mreilly.icestation-第12部分

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　〃And　I'll　tell　you　right　now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　second　question　is　of　far　greater　importance　to　you　than　the　first。　Why？　Because　what　he　wants　is　unimportant　insofar　as　strategy　is　concerned。　What　he　wants　is　an　object；　that's　all。　The　worldwide　spread　of　munism。　A　strategic　foothold　on　foreign　territory。　The　ark　of　the　covenant。　Who　cares？　Knowing　of　it　means　nothing；　in　and　of　itself。　How　he　plans　to　get　it；　on　the　other　hand；　means　everything。　Because　that　is　action。　And　action　can　be　stopped。　
　〃So；　once　you　have　answered　this　second　question；　then　you　can　proceed　to　question　number　three：　what　are　you　going　to　do　to　stop　him？〃　
　When　he　had　been　speaking　about　mand　and　leadership；　Barnaby　had　repeatedly　stressed　the　need　for　cool…headed　reason。　An　angry　mander；　he'd　said；　acting　under　the　influence　of　rage　or　frustration；　will　almost　certainly　get　his　unit　killed。　
　〃As　a　leader；〃　Barnaby　had　said；　〃you　simply　cannot　afford　to　get　angry　or　upset。〃　
　Recognizing　that　no　manding　officer　was　immune　from　feeling　angry　or　frustrated；　Barnaby　had　offered　his　three…step　tactical　analysis　as　a　diversion　from　such　feelings。　〃Whenever　you　feel　yourself　succumbing　to　angry　feelings；　go　through　the　three…step　analysis。　Get　your　mind　off　the　anger　and　get　it　back　on　the　job　at　hand。　Soon；　you'll　forget　about　what　pissed　you　off　and　you'll　start　doing　what　you're　paid　for。〃　
　And　as　he　stood　there　in　the　doorway　on　C…deck；　in　the　freezing…cold；　ice…covered　world　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　Shane　Schofield　could　almost　hear　Trevor　Barnaby　speaking　inside　his　head。　
　OK；　then。　
　What　is　their　objective？　
　They　want　the　spaceship。　
　How　are　they　going　to　get　it？　
　They're　going　to　kill　everybody　here；　grab　the　spaceship；　and　somehow　get　it　off　the　continent　before　anybody　even　knows　it　existed。　
　All　right。　But　there　was　a　problem　with　that　analysis。　What　was　it…？　
　Schofield　thought　for　a　moment。　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　The　French　had　arrived　quickly。　
　So　quickly；　in　fact；　that　they　had　arrived　at　Wilkes　before　the　United　States　had　been　able　to　get　a　team　of　its　own　there。　Which　meant　they'd　been　close　to　Wilkes　when　the　original　distress　signal　had　gone　out。　
　Schofield　paused。　
　French　soldiers　had　been　at　d'Urville　when　Abby　Sinclair's　signal　had　gone　out。　
　But　the　distress　signal　could　never　have　been　anticipated。　It　was　an　emergency；　a　sudden　occurrence。　
　And　that　was　the　problem　with　his　analysis。　
　A　picture　began　to　form　in　Schofield's　mind：　they　had　seen　an　opportunity；　and　they　had　decided　to　take　it。。。。　
　The　French　had　had　their　mandos　at　Dumont　d'Urville；　probably　doing　exercises　of　some　sort。　Arctic　warfare　or　something　like　that。　
　And　then　the　distress　signal　from　Wilkes　had　been　picked　up。　And　suddenly　the　French　would　have　realized　that　they　had　one　of　their　elite　military　units　within　six　hundred　miles　of　the　discovery　of　an　extraterrestrial　spacecraft。　
　The　prospective　gains　were　obvious：　technological　advances　to　be　garnered　from　the　propulsion　system；　the　construction　of　the　exterior　shell。　Maybe　even　weapons。　
　It　was　an　opportunity　too　good　to　pass　up。　
　But　the　French　mandos　faced　two　problems。　
　First：　the　American　scientists　at　Wilkes。　They　would　have　to　be　eliminated。　There　could　be　no　witnesses。　
　The　second　problem　was　worse：　it　was　almost　certain　that　the　United　States　would　dispatch　a　protective　Reconnaissance　Unit　to　Wilkes。　So　a　clock　was　ticking。　In　fact；　the　French　had　realized　that；　in　all　probability；　U。S。　troops　would　arrive　at　Wilkes　before　they　could　get　the　spaceship　off　the　continent。　
　Which　meant　there　would　be　a　firelight。　
　But　the　French　were　here　by　chance。　They'd　had　neither　the　time　nor　the　resources　to　prepare　a　full…strength　assault　on　Wilkes。　They　were　a　small　force　facing　the　probability　that　the　U。S。　would　arrive　on　the　scene；　with　a　force　of　greater　strength　than　theirs；　before　they　could　make　good　their　escape　with　the　spacecraft。　
　They　needed　a　plan。　
　And　so　they'd　posed　as　scientists；　concerned　neighbors。　Presumably　with　the　intention　that　they　would　earn　the　Marines'　trust　and　then　kill　them　while　their　backs　were　turned。　It　was　as　good　a　strategy　as　any　for　an　impromptu　force　of　inferior　strength。　
　Which　left　one　further　question：　how　were　they　going　to　get　the　spaceship　out　of　Antarctica？　
　Schofield　decided　that　that　question　could　wait。　Better　to　tackle　the　battle　at　hand。　So　we　ask　again：　
　What　is　their　objective？　
　To　eliminate　us　and　the　scientists　here　at　Wilkes。　
　How　are　they　going　to　achieve　that？　
　I　don't　know。　
　How　would　you　achieve　that？　
　Schofield　thought　about　that。　I'd　probably　try　to　flush　us　all　into　the　one　place。　That'd　be　much　more　efficient　than　attempting　to　search　the　whole　station　for　us　and　pick　us　off　one　by…　
　〃Grenade！〃　Gant　yelled。　
　Schofield　was　jolted　back　to　the　present　as　he　saw　a　small　black　grenade　sail　out　over　the　A…deck　railing　and　arc　down　toward　him。　Six　similar　grenades　went　flying　down　from　A…deck　and　into　the　three　ice　tunnels　that　branched　off　into　B…deck。　
　〃Move！〃　Schofield　said　quickly　to　Gant　as　he　ducked　back　inside　the　doorway　and　slammed　the　door　shut。　
　He　and　Gant　moved　to　the　far　side　of　the　room　just　in　time　to　hear　the　grenade　bounce　up　against　the　outside　of　the　thick　wooden　door。　
　Clunk；　clunk　
　And　then　the　grenade　exploded。　White　splinters　shot　out　from　the　inside　of　the　door　as　the　pointed　tips　of　a　hundred　jagged　metal　shards　instantly　appeared　in　their　place。　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　door；　stunned。　
　The　whole　door；　from　floor　to　ceiling；　was　littered　with　tiny　protrusions。　What　had　once　been　a　smooth　wooden　surface　now　looked　like　some　kind　of　sinister　medieval　torture　device。　The　whole　thing　was　covered　with　sharp；　spiked　pieces　of　metal　that　had　almost　managed　to　rip　right　through　the　thick　wooden　door。　
　Other；　similar；　explosions　rang　out　from　the　level　above　Schofield　and　Gant。　They　both　looked　up。　
　B…deck；　Schofield　thought。〃　
　I'd　probably　try　to　flush　us　all　into　the　one　place。　
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Schofield　said　aloud。　
　〃What？〃　Gant　asked。　
　But　Schofield　didn't　answer。　Instead；　he　quickly　yanked　open　the　destroyed　door　and　looked　out　into　the　central　shaft　of　the　ice　station。　
　A　bullet　immediately　rammed　into　the　frost…covered　door　frame　next　to　his　head。　But　it　didn't　stop　him　seeing　them。　
　Up　on　A…deck；　five　of　the　French　mandos　were　on　their　feet；　laying　down　a　suppressing　fire　over　the　whole　of　the　station。　
　It　was　cover　fire。　
　Cover　fire　for　the　other　five　mandos　who　were　at　that　moment　abseiling　down　from　A…deck　to　B…deck。　It　was　a　short；　controlled　ride；　and　in　a　second　the　five　mandos　were　on　the　B…deck　catwalk；　guns　up　and　heading　for　the　tunnels。　
　As　he　saw　them；　Schofield　had　a　sickening　realization。　Most　of　his　Marines　were　on　B…deck；　having　retreated　there　after　the　second　French　team　had　charged　in　through　the　main　entrance　of　the　station。　
　And　there　was　another　thing。　
　B…deck　was　the　main　living　area　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　And　Schofield　himself　had　sent　the　American　scientists　back　to　their　quarters　while　he　and　his　team　had　gone　to　meet　the　newly　arrived　French　hovercraft。　
　Schofield　stared　up　at　B…deck　in　horror。　
　The　French　had　flushed　them　all　into　one　place。　
　
　On　B…deck；　the　world　suddenly　went　crazy。　
　No　sooner　had　Riley　and　Hollywood　rounded　the　bend　in　the　ice　tunnel　than　they　were　confronted　by　the　frightened　faces　of　the　residents　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　The　instant　he　saw　them；　Riley　suddenly　remembered　what　B…deck　was。　
　The　living　area。　
　Suddenly　a　stream　of　submachine…gun　fire　raked　the　ice　wall　behind　him。　
　At　the　same　time；　Schofield's　voice　came　over　Riley's　helmet　inter：　〃All　units；　this　is　Scarecrow。　I　have　a　visual　on　five　hostile　objects　landing　right　now　on　the　B…deck　catwalk。　I　repeat；　five　hostile　objects。　Marines；　if　you're　on　B…deck；　look　sharp。〃　
　Riley's　mind　went　into　overdrive。　He　quickly　tried　to　remember　the　floor　plan　of　B…deck。　
　The　first　thing　he　recalled　was　that　the　layout　of　B…deck　differed　slightly　from　that　of　the　other　floors　of　Wilkes。　All　of　the　other　floors　were　made　up　of　four　straight　tunnels　that　branched　out　from　the　central　well　of　the　ice　station　to　meet　the　circular　outer　tunnel。　But　because　of　an　anomalous　rock　formation　buried　in　the　ice　around　it；　B…deck　didn't　have　a　south　tunnel。　
　It　only　had　three　straight　tunnels；　meaning　that　the　outer；　circular　tunnel　didn't　form　a　plete　circle　as　it　did　on　every　other　floor。　The　result　was　a　dead　end　at　the　southernmost　point　of　the　outer　circle。　Riley　remembered　seeing　the　dead　end　before：　it　housed　the　room　in　which　James　Renshaw　was　being　held。　
　Right　now；　though；　Riley　and　Hollywood　found　themselves　in　the　outer　tunnel；　caught　on　the　bend　between　the　east　tunnel　and　the　north　tunnel。　With　them　were　the　scientists　from　Wilkes；　who　had　obviously　heard　something　going　on　outside　but　had　dared　not　venture　beyond　the　immediate　vicinity　of　their　rooms。　Among　the　frightened　faces　in　front　of　him；　Riley　saw　a　little　girl。　
　Jesus。　
　〃Take　the　rear；〃　Riley　said　to　Hollywood；　meaning　that　part　of　the　outer　tunnel　that　led　back　to　the　north　tunnel。　
　Riley　himself　began　to　move　past　the　group　of　scientists；　so　that　he　could　take　up　a　position　in　view　of　the　east　tunnel。　
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen！　Could　you　please　move　back　into　your　rooms！〃　
　〃What's　going　on？〃　one　of　the　men　asked　angrily。　
　〃Your　friends　upstairs　weren't　really　your　friends；〃　Riley　said。　〃There's　now　a　team　of　French　paratroopers　inside　your　station　and　they　will　kill　you　if　they　see　you。　Now　could　you　please　get　back　in　your　room。〃　
　〃Book！　Grenade！〃　Hollywood's　voice　echoed　down　the　corridor。　
　Riley　spun　to　see　Hollywood　e　charging　around　the　bend　toward　him。　He　also　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　fragmentation　grenade　bouncing　into　the　tunnel　twenty　feet　behind　him。　
　〃Oh；　fuck。〃　Riley　turned　instantly；　looking　for　cover　in　the　opposite　direction…in　the　east　tunnel；　ten　yards　away。　
　It　was　then　that　he　saw　two　more　grenades　tumble　out　of　the　east　tunnel　and　e　to　rest　against　the　wall　of　the　outer　tunnel。　
　〃Oh；　really　fuck。〃　Riley's　eyes　went　wide。　There　were　now