atlantis.found-第103部分

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nd。
　　　　　〃What　is　the　countdown；　General？〃　asked　the　President。
　　　　　〃One　hour　and　forty…two　minutes；　sir；〃　General　Amos　South；　head　of　the　joint　Chiefs；　answered。　〃That　is　the　time　our　scientists　tell　us　when　tidal　currents　are　at　their　height　to　separate　the　ice　shelf　and　carry　it　out　to　sea。〃
　　　　　〃Just　how　accurate　is　this　intelligence？〃
　　　　　〃You　might　say　it　es　from　the　horse's　mouth；〃　Loren　replied。　〃The　timetable　was　revealed　by　Karl　Wolf　himself　and　was　confirmed　by　the　nation's　top　glaciologists　and　experts　on　nanotechnology。〃
　　　　　〃Since　Admiral　Sandecker's　people　penetrated　Wolf's　organization；〃　explained　Ron　Little；　〃we　have　accumulated　considerably　more　intelligence　on　what　the　Wolfs　call　the　Valhalla　Project。　It　all　adds　up　to　them　doing　exactly　what　they　threaten；　cutting　off　the　Ross　Ice　Shelf　and　upsetting　Earth's　rotational　balance　in　order　to　cause　a　polar　shift。〃
　　　　　〃Triggering　a　cataclysm　of　unimaginable　destruction；〃　added　Loren。
　　　　　〃We've　e　to　the　same　conclusion　at　the　FBI；〃　said　Helm；　backing　up　Little。　〃We've　asked　experts　in　the　field　of　nanotechnology　to　study　the　facts；　and　all　agree。　The　Wolfs　have　the　scientific　and　engineering　capability　to　execute　such　an　unthinkable　act。〃
　　　　　The　President　stared　into　the　monitor　at　General　South。　〃I　still　say；　send　in　a　missile　and　stop　this　insanity　before　it　can　get　off　the　ground。〃
　　　　　〃Only　as　a　last　resort；　Mr。　President。　The　Joint　Chiefs　and　I　strongly　agree　that　it　is　too　risky。〃
　　　　　Admiral　Morton　Eldridge；　Chief　of　the　Navy；　entered　the　discussion。　〃One　of　our　aircraft　equipped　with　radar　intercept　systems　has　arrived　on　site。　They've　already　reported　that　the　Wolf　mining　facility　has　superior　radar　equipment　that　could　detect　an　ining　missile　from　an　aircraft　or　nearby　submarine　with　a　warning　time　of　three　minutes。　That's　more　than　enough　time　to　alert　and　panic　them　into　throwing　the　doomsday　switch　early；　a　situation　that　may　or　may　not　break　off　the　ice　shelf。　Again；　a　risk　that　is　a　poor　gamble　at　best。〃
　　　　　〃If；　as　you　say；〃　said　Wallace；　〃their　radar　equipment　is　rated　as　superior；　haven't　they　already　been　alerted　by　your　aircraft　and　the　signals　it　sends　out？〃
　　　　　Admiral　Eldridge　and　General　Coburn　exchanged　bemused　glances　before　Eldridge　replied。　〃Because　it　is　highly　classified；　it　is　known　only　by　a　select　few　that　our　new　radar　warning　systems　are　virtually　undetectable。　Our　radar　interception　aircraft　is　below　the　horizon。　We　can　bend　our　signals　to　read　theirs；　but　they　cannot　find　or　read　ours。〃
　　　　　〃Should　our　ground　force　be　unable　to　penetrate　the　Wolf　security　defenses；〃　said　South；　〃then；　of　course；　as　a　last　resort；　we'll　send　in　a　missile　from　our　nuclear　attack　sub　Tucson。〃
　　　　　〃She's　already　on　station　in　the　Antarctic？〃　asked　Wallace　incredulously。
　　　　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Eldridge。　〃A　fortunate　coincidence。　She　was　on　an　ice　data…gathering　patrol　when　she　successfully　destroyed　the　Wolfs'　U…boat　that　was　firing　on　the　NUMA　research　ship　Polar　Storm。　Admiral　Sandecker　alerted　me　in　time　to　send　her　to　Okuma　Bay　before　the　final　countdown。〃
　　　　　〃What　about　aircraft？〃
　　　　　〃Two　Stealth　bombers　are　in　the　air　and　will　begin　a　holding　pattern　ninety　miles　from　the　facility　in　another　hour　and　ten　minutes；〃　answered　Coburn。
　　　　　〃So　we're　covered　from　air　and　sea；〃　said　Wallace。
　　　　　〃That　is　correct；〃　General　South　acknowledged。
　　　　　〃How　soon　before　Major　Cleary　and　his　force　begin　their　assault？〃
　　　　　South　glanced　up　at　a　huge　digital　clock　on　one　wall。　〃Depending　on　wind　and　overcast　conditions；　they　should　be　gliding　toward　their　target　and　landing　in　a　few　minutes。〃
　　　　　〃Will　we　receive　a　blow…by…blow　account　of　the　assault？〃
　　　　　〃We　have　a　direct　link　to　Major　Cleary's　ground　munications　through　the　satellite　that's　servicing　our　ice　stations　at　the　Pole　and　McMurdo　Sound。　But　since　he　and　his　men　will　be　extremely　busy　for　the　next　hour；　and　possibly　ing　under　hostile　fire；　we　do　not　think　it　wise　to　interfere　or　interrupt　their　field　munications。〃
　　　　　〃Then　we　have　nothing　to　do　but　wait　and　listen。〃　Wallace　spoke　mechanically。
　　　　　Silence　greeted　his　words。　No　one　in　either　war　room　offered　him　a　reply。
　　　　　After　a　long　moment；　he　murmured；　〃God；　how　did　we　ever　get　in　this　mess？〃
　
　　　　　Hurtling　more　than　120　miles　an　hour　through　the　thickly　layered　cloud　mist　from　35；000　feet；　Cleary　spread　his　arms　apart　and　faced　what　he　could　only　assume　was　the　ground；　since　the　cloud　cover　hid　all　evidence　of　a　horizon。　His　mind　boycotted　the　frigid　blast　of　air　that　engulfed　him；　and　he　concentrated　on　maintaining　a　stable　body　position。　He　mentally　reminded　himself　to　personally　thank　Stafford　someday　for　slowing　the　aircraft。　It　was　a　gesture　that　had　provided　the　assault　team　with　near…perfect　conditions　for　exiting　in　a　tightly　knit　group　and　enabled　them　to　achieve　a　stable　attitude　without　tumbling　uncontrollably　for　several　thousand　feet。　That　situation　would　have　scattered　the　teams　over　several　miles；　making　the　infiltration　of　a　cohesive；　intact　fighting　element　nearly　impossible。
　　　　　He　moved　his　left　wrist　within　a　few　inches　of　his　goggles；　bringing　the　face　of　the　MA2…30　altimeter　within　easy　view。　He　was　rapidly　descending　past　33；000　feet。　Given　the　low　air　density　at　this　altitude；　he　expected　to　speed　up　considerably。
　　　　　Cleary　concentrated　on　preserving　his　heading；　180　degrees　from　the　C…17's　course　at　exit　time；　and　he　scanned　the　air　immediately　around　him　for　signs　of　the　other　men　in　free　fall。　He　passed　through　a　heavy　layer　of　moisture　and　felt　the　stinging　pellets　of　hail　stab　the　front　of　his　body；　mask；　and　goggles。　Off　to　his　right；　about　forty　feet；　he　could　barely　see　the　flashing　of　several　high…intensity　firefly　lights　in　the　gray　emptiness。
　　　　　The　lights　were　attached　to　the　top　of　each　man's　Gentex　helmet　with　the　beam　facing　backward。　They　were　set　in　that　direction　as　a　preventive　measure　to　warn　a　man　falling　directly　on　top　of　another　at　the　moment　of　canopy　pull。
　　　　　He　briefly　wondered　if　they　might　have　exited　over　the　incorrect　grid。　It　hardly　made　any　difference　now。　They　were　mitted。　They　were　either　upwind　of　the　target　landing　zone　or　not。　It　was　a　fifty…fifty　chance。　Only　his　faith　in　Stafford's　flying　ability　gave　him　a　healthy　measure　of　optimism。
　　　　　In　the　seconds　between　the　time　that　Captain　Sharpsburg　had　dived　from　the　ramp　and　Cleary　followed；　the　point　of　no　return　had　passed　into　oblivion。　He　looked　down　at　the　airspace　directly　beneath　him　and　saw　no　one。　Next　he　checked　his　altitude。　He　was　approaching　28；000　feet。
　　　　　The　plans　called　for　the　men　to　free…fall　to　25；000　feet；　open　their　canopies；　assemble　in　the　air；　and　glide　to　the　target　landing　zone。　Slightly　before　reaching　that　altitude；　each　man　would　have　to　initiate　his　pull　sequence。　That　meant　clearing　his　airspace　and　arching　his　body　as　perfectly　as　possible；　then　locating　and　maintaining　eye　contact　with　his　main　rip　cord　on　the　right；　outboard　side　of　his　parachute　harness。　The　next　step　was　to　grasp　and　pull　the　rip　cord　and　check　over　his　right　shoulder　to　be　sure　that　his　canopy　was　deploying　properly。　He　would　need　a　thousand　feet　of　working　altitude　in　order　for　his　main　canopy　to　open　at　25；000　feet　on　the　mark。
　　　　　Off　in　the　distance；　he　could　now　see　more　firefly　lights；　ten；　perhaps　twelve。　The　cloud　layer　was　thinning　and　visibility　was　increasing　as　they　penetrated　the　lower　altitudes。　Cleary's　altimeter　read　26；000　feet。　Rational　thoughts　ceased　and　years　of　training　took　over。　With　no　hesitation；　Cleary　reacted　decisively；　silently　repeating　the　mands　as　he　executed　the　action　sequence。　Arch；　look；　reach；　pull；　check；　check；　and　check。
　　　　　Cleary's　MT…1Z　main　canopy　deployed　in　a　near…perfect　attitude　and　heading；　softly；　smoothly；　and　without　the　slightest　indication　that　it　had　slowed　him　from　an　airspeed　of　150　miles　an　hour　straight　down　to　nearly　zero。　He　was　now　suspended　underneath　the　fully　inflated　wing；　drifting　with　the　wind　like　a　lethargic　marionette。
　　　　　As　if　booming　stereophonic　loudspeakers　had　been　switched　off；　the　sound　of　wind　howling　past　him　had　ceased。　The　earpiece　s