mreilly.icestation-第35部分

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ere？〃　
　〃All　right；〃　Sarah　said　as　she　collected　her　thoughts。　She'd　obviously　thought　about　this　a　lot；　but　now　Schofield　had　put　her　on　the　spot。　
　〃Theory　One；〃　she　said。　〃It's　alien。　It's　a　spacecraft　from　another　planet；　from　another　civilization。　Now；　that's　not　really　my　field…it's　not　really　anyone's　field。　But　if　that　thing　is　alien　then　I'd　give　my　right　arm　to　see　it。〃　
　〃Mother　already　gave　her　left　leg。　What　else？〃　
　〃Theory　Two；〃　Sarah　said；　〃it's　not　alien。〃　
　〃It's　not　alien？〃　Schofield　raised　an　eyebrow。　That's　right；〃　Sarah　said。　〃It's　not　alien。　Now　this　theory；　this　theory　really　is　my　field。　This　is　pure　paleontology。　It's　not　a　new　theory　by　any　means；　but　until　now；　no　one's　been　able　to　find　any　evidence　to　prove　it。〃　
　〃Prove　what？〃　
　Sarah　took　a　deep　breath。　〃The　theory　goes　that　once；　a　long　time　ago；　there　was　civilized　life　on　Earth。〃　
　She　paused；　not　for　effect；　but　rather　to　wait　for　Schofield's　reaction。　
　At　first；　Schofield　didn't　say　anything；　he　just　thought　about　it　for　a　moment。　Then　he　looked　at　her　hard。　〃Go　on。〃　
　〃I'm　talking　about　a　long　time　ago；〃　Sarah　said；　gaining　momentum。　〃I'm　talking　before　the　dinosaurs。　I'm　talking　four　hundred　million　years　ago。　Now；　when　you　think　about　it。。。　when　you　think　about　it　in　terms　of　human　evolution；　it's　really　very　possible。　
　〃Human　life　as　we　know　it　has　been　on　Earth　for　less　than　a　million　years；　right？　Historically　speaking；　that's　not　a　long　time。　If　the　history　of　the　Earth　were　the　twenty…four　hours　in　a　day；　then　the　period　of　modern　human　presence　would　amount　to　about　three　seconds。　What　we　would　call　civilized　human　life…human　life　in　its　Homo　sapiens　form…has　been　here　for　an　even　shorter　period　of　time；　not　even　twenty　thousand　years。　That's　less　than　a　second　on　the　world's　time　clock。〃　
　Schofield　watched　Sarah　Hensleigh　closely　as　she　spoke。　She　was　excited；　speaking　quickly。　She　was　in　her　element。　
　〃What　paleontologists　usually　say；〃　she　said；　〃is　that　a　whole　matrix　of　factors　contributed　to　the　rise　of　the　mammals；　and　hence　the　rise　of　human　life　on　Earth。　The　right　distance　from　the　sun；　the　right　temperature；　the　right　atmosphere；　the　right　oxygen　levels　in　the　atmosphere；　and；　of　course；　the　extinction　of　the　dinosaurs。　We　all　know　about　the　Alvarez　theory；　how　an　asteroid　slammed　into　the　Earth　and　killed　all　the　dinosaurs　and　how　the　mammals　rose　out　of　the　darkness　and　took　their　place　as　the　rulers　of　the　world。　What　if　I　was　to　tell　you　that　there　is　evidence　that　there　were　at　least　four　other　such　asteroid　impacts　on　this　planet　in　the　last　seven　hundred　million　years。〃　
　〃Asteroid　impacts；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃Yes。　Sir　Edmund　Halley　once　suggested　that　the　entire　Caspian　Sea　was　created　by　an　asteroid　collision　hundreds　of　millions　of　years　ago。　Alexander　Bickerton；　the　famous　New　Zealand　physicist　who　taught　Rutherford；　hypothesized　that　the　seabed　of　the　entire　South　Atlantic　Ocean…between　South　Africa　and　South　America…was　one　great　big　bowl…shaped　crater；　caused　by　a　massive　asteroid　impact　over　three　hundred　million　years　ago。　
　〃Now；　if　we　assume…as　we　so　readily　do　in　the　case　of　the　dinosaurs…that　every　time　one　of　these　cataclysmic　asteroids　hit　the　Earth　a　civilization　died；　we　can　only　ask；　what　other　kinds　of　civilizations；　like　that　of　the　dinosaurs；　have　also　been　destroyed？　What　several　academics　have　suggested　in　recent　years…Joseph　Sorenson　from　Stanford　is　the　most　well　known…is　that　one　of　these　civilizations　may　have　been　human。〃　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　other　Marines　on　the　deck　around　him。　They　were　all　listening　to　Sarah　intensely；　rapt　in　her　story。　
　Sarah　went　on。　〃You　see；　on　average；　the　Earth　tilts　on　its　vertical　axis　half　a　degree　every　twenty…two　thousand　years。　What　Sorenson　postulated　was　that　about　four　hundred　million　years　ago　the　Earth　was　tilted　at　an　angle　not　unlike　the　angle　it's　tilted　on　today。　It　was　also　no　farther　from　the　sun　than　it　is　now；　so　it　had　similar　mean　temperatures。　Ice　core　samples；　like　the　ones　we　get　from　this　station；　have　shown　that　the　air　was　a　mix　of　oxygen；　nitrogen；　and　hydrogen；　in　quantities　very　similar　to　that　of　our　own　atmosphere　today。　Don't　you　see　it？　The　matrix　was　the　same　then　as　it　is　now。〃　
　Schofield　was　slowly　beginning　to　believe　what　Sarah　was　saying。　
　Sarah　said；　〃That　cavern　down　there　is　fifteen　hundred　feet　below　sea　level；　that's　two…and…a…half　thousand　feet　below　the　average　land　level　of　Antarctica。　The　ice　down　there　is　easily　four　hundred　million　years　old。　If　it's　upthrusted　ice　from　deeper　down…ice　that　was　raised　by　an　earthquake　or　something…then　it　could　be　a　lot；　lot　older。　
　〃I　think　that　whatever　is　down　there　is　something　that　was　frozen　a　long　time　ago。　A　long　time　ago。　It　could　be　alien；　it　could　be　human；　from　human　life　that　existed　on　this　planet　millions　of　years　ago。　Either　way；　Lieutenant；　it'll　be　the　greatest　paleontological　discovery　this　world　has　ever　known　and　I　want　to　see　it。〃　
　Sarah　stopped；　took　a　deep　breath。　
　Schofield　just　stood　there；　silent。　
　Sarah　spoke　softly。　〃Lieutenant；　this　is　my　life。　This　is　my　whole　life。　Whatever's　down　there　is　perhaps　the　greatest　discovery　in　the　history　of　mankind。　I've　been　studying　my　whole　life　for　this…〃　
　Schofield　looked　curiously　at　her；　and　she　cut　herself　off；　sensing　that　he　was　about　to　speak。　
　〃What　about　your　daughter？〃　he　said。　
　Sarah　cocked　her　head。　She　hadn't　expected　him　to　ask　that。　
　Schofield　said；　〃You're　willing　to　leave　her　up　here　alone？〃　
　〃She'll　be　safe；〃　Sarah　said　evenly。　Then　she　smiled。　〃She'll　be　up　here　with　you。〃　
　Schofield　hadn't　seen　Sarah　Hensleigh　smile　before。　It　illuminated　her　face；　lit　up　the　whole　room。　
　Sarah　said；　〃I'll　also　be　able　to　identify　our　divers　who　went　down　to　that　cave　before；　which　might　be…〃　
　Schofield　held　up　his　hand。　〃It's　all　right；　you　convinced　me。　You　can　go。　But　you　use　our　scuba　gear。　I　don't　know　what　happened　to　your　people　down　there　before；　but　I　have　a　sneaking　suspicion　that　whatever's　down　there　heard　the　noise　of　their　breathing　gear　and　I　don't　want　the　same　thing　to　happen　to　us。〃　
　〃Thank　you；　Lieutenant；〃　Sarah　said　seriously。　〃Thank　you。〃　Then　she　took　off　the　glistening　silver　locket　that　she　wore　around　her　neck　and　offered　it　to　Schofield。　〃I'd　better　not　dive　with　this　on。　Can　you　keep　it　for　me　until　I　get　back？〃　
　Schofield　took　the　locket；　put　it　in　his　pocket。　〃Sure。〃　
　Just　then；　there　came　a　sudden　groaning　sound　from　the　pool　to　his　left。　
　Schofield　spun；　just　in　time　to　see　an　enormous　black　shadow　rise　to　the　surface　of　the　pool　amid　a　cloud　of　frothing　white　bubbles。　
　At　first　he　thought　the　black　shadow　was　one　of　the　killer　whales；　returning　to　the　pool　in　search　of　more　food。　But　whatever　it　was；　it　wasn't　swimming。　It　was　just　floating；　rising　up　and　up　toward　the　surface。　
　And　then　the　enormous　black　object　breached　the　surface　with　a　loud　shooshing　sound。　Waves　and　bubbles　shot　out　from　every　side　of　it。　White　froth　expanded　all　around　it。　Narrow　rivulets　of　blood　snaked　their　way　through　the　froth。　The　massive　black　object　bobbed　on　the　surface。　Everyone　on　the　deck　took　a　step　forward。　
　Schofield　stared　at　the　black　object　in　awe。　
　It　was　a　killer　whale。　
　But　it　was　dead。　Well　and　truly　dead。　The　huge　black…and…white　carcass　just　floated　limply　in　the　water；　alongside　the　deck。　It　was　one　of　the　larger　ones；　too；　possibly　even　the　male　of　the　pack。　It　must　have　been　at　least　thirty　feet　long。　Seven　tons　in　weight。　
　At　first　Schofield　thought　it　must　have　been　the　killer　whale　that　Mother　had　shot　in　the　head　during　the　battle…　since　that　was　the　only　whale　that　he　knew　for　sure　was　dead。　He　quickly　changed　his　mind。　
　This　dead　whale　had　no　visible　wound　in　its　head。　The　one　Mother　had　shot　would　have　had　a　hole　the　size　of　a　basketball　in　its　skull。　This　one's　forehead　was　unmarked。　
　And　there　was　another　thing。　
　This　one　had　floated　to　the　surface。　
　An　animal　killed　in　water　will　initially　float；　until　its　body　fills　with　water。　Only　then　will　it　sink。　The　killer　whale　that　Mother　had　killed　would　have　long　since　sunk　to　the　bottom。　This　whale；　on　the　other　hand；　had　been　killed　recently。　
　The　dead　carcass　rolled　slowly　in　the　water。　Schofield　and　the　other　Marines　on　the　deck　just　stared　at　it；　entranced。　
　And　then；　slowly；　it　rolled　belly…up　and　Schofield　saw　the　great　whale's　white　underbelly　and　his　jaw　dropped。　
　Two　long　bloody　gashes　ran　down　the　length　of　the　big　whale's　underbelly。　
　They　ran　in　parallel。　Two　jagged　uneven　slashes　that　ran　all　the　way　up　the　center　of　the　whale's　body；　from　its　mid…section　to　its　throat。　Sections　of　the　big　whale's　intestines　had　fallen　out　through　the　gashes…long；　ugly　cream…colored　coils　that　were　as　thick　as　a　man's　arm。　
　They　weren't　clean　cuts　either；　Schofield　saw。　Each　gash　was　a　tear；　a　rip。　Something　had　punctured　the　whale's　belly　and　then　ripped　up　the　entire　length　of　its　body；　tearing　the　skin　apart。　
　Everyone　on　the　deck　stared　at　the　bloody　carcass；　the　understanding　visible　on　their　faces。　
　There　was　something　down　in　that　water。　
　Something　that　had　killed　a　killer　whal