mreilly.icestation-第17部分

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！


　minutes　earlier。　Thus　punctured；　they　had　immediately　started　spewing　out　their　store　of　chlorofluorocarbons。　
　Highly　flammable　chlorofluorocarbons。　
　That　was　what　had　happened　when　Schofield　had　seen　the　two…meter　length　of　fire　spew　forward　from　the　muzzle　of　Gant's　machine　pistol　only　moments　earlier。　It　had　been　a　warning　of　things　to　e。　But　at　that　time　the　CFCs　hadn't　yet　filled　the　station。　Hence　the　small　two…meter　flame。　
　But　now。。。　now　the　amount　of　flammable　gas　in　the　station's　atmosphere　had　multiplied　considerably。　So　much　so　mat　when　the　French　had　opened　fire　on　the　Marines　on　B…deck；　the　whole　deck　had　gone　up　in　flames。　
　Schofield's　eyes　widened。　
　The　air…conditioning　cylinders　were　still　spewing　out　CFCs。　Soon　the　whole　station　would　he　contaminated　with　flammable。。。　
　The　horror　of　the　realization　hit　Schofield　hard。　
　Wilkes　Ice　Station　had　bee　a　gas　oven。　
　All　it　needed　was　one　spark；　one　flame…or　one　gunshot…　and　the　whole　station　would　spontaneously　bust。　
　
　Rivets　began　to　pop　out　of　their　sockets　on　B…deck。　
　Spot　fires　burned　all　over　the　B…deck　catwalk。　Agonized　screams　echoed　out　across　the　open　space　of　the　ice　station　as　soldiers　and　civilians　alike　lay　writhing　on　the　catwalk；　their　bodies　alight。　
　It　looked　like　a　scene　from　Hell　itself。　
　The　three　French　soldiers　on　the　western　side　of　the　station…the　ones　who　had　opened　fire　on　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs…had　been　the　first　to　go　up　in　flames；　the　gaseous　air　around　them　having　been　ignited　by　the　white…hot　tongues　of　fire　that　had　burst　forth　from　the　muzzles　of　their　guns。　
　The　twin　fireballs　had　immediately　shot　out　from　the　barrels　of　their　guns。　One　had　surged　forward　while　the　other　had　turned　on　them　and　rushed　with　all　its　fury　back　at　their　faces。　
　Now　two　of　those　French　soldiers　lay　on　the　deck；　screaming。　The　third　was　frantically　banging　himself　against　the　ice　wall　nearby　in　a　desperate　attempt　to　put　out　the　flames　on　his　fatigues。　
　Mother　and　Rebound　were　also　on　fire。　Beside　them；　Legs　was　already　dead。　His　motionless　body　lay　flat　on　the　catwalk　as　it　was　slowly　devoured　by　crackling　orange　flames。　
　Over　by　the　north　tunnel；　Buck　Riley　was　trying　to　smother　the　flames　on　Abby　Sinclair's　pants　by　rolling　her　over　on　the　metal　catwalk。　Beside　them；　Sarah　Hensleigh　slapped　frantically　at　a　cluster　of　flames　that　had　ignited　on　the　back　of　Kirsty's　bulky　pink　parka。　Warren　Cordon　just　screamed。　His　hair　was　on　fire。　
　And　then；　suddenly；　there　came　a　sickening　sound。　The　lurching；　wrenching　sound　of　bending　steel。　
　Riley　looked　up　from　what　he　was　doing。　
　〃Oh；　no；〃　he　moaned。　
　
　Schofield　also　looked　up　at　the　sound。　
　He　scanned　the　catwalk　above　him　and　saw　a　series　of　triangular　steel　supports　that　fastened　the　underside　of　the　B…deck　catwalk　to　the　ice　wall。　
　Slowly；　almost　imperceptibly；　those　supports　began　to　slide　out　from　the　wall。　
　Under　the　intense　heat　from　the　fire　on　B…deck；　the　long　rivets　that　fastened　the　supports　to　the　wall　were　starting　to　heat　up。　They　were　melting　the　ice　around　them　and　were　now　starting　to　slide　out　from　the　wall！　
　The　rivets　began　to　expand…thwack！　thwack！　thwack！…　and　in　rapid　succession　began　to　crack　open　the　ice…cold　notches　of　their　steel　supports　and　fall　to　the　catwalk　below。　
　The　rivets　clanked　loudly　as　they　dropped　down　onto　the　C…deck　catwalk。　
　One。　
　Then　two。　Then　three。　
　Then　five。　Then　ten。　
　There　were　rivets　everywhere；　raining　down　on　the　C…deck　catwalk。　And　then　suddenly　a　new　sound　filled　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　The　unmistakable　high…pitched　squeal　of　rending　metal。　
　〃Oh；　shit；〃　Schofield　said。　〃It's　gonna　go。〃　
　
　B…deck　went。　Suddenly。　Without　warning。　
　The　entire　catwalk…the　whole；　flaming　circle…just　fell　away；　dropping　with　a　sudden　jolt；　taking　everybody　who　was　still　on　it　down　with　it。　
　Some　sections　of　the　catwalk　managed　to　stay　attached　to　the　ice　walls。　Their　fall　ended　abruptly；　almost　as　soon　as　it　had　begun。　They　ended　up　pointing　downward　at　a　forty…five…degree　angle。　
　The　remaining　sections　just　slid　out　from　the　ice　walls　and　dropped　down　into　the　central　shaft　of　the　station。　
　Nearly　everyone　who　had　been　standing　on　B…deck　dropped　with　the　collapsed　sections　of　catwalk…eleven　people　in　all。　
　A　tangled　mix　of　civilians；　soldiers；　and　three　broken　sections　of　metal　catwalk　sailed　down　the　central　shaft　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　They　fell　a　full　fifty　feet；　and　then　they　landed。　Hard。　In　water。　In　the　pool　at　the　bottom　of　the　station。　
　
　
　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　plunged　underwater。　
　A　stream　of　bubbles　shot　up　past　her　face　and　the　world　suddenly　went　silent。　
　Cold。　Absolute；　unforgiving　cold　assailed　all　of　her　senses　at　once。　It　was　so　cold　it　hurt。　
　And　then　suddenly　she　heard　noises。　
　Noises　that　broke　the　ghostly　underwater　silence…a　series　of　muffled　whumps　in　the　water　all　around　her。　It　was　the　sound　of　the　others　falling　into　the　pool　with　her。　
　Slowly；　the　curtain　of　bubbles　in　front　of　her　face　began　to　disperse；　and　Sarah　began　to　make　out　a　number　of　unusually　large　shapes　moving　smoothly　through　the　water　around　her。　
　Large　black　shapes。　
　They　appeared　to　glide　effortlessly　through　the　silent；　freezing　water…each　one　frightening　in　its　size；　as　large　and　as　wide　as　a　car。　At　that　moment；　a　wash　of　white　cut　across　Sarah's　field　of　vision　and　suddenly　an　enormous　mouth；　full　of　razor…sharp　teeth；　opened　wide　in　front　of　her　eyes。　
　Pure　fear　shot　through　her　body。　
　Killer　whales。　
　Suddenly　Sarah　broke　the　surface。　Gulped　in　air。　The　cold　of　the　water　meant　nothing　now。　One　after　the　other　huge　black　dorsal　fins　began　to　rise　above　the　choppy　surface　of　the　pool。　
　Before　Sarah　could　even　get　a　bearing　on　exactly　where　in　the　pool　she　was；　something　burst　up　out　of　the　water　next　to　her　and　she　spun。　
　It　wasn't　a　killer　whale。　
　It　was　Abby。　
　Sarah　felt　her　heart　start　again。　A　second　later；　Warren　Conlon　also　came　up　beside　her。　
　Sarah　spun　around　in　the　water。　All　five　of　the　French　soldiers　who　had　been　on　B…deck　when　it　blew　were　scattered　around　the　pool。　Three　Marines　were　also　in　the　pool。　One　of　them；　Sarah　noticed；　was　floating　facedown　in　the　water。　
　A　scream　echoed　down　through　the　central　shaft　of　the　station。　
　A　shrill；　high…pitched　squeal。　
　The　scream　of　a　little　girl。　
　Sarah's　head　snapped　to　look　upward。　There；　high　above　her；　hanging　by　one　hand　from　the　downturned　railing　of　the　B…deck　catwalk；　was　Kirsty。　The　Marine　who　had　been　with　them　when　the　catwalk　had　collapsed　was　lying　facedown　on　the　broken　metal　platform；　reaching　down　desperately；　trying　to　grab　Kirsty's　hand。　
　Just　then；　as　she　was　looking　up　at　Kirsty；　Sarah　felt　the　immense　weight　of　one　of　the　killers　rush　through　the　water　between　her　and　Conlon。　The　massive　animal　brushed　against　the　side　of　her　leg。　
　And　then　suddenly　Sarah　heard　a　shout。　
　It　had　e　from　the　other　side　of　the　pool；　and　Sarah　spun　around　just　in　time　to　see　one　of　the　French　mandos…his　face　blistered　and　scorched　from　the　fireball…　swimming　frantically　for　the　edge　of　the　pool；　his　terrified；　panicked　whimpers　interrupted　only　by　short；　desperate　breaths。　
　It　was　the　only　movement　in　the　whole　pool。　Nobody　else　had　even　dared　to　move。　
　Almost　immediately；　a　towering　black　dorsal　fin　appeared　alongside　the　desperate　swimmer。　After　a　second；　it　slowed；　and　then　it　ominously　sank　below　the　surface　behind　him。　
　The　result　was　as　violent　as　it　was　sudden。　
　With　a　hideous　crack；　the　French　mando's　body　suddenly　snapped　backwards　in　the　water。　He　turned　in　the　water　and　opened　his　mouth　to　scream；　but　nothing　came　out。　His　eyes　just　went　wide。　He　must　have　seen　that　the　whale　had　crushed　the　whole　of　his　lower　body　with　its　bite　and　was　now　holding　him　firmly　within　its　mighty　jaws。　
　The　whale's　second　yank　was　even　more　powerful　than　the　first。　It　pulled　the　Frenchman　under　with　such　force　that　the　man's　head　jolted　backward　and　slapped　down　hard　against　the　water　as　he　went　under　and　disappeared　forever。　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　gasped。　〃Oh；　Jesus。。。。〃　
　
　Buck　Riley's　section　of　catwalk　was　still　attached　to　the　ice　wall。　Just。　It　hung　downward　at　a　steep　angle；　out　over　the　central　shaft。　
　The　three　scientists…Riley　didn't　know　their　names…had　all　been　too　slow。　The　sudden　collapse　of　the　catwalk　had　caught　all　three　of　them　by　surprise。　Too　slow　to　get　a　handhold；　they　had　all　fallen　down　into　the　shaft。　
　Riley's　reflexes　had　been　quicker。　When　the　catwalk　had　fallen　away　beneath　him；　he　had　hit　the　deck　and　immediately　garnered　a　fingerhold　in　the　grating　of　the　catwalk　itself。　
　The　little　girl　had　also　been　fast。　
　As　soon　as　the　floor　had　dropped　away　beneath　her；　she　had　fallen　to　the　catwalk　and　immediately　started　to　slide　toward　the　edge。　
　Her　feet　had　gone　over　the　edge　first；　followed　quickly　by　her　waist　and　then　her　chest。　Just　as　her　head　fell　clear　of　the　railing；　she　threw　out　a　desperate　hand　and　miraculously　caught　hold　of　the　hand　railing。　
　The　railing　held　for　a　second；　but；　weakened　by　the　force　of　the　gas　explosion；　it　suddenly　buckled　and　snapped　and　swung　out　over　the　edge　of　t