alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第60部分

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iles。　Then；　ten　years　later；　came　what　they　called　the　Perkin…Elmer　Roti　satellite　missile　tracker；　with　a　focal　length　of　five　hundred　inchesequivalent　to　a　barrel…type　camera　forty　feet　long。　This　one　could　pick　up　a　cube　of　sugar　at　ten　miles。〃
　 I　looked　inquiringly　around　the　audience　for　signs　of　inattention。　There　were　no　signs　of　inattention。　No　lecturer　ever　had　a　keener　audience　than　I　had　there。
　 〃Three　years　later；〃　I　went　on；　〃another　American　firm　had　developed　this　missile　tracker　into　a　fantastic　camera　that　could　be　mounted　in　even　a　small…size　satellite。　Three　years　round…the…clock　work　to　create　this　camera；　but　they　thought　it　worth　it。　We　don't　know　the　focal　length；　it's　never　been　revealed：　we　do　know　that；　given　the　right　'atmospheric　conditions；　a　white　saucer　on　dark　surface　will　show　up　clearly　from　three　hundred　miles　up　in　space。　This　on　a　relatively　tiny　negative　capable　of　almost　infinite　enlargement；　for　the　scientists　have　also　e　up　with　a　pletely　new　film　emulsion；　still　super…secret　and　a　hundred　times　as　sensitive　as　the　finest　films　available　on　the　mercial　market　today。
　 〃This　was　to　be　fitted　to　the　two…ton　satellite　the　Americans　called　'Samos　III''Samos'　for　'Satellite　and　Missile　Observation　System。'　It　never　was。　This；　the　only　camera　of　its　kind　in　the　world；　vanished；　hijacked　in　broad　daylight；　and；　as　we　later　learned；　dismantled；　flown　from　New　York　to　Havana　by　a　Polish　jet…liner　which　had　cleared　for　Miami　and　so　avoided　customs　inspection。
　 〃Four　months　ago　this　camera　was　launched　in　a　Soviet　satellite　on　a　polar　orbit；　crossing　the　U。S。　Middle　West　seven　times　a　day。　Those　satellites　can　stay　up　indefinitely；　but　in　just　three　days；　with　perfect　weather　conditions；　the　Soviets　had　all　the　pictures　they　ever　wantedpictures　of　every　American　missile…launching　base　west　of　the　Mississippi。　Every　time　this　camera　took　a　picture　of　a　small　section　of　the　United　States；　another；　smaller　camera　in　the　satellite；　pointing　vertically　upward；　took　a　fix　on　the　stars。　Then　it　was　only　a　matter　of　checking　map　coordinates　and　they　could　have　a　Soviet　intercontinental　ballistics　missile　ranged　in　on　every　launching　pad　in　America。　But　first　they　had　to　have　the　pictures。
　 〃Radio　transmission　is　no　good；　there's　far　too　much　quality　and　detail　lost　in　the　processand　you　must　remember　that　this　was　a　relatively；　tiny　negative　in　the　first　place。　So　they　had　to　have　the　actual　films。　There　are　two　ways　of　doing　this：　bring　the　satellite　back　to　earth；　or　have　it　eject　a　capsule　with　the　films。　The　Americans；　with　their　Discoverer　tests；　have　perfected　the　art　of　using　planes　to　snatch　falling　capsules　from　the　sky。　The　Russians　haven't；　although　we　do　know　they　have　a　technique　for　ejecting　capsules　should　a　satellite　run　amuck。　So　they　had　to　bring　the　satellite　down。　They　planned　to　bring　it　down　some　two　hundred　miles　east　of　the　Caspian。　But　something　went　wrong。　Precisely　what；　we　don't　know；　but　our　experts　say　that　it　could　only　have　been　due　to　the　fact　that　the　retro　rockets　on　one　side　of　the　capsule　failed　to　fire　when　given　the　radio　signal　to　do　so。　You　are　beginning　to　understand；　gentlemen？〃
　 〃We　are　beginning　to　understand　indeed。〃　It　was　Jeremy　who　spoke；　his　voice　very　soft。　〃The　satellite　took　up　a　different　orbit。〃
　 〃That's　what　happened。　The　rockets　firing　on　one　side　didn't　slow　her　up　any　that　mattered：　they　just　knocked　her　far　off　course。　A　new　and　wobbly　orbit　that　passed　through　Alaska；　south　over　the　Pacific；　across　Grahamland　in　Antarctica　and　directly　south　of　South　America；　up　over　Africa　and　western　Europe；　then　around　the　North　Pole　in　a　shallow　curve；　maybe　two　hundred　miles　distant　from　it　at　the　nearest　point。
　 〃Now；　the　only　way　the　Russians　could　get　the　films　was　by　ejecting　the　capsule；　for　with　retro　rockets　firing　on　one　side　only；　they　knew　that　even　if　they　did　manage　to　slow　up　the　satellite　sufficiently　for　it　to　leave　orbit；　they　had　no　idea　where　it　would　go。　But　the　damnably　awkward　part　of　it　from　the　Russians'　viewpoint　was　that　nowhere　in　its　orbit　of　the　earth　did　the　satellite　pass　over　the　Soviet　Union　or　any　sphere　of　munist　influence　whatsoever。　Worse；　ninety　per　cent　of　its　travel　was　travel　over　open　sea；　and　if　they　brought　it　down　there　they　would　never　see　their　films　again　as　the　capsule　is　so　heavily　coated　with　aluminum　and　Pyroceram　to　withstand　the　heat　of　re…entry　into　the　atmosphere　that　it　was　much　heavier　than　water。　And；　as　I　said；　they　had　never　developed　the　American　know…how　of　snatching　falling　capsules　out　of　the　airand　you　will　appreciate　that　they　couldn't　very　well　ask　the　Americans　to　do　the　job　for　them。
　 〃So　they　decided　to　bring　it　down　in　the　only　safe　place　open　to　themeither　the　polar　ice　cap　in　the　north；　or　the　Antarctic　in　the　south。　You　will　remember；　Captain；　that　I　told　you　I　had　just　returned　from　the　Antarctic。　The　Russians　have　a　couple　of　geophysical　stations　there；　and；　up　until　a　few　days　ago；　we　thought　that　there　was　a　fifty…fifty　chance　that　the　capsule　might　be　brought　down　there。　But　we　were　wrong。　Their　nearest　station　in　the　Antarctic　was　three　hundred　miles　from　the　path　of　orbitand　no　field　parties　were　stirring　from　home。〃
　 〃So　they　decided　to　bring　it　down　in　the　vicinity　of　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra？〃　Jolly　asked　quietly。　It　was　a　sign　of　his　perturbation　that　he　didn't　even　call　me　〃old　boy。〃
　 〃Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　wasn't　even　in　existence　at　the　time　the　satellite'　went　haywire；　although　all　preparations　were　plete。　We　had　arranged　for　Canada　to　lend　us　a　St。　Lawrence　ice　breaker　to　set　up　the　station；　but　the　Russians；　in　a　burst　of　friendly　goodwill　and　international　cooperation；　offered　us　the　atomic…powered　〃Lenin〃；　the　finest　ice　breaker　in　the　world。　They　wanted　to　make　good　and　sure　that　Zebra　was　set　up　in　good　time。　It　was。　The　eastwest　drift　of　the　ice　cap　was　unusually　slow　this　year；　and　almost　eight　weeks　elapsed　after　the　setting…up　of　the　station　until　it　was　directly　beneath　the　'flight　trajectory　of　the　satellite。〃
　 〃You　〃knew〃　what　the　Russians　had　in　mind？〃　Hansen　asked。
　 〃We　knew。　But　the　Russians　had　no　idea　whatsoever　that　we　were　on　to　them。　They　had　no　idea　that　one　of　the　pieces　of　equipment　which　was　landed　at　Zebra　was　a　satellite　monitor　which　would　tell　Major　Halliwell　when　the　satellite　received　the　radio　signal　to　eject　the　capsule。〃　I　looked　slowly　around　the　Zebra　survivors。　〃I'll　wager　none　of　you　knew　that。　But　Major　Halliwell　didand　the　three　other　men　who　slept　in　his　hut　where　this　machine　was　located。
　 〃What　we　did　not　know　was　the　identity　of　the　member　of　Zebra's　pany　who　had　been　suborned　by　the　Russians。　We　were　certain　someone　〃must〃　have　been；　but　we　had　no　idea　who　it　was。　Every　one　of　you　had　first…class　security　clearances。　But　someone　was　subornedand　that　someone；　when　he　arrived　back　in　Britain；　would　have　been　a　wealthy　man　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　In　addition　to　leaving　what　was　in　effect　an　enemy　agent　planted　in　Zebra；　the　Soviets　also　left　a　portable　monitoran　electronic　device　for　tuning…in　on　a　particular　radio　signal　which　would　be　activated　inside　the　capsule　at　the　moment　of　its　ejection　from　the　satellite。　A　capsule　can　be　so　accurately　ejected　three　hundred　miles　up　that　it　will　land　within　a　mile　of　its　target；　but　the　ice　cap　is　pretty　rough　territory　and　dark　most　of　the　time；　so　this　monitor　would　enable　our　friend　to　locate　the　capsule；　which　would　keep　on　emitting　its　signal　for　at　least；　I　suppose；　twenty…four　hours　after　landing。　Our　friend　took　the　monitor　and　went　out　looking　for　the　capsule。　He　found　it；　released　it　from　its　drogue；　and　brought　it　back　to　the　station。　You　are　still　with　me；　gentlemen？　Especially　one　particular　gentleman？〃
　 〃I　think　we　are　all　with　you；　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　mander　Swanson　said　softly。　〃Every　last　one　of　us。〃
　 〃Fine。　Well；　unfortunately；　Major　Halliwell　and　his　three　panions　also　knew　that　the　satellite　had　ejected　its　capsuledon't　forget　that　they　were　monitoring　this　satellite　twenty…four　hours　a　day。　They　knew　that　someone　was　going　to　go　looking　for　it　pretty　soon；　but　who　that　someone　would　be　they　had　no　idea。　Anyway；　Major　Halliwall　p