mreilly.icestation-第29部分

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　〃I　set　them　just　like　you　said；〃　Montana　said；　stepping　down　from　the　skirt　so　that　he　stood　in　front　of　Schofield　〃The　other　LCAC　is　at　the　southeast　corner。〃　LCAC　was　the　official　name　for　a　Marine　hovercraft。　It　stood　for　〃Landing　Craft…Air　Cushioned。〃　Montana　was　a　stickler　for　formalities。　
　Schofield　nodded。　〃Good。〃　
　Positioned　as　they　were；　the　range　finders　on　the　hovercrafts　now　covered　the　entire　landward　approach　to　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　With　a　range　of　over　fifty　miles；　Schofield　and　his　team　would　know　well　in　advance　if　anybody　was　heading　toward　the　station。　
　〃Have　you　got　a　portable　screen？〃　Schofield　asked　Montana。　
　〃Right　here。〃　Montana　offered　Schofield　a　portable　viewscreen　that　displayed　the　results　of　the　range　finders'　sweeps。　
　It　looked　like　a　miniature　TV　with　a　handle　on　the　left…hand　side。　On　the　screen；　two　thin　green　lines　clocked　slowly　back　and　forth　like　a　pair　of　windscreen　wipers。　As　soon　as　an　object　crossed　the　range　finders'　beams；　a　blinking　red　dot　would　appear　on　the　screen　and　the　object's　vital　statistics　would　appear　in　a　small　box　at　the　bottom　of　the　screen。　
　〃All　right；〃　Schofield　said。　〃I　think　we're　all　set。　I　think　it's　time　we　found　out　what's　down　in　that　cave。〃　
　
　The　trudge　back　to　the　main　building　took　about　five　minutes。　Schofield；　Sarah；　and　Montana　walked　quickly　through　the　falling　snow。　As　they　walked；　Schofield　told　Sarah　and　Montana　about　his　plans　for　the　cave。　
　First　of　all；　he　wanted　to　verify　the　existence　of　the　spacecraft　itself。　At　this　stage；　there　was　no　proof　that　anything　was　down　there　at　all。　All　they　had　was　the　report　of　a　single　scientist　from　Wilkes　who　was　himself　now　probably　dead。　Who　knew　what　he　had　seen？　That　he　had　also　been　attacked　soon　after　his　sighting　of　the　spacecraft…by　enemies　unknown…was　another　question　that　Schofield　wanted　answered。　
　There　was　a　third　reason；　however；　for　sending　a　small　team　down　to　the　cave。　A　reason　that　Schofield　didn't　mention　to　Sarah　or　Montana。　
　If　anyone　else　did　happen　to　make　a　play　for　the　station…especially　in　the　next　few　hours　when　the　Marines　were　at　their　most　vulnerable…and　if　they　also　managed　to　overe　what　was　left　of　Schofield's　unit　up　in　the　station　proper；　then　a　second　team　stationed　down　in　the　cave　might　be　able　to　provide　an　effective　last　line　of　defense。　
　For　if　the　only　entrance　to　the　cave　was　by　way　of　an　underwater　ice　tunnel；　then　anybody　wanting　to　penetrate　it　would　have　to　get　there　by　an　underwater　approach。　Covert　incursionary　forces　hate　underwater　approaches　and　for　good　reason：　you　never　know　what's　waiting　for　you　above　the　surface。　The　way　Schofield　saw　it；　a　small　team　already　stationed　inside　the　cave　would　be　able　to　pick　off　an　enemy　force；　one　by　one；　as　they　broke　the　surface。　
　Schofield；　Sarah；　and　Montana　came　to　the　main　entrance　of　the　station。　They　trudged　down　the　rampway　and　headed　inside。　
　Schofield　stepped　onto　the　A…deck　catwalk　and　immediately　headed　for　the　dining　room。　Rebound　should　have　been　back　there　by　now…with　Champion…and　Schofield　wanted　to　see　if　the　French　doctor　had　anything　to　say　about　Samurai's　condition。　
　Schofield　came　to　the　dining　room　door　and　stepped　inside。　
　He　immediately　saw　Rebound　and　Champion　standing　at　the　table　on　which　Samurai　lay。　
　Both　men　looked　up　quickly　as　Schofield　entered；　their　eyes　wide　as　saucers。　They　looked　like　thieves　caught　with　their　hands　in　the　till；　caught　in　the　middle　of　some　illegal　act。　
　There　was　a　short　silence。　
　And　then　Rebound　said；　〃Sir。　Samurai's　dead。〃　
　Schofield　frowned。　He　had　known　Samurai's　condition　was　critical　and　that　death　was　a　possibility；　but　the　way　Rebound　said　it　was…　
　Rebound　stepped　forward　and　spoke　seriously。　〃Sir；　he　was　dead　when　we　got　here。　And　the　doc　here　says　he　didn't　die　from　his　injuries。　He　says　。。。　he　says　it　looks　like　Samurai　was　suffocated。〃　
　
　
　
　Pete　Cameron　was　sitting　in　his　car　in　the　middle　of　the　SETI　parking　lot。　The　searing　desert　sun　beat　down　on　him。　Cameron　pulled　out　his　cellular　and　called　Alison　in　D。C。　
　〃How　was　it？〃　she　asked。　
　〃Riveting；〃　he　said；　flicking　through　his　notes　of　the　SETI　recording。　
　〃Anything　to　go　on？〃　
　〃Not　really。　Looks　like　they　got　a　few　words　off　a　spy　satellite；　but　it's　all　Greek　to　me。〃　
　〃Did　you　write　any　of　it　down　this　time？〃　
　Cameron　looked　at　his　notes。　
　〃Yes；　dear；〃　he　said。　〃But　I'm　not　so　sure　it's　worth　anything。〃　
　〃Tell　me　anyway；〃　Alison　said。　
　〃All　right；〃　Cameron　said；　looking　down　at　his　notes。　
　
　COPY　134625　
　CONTACT　LOST…》　IONOSPHERIC　DISTURB。　
　FORWARD　TEAM　
　SCARECROW　
　…66。5　
　SOLAR　FLARE　DISRUPT。　RADIO　
　115；　20　MINS；　12　SECS　EAST　
　HOW　GET　THERE　SO…SECONDARY　TEAM　EN　
　ROUTE　
　
　Cameron　read　his　notes　aloud　for　her；　word　for　word；　substituting　English　for　his　own　shorthand　symbols。　
　〃That's　it？〃　Alison　said　when　he　was　finished。　〃That's　all？〃　
　〃That's　it。〃　
　〃Not　much　to　go　on。〃　
　〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　Cameron　said。　
　〃Leave　it　with　me；〃　Alison　said。　〃Where　are　you　off　to　now？〃　
　Cameron　plucked　a　small　white　card　off　his　dashboard。　It　was　almost　covered　over　by　Post…its。　It　was　a　business　card。　
　
　ANDREW　WILCOX　
　Gunsmith　
　14　Newbury　St；　Lake　Arthur；　NM　
　
　Cameron　said；　〃I　thought　that　since　I　was　down　here　in　the　Tumbleweed　State；　I'd　check　out　the　mysterious　Mr。　Wilcox。〃　
　〃The　mailbox　guy？〃　
　〃Yeah；　the　mailbox　guy。〃　
　Two　weeks　ago；　someone　had　left　this　business　card　in　Cameron's　mailbox。　Just　the　card。　Nothing　else。　No　message　came　with　it；　and　nothing　was　written　on　it。　At　first；　Cameron　almost　threw　it　in　the　trash　as　errant　junk　mail…really　errant　junk　mail　since　it　had　e　from　New　Mexico。　
　But　then　Cameron　had　received　a　phone　call。　
　It　was　a　male　voice。　Husky。　He　asked　if　Cameron　had　got　the　card。　
　Cameron　said　he　had。　
　Then　the　man　said　that　he　had　something　that　Cameron　might　like　to　look　into。　Sure；　Cameron　had　said；　would　the　man　like　to　e　to　Washington　to　talk　about　it？　
　No。　That　was　out　of　the　question。　Cameron　would　have　to　e　to　him。　The　guy　was　a　real　cloak…and…dagger　type；　super…paranoid。　He　said　he　was　ex…Navy；　or　something　like　that。　
　〃You　sure　he's　not　just　another　of　your　fans？〃　Alison　said。　
　Pete　Cameron's　reputation　from　his　investigative　days　at　Mother　Jones　still　haunted　him。　Conspiracy　theorists　liked　to　ring　him　up　and　say　that　they　had　the　next　Watergate　on　their　hands　or　that　they　had　the　juice　on　some　corrupt　politician。　
　Usually　they　asked　for　money　in　return　for　their　stories。　
　But　this　Wilcox　character　had　not　asked　for　money。　Hadn't　even　mentioned　it。　And　since　Cameron　was　in　the　neighborhood　。。。　
　〃He　may　well　be；〃　Cameron　said。　〃But　since　I'm　down　here　anyway；　I　might　as　well　check　him　out。〃　
　〃All　right；〃　Alison　said。　〃But　don't　say　I　didn't　warn　you。〃　
　Cameron　hung　up　and　slammed　the　door　of　his　car。　
　
　In　the　Post's　offices　in　D。C。；　Alison　Cameron　hung　up　her　phone　and　stared　into　space　for　a　few　seconds。　It　was　midmorning　and　the　office　was　a　buzz　of　activity。　The　wide；　low…ceilinged　room　was　divided　by　hundreds　of　chest…high　partitions；　and　in　every　one　people　were　busily　working　away。　Phones　rang；　keyboards　clattered；　people　scurried　back　and　forth。　
　Alison　was　dressed　in　a　pair　of　cream　pants；　a　white　shirt；　and　a　loosely　tied　black　tie。　Her　shoulder…length　auburn　hair　was　pulled　back　in　a　neat　ponytail。　
　After　a　few　moments；　she　looked　at　the　slip　of　paper　on　which　she'd　jotted　down　everything　her　husband　had　told　her　over　the　phone。　
　She　read　over　each　line　carefully。　Most　of　it　was　indecipherable　jargon。　Talk　about　Scarecrows；　ionospheric　disturbances；　forward　teams；　and　secondary　teams。　
　Three　lines；　however；　struck　her。　
　
　…66。5　
　SOLAR　FLARE　DISRUPTING　RADIO　
　115；　20　MINS；　12　SECS　EAST　
　
　Alison　frowned　as　she　read　the　three　lines　again。　Then　she　got　an　idea。　
　She　quickly　reached　over　to　a　nearby　desk　and　grabbed　a　brown　folio…sized　book　from　the　shelf　above　it。　She　looked　at　the　cover：　Bartholemew's　Advanced　Atlas　of　World　Geography。　She　flipped　some　pages　and　quickly　found　the　one　she　was　looking　for。　
　She　ran　her　finger　across　a　line　on　the　page。　
　〃Huh？〃　she　said　aloud。　Another　reporter　at　a　desk　nearby　looked　up　from　his　work。　
　Alison　didn't　notice　him。　She　just　continued　to　stare　at　the　page　in　front　of　her。　
　Her　finger　marked　the　point　on　the　map　designated　latitude　minus　66。5　degrees　and　longitude　115　degrees；　20　minutes；　and　12　seconds　east。　
　Alison　frowned。　
　Her　finger　was　pointing　at　the　coastline　of　Antarctica。　
　
　
　
　The　Marines　gathered　around　the　pool　on　E…deck　in　silence。　
　Montana；　Gant；　and　Santa　Cruz　wordlessly　shouldered　into　scuba　tanks。　All　three　wore　black　thermal…electric　wet　suits。　
　Schofleld　and　Snake　watched　them　as　they　suited　up。　Rebound　stood　behind　them。　Book　Riley　walked　off　in　silence　toward　the　E…deck　storeroom；　to　check　on　Mother。　
　A　large　black　backpack…the　French　team's　VLF　transmitter　that　Santa　Cruz　had　found　during　his　search　of　the　station…sat　on　the　deck　next　to　Schofield's　feet。　
　The　news　of　Samurai's　death　had　rocked　the　whole　team。　
　Luc　Champion；　the　French　doctor；　had　told　Schofield　that　he　had　found　traces　of　lactic　acid　in　Samurai's　trachea；　or　windpipe。　That；　Champion　had　said；　was　almost　certain　proof　that　Samurai　had　not　died　of　his　wounds。　
　Lactic　acid　in　the　trachea；　Champion　explained；　evidenced　a　sudden　lack　of　oxygen　to　the　lungs；　which　the　lungs　then　tried　to　pensate　for　by　burning　sugar；　a　process　known　as　lactic　acidosis。　In　other　words；　lactic　acid　in　the　trachea　pointed　to　death　due　to　a　sudden　lack　of　oxygen　to　the　lungs；　otherwise　known　as　asphyxiation；　or　suffocation。　
　Samurai　had　not　died　from　his　wounds。　He　had　died　because　his　lungs　had　been　deprived　of　oxygen。　He　had　died　because　someone　had　cut　off　his　air。　
　Someone　had　murdered　Samurai。　
　In　the　time　it　had　taken　Schofield　and　Sarah　to　go　out　and　meet　with　Montana　at　the　perimeter　of　the　station…the　same　time　it　took　for　Rebound　to　climb　down　to　E…deck　and　collect　Luc　Champion…someone　had　gone　into　the　dining　room　on　A…deck　and　strangled　Samurai。　
　The　implicatio