atlantis.found-第106部分

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　　　　　〃You　look　bad；〃　he　said；　attempting　to　help　Pitt　from　the　driver's　seat。
　　　　　Pitt　gently　pushed　him　away。　〃It's　not　nearly　as　bad　as　it　looks。　We　can't　afford　time　for　a　clinical　repair。　You　can　patch　me　up　with　that　old　first…aid　kit　in　the　crew　cabin。　In　the　meantime；　I　vote　we　follow　the　tunnel　toward　the　left。　Unless　I　miss　my　guess；　that　will　lead　us　to　the　mining　pound。〃
　　　　　Giordino　knew　it　was　senseless　to　contest　the　issue。　He　dropped　down　to　the　crew　cabin　and　returned　with　a　first…aid　kit　that　hadn't　been　opened　since　1940。　He　cleaned　away　the　congealing　blood　on　Pitt's　face；　then　smeared　the　cuts　with　the　antiseptic　of　the　era；　iodine；　whose　sharp　sting　had　Pitt　cursing　in　no　quiet　tones。　Then　he　dressed　the　skin　cuts。　〃Another　life　saved　by　the　capable　hands　of　Dr。　Giordino；　surgeon　of　the　Antarctic。〃
　　　　　Pitt　looked　into　the　face　that　was　reflected　in　a　side…view　mirror。　There　was　enough　gauze　and　tape　to　cover　a　brain　transplant。　〃What　did　you　do？〃　he　asked　sourly。　〃I　look　like　a　mummy。〃
　　　　　Giordino　feigned　a　hurt　look。　〃Aesthetics　is　not　one　of　my　strong　points。〃
　　　　　〃Neither　is　medicine。〃
　　　　　Pitt　gunned　the　engines　and　maneuvered　the　hulking　vehicle　back　and　forth　until　he　was　able　to　straighten　it　around　for　a　journey　through　the　tunnel。　For　the　first　time；　he　wound　down　his　window　and　studied　the　width　of　the　tunnel。　He　figured　the　clearance　between　the　ice　and　the　vehicle's　wheel　hubs　and　its　roof　was　no　more　than　eighteen　inches。　He　turned　his　attention　to　a　large　round　pipe　that　ran　along　the　outer　arc　of　the　tunnel；　with　small　tubes　running　vertically　from　its　core　into　the　ice。
　　　　　〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　pipe。
　　　　　Giordino　stepped　from　the　Snow　Cruiser；　squeezed　himself　between　the　front　tire　and　the　pipe；　and　laid　his　hands　on　it。　〃Not　an　electrical　conduit；〃　he　announced。　〃It　must　serve　another　purpose。〃
　　　　　〃If　it's　what　I　think　it　is。　。　。〃　Pitt's　voice　dropped　portentously。
　　　　　〃Part　of　the　mechanism　to　break　loose　the　ice　shelf；〃　said　Giordino；　finishing　his　friend's　train　of　thought。
　　　　　Pitt　stuck　his　head　out　his　window　and　stared　back　into　the　long　tunnel　that　stretched　away　to　a　vanishing　point。　〃It　must　extend　from　the　mining　pound　fourteen　hundred　miles　to　the　opposite　end　of　the　ice　shelf。〃
　　　　　〃An　inconceivable　feat　of　engineering　to　bore　a　tunnel　that　was　equal　to　the　distance　between　San　Francisco　and　Phoenix。〃
　　　　　〃Inconceivable　or　not；〃　said　Pitt；　〃the　Wolfs　did　it。　You　must　remember；　it's　much　easier　to　bore　a　tunnel　through　ice　than　hard　rock。〃
　　　　　〃What　if　we　cut　a　gap　in　the　line　and　stop　whatever　activation　system　they've　created　to　split　off　the　ice　shelf？〃　asked　Giordino。
　　　　　〃A　break　might　trigger　it　prematurely；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃We　can't　take　the　chance　unless　we　find　ourselves　left　with　no　other　alternative。　Only　then　can　we　risk　dividing　the　line。〃
　　　　　The　tunnel　looked　like　a　great　gaping　black　mouth。　Except　for　the　dim　glow　of　the　sun　through　the　thick　ice；　there　was　no　illumination。　An　electrical　conduit　with　halogen　bulbs　spaced　every　twenty　feet　ran　along　the　ceiling；　but　the　power　must　have　been　shut　down　at　the　main　junction　box；　because　the　lights　were　dark。　Pitt　turned　on　the　two　small　headlights　mounted　on　the　lower　front　end　of　the　Snow　Cruiser；　engaged　gears；　and　drove　off；　increasing　his　speed　through　the　tunnel　until　they　were　moving　at　twenty…five　miles　an　hour。　Though　it　was　a　pace　easily　sustained　by　a　bicycle　rider；　it　seemed　a　breakneck　speed　through　the　narrow　confines　of　the　tunnel。
　　　　　While　Pitt　focused　on　keeping　the　Snow　Cruiser　from　brushing　against　the　unsympathetic　ice；　Giordino　sat　in　the　passenger　seat；　his　rifle　propped　on　one　knee；　eyes　fastened　as　far　as　the　headlights　could　throw　their　beams；　watching　for　a　sign　of　movement　or　any　object　other　than　the　seemingly　unending　pipe　with　its　intersecting　tubes　that　ran　down　into　the　floor　and　through　the　roof　of　the　tunnel。
　　　　　The　ominous　fact　that　the　tunnel　was　deserted　suggested　to　Pitt　that　the　Wolfs　and　their　workers　were　abandoning　the　mining　facility　and　preparing　to　escape　to　their　giant　ships。　He　pushed　the　Snow　Cruiser　as　fast　as　it　would　go；　occasionally　spinning　the　wheel　hubs　into　the　ice　walls　and　carving　a　trench　before　steering　the　vehicle　straight　again。　Dread　began　clouding　his　mind。　They　had　lost　too　much　time　crossing　the　ice　shelf。　The　timetable　that　Karl　Wolf　had　boasted　of　in　Buenos　Aires　at　the　ambassador's　party　had　been　four　days　and　ten　hours。
　　　　　The　four　days　had　passed；　as　had　eight　hours　and　forty　minutes；　leaving　only　an　hour　and　twenty　minutes　until　Karl　Wolf　threw　the　doomsday　switch。
　　　　　Pitt　estimated　that　one　mile；　maybe　one　and　half；　separated　them　from　the　heart　of　the　facility。　He　and　Giordino　were　not　given　satellite　maps　of　the　layout；　so　finding　the　control　center　once　they　were　inside　would　be　pure　guesswork。　The　questions　nagging　his　mind　were　whether　the　Special　Forces　team　had　arrived　and　had　been　successful　in　eliminating　the　army　of　mercenaries。　The　latter　would　put　up　a　bitter　fight　the　Wolfs　had　surely　promised　to　save　them　and　their　families　from　the　cataclysm。　Any　way　he　looked　at　it；　the　thought　did　not　present　a　rosy　picture。
　
　
　　　　　AFTER　another　eighteen　minutes　of　negotiating　the　tunnel　in　silence；　Giordino　hunched　forward　and　gestured　ahead。　〃We're　ing　to　a　crossroads。〃
　　　　　Pitt　slowed　the　Snow　Cruiser；　as　they　came　to　an　intersection　where　five　tunnels　spread　off　into　the　ice。　The　dilemma　was　maddening。　Time　did　not　allow　them　to　make　the　wrong　choice。　He　leaned　out　the　side　window　again　and　studied　the　frozen　floor　of　the　tunnel。　Wheeled　tracks　branched　into　them　all；　but　the　deepest　ruts　appeared　to　travel　into　the　one　on　the　right。　〃The　tube　on　the　right　looks　like　it's　had　the　heaviest　traffic。〃
　　　　　Giordino　jumped　down　out　of　the　Snow　Cruiser　and　disappeared　up　the　tunnel。　In　a　few　minutes；　he　returned。　〃About　two　hundred　yards　farther　on；　it　looks　like　the　tunnel　opens　into　a　large　chamber。〃
　　　　　Pitt　gave　a　brief　nod　and　turned　the　vehicle　and　followed　the　tracks　into　the　tunnel　on　his　right。　Strange　structures　began　appearing　locked　in　the　ice；　vague　and　indistinguishable　but　with　the　straight　lines　of　objects　that　were　man…made　rather　than　a　creation　of　nature。　As　Giordino　had　reported；　the　tunnel　soon　widened　into　a　vast　chamber　whose　curved　roof　was　covered　by　ice　crystals　that　hung　down　like　stalactites。　Light　filtered　down　from　several　openings　in　the　roof　that　illuminated　the　interior　with　an　eerie　glow。　The　effect　seemed　extraterrestrial；　magical；　timeless；　and　miraculous。　Awed　by　the　sight；　Pitt　slowly　brought　the　Snow　Cruiser　to　a　halt。
　　　　　The　two　men　went　silent　in　astonishment。
　　　　　They　found　themselves　parked　in　what　was　once　the　main　square；　surrounded　by　the　icebound　buildings　of　an　ancient　city。
　
　　　　　No　longer　covered　by　the　security　blanket　of　the　ice　storm；　the　wind　having　dropped　to　only　five　miles　an　hour；　Cleary　felt　naked；　as　his　white…clad　force　fanned　out　and　began　advancing　toward　the　mining　facility。　They　took　advantage　of　a　series　of　hummocks　that　rose　like　camel　humps　for　cover；　until　they　reached　the　high　fence　that　ran　from　the　base　of　the　mountain　to　the　cliff　above　the　sea　and　encircled　the　main　pound。
　　　　　Cleary　had　no　prior　intelligence　on　the　force　his　men　were　up　against。　None　had　been　gathered　on　the　facility；　simply　because　the　CIA　had　never　considered　it　a　threat　to　the　nation's　security。　Discovering　the　true　horror　of　the　menace　at　the　last　minute　had　left　no　time　for　covert　penetration；　nor　had　this　simple　hit…and…run　strategy。　It　was　a　surgical　operation；　unplicated；　requiring　a　quick　conclusion。　The　orders　were　to　neutralize　the　facility　and　deactivate　the　ice　shelf　breakaway　systems　before　being　relieved　by　a　two…hundred…man　Special　Force　team　that　was　only　an　hour　away。
　　　　　All　Cleary　had　been　told　was　that　the　Wolf　security　guards　were　hardened　professionals　who　came　from　elite　fighting　units　around　the　world。　This　was　information　provided　by　the　National　Underwater　&　Marine　Agency　hardly　an　organization　practiced　in　intelligence　gathering；　Cleary　mistakenly　conclu