p&c.icelimit-第70部分

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　〃It's　seventy…seven　nautical　miles　south　of　our　position。〃
　〃Can　you　see　any　ice　on　your　radar？〃
　Britton　turned。　〃Mr。　Howell？〃
　〃Some　drift　ice　at　ten　miles。　A　few　growlers。　Just　at　the　Limit；　the　long…range　surface　radar's　picking　up　a　massive　ice　island。　Two　ice　islands；　actually；　it　looks　like　one　broke　in　half。〃
　〃Bearing？〃
　〃One　nine　one。〃
　Glinn　spoke：　〃I　would　suggest　heading　that　way。　Make　a　very　slow　turn。　If　it　takes　Vallenar　a　while　to　notice　the　course　change；　we　might　gain　a　mile　or　two。〃
　Howell　looked　questioningly　at　Britton。
　〃Mr。　Glinn；〃　said　Britton；　〃it's　suicide　to　take　a　huge　ship　like　this　past　the　Ice　Limit。　Especially　in　this　weather。〃
　〃There　are　reasons；〃　said　Glinn。
　〃Care　to　share　them　with　us？〃　Lloyd　asked。　〃Or　are　you　going　to　keep　us　in　the　dark　again？　Maybe　we　could've　used　some　freelance　decision　making　back　there。〃
　Glinn's　gaze　fell　first　on　Lloyd；　then　Britton；　then　Howell。
　〃Fair　enough；〃　he　said；　after　a　moment。　〃We　are　reduced　to　two　options：　turn　away　and　try　to　outrun　the　destroyer。　Or　keep　to　this　course　and　try　to　lose　the　destroyer　below　the　Ice　Limit。　The　former　has　a　close　to　one　hundred　percent　probability　of　failure；　the　latter；　somewhat　less。　This　latter　plan　also　has　the　advantage　of　forcing　the　destroyer　through　a　beam　sea。〃
　〃What　is　this　Ice　Limit？〃　Lloyd　asked。
　〃It's　where　the　freezing　waters　around　Antarctica　meet　the　warmer　northern　waters　of　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific。　Oceanographers　call　it　the　Antarctic　Convergence。　It's　known　for　impenetrable　fogs　and；　of　course；　extremely　dangerous　ice。〃
　〃You're　proposing　to　take　the　Rolvaag　into　an　area　of　ice　and　fog？　It　does　sound　like　suicide。〃
　〃What　we　need　now　is　concealment；　time　to　lose　the　destroyer　long　enough　to　lay　a　course　away　from　it。　In　the　darkness；　in　the　ice　and　fog；　we　might　just　escape。〃
　〃We　might　just　sink；　too。〃
　〃The　probability　of　hitting　an　iceberg　is　lower　than　the　probability　of　being　sunk　by　the　destroyer。〃
　〃What　if　there's　no　fog？〃　asked　Howell。
　〃Then　we　have　a　problem。〃
　There　was　a　long　silence。　And　then　Britton　spoke：　〃Mr。　Howell。　Set　a　new　course　for　one　nine　zero。　Bring　her　head　around　slowly。〃
　There　was　the　briefest　of　hesitations。　Then　Howell　relayed　the　order　to　the　helmsman　in　clipped　tones。　As　he　spoke；　his　eyes　never　left　Glinn's。
　
　Rolvaag；
　2：00　P。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　SLUMPED　back　in　the　unfortable　plastic　chair；　sighing　and　rubbing　his　eyes。　Rachel　sat　beside　him；　cracking　peanut　shells　and　letting　the　debris　fall　onto　the　metal　deck　of　the　observation　unit。　The　only　light　came　from　a　single　monitor　set　high　in　the　bulkhead　above　them。
　〃Don't　you　ever　get　tired　of　those　damn　peanuts？〃　McFarlane　said。
　Rachel　seemed　to　consider　this　a　moment。　〃Nope；〃　she　replied。
　They　lapsed　into　silence。　Conscious　of　an　incipient　headache　and　low…grade　nausea；　McFarlane　closed　his　eyes。　The　moment　he　did　so；　the　roll　of　the　ship　seemed　to　increase　dramatically。　He　heard　the　tick　of　metal；　the　occasional　drip　of　water。　Other　than　that；　the　holding　tank　that　yawned　beneath　them　was　quiet。
　McFarlane　opened　his　eyes　with　an　effort。　〃Run　it　again；〃　he　said。
　〃But　we've　already　viewed　it　five　times；〃　Rachel　said。　When　McFarlane　did　not　reply；　she　gave　a　disgusted　snort　and　leaned　forward　to　punch　the　transport　controls。
　Of　the　three　security　viewcams　in　the　holding　tank；　only　one　had　survived　the　explosion。　He　watched　as　Rachel　ran　the　tape　forward　at　high　speed；　slowing　to　normal　speed　a　minute　before　the　detonation。　They　watched　in　silence　as　the　seconds　counted　down。　Nothing　new。　Garza　was　right：　nobody　had　touched　the　rock。　Nobody　had　even　been　close。
　McFarlane　leaned　back　again　with　a　curse；　glancing　out　of　the　observation　unit　and　along　the　catwalk；　as　if　searching　for　an　answer　on　the　walls　of　the　tank。　Then　he　let　his　eyes　travel　slowly　down　the　forty…foot　span　to　the　top　of　the　meteorite。　The　explosion　had　gone　off　sideways；　killing　most　of　the　lights　in　the　tank；　damaging　munications　networks　both　fore　and　aft；　but　leaving　the　catwalk　and　observation　unit　at　the　top　of　the　tank　unharmed。　The　web　looked　largely　intact；　although　it　was　clear　that　some　struts　had　been　knocked　out。　Molten　steel　had　sprayed　in　foamy　streaks　across　the　walls　of　the　tank；　and　some　of　the　massive　laminated　oak　timbers　were　charted。　Flecks　of　blood　and　red　matter　could　be　seen　here　and　there　at　points　the　scrub　team　had　missed。　The　meteorite　itself　looked　unchanged。　
　What's　the　secret　here？　he　thought。　What　is　it　we're　missing？　
　〃Let's　go　over　what　we　know；〃　he　said。　〃The　explosion　seems　to　have　been　just　like　the　one　that　killed　Timmer。〃
　〃Perhaps　even　stronger；〃　Rachel　said。　〃One　hell　of　an　electrical　blast。　If　there　hadn't　been　so　much　metal　around　to　absorb　the　charge；　it　might　have　blown　the　ship's　electronics。〃
　〃And　afterwards；　the　meteorite　threw　off　a　lot　of　radio　noise；〃　he　said。　〃Just　like　with　Timmer。〃
　Rachel　picked　up　her　radio；　turned　it　on；　made　a　face　at　the　roar　of　static；　turned　it　off　again。　〃And　it's　still　throwing　it　off；〃　she　said。
　They　lapsed　into　silence　again。
　〃I　wonder　if　anything　triggered　the　blast；〃　said　Rachel；　rewinding　the　tape。　〃Maybe　it　was　random。〃
　McFarlane　didn't　respond。　It　couldn't　be　random；　something　must　have　triggered　it。　And　despite　Garza's　remark　…　and　the　increasing　nervousness　of　the　crew　…　he　didn't　believe　the　meteorite　was　some　malignant　thing；　actively　seeking　to　hurt　them。
　McFarlane　wondered　if　perhaps　Timmer　and　Masangkay　had　never　touched　the　thing；　after　all。　But　no；　he'd　analyzed　it　too　carefully。　The　key　to　the　mystery　had　to　be　Palmer　Lloyd。　He　had　placed　his　cheek　against　the　rock　and　lived　to　tell　the　story。　The　two　others　had　been　blown　up。
　What　was　different　about　their　touches？
　He　sat　up　in　the　chair。　〃Let's　watch　it　again。〃
　Wordlessly；　Rachel　punched　the　controls；　and　the　monitor　flickered　to　life。
　The　surviving　camera　had　been　placed　almost　directly　above　the　rock；　just　below　the　observation　unit。　There　was　Garza；　standing　to　one　side；　the　welding　diagrams　unrolled　before　him。　The　TIG　welders　were　spaced　evenly　around　the　rock；　working　on　various　nodes。　They　were　kneeling；　their　bright　points　of　flame　leaving　red　tracks　on　the　screen。　In　the　lower　right　corner；　a　time　display　ran　rapidly　through　the　seconds。
　〃Turn　up　the　sound；〃　McFarlane　said。　He　closed　his　eyes；　the　headache　and　nausea　were　getting　worse。　Seasickness。
　Garza's　voice　leapt　into　the　small　enclosure。　〃How's　it　going？〃　he　shouted。　There　was　an　answering　shout：　〃Almost　there。〃　Scratchy　silence；　the　trickle　of　water；　the　pop　of　a　torch　flaring　out。　Room　tone；　then　a　flurry　of　creaks　and　groans　as　the　vessel　began　to　heel。　He　heard　Garza's　voice：　〃Hold　tight！〃　
　And　then　it　ended　in　a　hiss　of　white　noise。
　McFarlane　opened　his　eyes。　〃Back　ten　seconds。〃
　They　watched　as　it　ran　through　again。
　〃It　went　off　at　the　very　top　of　the　roll；〃　Rachel　said。
　〃But　Garza's　right。　That　thing　was　manhandled　all　the　way　down　to　the　shore。〃　McFarlane　paused。　〃Could　there　be　another　workman；　hidden　by　the　rock？　Somebody　we're　not　seeing？〃
　〃I　thought　of　that。　Six　welders　came　in；　plus　Garza。　Look；　you　can　see　them　all　there　in　the　last　frame；　clearly　visible。　All　well　back　from　the　meteorite。〃
　McFarlane　dropped　his　chin　to　his　hands。　Something　about　the　video　was　nagging　at　him；　but　he　couldn't　put　his　finger　on　it。　Maybe　it　was　nothing。　Maybe　he　was　just　too　damn　tired。
　Rachel　stretched；　swept　peanut　shells　from　her　knees。　〃Here　we　are；　trying　to　second…guess　Garza；〃　she　said。　〃But　what　if　everybody's　right？〃
　McFarlane　glanced　at　her。　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃What　if　nobody　touched　the　meteorite？　What　if　it　was　something　else　that　touched　the　meteorite？〃
　〃Something　else？〃　he　replied。　〃But　there　was　nothing　else　moving　in　that　room　…　〃　He　stopped　abruptly；　realizing　what　had　been　troubling　him：　the　sound　of　water。
　〃Give　me　the　last　sixty　seconds；〃　he　said。　〃Quickly。〃
　He　lifted　his　head　toward　the　screen；　searching　for　the　source　of　the　sound　he'd　heard。　There　it　was；　very　faintly：　a　thin　stream　at　one　side；　falling　from　above；　disappearing　into　the　depths　of　the　tank。　He　stared　at　it。　As　the　ship　began　the　heavy　roll；　the　stream　of　water　pulled　away　from　the　bulkhead　and　began　angling　closer　to　the　meteorite。
　〃Water；〃　McFarlane　said　aloud。
　Rachel　looked　at　him　curiously。
　〃There　was　a　stream　of　water　ing　down　the　side　of　the　tank。　There　must　be　a　leak　in　the　mechanical　door。　Look；　you　can　still　see　it。〃　He　pointed　up　at　a　narrow　stream　trickling　down　the　far　longitudinal　bulkhead。　〃The　meteorite　went　off　when　that　roll　brought　the　water　in　contact　with　it。〃
　〃That's　absurd。　The　meteorite's　been　sitting　in　waterlogged　ground　for　millions　of　years。　It　got　rained　and　snowed　on。　It's　inert。　How　could　water　possibly　affect　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　take　a　look。〃　He　replayed　the　video；　demonstrating　how；　at　the　instant　the　water　connected　with　the　meteorite；　the　screen　popped　into　snow。
　〃Coincidence？〃　she　asked。
　McFarlane　shook　his　head。　〃No。〃
　Rachel　looked　at　him。　〃Sam；　how　could　this　water　be　different　from　all　the　other　water　that's　touched　the　meteorite？〃
　And　then