mreilly.icestation-第1章

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　FOR　NATALIE　
　
　ACKNOWLEDGMENTS　
　　　
　Special　thanks　to　Natalie　Freer…the　most　genuine　and　giving　person　I　know。　To　Stephen　Reilly；　my　brother　and　my　good　friend　and　my　loyal　supporter；　even　from　thousands　of　miles　away。　To　Mum　for　her　ments　on　the　text　and　to　Dad　for　his　woeful　title　suggestions　and　to　both　of　them　for　their　love　and　support。　And；　last；　thanks　to　everyone　at　Pan　and　Thomas　Dunne　Books　（in　particular；　my　editors；　Cate　Paterson；　Pete　Wolverton；　and　Madonna　Duffy；　first；　for　〃discovering〃　me　and；　second；　for　enduring　all　of　my　crazy　ideas）。　To　all　of　you；　never　underestimate　the　power　of　your　encouragement。　
　
　SOUTHEASTERN　ANTARCTICA　
　
　THE　ANTARCTIC　ICE　SHELF　
　
　
　
　
　
　　　
　
　INTRODUCTION　
　From：　Kendrick；　Jonathan　
　The　Cambridge　Lectures：　Antarctica…　
　The　Living　Continent　
　（Lecture　delivered　at　Trinity　College；　
　17　March；　1995）　
　
　Imagine；　if　you　can；　a　continent　that　for　one…quarter　of　the　year　doubles　in　size。　A　continent　in　a　constant　state　of　motion；　motion　that　is　undetectable　to　the　human　eye；　but　that　is　devastating　nonetheless。　
　Imagine　if　you　were　to　look　down　from　the　heavens　at　this　vast；　snow…covered　mass。　You　would　see　the　signatures　of　motion：　the　sweeping　waves　of　the　glaciers；　bending　in　curves　around　mountains；　falling　down　slopes　like　cascading　waterfalls　captured　on　film。　
　This　is　the　'awesome　inertia'　that　Eugene　Linden　spoke　of。　And　if　we；　like　Linden；　imagine　that　we　are　looking　at　that　picture　through　time…lapse　photography；　taken　over　thousands　of　years；　then　we　will　see　that　motion。　
　Thirty　centimeters　of　movement　every　year　doesn't　look　like　much　in　real　time；　but　in　time…lapse　glaciers　bee　flowing　rivers　of　ice；　ice　that　moves　with　free…flowing　grace　and　awesome；　unstoppable　power。　
　Awesome？　I　hear　you　scoff。　Thirty　centimeters　a　year？　What　possible　harm　could　that　do？　
　A　lot　of　harm　to　your　tax　dollars；　I　would　say。　Did　you　know　that　the　British　government　has　had　to　replace　Halley　Station　on　four　separate　occasions？　You　see；　like　many　other　Antarctic　research　stations；　Halley　station　is　built　underground；　buried　in　the　ice…but　a　mere　thirty　centimeters　of　shift　every　year　cracks　its　walls　and　drastically　skews　its　ceilings。　
　The　point　here　is　that　the　walls　of　Halley　Station　are　under　a　lot　of　pressure；　a　lot　of　pressure。　All　of　that　ice；　moving　outward　from　the　pole；　moving　inexorably　toward　the　sea；　it　wants　to　get　to　the　sea…to　see　the　world；　you　might　say；　as　an　iceberg…and　it　isn't　going　to　let　something　as　insignificant　as　a　research　station　get　in　its　way！　
　But　then　again；　paratively　speaking；　Britain　has　e　off　rather　well　when　it　es　to　dramatic　ice　movement。　
　Consider　when；　in　1986；　the　Filchner　Ice　Shelf　calved　an　iceberg　the　size　of　Luxembourg　into　the　Weddell　Sea。　Thirteen　thousand　square　kilometers　of　ice　broke　free　of　the　mainland　。。。　taking　with　it　the　abandoned　Argentine　base　station；　Belgrano　I；　and　the　Soviet　summer　station；　Druzhnaya。　The　Soviets；　it　seems；　had　planned　to　use　Druzhnaya　that　summer。　As　it　turned　out；　they　spent　the　next　three　months　searching　for　their　missing　base　among　the　three　massive　icebergs　that　had　formed　out　of　the　original　ice　movement！　And　they　found　it。　Eventually。　
　The　United　States　has　been　even　less　fortunate。　All　five　of　its　'Little　America'　research　stations　floated　out　to　sea　on　icebergs　in　the　sixties。　
　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　message　to　be　taken　from　all　of　this　is　quite　simple。　What　appears　to　be　barren　may　not　really　be　so。　What　appears　to　be　a　wasteland　may　not　really　be　so。　What　appears　to　be　lifeless　may　not　really　be　so。　
　No。　For　when　you　look　at　Antarctica；　do　not　be　fooled。　You　are　not　looking　at　an　ice…covered　rock。　You　are　looking　at　a　living；　breathing　continent。　
　　　
　
　From：　Goldridge；　William　
　Watergate　
　（New　York：　Wylie；　1980）　
　
　CHAPTER　6：　THE　PENTAGON　
　。。。　What　the　literature　is　oddly　silent　about；　however；　is　the　strong　bond　Richard　Nixon　forged　with　his　military　advisers；　most　notably　an　Air　Force　Colonel　named　Otto　Niemeyer。。。　＇p…　80＇　
　。。。　After　Watergate；　however；　no　one　is　quite　sure　what　happened　to　Niemeyer。　He　was　Nixon's　liaison　to　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff；　his　insider。　Having　risen　to　the　rank　of　full　colonel　by　the　time　Nixon　resigned；　Niemeyer　had　enjoyed　what　few　people　could　ever　lay　claim　to：　Richard　Nixon's　ear。　
　What　is　surprising；　however；　is　that　after　Nixon's　resignation　in　1974；　not　much　can　be　found　in　the　statute　books　regarding　Otto　Niemeyer。　He　remained　on　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　under　Ford　and　Carter；　a　silent　player；　keeping　much　to　himself；　until　1979；　when　abruptly；　his　position　became　vacant。　
　No　explanation　was　ever　given　by　the　Carter　Administration　for　Niemeyer's　removal。　Niemeyer　was　unmarried；　some　suggested；　homosexual。　He　lived　at　the　military　academy　at　Arlington；　alone。　He　had　few　people　who　openly　claimed　to　be　his　friends。　He　traveled　frequently；　often　to　'destinations　unknown；'　and　his　work　colleagues　thought　nothing　of　his　absence　from　the　Pentagon　for　a　few　days　in　December　of　1979。　
　The　problem　was；　Otto　Niemeyer　never　returned　。。。　＇p。　86＇　
　
　　　
　PROLOGUE　
　Wilkes　Land；　Antarctica　13　June　
　It　had　been　three　hours　now　since　they'd　lost　radio　contact　with　the　two　divers。　
　There　had　been　nothing　wrong　with　the　descent；　despite　the　fact　that　it　was　so　deep。　Price　and　Davis　were　the　most　experienced　divers　at　the　station；　and　they　had　talked　casually　over　the　inter　the　whole　way　down。　
　After　pausing　halfway　to　repressurize；　they　had　continued　down　to　three　thousand　feet；　where　they　had　left　the　diving　bell　and　begun　their　diagonal　ascent　into　the　narrow；　ice…walled　cavern。　
　Water　temperature　had　been　stable　at　1。9°　Celsius。　As　recently　as　two　years　previously；　Antarctic　diving　had　been　restricted　by　the　cold　to　extremely　short…lived　and；　scientifically　speaking；　extremely　unsatisfactory　ten…minute　excursions。　However；　with　their　new　Navy…made　thermal…electric　suits；　Antarctic　divers　could　now　expect　to　maintain　fortable　body　temperatures　for　at　least　three　hours　in　the　near…freezing　waters　of　the　continent。　
　The　two　divers　had　maintained　steady　conversation　over　the　radio　as　they　made　their　way　up　the　steep　underwater　ice　tunnel；　describing　the　cracked；　rough　texture　of　the　ice；　menting　on　its　rich；　almost　angelic　sky　blue　color。　
　And　then；　abruptly；　their　talking　had　stopped。　
　They　had　spotted　the　surface。　
　
　The　two　divers　stared　at　the　water's　surface　from　below。　
　It　was　dark；　the　water　calm。　Unnaturally　calm。　Not　a　ripple　broke　its　glassy；　even　plane。　In　the　glare　of　their　military…spec　halogen　flashlights；　the　ice　walls　around　them　glistened　like　crystal。　They　swam　upward。　
　Suddenly　they　heard　a　noise。　
　The　two　divers　stopped。　
　At　first　it　was　just　a　single　haunting　whistle；　echoing　through　the　clear；　icy　water。　Whale　song；　they　thought。　
　Possibility：　killers。　Recently　a　pod　of　killer　whales　had　been　seen　lurking　about　the　station。　A　couple　of　them…two　juvenile　males…had　made　a　habit　of　ing　up　for　air　inside　the　pool　at　the　base　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　More　likely；　however；　it　was　a　blue；　singing　for　a　mate；　maybe　five　or　six　miles　offshore。　That　was　the　problem　with　whale　song。　Water　was　such　a　great　conductor；　you　could　never　tell　if　the　whale　was　one　mile　away　or　ten。　
　Their　minds　reassured；　the　two　divers　continued　upward。　
　It　was　then　that　the　first　whistle　was　answered。　
　All　at　once；　about　a　dozen　similar　whistles　began　to　coo　across　the　dense　aquatic　plane；　engulfing　the　two　divers。　They　were　louder　than　the　first　whistle。　
　Closer。　
　The　two　divers　spun　about　in　every　direction；　hovering　in　the　clear　blue　water；　searching　for　the　source　of　the　noise。　One　of　them　unslung　his　harpoon　gun　and　cocked　the　hammer；　and　suddenly　the　high…pitched　whistles　turned　into　pained　wails　and　barks。　
　And　then　suddenly　there　came　a　loud　whump！　and　both　divers　snapped　upward　just　in　time　to　see　the　glassy　surface　of　the　water　break　into　a　thousand　ripples　as　something　large　plunged　into　the　water　from　above。　
　The　enormous　diving　bell　broke　the　surface　with　a　loud　splash。　
　Benjamin　K。　Austin　strode　purposefully　around　the　water's　edge　barking　orders；　a　black　insulated　wet　suit　stretched　tight　across　his　broad　barrel　chest。　Austin　was　a　marine　biologist　from　Stanford。　He　was　also　the　chief　of　station　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　〃All　right！　Hold　it　there！〃　Austin　called　to　the　young　technician　manning　the　winch　controls　on　C…deck。　〃OK；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　no　time　to　waste。　Get　inside。〃　
　One　after　the　other；　the　six　wet…suited　figures　gathered　around　the　edge　of　the　pool　dived　into　the　icy　water。　They　rose　a　few　seconds　later　inside　the　big　dome…shaped　diving　bell　that　now　sat　half…submerged　in　the　center　of　the　pool。　
　Austin　was　standing　at　the　edge　of　the　large；　round　pool　that　formed　the　base　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　Five　stories　deep；　Wilkes　was　a　remote　coastal　research　station；　a　giant　underground　cylinder　that　had　literally　been　carved　into　the　ice　shelf。　A　series　of　narrow　catwalks　and　ladders　hugged　the　circumference　of　the　vertical　cylinder；　creating　a　wide　circular　shaft　in　the　middle　of　the　station。　Doorways　led　off　each　of　the　catwalks…into　the　ice…creating　the　five　different　levels　of　the　station。　Like　many　others　before　them；　the　residents　of　Wilkes　had　long　since　discovered　that　the　best　way　to　endure　the　harsh　polar　weather　was　to　live　under　it。　
　Austin　shouldered　into　his　scuba　gear；　running　through　the　equation　in　his　head　for　the　hundredth　time。　
　Three　hours　since　the　divers'　radio　link　had　cut　out。　Before　that；　one　hour　of　hands…free　diving　up　the　ice　tunnel。　And　one　hour's　descent　in　the　diving　bell。。。。　
　In　the　diving　bell；　they　would　have　been　breathing　〃free〃　air…the　diving　bell's　own　supply　of　heliox…so　that　didn't　count。　It　was　only　when　they　left　the　diving　bell　and　started　using　tank　air　that　the　clock　began　to　run。　
　Four　hours；　then。　
　The　two　divers　had　been　living　off　tank　air　for　four　hours。　
　The　problem　was　their　tanks　contained　only　three　hours'　worth　of　breathing　time。　
　And　for　Austin　that　had　meant　a　delicate　balancing　act。　
　The　last　words　he　and　the　others　had　heard　from　the　two　divers…before　their　radio　signal　had　abruptly　cut　to　static…　had　been　some　anxious　chatter　about　strange　whistling　noises。　
　On　the　one　hand；　the　whistling　could　have　been　anything：　blues；　minkes；　or　any　other　kind　of　harmless　baleen　whale。　And　the　radio　cutout　could　easily　have　been　the　result　of　interference　caused　by　nearly　half　a　kilometer　of　ice　and　water。　For　all　Austin　knew；　the　two　divers　had　turned　around　immediately　and　begun　the　hour…long　trip　back　to　the　diving　bell。　To　pull　it　up　prematurely　would　be　to　leave　them　stranded　on　the　bottom；　out　of　time　and　out　of　air。　
　On　the　other　hand；　if　the　divers　actually　had　met　with　trouble…killers；　leopard　seals…then　naturally　Austin　would　have　wanted　to　yank　up　the　diving　bell　as　quickly　as　possible　and　send　others　down　to　help。　
　In　the　end；　he　decided　that　any　help　he　could　send…after　hauling　up　the　diving　bell　and　sending　it　back　down　again…　would　be　too　late　anyway。　If　Price　and　Davis　were　going　to　survi