mreilly.icestation-第37部分

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　His　helmet　inter　crackled　to　life。　〃Sir；　Book　here。〃　
　〃Any　luck？〃　
　〃Not　a　goddam　thing；　sir。〃　
　For　the　last　quarter　of　an　hour；　Book；　Snake；　and　Rebound　had　been　trying　to　raise　McMurdo　Station　on　the　unit's　portable　radio。　They　were　doing　it　from　just　outside　the　main　entrance　to　the　station；　as　if　being　outside　the　structure　might　somehow　help　the　signal　get　through。　
　〃Interference？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Mountains　of　it；〃　Book　said　sadly。　
　Schofield　thought　for　a　moment。　Then　he　said；　〃Book。　Cancel　that　option　and　e　back　inside。　I　want　you　to　go　and　find　the　scientists　who　are　still　here。　I　think　they're　in　that　mon　room　on　B…deck。　See　if　you　can　find　out　if　any　of　them　are　familiar　with　the　radio　system　here。〃　
　〃I　copy　that；　sir。〃　
　Book's　voice　switched　off　and　Schofield's　inter　was　silent　again。　Schofield　stared　at　the　pool　of　water　at　the　base　of　the　station　and　resumed　his　thoughts。　
　He　thought　about　Samurai's　death　and　who　could　have　done　it。　At　the　moment；　he　trusted　only　two　people：　Montana　and　Sarah　Hensleigh；　since　they　had　been　with　him　when　Samurai　had　been　murdered。　They　were　the　only　two　people　who　Schofield　knew　for　certain　were　not　involved　in　Samurai's　murder。　As　far　as　everybody　else　was　concerned；　they　were　all　under　suspicion。　
　Which　was　why　Schofield　had　decided　to　keep　Book；　Snake；　and　Rebound　all　together。　If　one　of　them　was　the　killer；　he　wouldn't　be　able　to　kill　again　with　the　other　two　around。。。。　
　Suddenly　a　new　thought　hit　Schofield　and　he　keyed　his　mike　again。　〃Book；　you　still　out　there？〃　
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　
　〃Book；　while　you're　down　on　B…deck；　I　want　you　to　ask　those　scientists　something　else；〃　Schofield　said。　〃I　want　you　to　ask　if　any　of　them　knows　anything　about　weather。〃　
　
　The　radio　room　at　Wilkes　Ice　Station　is　situated　in　the　southeast　corner　of　A…deck；　directly　across　the　shaft　from　the　dining　room。　It　houses　the　station's　satellite　telemunications　gear　and　short…range　radio　transmitters。　Four　radio　consoles…　each　consisting　of　a　microphone；　a　puter　screen　and　keyboard；　and　some　frequency　dials…were　in　the　room；　two　to　each　side。　
　Abby　Sinclair　was　sitting　at　one　of　the　radio　consoles　when　Schofield　entered　the　radio　room。　
　The　first　thing　Schofield　noticed　was　that　Abby　Sinclair　had　not　borne　the　recent　events　at　Wilkes　Ice　Station　at　all　well。　Abby　was　a　pretty　woman　in　her　late　thirties；　with　long；　frizzy　brown　hair　and　large　brown　eyes。　Long　vertical　streaks　of　black　mascara　ran　down　from　beneath　both　of　her　eyes。　They　reminded　Schofield　of　the　two　scars　that　cut　down　across　his　own　eyes…now　hidden　once　again；　behind　his　opaque　silver　glasses。　
　Next　to　Abby　stood　the　three　other　Marines…Riley；　Rebound；　and　Snake。　Abby　Sinclair　was　the　only　scientist　in　the　room。　
　Schofield　turned　to　Book。　〃Nobody　knows　anything　about　weather？〃　
　〃On　the　contrary；〃　Book　said。　〃You're　in　luck。　Lieutenant　Shane　Schofield；　I'd　like　you　to　meet　Miss　Abby　Sinclair。　Miss　Sinclair　is　both　the　radio　expert　at　this　station　and　its　resident　meteorologist。〃　
　Abby　Sinclair　said；　〃Actually；　I'm　not　the　real　radio　expert。　Carl　Price　was；　but　he。。。　disappeared　down　in　the　cave　before。　I　just　help　him　out　with　the　radio　gear；　so　I　guess　I'm　it　now。〃　
　Schofield　smiled　reassuringly　at　her。　〃That's　good　enough　for　me；　Miss　Sinclair。　Is　it　OK　if　I　call　you　Abby？〃　
　She　nodded。　
　Schofield　said；　〃All　right。　Abby；　I　have　two　problems；　and　I'm　hoping　that　you　can　help　me　with　both　of　them。　I　need　to　get　in　contact　with　my　superiors　at　McMurdo　as　soon　as　possible。　I　need　to　tell　them　what's　happened　here　so　that　they　can　send　in　the　cavalry；　if　they　haven't　done　so　already。　Now；　we've　been　trying　to　raise　McMurdo　on　our　portable　radio；　but　we　can't　get　through。　Question　One：　does　the　radio　system　here　work？〃　
　Abby　smiled　weakly。　〃It　was　working。　I　mean；　before　all　this　started。　But　then　the　solar　flare　kicked　in　and　disrupted　all　our　transmissions。　In　the　end；　though；　that　didn't　matter　because　our　antenna　went　down　in　the　storm　and　we　never　got　a　chance　to　fix　it。〃　
　〃That's　OK；〃　Schofield　said。　〃We　can　fix　that。〃　
　Something　else　that　she　had　said；　however；　troubled　him。　Schofield　had　been　told　about　the　〃solar　flare〃　phenomenon　on　his　way　to　Wilkes；　but　he　didn't　know　exactly　what　it　was。　All　he　knew　was　that　it　disrupted　the　electromagnetic　spectrum　and；　in　doing　so；　prevented　any　sort　of　radio　munication。　
　〃Tell　me　about　solar　flares；〃　he　said　to　Abby。　
　〃There　isn't　really　much　to　tell；〃　Abby　replied。　〃We　don't　really　know　that　much　about　them。　Solar　flare　is　actually　the　term　used　to　describe　a　brief　high…temperature　explosion　on　the　surface　of　the　sun；　what　most　people　would　call　a　sunspot。　When　a　sunspot　occurs；　it　emits　a　huge　amount　of　ultraviolet　radiation。　A　huge　amount。　Like　ordinary　heat　from　the　sun；　this　radiation　travels　through　space　toward　the　Earth。　When　it　gets　here；　it　contaminates　our　ionosphere；　turning　it　into　a　thick　blanket　of　electromagnetic　mayhem。　Satellites　bee　useless　because　radio　signals　from　the　Earth　can't　penetrate　the　contaminated　ionosphere。　Similarly；　signals　ing　from　satellites　down　to　the　Earth　can't　get　through　the　ionosphere　either。　Radio　munication　bees　impossible。〃　
　Abby　suddenly　looked　about　her。　Her　eyes　fell　on　one　of　the　puter　screens　next　to　her。　〃Actually；　we　have　some　weather…monitoring　gear　in　here。　If　you'll　just　give　me　a　minute；　I　might　be　able　to　show　you　what　I　mean。〃　
　〃Sure；〃　Schofield　said　as　Abby　switched　on　the　puter　next　to　her。　
　The　puter　hummed　to　life。　Once　it　was　up　and　running；　Abby　clicked　through　various　screens　until　she　came　to　the　one　she　wanted。　It　was　a　satellite　map　of　southeastern　Antarctica；　overlaid　with　multicolored　patches。　A　barometric　weather　map。　Like　the　ones　on　the　evening　news。　
　〃This　is　a　snapshot　of　the　eastern　Antarctic　weather　system　for〃…Abby　looked　at　the　date　in　the　corner　of　the　screen…　〃two　days　ago。〃　She　looked　around　at　Schofield。　〃It　was　probably　one　of　the　last　ones　we　got　before　the　solar　flare　moved　in　and　cut　us　off　from　the　weather　satellite。〃　
　She　clicked　her　mouse。　Another　screen　came　up。　〃Oh；　wait；　here's　another　one。　There　it　is；〃　she　said。　
　It　filled　half　the　screen。　
　An　enormous　yellow…white　blob　of　atmospheric　disturbance。　It　filled　the　entire　left…hand　side　of　the　map；　smothering　nearly　half　of　the　pictured　Antarctic　coastline。　In　real　terms；　Schofield　thought；　the　solar　flare　must　have　been　absolutely　enormous。　
　〃And　that　is　your　solar　flare；　Lieutenant；〃　Abby　said。　She　turned　to　look　at　Schofield。　〃It　must　have　moved　eastward　after　this　shot　was　taken　and　covered　us；　too。〃　
　Schofield　stared　at　the　yellow…white　blob　superimposed　on　the　Antarctic　coastline。　There　were　slight　discolorations　in　it；　red　and　orange　patches；　even　some　black　ones。　
　Abby　said；　〃Since　they　usually　explode　in　one　section　of　the　sun's　surface；　solar　flares　usually　only　affect　defined　areas。　One　station　might　have　a　total　radio　blackout　while　another；　two　hundred　miles　away；　will　have　all　of　its　systems　working　just　fine。〃　
　Schofield　stared　at　the　screen。　〃How　long　do　they　last？〃　
　Abby　shrugged。　〃A　day。　Sometimes　two。　However　long　it　takes　for　all　the　radiation　to　make　the　trip　from　the　sun　to　the　Earth。　Depends　on　how　large　the　original　sunspot　was。〃　
　〃How　long　will　this　one　last？〃　
　Abby　turned　back　to　face　her　puter。　She　looked　at　the　depiction　of　the　solar　flare　on　the　screen；　pursed　her　lips　in　thought。　
　〃I　don't　know。　It's　a　big　one。　I'd　say　about　five　days；〃　she　said。　
　A　short　silence　followed　as　what　she　said　sank　in　to　everyone　in　the　room。　
　〃Five　days；〃　Rebound　breathed　from　behind　Schofield。　
　Schofield　was　frowning　in　thought。　Abby：　〃You　say　it　disrupts　the　ionosphere；　right？〃　
　〃Right。〃　
　〃And　the　ionosphere　is　。。。〃　
　〃The　layer　of　the　Earth's　atmosphere　about　50　to　250　miles　up；〃　Abby　said。　〃It's　called　the　ionosphere　because　the　air　in　it　is　filled　with　ionized　molecules。〃　
　Schofield　said；　〃OK。　So；　a　solar　flare　explodes　on　the　surface　of　the　sun　and　the　energy　it　emits　travels　down　to　Earth；　where　it　disrupts　the　ionosphere；　which　turns　into　a　shield　through　which　radio　signals　can't　pass；　right？〃　
　〃Right。〃　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　screen　again　and　stared　at　the　black　splotches　on　the　yellow…white　graphic　representation　of　the　solar　flare。　There　was　one　larger　black　hole　in　the　middle　of　the　yellow…white　blob　that　held　his　attention。　
　〃Is　it　uniform？〃　he　asked。　
　〃Uniform？〃　Abby　blinked；　not　prehending。　
　〃Is　the　shield　uniform　in　its　strength？　Or　does　it　have　weak　points；　inconsistencies；　breaks　in　the　shield　that　could　be　penetrated　by　radio　signals？　Like　these　black　spots　here。〃　
　Abby　said；　〃It　would　be　possible　to　penetrate　them；　but　it　would　be　difficult。　The　break　in　the　flare　would　have　to　be　directly　over　this　station。〃　
　〃Uh…huh；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Is　there　any　way　that　you　could　figure　out　when　or　if　one　of　those　breaks　would　be　directly　over　us？　Like；　maybe；　this　one　here。〃　
　Schofield　pointed　at　the　large　black　hole　in　the　center　of　the　yellow…white　blob。　
　Abby　studied　the　screen；　evaluated　the　possibilities。　
　Finally；　she　said；　〃There　might　be　a　way。　If　I　can　bring　up　so