amccaffrey.theskiesofpern-第31部分

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　as　all　eyes　were　trained　on　the　wall　monitor；　which　F'lessan　couldn't　see　from　the　door。
　　〃You　can't　e…〃　began　the　burly　door　guard；　whom　F'lessan　recognized　as　Tunge；　one　of　the　regular　men。　He　skipped　aside　and　explained　with　soft　intensity。　〃Sorry；　bronze　rider；　but　everyone　and　his　fire…lizard's　been　trying　to　get　in　here　since　that　thing　in　the　sky　was　spotted。〃　Tunge　was　impressed；　and　scared。
　　F'lessan　made　a　quick　survey　of　those　in　the　room；　where　was　Wansor？　Surely　Lytol　and　D'ram　had　got　him　here　so　the　phenomenon　could　be　described　to　him？
　　〃Master　Wansor？〃　he　murmured　to　Tunge。
　　〃Oh；　him。〃　With　a　quick　grin；　Tunge　jerked　his　head　back　down　the　corridor。　〃Him　'n'　Lord　Lytol　'n'　bronze　rider　D'ram　are　in　the　conference　room。　There's　a　big　screen　there；　too；　you　know；　so　they　could　tell　him　what　information's　being　processed。〃
　　Directly　across　the　room；　one　of　the　smaller　monitors　was　blinking　the　legend　PHO。　F'lessan　shook　his　head；　trying　to　remember　what　the　initials　stood　for…possibly　hazardous　object？　Why　had　he　assumed　that　the　bright　light　was　a　et？　Below　the　title　〃Encounter　Analysis〃　were　eight　columns；　headed　ESTIMATED　TIME　TO　PERIGEE；　DISTANCE；　VELOCITY；　PROBABILITY；　ATMOSPHERE　BREAKUP；　IMPACT　ERROR；　LATITUDE；　AND　LONGITUDE。　These　were　showing　numbers　that　altered　rapidly；　either　decreasing　or；　in　the　case　of　longitude；　increasing。　As　F'lessan　watched；　the　Estimated　Time　to　Perigee　ticked　over　to　5800。
　　That　display　gave　him　another　frisson　of　apprehension。　When　had　that　clock　started　ticking　down？　He'd　e　as　fast　as　he　could　without　timing　it。　But　then；　he　hadn't　anticipated　that　this　could　be　a　real　crisis。
　　He　inched　carefully　along　the　wall；　moving　people　who　were　almost　unaware　of　being　manipulated；　so　intent　were　they　upon　the　monitor's　reports。　He　recognized　several　as　off…duty　technicians。　Being　tall；　he　eased　into　a　spot　in　the　corner　and　still　had　a　clear　view　of　the　monitor。　In　front　of　him；　Stinar；　the　duty　officer；　was　standing　with　the　barrel…chested　man　of　medium　height；　dark…haired；　with　a　handsome　hooked　nose；　whom　F'lessan　recognized　as　Erragon；　Wansor's　assistant。　Shouldn't　he　have　been　in　the　conference　room？　F'lessan　chided　himself。　Lytol　and　D'ram　could　explain　adequately　to　Wansor　but　Erragon　was　needed　in　here；　interpreting　the　Yoko's　telemetry。　When　this　was　over；　he'd　undoubtedly　report　to　Master　Wansor　the　more　technical　details　of　this　unusual　occurrence。　The　two　were　intent　on　the　visual　transmitted　to　Landing　by　Yoko。
　　At　maximum　magnification；　Yoko　showed　a　small　image　of　the　nucleus；　embedded　in　clouds　of　dust。　Yoko　added　another　window；　attempting　to　trace　it　back　to　its　original　orbit。　Details　came　up　as：
　　Semi…Major　Axis　=　33。712。　Period　=　195。734　Eccentricity　=　0。971　Perihelion　=　0。95　3　AU　Inclination　=　103。95　degrees。
　　But　F'lessan；　knowing　all　these　figures　would　be　available　later；　concentrated　on　the　et；　now　resolving　jets　and　debris。　Yes；　it　must　be　a　et。　That　would　explain　its　slowing　with　respect　to　the　stars。　Outgassing　can　push　a　et　about；　making　an　estimate　of　its　orbit　even　harder。　Furthermore；　with　the　long　axis　running　from　the　northwest　to　the　southeast；　who　could　tell？　It　may　skid　across　our　atmosphere　and　disappear　south；　thought　F'lessan　hopefully。
　　Yet　another　working　window　opened；　labeled　SEARCHING。　Images　of　what　F'lessan　knew　to　be　Pernese　space　flashed　past；　the　streaking　orbits　of　some　of　the　minor　planets　against　the　background　of　northern　hemisphere　stars。
　　〃What's　all　that　about？〃　Stinar　asked　Erragon　who　was　blinking　at　the　rapidly　altering　display。
　　〃I'd　hazard　the　guess　that　it's　searching　for　any　old　images　of　the　et。　It　is　possible；　you　know；〃　Erragon　went　on；　frowning　at　the　speed　of　the　search　pattern；　〃that　the　et　originated　in　the　Oort　cloud。〃　His　grin　was　forced。　〃It　might　even　have　been　seen　by　our　Ancestors。〃
　　〃Really？〃
　　Erragon　sighed；　flicking　his　attention　to　some　of　the　other　sidebars。　〃We　have　a　lot　of　material　to　review；　you　know。　Just　for　our　home　system。　Ah；　yes；〃　and　he　pointed　back　to　the　search。　〃The　material　we're　seeing　was　released　from　the　et　two　to　three　weeks　ago。　Here　we　go；〃　he　added；　intent　on　the　newest　sidebar　readings。
　　Encounter　Analysis　Estimated　Perigee　in　1800　seconds　Projected　Perigee　Distance　16km；　error　±　296km　Encounter　Velocity　58。48km/sec　±　0。18km/sec　Probability　of　Impact　48。9％
　　Probability　of　Atmospheric　Breakup　（Airburst）　1。3％　Impact　Error　Ellipse　3698　times　592km　Location　and　Orientation　of　Ellipse　9°　north；　18°　east；　Major　Axis　bearing　130°
　　At　that　point；　Erragon　visibly　tensed；　leaning　slightly　forward　on　the　balls　of　his　feet　in　an　attitude　that　confirmed　F'lessan's　bad　feelings　about　the　alteration　in　probability　of　impact。　He　wasn't　certain　that　the　error　ellipse　of　impact　was　reassuring。　Unless　the　et　suddenly　pulled　itself　up　in　an　escape　parabola。　Estimate　to　Perigee　decreasing：　1500　seconds；　or　25　minutes；　F'lessan　told　himself。　He　also　didn't　like　standing　around；　watching；　in　a　room　full　of　people　who　didn't　seem　to　realize　what　could　happen。　The　tension　was　palpable　but　everyone　was　so　focused　on　the　screen；　too　scared　to　ask　questions　or　to　break　into　the　concentration　of　Stinar　or　Erragon。
　　New　figures　at　1200　seconds；　from　the　Yoko's　synchronic　orbit　over　Pern；　gave　coordinates　of　Range　71377km；　Yoko　latitude　45。IN；　Yoko　longitude　118。4m。　The　magnitude　was　…5；　which　was　bright　enough　and　getting　brighter　and　the　fireball　was　suddenly　moving　a　degree　every　minute。　He　stepped　right　beside　Stinar　and　Erragon。
　　〃Where　will　it　impact？〃　F'lessan　murmured　for　their　ears　only。
　　〃We　still　don't　know　that　it　will；〃　Stinar　said　softly；　restlessly　shifting　his　feet；　turning　his　head　sideways　so　that　his　words　just　reached　F'lessan。
　　〃There's　a　three…hundred…kilometer　range　error；〃　Erragon　said　as　if　that　was　significant。
　　〃Where？〃　Stinar　demanded。
　　〃Right　now；　the　range　extends　along　the　farther　Eastern　Island　Ring。〃
　　〃On　the　islands　themselves；　or　in　the　sea？〃
　　Stinar　took　the　hand…control　unit　from　his　pocket　and　punched　in　a　mand。　The　monitor　opened　a　small　window　in　the　right　corner；　while　the　Probability　Impact　percentage　rose　steadily　into　the　50's　and　the　error　ellipse…that　narrow　band　along　the　far　islands　to　which　the　fireball　was　inexorably　aimed…got　smaller。　The　new　window　showed　the　Eastern　Sea　as　it　must　be　seen　from　Yoko；　and　the　scattered　islands　of　both　Eastern　Rings。　A　wide　band　was　superimposed　over　the　upper　islands。
　　〃Looks　more　like　the　islands；〃　Stinar　said　with　a　little　shrug。
　　F'lessan　knew　that　the　islands　were　uninhabited；　too　far　out　in　the　Eastern　Ring　Sea　to　be　attractive　for　anyone；　even　Tone；　to　hold；　except　whichever　island　currently　housed　the　Abominator　exiles…and　no　one　but　N'ton　knew　where　that　was。
　　〃I　don't　like　that；〃　Erragon　said；　stiffening。
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃Those　islands　are　all　volcanic。　An　impact　on　them　might　trigger　eruptions　all　along　that　chain；〃　he　said；　pointing。
　　〃Then　we'll　just　hope　it　falls　in　the　sea；〃　Stinar　said　with　a　slightly　nervous　laugh。
　　〃That　will　produce　other　hazards；〃　Erragon　said　solemnly。
　　F'lessan　caught　his　breath。　He'd　seen　volcanoes　erupt；　the　one　Piemur　had　discovered　off　the　westernmost　tip　of　Southern　Hold　blew　up　periodically；　sending　clouds　of　gray　ash　to　blot　the　sun　and　stifle　even　the　rich　tropical　vegetation。　The　one　in　the　near　Eastern　Ring；　which　the　Ancients　had　called　Young　Mountain；　liked　to　send　immense　boulders　skyward　and　great　lava　flows　down　its　side；　spinning　burning　chunks　onto　its　neighbors。　The　islands　that　the　et　was　heading　for　were　much　larger　and　he　shuddered　at　the　thought　of　all　of　them　being　active。　They　would　cause　tidal　waves；　which　could　have　a　disastrous　effect　on　coastal　areas…like　Monaco。
　　〃It　could　still　just　graze；〃　Erragon　murmured　to　Stinar；　in　a　tone　that　gave　F'lessan　no　confidence　in　that　possibility　at　all。
　　He　glanced　up　at　the　legend；　numbers　whirring　into　new　configurations　all　the　time；　as　Yoko　telemetry　updated　them。
　　〃It's　only　got　a　few　minutes　to　change　course；〃　F'lessan　said。
　　Erragon　glanced　at　him；　blinking；　as　if　he'd　forgotten　the　bronze　rider's　presence。　〃Did　you　know　your　Weyrleaders　are　in　the　conference　room　with　Master　Wansor？〃
　　Lessa　and　F'lar　were　also　here？　When…and　why…had　they　arrived？　Obscurely　he　was　glad　they　had；　especially　the　way　this　event　was　proceeding。
　　〃No；　but　I'd　rather　be　in　here　and　know　the　worst；〃　F'lessan　said；　watching　Erragon's　shoulders　twitch　in　startled　reaction　to　the　last　word。　〃Where　will　it　hit　us？〃
　　〃We　don't　know　yet；〃　but　F'lessan　saw　Erragon's　eye　flick　to　the　Impact　Probability；　which　flickered　onto　60　percent。
　　All　three　men　caught　their　breath　as　the　percentage　jumped　in　a　matter　of　seconds　to　100　percent。
　　〃That's　still　a　consequence　of　the　grazing　impact；〃　Erragon　said　but　F'lessan　didn't　think　he　believed　that。　〃The　ellipse　is　shrinking。　Can　you　adjust　Yoko's　visuals？〃
　　On　the　map　in　the　right…hand　corner；　the　figures　flickered　in　latitude　and　longitude；　following　the　last　downward　plunge　of　the　et。　Filling　that　screen　at　maximum　magnification；　the　tuberlike　s