tc.redstormrising-第3部分

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This　is　the　latest　in　a　series　of　setbacks　to　the　Soviet　oil　industry。　It　was　admitted　only　last　fall　at　the　plenum　of　the　munist　Party　Central　mittee　that　production　goals　in　both　the　Eastern　Siberian　fields　〃had　not　entirely　fulfilled　earlier　hopes。〃
This　seemingly　mild　statement　is　being　seen　in　Western　circles　as　a　stinging　indictment　of　the　policies　of　now…departed　Petroleum　Industry　minister　Zatyzhin；　since　replaced　by　Mikhail　Sergetov；　former　chief　of　the　Leningrad　Party　apparatus；　regarded　as　a　rising　star　in　the　Soviet　Party。　A　technocrat　with　a　background　of　engineering　and　Party　work；　Sergetov's　task　of　reorganizing　the　Soviet　oil　industry　is　seen　as　a　task　that　could　last　years。
AP…BA…01…31　0501EST…FL
**END　OF　STORY**

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
Mikhail　Eduardovich　Sergetov　never　had　a　chance　to　read　the　wire　service　report。　Summoned　from　his　official　dacha　in　the　birch　forests　surrounding　Moscow；　he'd　flown　at　once　to　Nizhnevartovsk　and　stayed　for　only　ten　hours　before　being　recalled　to　make　his　report　in　Moscow。　Three　months　on　the　job；　he　thought；　sitting　in　the　empty　forward　cabin　of　the　IL…86　airliner；　and　this　has　to　happen！
His　two　principal　deputies；　a　pair　of　skilled　young　engineers；　had　been　left　behind　and　were　trying　even　now　to　make　sense　of　the　chaos；　to　save　what　could　be　saved；　as　he　reviewed　his　notes　for　the　Politburo　meeting　later　in　the　day。　Three　hundred　men　were　known　to　have　died　fighting　the　fire；　and；　miraculously；　fewer　than　two　hundred　citizens　in　the　city　of　Nizhnevartovsk。　That　was　unfortunate；　but　not　a　matter　of　great　significance　except　insofar　as　those　trained　men　killed　would　eventually　have　to　be　replaced　by　other　trained　men　drawn　from　the　staffs　of　other　large　refineries。
The　refinery　was　almost　totally　destroyed。　Reconstruction　would　take　a　minimum　of　two　to　three　years；　and　would　account　for　a　sizable　percentage　of　national　steel　pipe　production；　plus　all　the　other　specialty　items　unique　to　a　facility　of　this　type：　Fifteen　thousand　million　rubles。　And　how　much　of　the　special　equipment　would　have　to　be　purchased　from　foreign　sources…how　much　precious　hard　currency　and　gold　would　be　wasted？
And　that　was　the　good　news。
The　bad　news：　the　fire　that　had　engulfed　the　production　field　had　totally　destroyed　the　welltops。　Time　to　replace：　at　least　thirty…six　months！
Thirty…six　months；　Sergetov　reflected　bleakly；　if　we　can　divert　the　drill　rigs　and　crews　to　redrill　every　damned　well　and　at　the　same　time　rebuild　the　EOR　systems。　For　a　minimum　of　eighteen　months　the　Soviet　Union　will　have　an　enormous　shortfall　in　oil　production。　Probably　more　like　thirty　months。　What　will　happen　to　our　economy？
He　pulled　a　pad　of　lined　paper　from　his　briefcase　and　began　to　make　some　calculations。　It　was　a　three…hour　flight；　and　Sergetov　did　not　notice　it　was　over　until　the　pilot　came　back　to　announce　they　had　landed。
He　looked　with　squinted　eyes　at　the　snow…covered　landscape　of　Vnukovo…2；　the　VIP…only　airport　outside　of　Moscow；　and　walked　alone　down　the　boarding　stairs　to　a　waiting　ZIL　limousine。　The　car　sped　off　at　once；　without　stopping　at　any　of　the　security　checkpoints。　The　shivering　militia　officers　snapped　to　attention　as　the　ZIL　passed；　then　returned　to　the　business　of　keeping　warm　in　the　subzero　temperatures。　The　sun　was　bright；　the　sky　clear　but　for　some　thin；　high　clouds。　Sergetov　looked　vacantly　out　the　windows；　his　mind　mulling　over　figures　he　had　already　rechecked　a　half…dozen　times。　The　Politburo　was　waiting　for　him；　his　KGB　driver　told　him。
Sergetov　had　been　a　〃candidate；〃　or　nonvoting　member；　of　the　Politburo　for　just　six　months；　which　meant　that；　along　with　his　eight　other　junior　colleagues；　he　advised　the　thirteen　men　who　alone　made　the　decisions　that　mattered　in　the　Soviet　Union。　His　portfolio　was　energy　production　and　distribution。　He　had　held　that　post　since　September；　and　was　only　beginning　to　establish　his　plan　for　a　total　reorganization　of　the　seven　regional　and　all…union　ministries　that　handled　energy　functions…and　predictably　spent　most　of　their　time　battling　one　another…into　a　full　department　that　reported　directly　to　the　Politburo　and　Party　Secretariat；　instead　of　having　to　work　through　the　Council　of　Ministers　bureaucracy。　He　briefly　closed　his　eyes　to　thank　God…there　might　be　one；　he　reasoned…that　his　first　remendation；　delivered　only　a　month　earlier；　had　concerned　security　and　political　reliability　in　many　of　the　fields。　He　had　specifically　remended　further　Russification　of　the　largely　〃foreign〃　workforce。　For　this　reason；　he　did　not　fear　for　his　own　career；　which　up　to　now　had　been　an　uninterrupted　success　story。　He　shrugged。　The　task　he　was　about　to　face　would　decide　his　future　in　any　case。　And　perhaps　his　country's。
The　ZIL　proceeded　down　Leningradskiy　Prospekt；　which　turned　into　Gor'kogo；　the　limousine　speeding　through　the　center　lane　that　policemen　kept　clear　of　traffic　for　the　exclusive　use　of　the　vlasti。　They　motored　past　the　Intourist　Hotel　into　Red　Square；　and　finally　approached　the　Kremlin　gate。　Here　the　driver　did　stop　for　the　security　checks；　three　of　them；　conducted　by　KGB　troops　and　soldiers　of　the　Taman　Guards。　Five　minutes　later　the　limousine　pulled　to　the　door　of　the　Council　of　Ministers　building；　the　sole　modern　structure　in　the　fortress。　The　guards　here　knew　Sergetov　by　sight；　and　saluted　crisply　as　they　held　open　the　door　so　that　his　exposure　to　the　freezing　temperatures　would　last　but　a　brief　span　of　seconds。
The　Politburo　had　been　holding　it's　meetings　in　this　fourth…floor　room　for　only　a　month　while　their　usual　quarters；　in　the　old　Arsenal　building　were　undergoing　a　belated　renovation。　The　older　men　grumbled　at　the　loss　of　the　old　Czarist　forts；　but　Sergetov　preferred　the　modernity。　About　time；　he　thought；　that　the　men　of　the　Party　surrounded　themselves；　with　the　works　of　socialism　instead　of　the　moldy　trappings　of　the　Romanovs。
The　room　was　deathly　quiet　as　he　entered。　Had　this　been　in　the　Arsenal；　the　fifty…four　year　old　technocrat　reflected；　the　atmosphere　would　have　been　altogether　like　a　funeral…and　there　had　been　all　too　many　of　those。　Slowly；　the　Party　was　running　out　of　the　old　men　who　had　survived　Stalin's　terror；　and　the　current　crop　of　members；　all　〃young〃　men　in　their　fifties　or　early　sixties；　was　finally　being　heard。　The　guard　was　being　changed。　Too　slowly…too　damned　slowly…for　Sergetov　and　his　generation　of　Party　leaders；　despite　the　new　General　Secretary。　The　man　was　already　a　grandfather。　It　sometimes　seemed　to　Sergetov　that　by　the　time　these　old　men　were　gone；　he'd　be　one　himself。　But　looking　around　this　room　now；　he　felt　young　enough。
〃Good　day；　rades；〃　Sergetov　said；　handing　his　coat　to　an　aide；　who　withdrew　at　once；　closing　the　doors　behind　him。　The　other　men　moved　at　once　to　their　seats。　Sergetov　took　his；　halfway　down　the　right　side。
The　Party　General　Secretary　brought　the　meeting　to　order。　His　voice　was　controlled　and　businesslike。　〃rade　Sergetov；　you　may　begin　your　report。　First；　we　wish　to　hear　your　explanation　of　exactly　what　happened。〃
〃rades；　at　approximately　twenty…three　hundred　hours　yesterday；　Moscow　Time；　three　armed　men　entered　the　central　control　plex　of　the　Nizhnevartovsk　oil　plex　and　mitted　a　highly　sophisticated　act　of　sabotage。〃
〃Who　were　they？〃　the　Defense　Minister　asked　sharply。
〃We　only　have　identification　for　two　of　them。　One　of　the　bandits　was　a　staff　electrician。　The　third〃…Sergetov　pulled　the　ID　card　from　his　pocket　and　tossed　it　on　the　tablewas　Senior　Engineer　I。M。　Tolkaze。　He　evidently　used　his　expert　knowledge　of　the　control　systems　to　initiate　a　massive　fire　which　spread　rapidly　before　high　winds。　A　security　team　of　ten　KGB　border　guards　responded　at　once　to　the　alarm。　The　one　traitor　still　unidentified　killed　or　wounded　five　of　these　with　a　rifle　taken　from　the　building　guard；　who　was　also　shot。　I　must　say；　having　interviewed　the　KGB　sergeant…the　lieutenant　was　killed　leading　his　men…that　the　border　guards　responded　quickly　and　well。　They　killed　the　traitors　within　minutes；　but　were　unable　to　prevent　the　plete　destruction　of　the　facility；　both　the　refinery　and　production　fields。〃
〃And　if　the　guards　responded　so　fast；　how　then　did　they　fail　to　prevent　this　act？〃　the　Defense　Minister　demanded　angrily；　He　examined　the　photographic；　pass　with　palpable　hatred　in　his　eyes　〃What　was　this　black…ass　Muslim　doing　there　in　the　first　place？〃
〃rade；　work　in　the　Siberian　fields　is　arduous；　and　we　have　had　serious　difficulties　in　filling　the　posts　we　have　there。　My　predecessor　decided　to　conscnpt　experienced　oil…field　workers　from　the　Baku　region　to　Siberia。　This　was　madness。　You　will　recall　that　my　first　remend　last　year　was　to　change　this　policy。〃
〃We　have　noted　it；　Mikhail　Eduardovich；〃　the　Chairman　said。　〃Go　on。〃
〃The　guard　post　records　all　telephone　and　radio　traffic。　The　response　team　was　moving　in　under　two　minutes。　Unfortunately；　the　guard　post　is　located　adjacent　to　the　original　control　building。　The　current　building　was　constructed　three　kilometers　away　when　new　puterized　control　equipment　was　obtained　from　the　West　two　years　ago。　A　new　guard　post　was　also　supposed　to　have　been　built；　and　the　proper　materials　were　allocated　for　this　purpose。　It　would　appear　that　these　building　materials　were　misappropriated　by　the　plex　director　and　local　Party　secretary；　for　the　purpose　of　building　dachas　on　the　river　a　few　kilometers　away。　Both　of　these　men　have　been　arrested　by　my　order；　for　crimes　against　the　State；〃　Sergetov　reported　matter…of…factly。　There　was　no　reaction　around　the　table。　By　unspoken　consensus；　those　two　men　were　sentenced　to　death；　the　formalities　would　be　worked　out　by　the　proper　ministries。　Sergetov　continued：　〃I　have　already　ordered　greatly　increased　security　at　all　petroleum　sites。　Also　on　my　orders；　the　families　of　the　two　known　traitors　have　been　arrested　at　their　homes　outside　Baku　and　are　being　rigorously　interrogated　by　State　Security；　along　with　all　who　knew　and　worked　with　them。
〃Before　the　border　guards　were　able　to　kill　the　traitors；　they　were　able　to　sabotage　the　oil…field　control　systems　in　such　a　way　as　to　create　a　massive　conflagration。　They　were　also　able　to　wreck　the　control　equipment　so　that　even　if　the　guard　troops　had　been　able　to　get　a　crew　of　engineers　in　to　restore　control；