rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第8部分

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rld　of　terror。
　〃Yeah；〃　Rockson　quipped；　〃or　a　few　pieces　of　artillery。　Snow　or　no　snow；　I　doubt　the　Soviets　have　stopped　patrolling　the　area　between　here　and　Mexico。　They　like　winter；　right；　Scheransky？〃
　〃Indubitably；　Russians　like　winter。　Why；　in　Moscow；　we　even　eat　ice　cream　in　weather　like　this。。。〃　Scheransky　said。
　〃Make　mine　tutti…frutti；〃　said　Detroit。　〃Look；　the　sun　is　out。〃
　It　was　out。　The　door　slid　open　to　reveal　a　clear　day。　There　was　a　pleasant　pink…ocher　sunrise　sending　multiple　beams　of　light　up　over　the　craggy　ice…laden　peaks　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　to　the　east。
　〃Red　sky　in　morning；　sailor　take　warning。。。〃　Rockson　muttered。
　〃What　did　you　say？〃　Detroit　yelled　over　the　din　of　the　eager　wolf…dogs。
　〃The　weather　could　change　for　the　worse　soon；〃　Rock　rephrased。
　Archer　slid　his　sled　right　past　the　Doomsday　Warrior's　the　minute　the　three　teams　of　six　dogs　each　had　gotten　out　on　the　slope　heading　down　from　Carson　Mountain。　The　damned　dogs　obeyed　his　every　mutter。　Perhaps　it　was　his　smell　that　ingratiated　the　big　mountainman　to　the　dogs；　Rock　thought。　Whatever　it　was；　Archer　was　the　only　one　who　didn't　have　to　use　a　whip　on　the　beasts　to　steer　them。
　Those　Freefighters　who　weren't　driving　the　sleds　rode　alongside；　tethered　by　rope；　sliding　along　on　their　short　steel　skis。　Danik　was　apparently　having　a　ball　on　his　skis；　despite　very　little　training　in　their　use。　He　slid　up　alongside　Rockson　and　said；　〃The　sunrise　is　so　beautiful。　So　many　colors。　It's　sad　my　friends　are　not　here　to　see　us　and　this　beautiful　day。〃
　〃Just　a　typical　sunrise；〃　Rock　smiled；　〃Evidently　you　like　the　surface　world。〃
　〃Yes；　it　is　most　fascinating　and　beautiful。〃
　For　hours　they　traversed　country　Rock　knew　well。　The　landscape　was　muted　by　gentle　deep　waves　of　brilliant　white。　The　snow　goggles　…　slits　in　plastic　…　helped　shield　their　eyes。　Still；　Rockson　was　relieved　when　some　clouds　showed　up　to　dim　the　scenery　a　bit。
　〃Mush；　you　mutated　Americansky　huskies；　mush〃　Scheransky　cried　out。　It　was　his　turn　to　navigate　the　first　sled　and　he　was　doing　it　with　relish。　Rona　steered　the　second　sled　expertly　alongside　him。　Rock　trailed；　happy　to　give　up　the　lead。　The　wolf…dogs　howled　their　triple…tooth　best　and　pulled　the　sleds　mightily。　At　first　they　were　difficult　to　control；　but　then　the　〃dogs〃　settled　down。　They　pulled　the　heavily　laden　sleds　like　they　were　lightweight　paper。
　〃I　think　this　is　going　to　work　fine。〃　Rock　yelled　over　the　snorting　and　howling　to　Rona。　〃If　they　stop　making　so　much　noise。〃
　〃They'll　quiet　down　…　they're　excited　and　happy　to　be　out　in　the　real　world；　that's　all。〃
　With　cracks　of　the　whips；　they　were　speeding　along　at　fifty　miles　per　hour；　sliding　down　the　steep　incline　of　a　blanket　of　hard　packed　snow。　The　best　way　to　travel；　Rock　thought。
　Rockson　considered　the　plan　rather　loosely　conceived。　Lots　of　things　never　done　before　were　being　attempted　here。　He　hoped　to　god　it　would　all　work。　The　sleds；　for　instance。　Would　they　hold　up？　Sure；　they'd　last　for　the　trek　to　the　damned　President　museum　or　whatever　the　hell　it　was。　But　if　they　went　further　…　would　they　hold　up？　And　Danik　…　he　was　doing　fine　so　far；　but　he　was　a　delicate　sort。　Might　not　fare　well　in　hardships　to　e。　And　the　mission　would　have　to　be　aborted　if　the　notebook　they　were　after　was　missing。　Or　if　the　notes　in　it　didn't　have　useful　bearings。　And　things　were　even　vaguer　for　when　…　and　if　…　they　got　to　Eden。　Danik　wanted　them　to　hide　in　the　lake　area　of　the　underground　biosphere　and　wait　for　members　of　his　dissenter　group　to　join　them；　and　then　make　plans　in　concert　with　these　Edenites。　Rock　didn't　like　this　plan。　He　would　think　of　another　one；　if　and　when　they　got　there。
　He　half…laughed。　Only　the　fate　of　the　world　hung　on　these　many　variables。　God；　what　if　Stafford　had　already　decided　to　release　the　deadly　vial　of　germs　into　the　atmosphere？　Nobody　knew　what　fiendish　concoction　Factor　Q　was；　or　how　to　immunize　anyone　against　it。　The　one　thing　Danik　did　know　about　the　deadly　virus　was　that　it　took　only　one　day　to　kill　after　a　person　was　infected。　Great。　Rock　watched　the　parka…clad　woman　slide　along　on　skis。
　Rona　had　earned　her　entry　into　the　mission。　Without　her　initiatives；　it　would　never　have　been　possible。　She　was　some　lady。　And　Rock　looked　forward　to　sharing　his　sleeping　bag　with　the　leggy　redhead。　A　bonus　for　having　her　along。　The　guys　would　understand　…　wouldn't　they？　Of　course；　McCaughlin　would　tease　…　but　what　the　hell。　And　Scheransky　…　Rock　was　proud　of　the　man。
　The　Russian　was　an　asset。　A　man　who　Rock　had　e　to　admire；　as　much　for　his　courage　and　open…mindedness　as　for　his　technical　knowledge。　Rockson　couldn't　get　over　the　change　in　Scheransky。　The　Russian　defector　was　quite　different　from　when　Rock　had　first　met　him；　right　after　he'd　parachuted　down　from　a　Soviet　plane。　Then；　Scheransky　had　been　a　pudgy　techie；　brainwashed　into　believing　most　if　not　all　of　the　munist　party　line。　Now　he　was　lean　and　hard；　a　seasoned　veteran　of　the　Freefighter　forces。　His　allegiance　was　to　freedom　now；　freedom　and　strength。　The　rest　of　the　team　were　friends　and　worthy　members　of　the　human　race。　Rock　worried　that　some　of　them　might　not　survive　the　whole　journey。　Just　a　hunch。　Who？
　It　was　near　dark　when　Rockson　decided；　by　taking　sightings　with　his　navigation　equipment；　that　they　were　nearing　the　Hall　of　President's　museum。　The　Freefighters　had　shuffled　positions　again。　Now；　Detroit　and　Chen　were　hanging　onto　the　sled　that　the　Russian　drove。　Each　wore　the　short　metal　skis　that　had　special　almost…frictionless　bottoms　under　their　boots。　That　lessened　the　weight　the　dogs　had　to　pull。
　Rockson's　sled　followed。　He　drove　its　six　fan…hitched　wolf…huskies　relentlessly；　and　they　never　tired。　McCaughlin　and　Archer　were　sliding　along　holding　on　each　to　their　own　handle　behind　him。
　Rock　hoped　that　at　the　end　of　each　day's　trek　they　could　find　some　sort　of　shelter　…　a　rock　overhang；　anything。　They　had　a　survival　tent；　but　there　was　a　suspicious　wind　rising　from　the　east。　The　worst　storms　came　out　of　the　Great　Plains；　where　they　could　build　and　build；　unencumbered　by　mountains。　He　feared　the　worst。
　
　
　CHAPTER　7
　
　Rock　watched　the　towering　black　clouds　building　over　the　hills。　Though　it　wasn't　snowing；　the　increasing　winds　ing　from　the　blackness　ahead　whipped　through　his　down　coat　and　threatened　to　tear　off　his　fur…flapped　hat。
　Most　snow　clouds　are　gray。　Black　snowclouds　could　mean　acid　snow　…　the　conical…flaked　death　snows。　No　one　could　predict　when　the　black　snow　would　e　to　devastate　an　area；　they　just　came　out　of　nowhere。
　A　biting　cold　hit　just　as　the　sky　became　totally　dark。　It　was　as　if　the　sun　had　set；　and　yet　it　was　an　hour　before　sunset。
　Rockson；　anxious　to　make　their　goal　before　all　hell　broke　loose；　pushed　their　teams　to　the　utmost。　The　cold　ate　into　his　hands；　his　arms；　his　legs；　despite　the　thermal　layers　of　synseal　and　goose　down。　The　others　too　by　their　grim　expressions　were　feeling　the　sixty…below　temperature　…　and　realizing　the　danger。
　There　was　only　open；　rolling　terrain　ahead；　but　hopefully　they　could　reach　the　cliffs　he　could　see　miles　ahead；　find　shelter　before　the　storm　hit。　Worry　about　finding　the　museum　later。
　Within　minutes；　as　the　seven　brave　Freefighters　whipped　their　half…wild　teams　to　a　frenzied　pace；　the　storm　overtook　them。　A　thunderous　howl　of　wind…blown　snow　obscured　the　way；　and　in　that　blown　white　snow　appeared　black　specks　…　the　dreaded　black　snow。
　〃Faster；　we've　got　to　go　faster。　Shine　your　flashlights　ahead；　use　your　passes。　Keep　going　west…south…west。　We've　got　to　find　shelter。〃
　The　sled　he　was　riding　started　to　shimmy　in　the　wind；　the　dogs　were　howling；　their　voices　an　eerie　cross　between　wolf　howl　and　dogs'　growl。　Lightning　and　thunder　rent　the　air。　The　black　specks　increased。　Rockson　got　the　first　hit　on　his　lips。　It　burned。　Acid　snow；　all　right。
　There　appeared　a　dozen；　then　a　hundred；　smoking　tiny　holes　in　his　snow　suit。　The　acid　flakes　were　eating　into　his　clothing。
　He　pulled　the　hood　down　over　his　face　…　he　couldn't　see　ahead　anyway；　so　he　just　kept　the　luminous　pass　in　sight　through　the　tiny　hole　he　left　to　see　through。　〃Faster；　faster；〃　he　yelled；　whipping　the　howl