cc.fireice-第50部分

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on　and　under　the　seas。
　
　Finding　his　way　through　the　massive　amount　of　data　at　his　mand　required　a　deft　hand。　Yaeger　knew　that　if　Max　searched　out　every　mention　of　methane　hydrates　recorded；　he　would　drown　in　the　digital　deluge。　He　needed　someone　to　point　the　way。　Hank　Reed　immediately　came　to　mind。
　
　Reed　was　in　his　lab　when　Yaeger　called。　〃Hi；　Hank。　I　could　use　your　geochemical　expertise。　Any　chance　you　could　break　away　from　your　Bunsen　burners　for　a　few　minutes？〃
　〃Don't　tell　me　NUMA's　resident　puter　whiz　needs　the　help　of　a　mere　human　being。　What's　wrong；　did　your　know…it…all　machine　blow　a　fuse？〃
　〃Nope。　Max　truly　does　know　it　all；　which　is　why　I　need　someone　on　the　slow　side　to　bird…dog　the　data。　Tell　you　what；　I'll　buy　lunch。〃
　〃Flattery　and　food。　An　irresistible　bination。　I'll　be　right　up。〃
　
　Reed　walked　into　the　data　center　wearing　a　warm　smile。　Despite　their　playful　insults；　they　were　the　best　of　friends；　bound　by　their　eccentricities。　With　his　graying　ponytail　and　wire…rimmed　granny　glasses；　Yaeger　looked　like　he　belonged　in　the　cast　of　Hair：　Dr。　Henry　Reed　had　a　round　cherub's　face　and　a　high　thatch　of　wheat…colored　hair　that　added　a　few　inches　to　his　five…foot　height　and　looked　like　it　could　have　been　bed　with　a　pitchfork。　The　thick　round　glasses　perched　on　his　small　nose　gave　him　the　expression　of　a　benign　owl。　He　took　the　chair　Yaeger　offered　and　rubbed　his　pudgy　hands　together。
　
　〃Plunk　your　magic　twanger；　Froggy。〃
　
　Yaeger　looked　over　the　tops　of　his　granny　glasses。　〃Huh？〃
　〃It's　from　an　old　program；　I　can't　remember　which　it　was。　Froggy　was　a　…　Never　mind。　You　probably　never　even　heard　of　radio。〃
　
　Yaeger　grinned。　〃Sure　I　have。　My　grandmother　told　me　about　it。　Television　without　pictures。〃　He　leaned　back　in　his　chair　with　his　hands　behind　his　head　and　said；　〃Max；　say　hello　to　my　pal；　Dr。　Reed。〃
　
　A　feminine　voice　purred　through　the　speakers　placed　strategically　around　the　room。
　
　〃Hello；　Dr。　Reed。　How　nice　to　see　you　again。　。　。〃
　
　AS　THE　DOORS　hissed　shut　behind　him；　Roy　Jenkins　thought　it　strange　that　he　was　the　only　one　getting　off　the　elevator。　He　looked　at　the　numerals　on　the　wall　and　swore　to　himself。　He'd　bee　the　absentminded　professor　he　had　always　scorned。　The　receptionist　had　said　the　ninth　floor。　Preoccupied　with　his　thoughts；　he　had　pushed　the　button　for　the　tenth。
　
　Instead　of　the　standard　office　architecture　of　hallways；　cubicles　and　offices；　a　vast　glass…enclosed　area　took　up　the　entire　floor。　Jenkins　should　have　turned　back　to　the　elevator；　but　scientific　curiosity　got　the　best　of　him。　He　walked　past　banks　of　blinking　puters；　glancing　from　left　to　right；　listening　to　the　electronic　whisperings。　He　could　have　landed　on　an　alien　planet　peopled　only　by　machines。　With　some　relief　he　came　upon　the　two　men　behind　the　large　glowing　console　at　the　center　of　the　puter　plex。　They　were　looking　at　a　large　screen　that　seemed　to　hang　by　invisible　wires；　and　was　dominated　by　the　image　of　a　woman　in　vivid　color。　She　had　topaz　brown　eyes；　auburn　hair　and　the　bottom　of　the　monitor　barely　hid　her　ample　cleavage。
　
　The　woman　was　talking；　but　even　more　odd；　one　of　the　men；　who　wore　his　long　hair　in　a　ponytail；　was　talking　back　to　her。　Thinking　he　had　stumbled　into　a　showing　of　a　very　private　nature；　Jenkins　was　about　to　back　out；　but　the　other　man；　who　sported　a　hairdo　like　a　wheat　plant　gone　to　seed；　saw　him　and　grinned。
　
　〃At　last；　our　pastrami　sandwiches；〃　he　said。
　
　〃Pardon　me？〃
　
　Reed　saw　that　Jenkins　was　carrying　a　briefcase　instead　of　f　a　white　paper　bag；　studied　Jenkins's　weathered　and　tanned　face　and　then　took　in　the　workshirt　and　cap。
　
　〃Guess　you're　not　from　the　cafeteria；〃　he　said　sadly。
　
　〃My　name　is　Leroy　Jenkins。　I'm　sorry　to　bother　you。　I　got　off　at　the　wrong　floor　and　sort　of　wandered　in　here。〃　He　looked　around。　〃What　is　this　place？〃
　〃NUMA's　puter　center；〃　said　the　ponytailed　man。　He　was　boyish；　clean…shaven　face　with　a　narrow　nose　and　gray　eyes。　〃Max　can　answer　just　about　any　question　you　throw　her　way。〃
　〃Max？〃
　
　Yaeger　gestured　to　the　screen。　〃I'm　Hiram　Yaeger。　This　is　Hank　Reed。　That　lovely　lady　up　there　is　a　holographic　illusion。　Her　voice　is　a　feminine　version　of　my　own。　I　used　my　own　face　originally；　but　I　got　tired　of　looking　at　myself　and　dreamed　up　a　pretty　woman；　my　own　wife。〃
　
　Max　smiled。　〃Thank　you　for　the　pliment；　Hiram。〃
　〃You're　wele。　Max　is　smart　as　well　as　beautiful。　Ask　her　any　question　you'd　like。　Max；　this　is　Mr。　Jenkins。〃
　
　The　image　smiled　and　said；　〃Pleased　to　meet　you；　Mr。　Jenkins。〃
　
　I've　been　in　the　wilds　of　Maine　for　too　long；　Jenkins　thought。　〃Actually；　it's　Dr。　Jenkins。　I'm　an　oceanologist。〃　He　drew　a　breath　in。　〃I'm　afraid　my　questions　are　rather　plicated。　They've　got　to　do　with　methane　hydrates。〃
　
　Yaeger　and　Reed　looked　at　each　other；　then　at　Jenkins。
　
　Max　said；　with　a　sigh　that　was　more　than　human；　〃Is　it　really　necessary　to　repeat　myself？〃
　〃Nothing　personal；　Dr。　Jenkins。　Max　has　been　working　on　the　same　subject　for　the　last　hour　or　so；〃　Yaeger　said。　He　punched　out　the　cafeteria　number　on　the　phone　and　turned　to　Jenkins。　〃We'd　like　you　to　join　us　for　lunch。〃
　
　Reed　leaned　forward。　〃I　remend　the　pastrami。　It's　an　existential　experience。〃
　
　
　THE　SANDWICH　WAS　as　tasty　as　promised。　Jenkins　realized　that　with　the　exception　of　the　bag　of　peanuts　he'd　had　on　the　plane；　his　stomach　was　empty。　He　took　a　swig　of　root　beer　to　wash　his　lunch　down　and　looked　at　the　other　men；　who　were　waiting　expectantly。
　
　〃This　is　going　to　sound　crazy；〃　he　said。
　
　〃Crazy　is　our　middle　name；〃　Yaeger　said。　Reed　nodded　his　head　in　agreement。　Although　the　two　men　looked　like　an　overaged　hippie　and　a　munchkin　with　a　Don　King　hairdo；　they　appeared　very　bright。　More　important；　they　were　interested　in　hearing　his　story。
　
　〃Don't　say　I　didn't　warn　you；〃　he　said。　〃Okay；〃　he　began。　〃I　retired　from　teaching　college　a　few　years　ago　and　bought　a　lobster　boat　in　Rocky　Point；　my　hometown。〃
　〃Aha！　A　fisherman；〃　Reed　said。　〃I　knew　it。〃
　
　Jenkins　smiled；　then　resumed。　〃You　probably　read　about　the　tsunami　that　hit　there　not　too　long　ago。〃
　〃Yes；　it　was　an　awful　tragedy；〃　Reed　said。
　
　〃It　could　have　been　worse。〃　Jenkins　explained　his　role　in　warning　the　town。
　
　〃Lucky　you　were　there；〃　Yaeger　said。　〃Something　puzzles　me；　though。　First　time　I've　heard　of　something　like　that　happening。　New　England　isn't　at　the　edge　of　a　major　fault　like　Japan　or　California。〃
　〃The　only　parable　precedent　I　found　was　the　big　wave　caused　by　the　Grand　Banks　earthquake　in　1929。　The　quake's　epicenter　was　under　the　ocean　on　the　continental　slope　south　of　Newfoundland　and　east　of　Nova　Scotia。　The　tremor　was　felt　in　Canada　and　New　England；　but　the　source　was　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　the　nearest　land；　so　damage　was　negligible。　Roads　were　blocked　by　landslides；　chimneys　broken　and　dishes　rattled。　Otherwise；　the　shock　had　little　impact。　The　biggest　effect　was　on　the　sea。〃
　〃In　what　way？〃　Reed　said。
　
　〃There　were　two　ships　near　the　epicenter。　The　vibrations　were　so　violent　they　thought　they'd　lost　a　propeller　or　hit　an　uncharted　wreck　or　sandbar。　The　quake　created　a　great　wave　that　struck　the　south　coast　of　Newfoundland　three　hours　later；　running　up　into　rivers　and　inlets　in　the　little　fishing　villages　along　sixty　miles　of　coastline。　The　worst　damage　was　at　a　wedge…shaped　bay　on　the　Burin　Peninsula。　The　tsunami　rose　to　thirty　feet　at　the　apex　of　the　bay；　damaged　docks　and　buildings　and　killed　more　than　twenty…five　people。〃
　〃Very　similar　to　what　happened　at　Rocky　Point。〃
　〃Almost　a　mirror　image。　The　fatality　and　injury　rate　was　lower　in　my　town；　thank　goodness。　There　was　another　important　similarity。　Both　waves　seem　to　have　been　caused　by　huge　underwater　slides。　There　was　no　doubt　that　an　earthquake　caused　the　Grand　Banks　disaster。　The　oceanic　cables　were　broken　in　dozens　of　places。〃　He　paused。　〃Here's　where　they　were　different：　The　Rocky　Point　slide　seems　to　have　been　caused　without　a　quake。〃
　〃Interesting。　Were　there　any　seismic　readings？〃
　〃I　checked　with　the　Weston　Observatory　outside　of　Boston。　The　Grand　Banks　quake　had　a　magnitude　of　7。2。　So　we　know　something　of　that　magnitude　will　cause　a　tsunami。　The　Rocky　Point　readings　were　more　muddled。〃　He　paused。　〃There　was　a　shock；　but　it　didn't　fit　the　classic　pattern　for　a　quake。〃
　

　〃Let　me　see　if　I'm　clear　on　this。　Are　you　really　saying　the　Rocky　Point　slump　was　not　from　an　earthquake？〃
　〃I　think　that　can　be　fairly　well　established。　What　I　can't　say　is　what　actually　caused　the　landslide。〃　Yaeger　looked　over　the　tops　of　his　granny　glasses。　〃Which　came　first；　the　chicken　or　the　egg？〃
　〃Something　like　that。　I　had　read　about　the　methane…　hydrate　deposits　found　off　the　continental　slope　and　wondered　if　instability　in　those　pockets　of　gas　could　have　caused　the　slump。〃
　〃It's　certainly　possible；〃　Reed　said。　〃There　are　huge　pockets　of　the　stuff　off　both　coasts。　We've　found　major　deposits　off　of　Oregon　and　New　Jersey；　for　instance。　You've　heard　of　the　Blake　Ridge？〃
　〃Sure。　It's　an　undersea　promontory　a　couple　of　hundred　miles　southeast　of　the　U。S。〃
　〃Off　the　North　Carolina　coast；　to　be　exact。　The　ridge　is　loaded　with　methane　hydrate。　Some　people　think　the　ridge　is　a　'pressure　cooker。'　Surveys　have　found　craters　pockmarking　the　ocean　floor　where　the　stuff　has　melted　and　seeped　out；　releasing　methane　gas。〃
　
　Jenkins　scratched　his　head。　〃I'm　sorry　to　say　I　don't　know　a　lot　about　hydrates。　I　try　to　keep　up　through　the　professional　journals　since　leaving　the　university；　but　what　with　the　lobstering　and　so　on；　I　never　seem　to　have　enough　time。〃
　〃It's　a　paratively　new　area。　You're　familiar　with　chemical　position　of　hydrate？〃
　〃It's　made　up　of　natural　gas　molecules　trapped　in　ice。〃
　〃That's　right。　Someone　dubbed　it　'fire　ice。'　It　was　discovered　in　the　nineteenth　century；　but　our　knowledge　has　been　pretty　sketchy。　The　first　natural　deposits　were　under　the　permafrost　in　Siberia　and　North　America　…they　called　it　marsh　gas　…　then　in　the　1970s；　a　couple　of　scientists　from　Columbia　University　found　pockets　under　the　seafloor　when　they　were　doing　seismological　studies　at　the　Blake　Ridge。　In　the　1980s；　the　Wo