mreilly.icestation-第87部分

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　Schofield　hesitated。　
　Renshaw　must　have　seen　the　doubt　in　his　eyes。　〃What　choice　do　we　have？〃　he　said。　
　〃Right；〃　Schofield　said；　pulling　out　his　flashlight。　He　clicked　it　on。　Then　he　kicked　with　his　feet　and　swam　into　the　tunnel。　
　
　The　tunnel　was　narrow；　and　it　meandered　steeply　downward。　Schofield　swam　in　the　lead；　with　Kirsty　behind　him　and　Renshaw　bringing　up　the　rear。　Since　they　were　swimming　downward；　they　made　swift　progress。　They　just　allowed　the　lead　weights　on　their　weight　belts　to　pull　them　down。　
　Schofield　swam　cautiously。　It　was　quiet　here；　like　a　tomb。。。。　
　And　then　suddenly　Wendy　whipped　past　him　from　behind　and　darted　off　down　the　tunnel　in　front　of　him。　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　depth　gauge。　
　They　had　reached　a　thousand　feet。　
　Dive　time　was　twelve　minutes。　
　
　〃Bigbird；　this　is　Blue　Leader。　Target　is　now　in　missile　range。　I　repeat。　Target　is　now　in　missile　range。　Preparing　to　launch　AMRAAM　missiles。〃　
　〃You　may　fire　when　ready；　Blue　Leader。〃　
　〃Thank　you；　Bigbird。　All　right；　people。　I　have　missile　lock。　Missile　bay　is　open。　Target　appears　to　be　unaware　of　our　presence。　OK。　This　is　Blue　Leader；　Fox　One。。　。fire！〃　
　The　squadron　leader　jammed　down　on　bis　trigger。　
　At　that　moment；　a　long；　sleek　AIM…120　AMRAAM　missile　slid　out　from　the　missile　bay　of　the　F…22　and　shot　forward　after　its　prey。　
　
　The　British　fighter　saw　the　missile　on　its　scopes　straightaway。　
　The　greatest　problem　for　stealth　aircraft　is　that　although　an　aircraft　itself　may　be　invisible　to　radar；　any　missiles　hanging　from　its　wings　will　not　be　invisible。　Hence；　all　stealth　aircraft　like　the　F…22；　the　F…117A　stealth　fighter；　and　the　B…2A　stealth　bomber　carry　their　missiles　internally。　
　Unfortunately；　however；　as　soon　as　a　missile　is　fired；　it　will　be　seen　instantly　on　radar。　Which　meant　that　the　moment　the　F…22　launched　its　AMRAAM　missile　at　the　E…2000　over　the　horizon；　the　British　plane　saw　the　missile　on　its　scopes。　
　The　British　pilot　gave　himself　one　minute　at　the　most。　
　〃General　Barnaby！　General　Barnaby！　Report！〃　
　There　was　no　reply。　
　Which　was　strange；　because　Brigadier　General　Barnaby　knew　that　this　time…2200　hours　to　2225　hours…was　a　designated　contact　time；　one　of　only　two　times　a　break　in　the　solar　flare　would　permit　radio　contact。　Barnaby　had　reported　in　at　1930；　another　designated　contact　time；　right　on　schedule。　
　The　British　pilot　tried　the　secondary　frequency。　Still　no　luck。　He　tried　to　hail　Nero；　Barnaby's　second　in　mand。　
　Still　no　luck。　
　〃General　Barnaby！　This　is　Backstop。　I　am　under　attack！　I　repeat；　I　am　under　attack！　If　you　do　not　answer　me　in　the　next　thirty　seconds；　I　will　have　to　assume　that　you　are　dead　and　pursuant　to　your　orders　I　will　have　no　choice　but　to　fire　upon　the　station。〃　
　The　British　pilot　looked　at　his　missile　light…it　was　blinking。　He　had　already　preset　the　coordinates　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　into　the　guidance　puter　of　his　AGM…88/HLN　cruise　missile。　
　The　designator　letters　on　the　missile　said　it　all。　
　AGM　stood　for　air…to…ground　missile；　H　for　high…speed；　and　L　for　long…range。　N　however；　had　a　special　meaning。　
　It　stood　for　nuclear。　
　Thirty　seconds　expired。　Still　no　word　from　Barnaby。　
　〃General　Barnaby！　This　is　Backstop！　I　am　launching　the　eraser。。。　now/〃　The　British　pilot　hit　his　trigger；　and　a　split　second　later　the　nuclear…tipped　cruise　missile　attached　to　the　end　of　his　wing　streaked　away　from　his　plane。　
　The　missile　only　just　got　away；　for　a　bare　two　seconds　later…just　as　the　British　pilot　was　reaching　for　his　ejection　lever…the　American　AMRAAM　missile　slammed　into　the　back　of　the　E…2000　and　blew　it　and　its　pilot　out　of　the　sky。　
　
　The　American　pilots　saw　the　bright　orange　explosion　on　the　night　horizon；　saw　the　blip　on　their　scopes　disappear。　
　A　couple　of　them　cheered。　
　The　squadron　leader　smiled　as　he　looked　at　the　orange　fireball　on　the　horizon。　〃SEAL　team；　this　is　Blue　Leader。　The　bogey　has　been　eliminated。　I　repeat；　the　bogey　has　been　eliminated。　You　are　free　to　enter　the　station。　You　are　free　to　enter　the　station。〃　
　
　Inside　the　SEAL　hovercraft；　the　squadron　leader's　voice　echoed　through　the　speaker：　〃You　are　free　to　enter　the　station。　You　are　free　to　enter　the　station。〃　
　The　SEAL　mander　said；　〃Thank　you；　Blue　Leader。　All　units；　be　aware。　SEAL　team　is　switching　over　to　closed…circuit　channels　for　the　assault　on　the　station。〃　
　He　clicked　off　his　radio；　turned　to　his　men。　
　〃All　right；　people。　Let's　go　fuck　somebody　up。〃　
　
　Out　over　the　Southern　Ocean；　the　F…22　squadron　leader　continued　to　look　out　through　his　canopy　at　the　remains　of　the　British　E…2000。　Thin　orange　firetrails　descended　slowly　down　to　earth　like　cheap　fireworks。　
　Consumed　as　he　was　with　this　sight；　the　squadron　leader　didn't　notice　a　new；　smaller　blip　appear　on　his　radar　screen…　a　blip　heading　south；　toward　Antarctica…until　almost　thirty　seconds　later。　
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　he　said。　
　〃Oh；　Jesus；〃　someone　else　said。　〃It　must　have　got　a　missile　off　before　it　was　hit！〃　
　The　squadron　leader　tried　to　raise　the　SEAL　team　again；　but　this　time　he　couldn't　get　through。　They'd　already　switched　over　to　closed…circuit　channels　for　their　assault　on　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　
　The　main　doors　to　the　station　exploded　inward　and　the　SEAL　team　stormed　inside　with　their　guns　blazing。　
　It　was　a　textbook…perfect　entrance。　The　only　problem　was；　the　station　was　empty。　
　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　depth　gauge：　1470　feet。　
　He　pushed　on　and　a　few　minutes　later；　he　emerged　from　the　narrow　shortcut　tunnel　and　found　himself　inside　a　wider；　ice…wafted　tunnel。　
　He　knew　where　he　was　instantly；　even　though　he　had　never　been　here　before。　
　On　the　far　side　of　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　he　saw　a　series　of　round　ten…foot　holes　carved　into　the　tunnel　walls。　Sarah　Hensleigh　had　told　him　about　them　before。　And　Gant　had　mentioned　them　as　well；　when　she　had　approached　the　cave。　The　elephant　seals'　caves。　He　was　inside　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　that　led　up　to　the　spacecraft's　cavern。　
　Schofield　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　Yes！　
　They　swam　out　into　the　underwater　ice　tunnel。　Beside　him；　Schofield　saw　Kirsty　let　go　of　Wendy's　harness；　saw　the　little　seal　dart　off　toward　the　surface。　Schofield；　Kirsty；　and　Renshaw　followed；　swimming　quickly　upward；　eying　the　holes　in　the　ice　walls　around　them　nervously。　
　Although　the　sight　of　the　holes　in　the　walls　made　him　uneasy；　Schofield　felt　fairly　certain　that　the　elephant　seals　would　not　attack　them。　He　had　a　theory　about　that。　So　far；　the　only　group　of　divers　to　have　approached　the　underwater　ice　cave　unharmed　had　been　Gant's　group…and　they　had　all　been　wearing　LABA　tanks；　low…audibility　breathing　gear。　The　other　groups　to　have　gone　down…the　scientists　from　Wilkes　and　the　British…hadn't。　And　they　had　been　attacked。　The　way　Schofield　figured　it；　the　elephant　seals　hadn't　been　able　to　hear　Gant　and　her　team　when　they　had　approached　the　cavern。　And　so　they　hadn't　been　attacked。　
　At　that　moment；　Schofield　caught　sight　of　the　surface　and　his　thoughts　about　the　elephant　seals　were　forgotten。　
　He　looked　at　his　depth　gauge：　1490　feet。　
　Then　he　looked　at　his　watch。　It　had　taken　them　all　of　eighteen　minutes　to　get　here。　Very　quick　time。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　low　whistle　cut　through　the　water。　
　Schofield　heard　it；　tensed。　
　He　saw　Wendy　hovering　in　the　water　above　him；　saw　her　body　whip　around　suddenly。　She　had　sensed　it；　too。　
　Suddenly　a　second　whistle　answered　the　first　and　Schofield　felt　his　heart　sink。　
　The　seals　knew　they　were　there。。。。　
　〃Go！〃　Schofield　said　to　Renshaw　and　Kirsty。　〃Go！〃　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　broke　out　into　swift　strokes；　heading　for　the　surface。　Renshaw　was　closest　to　Kirsty；　so　he　just　pushed　up　against　her　LABA　tanks；　pushing　her　up　through　the　water；　forcing　her　to　swim　faster。　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　surface　above　him。　It　looked　beautiful；　glassy；　calm。　Like　a　smooth　glass　lens。　
　The　whistles　around　them　became　more　intense；　and　then　suddenly　he　heard　a　hoarse　bark　cut　across　the　underwater　spectrum。　
　Schofield　spun　in　the　water；　looked　about　himself；　then　snapped　up　to　look　at　the　lens…like　surface　again。　
　And　at　that　moment；　the　lens　shattere