tc.redstormrising-第35部分

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ecrets。　It　looked　like　they　were　about　to　fight　a　war。　The　politicians　in　Washington　and　the　strategists　in　Norfolk　and　elsewhere　might　still　have　their　doubts；　but　there；　at　the　sharp　end　of　the　lance；　the　officers　and　men　aboard　Chicago　discussed　the　way　the　Soviets　were　using　their　ships　and　came　up　with　a　single　answer。　The　submarine's　torpedo　tubes　were　loaded　with　MK…48　torpedoes　and　Harpoon　missiles。　Her　vertical　missile　tubes　forward　of　the　pressure　hull　held　twelve　Tomahawks；　three　nuclear…tipped　land…attack　missiles；　and　nine　conventional　antiship　models。　When　a　shipboard　machine　showed　the　first　suggestion　of　a　fault；　a　technician　immediately　tore　it　down　to　fix　it。　McCafferty　was　pleased　and　not　a　little　surprised　by　his　crew。　So　young　they　were…the　average　age　on　his　submarine　was　twenty…one…to　have　to　adapt　to　this。
He　stood　in　the　sonar　room；　forward　and　to　starboard　of　the　attack　center。　A　few　feet　from　him；　a　massive　puter　system　sifted　through　an　avalanche　of　waterborne　sound；　analyzing　individual　frequency　bands　known　from　experience　to　mark　the　acoustical　signature　of　a　Soviet　vessel。　The　signals　were　displayed　on　a　visual　screen　called　a　waterfall　display；　a　monocolor　curtain　of　yellow　whose　brighter　lines　indicated　the　bearing　to　a　sound　that　might　be　a　source　of　interest。　Four　lines　indicated　the　Grishas；　and　offset　dots　marked　the　pings　from　their　active　sonars。　McCafferty　wondered　what　they　were　after。　His　interest　was　mainly　academic。　They　weren't　pinging　his　ship；　but　there　was　always　something　to　learn　from　how　the　enemy　did　his　job。　A　team　of　officers　in　the　attack　center　was　plotting　the　movement　of　the　Soviet　patrol　ships；　carefully　noting　their　information　patterns　and　hunting　technique　for　later　parison　with　intelligence　estimates。
A　new　series　of　dots　appeared　at　the　bottom　of　the　screen。　A　sonarman　punched　a　button　for　a　more　selective　frequency　setting；　altering　the　display　slightly；　then　plugged　in　a　pair　of　microphones。　The　display　was　on　fast…speed　image　generation；　and　McCafferty　saw　the　dots　grow　to　lines　around　bearing　one…nine…eight；　the　direction　to　the　Kola　channel。
〃Lots　of　confused　noise；　skipper；〃　the　sonarman　reported。　〃I　read　Alfas　and　Charlies　ing　out；　with　other　stuff　behind　them。　Blade　count　on　one　Alfa　is　something　like　thirty　knots。　Lots　of　noise　behind　them；　sir。〃
The　visual　display　confirmed　it　a　minute　later。　The　frequency…　or　tonelines　were　in　the　areas　known　to　depict　specific　classes　of　submarines；　all　moving　at　high　speed　to　clear　the　harbor。　The　bearing…to…contact　lines　spread　apart　as　the　boats　fanned　out。　The　boats　had　already　dived；　he　noted。　Usually　Soviet　submarines　didn't　dive　until　they　were　well　offshore。
〃Ship　count　is　over　twenty；　sir；〃　the　chief　sonarman　said　quietly。　〃We　have　a　major　sortie　here。〃
〃Sure　looks　like　it。〃　McCafferty　moved　back　to　the　attack　center。　His　men　were　already　entering　the　contact　positions　into　the　fire…control　puter；　and　sketching　paper　tracks　on　the　chart　table。　The　war　hadn't　started　yet；　and　though　it　appeared　it　could　e　at　any　time；　McCafferty's　orders　were　to　keep　clear　of　any　Soviet　formation　until　the　Word　came。　He　didn't　like　it…better　to　get　his　blows　in　quick…but　Washington　had　made　it　clear　they　wanted　no　one　to　cause　an　incident　that　might　prevent　some　kind　of　diplomatic　settlement。　That　made　sense；　the　captain　admitted　to　himself。　Maybe　the　lace…panty　folks　could　still　get　things　under　control。　A　faint　hope；　but　a　real　one。　Real　enough　to　overe　his　tactical　desire　to　hold　an　attack　position。
He　ordered　his　submarine　moved　farther　offshore。　In　half　an　hour；　things　were　clearer　still；　and　the　captain　had　a　SLOT…buoy　launched。　The　buoy　was　programmed　to　allow　Chicago　thirty　minutes　to　clear　the　area；　then　it　started　sending　a　series　of　burst　transmissions　on　a　UHF　satellite　band。　From　ten　miles　away；　he　listened　to　Soviet　ships　going　beserk　around　the　radio　buoy；　doubtlessly　thinking　it　was　the　location　of　the　submarine。　The　game　was　being　all　too　real。
The　buoy　operated　for　over　an　hour；　continuously　sending　its　data　to　a　NATO　munications　satellite。　By　nightfall　the　data　was　being　broadcast　to　all　NATO　units　at　sea。　The　Russians　are　ing。

16　…　Last　Moves/First　Moves

USS　NIMITZ
The　speaker　had　announced　sunset　two　hours　before；　but　Bob　had　to　finish　his　work。　Sunsets　at　sea　far　away　from　the　polluted　city　air；　with　a　sharp　horizon　for　the　sun　to　slide　under；　were　always　something　he　enjoyed　watching。　What　he　saw　now　was　almost　as　good。　He　stood　with　his　hands　on　the　rail；　first　looking　down　at　the　foam　alongside　the　carrier's　sleek　huff；　then　after　a　brief　moment　of　preparation；　up。　Born　and　raised　in　Boston；　Toland　hadn't　known　what　the　Milky　Way　was　until　joining　the　Navy；　and　the　discovery　of　the　wide；　bright　belt　of　stars　overhead　was　always　a　source　of　wonder　to　him。　There　were　the　stars　he'd　learned　to　navigate　by；　with　sextant　and　trigonometric　tables…largely　replaced　now　by　electronic　aids　like　Omega　and　Loran…but　they　were　still　beautiful　to　behold。　Arcturus；　and　Vega；　and　Altair；　all　blinking　at　him　with　their　own　colors；　their　own　unique　characteristics　that　made　them　benchmarks　in　the　night　sky。
A　door　opened；　and　a　sailor　dressed　in　what　looked　like　a　purple　planeflueler's　shirt　joined　him　on　the　flight　deck　catwalk。
〃Darkened　ship；　sailor。　I'd　dump　that　cigarette；〃　Toland　said　sharply；　more　annoyed　to　have　his　precious　solitude　destroyed。
〃Sorry；　sir。〃　The　butt　sailed　over　the　side。　The　man　was　silent　for　a　few　minutes；　then　looked　at　Toland。　〃You　know　about　the　stars；　sir？〃
〃What　do　you　mean？〃
〃This　is　my　first　cruise；　sir；　an'　I　grew　up　in　New　York。　Never　saw　the　stars　like　this；　but　I　don't　even　know　what　they　are…the　names；　I　mean。　You　officers　know　all　that　stuff；　right？〃
Toland　laughed　quietly。　〃I　know　what　you　mean。　Same　with　my　first　time　out。　Pretty；　isn't　it？〃
〃Yes；　sir。　What's　that　one？〃　The　boy's　voice　sounded　tired。　Small　wonder；　Toland　thought；　with　all　the　flight　operations　they've　been　through　today。　The　youngster　pointed　to　the　brightest　dot　in　the　eastern　sky；　and　Bob　had　to　think　for　a　few　seconds。
〃That's　Jupiter。　A　planet；　not　a　star。　With　the　quartermaster's　spyglass；　you　can　pick　out　her　moons…some　of　them　anyway。〃　He　went　on　to　point　out　some　of　the　stars　used　for　navigation。
〃How　do　you　use　'em；　sir？〃　the　sailor　asked。
〃You　take　a　sextant　and　plot　their　height　above　the　horizon…sounds　harder　than　it　is；　just　takes　some　practice…and　you　check　that　against　a　book　of　star　positions。〃
〃Who　does　that；　sir？〃
〃The　book？　Standard　stuff。　I　imagine　the　book　we　use　es　from　the　Naval　Observatory　in　D。C。；　but　people　have　been　measuring　the　tracks　of　the　stars　and　planets　for　three　or　four　thousand　years；　long　before　telescopes　were　invented。　Anyway；　if　you　know　the　exact　time；　and　you　know　where　a　particular　star　is；　you　can　plot　out　where　you　are　on　the　globe　pretty　accurately；　within　a　few　hundred　yards　if　you　really　know　your　stuff。　Same　thing　with　the　sun　and　the　moon。　That　knowledge　has　been　around　for　hundreds　of　years。　The　tricky　part　was　inventing　a　clock　that　kept　good　time。　That　happened　about　two　hundred　and　some　years　ago。〃
〃I　thought　they　used　satellites　and　stuff　like　that。〃
〃We　do　now；　but　the　stars　are　just　as　pretty。〃
〃Yeah。〃　The　sailor　sat　down；　his　head　leaning　way　back　to　watch　the　curtain　of　white　points。　Beneath　them　the　ship's　hull　churned　the　water　to　foam　with　the　whispering　sound　of　a　continuously　breaking　wave。　Somehow　the　sound　and　the　sky　matched　each　other　perfectly。　〃Well；　at　least　I　learned　something　about　the　stars。　When's　it　gonna　start；　sir？〃
Toland　looked　up　at　the　constellation　of　Sagittarius。　The　center　of　the　galaxy　was　behind　it。　Some　astrophysicists　said　there　was　a　black　hole　in　there。　The　most　destructive　force　known　to　physics；　it　made　the　forces　under　man's　control　appear　puny　by　parison。　But　men　were　a　lot　easier　to　destroy。
〃Soon。〃

USS　CHICAGO
The　submarine　was　far　offshore　now；　west　of　the　surging　Soviet　submarine　and　surface　forces。　They'd　heard　no　explosions　yet；　but　it　couldn't　be　far　off。　The　nearest　Soviet　ship　was　about　thirty　miles　off　to　the　east；　and　a　dozen　more　were　plotted。　All　were　blasting　the　sea　with　their　active　sonars。
McCafferty　was　surprised　by　his　Flash　operational　order。　Chicago　was　being　pulled　out　of　the　Barents　Sea　and　shifted　to　a　patrol　area　in　the　Norwegian　Sea。　Mission：　to　interdict　Soviet　submarines　expected　to　head　south　toward　the　North　Atlantic。　A　political　decision　had　been　made：　It　must　not　appear　that　NATO　was　forcing　the　Soviets　into　a　war。　In　a　stroke；　the　pre…war　strategy　of　engaging　the　Soviet　Fleet　in　its　own　backyard　had　been　tossed　away。　Like　every　pre…war　battle　plan　in　this　century；　the　sub　skipper　reflected；　this　one　too　was　being　torn　up　because　the　enemy　wasn't　going　to　cooperate　and　do　what　we　thought　he'd　do。　Of　course。　He　was　putting　many　more　submarines　in　the　Atlantic　than　had　been　expected…even　worse；　we　were　making　it　easier　for　him！　McCafferty　wondered　what　other　surprises　were　in　store。　The　submarine's　torpedoes　and　missiles　were　now　fully　armed；　her　fire…control　systems　continuously　manned；　her　crew　standing　Condition…3　wartime　watch　routine。　But　their　orders　at　present　were　to　run　away。　The　captain　swore　to　himself；　angry　with　whoever　had　made　this　decision；　yet　still　hoping　in　a　quiet　er　of　his　mind　that　somehow　the　war　could　be　stopped。

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃It's　gotta　happen　soon；〃　AIRCENT　observed。　〃Shit；　they　got　their　troops　as　ready　as　I've　ever　seen。　They　can't　wait　until　all　our　Reforger　units　are　fully　in　place。　They　have　to　hit　us　soon。〃
〃I　know　what　you're　saying；　Charlie；　but　we　can't　move　first。〃
〃Any　word　on　our　visitors？〃　The　Air　Force　general　referred　to　Major　Chemyavin's　team　of　Spetznaz　mandos。
〃Still　sitting　tight。〃　A　unit　of　the　elite　GSG…9　German　border　guards　had　the　safe　house　under　continuous　surveillance；　with　a　second　English　ambush　team　between　them　and　their　supposed　target　in　Lammersdorf　Intelligence　officers　from　most　of　the　NATO　countries　were　part　of　the　surveillance　team；　each　with　a　direct　line　to　his　government。　〃What　if　they're　bait；　trying　to　get　us　to　strike　first？〃
〃I　know　we　can't　do　that；　General。　What　I　want　is　a　green　li