tc.redstormrising-第16部分

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〃Can't　you　tell　from　the　pale；　pasty　look　mon　to　cave…dwellers　and　submariners？〃　Morris　joked。　〃Not　to　mention　the　faint　glow　associated　with　nuclear　reactor　types〃〃　McCafferty　grinned；　and　they　waited　for　their　fourth　to　arrive；　He　was　a　junior　engineer；　just　about　to　e　off　reactor　watch；　Chicago's　reactor　wasn't　operating。　She　was　drawing　electrical　power　from　the　dock；　but　regulations　demanded　a　full　reactor　watch　whether　the　teakettle　was　working　or　not。
〃I　tell　you　guys；　I　was　a　little　pale　four　weeks　ago。〃　McCafferty　turned　serious…or　about　as　serious　as　he　ever　got；
〃How　so？〃　Bob　Toland　asked。
〃Well；　you　know　the　kinda　shit　we　do　with　these　boats；　right〃〃
〃If　you　mean　inshore　intelligence　gathering；　Dan；　you　ought　to　know　that　that　electronic　intelligence　stuff　you　collect　es　to　my　office。　Hell；　I　probably　know　the　people　who　originate　a　lot　of　the　data　requests　that　generate　your　op…orders。　How's　that　for　a　revolting　thought！〃　Bob　laughed。　He　fought　the　urge　to　look　around　too　obviously。　He'd　never　been　aboard　a　nuclear　submarine　before。　It　was　cold…nuclear　subs　have　nuclear…powered　air　conditioning…and　the　air　was　heavy　with　the　smell　of　machine　oil。　Everything　he　could　see　sparkled　both　from　being　almost　new；　and　from　the　fact　that　McCafferty　had　undoubtedly　made　sure　that　his　crew　had　gotten　things　looking　especially　good　for　his　friends。　So；　this　was　the　billion…dollar　machine　that　gathered　all　that　ELINT　data。　。　。
〃Yeah；　well；　we　were　up　in　the　Barents　Sea；　you　know；　northeast　of　the　Kola　Fjord；　trailing　a　Russian　sub…an　Oscar…about；　oh；　ten　miles　back　of　her…and　all　of　a　sudden　we　find　ourselves　in　the　middle　of　a　friggin'　live…fire　exercise！　Missiles　were　flying　all　over　the　damned　place。　They　wasted　three　old　hulks；　and　blasted　hell　out　of　a　half…dozen　target　barges。　〃
〃Just　the　Oscar〃〃　Morris　asked。
〃Turned　out　there　was　a　Papa　and　a　Mike　out　there；　too。　That's　one　problem　with　us　being　so　quiet　in　these　babies。　If　they　don't　know　we're　there；　we　can　find　ourselves　in　the　middle　of　some　really　unpleasant　shit！　Anyway；　sonar　starts　screaming　'Transients！　Transients！'　from　all　the　missile　tubes　being　flooded。　No　way　we　could　be　sure　they　weren't　getting　ready　to　put　some　real　torpedoes　in　the　water；　but　we　stuck　up　the　ESM　and　picked　up　their　periscope　radars；　then　I　saw　some　of　the　things　whipping　over　our　heads。　Damn；　guys；　for　about　three　minutes　there　it　was　just　a　little　hairy；　y'know？〃　McCafferty　shook　his　head。　〃Anyway；　two　hours　after　that；　all　three　boats　crack　on　twenty　knots　and　head　back　to　the　barn。　Your　basic　out…and…in　live…fire。　How's　that　for　a　lively　first　deployment？〃
〃You　get　the　feeling　that　the　Russians　are　doing　anything　out　of　the　ordinary；　Dan？〃'　Toland　asked；　suddenly　interested。
〃You　didn't　hear〃〃
〃Hear　what〃〃
〃They've　cut　back　their　diesel　sub　patrols　up　north；　quite　a　bit；　too。　I　mean；　normally　they're　pretty　hard　to　hear；　but　mostly　over　the　past　two　months　they　just　ain't　there。　I　heard　one；　just　one。　Wasn't　like　that　the　last　time　I　was　up　north。　There　have　been　some　satellite　photos　of　them；　a　lot　of　diesel　boats　tied　up　alongside　for　some　reason　or　another。　In　fact；　their　patrol　activity　up　north　is　down　across　the　board；　with　a　lot　of　maintenance　activity　going　on。　The　current　guess　is　that　they're　changing　their　training　cycle。　This　isn't　the　usual　time　of　year　for　live…firing。〃　McCafferty　laughed。　〃Of　course；　it　could　be　that　they　finally　got　tired　of　chippin'　and　paintin'　those　old　'cans；　and　decided　to　use　'em　up…best　thing　to　do　with　a　'can　anyway。〃
〃Bubblehead；〃　Morris　snorted。
〃Give　me　a　reason　you'd　have　a　bunch　of　diesel　boats　out　of　service　all　at　once；〃　Toland　said。　He　was　wishing　that　he'd　passed　on　the　second　and　third　rounds　during　Happy　Hour。　Something　important　was　flashing　lights　inside　his　head；　and　the　alcohol　was　slowing　his　thinking　down。
〃Shit；〃　McCafferty　observed。　〃There　isn't　any。〃
〃So　what　are　they　doing　with　the　diesel　boats？〃
〃I　haven't　seen　the　satellite　photos；　Bob；　just　heard　about　them。　No　special　activity　in　the　drydocks；　though；　so　it　can't　be　too　major。〃
The　light　bulb　finally　went　off　in　Toland's　head。　〃How　hard　is　it　to　change　batteries　in　a　sub？〃
〃It's　a　nasty；　heavy　job。　I　mean；　you　don't　need　special　machinery　or　anything。　We　do　it　with　Tiger　Teams；　and　it　takes　something　like　three　or　four　weeks。　Ivan's　subs　are　designed　with　larger　battery　capacities　than　ours；　and　also　for　easier　battery　replacement…they're　supposed　to　go　through　their　batteries　faster　than　Western　subs；　and　they　pensate　for　it　by　making　replacement　easier；　hard…patches　on　the　hull；　things　like　that。　So　for　them　it's　probably　an　all…hands　evolution。　What　exactly　are　you　getting　at；　Bob？〃
Toland　related　the　story　about　the　four　Soviet　colonels　who　had　been　shot；　and　why。　〃Then　I　bear　this　story　about　how　the　supply　of　batteries　in　Russia　has　dried　up。　No　batteries　for　cars　and　trucks。　The　car　batteries　I　can　understand；　but　the　trucks…hey；　every　truck　in　Russia　is　government…owned。　They　all　have　mobilization　uses。　Same　sort　of　batteries；　right？〃
〃Yeah；　they　all　use　lead…acid　batteries。　The　factory　burn　down？〃　mander　Morris　asked。　〃I　know　Ivan　likes　One　Big　Factory　rather　than　a　bunch　of　little　ones。〃
〃It's　working　three　shifts。〃
McCafferty　sat　back；　away　from　the　table。
〃So；　what　uses　batteries？〃　Morris　asked　rhetorically。
〃Submarines；〃　McCafferty　pronounced。　〃Tanks；　armored　vehicles；　mand　cars；　starter　carts　for　planes；　lots　of　stuff　painted　green；　y'know？　Bob；　what　you're　saying…shit；　what　you're　saying　is　that　all　of　a　sudden　Ivan　has　decided　to　increase　his　readiness　across　the　board。　Question：　Do　you　know　what　the　hell　you're　talking　about？〃
〃You　can　bet　your　ass　on　it；　Danny。　The　bit　on　the　four　colonels　crossed　my　desk；　I　eyeballed　that　report　myself。　It　was　received　on　one　of　our　ferret　satellites；　Ivan　doesn't　know　how　sensitive　those　Hitchhiker　birds　are；　and　he　still　sends　a　lot　of　stuff　in　the　clear　on　surface　microwave　nets。　We　listen　in　to　voice　and　telex　transmissions　all　the　time…you　guys　can　forget　you　heard　that；　okay？〃　Toland　got　nods　from　the　others。　〃The　thing　about　the　batteries　I　picked　up　by　accident；　but　I　confirmed　it　with　a　guy　I　know　in　the　Pentagon。　Now　we　have　your　story　about　increased　live…fire　exercises；　Dan。　You　just　filled　in　a　blank　space。　Now　if　we　can　confirm　that　those　diesel　boats　really　are　down　for　battery　replacement；　we　have　the　beginnings　of　a　picture。　Just　how　important　are　new　batteries　for　a　diesel　boat？〃

〃Very　important；〃　the　sub　skipper　said。　〃Depends　a　lot　on　quality　control　and　maintenance；　but　new　ones　can　give　you　up　to　double　the　range　and　power　of　old　ones；　and　that's　obviously　an　important　tactical　factor。〃
〃Jesus；　you　know　what　this　sounds　like？　Ivan's　always　ready　to　go　to　sea；　and　now　it　looks　like　he　wants　to　be　real　ready；〃　Morris　observed。　〃But　the　papers　all　say　that　they're　acting　like　born…again　angels　with　this　arms…control　stuff。　Something　does　not　pute；　gentlemen。〃
〃I　have　to　get　this　to　someone　in　the　chain　of　mand。　I　could　drop　this　on　a　desk　at　Fort　Meade　and　it　might　never　get　anywhere；〃　Toland　said；　remembering　his　section　chief。
〃You　will；〃　McCafferty　said　after　a　moment's　pause；　〃I　have　an　appointment　tomorrow　morning　with　SUBLANT。　I　think　you're　ing　with　me；　Bob。〃
The　last　member　of　the　foursome　arrived　ten　minutes　later。　He　was　disappointed　with　the　quality　of　the　game。　He'd　thought　his　skipper　was　better　than　this。

Toland　spent　twenty　minutes　reviewing　his　data　in　front　of　Vice　Admiral　Richard　Pipes；　mander；　Submarine　Force；　U。S。　Atlantic　Fleet。　Pipes　was　the　first　black　submariner　to　make　three…star　rank；　a　man　who　had　paid　his　dues　with　performance　as　he'd　climbed　up　the　ladder　in　what　had　traditionally　been　a　whites…only　profession；　and　he　had　the　reputation　of　a　tough；　demanding　boss。　The　Admiral　listened　without　a　word　as　he　sipped　coffee　from　a　three…starred　mug。　He'd　been　annoyed　to　have　McCafferty's　patrol　report　supplanted　by　a　speech　from　a　reservist…but　that　attitude　had　lasted　only　three　minutes。　Now　the　lines　around　his　mouth　deepened。
〃Son；　you　violated　a　few　security　restrictions　to　give　me　some　of　that。〃
〃I　know　that；　sir；〃　Toland　said。
〃Took　ball