cc.vixen03-第29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！


　〃You　refer　to　this　'QD'　in　the　past　tense。〃
　The　admiral　made　a　helpless　gesture。　〃Force　of　habit。　Until　your　discovery　of　Vixen　03；　I　thought　none　still　existed。〃
　〃What　exactly　was　it？〃
　〃QD　was　the　ultimate　in　sophisticated　military　weaponry。　Thirty…five　years　ago　a　microbiologist　by　the　name　of　Dr。　John　Vetterly　chemically　created　an　artificial　form　of　life　that　in　turn　was　capable　of　producing　a　disease　strain　that　was　and　still　is　quite　unknown。　As　simply　as　I　can　put　it；　a　nondetectable；　unidentifiable　bacteriological　agent　able　to　inca…pacitate　a　living　human　or　animal　within　seconds　of　exposure　and　disrupt　the　vital　body　functions；　causing　death　three　to　five　minutes　later。〃
　〃Won't　nerve　gas　acplish　the　same　thing？〃
　〃Under　ideal　conditions；　yes。　But　meteorological　disturbances　such　as　wind　or　storm　or　extreme　temperatures　can　dilute　the　lethal　dosage　of　a　nerve　or　toxic　agent　when　it's　released　over　a　wide　area。　An　outbreak　of　QD；　on　the　other　hand；　can　ignore　the　weather　and　produce　a　localized　plague　that　is　extremely　tenacious。〃
　〃But　this　is　the　twentieth　century。　Surely　epidemics　can　be　con…trolled？〃
　〃If　the　microorganisms　can　be　detected　and　identified；　then　it's　possi…ble。　Decontamination　procedures；　inoculations　with　serums　and　antibi…otics　；　will　in　most　cases　slow　down　or　halt　a　raging　epidemic。　But　nothing　on　this　earth　could　stop　QD　once　it　grabbed　a　toehold　on　a　city。〃
　〃Then　how　did　QD　e　to　be　loaded　in　an　aircraft　in　the　middle　of　the　United　States？〃　Pitt　demanded。
　〃Elementary。　The　Rocky　Mountain　Arsenal　outside　of　Denver　was　the　nation's　primary　manufacturer　of　chemical　and　biological　weapons　for　over　twenty　years。〃
　Pitt　remained　silent　and　let　the　old　man　go　on。
　Bass　looked　out　at　the　panorama　below；　but　his　eyes　were　unfocused。　〃March　of　fifty…four；〃　he　said；　as　long…buried　events　began　unfolding　in　his　mind。　〃The　H…bomb　was　set　to　burst　over　Bikini。　I　was　placed　in　mand　of　the　QD　tests　because　Dr。　Vetterly　was　funded　by　the　Navy　and　I　was　an　expert　on　naval　ordnance。　I　thought　it　logical　at　the　time　to　conduct　experiments　cloaked　under　the　excitement　of　the　nuclear　explo…sion。　While　the　world　was　concentrating　on　the　main　event；　we　con…ducted　our　tests　on　Rongelo　Island；　four　hundred　miles　to　the　northeast；　totally　unnoticed。〃
　〃Rongelo；〃　Pitt　said　slowly。　〃The　destination　of　Vixen　03。〃
　Bass　nodded。　〃A　raw；　bleached　knob　of　coral　poking　through　the　sea　in　the　middle　of　nowhere。　Even　the　birds　shy　away　from　it。〃　Bass　paused　to　shift　his　position　on　the　bench。　〃I　scheduled　two　series　of　tests。　The　first　was　an　aerosol　device　that　scattered　a　small　amount　of　QD　over　the　atoll。　The　second　included　the　battleship　Wisconsin。　She　was　to　lie　back　twenty　miles　and　lob　a　warhead　with　QD　from　her　main　batteries。　That　test　never　took　place。〃
　〃Major　Vylander　failed　to　deliver　the　goods；〃　Pitt　surmised。
　〃The　contents　of　the　canisters；〃　Bass　acknowledged。　〃Naval　shells　armed　with　QD。〃
　〃You　could　have　ordered　up　another　supply。〃
　〃I　could；〃　Bass　agreed。　〃But　the　real　reason　I　halted　the　test　series　was　because　of　what　we　learned　after　the　aerosol　drop。　The　results　were　godawful　and　filled　all　who　shared　in　the　secret　with　a　feeling　of　horror。〃
　〃You　talk　as　though　the　island　was　devastated。〃
　〃Visually；　nothing　had　changed；〃　said　Bass；　his　voice　barely　audible。　〃The　white　sand　of　the　beach；　the　few　palms；　all　was　as　it　had　been。　The　test　animals　we　had　placed　on　the　island　were　all　dead；　of　course。　I　insisted　on　a　waiting　period　of　two　weeks　to　give　any　residual　effects　a　chance　to　dissipate　before　permitting　the　scientists　to　examine　the　results　firsthand。　Dr。　Vetterly　and　three　of　his　assistants　landed　on　the　beach　wearing　full　protective　clothing　and　breathing　apparatus。　Seven…teen　minutes　later；　all　were　dead。〃
　Pitt　fought　to　preserve　his　balance。　〃How　was　it　possible？〃
　〃Dr。　Vetterly　had　vastly　underestimated　his　discovery。　The　potency　of　other　lethal　agents　wears　off　after　a　time。　Conversely；　QD　gains　in　strength。　By　what　method　it　penetrated　the　scientists'　protective　gear　we　were　never　able　to　determine。〃
　〃Did　you　retrieve　the　bodies？〃
　〃They　still　lie　there；〃　said　Bass　with　sadness　in　his　eyes。　〃You　see；　Mr。　Pitt；　the　terrible　power　of　QD　is　only　half　its　malignity。　QD's　most　frightening　quality　is　its　refusal　to　die。　We　later　found　that　its　bacillus　forms　superresistant　spores；　which　are　able　to　penetrate　the　ground…in　Rongelo　Island's　case；　the　coral…and　live　out　an　astonishing　lifespan。〃
　〃I　find　it　incredible　that　after　thirty…four　years　no　one　can　safely　go　in　and　carry　out　Vetterly's　remains。〃
　There　was　a　sickness　in　Bass's　voice。　〃There　is　no　way　of　pinpointing　the　exact　date；〃　he　murmured；　〃but　our　best　estimate　indicated　that　man　won't　be　able　to　step　foot　on　Rongelo　Island　for　another　three　hundred　years。〃
　
　34
　
　Fawkes　leaned　over　the　ship's　chart　table；　studying　a　set　of　blueprints；　his　hand　making　notations　with　a　pencil。　Two　large　men；　well　muscled；　the　faces　beneath　their　hard　hats　tanned　and　thoughtful；　stood　on　either　side　of　him。　〃I　want　her　gutted；　every　partment；　every　scrap　of　unnecessary　tubing　and　electrical　conduits；　even　her　bulkheads。〃
　The　man　on　Fawkes's　left　snorted　derisively。　〃You've　lost　your　gourd；　Captain。　Tear　out　the　bulkheads　and　she'll　break　up　in　any　sea　rougher　than　a　millpond。〃
　〃Dugan　is　right；〃　said　the　other　man。　〃You　can't　gut　a　vessel　this　size　without　losing　her　structural　resistance　to　stress。〃
　〃Your　objections　are　duly　noted；　gentlemen；〃　Fawkes　replied。　〃But　in　order　for　her　to　ride　high；　her　draft　must　be　cut　by　forty　percent。〃
　〃I've　never　heard　of　gutting　a　sound　ship　just　to　raise　her　waterline；〃　said　Dugan。　〃What's　the　purpose　of　it　all？〃
　〃You　can　scrap　the　armor　as　well　as　the　auxiliary　machinery；〃　Fawkes　said；　ignoring　Dugan's　question。　〃While　you're　about　it；　you　can　see　to　the　removal　of　the　turret　masts。〃
　〃e　off　it；　Captain；〃　snapped　Lou　Metz；　the　shipyard　superinten…dent。　〃You're　asking　us　to　ruin　what　was　once　a　damned　fine　ship。〃
　〃Aye；　she　was　a　fine　ship；〃　agreed　Fawkes。　〃In　my　mind　she　still　is。　But　time　has　passed　her　by。　Your　government　sold　her　for　scrap　and　the　African　Army　of　Revolution　bought　her　for　a　very　special　undertaking。〃
　〃That's　something　else　that　rubs　us　wrong；〃　said　Dugan。　〃Busting　our　ass　so's　some　bunch　of　nigger　radicals　can　kill　white　people。〃
　Fawkes　laid　down　the　pencil　and　fixed　Dugan　with　a　rigid　stare。　〃I　don't　think　you　people　quite　realize　the　economics　of　the　situation；〃　he　said。　〃What　the　AAR　does　with　the　ship　once　it　leaves　your　shipyard　needn't　concern　your　racial　philosophies。　What　counts　is　that　they　pay　my　wages　the　same　as　they　pay　yours　and　those　of　your　men；　who；　if　my　memory　serves　me；　number　one　hundred　and　seventy。　However；　if　you　insist；　I'll　be　happy　to　convey　your　sentiments　to　the　officials　in　charge　of　the　AAR　treasury。　I　feel　certain　they　can　find　another　shipyard　that　will　prove　more　cooperative。　And　that　would　be　a　pity；　particularly　since　their　contract　is　the　only　one　on　your　books　at　present。　Without　it；　all　one　hundred　and　seventy　men　on　your　crew　would　have　to　be　laid　off。　I　do　not　think　their　families　will　take　it　kindly　when　they　find　out　your　petty　objections　put　their　menfolk　out　of　work。〃
　Dugan　and　Metz　exchanged　angry；　defeated　looks。　Metz　avoided　Fawkes's　eyes　and　gazed　down　sullenly　at　the　blueprints。　〃Okay；　Cap…　　　；　tain；　you're　calling　the　shots。〃
　There　was　a　confidence　born　of　long　years　of　manding　men　refleeted　in　Fawkes's　tight　smile。　〃Thank　you；　gentlemen。　Now　that　we've　cleared　the　air　of　any　misunderstandings；　shall　we　continue？〃
　An　hour　later　the　two　shipyard　men　left　the　bridge　and　made　their　way　down　to　the　main　deck　of　the　ship。　〃I　can't　believe　I　heard　right；〃　Metz　mumbled　numbly。　〃Did　that　lead…brained　Scotsman　actually　order　us　to　remove　half　the　superstructure；　the　funnels；　and　the　fore　and　aft　gun　turrets　and　replace　them　all　with　plywood　sheeting　painted　gray？〃
　〃That's　what　the　man　said；〃　Dugan　replied。　〃I　guess　he　figures　by　dumping　all　that　weight　he　can　lighten　the　ship　by　fifteen　thousand　tons。〃
　〃But　why　replace　everything　with　dummy　structures？〃
　〃Beats　me。　Maybe　he　and　his　black　buddies　expect　to　bluff　the　South　African　Navy　to　death。〃
　〃And　that's　another　thing；〃　said　Metz。　〃If　you　bought　a　ship　like　this　to　use　in　a　foreign　war；　wouldn't　you　try　and　keep　the　deal　under　wraps？　My　guess　is　that　they're　going　to　blast　Cape　Town　all　to　hell。〃
　〃With　dummy　guns；　no　less；〃　grunted　Dugan。
　〃I'd　like　to　tell　that　overgrown　bastard　to　take　his　contract　and　stuff　it　up　his　ass；〃　Metz　rasped。
　〃You　can't　deny　he's　got　us　by　the　balls。〃　Dugan　turned　and　stared　up　at　the　shadowy　figure　behind　the　bridge　windows。　〃Do　you　think　he's　ripe　for　a　straitjacket？〃
　〃Nuts？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃Crazy　like　a　coyote；　maybe。　He　knows　what　he's　doing；　and　that's　what　bugs　the　shit　out　of　me。〃
　〃What　do　you　suppose　the　AAR　really　has　in　mind　once　they　get　the　ship　to　Africa？〃
　〃I'll　make　book　she　never　sees　port；〃　said　Metz。　〃By　the　time　we're　through　ripping　her　bowels　out；　she'll　be　so　unstable　she'll　go　belly　up　before　she　leaves　Chesapeake　Bay。〃
　Dugan　eased　his　butto