mreilly.icestation-第92部分

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nly…voom！…the　walls　of　the　ice　tunnel　vanished　and　in　a　single；　glorious　instant　he　saw　the　sky　open　up　in　front　of　him。　
　The　Silhouette　burst　out　of　the　iceberg　and　flew　up　into　the　clear　open　sky。　
　
　The　Silhouette　shot　up　into　the　air；　almost　vertical；　and　Schofield　looked　back　over　his　shoulder　and　saw　that　the　ice　shelf　that　had　held　Wilkes　Ice　Station　within　it　was　indeed　no　longer　an　ice　shelf。　It　was　now　an　iceberg。　
　An　absolutely　massive　iceberg。　
　It　had　flipped　over　and　Schofield　saw　the　eroded　underbelly　of　what　had　once　been　the　ice　shelf…the　thin；　icy　stalactites；　the　glistening…wet　mountain　peaks…rising　like　spires　above　the　new　berg。　He　also　saw　the　jagged　black　hole　through　which　the　Silhouette　had　blasted　out　of　the　berg。　
　And　then　suddenly　movement　caught　his　eye：　a　thin　white　object　racing　over　the　ocean；　heading　toward　the　newly　formed　iceberg。　
　The　missile。　
　And　as　the　Silhouette　roared　into　the　sky；　Schofield　watched　in　silent　awe　as　the　nuclear…tipped　missile　slammed　into　the　iceberg　and　burrowed　into　it。　There　was　about　a　three…second　delay　。。。　
　And　then　the　nuclear　device　detonated。　
　
　
　
　Armageddon。　
　The　white…hot　flash　of　the　nuclear　explosion…directly　beneath　the　Silhouette　as　it　shot　up　into　the　sky…was　absolutely　blinding。　
　Solid　cliffs　of　ice　were　turned　instantly　to　powder　as　every　side　of　the　iceberg　containing　Wilkes　Ice　Station　and　the　underground　cavern　blew　out　with　the　blast　wave。　
　The　blast　wave　shot　underwater；　vaporizing　everything　in　its　path；　creating　huge　waves　of　water　that　expanded　out　from　the　coast；　rocking　the　massive　icebergs　that　lined　the　cliffs　as　if　they　were　a　child's　bath　toys。　Truth　be　told；　it　wasn't　a　large　nuclear　blast…three　kilotons；　with　a　blast　radius　of　half　a　kilometer。　But　then　again；　there　really　was　no　such　thing　as　a　small　nuclear　explosion。　
　But　it　wasn't　over　yet。　
　Suddenly　a　monstrous　black　mushroom　cloud　began　to　form；　shooting　up　into　the　air　at　incredible　speed；　chasing　the　Silhouette　as　it　shot　skyward。　
　Schofield　went　vertical；　tried　to　outrun　the　burgeoning　mushroom　cloud。　The　mushroom　cloud　rushed　upward。　The　Silhouette　screamed　into　the　sky；　its　engines　roaring；　and　just　as　the　mushroom　cloud　began　to　engulf　it　the　cloud　peaked　and　the　Silhouette　shot　up　and　away　to　safety。　
　Schofield　banked　the　plane　sharply　and　headed　out　to　sea。　
　
　The　Silhouette　shot　across　the　ocean；　heading　north。　It　was　dark；　eternal　twilight。　The　gargantuan　mushroom　cloud　had　just　dipped　below　the　horizon　to　the　south　of　the　big　black　plane。　
　Schofield　found　the　autopilot；　engaged　it；　then　went　back　into　the　missile　bay　to　check　on　Gant。　
　〃How　is　she？〃　he　asked　Renshaw。　Gant　was　lying　on　the　floor　of　the　missile　bay；　looking　seriously　pale。　Her　skin　was　clammy；　her　eyes　were　closed。　
　〃She's　lost　a　lot　of　blood；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃We　have　to　get　her　to　a　hospital　fast。〃　
　At　that　moment；　Gant's　eyes　popped　open。　〃Did　we　win？〃　she　asked。　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　both　looked　down　at　her。　Schofield　smiled。　〃Yes；　Libby；　we　won。　How　are　you　feeling？〃　
　〃Terrible。〃　She　lay　back；　shut　her　eyes　again。　
　Schofield　sighed。　Where　could　he　take　her？　A　ship　would　be　the　best　option；　but　which…　
　The　Wasp。　Romeo　had　said　that　the　USS　Wasp　was　out　here　somewhere。　It　was　Jack　Walsh's　ship。　A　Marine　ship。　It　would　be　safe。　
　Schofield　was　about　to　hurry　back　to　the　cockpit　when　suddenly　he　saw　the　diary　sticking　out　of　Gant's　breast　pocket。　
　He　grabbed　it　and　headed　forward　into　the　cockpit。　
　Once　he　was　seated　in　the　pilot's　chair；　he　keyed　the　Silhouette's　radio。　〃USS　Wasp。　USS　Wasp。　This　is　Scarecrow。　I　repeat；　this　is　Scarecrow。　Do　you　copy？〃　
　There　was　no　reply。　
　He　tried　again。　No　reply。　He　looked　down　at　the　diary　in　his　hands。　It　had　some　looseleaf　sheets　of　paper　folded　inside　it。　Gant　must　have　found　some　documents　and　put　them　in　the　diary。　
　Schofield　grabbed　one　of　the　loose　sheets。　It　read：　
　
　Design　Parameters　for　the　B…7A　Silhouette　
　The　Principal　desires　an　attack　aircraft　with　total　electronic　and　conventional　invisibility；　STOVL　capabilities　through　a　retrograde　thruster　system；　and　multiple…launch　BVR　medium…to…long…range　（200　nm）　air…to…air/　air…to…ground　missile　launch　capabilities　as　expressed　in　the　tender　lodged　by　General　Aeronautics；　Inc。；　and　Entertech　Ltd。　in　response　to　the　Principal's　Invitation　to　Tender　No；　456…771…7A；　dated　2　January　1977。　
　
　Schofield　translated　the　jargon：　STOVL　was　Short…Take…Off/Vertical…Landing；　BVR　stood　for　Beyond　Visual　Range；　which　meant　missiles　that　could　be　fired　at　targets…and　be　expected　to　hit　those　targets…at　extremely　long　range。　〃Electronic　invisibility〃　meant　invisibility　to　radar；　or　stealth。　But　what　the　hell　was　〃conventional　invisibility？〃　
　Schofield　flicked　to　the　next　sheet。　It　looked　like　a　page　out　of　Entertech　Ltd。's　tender。　It　read：　
　
　The　Entertech　Edge　
　The　B…7A　Silhouette　benefits　from　Entertech　Ltd。's　experience　in　the　field　of　electronic　countermeasures。　Invisibility　to　radar…or　〃stealth〃…is　acplished　in　many　ways：　with　radar　absorbent　paint；　minimal　radar　cross…sections；　or　with　a　sharply　angled　fuselage　design　as　was　done　with　the　F…117A　stealth　fighter。　But　conventional　invisibility　is　more　difficult　to　acplish；　and　so　far；　it　has　remained　unattainable。　Until　now。　
　Entertech　Ltd。　has　developed　a　system　whereby　an　electromagnetic　field　is　created　around　a　given　aircraft　creating　conventional　invisibility。　The　electromagnetic　field　distorts　the　molecular　structure　of　the　air　around　the　aircraft；　creating　an　artificial　refraction　of　light　that　renders　that　aircraft　totally　invisible　to　radar　and　even…　
　
　Schofield's　jaw　dropped。　His　eyes　scanned　the　lines　ahead　and　he　found　the　word　he　was　looking　for：　
　
　We　call　it　a　cloaking　device　。。。　
　
　Jesus；　he　thought。　
　A　cloaking　device。　
　A　system　that　rendered　an　aircraft　invisible　not　only　to　radar　but　to　the　naked　eye　as　well。　Every　aviator　knew　that　even　if　you　were　invisible　to　your　enemy's　radar；　you　could　never　escape　someone　seeing　you　directly。　A　billion…dollar　stealth　bomber　can　be　seen　by　a　spotter　out　the　window　of　an　AWACS　plane　forty　miles　away。　
　Schofield's　mind　buzzed。　This　was　revolutionary。　A　cloaking　device　that　distorted　the　air　around　an　airplane；　thus　creating　an　artificial　refraction　of　the　light　around　the　plane；　making　it　invisible　to　the　naked　eye。　The　crazy　thing　was；　it　just　might　work。　
　Schofield　knew　about　refraction。　It　was　most　monly　observed　when　one　looked　into　a　fishbowl。　Light　outside　the　fishbowl　strikes　the　water…which　has　a　greater　density　than　the　air　above　it。　The　greater　density　of　the　water　causes　the　light　to　refract　at　an　angle；　distorting　the　size　and　position　of　the　fish　inside　the　bowl。　
　But　this　was　refraction　of　air；　Schofield　thought。　This　is　artificially　altering　the　density　of　air　with　electricity。　
　There　had　to　be　a　catch。　And　there　was。　
　The　plutonium。　
　This　revolutionary　new　system…this　system　that　could　alter　the　refractive　density　of　air…was　nuclear。　
　Schofield　searched　for　the　relevant　paragraph；　found　it。　As　one　would　expect　from　someone　trying　to　win　a　government　tender；　it　was　carefully　worded：　
　
　It　must　be　appreciated　that　to　effect　the　Silhouette's　cloaking　system　requires　an　enormous　amount　of　self…generated　power。　According　to　tests　run　by　Entertech　Ltd。　and　General　Aeronautics；　Inc。；　to　disrupt　the　molecular　and　electromagnetic　structure　of　the　ambient　air　around　a　moving　aircraft　requires　a　total　of　2。71　gigawatts　of　electromagnetic　energy。　The　only　known　source　of　such　a　quantity　of　energy　is　a　controlled　nuclear　reaction…　
　
　Schofield　whistled　softly　to　himself。　General　Aeronautics　and　Entertech　had　offered　the　U。S。　Air　Force　a　plane　with　a　nuclear　reactor　on　board。　No　wonder　they　built　it　in　Antarctica。　
　He　put　the　documentation　down；　tried　the　radio　again。　
　〃USS　Wasp。　USS　Wasp。　This　is　Scarecrow。　I　repeat；　USS　Wasp；　this　is　Scarecrow。　Please　re…〃　
　〃Unidentified　aircraft　using　the　name　Scarecrow；　this　is　U。S。　Air　Force　fighter　Blue　Leader。　Identify　yourself；〃　a　voice　said　suddenly　over　Schofield's　cockpit　radio。　
　Schofield