mreilly.icestation-第73部分

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rom　Barnaby's　face。　
　Schofield　had　raised　his　harpoon　gun…　
　…and　pointed　it　at　the　cracked　porthole。　
　
　Barnaby　saw　it　a　second　too　late　and　Schofield　saw　the　British　general　step　across　the　diving　bell　and　scream；　〃No！〃　just　as　Schofield　pulled　the　trigger　on　the　harpoon　gun　and　the　harpoon　shot　straight　through　the　cracked　glass　of　the　diving　bell's　porthole。　
　
　The　result　was　instantaneous。　
　The　harpoon　shot　through　the　cracked　glass　of　the　porthole；　puncturing　the　high…pressure　atmosphere　of　the　diving　bell。　With　the　integrity　of　the　diving　bell　lost；　the　immense　weight　of　the　ocean　pressing　in　all　around　it　suddenly　became　overwhelming。　
　The　diving　bell　imploded。　
　Its　spherical　walls　came　rushing　inward　at　phenomenal　speed　as　the　colossal　pressure　of　the　ocean　crushed　it　like　a　paper　cup。　Trevor　Barnaby…Brigadier　General　Trevor　J。　Bar…naby　of　Her　Majesty's　SAS…was　crushed　to　death　in　a　single　pulverizing　instant。　
　
　Shane　Schofield　just　hung　there　in　the　water　as　he　watched　the　remains　of　the　diving　bell　sink　into　the　darkness。　
　Barnaby　was　dead。　The　SAS　were　all　dead。　
　He　had　the　station　back　
　And　then　he　had　another　thought　and　a　wave　of　panic　swept　over　him。　He　was　still　a　hundred　feet　below　the　surface。　He　would　never　be　able　to　hold　his　breath　long　enough　to　get　back　up。　
　Oh；　Jesus；　no。　
　No。。。。　
　At　that　moment；　Schofield　saw　a　hand　appear　in　front　of　his　face　and　he　almost　jumped　out　of　his　skin　because　he　thought　it　must　have　been　Barnaby；　that　Barnaby　had　somehow　managed　to　escape　from　the　diving　bell　a　second　before　it　had…　
　But　it　wasn't　Trevor　Barnaby。　
　It　was　James　Renshaw。　
　Hovering　in　the　water　above　Schofield；　breathing　through　his　thirty…year…old　scuba　gear。　
　He　was　offering　Schofield　his　mouthpiece。　
　
　
　
　It　was　9：00　p。m。　when　Schofield　stepped　back　up　onto　E…deck。　
　It　was　9：40　by　the　time　he　had　searched　the　station　from　top　to　bottom；　searching　for　any　SAS　mandos　who　might　still　have　been　alive。　There　weren't　any。　Schofield　picked　up　various　weapons　as　he　went…an　MP…5；　a　couple　of　nitrogen　charges。　He　also　got　his　Desert　Eagle　back　from　Renshaw。　
　He　also　looked　for　Mother；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　her。　
　No　sign　at　all。　
　Schofield　even　looked　inside　the　dumbwaiter　that　ran　between　the　different　decks；　but　Mother　wasn't　inside　it　either。　
　Mother　was　nowhere　to　be　found。　
　
　Schofield　sat　down　on　the　edge　of　the　pool　on　E…deck；　exhausted。　It　had　now　been　more　than　twenty…four　hours　since　he　had　last　slept　and　he　was　beginning　to　feel　it。　
　Beside　him；　Renshaw's　scuba　gear　from　Little　America　IV　lay　dumped　on　the　deck；　dripping。　It　still　had　the　long　length　of　steel　cable　tied　to　it…the　cable　that　stretched　back　down　through　the　water；　down　under　the　ice　shelf　and　out　to　sea；　back　to　the　abandoned　station　in　the　iceberg　about　a　mile　off　the　coast　Schofield　shook　his　head　as　he　looked　at　the　ancient　scuba　gear。　Behind　him　on　the　deck　sat　one　of　the　British　team's　sea　sleds…a　sleek；　ultramodern　unit。　The　exact　opposite　of　Little　America　IV's　primitive　scuba　gear。　
　Renshaw　was　upstairs　in　his　room　on　B…deck；　getting　some　bandages；　scissors；　and　disinfectant　to　use　on　Schofield's　wounds。　
　Kirsty　was　standing　on　the　deck　behind　Schofield；　watching　him；　concerned。　Schofield　took　a　deep　breath　and　shut　his　eyes。　Then　he　grabbed　his　nose　and…craaaack…his　broken　nose　went　back　into　place。　
　Kirsty　winced。　〃Doesn't　that　hurt？〃　
　Schofield　grimaced　and　nodded。　〃A　lot。〃　
　Just　then；　there　came　a　loud　splash　and　Schofield　spun　around　just　in　time　to　see　Wendy　burst　up　out　of　the　water　and　land　on　the　metal　deck。　She　loped　over　to　him　and　Schofield　patted　her　on　the　head。　Wendy　immediately　rolled　over　onto　her　back　and　got　him　to　pat　her　on　the　belly。　Schofield　did　so。　Behind　him；　Kirsty　smiled。　
　Schofield　looked　down　at　his　watch。　
　9：44　p。m。　
　He　thought　about　the　breaks　in　the　solar　flare　that　Abby　Sinclair　had　told　him　about　earlier。　
　Abby　had　said　that　breaks　in　the　flare　would　be　passing　over　Wilkes　Ice　Station　at　7：30　p。m。　and　10：00　p。m。　
　Well；　he'd　missed　the　7：30　break。　
　But　there　were　still　sixteen　minutes　until　the　last　break　passed　over　the　station　at　10：00　p。m。　He'd　try　to　get　on　a　radio　then　and　call　McMurdo。　
　He　sighed；　turned　around。　He　had　some　things　to　do　before　then；　though。　
　He　saw　a　Marine　helmet　on　the　deck。　Snake's；　he　guessed。　Schofield　reached　over　and　grabbed　it；　put　it　on　his　head。　
　He　then　positioned　the　helmet's　microphone　in　front　of　his　mouth。　〃Marines；　this　is　Scarecrow。　Montana。　Fox。　Santa　Cruz。　Do　you　copy？〃　
　At　first　there　was　no　reply；　then　suddenly　Schofield　heard；　〃Scarecrow？　Is　that　you？〃　
　It　was　Gant。　〃Where　are　you？〃　she　said。　
　〃I'm　up　in　the　station。〃　
　〃What　about　the　SAS？〃　
　〃Killed　'em。　Got　my　station　back。　What　about　you？　I　saw　that　Barnaby　sent　a　team　down　there。〃　
　〃We　had　a　little　help；　but　we　took　care　of　them　without　any　losses。　Everyone's　accounted　for。　Scarecrow；　we　have　got　a　lot　to　talk　about。〃　
　
　Down　in　the　ice　cavern；　Libby　Gant　looked　out　from　behind　the　horizontal　fissure。　
　After　the　short…lived　battle　with　the　British　dive　team；　she　and　the　others　had　retreated　to　the　fissure；　not　to　get　away　from　the　SAS　mandos…they　were　all　dead…but　rather　to　get　away　from　the　giant　elephant　seals　that　had　begun　to　prowl　around　the　cavern　after　gorging　themselves　on　the　SAS　troops。　Right　now；　Gant　saw；　the　seals　were　clustered　around　the　big　black　ship；　like　campers　gathered　around　a　campfire。　
　〃Like　what？〃　Schofield's　voice　said。　
　〃Like　a　spaceship　that　isn't　a　spaceship；〃　Gant　said。　
　
　〃Tell　me　about　it；〃　Schofield　said　wearily。　
　Gant　quickly　told　him　about　what　she　had　found。　About　the　〃spaceship〃　itself　and　the　keypad　on　it；　about　the　hangar　and　the　diary　and　the　earthquake　that　had　buried　the　whole　station　deep　within　the　earth。　It　looked　like　a　top…secret　military　project　of　some　sort…the　secret　construction　by　the　U。S。　Air　Force　of　some　special　kind　of　attack　plane。　Gant　also　mentioned　the　reference　in　the　diary　to　a　plutonium　core　inside　the　plane。　
　Then　she　told　Schofield　about　the　elephant　seals　and　the　bodies　inside　the　cave　and　how　the　seals　had　cut　down　the　SAS　troops　as　they　had　emerged　from　the　water。　Their　viciousness；　Gant　said；　was　shocking。　
　Schofield　took　it　all　in　silently。　
　He　then　told　Gant　of　the　elephant　seal　that　he　had　seen　earlier　on　the　monitor　inside　Renshaw's　room；　told　her　about　the　abnormally　large　lower　canines　that　protruded　up　from　its　lower　jaw　like　a　pair　of　inverted　fangs。　As　he　spoke；　an　image　formed　in　his　mind…an　image　of　the　dead　killer　whale　they　had　seen　surface　earlier；　it　had　had　two　long　tearing　gashes　going　all　the　way　down　its　belly。　
　〃We　saw　a　couple　of　seals　with　teeth　like　that；　too；〃　Gant　said。　〃Smaller　ones；　though。　Juvenile　males。　The　one　you　saw　must　have　been　the　bull。　From　what　you're　saying；　though；　it　seems　like　only　the　males　have　large　lower　canines。〃　
　Schofield　paused　at　that。　〃Yes。〃　
　And　then　at　that　moment；　something　clicked　inside　his　head。　Something　about　why　only　the　male　elephant　seals　had　abnormally　large　lower　teeth。　
　If　the　spaceship　really　had　a　plutonium　core　inside　it；　then　it　was　a　good　bet　that　that　core　was　slowly　emitting　passive　radiation。　Not　a　leak。　Just　passive　ambient　radiation；　which　occurred　with　any　nuclear　device。　If　the　elephant　seals　had　set　up　a　nest　near　the　ship；　then　over　time　the　passive　radiation　from　the　plutonium　might　have　had　an　effect　on　the　male　seals。　
　Schofield　remembered　seeing　the　infamous　Rodriguez　Report　about　passive　radiation　near　an　old　nuclear　weapons　facility　in　the　desert　in　New　Mexico。　In　nearby　towns；　there　were　found　to　be　unusually　high　instances　of　genetic　abnormality。　There　were　also　found　to　be　strikingly　higher　instances　of　such　abnormalities　in　men　than　in　women。　Elongated　fingers　was　a　mon　mutation。　Elongated　dentures　was　another。　Teeth。　The　writers　of　the　report　had　linked　the　higher　incidence　of　genetic　abnormalities　in　men　to　testosterone；　the　male　hormone。　
　Perhaps；　he　Schofield　thought　that　was　what　had　happened　here。　
　And　then　suddenly　he　had　another　thought。　A　more　disturbing　thought。　
　〃Gant；　when　did　the　SAS　team　arrive　in　the　cave？〃　
　〃I'm　not　sure；　somewhere　around　eight　o'clock；　I　think。〃　
　〃And　when　did　you　arrive　in　the　cave？〃　
　〃We　left　the　diving　bell　at　1410　hours。　Then　it　took　us　another　hour　or　so　to　swim　up　the　tunnel。　So　I'd　say　about　three　o'clock。〃　
　Eight　o'clock。　Three　o'clock。　
　Schofield　wondered　when　the　original　team　of　divers　from　Wilkes　Ice　Station　had　gone　down　to　the　cave。　There　was　something　there；　something　that　he　couldn't　quite　put　his　finger　on　just　yet。　But　it　might　have　been　able　to　explain　。。。　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　watch。　
　9：50　p。m。　
　Shit；　time　to　go。　
　〃Gant；　listen；　I　have　to　go。　There's　a　window　in　the　solar　flare　ing　over　the　station　in　ten　minutes　and　I　have　to　use　it。　If　you　and　the　others　are　safe　down　there；　do　me　a　favor　and　look　around　that　hangar。　Find　out　everything　you　can　about　that　plane；　OK？〃　
　〃You　bet。〃　
　Schofield　clicked　off。　But　no　sooner　had　he　done　so　than　he　heard　a　voice　from　som