atlantis.found-第25部分

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　IN　THE　FOOTPRINTS　OF　THE　ANCIENTS
　
　March　27；　2001
　Okuma　Bay；　Antarctica
　　　　　Captain　Daniel　Gillespie　stood　on　the　huge　glass…enclosed　bridge　of　the　Polar　Storm　and　stared　through　tinted…lens　binoculars　at　the　ice　that　was　building　around　the　eight…thousand…ton　research　icebreaker's　hull。　Lean　as　an　aspen　tree　and　prone　to　moments　of　anxiety；　he　studied　the　ice　while　plotting　a　course　in　his　mind　for　the　easiest　passage　to　take　the　Polar　Storm。　The　autumn　ice　had　formed　early　in　the　Ross　Sea。　In　some　places；　it　was　already　two　feet　thick；　with　ridges　rising　to　three。
　　　　　The　ship　trembled　under　his　feet　as　its　great　bulbous　bow　rammed　the　ice　and　then　heaved　up　and　over　the　white　surface。　Then　the　weight　of　the　forward　part　of　the　ship　crushed　the　pack　into　piano…size　portions　that　tore　at　the　paint　on　the　hull　as　they　groaned　and　scraped　against　the　steel　plates　until　they　were　chopped　to　small　chunks　by　the　ship's　huge　twelve…foot　propellers　and　were　left　bobbing　in　the　ship's　wake。　The　process　was　repeated　until　they　reached　a　part　of　the　sea　a　few　miles　off　the　continent　where　the　ice　pack　had　been　slow　to　thicken。
　　　　　The　Polar　Storm　incorporated　the　capabilities　of　both　an　icebreaker　and　a　research　vessel。　By　most　maritime　standards；　she　was　an　old　ship；　having　been　launched　twenty　years　earlier；　in　1981。　She　was　also　considered　small　alongside　most　icebreakers。　She　had　an　8；000…ton　displacement；　a　length　of　145　feet；　and　a　27…foot　beam。　Her　facilities　supported　oceanographic；　meteorological；　biological；　and　ice　research；　and　she　was　capable　of　breaking　through　a　minimum　of　three　feet　of　level　ice。
　　　　　Evie　Tan；　who　had　joined　the　Polar　Storm　when　it　had　stopped　at　Montevideo　in　Uruguay　on　its　way　to　the　Antarctic；　sat　in　a　chair　and　wrote　in　a　notebook。　A　science　and　technical　writer　and　photographer；　Evie　had　e　onboard　to　do　a　story　for　a　national　science　magazine。　She　was　a　petite　lady　with　long；　silky　black　hair；　who　had　been　born　and　raised　in　the　Philippines。　She　looked　over　at　Captain　Gillespie　and　watched　him　scan　the　ice　pack　ahead　before　asking　him　a　question。
　　　　　〃Is　it　your　plan　to　land　a　team　of　scientists　on　the　pack　to　study　the　sea　ice？〃
　　　　　Gillespie　lowered　his　binoculars　and　nodded。　〃That's　the　routine。　Sometimes　as　many　as　three　times　an　Antarctic　day；　the　glaciologists　march　out　on　the　ice　to　take　samples　and　readings　for　later　study　in　the　ship's　lab。　They　also　record　the　physical　properties　of　the　ice　and　seawater　as　we　sail　from　site　to　site。〃
　　　　　〃Anything　in　particular　they're　looking　for？〃
　　　　　〃Joel　Rogers；　the　expedition's　chief　scientist；　can　explain　it　better　than　I　can。　The　primary　goal　of　the　project　is　to　assess　the　impact　behind　the　current　warming　trend　that　is　shrinking　the　sea　ice　around　the　continent。〃
　　　　　〃Is　it　a　scientific　fact　the　ice　is　diminishing？〃　asked　Evie。
　　　　　〃During　the　Antarctic　autumn；　March　into　May；　the　ocean　around　the　continent　begins　to　freeze　and　ice　over。　The　pack　once　spread　out　from　the　landmass　and　formed　a　vast　collar　twice　the　size　of　Australia。　But　now　the　sea　ice　has　retreated　and　is　not　as　thick　and　extensive　as　it　once　was。　The　winters　are　simply　not　as　cold　as　they　were　in　the　nineteen　fifties　and　sixties。　Because　of　the　warming　trend；　a　pivotal　link　in　the　Antarctic　sea　chain　has　been　disrupted。〃
　　　　　〃Beginning　with　the　single…cell　algae　that　live　on　the　underside　of　the　ice　pack；〃　offered　Evie；　knowledgeably。
　　　　　〃You've　done　your　homework。〃　Gillespie　smiled。　〃Without　the　algae　to　dine　on；　there　would　be　no　krill；　the　little　shrimplike　fellows；　who　in　turn　provide　nourishment　for　every　animal　and　fish　in　these　southern　waters　from　penguins　to　whales　to　phocids。〃
　　　　　〃By　phocids；　you　mean　seals？〃
　　　　　〃I　do。〃
　　　　　Evie　gazed　out　over　Okuma　Bay；　which　divided　the　great　Ross　Ice　Shelf　and　the　Edward　VII　Peninsula。　〃That　range　of　mountains　to　the　south；〃　she　said；　〃what　is　it　called？〃
　　　　　〃The　Rockefeller　Mountains；〃　answered　Gillespie。　〃They're　anchored　by　Mount　Frazier　on　this　end　and　Mount　Nilsen　on　the　other。〃
　　　　　〃They're　beautiful；〃　said　Evie；　admiring　the　snow…covered　peaks　that　blazed　under　the　bright　sun。　〃May　I　borrow　your　binoculars？〃
　　　　　〃Certainly。〃
　　　　　Evie　focused　the　glasses　on　a　plex　of　large　buildings　set　around　a　large　towerlike　structure　only　two　miles　to　the　south　in　a　sheltered　part　of　Okuma　Bay。　She　could　distinguish　an　airfield　behind　the　buildings　and　a　concrete　pier　leading　into　the　bay。　A　large　cargo　ship　was　moored　to　the　pier；　in　the　process　of　being　unloaded　by　a　high；　overhead　crane。　〃Is　that　a　research　station　there　at　the　base　of　Mount　Frazier？〃
　　　　　Gillespie　peered　in　the　direction　the　binoculars　were　aimed。　〃No；　it's　a　mining　facility；　owned　and　operated　by　a　big　international　conglomerate　based　in　Argentina。　They're　extracting　minerals　from　the　sea。〃
　　　　　She　lowered　the　binoculars　and　looked　at　him。　〃I　didn't　think　that　was　economically　feasible。〃
　　　　　Gillespie　shook　his　head。　〃From　what　I've　been　told　by　Bob　Maris；　our　resident　geologist；　they've　developed　a　new　process　for　extracting　gold　and　other　precious　minerals　from　seawater。〃
　　　　　〃Odd　I　haven't　heard　about　it。〃
　　　　　〃Their　operation　is　all　very　secret。　This　is　as　close　as　we　can　e　without　one　of　their　security　boats　ing　out　and　shooing　us　off。　But　it's　rumored　they　do　it　through　a　new　science　called　nanotechnology。〃
　　　　　〃Why　in　such　a　remote　area　as　Antarctica？　Why　not　on　a　coast　or　port　city　with　easy　access　to　transportation？〃
　　　　　〃According　to　Maris；　freezing　water　concentrates　the　sea　brine　and　forces　it　into　deeper　water。　The　extraction　process　bees　more　efficient　when　the　salt　is　removed〃　The　captain　broke　off　and　studied　the　ice　pack　beyond　the　bow。　〃Excuse　me；　Ms。　Tan；　but　we　have　an　iceberg　corning　on　dead　ahead。〃
　　　　　The　iceberg　loomed　up　from　the　flat　ice　pack　like　a　desert　plateau　covered　by　a　white　sheet。　Its　steep　walls　rose　well　more　than　a　hundred　feet　from　the　sea。　Brilliant　white　under　a　pure　radiant　sun　and　a　clear　blue　sky；　the　berg　seemed　pristine　and　unblemished　by　man；　animals　or　rooted　plant　life。　The　Polar　Storm　approached　the　berg　from　the　west；　and　Gillespie　ordered　the　helmsman　to　set　the　ship's　automated　control　systems　on　a　course　around　the　nearest　tip。　The　helmsman　expertly　shifted　the　electronic　controls　on　a　broad　console　and　nudged　the　icebreaker　on　a　seventy…five…degree　turn　to　port；　scanning　the　echo　sounder　for　any　underwater　spurs　that　might　have　protruded　from　the　berg。　The　icebreaker's　stout　hull　was　built　to　withstand　a　hard　blow　from　solid　ice；　but　Gillespie　saw　no　reason　to　cause　even　the　slightest　damage　to　its　steel　plates。
　　　　　He　skirted　the　berg　from　less　than　three　hundred　yards；　a　safe　distance　but　still　near　enough　for　the　crew　and　scientists　on　the　outside　deck　to　stare　up　at　the　icy　cliffs　towering　above。　It　was　a　strange　and　wonderful　sight。　Soon　the　palisades　slipped　by；　as　the　ship　circled　the　huge　mass　and　turned　into　the　open　pack　beyond。
　　　　　Suddenly；　another　vessel　sailed　into　view；　having　been　hidden　behind　the　berg。　Gillespie　was　astonished　to　identify　the　encroaching　ship　as　a　submarine。　The　undersea　craft　was　sailing　through　an　open　lead　in　the　ice　and　passing　on　a　course　that　took　it　directly　across　the　icebreaker's　great　bow　from　port　to　starboard。
　　　　　The　helmsman　acted　before　Gillespie's　orders　issued　across　the　bridge。　He　sized　up　the　situation；　judged　the　submarine's　speed；　and　threw　the　icebreaker's　big　port　diesel　engine　into　Full　Reverse。　It　was　a　wise　maneuver；　one　that　might　have　saved　the　White　Star　liner　Titanic。　Rather　than　reversing　both　engines　in　a　futile　effort　to　halt　the　momentum　of　the　big　icebreaker；　he　kept　the　starboard　engine　on　Half　Ahead。　With　one　propeller　thrusting　the　Polar　Storm　forward　and　the　other　pulling　it　backward；　the　ship　began　turning　far　more　sharply　than　a　simple　rudder　mand。　Everyone　on　the　bridge　stood　mesmerized；　as　the　big　bow's　direction　slowly　angled　from　the　sub's　hull　toward　the　wake　behind　its　stern。
　　　　　There　was　no　time　for　a　warning；　no　time　for　munications　between　the　two　vessels。　Gillespie　hit　the　great　horn　on　the　icebreaker　and　shouted　ove