mreilly.icestation-第31部分

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ge。　Trent　didn't　know　what　was　going　on。　
　The　last　thing　Schofield　heard　over　his　helmet　inter　that　day　was　Trent　saying　that　he　was　the　last　one　left。　
　Andrew　Trent　never　came　out　of　the　temple。　
　About　a　year　later；　after　making　some　inquiries；　Schofield　was　told　that　Trent's　unit　had　arrived　at　that　temple　only　to　find　no　one　there。　There　was　no　battle；　Schofield　was　told；　no　fighting　with　anyone。　No　〃mysterious　discovery〃　in　the　first　place。　Upon　arriving　at　the　temple　and　finding　it　empty；　Trent　and　his　team　had　investigated　the　dark；　dank　ruins。　It　was　during　that　search　that　a　few　men…Trent　included…fell　down　a　concealed　plug　hole。　It　was　estimated　that　the　plug　hole　was　at　least　a　hundred　feet　deep；　with　sheer　rock　walls。　No　one　had　survived　the　fall。　A　search　had　apparently　been　made；　and　all　the　bodies　had　been　recovered。　
　Except　Trent's；　Schofield　had　been　told。　Andrew　Trent's　body　was　never　found。　
　It　made　Schofield　furious。　Officially；　nothing　had　ever　happened　at　that　temple。　Nothing　but　a　tragic　accident　that　had　claimed　the　lives　of　twelve　United　States　Marines。　
　Schofield　knew　he　was　the　only　one　who　had　heard　Trent's　voice　over　the　radio　system；　knew　no　one　would　believe　him　if　he　ever　questioned　what　had　happened。　If　he　said　anything；　it　would　probably　only　win　him　a　quiet　court…martial　and　an　even　quieter　dishonorable　discharge。　
　And　so　Schofield　had　never　mentioned　the　incident　to　anyone。　
　But　now；　in　the　cold　confines　of　an　underground　ice　station　in　the　Antarctic；　it　was　ing　back　to　haunt　him。　
　〃They　planted　men　in　my　unit！。。。　They　planted　fucking　men　in　my　unit！〃　
　Trent's　words　echoed　inside　Schofield's　head　as　he　thought　about　whether　Rebound　had　killed　Samurai。　
　Had　they　also　planted　men　inside　his　unit？　
　And　who　were　〃they〃　anyway？　The　U。S。　Government？　The　U。S。　military？　
　It　sounded　like　something　that　might　have　happened　in　the　old　Soviet　Union。　A　government　planting　〃special〃　men　inside　elite　units。　But　then；　as　Schofield　knew；　the　United　States　and　the　USSR　had　not　really　been　all　that　different。　The　U。S。　had　always　accused　the　Soviets　of　indoctrination　while　at　the　same　time　they　played　〃The　Star…Spangled　Banner〃　every　single　morning　in　schools　across　America。　
　The　thought　of　disloyal　men　inside　his　unit　made　Schofield's　skin　crawl。　
　He　continued　with　his　mental　checklist。　
　Hell；　even　Riley　and　Gant…engaged　in　the　preparation　of　the　scuba　gear　down　on　E…deck…had　occasionally　separated。　Every　so　often；　Riley　would　go　and　eheck　on　Mother。　
　Schofield　couldn't　believe　that　Book　Riley　was　a　traitor。　He　had　known　him　for　too　long。　
　But　Gant？　Schofield　thought　he　knew；　Libby　Gant；　thought　he　had　her　measure；　too。　He　had　chosen　Gant　himself　for　the　unit。　Could　that　have　been　anticipated　by　someone　else？　By　someone　who　had　wanted　her　in　Schofield's　unit。　No。。。。　
　The　only　other　Marine　alive　at　the　station　was　Mother。　And　the　mere　prospect　that　she　could　have　killed　Samurai　was　absurd。　
　Schofield's　head　was　spinning。　All　he　knew　for　sure　was　that　Samurai　Lau　was　dead　and　that　someone　among　them　had　killed　him。　The　problem　was；　they　all　could　have　done　it。　
　
　
　
　Montana；　Gant；　and　Santa　Cruz　were　ready　to　dive。　
　Strapped　to　their　backs　were　Navy…made　low…audibility　air　tanks；　or；　as　they　are　more　colloquially　known　in　the　Marine　Corps；　〃stealth　tanks。〃　
　Water　is　a　great　conductor　of　sound；　and　regular　scuba　tanks　make　a　lot　of　noise　as　they　pump　pressed　air　through　their　hoses　to　a　diver's　mouthpiece。　Any　mercial　underwater　microphone　will　detect　a　diver　by　the　loud　hisssssing　noise　that　his　breathing　gear　makes。　
　With　this　in　mind；　the　U。S。　Navy　has　spent　millions　of　dollars　developing　a　silent　self…contained　underwater　breathing　apparatus。　The　result　is　a　scuba　system　known　as　LABA…low…audibility　breathing　apparatus。　Scuba　tanks　that　are　all　but　noiseless　underwater。　LABA　tanks　are　undetectable　to　conventional　audio　detection　systems；　hence　the　parison　with　stealth　aircraft。　
　Schofield　watched　the　three　Marines　as　they　reached　for　their　face　masks　and　prepared　to　jump　into　the　murky　pool。　Then　he　turned　and　scanned　the　pool；　empty　save　for　the　diving　bell　that　hovered　out　in　the　center。　The　pod　of　killer　whales　had　left　the　area　about　forty　minutes　ago　and　hadn't　been　seen　since。　As　he　gazed　at　the　pool；　however；　he　felt　someone　tap　him　on　the　shoulder。　Schofield　turned。　
　And　saw　Sarah　Hensleigh　standing　in　front　of　him。　Dressed　in　a　figure…hugging　blue…and…black　thermal…electric　wet　suit。　Schofield　was　momentarily　taken　aback。　For　the　first　time　that　day；　he　noticed　just　how　shapely　Sarah　Hensleigh　was…the　woman　had　a　great　body。　
　Schoheld　raised　his　eyebrows。　
　〃This　is　what　I　wanted　to　ask　you　about　before；〃　Sarah　said。　〃When　we　were　outside。　But　I　never　got　a　chance。　I　want　to　go　down　with　them。〃　
　〃I　can　see　that；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃This　station　lost　nine　people　down　in　that　cave。　I'd　likd　to　know　why。〃　
　Schofield　looked　from　Hensleigh　to　the　three　Marine　divers　on　his　left。　He　frowned；　doubtful。　
　〃I　can　help；〃　Sarah　said　quickly。　〃With　the　cave；　for　example。〃　
　〃How？〃　
　〃Ben　Austin…one　of　the　divers　who　went　down　there　at　the　very　start…said　it　was　an　underground　cavern　of　some　sort；　right？〃　Sarah　said。　〃He　said　it　had　sheer　ice　walls　and　that　it　stretched　off　for　several　hundred　feet。〃　Sarah　stared　at　Schofield。　〃My　guess　is　that　if　the　walls　in　that　cave　are　sheer；　then　it's　a　good　bet　that　the　cave　was　formed　by　some　kind　of　seismic　event　in　the　past；　some　kind　of　earthquake　or　undersea　volcanic　eruption。　Sheer　walls　are　created　by　sudden　upthrusts　of　rock；　not　slow；　gradual　movement。〃　
　〃I'm　sure　my　men　will　be　safe　from　sudden　upthrusts　of　rock；　Dr。　Hensleigh。〃　
　〃All　right　then。　I　can　tell　you　what's　down　there；〃　Sarah　said。　
　That　got　Schofield's　attention。　He　turned　to　the　three　divers　standing　by　the　edge　of　the　pool。　〃Montana；　Gant；　Cruz。　Just　hold　on　a　minute；　will　you？〃　Schofield　turned　back　to　face　Sarah　Hensleigh；　his　eyes　serious。　〃All　right；　Dr。　Hensleigh；　tell　me　what's　down　there？〃　
　〃All　right；〃　Sarah　said　as　she　collected　her　thoughts。　She'd　obviously　thought　about　this　a　lot；　but　now　Schofield　had　put　her　on　the　spot。　
　〃Theory　One；〃　she　said。　〃It's　alien。　It's　a　spacecraft　from　another　planet；　from　another　civilization。　Now；　that's　not　really　my　field…it's　not　really　anyone's　field。　But　if　that　thing　is　alien　then　I'd　give　my　right　arm　to　see　it。〃　
　〃Mother　already　gave　her　left　leg。　What　else？〃　
　〃Theory　Two；〃　Sarah　said；　〃it's　not　alien。〃　
　〃It's　not　alien？〃　Schofield　raised　an　eyebrow。　That's　right；〃　Sarah　said。　〃It's　not　alien。　Now　this　theory；　this　theory　really　is　my　field。　This　is　pure　paleontology。　It's　not　a　new　theory　by　any　means；　but　until　now；　no　one's　been　able　to　find　any　evidence　to　prove　it。〃　
　〃Prove　what？〃　
　Sarah　took　a　deep　breath。　〃The　theory　goes　that　once；　a　long　time　ago；　there　was　civilized　life　on　Earth。〃　
　She　paused；　not　for　effect；　but　rather　to　wait　for　Schofield's　reaction。　
　At　first；　Schofield　didn't　say　anything；　he　just　thought　about　it　for　a　moment。　Then　he　looked　at　her　hard。　〃Go　on。〃　
　〃I'm　talking　about　a　long　time　ago；〃　Sarah　said；　gaining　momentum。　〃I'm　talking　before　the　dinosaurs。　I'm　talking　four　hundred　million　years　ago。　Now；　when　you　think　about　it。。。　when　you　think　about　it　in　terms　of　human　evolution；　it's　really　very　possible。　
　〃Human　life　as　we　know　it　has　been　on　Earth　for　less　than　a　million　years；　right？　Historically　speaking；　that's　not　a　long　time。　If　the　history　of　the　Earth　were　the　twenty…four　hours　in　a　day；　then　the　period　of　modern　human　presence　would　amount　to　about　three　seconds。　What　we　would　call　civilized　human　life…human　life　in　its　Homo　sapiens　form…has　been　here　for　an　even　shorter　period　of　time；　not　even　twenty　thousand　years。　That's　less　than　a　second　on　the　world's　time　clock。〃　
　Schofield　watched　Sarah　Hensleigh　closely　as　she　spoke。　She　was　excited；　speaking　quickly。　She　was　in　her　element。　
　〃What　paleontologists　usually　say；〃　she　said；　〃is　that　a　whole　matrix　of　factors　contributed　to　the　rise　of　the　mammals；　and　hence　the　rise　of　human　life　on　Earth。　The　right　distance　from　the　sun；　the　right　temperature；　the　right　atmosphere；　the　right　oxygen　levels　in　the　atmosphere；　and；　of　course；　the　extinction　of　the　dinosaurs。　We　all　know　about　the　Alvarez　theory；　how　an　asteroid　slammed　into　the　Earth　and　killed　all　the　dinosaurs　and　how　the　mammals　rose　out　of　the　darkness　and　took　their　place　as　the　rulers　of　the　world。　What　if　I　was　to　tell　you　that　there　is　evidence　that　there　were　at　least　four　other　such　asteroid　impacts　on　this　planet　in　the　last　seven　hundred　million　years。〃　
　〃Asteroid　impacts；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃Yes。　Sir　Edmund　Halley　once　suggested　that　the　entire　Caspian　Sea　was　created　by　an　asteroid　collision　hundreds　of　millions　of　years　ago。　Alexander　Bickerton；　the　famous　New　Zealand　physicist　who　taught　Rutherford；　hypothesized　that　the　seabed　of　the　entire　South　Atlantic　Ocean…between　South　Africa　and　South　America…was　one　great　big　bowl…shaped　crater；　caused　by　a　massive　asteroid　impact　over　three　hundred　million　years　ago。　
　〃Now；　if　we　assume…as　we　so　readily　do　in　the　case　of　the　dinosaurs…that　every　time　one　of　these　cataclysmic　asteroids　hit　the　Earth　a　civilization　died；　we　can　only　ask；　what　other　kinds　of　civilizations；　like　that　of　the　dinosaurs；　have　also　been　destroyed？　What　several　academics　have　suggested　in　recent　years…Joseph　Sorenson　from　Stanford　is　the　most　well　known…is　that　one　of　these　civilizations　may　have　been　human。〃　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　other　Marines　on　the　deck　around　him。　They　were　all　listening　to　Sarah　intensely；　rapt　in　her　story。　
　Sarah　went　on。　〃You　see；　on　average；　the　Earth　tilts　on　its　vertical　axis　half　a　degree　every　twenty…two　thousand　years。　What　Sorenson　postulated　was　that　about　four　hundred　million　years　ago　the　Earth　was　tilted　at　an　angle　not　unlike　the　angle　it's　tilted　on　today。　It　was　also　no　farther　from　the　sun　than　it　is　now；　so　it　had　similar　mean　temperatures。　Ice　core　samples；　like　the　ones　we　get　from　this　station；　have　shown　that　the　air　was　a　mix　of　oxygen；　nitrogen；　and　hydrogen；　in　quantities　ve