scoonts.theminotaur-第32部分

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　even　be　able　to　see　that　building　down　there　with　the　naked　eye。〃
　〃You　mean　you　could　see　right　through　it？〃
　〃No；　it　would　look　like　a　black　hole。　Nothing　would　e　back　from　it。　But　no　one　is　going　to　have　that　kind　of　technology　until　well　into　the　next　century。〃
　〃For　heaven's　sake；〃　said　a　stunned　Jake　Grafton；　〃let's　just　get　the　bugs　worked　out　of　this　and　get　it　to　sea。　That's　more　than　enough　for　you　and　me。〃
　
　The　phone　on　Luis　Camacho's　desk　rang　at　noon　on　Tuesday　as　he　was　eating　a　tuna　salad　sandwich。　He　had　mayonnaise　on　his　fingers　and　managed　to　smear　it　on　the　telephone。　〃Camacho。〃
　〃Luis；　this　is　Bob　Pickering。　Could　you　take　a　few　minutes　now　and　e　down　to　my　office？　I　have　some　folks　here　I　would　like　you　to　meet。〃
　Camacho　wrapped　the　half　sandwich　that　remained　and　stuck　it　in　his　lower　desk　drawer；　which　he　locked　without　thinking。　Every　drawer　and　cabinet　in　his　office　was　always　locked　unless　he　was　taking　something　out　or　putting　something　in。　It　was　a　habit。
　Camacho　knew　Pickering；　but　not　well。　Pickering　worked　the　District　of　Columbia　and　routinely　handled　walk…ins。　〃Luis；　this　is　Mrs。　Matilda　Jackson　and　Mr。　Ralph　Barber。　Luis　Camacho。〃　As　they　shook　hands；　Pickering　added；　〃Mr。　Barber's　an　attorney　with　Ferguson　and　Waithe。〃　Ferguson　and　Waithe　was　one　of　the　District's　larger　firms；　almost　two　hundred　lawyers；　and　specialized　in　federal　regulatory　matters。
　Pickering　summarized　Mrs。　Jackson's　adventures　of　the　previous　Friday　evening　while　Camacho　glanced　at　the　visitors。　He　concluded；　〃Based　on　past　experience；　Mrs。　Jackson　felt　that　the　District　police　may　not　be　sympathetic　to　a　plaint　from　her；　so　she　went　to　Mr。　Barber；　her　former　boss；　yesterday；　and　he　thought　she　should　e　see　us。〃
　Barber　was　in　his　fifties；　still　wearing　his　topcoat　and　white　silk　scarf。　Apparently　he　hoped　this　interview　would　be　brief。　Mrs。　Jackson　still　had　her　coat　around　her　too；　but　its　faded　cloth　contrasted　sharply　with　the　blue　mohair　that　kept　the　spring　winds　from　the　lawyer's　plump　frame。
　〃The　neighborhood　used　to　be　someplace　a　person　could　be　proud　of；〃　Mrs。　Jackson　said　slowly。　〃But　those　crack　houses　and　dealers　on　the　corners。。。　The　police　have　got　to　do　something！〃
　〃We　felt　that　the　information　and　evidence　Mrs。　Jackson　has　would　probably　receive　a　more　dispassionate　look　from　the　FBI。〃　The　counselor　gestured　toward　the　edge　of　Pickering's　desk；　upon　which　lay　a　roll　of　film　and　a　clear　plastic　baggie　containing　a　crumpled　cigarette　pack。
　〃I　thought　you　might　want　to　send　these　to　the　lab；〃　Pickering　told　Luis。　〃I'll　do　the　report　and　send　you　a　copy。　We'll　get　back　to　you　in　a　few　days；　Mrs。　Jackson。　One　of　us　will。　Right　now　we　need　to　get　a　set　of　your　fingerprints　to　pare　with　whatever　is　on　that　cigarette　pack。　Just　in　case；　you　understand。〃
　Camacho　jotted　the　report　number　on　a　piece　of　paper　from　Pickering's　desk；　then　excused　himself。　Curious　about　the　two　items　he　carried；　he　walked　them　straight　to　the　lab　and　logged　them　in。　Tomorrow　afternoon；　he　was　told。　After　three…
　
　The　Consolidated　Technologies　prototype　had　a　hangar　all　to　itself　in　Palmdale。　As　Jake　stood　and　looked　about　the　cavernous　interior；　he　was　surrounded　by　engineers　and　vice　presidents；　at　least　twenty　people　all　told。　The　vice　presidents　all　wore　business　suits；　but　the　engineers　seemed　fond　of　short…sleeved　white　shirts　with　dark　ties。　If　that　garb　didn't　announce　their　profession；　they　all　sported　nerd　buckets…plastic　shirt…pocket　protectors　full　of　pens　and　pencils；　from　which　dangled　their　building　passes。　Solar…powered　calculators　rested　in　belt　holsters　on　engineers　and　vice　presidents　alike。
　The　black　airplane　had　a　conventional　dual　nose　wheel　with　the　nose　tow　bar　that　enabled　it　to　be　launched　by　catapult；　but　that　was　about　the　only　feature　Jake　found　familiar。　The　rounded　wings　were　situated　well　back　on　the　fuselage　and　a　canard　protruded　under　each　side　of　the　canopy。　Two　vertical　stabilizers　canted　inboard　rose　from　the　rear　of　the　fuselage。　The　engine　air　intakes　were　on　top　of　the　plane；　behind　the　cockpit；　which　seated　two　crewmen　in　tandem。
　The　senior　vice　president；　a　tall　woman　in　her　late　forties　whom　Wilson　had　said　rose　from　the　accounting　department　to　her　present　position　on　sheer　raw　talent；　led　the　group　toward　the　machine　and　explained　major　features　to　Jake。　〃The　aircraft's　shape　is　optimized　to　reduce　the　aircraft's　Radar　Cross　Section。　We've　used　radar…absorbent　materials　in　all　the　leading　and　trailing　edges…　laminated　layers　of　glass　fiber　and　plastic　with　carbon　coating。。。〃
　〃Uh…huh；〃　said　Jake　Grafton。
　〃For　low　frequencies　that　put　the　plane　into　the　Rayleigh　region；　we've　tried　to　lower　the　overall　electromagnetic　susceptibility。。。　carbon…epoxy　laminate　for　wing　skin；　coatings　of　multilayer　absorbers…mainly　Schiff　base　salts　and　honeyb　posites。　The　goal　was　to　reduce　resonant　microwave　frequency　scattering；　magnetic　waves　and　even　surface　waves　before　they　escape　from　the　edges。〃
　〃I　see；〃　he　lied。　The　canopy　was　open　and　the　boarding　ladder　down；　so　Jake　climbed　up　and　peered　into　the　forward　cockpit。　The　control　stick　was　a　small　vertical　handle　on　the　right　side　of　the　cockpit。　Two　power　levers　were　installed　on　the　left　console。　The　forward　panel　contained　two　Multifunction　Displays；　MFDs；　arranged　on　either　side　of　the　control　panel　for　a　Heads…Up　Display；　a　HUD；　which　sat　on　top　of　the　forward　panel　so　as　he　flew　the　pilot　could　look　straight　ahead　through　the　tilted　glass。　Under　the　HUD　control　panel　was　another　screen；　similar　to　the　MFDs；　but　without　the　frame　of　buttons　that　circled　the　upper　two。　All　of　the　screens　looked　like　eleven…inch　color　television　screens　with　the　power　off：　they　were　larger　than　the　five…inch　displays　to　which　Jake　was　accustomed。　But　the　weirdest　thing…there　were　no　engine　instruments。　Oh；　the　panel　had　a　conventional　gear　lever；　a　standby　gyro　and　even　a　G　meter；　but　of　engine　instruments　there　were　none。
　〃Go　ahead。　Climb　in　and　sit　down；〃　the　woman　urged。　Jake　glanced　again　at　her　name　tag。　Adele　DeCrescentis。
　〃Okay。〃　As　he　arranged　himself　in　the　pilot's　seat；　Ms。　DeCrescentis　mounted　the　ladder。　〃Where's　the　ashtray？〃　he　asked。
　〃Captain；　I　don't　think…〃
　〃Sorry。　Just　kidding。〃　The　look　on　her　face　implied　that　levity　was　inappropriate。　Here　in　the　high…tech　cathedral；　Jake　thought。　Or　the　new…car　showroom。
　Down　below；　the　entourage　was　making　small　talk　among　themselves　and　casting　many　glances　at　the　cockpit　and　vice　president　DeCrescentis；　who　probably　didn't　look　very　vice　presidential　perched　on　the　boarding　ladder。　〃What's　going　to　happen　to　engine　airflow　in　high…angle…of…attack　maneuvers？〃
　〃That　was　one　of　the　trade…offs；〃　said　DeCrescentis；　shifting　her　weight　gingerly。　Even　the　medium　heels　she　was　wearing　must　be　mighty　unfortable　on　the　rungs　of　that　ladder。　〃Each　intake　has　a　flap　that　is　raised　hydraulically　to　funnel　more　air　into　the　intake　when　the　FCC…Flight　Control　puter…senses　an　increase　in　G　or　angle　of　attack　which　correlates　with　a　decrease　in　pressor　inlet　pressure；　but　those　flaps　can　only　do　so　much。　The　concept　is　angle…of…attack…limited；　so　it　made　sense　to　design　to　a　five…G　limit。　That　enabled　us　to　lighten　the　airframe　and　increase　the　use　of　honeyb　posites；　which　made　it　even　more　stealthy。　And　we　achieved　better　fuel　economy。〃
　〃I　bet　spins　will　be　exciting。〃
　〃The　engines　will　pressor…stall　in　an　upright　spin　and　have　to　be　shut　down；　but　they　can　be　restarted　once　a　normal　angle　of　attack　is　achieved。　Inverted　spins　shouldn't　be　a　problem。〃
　〃Hmmm。〃　Jake　moved　the　control　handle　experimentally。　It　looked　like　the　joystick　for　a　puter　game。　〃Fly　by　wire？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Ms。　DeCrescentis；　I　appreciate　all　you　folks　taking　the　time　this　morning　to　show　me　this　plane；　but　what　say　I　sort　of　look　it　over　with　my　staff？　They've　been　involved　in　this　project　for　quite　a　while　and　no　doubt　can　answer　any　questions　I　know　enough　to　ask。〃
　〃I　suppose；〃　she　said　reluctantly；　glancing　again　at　the　crowd　below。　She　maneuvered　her　way　down　the　ladder　and　two　men　below　reached　up　to　help　her　to　the　floor。
　Fritsche　scrambled　up　and　seated　himself　on