mreilly.icestation-第7部分

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　〃And　who　is　this？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃This　is　my　daughter；　Kirsty；〃　Sarah　said；　putting　her　hand　on　the　little　girl's　shoulder。　〃Kirsty；　this　is　Lieutenant　Schofield。〃　
　〃Hi　there；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Kirsty　Hensleigh　just　stood　there　for　a　moment　and　stared　up　at　Schofield；　taking　in　his　armor；　his　helmet；　and　his　weapons。　
　〃Cool　glasses；〃　she　said　at　last。　
　〃Huh？　Oh；　yeah；〃　Schofield　said；　touching　his　silver　anti…flash　glasses。　bined　with　his　snow　fatigues　and　his　white…gray　body　armor；　he　knew　the　reflective　single…lens　glasses　made　him　look　particularly　icy。　A　kid　would　like　that。　Schofield　didn't　take　the　glasses　off。　
　〃Yeah；　I　guess　they　are　pretty　cool；〃　he　said。　〃How　old　are　you？〃　
　〃Twelve；　almost　thirteen。〃　
　〃Yeah？〃　
　〃I'm　kind　of　short　for　my　age；〃　Kirsty　added　matter…of…factly。　
　〃Me；　too；〃　Schofield　said；　nodding。　
　He　looked　down　as　the　seal　flopped　forward　and　started　sniffing　at　his　knee。　〃And　your　friend　here。　What's　his　name？〃　
　〃She's　a　girl；　and　her　name　is　Wendy。〃　
　Schofield　reached　down　and　let　the　seal　sniff　his　hand。　She　wasn't　very　big；　about　the　size　of　a　medium…sized　dog；　and　she　happily　wore　a　cute　red　collar。　
　〃Wendy。　What　kind　of　seal　is　she？〃　Schofield　asked　as　he　began　to　pat　Wendy　on　the　head。　
　〃Arctocephalus　gazella；〃　Kirsty　said。　〃Antarctic　fur　seal。〃　
　Wendy　started　winding　her　head　around　in　Schofield's　hand；　forcing　him　to　pat　her　behind　her　earflap。　He　did；　and　then　suddenly　Wendy　dropped　to　the　ground　and　rolled　over　onto　her　back。　
　〃She　wants　you　to　rub　her　tummy；〃　Kirsty　said；　smiling。　〃She　likes　that。〃　
　Wendy　lay　on　the　catwalk；　on　her　back；　her　flippers　held　out　wide；　waiting　to　be　patted。　Schofield　bent　down　and　gave　her　a　quick　rub　on　the　stomach。　
　〃You　just　won　yourself　a　friend　for　life；〃　Sarah　Hensleigh　said；　watching　Schofield　closely。　
　〃Great；〃　Schofield　said；　rising。　
　〃I　didn't　know　Marines　could　be　so　friendly；〃　Sarah　said　suddenly；　taking　Schofield　slightly　off　guard。　
　〃We're　not　all　heartless。〃　
　〃Not　when　there's　something　here　that　you　want。〃　
　The　ment　made　Schofield　stop　and　look　at　Sarah　for　a　long　second。　Clearly；　she　was　no　fool。　
　Schofield　nodded　slowly；　accepting　the　criticism。　〃Ma'am；　if　you　don't　mind；　if　we　could　just　get　back　to　what　we　were　discussing　before；　you　know　two　of　them；　and　you　know　of　one　of　them；　right？〃　
　〃That's　right。〃　
　〃What　about　the　fourth　one；　Cuvier？〃　
　〃Never　met　him。〃　
　Schofield　moved　on。　〃And　how　many　did　they　take　back　to　d'Urville？〃　
　〃They　could　only　fit　six　people　in　their　hovercraft；　so　one　of　their　guys　took　five　of　our　people　back　there。〃　
　〃Leaving　the　other　four　back　here。〃　
　〃That's　right。〃　
　Schofield　nodded　to　himself。　Then　he　looked　at　Hensleigh。　〃There　are　a　couple　of　other　things　we　need　to　talk　about。　Like　what　you　found　down　in　the　ice。　And　the　Renshaw　。。。　incident。〃　
　Sarah　understood　what　he　was　saying。　Such　matters　were　best　discussed　in　the　absence　of　a　twelve…year…old。　
　She　nodded。　〃No　problem。〃　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　ice　station　around　him：　at　the　pool　down　at　the　bottom；　at　the　catwalks　set　into　the　walls　of　the　cylinder；　at　the　tunnels　that　disappeared　into　the　ice。　There　was　something　about　it　all　that　wasn't　quite　right；　something　that　he　couldn't　quite　put　his　finger　on。　
　And　then　he　realized；　and　he　turned　to　face　Sarah。　〃Stop　me　if　this　is　a　stupid　question；　but　if　this　whole　station　is　carved　into　the　ice　shelf　and　all　the　walls　are　made　of　ice；　why　don't　they　melt？　Surely　you　must　generate　a　lot　of　heat　in　here　with　your　machinery　and　all。　Shouldn't　the　walls　be　dripping　constantly？〃　
　Sarah　said；　〃It's　not　a　stupid　question。　In　fact；　it's　a　very　good　question。　When　we　first　arrived　here；　we　found　that　the　heat　from　the　exhaust　of　the　core…drilling　machine　was　causing　some　of　the　ice　walls　to　melt。　So　we　had　a　cooling　system　installed　on　C…deck。　It　works　off　a　thermostat　that　keeps　the　temperature　steady　at　…1°　Celsius　no　matter　what　heat　we　produce。　The　funny　thing　is；　since　the　surface　temperature　outside　is　almost　thirty　below；　the　cooling　system　actually　warms　the　air　in　here。　We　love　it。〃　
　〃Very　clever；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　looked　around　the　ice　station。　
　His　gaze　came　to　rest　on　the　dining　room。　Luc　Champion　and　the　other　three　French　scientists　were　in　there；　sitting　at　the　table　with　the　residents　of　Wilkes。　Schofield　watched　them；　deep　in　thought。　
　〃Are　you　going　to　take　us　home？〃　Kirsty　said　suddenly　from　behind　him。　
　For　a　long　moment　Schofield　continued　to　watch　the　four　French　scientists　in　the　dining　room。　Then　he　turned　to　face　the　little　girl。　
　〃Not　just　yet；〃　he　said。　〃Some　other　people　will　be　here　soon　to　take　you　home。　I'm　just　here　to　take　care　of　you　until　they　do。〃　
　
　
　
　Schofield　and　Hensleigh　walked　quickly　down　the　wide　ice　tunnel。　Montana　and　Hollywood　kept　pace　behind　them。　
　They　were　on　B…deck；　the　main　living　area。　The　ice　tunnel　curved　around　a　wide　bend。　Doors　were　sunk　into　it　on　either　side：　bedrooms；　a　mon　room；　and　various　labs　and　studies。　Schofield　couldn't　help　noticing　one　particular　door　that　had　a　distinctive　three…ringed　biohazard　sign　on　it。　A　rectangular　plate　beneath　the　sign　read：　biotoxin　laboratory。　
　Schofield　said；　〃They　said　something　about　it　when　we　got　to　McMurdo。　That　Renshaw　claimed　he　did　it　because　the　other　guy　was　stealing　his　research。　Something　like　that。〃　
　〃That's　right；〃　Hensleigh　said；　walking　fast。　She　looked　at　Schofield。　〃It's　just　crazy。〃　
　They　came　to　the　end　of　the　tunnel；　to　a　door　set　into　the　ice。　It　was　closed　and　it　had　a　heavy　wooden　beam　locked　in　place　across　it。　
　〃James　Renshaw；〃　Schofield　mused。　〃Isn't　he　the　one　who　found　the　spaceship？〃　
　〃That's　right。　But　there's　a　whole　lot　more　to　it　than　that。〃　
　Upon　arriving　at　McMurdo　Station；　Schofield　had　been　given　a　short　briefing　on　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　On　the　face　of　it；　the　station　seemed　like　nothing　special。　It　contained　the　usual　assortment　of　academics：　marine　biologists　studying　the　ocean　fauna；　paleontologists　studying　fossils　frozen　in　the　ice；　geologists　looking　for　mineral　deposits；　and　geophysicists　like　James　Renshaw　who　drilled　deep　down　into　the　ice　looking　for　thousand…year…old　traces　of　carbon　monoxide　and　other　gases。　
　What　made　Wilkes　Ice　Station　something　special　was　that　two　days　before　Abby　Sinclair's　distress　signal　had　gone　out　another　high…priority　signal　had　been　sent　out　from　the　station：　This　earlier　signal；　sent　to　McMurdo；　had　been　a　formal　request　seeking　the　dispatch　to　Wilkes　of　a　squad　of　military　police。　
　Although　the　details　had　been　sketchy；　it　appeared　that　one　of　the　scientists　at　Wilkes　had　killed　one　of　his　colleagues。　
　Schofleld　stared　at　the　barred　door　at　the　end　of　the　ice　tunnel　and　shook　his　head。　He　really　didn't　have　time　for　this。　His　orders　had　been　very　specific：　
　Secure　the　station。　Investigate　the　spacecraft。　Verify　its　existence。　And　then　guard　it　against　all　parties　until　reinforcements　arrived。　
　Schofield　remembered　sitting　in　the　closed　briefing　room　on　board　the　Shreveport；　listening　to　the　voice　of　the　Undersecretary　of　Defense　on　the　speakerphone。　〃Other　parties　have　almost　certainly　picked　up　that　distress　signal；　Lieutenant。　If　there　really　is　an　extraterrestrial　vehicle　down　there；　there's　a　good　chance　one　of　those　parties　might　make　a　play　for　it。　The　United　States　Government　would　like　to　avoid　that　situation；　Lieutenant。　Your　objective　is　the　protection　of　the　spacecraft；　nothing　else。　I　repeat。　Your　objective　is　the　protection　of　the　spacecraft。　All　other　considerations　are　secondary。　We　want　that　ship。〃　
　Not　once　had　the　safety　of　the　American　scientists　at　the　station　been　mentioned；　a　fact　that　hadn't　gone　unnoticed　by　Schofield。　It　obviously　hadn't　slipped　past　Sarah　Hensleigh　either。　
　All　other　considerations　are　secondary。　
　In　any　case；　Schofield　thought；　he　couldn't　afford　to　send　any　divers　down　to　investigate　the　spacecraft　while　there　existed　the　possibility　that　one　of　the　residents　of　Wilkes　might　be　a　source　of　trouble。　
　〃All　right；〃　he　said；　looking　at　the　door　but　addressing　Hensleigh。　〃Twenty…five　words　or　less。　What's　his　story？〃