tc.thebearandthedragon-第211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！


　〃System　up？〃　Blandy　asked。
　〃We　are　fully　on　line；　sir；〃　the　Weapons　Officer　answered。　〃We　are　ready　to　fire　from　the　forward　magazine。　Firing　order　is　selected；　all　Block　IVs。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　The　captain　leaned　forward　and　turned　his　key　in　the　lock。　〃System　is　fully　enabled。　Special…Auto。〃　He　turned。　〃Sir；　that　means　the　puter　will　handle　it　from　here。〃
　〃Target　range　is　now　three　hundred　miles；〃　a　kid's　voice　announced。
　They're　so　cool　about　this；　Ryan　thought。　Maybe　they　just　don't　believe　it's　real。　。　。　hell；　it's　hard　enough　for　me　。　。　。　He　took　another　drag　on　the　cigarette；　watching　the　blip　e　down；　following　its　puter…produced　velocity　vector　right　for　Washington；　D。C。
　〃Any　time　now；〃　the　Weapons　Officer　said。
　He　wasn't　far　off。　Gettysburg　shuddered　with　the　launch　of　the　first　missile。
　〃One　away！〃　a　sailor　said　off　to　the　right。　〃One　is　away　clean。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　The　SM2…ER　missile　had　two　stages。　The　short　booster　kicked　the　assembly　out　of　its　silo…type　hole　in　the　forward　magazine；　trailing　an　opaque　column　of　gray　smoke。
　〃The　idea　is　to　intercept　at　a　range　of　two　hundred　miles；〃　Gregory　explained。　〃The　interceptor　and　the　inbound　will　rendezvous　at　the　same　spot；　and…zap！〃
　〃Mainly　farmland　there；　place　you　go　to　shoot　pheasants；〃　Ryan　said；　remembering　hunting　trips　there　in　his　youth。
　〃Hey；　I　got　a　visual　on　the　fucker；〃　another　voice　called。　There　was　a　TV　camera　with　a　ten…power　lens　slaved　into　the　fire…control　radar；　and　it　showed　the　inbound　warhead；　just　a　featureless　white　blob　now；　like　a　meteor；　Ryan　thought。
　〃Intercept　in　four…three…two…one…〃
　The　missile　came　close；　but　exploded　behind　the　target。
　〃Firing　Two！〃　Gettysburg　shook　again。
　〃Two　away　clean！〃　the　same　voice　as　before　announced。
　It　was　over　Harrisburg；　Pennsylvania；　now；　its　speed　〃down〃　to　thirteen　thousand　miles　per　hour　。　。　。
　Then　a　third　missile　launched；　followed　a　second　later　by　a　fourth。　In　the　〃Special…Auto〃　setting；　the　puter　was　expending　missiles　until　it　saw　a　dead　target。　That　was　just　fine　with　everyone　aboard。
　〃Only　two　Block　IVs　left；〃　Weps　said。
　〃They're　cheap；〃　Captain　Blandy　observed。　〃e　on；　baby！〃
　Number　Two　also　exploded　behind　the　target；　the　TV　picture　showed。
　〃Three…two…one…now！〃
　So　did　Number　Three。
　〃Oh；　shit；　oh；　my　God！〃　Gregory　exclaimed。　That　caused　heads　to　snap　around。
　〃What？〃　Blandy　demanded。
　The　IR　seekers；　they're　going　for　the　centroid　of　the　infrared　source；　and　that's　behind　the　inbound。〃
　〃What？〃　Ryan　asked；　his　stomach　in　an　instant　knot。
　〃The　brightest　part　of　the　target　is　behind　the　target。　The　missiles　are　going　for　that！　Oh；　fuck！〃　Dr。　Gregory　explained。
　〃Five　away　。　。　。　Six　away　。　。　。　both　got　off　clean；〃　the　voice　to　the　right　announced　again。
　The　inbound　was　over　Frederick；　Maryland；　now；　doing　twelve　thousand　knots　。　。　。
　〃That's　it；　we're　out　of　Block　IVs。〃
　〃Light　up　the　Block　IIIs；〃　Blandy　ordered　at　once。
　The　next　two　interceptors　did　the　same　as　the　first　two；　ing　within　mere　feet　of　the　target；　but　exploding　just　behind　it；　and　the　inbound　was　traveling　faster　than　the　burn　rate　of　explosive　in　the　Standard　…2…ER　missile　warheads。　The　lethal　fragments　couldn't　catch　up…
　〃Firing　Seven！　Clean。〃　Gettysburg　shook　yet　again。
　〃That　one's　a　radar　homer；〃　Blandy　said；　clenching　his　fist　before　his　chest。
　Five　and　Six　performed　exactly　as　the　four　preceding　them；　missing　by　mere　yards；　but　a　miss　in　this　case　was　as　good　as　a　mile。
　Another　shudder。
　〃Eight！　Clean！〃
　〃We　have　to　get　it　before　it　gets　to　five　or　six　thousand　feet。　That's　optimal　burst　height；〃　Gregory　said。
　〃At　that　range；　I　can　engage　it　with　my　five…inch　forward；〃　Blandy　said；　some　fear　in　his　voice　now。
　For　his　part；　Ryan　wondered　why　he　wasn't　shaking。　Death　had　reached　its　cold　hand　out　for　him　more　than　once　。　。　。　the　Mall　in　London　。。。　his　own　home　。。。　Red　October。　。　。　some　nameless　hill　in　Colombia。　Someday　it　would　touch　him。　Was　this　the　day？　He　took　a　last　drag　on　the　smoke　and　stabbed　it　out　in　the　aluminum　ashtray。
　〃Okay；　here　es　seven…five…four…three…two…one…now！〃
　〃Miss！　Fuck！〃
　〃Nine　away…Ten　away；　both　clean！　We're　out　of　missiles；〃　the　distant　chief　called　out。　〃This　is　it；　guys。〃
　The　inbound　crossed　over　the　D。C。　Beltway；　Interstate　Highway　695；　now　at　an　altitude　of　less　than　twenty　thousand　feet；　streaking　across　the　night　sky　like　a　meteor；　and　so　some　people　thought　it　was；　pointing　and　calling　out　to　those　nearby。　If　they　continued　to　look　at　it　until　detonation；　their　eyes　would　explode；　and　they　would　then　die　blind　。　。　。
　〃Eight　missed！　Missed　by　a　cunt　hair！〃　a　voice　announced　angrily。　Clear　on　the　TV；　the　puff　of　the　explosion　appeared　mere　inches　from　the　target。
　〃Two　more　to　go；〃　the　Weapons　Officer　told　them。
　Aloft；　the　forward　port…side　SPG…62　radar　was　pouring　out　X…band　radiation　at　the　target。　The　rising　SM…2　missile；　its　rocket　motor　still　burning；　homed　in　on　the　reflected　signal；　focusing；　closing；　seeing　the　source　of　the　reflected　energy　that　drew　it　as　a　moth　to　a　flame；　a　kamikaze　robot　the　size　of　a　small　car；　going　at　nearly　two　thousand　miles　per　hour；　seeking　an　object　going　six　times　faster　。　。　。　two　miles　。　。　。　one　mile　。。。　a　thousand　yards　。　。　。　five　hundred；　one　hun…
　…On　the　TV　screen　the　RV　meteor　changed　to　a　shower　of　sparks　and　fire…
　〃Yeah！〃　twenty　voices　called　as　one。
　The　TV　camera　followed　the　descending　sparks。　The　adjacent　radar　display　showed　them　falling　within　the　city　of　Washington。
　〃You're　going　to　want　to　get　people　to　collect　those　fragments。　Some　of　them　are　going　to　be　plutonium。　Not　real　healthy　to　handle；〃　Gregory　said；　leaning　against　a　stanchion。　〃Looked　like　a　skin…skin　kill。　Oh；　God；　how　did　I　fuck　up　my　programming　like　that？〃　he　wondered　aloud。
　〃I　wouldn't　sweat　it　too　bad；　Dr。　Gregory；〃　Senior　Chief　Leek　observed。　〃Your　code　also　helped　the　last　one　home　in　more　efficient…like。　I　think　I　might　want　to　buy　you　a　beer；　fella。〃
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　61
　Revolution
　
　As　usual；　the　news　didn't　get　back　quickly　to　the　place　where　it　had　actually　started。　Having　given　the　launch　order；　Defense　Minister　Luo　had　little　clue　what　to　do　next。　Clearly；　he　couldn't　go　back　to　sleep。　America　might　well　answer　his　action　with　a　nuclear　strike　of　its　own；　and　therefore　his　first　rational　thought　was　that　it　might　be　a　good　idea　for　him　to　get　the　hell　out　of　Beijing。　He　rose；　made　normal　use　of　his　bathroom；　and　splashed　water　on　his　face；　but　then　again　his　mind　hit　a　brick　wall。　What　to　do？　The　one　name　he　knew　to　call　was　Zhang　Han　Sen。　Once　connected；　he　spoke　very　quickly　indeed。
　〃You　did…what　happened；　Luo？〃　the　senior　Minister　Without　Portfolio　asked　with　genuine　alarm。
　〃Someone…Russians　or　Americans；　I'm　not　sure　which…struck　at　our　missile　base　at　Xuanhua；　attempting　to　destroy　our　nuclear　deterrent。　I　ordered　the　base　mander　to　fire　them　off；　of　course；〃　Luo　told　his　associate　minister；　in　a　voice　that　was　both　defiant　and　defensive。　〃We　agreed　on　this　in　our　last　meeting；　did　we　not？〃
　〃Luo；　yes；　we　discussed　the　possibility。　But　you　fired　them　without　consulting　with　us？〃　Zhang　demanded。　Such　decisions　were　always　collegial；　never　unilateral。
　〃What　choice　did　I　have；　Zhang？〃　Marshal　Luo　asked　in　reply。　〃Had　I　hesitated　a　moment；　there　would　have　been　none　left　to　fire。〃
　〃I　see；〃　the　voice　on　the　phone　said。　〃What　is　happening　now？〃
　〃The　missiles　are　flying。　The　first　should　hit　their　first　targets；
　Moscow　and　Leningrad；　in　about　ten　minutes。　I　had　no　choice；　Zhang。　I　could　not　allow　them　to　disarm　us　pletely。〃
　Zhang　could　have　sworn　and　screamed　at　the　man；　but　there　was　no　point　in　that。　What　had　happened　had　happened；　and　there　was　no　sense　expending　intellectual　or　emotional　energy　on　something　he　could　not　alter。　〃Very　well。　We　need　to　meet。　I　will　assemble　the　Politburo。　e　to　the　Council　of　Ministers　Building　at　once。　Will　the　Americans　or　Russians　retaliate？〃
　〃They　cannot　strike　back　in　kind。　They　have　no　nuclear　missiles。　An　attack　by　bombers　would　take　some　hours；〃　Luo　advised；　trying　to　make　it　sound　like　good　news。
　
　At　his　end　of　the　connection；　Zhang　felt　a　chill　in　his　stomach　that　rivaled　liquid　helium。　As　with　many　things　in　life；　this　one…　contemplated　theoretically　in　a　fortable　conference　room…was　something　very　different　now　that　it　had　turned　into　a　most　unfortable　reality。　And　yet…was　it？　It　was　a　thing　too　difficult　to　believe。　It　was　too　unreal。　There　were　no　outward　signs…you'd　at　least　expect　thunder　and　lightning　outside　the　windows　to　acpany　news　like　this；　even　a　major　earthquake；　but　it　was　merely　early　morning；　not　yet　seven　o'clock。　Could　this　be　real？
　Zhang　padded　across　his　bedroom；　switched　on　his　television；　and　turned　it　to　CNN…it　had　been　turned　off　for　most　of　the　country；　but　not　here；　of　course。　His　English　skills　were　insufficient　to　translate　the　rapid…fire　words　ing　over　the　screen　now。　They　were　showing　Washington；　D。C。；　with　a　camera　evidently　atop　the　CNN　building　there…　wherever　that　was；　he　had　not　the　faintest　idea。　It　was　a　black　American　speaking。　The　camera　showed　him　standing　atop　a　building；　microphone　in　hand　like　black　plastic　ice　cream；　speaking　very；　very　rapidly…　so　much　so　that　Zhang　was　catching　only　one　word　in　three；　and　looking　off　to　the　camera's　left　with　wide；　frightened　eyes。
　So；　he　knows　what　is　ing　there；　doesn't　he？　Zhang　thought；　then　wondered　if　he　would　see　the　destruction　of　the　American　capital　via　American　news　television。　That；　he　thought；　would　have　some　entertainment　value。
　〃Look！〃　the　reporter　said；　and　the　camera　twisted　to　see　a　smoke　trail　race　across　the　sky…
　…　What　the　hell　is　that？　Zhang　wondered。　Then　there　was　another　。　。　。　and　more　besides　。　。　。　and　the　reporter　was　showing　real　fear　now。　。　。
　。。。　it　was　good　for　his　heart　to　see　such　feelings　on　the　face　of　an　American；　especially　a　black　American　reporter。　Another　one　of　those　monkeys　had　caused　his　country　such　great　harm；　after　all。。。
　So；　now　he'd　get　to　see　one　incinerated　。。。　or　maybe　not。　The　camera　and　the　transmitter　would　go；　too；　wouldn't　they？　So；　just　a　flash　of　light；　maybe；　and　a　blank　screen　that　would　be　replaced　by　CNN　headq