cc.floodtide-第53部分

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NUM　A　marine…survey　ship；　squinted　his　eyes　and　checked　for　smudges　on　the　lenses。　Seeing　none；　he　replaced　the　rims　and　adjusted　the　earpieces。　Then　he　looked　down　and　studied　the　three…dimensional　diorama　of　the　Sungari　shipping　port　that　was　beamed　down　on　a　horizontal　surface　by　an　overhead　holographic　projector。　The　image　was　processed　from　forty　or　more　aerial　photographs　taken　at　low　altitudes　by　a　NUMA　helicopter。
　
　Constructed　on　newly　made　land　in　a　swampland　along　both　banks　of　the　Atchafalaya　River　before　it　emptied　into　the　Gulf　of　Mexico；　the　port　was　hailed　as　the　most　modern　and　efficient　shipping　terminus　in　the　world。　Covering　two　thousand　acres　and　stretching　over　a　mile　on　both　sides　of　the　Atchafalaya　River；　it　was　dredged　to　a　navigational　depth　of　thirty…two　feet。　The　Port　of　Sungari　consisted　of　over　one　million　square　feet　of　warehouse　space；　two　grain　elevators　with　loading　slips；　a　six…hundred…thousand…barrel…capacity　liquid　bulk　terminal　and　three　general…cargo　handling　terminals　that　could　load　and　unload　twenty　container　ships　at　one　time。　The　steel…faced　docks　on　opposite　sides　of　the　river　channel　backed　by　landfill　provided　twelve　thousand　feet　of　deep…water　berthage　for　all　ships　except　heavily　laden　super…tankers。
　
　What　made　Sungari　different　from　most　port　facilities　was　its　architecture。　No　gray　concrete　buildings　shaped　in　austere　rectangles。　The　warehouses　and　office　structures　were　constructed　in　the　shape　of　pyramids；　all　covered　with　a　gold　galvanized　material　that　blazed　like　fire　when　struck　by　the　sun。　The　effect　was　electrifying；　especially　to　planes　flying　overhead；　and　its　glow　could　be　seen　from　ships　forty　miles　out　in　the　Gulf。
　
　A　light　rap　came　on　the　door　behind　Gunn。　He　stepped　across　the　ship's　conference　room；　used　for　meetings　between　the　ship's　scientists　and　technicians；　and　opened　the　door。　General　Frank　Montaigne　stood　in　the　passageway　outside；　looking　dapper　in　a　gray　suit　with　vest　and　leaning　on　his　cane。　〃Thank　you　for　ing；　General。　I'm　Rudi　Gunn。〃
　　〃mander　Gunn；〃　said　General　Montaigne　affably；　〃I've　looked　forward　to　meeting　you。　After　my　briefing　by　officials　from　the　White　House　and　INS；　I'm　delighted　to　find　that　I'm　not　the　only　one　who　believes　Qin　Shang　to　be　a　deviously　clever　menace。〃
　〃We　seem　to　be　members　of　a　growing　club。〃
　Gunn　showed　the　general　to　a　chair　beside　the　three…dimensional　image　of　Sungari。　Montaigne　leaned　toward　the　projected　diorama；　his　hand　and　chin　resting　on　the　leaping　frog　atop　his　cane。　〃I　see　NUMA　also　uses　holographic　imagery　to　demonstrate　their　marine　projects。〃
　〃I've　heard　the　Army　Corp　of　Engineers　takes　advantage　of　the　same　technology。〃
　〃It　es　in　handy　to　convince　Congress　to　increase　our　funding。　The　only　difference　is；　our　unit　is　designed　to　show　fluid　motion。　When　we　brief　the　various　mittees　in　Washington；　we　like　to　impress　them　with　a　demonstration　on　the　horrors　of　a　disastrous　flood。〃
　〃What's　your　opinion　of　Sungari？〃　asked　Gunn。
　Montaigne　seemed　lost　in　the　image。　〃It's　as　if　an　alien　culture　came　down　from　space　and　built　a　city　in　the　middle　of　the　Gobi　Desert。　It's　all　so　pointless　and　unnecessary。　I'm　reminded　of　the　old　saying；　All　dressed　up　and　no　place　to　go。〃
　〃You're　not　impressed　with　it。〃
　〃As　a　shipping　terminus；　I　find　it　about　as　useful　as　a　second　belly　button　on　my　forehead。〃
　〃Hard　to　believe　Qin　Shang　got　the　necessary　approval　and　permits　for　such　a　vast　project　with　no　profitable　future；〃　said　Gunn。
　〃He　submitted　a　prehensive　development　plan　that　was　approved　by　the　Louisiana　state　legislature。　Naturally；　politicians　will　jump　on　any　industrial　development　they　think　will　increase　employment　and　revenue　that　won't　tap　the　taxpayers'　pockets。　With　no　obvious　downside；　who　can　blame　them？　The　Army　Corps　also　approved　their　permits　for　dredging　because　we　saw　no　interruption　in　the　natural　flow　of　the　Atchafalaya　River。　The　environmentalists　raised　hell；　of　course；　because　of　the　virtual　destruction　of　a　vast　area　of　wetlands。　But　all　their　objections　and　those　of　my　own　engineers　concerning　the　future　alteration　of　the　Atchafalaya　Delta　were　quickly　brushed　aside　when　Qin　Shang's　lobbyists　sweet…talked　Congress　into　fully　authorizing　the　project。　I've　yet　to　meet　a　financial　analyst　or　port…district　missioner　who　did　not　think　Sungari　was　a　failure　before　its　plans　came　out　of　the　puters。〃
　
　〃And　yet；　all　permits　were　approved；〃　said　Gunn。　〃Blessings　were　given　by　high　officials　in　Washington；　including　President　Wallace；　who　greased　the　path；〃　conceded　Montaigne。　〃Much　of　the　acceptance　was　based　around　the　new　trade　deals　with　China。　Congress　didn't　want　to　upset　the　apple　cart　when　Chinese　trade　reps　threw　Sungari　into　their　proposals。　And　to　be　sure；　there　must　have　been　heavy　payoffs　under　the　table　by　Qin　Shang　Maritime　up　and　down　the　line。〃　Gunn　moved　around　the　three…dimensional　projection　and　stared　through　a　porthole　at　the　actual　plex　two　miles　upriver　from　the　Marine　Denizen；　The　golden　buildings　were　turning　orange　with　the　setting　sun。　But　for　two　ships；　the　long　docks　were　empty。　〃We're　not　dealing　with　a　man　who　bets　on　a　horse　with　long　odds。　There　has　to　be　a　method　to　the　madness　for　Shang　to　spend　over　a　billion　dollars　to　develop　a　terminus　for　overseas　trade　in　such　an　impractical　location。〃
　
　〃I　wish　someone　would　enlighten　me　as　to　what　it　is；〃　Montaigne　said　cynically；　〃because　I　haven't　a　clue。〃
　〃And　yet；　Sungari　does　have　access　to　State　Highway　90　and　the　Southern　Pacific　rail　line；〃　Gunn　pointed　out。
　〃Wrong；〃　snorted　Montaigne。　〃Presently；　there　is　no　access。　Qin　Shang　has　refused　to　build　a　link　to　the　main　rail　line　and　a　paved　thoroughfare　to　the　highway。　He　says　he's　done　enough。　He　insists　that　it　is　up　to　the　state　and　federal　governments　to　build　access　to　his　transportation　network。　But　because　of　voter　unrest　and　new　budget　restrictions；　state　bureaucrats　are　balking。〃
　Gunn　turned　and　looked　at　Montaigne；　puzzled。　〃No　means　of　ground　transportation　in　and　out　of　Sungari？　That's　insane。〃　Montaigne　nodded　at　the　holographic　image。　〃Take　a　good　look　at　your　fancy　display。　Do　you　see　an　arterial　roadway　traveling　north　to　Highway　90　or　rail　spurs　connecting　with　the　Southern　Pacific　tracks？　The　Intracoastal　Waterway　runs　past　a　few　miles　north；　but　it's　used　mostly　by　pleasure　craft　and　limited　barge　traffic。〃
　Gunn　studied　the　image　closely　and　saw　that　the　only　access　for　freight　up　the　Atchafalaya　River　to　the　north　was　by　barge　traffic。　The　entire　port　was　surrounded　by　marshland。　〃This　is　crazy。　How　did　he　build　and　develop　such　a　vast　plex　without　construction　materials　trucked　or　shipped　in　by　rail？〃　〃No　materials　came　out　of　the　United　States。　Virtually　everything　you　see　was　shipped　in　from　overseas　on　Qin　Shang　Maritime　ships。　The　building　materials；　the　construction　equipment；　all　came　from　China；　as　did　the　engineers；　supervisors　and　workmen。　No　American；　Japanese　or　European　had　a　hand　in　Sungari's　development。　The　only　material　that　didn't　arrive　from　China　was　the　landfill　that　came　from　an　excavation　sixty　miles　up　the　Atchafalaya。〃
　〃Couldn't　he　find　landfill　closer　to　the　development？〃　asked　Gunn。
　〃A　mystery；〃　replied　Montaigne。　〃Qin　Shang's　builders　barged　millions　of　cubic　yards　of　fill　downriver　by　excavating　a　canal　through　the　marshlands　that　goes　nowhere。〃
　Gunn　sighed　in　exasperation。　〃How　in　the　world　does　he　expect　to　ever　show　a　profit？〃
　〃Until　now；　the　cargoes　of　the　few　Chinese　merchant　ships　that　dock　at　Sungari　have　been　carried　inland　by　barge　and　towboat；〃　explained　Montaigne。　〃Even　if　he　gave　in　and　built　a　transportation　system　in　and　out　of　his　dream　port；　who　but　the　Chinese　would　e？　Terminal　facilities　on　the　Mississippi　have　far　superior　access　to　major　highways；　rail　links　and　an　international　airport。　No　shipping…pany　CEO　with　half　a　brain　would　divert　vessels　of　his　merchant　fleet　from　New　Orleans　to　Sungari。〃
　
　〃Could　he　barge　cargo　up　and　down　the　Atchafalaya　and　Red　rivers　to　a　transportation　center　farther　north？〃
　〃A　losing　proposition；〃　Montaigne　replied。　〃The　Atchafalaya　may　be　an　inland　navigable　waterway；　but　it　doesn't　contain　half　the　flow　of　the　Mississippi。　It's　considered　a　shallow…draft　artery　and　barge　traffic　is　limited；　unlike　the　Mississippi；　which　can　acmodate　great　towboats　with　ten　thousand　horsepower　pushing　as　many　as　fifty　barges　tied　together　in　rows　like　a　marching　column　stretching　nearly　a　third　of　a　mile。　The　Atchafalaya　is　a　treacherous　river。　It　may　look　calm　and　peaceful；　but　that　is　a　mask　that　hides　its　true；　ugly　face。　It　waits　like　a　gator　with　only　its　eyes　and　nostrils　showing；　ready　to　strike　the　unwary　river　pilot　or　pleasure…boat　operator　out　for　a　weekend　cruise。　If　Qin　Shang　thought　he　could　build　a　mercial　waterborne　empire　to　support　freight　traffic　up　and　down　the　Atchafalaya　or　across　the　Intracoastal　Waterway；　he　was　sadly　mistaken。　Neither　channel　has　been　improved　to　handle　heavy　barge　traffic。〃
　〃The　White　House　and　Immigration　Service　suspect　the　chief　purpose　behind　the　building　of　Sungari　is　for　a　dispersal　point　for　smuggling　illegal　immigrants；　drugs　and　illegal　weapons。〃
　Montaig