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！
Immediately； they saw it： a tiny black fleck of jagged material no larger than a grain of sand。 There seemed to be bits of green mixed in with the black。
Neither man reacted； though Leavitt later recalled that he was 〃trembling with excitement。 I kept thinking； if this is it； if it's really something new； some brand new form of life。。。〃
However； all he said was； 〃Interesting。〃
〃We'd better plete the scan at twenty power；〃 Stone said。 He was working to keep his voice calm； but it was clear that he was excited too。
Leavitt wanted to examine the fleck at higher power immediately； but he understood what Stone was saying。 They could not afford to jump to conclusions any conclusions。 Their only hope was to be grindingly； interminably thorough。 They had to proceed methodically； to assure themselves at every point that they had overlooked nothing。
Otherwise； they could pursue a course of investigation for hours or days； only to find it ended nowhere； that they had made a mistake； misjudged the evidence； and wasted time。
So Leavitt did a plete scan of the interior at twenty power。 He paused； once or twice； when they thought they saw other patches of green； and marked down the coordinates so they could find the areas later； under higher magnification。 Half an hour passed before Stone announced he was satisfied with the twenty…power scan。
They took a break for caffeine； swallowing two pills with water。 The team had agreed earlier that amphetamines should not be used except in times of serious emergency； they were stocked in the Level V pharmacy； but for routine purposes caffeine was preferred。
The aftertaste of the caffeine pill was sour in his mouth as Leavitt clicked in the hundred…power lenses； and began the third scan。 As before； they started with the indentation； and the small black fleck they had noted earlier。
It was disappointing： at higher magnification it appeared no different from their earlier views； only larger。 They could see； however； that it was an irregular piece of material； dull； looking like rock。 And they could see there were definitely flecks of green mined on the jagged surface of the material。
〃What do you make of it？〃 Stone said。
〃If that's the object the capsule collided with；〃 Leavitt said； 〃it was either moving with great speed； or else it is very heavy。 Because it's not big enough〃
〃To knock the satellite out of orbit otherwise。 I agree。 And yet it did not make a very deep indentation。〃
〃Suggesting？〃
Stone shrugged。 〃Suggesting that it was either not responsible for the orbital change； or that it has some elastic properties we don't yet know about。〃
〃What do you think of the green？〃
Stone grinned。 〃You won't trap me yet。 I am curious； nothing more。〃
Leavitt chuckled and continued the scan。 Both men now felt elated and inwardly certain of their discovery。 They checked the other areas where they had noted green； and confirmed the presence of the patches at higher magnification。
But the other patches looked different from the green on the rock。 For one thing； they were larger； and seemed somehow more luminous。 For another； the borders of the patches seemed quite regular； and rounded。
〃Like small drops of green paint； spattered on the inside of the capsule；〃 Stone said。
〃I hope that's not what it is。〃
〃We could probe；〃 Stone said。
〃Let's wait for 440。〃
Stone agreed。 By now they had been scanning the capsule for nearly four hours； but neither man felt tired。 They watched closely as the viewing screens blurred for a moment； the lenses shifting。 When the screens came back into focus； they were looking at the indentation； and the black fleck with the green areas。 At this magnification； the surface irregularities of the rock were striking it was like a miniature planet； with jagged peaks and sharp valleys。 It occurred to Leavitt that this was exactly what they were looking at： a minute； plete planet； with its life forms intact。 But he shook his head； dismissing the thought from his mind。 Impossible。
Stone said； 〃If that's a meteor； it's damned funny…looking。〃
〃What bothers you？〃
〃That left border； over there。〃 Stone pointed to the screen。 〃The surface of the stone if it is stone is rough everywhere except on that left border； where it is smooth and rather straight。〃
〃Like an artificial surface？〃
Stone sighed。 〃If I keep looking at it；〃 he said； 〃I might start to think so。 Let's see those other patches of green。〃
Leavitt set the coordinates and focused the viewer。 A new image appeared on the screens。 This time； it was a close…up of one of the green patches。 Under high magnification the borders could be seen clearly。 They were not smooth； but slightly notched： they looked almost like a gear from the inside of a watch。
〃I'll be damned；〃 Leavitt said。
〃It's not paint。 That notching is too regular。〃
As they watched； it happened： the green spot turned purple for a fraction of a second； less than the blink of an eye。 Then it turned green once more。
〃Did you see that？〃
〃I saw it。 You didn't change the lighting？〃
〃No。 Didn't touch it。〃
A moment later； it happened again： green； a flash of purple； green again。
〃Amazing。〃
〃This may be〃
And then； as they watched； the spot turned purple and remained purple。 The notches disappeared； the spot had enlarged slightly； filling in the V…shaped gaps。 It was now a plete circle。 It became green once more。
〃It's growing；〃 Stone said。
***
They worked swiftly。 The movie cameras were brought down； recording from five angles at ninety…six frames per second。 Another time…lapse camera clicked off frames at half…second intervals。 Leavitt also brought down two more remote cameras； and set them at different angles from the original camera。
In main control； all three screens displayed different views of the green spot。
〃Can we get more power？ More magnification？〃 Stone said。
〃No。 You remember we decided 440 was the top。〃
Stone swore。 To obtain higher magnification； they would have to go to a separate room； or else use the electron microscopes。 In either case； it would take time。
Leavitt said； 〃Shall we start culture and isolation？〃
〃Yes。 Might as well。〃
Leavitt turned the viewers back down to twenty power。 They could now see that there were four areas of interest； three isolated green patches； and the rock with its indentation。 On the control console； he pressed a button marked CULTURE； and a tray 4t the side of the room slid out； revealing stacks of circular； plastic…covered petri dishes。 Inside each dish was a thin layer of growth medium。
The Wildfire project employed almost every known growth medium。 The media were jellied pounds containing various nutrients on which bacteria would feed and multiply。 Along with the usual laboratory standbys horse and sheep blood agar； chocolate agar； simplex； Sabourad's medium there were thirty diagnostic media； containing various sugars and minerals。 Then there were forty…three specialized culture media； including those for growth of tubercule bacilli and unusual fungi； as well as the highly experimental media； designated by numbers： ME…997； ME…423； ME…A12； and so on。
With the tray of media was a batch of sterile swabs。 Using the mechanical hands； Stone picked up the swabs singly and touched them to the capsule surface； then to the media。 Leavitt punched data into the puter； so that they would know later where each swab had been taken。 In this manner； they swabbed the outer surface of the entire capsule； and went to the interior。 Very carefully； using high viewer magnification； Stone took scrapings from the green spots and transferred them to the different media。
Finally； he used fine forceps to pick up the rock and move it intact to a clean glass dish。
The whole process took better than two hours。 At the end of that time； Leavitt punched through the MAXCULT puter program。 This program automatically instructed the machine in the handling of the hundreds of petri dishes they had collected。 Some would be stored at room temperature and pressure； with normal earth atmosphere。 Others would be subjected to heat and cold； high pressure and vacuum； low oxygen and high oxygen； light and dark。 Assigning the plates to the various culture boxes was a job that would take a man days to work out。 The puter could do it in seconds。
When the program was running； Stone placed the stacks of petri dishes on the conveyor belt。 They watched as the dishes moved off to the culture boxes。
There was nothing further they could do； except wait twenty…four to forty…eight hours； to see what grew out。
〃Meantime；〃 Stone said； 〃we can begin analysis of this piece of rock if it actually is rock。 How are you with an EM？〃
〃Rusty；〃 Leavitt said。 He had not used an electron microscope for nearly a year。
〃Then I'll prepare the specimen。 We'll also want mass spectrometry done。 That's all puterized。 But before we do that； we ought to go to higher power。 What's the highest light magnification we can get in Morphology？〃
〃A thousand diameters。〃
〃Then let's do that first。 Punch the rock through to Morphology。〃
Leavitt looked down at the console and pressed MORPHOLOGY。 Stone's mechanical hands placed the glass dish with the rock onto the conveyor belt。
They looked at the wall clock behind them。 It showed 1100 hours； they had been working for eleven straight hours。
〃So far；〃 Stone said； 〃so good。〃
Leavitt grinned； and crossed his fingers。
16。 Autopsy
BURTON WAS WORKING IN THE AUTOPSY room。 He was nervous and tense； still bothered by his memories of Piedmont。 Weeks later； in reviewing his work and his thoughts on Level V； he regretted his inability to concentrate。
Because in his initial series of experiments； Burton made several mistakes。
According to the protocol； he was required to carry out autopsies on dead animals； but he was also in charge of preliminary vector experiments。 In all fairness； Burton was not the man to do this work； Leavitt would have been better suited to it。 But it was felt that Leavitt was more useful working on preliminary isolation and identification。
So the vector experiments fell to Burton。
They were reasonably simple and straightforward； designed to answer the question of how the disease was transmitted。 Burton began with a series of cages； lined up in a row。 Each had a separate air supply； the air supplies could be interconnected in a variety of ways。
Burton placed the corpse of the dead Norway rat； which was contained in an airtight cage； alongside another cage containing a living rat。 He punched buttons； air was allowed to pass freely from one cage to the other。
The living rat flopped over and died。
Interesting； he thought。 Airborne transmission。 He hooked up a second cage with a live rat； but inserted a Millipore filter between the living and dead rat cages。 This filter had perforations 100 angstroms in diameter the size of a small virus。
He opened the passage between the two cages。 The rat remained alive。
He watched for several moments； until he was satisfied。 Whatever it was that transmitted the disease； it was larger than a virus。 He changed the filter； replacing it with a larger one； and then another still larger。 He continued in this way until the rat died。
The filter had allowed the agent to pass。 He checked it： two microns in diameter； roughly the size of a small cell。 He thought to himself that he had just learned something very valuable indeed： the size of the infectious agent。
This was important； for in a single simple experiment he had ruled out the possibility that a protein or a chemical molecule of some kind was doing the damage。 At Piedmont； he and Stone had been concerned about a gas； perhaps a gas released as waste from the living organism。
Yet； clearly； no gas was responsible。 The disease was transmitted by something the size of a cell that was very much