p&c.icelimit-第79部分

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ank　that　yawned　beneath　them　was　quiet。
　McFarlane　opened　his　eyes　with　an　effort。　〃Run　it　again；〃　he　said。
　〃But　we've　already　viewed　it　five　times；〃　Rachel　said。　When　McFarlane　did　not　reply；　she　gave　a　disgusted　snort　and　leaned　forward　to　punch　the　transport　controls。
　Of　the　three　security　viewcams　in　the　holding　tank；　only　one　had　survived　the　explosion。　He　watched　as　Rachel　ran　the　tape　forward　at　high　speed；　slowing　to　normal　speed　a　minute　before　the　detonation。　They　watched　in　silence　as　the　seconds　counted　down。　Nothing　new。　Garza　was　right：　nobody　had　touched　the　rock。　Nobody　had　even　been　close。
　McFarlane　leaned　back　again　with　a　curse；　glancing　out　of　the　observation　unit　and　along　the　catwalk；　as　if　searching　for　an　answer　on　the　walls　of　the　tank。　Then　he　let　his　eyes　travel　slowly　down　the　forty…foot　span　to　the　top　of　the　meteorite。　The　explosion　had　gone　off　sideways；　killing　most　of　the　lights　in　the　tank；　damaging　munications　networks　both　fore　and　aft；　but　leaving　the　catwalk　and　observation　unit　at　the　top　of　the　tank　unharmed。　The　web　looked　largely　intact；　although　it　was　clear　that　some　struts　had　been　knocked　out。　Molten　steel　had　sprayed　in　foamy　streaks　across　the　walls　of　the　tank；　and　some　of　the　massive　laminated　oak　timbers　were　charted。　Flecks　of　blood　and　red　matter　could　be　seen　here　and　there　at　points　the　scrub　team　had　missed。　The　meteorite　itself　looked　unchanged。　
　What's　the　secret　here？　he　thought。　What　is　it　we're　missing？　
　〃Let's　go　over　what　we　know；〃　he　said。　〃The　explosion　seems　to　have　been　just　like　the　one　that　killed　Timmer。〃
　〃Perhaps　even　stronger；〃　Rachel　said。　〃One　hell　of　an　electrical　blast。　If　there　hadn't　been　so　much　metal　around　to　absorb　the　charge；　it　might　have　blown　the　ship's　electronics。〃
　〃And　afterwards；　the　meteorite　threw　off　a　lot　of　radio　noise；〃　he　said。　〃Just　like　with　Timmer。〃
　Rachel　picked　up　her　radio；　turned　it　on；　made　a　face　at　the　roar　of　static；　turned　it　off　again。　〃And　it's　still　throwing　it　off；〃　she　said。
　They　lapsed　into　silence　again。
　〃I　wonder　if　anything　triggered　the　blast；〃　said　Rachel；　rewinding　the　tape。　〃Maybe　it　was　random。〃
　McFarlane　didn't　respond。　It　couldn't　be　random；　something　must　have　triggered　it。　And　despite　Garza's　remark　…　and　the　increasing　nervousness　of　the　crew　…　he　didn't　believe　the　meteorite　was　some　malignant　thing；　actively　seeking　to　hurt　them。
　McFarlane　wondered　if　perhaps　Timmer　and　Masangkay　had　never　touched　the　thing；　after　all。　But　no；　he'd　analyzed　it　too　carefully。　The　key　to　the　mystery　had　to　be　Palmer　Lloyd。　He　had　placed　his　cheek　against　the　rock　and　lived　to　tell　the　story。　The　two　others　had　been　blown　up。
　What　was　different　about　their　touches？
　He　sat　up　in　the　chair。　〃Let's　watch　it　again。〃
　Wordlessly；　Rachel　punched　the　controls；　and　the　monitor　flickered　to　life。
　The　surviving　camera　had　been　placed　almost　directly　above　the　rock；　just　below　the　observation　unit。　There　was　Garza；　standing　to　one　side；　the　welding　diagrams　unrolled　before　him。　The　TIG　welders　were　spaced　evenly　around　the　rock；　working　on　various　nodes。　They　were　kneeling；　their　bright　points　of　flame　leaving　red　tracks　on　the　screen。　In　the　lower　right　corner；　a　time　display　ran　rapidly　through　the　seconds。
　〃Turn　up　the　sound；〃　McFarlane　said。　He　closed　his　eyes；　the　headache　and　nausea　were　getting　worse。　Seasickness。
　Garza's　voice　leapt　into　the　small　enclosure。　〃How's　it　going？〃　he　shouted。　There　was　an　answering　shout：　〃Almost　there。〃　Scratchy　silence；　the　trickle　of　water；　the　pop　of　a　torch　flaring　out。　Room　tone；　then　a　flurry　of　creaks　and　groans　as　the　vessel　began　to　heel。　He　heard　Garza's　voice：　〃Hold　tight！〃　
　And　then　it　ended　in　a　hiss　of　white　noise。
　McFarlane　opened　his　eyes。　〃Back　ten　seconds。〃
　They　watched　as　it　ran　through　again。
　〃It　went　off　at　the　very　top　of　the　roll；〃　Rachel　said。
　〃But　Garza's　right。　That　thing　was　manhandled　all　the　way　down　to　the　shore。〃　McFarlane　paused。　〃Could　there　be　another　workman；　hidden　by　the　rock？　Somebody　we're　not　seeing？〃
　〃I　thought　of　that。　Six　welders　came　in；　plus　Garza。　Look；　you　can　see　them　all　there　in　the　last　frame；　clearly　visible。　All　well　back　from　the　meteorite。〃
　McFarlane　dropped　his　chin　to　his　hands。　Something　about　the　video　was　nagging　at　him；　but　he　couldn't　put　his　finger　on　it。　Maybe　it　was　nothing。　Maybe　he　was　just　too　damn　tired。
　Rachel　stretched；　swept　peanut　shells　from　her　knees。　〃Here　we　are；　trying　to　second…guess　Garza；〃　she　said。　〃But　what　if　everybody's　right？〃
　McFarlane　glanced　at　her。　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃What　if　nobody　touched　the　meteorite？　What　if　it　was　something　else　that　touched　the　meteorite？〃
　〃Something　else？〃　he　replied。　〃But　there　was　nothing　else　moving　in　that　room　…　〃　He　stopped　abruptly；　realizing　what　had　been　troubling　him：　the　sound　of　water。
　〃Give　me　the　last　sixty　seconds；〃　he　said。　〃Quickly。〃
　He　lifted　his　head　toward　the　screen；　searching　for　the　source　of　the　sound　he'd　heard。　There　it　was；　very　faintly：　a　thin　stream　at　one　side；　falling　from　above；　disappearing　into　the　depths　of　the　tank。　He　stared　at　it。　As　the　ship　began　the　heavy　roll；　the　stream　of　water　pulled　away　from　the　bulkhead　and　began　angling　closer　to　the　meteorite。
　〃Water；〃　McFarlane　said　aloud。
　Rachel　looked　at　him　curiously。
　〃There　was　a　stream　of　water　ing　down　the　side　of　the　tank。　There　must　be　a　leak　in　the　mechanical　door。　Look；　you　can　still　see　it。〃　He　pointed　up　at　a　narrow　stream　trickling　down　the　far　longitudinal　bulkhead。　〃The　meteorite　went　off　when　that　roll　brought　the　water　in　contact　with　it。〃
　〃That's　absurd。　The　meteorite's　been　sitting　in　waterlogged　ground　for　millions　of　years。　It　got　rained　and　snowed　on。　It's　inert。　How　could　water　possibly　affect　it？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　take　a　look。〃　He　replayed　the　video；　demonstrating　how；　at　the　instant　the　water　connected　with　the　meteorite；　the　screen　popped　into　snow。
　〃Coincidence？〃　she　asked。
　McFarlane　shook　his　head。　〃No。〃
　Rachel　looked　at　him。　〃Sam；　how　could　this　water　be　different　from　all　the　other　water　that's　touched　the　meteorite？〃
　And　then；　in　a　moment　of　revelation；　it　became　clear。　〃Salt；〃　he　said。　〃It's　salt　water　dripping　into　the　hold。〃
　After　a　shocked　moment；　Rachel　suddenly　gasped。
　〃That's　it；〃　she　said。　〃And　that's　why　Timmer　and　Masangkay　set　it　off　with　their　hands　…　their　sweaty　hands。　There　was　salt　in　their　touch。　But　Lloyd　put　his　cheek　to　it　on　a　bitterly　cold　day。　There　was　no　sweat　in　his　touch。　It　must　be　highly　reactive　to　sodium　chloride。　But　why；　Sam？　What's　it　reacting　to？〃
　McFarlane　looked　at　her；　then　beyond；　to　where　the　trickle　of　seawater　still　glistened　in　the　gloom；　swaying　with　the　gradual　motion　of　the　ship。　
　The　motion　of　the　ship。。。　
　〃We'll　worry　about　that　later；〃　he　said。　He　reached　for　his　radio；　snapped　it　on；　heard　the　hiss　of　static。
　〃God　damn　it！〃　he　said；　shoving　the　radio　back　in　his　belt。
　〃Sam　…　〃　Rachel　began。
　〃We've　got　to　get　out　of　here；〃　he　interrupted。　〃Otherwise；　when　the　next　big　roll　es；　we're　toast。〃
　He　stood　up　just　as　she　gripped　his　arm。
　〃We　can't　leave；〃　she　said。　〃Another　explosion　like　that　might　break　the　web。　If　the　meteorite　gets　loose；　we'll　all　die。〃
　〃Then　we　have　to　keep　the　water　from　the　rock。〃
　For　a　moment；　the　two　stared　at　each　other。　And　then；　as　with　a　single　thought；　they　sprinted　down　the　catwalk　toward　the　access　tunnel。
　
　Almirante　Ramirez；
　2：45　P。M。
　
　VALLENAR　STOOD　at　the　bridge；　looking　southward　over　the　heaving　seas；　an　old　pair　of　binoculars　cradled　in　his　hands。　The　officers　around　him　were　struggling　to　remain　on　their　feet　in　the　wildly　rolling　ship；　their　faces　frozen　masks　of　neutrality。　They　were　terrified。　But　now　his　regime　of　absolute　discipline　was　paying　off：　the　test　had　e；　and　those　who　remained　were　with　him。　They　would　follow　him　to　hell；　if　necessary　…　and　that；　he　thought　as　he　glanced　at　the　chart；　was　exactly　where　they　were　heading。
　The　snow　and　sleet　had　stopped；　and　the　sky　was　clearing。　Visibility　was　excellent。　But　the　wind　had；　if　anything；　picked　up；　and　the　seas　were　mounting　ever　higher。　When　the　ship　san