tc.redstormrising-第113部分

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t　off　for　the　beach。　The　captain　of　what　was　left　of　USS　Pharris　put　his　cap　back　on　and　lit　another　cigarette。　He　still　didn't　know　what　had　gone　wrong　with　that　Victor…class。　Somehow　the　Russian　skipper　had　teleported　himself　from　one　place　to　another。
〃We　killed　three　o'　the　bastards；　sir；〃　Chief　Clarke　appeared　at　Morris's　side。　〃Maybe　this　one　just　got　lucky。〃
〃Reading　minds；　Chief？〃
〃Beg　pardon；　sir。　You　wanted　me　to　report　on　some　things。　The　pumps　have　just　about　dried　things　out。　I'd　say　we're　leaking　ten　gallons　an　hour　at　the　crack　on　the　lower　starboard　corner；　hardly　worth　talking　about。　The　bulkhead's　holding；　and　we　got　people　keeping　an　eye　on　it。　Same　story　with　the　tow　cable。　Those　tugboat　guys　know　their　stuff。　The　engineer　reports　both　boilers　are　fully　repaired；　number　two　still　on　line。　The　Prairie　Masker　is　operating。　The　Sea　Sparrow　is　working　again　in　case　we　need　that；　but　the　radars're　still　down。〃
Morris　nodded。　〃Thank　you；　Chief。　How　are　the　men？〃
〃Busy。　Kinda　quiet。　Mad。〃
That's　one　advantage　they　have　over　me；　Morris　thought。　They're　busy。
〃If　you'll　pardon　me　saying　so；　skipper；　you　look　awful　tired；〃　Clarke　said。　The　bosun　was　worried　about　his　captain；　but　had　already　said　more　than　he　was　supposed　to。
〃We'll　all　get　a　good　rest　soon　enough。〃

SUNNYVALE；　CALIFORNIA
〃We　show　one　bird　lifting　off；〃　the　watch　officer　told　North　American　Aerospace　Defense　mand。　〃ing　out　of　Baikonur　Kosmodrome　on　a　heading　of　one…five…five；　indicating　a　probable　orbital　inclination　of　sixty…five　degrees。　Signature　characteristics　say　it's　either　an　SS…11　ICBM　or　an　F…1…type　space　booster。〃
〃Only　one？〃
〃Correct；　one　bird　only。〃
A　lot　of　U。S。　Air　Force　officers　had　suddenly　bee　very　tense。　The　missile　was　on　a　heading　that　would　take　it　directly　over　the　central　United　States　in　forty　to　fifty　minutes。　The　rocket　in　question　could　be　many　things。　The　Russian　SS…9　missile；　like　many　American　counterparts；　was　obsolete　and　had　been　adapted　as　a　satellite　booster　rocket。　Unlike　its　American　counterparts；　it　had　been　originally　designed　as　a　fractional…orbital…bombardment　system：　FOBS；　a　missile　that　could　put　a　25…megaton　nuclear　warhead　into　a　flight　path　mimicking　that　of　a　harmless　satellite。
〃Booster…engine　cutoff…okay；　we　show　separation　and　second…stage　ignition；〃　the　colonel　said　on　the　phone。　The　Russians　would　freak　if　they　knew　how　good　our　cameras　are；　he　thought。　〃Flight　path　continues　as　before。〃
Already　NORAD　had　flashed　a　warning　to　Washington。　If　this　was　a　nuclear　strike；　National　mand　Authority　was　ready　to　react。　So　many　current　scenarios　began　with　a　large　warhead　exploded　at　orbital　height　over　the　target　country；　causing　massive　electromagnetic　damage　to　munications　systems。　The　SS…9　FOBS　system　was　tailor…made　for　that　sort　of　thing。
〃Second…stage　cutoff　。　。　。　and　there's　third…stage　ignition。　Do　you　copy　our　position　fix；　NORAD？〃
〃That's　a　roger；〃　acknowledged　the　general　under　Cheyenne　Mountain。　The　signal　from　the　early…warning　satellite　was　linked　into　NORAD　headquarters；　and　a　watch　crew　of　thirty　was　holding　its　breath；　watching　the　image　of　the　space　booster　move　across　the　map　projection。　Dear　God；　don't　let　it　be　a　nuke　。　。　。
Ground…based　radar　in　Australia　now　tracked　the　vehicle；　showing　the　climbing　third　stage　and　the　spent　second　stage　falling　into　the　Indian　Ocean。　Their　information　also　was　linked　by　satellite　to　Sunnyvale　and　Cheyenne　Mountain。
〃That　looks　like　shroud　release；〃　the　man　in　Sunnyvale　said。　The　radar　picture　showed　four　new　objects　fluttering　away　from　the　third　stage。　Probably　the　protective　aluminum　shroud　needed　for　atmospheric　flight；　but　unnecessary　weight　for　a　space　vehicle。　People　began　to　breathe　more　regularly。　A　reentry　vehicle　needed　such　a　shroud；　but　a　satellite　did　not。　After　five　tense　minutes；　this　was　the　first　piece　of　good　news。　The　FOBS　didn't　do　that。
An　Air　Force　RC…135　aircraft　was　already　lifting　off　the　ground　at　Tinker　Air　Force　Base；　Oklahoma；　its　engines　firewalled　as　the　flight　crew　raced　the　converted　707　airliner　to　altitude。　The　roof　of　what　otherwise　would　be　a　passenger　partment　held　a　large　telescope/camera　assembly　used　to　inspect　Soviet　space　vehicle；。　In　the　back；　technicians　activated　the　sophisticated　tracking　systems　used　to　lock　the　camera　in　on　its　distant　target。
〃Burnout〃；　they　announced　at　Sunnyvale。　〃The　vehicle　has　achieved　orbital　velocity。　Initial　numbers　look　like　an　apogee　of　one　hundred　fifty…six　miles　and　a　perigee　of　one　hundred　forty…eight。〃　They'd　have　to　refine　those　numbers；　but　NORAD　and　Washington　needed　something　right　now。
〃Your　evaluation？〃　NORAD　asked　Sunnyvale。
〃Everything　is　consistent　with　a　radar…ocean…reconnaissance…satellite　launch。　The　only　change　is　the　orbital　insertion　path　was　southerly　instead　of　northerly。〃　Which　made　perfectly　good　sense；　as　everyone　knew。　Any　kind　of　rocket　launched　over　the　pole　entailed　dangers　that　no　one　wanted　to　contemplate。
Thirty　minutes　later　they　were　sure。　The　crewmen　on　the　RC…l35　got　good　pictures　of　the　new　Soviet　satellite。　Before　it　had　pleted　its　first　revolution；　it　was　classified　as　a　RORSAT。　The　new　radar…ocean…surveillance　satellite　would　be　a　problem　for　the　Navy；　but　not　something　to　end　the　world。　The　people　in　Sunnyvale　and　Cheyenne　Mountain　maintained　their　vigil。

ICELAND
They　followed　a　footpath　around　the　mountain。　Vigdis　told　them　it　was　a　favorite　place　for　tourists　to　visit。　A　small　glacier　on　the　northern　side　of　the　mountain　fed　a　half…dozen　streams；　which　led　in　turn　to　a　sizable　valley　full　of　small　farms。　They　had　a　fine　vantage　point。　Almost　everything　in　sight　was　below　them；　including　several　roads　that　were　kept　under　constant　scrutiny。　Edwards　debated　the　advantages　of　cutting　straight　across　the　valley　toward　their　objective　or　staying　on　the　rough　ground　to　the　east。
〃I　wonder　what　kinda　radio　station　that　is；〃　Smith　said。　There　was　a　tower　of　some　sort　eight　miles　west　of　them。
Mike　looked　at　Vigdis　and　got　a　shrug。　She　didn't　listen　to　the　radio。
〃Not　easy　to　tell　from　this　far；〃　Edwards　observed。　〃But　probably　they　have　some　Russians。〃　He　unfolded　his　big　map。　This　part　of　the　island　showed　lots　of　roads；　but　the　information　had　to　be　taken　with　a　grain　of　salt。　Only　two　of　the　roads　had　decent　surfaces。　The　rest　were　called　〃seasonal〃　on　the　map…meaning　exactly　what？　Edwards　wondered。　Of　these；　some　were　well　maintained；　others　were　not。　The　map　didn't　say　which　was　which。　All　of　the　Soviet　troops　they'd　seen　on　the　ground　were　driving　jeep…type　vehicles；　not　the　tracked　infantry…carriers　they'd　observed　on　the　invasion　day。　A　good　driver　in　a　four…by…four　could　go　almost　anywhere；　however。　How　good　were　the　Soviets　at　driving　jeeps　over　broken　ground　。　。　。　so　many　things　to　worry　about；　Edwards　thought。
Edwards　tracked　his　field　glasses　over　the　area　to　his　west。　He　saw　a　twin…prop　airliner　lift　off　from　a　small　airfield。　You　forgot　about　that；　didn't　you？　The　Russians　are　using　those　puddle…jumpers　to　ferry　troops　around　。　。　。
〃Sarge；　what　do　you　think？〃　Might　as　well　get　a　professional　decision。
Smith　grimaced。　The　choice　was　between　physical　danger　and　physical　exhaustion。　Some　choice；　he　thought。　That's　supposed　to　be　why　we　have　officers。
〃I'd　at　least　have　some　patrols　down　there；　Lieutenant。　Lots　of　roads；　figure　some　checkpoints　so　they　can　keep　an　eye　on　the　local　folks。　Let's　say　that　radio's　a　navigation　beacon。　It'll　be　guarded。　Regular　radio　station'll　be　guarded；　too。　All　these　farms…what　kinda　farms；　Miss　Vigdis？〃
〃Sheep；　some　milk　cows；　potatoes；〃　she　answered。
〃So　when　the　Russkies　are　off　duty；　there'll　be　some　wandering　around　to　get　some　fresh　food　instead　of　their　canned　crap。　We　would；　too。　I　don't　much　like　it；　Lieutenant。〃
Edwards　nodded　agreement。　〃Okay；　we　head　east。　Just　about　out　of　food。〃
〃There's　always　fish。〃

FASLANE；　SCOTLAND
Chicago　led　the　procession。　A　Royal　Navy　fleet　tug　had　helped　her　away　from　the　quay；　and　the　American　sub　was　heading　out　the　channel　at　six　knots。　They　were　taking　advantage　of　a　〃window〃　in　Soviet　satellite　coverage。　It　would　be　at　least　six　hours　before　another　Russian　reconnaissance　satellite　came　overhead。　Behind　McCafferty　came