines；　further　snarling　civilian　munication。
　As　a　resuit　some　sat　riveted　to　TVs　witnessing　the　bizarre　unfold　before　them；　while　others　only　heard　rumors　and　half　truths。　Still　others　in　rural　pockets　continued　their　lives　pletely　unaware　of　the　drama　unfolding　across　the　face　of　the　planet。
　
　Nick　Paulson's　encounter　with　the　masturbator　left　him　wary　of　any　more　of　Elizabeth's　prognosticators。　Additional　psychics；　religious　fanatics；　and　nuts　were　still　being　rounded　up；　but　Nick　delegated　the　interviewing　to　the　CIA。　Instead；　Nick　bed　the　PresNet。
　Nick　used　the　directory　to　get　a　rough　map　of　which　parts　of　the　network　were　lost。　The　northeastern　part　of　the　country　was　mostly　off…line；　although　a　terminal　at　the　University　of　Delaware　and　one　in　New　Hampshire　were　listed。　The　Chicago　area　was　well　represented　as　were　the　states　surrounding　Illinois。　The　southeast　was　another　near…total　loss。　There　was　nothing　from　Georgia；　Mississippi；　and　Louisiana；　and　precious　little　from　the　rest　of　the　South。　There　were　three　terminals　listed　from　Florida　State　University　but　none　from　the　University　of　Miami。　There　were　few　advisors　in　the　far　West　except　for　California；　but　functioning　terminals　were　listed　in　Houston；　Galveston；　Reno；　Cheyenne；　and　several　in　the　Southern　California　basin。　Only　Seattle　was　represented　in　the　northwest；　with　terminals　at　the　University　of　Washington　and　Boeing。　Nothing　was　showing　for　Alaska；　Puerto　Rico；　or　Guam。　Three　stations　were　listed　as　on…line　in　Hawaii。　After　his　survey　Nick　estimated　only　a　third　of　the　network　was　still　functioning。
　The　reports　on　PresNet　described　the　kinds　of　impos