mreilly.icestation-第2部分

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　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　survive；　the　best　bet　was　to　leave　the　diving　bell　down　there。　
　That　was　three　hours　ago…and　that　was　as　much　time　as　Austin　had　been　willing　to　give　them。　And　so　he'd　pulled　up　the　diving　bell；　and　now　a　second　team　was　preparing　to　go　down…　
　〃Hey。〃　
　Austin　turned。　Sarah　Hensleigh；　one　of　the　paleontologists；　came　up　alongside　him。　
　Austin　liked　Hensleigh。　She　was　intelligent　while　at　the　same　time　practical　and　tough；　not　afraid　to　get　her　hands　dirty。　It　came　as　no　surprise　to　him　that　she　was　also　a　mother。　Her　twelve…year…old　daughter；　Kirsty；　had　been　visiting　the　station　for　the　past　week。　
　〃What　is　it？〃　Austin　said。　
　〃The　topside　antenna's　taking　a　beating。　The　signal　isn't　getting　through；〃　Hensleigh　said。　〃It　also　looks　like　there's　a　solar　flare　ing　in。〃　
　〃Oh；　shit。。。。〃　
　〃For　what　it's　worth；　I've　got　Abby　scanning　all　the　military　frequencies；　but　I　wouldn't　get　your　hopes　up。〃　
　〃What　about　outside？〃　
　〃Pretty　bad。　We've　got　eighty…footers　breaking　on　the　cliffs　and　a　hundred…knot　wind　on　the　surface。　If　we　have　casualties；　we　won't　be　getting　them　out　of　here　by　ourselves。〃　
　Austin　turned　to　stare　at　the　diving　bell。　〃And　Renshaw？〃　
　〃He's　still　shut　up　in　his　room。〃　Hensleigh　looked　up　nervously　toward　B…deck。　
　Austin　said；　〃We　can't　wait　any　longer。　We　have　to　go　down。〃　
　Hensleigh　just　watched　him。　
　〃Ben…；〃　she　began。　
　〃Don't　even　think　about　it；　Sarah。〃　Austin　began　walking　away　from　her；　toward　the　water's　edge。　〃I　need　you　up　here。　So　does　your　kid。　You　just　get　that　signal　out。　We'll　get　the　others。〃　
　
　〃ing　to　three　thousand　feet；〃　Austin's　voice　crackled　out　from　the　wall…mounted　speakers。　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　was　sitting　inside　the　darkened　radio　room　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　〃Roger　that；　Mawson；〃　she　said　into　the　microphone　in　front　of　her。　
　〃There　doesn't　appear　to　be　any　activity　outside；　Control。　The　coast　is　clear。　All　right；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　we　're　stopping　the　winch。　Preparing　to　leave　the　diving　bell。〃　
　
　One　kilometer　below　sea　level；　the　diving　bell　jolted　to　a　halt。　
　Inside；　Austin　keyed　the　inter。　〃Control；　confirm　time　at　2132　hours；　please。〃　
　The　seven　divers　sitting　inside　the　cramped　confines　of　the　Douglas　Mawson　looked　tensely　at　one　another。　
　Hensleigh's　voice　came　over　the　speaker。　〃I　copy；　Mawson。　Time　confirmed　at　2132　hours。〃　
　〃Control；　mark　that　we　are　turning　over　to　self…contained　air　supply　at　2132　hours。〃　
　〃Marked。〃　
　The　seven　divers　reached　up　for　their　heavy　face　masks；　brought　them　down　off　their　hooks；　clamped　them　to　the　circular　buckles　on　the　collarbones　of　their　suits。　
　〃Control；　we　are　now　leaving　the　diving　bell。〃　
　Austin　stepped　forward；　pausing　for　a　moment　to　look　at　the　black　pool　of　water　lapping　against　the　rim　of　the　diving　bell。　Then　he　stepped　off　the　deck　and　splashed　into　the　darkness。　
　〃Divers。　Time　is　now　2220　hours；　dive　time　is　forty…eight　minutes。　Report；〃　Hensleigh　said　into　her　mike。　
　Inside　the　radio　room　behind　Sarah　sat　Abby　Sinclair；　the　station's　resident　meteorologist。　For　the　past　two　hours　Abby　had　been　manning　the　satellite　radio　console；　trying　without　success　to　raise　an　outside　frequency。　
　The　inter　crackled。　Austin's　voice　answered；　〃Control；　we　are　still　proceeding　up　the　ice　tunnel。　Nothing　so　far。〃　
　〃Roger；　divers；〃　Hensleigh　said。　〃Keep　us　informed。〃　
　Behind　her；　Abby　keyed　her　talk　button　again。　〃Calling　all　frequencies；　this　is　station　four…zero…niner…I　repeat；　this　is　station　four…zero…niner…requesting　immediate　assistance。　We　have　two　casualties；　possibly　fatalities；　on　hand　and　we　are　in　need　of　immediate　support。　Please　acknowledge。〃　Abby　released　the　button　and　said　to　herself；　〃Somebody；　anybody。〃　
　
　The　ice　tunnel　was　starting　to　widen。　
　As　Austin　and　the　other　divers　slowly　made　their　way　upward；　they　began　to　notice　several　strange　holes　set　into　the　walls　on　either　side　of　the　underwater　tunnel。　
　Each　hole　was　perfectly　round；　at　least　ten　feet　in　diameter。　And　they　were　all　set　on　an　incline　so　that　they　descended　into　the　ice　tunnel。　One　of　the　divers　aimed　his　flashlight　up　into　one　of　the　holes；　revealing　only　impenetrable　inky　darkness。　
　Suddenly　Austin's　voice　cut　across　their　inters。　〃OK；　people；　stay　tight。　I　think　I　see　the　surface。〃　
　
　Inside　the　radio　room；　Sarah　Hensleigh　leaned　forward　in　her　chair；　listening　to　Austin's　voice　over　the　inter。　
　〃The　surface　appears　calm。　No　sign　of　Price　or　Davis。〃　Hensleigh　and　Abby　exchanged　a　glance。　Hensleigh　keyed　her　inter。　〃Divers。　This　is　Control。　What　about　the　noises　they　mentioned？　Do　you　hear　anything？　Any　whale　song？〃　
　〃Nothing　yet；　Control。　Hold　on　now：　I'm　ing　to　the　surface。〃　
　
　Austin's　helmet　broke　the　glassy　surface。　
　Icy　water　drained　off　his　faceplate。　Austin　lifted　his　Princeton…Tec　dive　light　above　the　water's　surface。　The　exposed　halogen　bulb　cast　a　wide　flood　pattern　over　the　area　around　him；　illuminating　it　to　its　farthest　corners。　
　Slowly；　Austin　began　to　see　where　he　was。　He　was　hovering　in　the　middle　of　a　wide　pool；　which　was　itse