alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第12章

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　 Brown　started　writing　again；　not　for　long。　His　voice　this　time　was　still　matter…of…fact　but　with　overtones　of　emptiness。　He　said；　〃'All　balloons　burned。　No　moon。'〃
　 〃'No　moon。'〃　Raeburn　couldn't　hide　the　bitterness；　the　sharpness　of　his　disappointment。　〃Damn！　Must　be　pretty　heavy　overcast　up　there。　Or　a　bad　Storm。〃
　 〃No；〃　I　said。　〃You　don't　get　local　weather　variations　like　that　on　the　ice　cap。　The　conditions　will　be　the　same　over　fifty　thousand　square　miles。　The　moon　is　down。　For　them；　the　moon　is　down。　Their　latest　estimated　position　must　have　been　pure　guesswork；　and　bad　guesswork　at　that。　They　must　be　at　least　a　hundred　miles　farther　north　and　east　than　we　bad　thought。〃
　 〃Ask　them　if　they　have　any　rockets；〃　Swanson　said　to　Brown。
　 〃You　can　try；〃　I　said。　〃It'll　be　a　waste　of　time。　If　they're　as　far　off　as　I　think；　their　rockets　would　never　get　above　our　horizon。　Even　if　they　did；　we　wouldn't　see　them。〃
　 〃It's　always　a　chance；　isn't　it？〃　Swanson　asked。
　 〃Beginning　to　lose　contact；　sir；〃　Brown　reported。　〃Something　there　about　food　but　it　faded　right　out。〃　
　 〃Tell　them　if　they　have　any　rockets　to　fire　them　at　once；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Quickly；　now；　before　you　lose　contact。〃
　 Four　times　in　all　Brown　sent　the　message　before　he　managed　to　pick　up　a　reply。　Then　he　said：　〃Message　reads　'Two　minutes。'　Either　this　guy　is　pretty　far　gone　or　his　transmitter　batteries　are。　That's　all。　'Two　minutes；'　he　said。〃
　 Swanson　nodded　wordlessly　and　left　the　room。　I　followed。　We　picked　up　coats　and　binoculars　and　clambered　up　to　the　bridge。　After　the　warmth　and　fort　of　the　control　room；　the　cold　seemed　glacial；　the　flying　ice　spicules　more　lancetlike　than　ever。　Swanson　uncapped　the　gyro…repeater　pass；　gave　us　the　line　of　045；　and　told　the　two　men　who　had　been　keeping　watch　what　to　look　for　and　where。
　 A　minute　passed；　two　minutes；　five。　My　eyes　began　to　ache　from　staring　into　the　ice…filled　dark；　the　exposed　part　of　my　face　had　gone　pletely　numb；　and　I　knew　that　when　I　removed　those　binoculars　I　was　going　to　take　a　fair　amount　of　skin　with　them。
　 A　phone　bell　rang。　Swanson　lowered　his　glasses；　leaving　two　peeled　and　bloody　rings　around　his　eyeshe　seemed　unaware　of　it；　the　pain　wouldn't　e　until　laterand　picked　up　the　receiver。　He　listened　briefly；　hung　up。
　 〃Radio　room；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　get　below。　All　of　us。　The　rockets　were　fired　three　minutes　ago。〃
　 We　went　below。　Swanson　caught　sight　of　his　face　reflected　in　a　glass　gauge　and　shook　his　head。　〃They　must　have　shelter；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃They　must。　Some　hut　left。　Or　they　would　have　been　gone　long　ago。〃　He　went　into　the　radio　room。　〃Still　in　contact？〃
　 〃Yeah。〃　It　was　Zabrinski。　〃Off　and　on。　It's　a　funny　thing。　When　a　bum　contact　like　this　starts　to　fade；　it　usually　gets　lost　and　stays　lost。　But　this　guy　keeps　ing　back。　Funny。〃
　 〃Maybe　he　hasn't　even　got　batteries　left；〃　I　said。　〃Maybe　all　they　have　is　a　hand…cranked　generator。　Maybe　these's　no　one　left　with　the　strength　to　crank　it　for　more　than　a　few　moments　at　a　time。〃
　 〃Maybe；〃　Zabrinski　agreed。　〃Tell　the　captain　that　last　message；　Curly。〃
　 〃'Can't　late　many　tours；'〃　Brown　said。　〃That's　how　the　message　came　through。　'Can't　late　many　tours。'　I　think　it　should　read　'Can't　last　many　hours。'　Don't　see　what　else　it　could　have　been。〃
　 Swanson　looked　at　me　briefly；　and　glanced　away　again。　I　hadn't　told　anyone　else　that　the　mandant　of　the　base　was　my　brother　and　I　knew　he　hadn't　told　anyone；　either。　He　said　to　Brown：　〃Give　them　a　time　check。　Ask　them　to　send　their　call　signs　five　minutes　every　hour　on　the　hour。　Tell　them　we'll　contact　them　again　within　six　hours　at　the　most；　maybe　only　four。　Zabrinski；　how　accurate　was　that　bearing？〃
　 〃Dead　accurate；　Captain。　I've　had　plenty　of　rechecks。　Oh　forty…five　exactly。〃
　 Swanson　moved　out　into　the　control　center。　〃Drift　Station　Zebra　can't　see　the　moon。　If　we　take　Dr。　Carpenter's　word　for　it　that　weather　conditions　are　pretty　much　the　same　all　over；　that's　because　the　moon　is　below　their　horizon。　With　the　elevation　we　have　of　the　moon；　and　knowing　their　bearing；　what's　Zebra's　minimum　distance　from　us？〃
　 〃A　hundred　miles；　as　Dr。　Carpenter　said；〃　Raeburn　confirmed　after　a　short　calculation。　〃At　least　that。〃
　 〃So。　We　leave　here　and　take　a　course　oh　forty。　Not　enough　to　take　us　very　far　from　their　general　direction；　but　it　will　give　us　enough　off…set　to　take　a　good　cross…bearing　eventually。　We　will　go　exactly　a　hundred　miles　and　try　for　another　polynya。　Call　the　executive　officer；　secure　for　diving。〃　He　smiled　at　me。　〃With　two　cross…bearings　and　an　accurately　measured　base　line；　we　can　pin　them　down　to　a　hundred　yards。〃
　 〃How　do　you　intend　to　measure　a　hundred　miles　under　the　ice？　Accurately；　I　mean？〃
　 〃Our　inertial…navigation　puter　does　it　for　me。　It's　very　accurate：　you　wouldn't　believe　just　how　accurate。　I　can　dive　the　〃Dolphin〃　off　the　eastern　coast　of　the　United　States　and　surface　again　in　the　eastern　Mediterranean　within　five　hundred　yards　of　where　I　expect　to　be。　Over　a　hundred　miles　I　don't　expect　to　be　twenty　yards　out。〃
　 Radio　aerials　were　lowered；　hatches　screwed　down；　and　within　five　minutes　the　〃Dolphin〃　had　dropped　down　from　her　hole　in　the　ice　and　was　on　her　way。　The　two　helmsmen　at　the　diving　stand　sat　idly　smoking；　doing　nothing：　the　steering　controls　were　in　automatic　interlock　with　the　inertial…navigation　system；　which　steered　the　ship　with　a　degree　of　accuracy　and　sensitivity　impossible　to　human　hands。　For　the　first　time　I　could　feel　a　heavy　jarring　vibration　rumbling　throughout　the　length　of　the　ship。　〃Can't　last　many　hours；〃　the　message　had　said。　The　〃Dolphin〃　was　under　full　power。
　 I　didn't　leave　the　control　room　that　morning。　I　spent　most　of　the　time　peering　over　the　shoulder　of　Dr。　Benson；　who　had　passed　his　usual　five　minutes　in　the　sick　bay　waiting　for　the　patients　who　never　turned　up　and　then　had　hurried　to　his　seat　by　the　ice　machine。　The　readings　on　that　machine　meant　living　or　dying　to　the　Zebra　survivors。　We　had　to　find　another　polynya　to　surface　in　to　get　a　cross…bearing　on　Zebra's　position：　no　polynya；　no　cross…bearing；　no　cross…bearing；　no　hope。　I　wondered　for　the　hundredth　time　how　many　of　the　survivors　of　the　fire　were　still　alive。　From　the　quiet　desperation　of　the　few　garbled　messages　that　Brown　and　Zabrinski　had　managed　to　pick　up；　I　couldn't　see　that　there　would　be　many。
　 The　pattern　traced　out　by　the　hissing　stylus　on　the　chart　was　hardly　an　encouraging　sight。　Most　of　the　time　it　showed　the　ice　overhead　to　be　of　a　thickness　of　ten　feet　or　more。　Several　times　the　stylus　dipped　to　show　thicknesses　of　thirty　to　forty　feet；　and　once　it　dipped　down　almost　clear　of　the　paper；　showing　a　tremendous　inverted　ridge　of　at　least　150　feet　in　depth。　I　tried　to　imagine　what　kind　of　fantastic　pressures　created　by　piled…up　log　jams　of　rafted　ice　on　the　surface　must　have　been　necessary　to　force　ice　down　to　such　a　depth；　but　I　just　didn't　have　the　imagination　to　cope　with　that　sort　of　thing。
　 Only　twice　in　the　first　eighty　miles　did　the　stylus　trace　out　the　thin　black　line　that　meant　thin　ice　overhead。　The　first　of　those　polynyas　might　have　acmodated　a　small　row　boat；　but　it　would　certainly　never　have　looked　at　the　〃Dolphin〃；　the　other　had　hardly　been　any　bigger。
　 Shortly　before　noon　the　hull　vibration　died　away　as　Swanson　gave　the　order　for　a　cut…back　to　a　slow　cruising　speed。　He　said　to　Benson；　〃How　does　it　look？〃
　 〃Terrible。　Heavy　ice　all　the　way。〃
　 〃Well；　we　can't　expect　a　polynya　to　fall　into　our　laps　right　away；〃　Swanson　said　reasonably。　〃We're　almost　there。　We'll　make　a　grid　search。　Five　miles　east；　five　miles　west；　a　quarter　mile　farther　to　the　north　each　time。〃
　 The　search　began。　An　hour　passed；　two；　then　three。　Raeburn　and　his　assistant　hardly　ever　raised　their　heads　from　the　plotting　table；　where　they　were　meticulously　tracing　every　movement　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　making　in　her　criss…cross　search　under　the　sea。　Four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　The　normal　background　buzz　of　conversation；　the　occasional　small　talk　from　various　groups　in　the　control　center；　died　away　pletely。　Benson's　occasional　〃Heavy　ice；　still　heavy　ice；〃　growing　steadily　quieter　and　more　dispirited；　served　only　to　emphasize　and　deepen　the　heavy；　brooding　silence　that　had　fallen。　Only　a　case…hardened　undertaker　could　have　felt　perfectly　at　home　in　that　atmosphere。　At　the　moment；　undertakers　were　the　last　people　I　wanted　to　think　about。
　 Five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　People　weren't　looking　at　each　other　any　more；　much　less　talking。　Heavy　ice；　still　heavy　ice。　Defeat；　despair　hung　heavy　in　the　air。　Heavy　ice；　still　heavy　ice。　Even　Swanson　had　stopped　smiling。　I　wondered　if　he　had　in　his　mind's　eye　what　I　now　constantly　had　in　mine：　the　picture　of　a　haggard；　emaciated；　bearded　man　with　his　face　all　but　destroyed　with　frostbite；　a　frozen；　starving；　dying　man　draining　away　the　last　few　ounces　of　his　exhausted　strength　as　he　cranked　the　handle　of　his　generator　and　tapped　out　his　call　sign　with　lifeless　fingers；　his　head　bowed　as　he　strained　to　listen　above　the　howl　of　the　ice　storm　for　the　promise　of　aid　that　never　came。　Or　maybe　there　was　no　one　tapping　out　a　call　sign　any　more。　They　were　no　ordinary　men　who　had　been　sent　to　man　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra；　but　there　es　a　time　when　even　the　toughest；　the　…bravest；　the　most　enduring　will　abandon　all　hope　and　lie　down　to　die。　Perhaps　he　had　already　lain　down　to　die。　Heavy　ice；　still　heavy　ice。
　 At　half…past　five　mander　Swanson　walked　across　to　the　ice　machine　and　peered　over　Benson's　shoulder。　He　said；　〃What's　the　average　thickness　of　that　stuff　above？〃
　 〃Twelve　to　fifteen　feet；〃　Benson　said。　His　voice　was　low　and　tired。　〃Nearer　fifteen；　I　would　say。〃
　 Swanson　picked　up　a　phone。　〃Lieutenant　Mills？　Captain　here。　What　is　the　state　of　readiness　of　those　torpedoes　you're　working　on？　Four？　Ready　to　go？　Good。　Stand　by　to　load。　I'm　giving　this　search　another　thirty　minutes；　then　it's　up　to　you。　Yes；　that　is　correct。　We　shall　attempt　to　blow　a　hole　through　the　ice。〃　He　replaced　the　phone。
　 Hansen　said　thoughtfully；　〃Fifteen　feet　of　ice　is　a　helluva　lot　of　ice。　And　that　ice　will　have　a　tamping　effect　and　will　direct　ninety　per　cent　of　the　explosive　force　down　the　way；　You　think　we　〃can〃　blow　a　hole　through　fifteen　feet　of　ice；　Captain？〃
　 〃I've　no　idea；〃　Swanson　admitted。　〃How　can　anyone　know　until　we　try　it？〃
　 〃Nobody　ever　tried　to　do　this　before？〃　I　asked。
　 〃No。　Not　in　the　U。S。　Navy；　anyway。　The　Russians　may　have　tried　it；　I　wouldn't　know。　They　don't；〃　he　added　dryly；　〃keep　us　very　well　informed　on　those　matters。〃
　 〃Aren't　the　underwater　shock　waves　liable　to　damage　the　〃Dolphin？〃〃　I　asked。　I　didn't　care　for　the　idea　at　all；　and　that　was　a　fact。
　 〃If　they　do；　the　Electric　Boat　pany　can　expect　a…　pretty　strong　letter　of　plaint。　We　shall　explode　the　warhead　electronically　about　a　thousand　yards　after　it　leaves　the　ship：　it　has　to　travel　eight　hundred　yards　anyway　before　a　safety；　device　unlocks　and　permits　the　warhead　to　be　armed。　We　shall　be　bows　on　to　the　detonation；　and　with　a　hull　designed　to　withstand　the　pressures　this　one　is；　the　shock　effects　should　be　negligible。〃　
　 〃Very　heavy　ice；〃　Benson　intoned。　〃Thirty　feet；　forty　feet；　fifty　feet。　Very；　very　heavy　ice。〃
　 〃Just　too　bad