p&c.icelimit-第86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！


　Britton　turned　to　Howell。　〃Are　we　taking　in　water？〃
　〃Nothing　that　the　bilge　pumps　can't　handle；　Captain。　As　long　as　we　have　auxiliary　power。〃
　〃And　how　long　is　that？〃
　〃By　shutting　down　all　but　essential　systems；　with　the　emergency　diesel；　more　than　twenty…five　hours。〃
　〃Splendid！〃　Lloyd　said。　〃We're　in　fine　shape。　We'll　repair　the　engines　and　be　on　our　way。〃　He　beamed　at　Glinn　and　then　Britton；　and　then　faltered　a　little。　He　wondered　why　they　looked　so　grim。　〃Is　there　a　problem？〃
　〃We're　DIW；　Mr。　Lloyd；〃　said　Britton。　〃The　current's　moving　us　back　into　the　storm。〃
　〃DIW？〃
　〃Dead　in　the　water。〃
　〃We've　weathered　it　so　far。　It　can't　get　any　worse　than　this。　Can　it？〃
　No　one　answered　his　question。
　Britton　spoke　to　Howell。　〃Give　me　status　on　our　munications。〃
　〃All　long…range　and　satellite　munications　down。〃
　〃Issue　an　SOS。　Raise　South　Georgia　on　the　emergency　channel　sixteen。〃
　Lloyd　felt　a　sudden　chill。　〃What's　this　about　an　SOS？〃
　Again　no　one　answered。　Britton　said；　〃Mr。　Howell；　what　is　the　status　on　engine　damage？〃
　After　a　moment　Howell　reported　back。　〃Both　turbines　beyond　repair；　ma'am。〃
　〃Prepare　for　possible　evacuation　of　the　ship。〃
　Lloyd　could　hardly　believe　what　he　was　hearing。　〃Just　what　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？　Is　the　ship　sinking？〃
　Britton　turned　a　pair　of　cool　green　eyes　on　him。　〃That's　my　meteorite　down　there。　I'm　not　leaving　this　ship。〃
　〃Nobody's　leaving　the　ship；　Mr。　Lloyd。　We'll　only　abandon　ship　as　a　last　resort。　Putting　lifeboats　out　into　this　storm　would　probably　be　suicide　anyway。〃
　〃For　God's　sake；　then；　let's　not　overreact。　We　can　weather　the　storm　and　get　a　tow　to　the　Falklands。　Things　aren't　that　bad。〃
　〃We　have　no　steerage；　no　headway。　Once　we　drift　back　into　that　storm；　we'll　have　eighty…knot　winds；　a　hundred…foot　sea；　and　a　six…knot　current　all　pushing　us　in　one　direction；　toward　the　Bransfield　Strait。　That's　Antarctica；　Mr。　Lloyd。　Things　are　that　bad。〃
　Lloyd　felt　stunned。　Already；　he　could　feel　a　swell　rolling　the　ship。　A　gust　of　air　came　into　the　bridge。
　〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃I　don't　care　what　you　have　to　do；　or　how　you　do　it；　but　don't　you　lose　my　meteorite。　Is　that　understood？〃
　Britton　gave　him　a　steady；　hostile　look。　〃Mr。　Lloyd；　right　now　I　couldn't　give　a　shit　about　your　meteorite。　My　sole　concern　is　my　ship　and　crew。　Is　that　understood？〃
　Lloyd　turned　to　Glinn；　looking　for　support。　But　Glinn　had　remained　perfectly　silent　and　still；　his　face　its　usual　mask。
　〃When　can　we　get　a　tow？〃
　〃Most　of　our　electronics　are　down；　but　we're　trying　to　raise　South　Georgia。　It　all　depends　on　the　storm。〃
　Lloyd　broke　away　impatiently　and　turned　to　Glinn。　〃What's　happening　in　the　holding　tank？〃
　〃Garza　is　reinforcing　the　web　with　fresh　welds。〃
　〃And　how　long　will　that　take？〃
　Glinn　did　not　answer。　He　did　not　need　to；　because　now　Lloyd　could　feel　it；　too。　The　motion　of　the　ship　was　growing　worse　…　ghastly；　slow　rolls　that　took　forever　to　plete。　And　at　the　top　of　each　roll；　the　Rolvaag　cried　in　pain：　a　deep　groaning　that　was　half　sound　and　half　vibration。　It　was　the　dead　hand　of　the　meteorite。
　
　Rolvaag；
　5：45　P。M。
　
　HOWELL　EMERGED　from　the　radio　room　and　spoke　to　Britton。　〃We've　got　South　Georgia；　ma'am；〃　he　said。
　〃Very　good。　Put　them　on　voice；　please。〃
　The　bridge　inter　came　to　life。　〃South　Georgia　to　tanker　Rolvaag；　acknowledged。〃　The　voice　was　tinny　and　faint；　and　Britton　could　recognize　a　Home　Counties　accent　barely　recognizable　through　the　static。
　She　picked　up　a　transmitter　and　opened　the　channel。　〃South　Georgia；　this　is　an　emergency。　We　are　severely　damaged；　without　propulsion；　repeat；　without　propulsion。　We're　drifting　south…southeastward　at　a　rate　of　nine　knots。〃
　〃Acknowledged；　Rolvaag。　State　your　position。〃
　〃Our　position　is　61°15'12〃　South；　60°5'33〃　West。〃
　〃Advise　as　to　your　cargo。　In　ballast　or　oil？〃
　Glinn　glanced　up　at　her；　a　sharp　look。　Britton　closed　the　channel。
　〃From　this　point　on；〃　Glinn　said；　〃we　begin　telling　the　truth。　Our　truth。〃
　Britton　turned　back　to　the　transmitter。　〃South　Georgia；　we're　converted　to　an　ore　carrier。　We're　fully　loaded　with；　ah；　a　meteorite；　mined　on　the　Cape　Horn　islands。〃
　There　was　another　silence。
　〃Did　not　copy；　Rolvaag。　Did　you　say　meteorite？〃
　〃Affirmative。　Our　cargo　is　a　twenty…five…thousand…ton　meteorite。〃
　〃A　meteorite　of　twenty…five　thousand　tons；〃　the　voice　repeated　impassively。　〃Rolvaag；　please　advise　as　to　your　intended　destination。〃
　Britton　knew　this　was　a　subtle　way　of　asking；　What　the　hell　are　you　doing　down　here？　
　〃We're　headed　for　Port　Elizabeth；　New　Jersey。〃
　There　was　another　silence。　Britton　waited；　wincing　inwardly。　Any　knowledgeable　mariner　would　know　there　was　something　very　wrong　with　this　story。　Here　they　were；　two　hundred　miles　off　the　Bransfield　Straits；　well　into　a　major　storm。　And　yet　this　was　their　first　distress　call。
　〃Er；　Rolvaag；　may　I　ask　if　you　have　the　latest　weather　report？〃
　〃Yes；　we　do。〃　But　she　knew　he　would　give　it　to　her　anyway。
　〃Winds　increasing　to　a　hundred　knots　by　midnight；　seas　topping　forty　meters；　all　of　Drake　Passage　under　a　Force　15　storm　warning。〃
　〃It's　almost　Force　13　now；〃　she　replied。
　〃Understood。　Please　describe　the　nature　of　your　damage。〃　
　Make　it　good；　Glinn　murmured。
　〃South　Georgia；　we　were　attacked　without　warning　by　a　Chilean　warship　in　international　waters。　Shells　struck　our　engine　room；　forecastle；　and　maindeck。　We　have　lost　headway　and　steerage。　We　are　DIW；　repeat；　Delta　India　Whiskey。〃
　〃Good　Lord。　Are　you　still　under　attack？〃
　〃The　destroyer　struck　an　iceberg　and　sank　thirty　minutes　ago。〃
　〃This　is　extraordinary。　Why。。。？〃
　This　was　not　a　proper　question　to　ask　during　an　emergency　distress　call。　But　again；　this　was　a　most　unusual　emergency。　〃We　have　no　idea　why。　The　Chilean　captain　seems　to　have　been　acting　alone；　without　orders。〃
　〃Did　you　identify　the　warship？〃
　〃The　Almirante　Ramirez；　Emiliano　Vallenar；　CO。〃
　〃Are　you　taking　in　water？〃
　〃Nothing　our　bilge　pumps　can't　handle。〃
　〃Are　you　in　imminent　danger？〃
　〃Yes。　Our　cargo　could　shift　at　any　moment　and　the　ship　might　founder。〃　
　〃Rolvaag；　please　stand　by。〃
　There　was　a　sixty…second　silence。　
　〃Rolvaag；　we　fully　appreciate　your　situation。　We　have　SAR　assets　standing　by　here　and　at　the　Falklands。　But　we　cannot；　I　repeat；　we　cannot　undertake　a　search　and　rescue　until　the　storm　abates　to　Force　10　or　less。　Do　you　have　satellite　munications？〃
　〃No。　Most　of　our　electronics　are　down。〃
　〃We　will　advise　your　government　of　your　status。　Is　there　anything　else　we　can　do？〃
　〃Just　a　tow；　as　soon　as　possible。　Before　we　end　up　on　the　Bransfield　reefs。〃
　There　was　a　whisper　of　static。　Then　the　voice　returned。　〃Good　luck；　Rolvaag。　God　bless。〃
　〃Thank　you；　South　Georgia。〃
　Britton　replaced　the　transmitter；　leaned　on　the　console；　and　stared　out　into　the　night。
　
　Rolvaag；
　6：40　P。M。
　
　AS　THE　Rolvaag　drifted　out　of　the　lee　of　the　ice　island；　the　wind　caught　it　and　shoved　it　brutally　back　into　the　storm。　The　wind　gathered　force；　and　in　moments　they　were　soaked　again　with　freezing　spray。　Sally　Britton　could　feel　that　the　ship；　with　no　headway　left；　was　pletely　at　the　mercy　of　the　storm。　It　was　a　repulsive；　helpless　feeling。
　The　storm　began　to　strengthen　with　a　clockwork　regularity。　Britton　watched　it　build；　minute　by　minute；　until　it　reached　an　intensity　she　barely　believed　possible。　The　moon　had　fallen　behind　thick　clouds；　and　nothing　could　be　seen　beyond　the　bridge。　The　storm　was　there；　inside　the　bridge；　all　around　them：　in　the　lashings　of　spray；　in　the　bits　of　razorsharp　ice　whipping　through；　in　the　smell　of　death　at　sea　crowding　in。　But　it　was　the　sound　that　unnerved　her　most：　a　continuous　dull　roar　that　seemed　to　e　from　all　directions　at　once。　The　temperature　on　the　bridge　was　nineteen　degrees　Fahrenheit　and　she　could　feel　ice　building　in　her　hair。
　She　continued　to　receive　regular　reports　of　their　status；　but　found　herself　issuing　few　orders。　Without　power　or　steerage　there　was　little　she　could　do　but　wait。　The　feeling　of　helplessness　was　nigh　unbearable。　Based　on　the　motion　of　the　ship；　she　estimated　significant　wave　heights　at　well　over　one　hundred　feet；