p&c.icelimit-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Interesting。〃
　Lloyd　gazed　at　her　profile　curiously。　〃Eli　here　has　said　nothing　about　you；〃　he　said。　〃Can　you　fill　me　in　on　your　background？〃
　〃I　was　a　ship's　officer　for　five　years；　and　a　captain　for　three。〃
　Lloyd　caught　the　past　tense。　〃What　kind　of　ships？〃
　〃Tankers　and　VLCCs。〃
　〃I'm　sorry？〃
　〃Very　Large　Crude　Carriers。　Over　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　tons　displacement。　Tankers　on　steroids；　basically。〃　
　〃She's　gone　around　the　Horn　on　several　occasions；〃　said　Glinn。
　〃Around　the　Horn？　I　didn't　know　that　route　was　still　used。〃
　〃The　big　VLCCs　can't　go　through　the　Panama　Canal；〃　said　Britton。　〃The　preferred　route　is　around　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　but　occasionally　schedules　require　a　Horn　passage。〃
　〃That's　one　reason　we　hired　her；〃　said　Glinn。　〃The　seas　down　there　can　be　tricky。〃
　Lloyd　nodded；　still　gazing　at　Britton。　She　returned　the　look　calmly；　unruffled　by　the　pandemonium　taking　place　below　her。　〃You　know　about　our　unusual　cargo？〃　he　asked。　
　She　nodded。
　〃And　you　have　no　problem　with　it？〃
　She　looked　at　him。　〃I　have　no　problem　with　it。〃　
　Something　in　those　clear　green　eyes　told　Lloyd　a　different　story。　He　opened　his　mouth　to　speak；　but　Glinn　interrupted　smoothly。　〃e　on；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　show　you　the　cradle。〃　
　He　motioned　them　farther　down　the　catwalk。　Here　the　ship's　deck　lay　directly　below；　wreathed　in　clouds　of　welding　smoke　and　diesel　exhaust。　Deckplates　had　been　removed；　exposing　a　vast　hole　in　the　ship。　Manuel　Garza；　chief　engineer　for　EES；　stood　at　its　edge；　holding　a　radio　to　his　ear　with　one　hand　and　gesturing　with　the　other。　Catching　sight　of　them　overhead；　he　waved。
　Peering　down　into　the　exposed　space；　Lloyd　could　make　out　an　amazingly　plex　structure；　with　the　elegance　of　a　crystal　lattice。　Strings　of　yellow　sodium　lights　along　its　edges　made　the　dark　hold　sparkle　and　glow　like　a　deep；　enchanted　grotto。
　〃That's　the　hold？〃　Lloyd　asked。
　〃Tank；　not　hold。　Number　three　center　tank；　to　be　precise。　We'll　be　placing　the　meteorite　at　the　very　center　of　the　ship's　keel；　to　maximize　stability。　And　we've　added　a　passageway　beneath　the　maindeck；　running　from　the　superstructure　forward；　to　aid　access。　Note　the　mechanical　doors　we've　installed　on　each　side　of　the　tank　opening。〃
　The　cradle　was　a　long　way　down。　Lloyd　squinted　against　the　glow　of　the　countless　lights。
　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　he　said　suddenly。　〃Half　of　it's　made　of　wood！〃　He　turned　to　Glinn。　〃Cutting　corners　already？〃　
　The　corners　of　Glinn's　mouth　jerked　upward　in　a　brief　smile。　〃Wood；　Mr。　Lloyd；　is　the　ultimate　engineering　material。〃
　Lloyd　shook　his　head。　〃Wood？　For　a　ten…thousand…ton　weight？　I　can't　believe　it。〃
　〃Wood　is　ideal。　It　gives　ever　so　slightly；　but　never　deforms。　It　tends　to　bite　into　heavy　objects；　locking　them　in　place。　The　type　of　oak　we're　using；　greenheart　laminated　with　epoxy；　has　a　higher　shear　strength　than　steel。　And　wood　can　be　carved　and　shaped　to　fit　the　curves　of　the　hull。　It　won't　wear　through　the　steel　hull　in　a　heavy　sea；　and　it　doesn't　suffer　metal　fatigue。〃
　〃But　why　so　plicated　an　arrangement？〃
　〃We　had　to　solve　a　little　problem；〃　said　Glinn。　〃At　ten　thousand　tons；　the　meteorite　must　be　absolutely　locked　into　place；　immobilized　in　the　hold。　If　the　Rolvaag　encounters　heavy　weather　on　the　way　back　to　New　York；　even　a　tiny　shift　of　the　meteorite's　position　could　fatally　destabilize　the　ship。　That　network　of　timbers　not　only　locks　the　thing　into　place；　but　distributes　its　weight　evenly　throughout　the　hull；　simulating　the　loading　of　crude　oil。〃
　〃Impressive；〃　said　Britton。　〃You　took　the　internal　frames　and　partitioning　into　account？〃
　〃Yes。　Dr。　Amira　is　a　putational　genius。　She　worked　up　a　calculation　that　took　all　of　ten　hours　on　a　Cray　T3D　superputer；　but　it　gave　us　the　configuration。　We　can't　finish　it；　of　course；　until　we　get　the　exact　dimensions　of　the　rock。　We've　built　this　based　on　Mr。　Lloyd's　flyover　data。　But　when　we　actually　unearth　the　meteorite；　we'll　build　a　second　cradle　around　it　that　we　can　plug　into　this　one。〃
　Lloyd　nodded。　〃And　what　are　those　men　doing？〃　He　pointed　to　the　deepest　depths　of　the　hold；　where　a　gaggle　of　workmen；　barely　visible；　were　cutting　through　the　hull　plates　with　acetylene　torches。
　〃The　dead　man's　switch；〃　said　Glinn　evenly。
　Lloyd　felt　a　surge　of　irritation。　〃You're　not　really　going　through　with　that。〃
　〃We've　already　discussed　it。〃
　Lloyd　struggled　to　sound　reasonable。　〃Look。　If　you　open　up　the　bottom　of　the　ship　to　dump　the　meteorite　in　the　middle　of　some　storm；　the　damn　ship's　going　to　sink　anyway。　Any　idiot　can　see　that。〃
　Glinn　held　Lloyd　with　his　gray；　impenetrable　eyes。　〃If　the　switch　is　thrown；　it　will　take　less　than　sixty　seconds　to　open　the　tank；　release　the　rock；　and　reseal　it。　The　tanker　won't　sink　in　sixty　seconds；　no　matter　how　heavy　the　seas　are。　On　the　contrary；　the　inrush　of　water　will　actually　pensate　for　the　sudden　loss　of　ballast　when　the　meteorite　goes。　Dr。　Amira　worked　that　all　out；　too。　And　a　pretty　little　equation　it　was。〃
　Lloyd　stared　back　at　him。　This　man　actually　derived　pleasure　from　having　solved　the　problem　of　how　to　send　a　priceless　meteorite　to　the　bottom　of　the　Atlantic。　〃All　I　can　say　is；　if　anyone　throws　that　dead　man's　switch　on　my　meteorite；　he's　a　dead　man　himself。〃
　Captain　Britton　laughed　…　a　high；　ringing　sound　that　carried　above　the　clangor　below。　Both　men　turned　toward　her。　〃Don't　forget；　Mr。　Lloyd；〃　she　said　crisply；　〃it's　nobody's　meteorite　yet。　And　there's　a　long　stretch　of　water　ahead　of　us　before　it　is。〃
　
　Aboard　the　Rolvaag；
　June　26；　12：35　A。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　STEPPED　through　the　hatchway；　carefully　closed　the　steel　door　behind　him；　and　walked　out　onto　the　fly　deck。　It　was　the　very　highest　point　of　the　ship's　superstructure；　and　it　felt　like　the　roof　of　the　world。　The　smooth　surface　of　the　Atlantic　lay　more　than　a　hundred　feet　below　him；　dappled　in　faint　starlight。　The　gentle　breeze　carried　the　distant　cry　of　gulls；　and　smelled　wonderfully　of　the　sea。
　He　walked　over　to　the　forward　railing　and　wrapped　his　hands　around　it。　He　thought　about　the　huge　ship　that　would　be　his　home　for　the　next　few　months。　Directly　below　his　feet　lay　the　bridge。　Below　that　lay　a　deck　left　mysteriously　empty　by　Glinn。　Farther　below　lay　the　rambling　quarters　of　the　senior　officers。　And　a　full　six　stories　down；　the　maindeck；　stretching　ahead　a　sixth　of　a　mile　to　the　bow。　An　occasional　dash　of　starlit　spray　washed　over　the　forecastle　head。　The　network　of　piping　and　tank　valves　remained；　and　placed　around　it　were　a　maze　of　old　containers　…　the　laboratories　and　workspaces　…　like　a　child's　woodblock　city。
　In　a　few　minutes　his　presence　would　be　required　at　the　〃night　lunch；〃　which　would　be　their　first　formal　meal　on　board　ship。　But　he　had　e　up　here　first　to　convince　himself　that　the　voyage　had　really　begun。
　He　breathed　in；　trying　to　clear　his　head　of　the　last　frantic　days；　setting　up　labs　and　beta…testing　equipment。　He　gripped　the　railing　tighter；　feeling　a　swell　of　exhilaration。　This　is　more　like　it；　he　thought。　Even　a　jail　cell　in　Chile　seemed　preferable　to　having　Lloyd　constantly　looking　over　his　shoulder；　second…guessing；　worrying　over　trivial　details。　Whatever　lay　at　the　end　of　their　journey　…　whatever　it　was　that　Nestor　Masangkay　had　found　…　at　least　they　were　on　their　way。
　McFarlane　turned　and　made　the　long　walk　across　the　deck　to　the　aft　rail。　Although　the　thrum　of　engines　came　faintly　from　the　depths　of　the　ship；　up　here　he　could　feel　no　hint　of　vibration。　In　the　distance　he　could　see　the　Cape　May　lighthouse　winking；　one　short；　one　long。　After　Glinn　secured　their　clearance　papers　through　some　private　means　of　his　own；　they　had　left　Elizabeth　under　cover　of　darkness；　maintaining　secrecy　to　the　last。　They　would　soon　be　in　the　main　shipping　lanes；　beyond　the　continental　shelf；　and　would　then　turn　due　south。　Five　weeks　from　now；　if　all　went　as　planned；　they　would　see　the　same　light　again。　McFarlane　tried　to　imagine　what　it　would　be　like　if　they　did　recover　it　successfully：　the　furious　outcry；　the　scientific　coup　…　and；　perhaps；　his　own　personal　exoneration。
　Then　he　smiled　cynically　to　himself。　Life　didn't　work　like　that。　It　was　so　much　easier　to　see　himself　back　again　in　the　Kal