MICHAEL CRICHTON

“I don’t understand,” Elliot said. Ross explained that the “M” meant that therewas more message, and he had to press the transmit button again. He pushedthe button several times before he got the message, which in its entirety read:REVUWO ORGNL TAPE HUSTN NU FINDNG RE AURL SIGNL INFO—COMPUTR ANLYSS COMPLTE THNK ITS LNGWGE.Elliot found he could read the compressed shortline language by speaking italoud: “Reviewed original tape Houston, new finding regarding aural signalinformation, computer analysis complete think it’s language.” He frowned.“Language?”Ross said, “Didn’t you ask him to review Houston’s original tape material fromthe Congo?”“Yes, but that was for visual identification of the animal on the screen. I neversaid anything to him about aural information.” Elliot shook his head. “I wish Icould talk to him.”“You can,” Ross said. “If you don’t mind waking him up.” She pushed theinterlock button, and fifteen minutes later Elliot typed, Hello Tom How Are You?The screen printed HLO TOM HOURU.“We don’t usually waste satellite time with that kind of thing,” Ross said.The screen printed SLEPY WHRERU.He typed, Virunga. VIRNGA.“Travis is going to scream when he sees this transcript,” Ross said. “Do yourealize what the transmission costs are?”But Ross needn’t have worried; the conversation soon became technical:RECVD MESG AURL INFO PLS XPLN.AXIDENTL DISKVRY VRY XCITNG-DISCRIMNT FUNXN COMPT ANLSS 99CONFDNCE LIMTS TAPD AURL INFO {BRETHNG SOUNS} DEMNSTRTSCHRCTRISTX SPECH.SPSFY CHRCTRISTX.REPETNG ELMNTS-ARBTRARY PATRN-STRXRAL RLATNSHPS-PROBLYTHRFOR SPOKN LNGWGE.KN U TRNSLTE?NOT SOFR.WHT RESN?160