atlantis.found-第68部分

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　　　　　〃None　of　what　I've　seen　or　heard　about　the　Wolfs　makes　sense；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Why　amass　a　fortune　if　they　think　their　financial　empire　will　go　up　in　smoke　after　the　et's　impact？〃
　　　　　Loren　swirled　the　brandy　in　her　glass；　staring　at　the　golden　sparkle　of　the　liquid　in　front　of　the　light　from　the　table's　candle。　〃Perhaps　they　intend　to　survive　the　catastrophe。〃
　　　　　〃I've　heard　that　from　Elsie　Wolf　and　one　of　their　assassins　in　Colorado；〃　said　Pitt。　〃But　how　can　they　survive　a　worldwide　disaster　better　than　anyone　else？〃
　　　　　〃Did　you　read　file　eighteen？〃　Loren　asked。
　　　　　Pitt　did　not　immediately　answer；　but　sifted　through　the　folders　until　he　found　the　file　marked　〃eighteen。〃　He　opened　it　and　read。　After　two　or　three　minutes；　he　looked　up　and　stared　into　Loren's　violet　eyes。　〃Is　this　verified？〃
　　　　　She　nodded。　〃It's　as　though　Noah　built　an　entire　fleet　of　arks。〃
　　　　　〃Four　colossal　ships；〃　Pitt　said　slowly。　〃One　passenger　liner；　actually　a　floating　munity；　six　thousand　feet　in　length　by　fifteen　hundred　feet　wide；　thirty…two　stories　high；　displacing　three　and　a　half　million　tons。〃　He　looked　up；　his　brow　furrowed。　〃A　fanciful　concept；　but　hardly　practical。〃
　　　　　〃Read　the　rest　of　it；〃　said　Loren。　〃It　gets　better。〃
　　　　　〃The　gigantic　oceangoing　vessel　has　a　large　hospital；　schools；　entertainment　centers；　state…of…the…art　engineering　technologies。　An　airport　with　an　extensive　runway　on　the　upper　deck　will　house　and　maintain　a　small　fleet　of　jet　aircraft　and　helicopters；　and　living　quarters　and　office　facilities　will　acmodate　five　thousand　passengers　and　crew〃　Pitt　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　〃A　huge　vessel　like　that　should　hold　at　least　fifty　thousand　people。〃
　　　　　〃Actually；　twice　that　number。〃
　　　　　〃Check　out　the　other　three　vessels。〃
　　　　　Pitt　continued　reading。　〃They　also　have　the　same　mammoth　dimensions。　One　is　a　cargo　and　maintenance　vessel；　housing　machinery　and　manufacturing　facilities　with　an　immense　cargo　of　vehicles；　construction　machinery；　and　building　materials。　The　second　is　a　veritable　zoo〃
　
　　　　　〃See；〃　Loren　interrupted。　〃There　is　an　ark。〃
　　　　　〃The　last　vessel　is　a　supertanker　built　to　carry　tremendous　amounts　of　oil；　natural　gas；　and　various　other　fuels。〃　Pitt　closed　the　folder　and　gazed　at　Loren。　〃I　heard　such　vessels　were　on　the　drawing　boards；　but　I　had　no　idea　they　were　actually　built；　and　certainly　not　by　Destiny　Enterprises。〃
　　　　　〃The　hulls　were　built　in　sections　and　then　towed　to　a　secluded　shipyard　owned　by　Destiny　Enterprises　on　an　isolated　fjord　on　the　southern　tip　of　Chile。　There；　the　exterior　superstructure　and　the　interior　build…out　was　pleted；　and　the　ships　furnished　and　loaded。　Estimates　state　the　passengers　and　crews　of　the　fleet　should　be　self…sufficient；　with　enough　food　and　supplies　to　last　them　twenty　or　more　years。〃
　　　　　〃Haven't　outsiders　visited　the　vessels？　Hasn't　the　news　media　written　articles　on　what　has　to　be　the　world's　largest　seagoing　vessels？〃
　　　　　〃Read　the　CIA's　report　on　the　shipyard；〃　explained　Loren。　〃The　area　is　heavily　restricted　and　patrolled　by　a　small　army　of　security　guards。　No　outsiders　get　in　or　get　out。　The　shipyard　workers　and　their　families　are　housed　in　a　small　munity　ashore　without　ever　leaving　the　ships　or　the　yard。　Surrounded　by　the　Andes；　a　hundred　mountainous　islands；　and　two　peninsulas；　the　only　way　in　and　out　of　the　fjord　is　by　sea　or　aircraft。〃
　　　　　〃The　investigation　by　the　CIA　seems　cursory。　They　haven't　studied　the　Destiny　Enterprises　project　in　depth。〃
　　　　　Loren　finished　the　last　sip　of　her　brandy。　‘An　agent　assigned　to　brief　my　office　claimed　the　agency　did　not　conduct　a　major　investigation　because　they　saw　no　threat　to　United　States　security　or　interests。〃
　　　　　Pitt　stared　thoughtfully　beyond　the　walls　of　the　restaurant。　〃Al　Giordino　and　I　were　in　a　Chilean　fjord　several　years　ago　during　a　search　for　a　liner　hijacked　by　terrorists。　The　hijackers　had　hidden　the　ship　near　a　glacier。　From　what　I　recall　of　the　islands　and　waterways　north　of　the　Straits　of　Magellan；　there　are　no　channels　wide　and　deep　enough　to　permit　passage　of　such　gargantuan　vessels。〃
　　　　　〃Maybe　they　were　not　intended　to　sail　the　seven　seas；〃　suggested　Loren。　〃Maybe　they　were　built　simply　to　ride　out　the　predicted　cataclysm。〃
　　　　　〃As　fantastic　as　it　seems；〃　said　Pitt；　attempting　to　accept　the　incredible　concept；　〃you're　close　to　the　truth。　The　Wolfs　must　have　spent　billions　betting　on　the　end　of　the　world。〃
　　　　　Pitt　became　quiet；　and　Loren　could　see　he　was　absorbed　in　his　thoughts。　She　rose　from　the　table　and　walked　to　the　ladies'　room；　allowing　him　time　to　sift　through　the　conceptions　running　through　his　head。　Although　he　found　it　difficult　to　accept；　he　began　to　see　why　the　later　generations　of　the　Wolf　family　were　genetically　engineered。
　　　　　The　old　Nazis　who'd　fled　Germany　were　long　gone；　but　they　had　left　in　their　place　a　family　of　superpeople　who　would　be　strong　enough　to　survive　the　ing　cataclysm　and　then　take　over　what　was　left　of　the　civilized　world　and　rebuild　it　into　a　new　one；　controlled　and　directed　under　their　exacting　standards　of　superiority。
　
　　　　　The　gray　granite　cliffs　of　the　gorge　rose　like　giant　shadows　before　they　were　blotted　out　by　the　night　sky。　Below；　the　blue…white　ice　of　the　glacier　glittered　and　flashed　from　the　glow　of　a　three…quarter　moon。　The　11；800…foot　snow…mantled　peak　of　Cerro　Murallon；　starlit　and　cloud…free；　soared　above　the　western　slopes　of　the　southern　Andes　before　dropping　steeply　toward　the　sea；　as　its　chasms　became　filled　with　age…old　glaciers　from　a　distant　past。　The　night　was　clear　and　sharp　and　the　sky　ablaze。　Revealed　from　the　light　of　the　Milky　Way；　a　small　vehicle　darted　through　the　menacing　walls　of　the　gorge　like　a　bat　scanning　a　desert　canyon　for　food。
　　　　　It　was　fall　in　the　Southern　Hemisphere；　and　light　snow　had　already　fallen　on　the　upper　elevations。　Tall　conifers　marched　up　the　rugged　slopes　before　stopping　at　the　timberline；　where　the　barren　rocks　took　over　and　rose　to　the　sharp　and　jagged　mountain　summits。　There　wasn't　a　man…made　light　to　be　seen　in　any　direction。　Pitt　imagined　that　the　scene　in　daylight　would　have　been　one　of　majestic　beauty；　but　at　ten　o'clock　at　night；　the　steep　cliffs　and　rocky　crags　became　dark　and　threatening。
　　　　　The　Moller　M400　Skycar　wasn't　much　larger　than　a　jeep　Cherokee；　but　it　was　as　stable　in　flight　as　a　much　larger　aircraft；　and　capable　of　being　piloted　down　city　streets　and　parked　in　a　residential　garage。　The　aerodynamic　design；　with　its　sloping；　conical　bow；　gave　it　a　look　somewhere　between　a　General　Motors　car　of　the　future　and　a　rocket　fighter　out　of　Star　Wars。　The　four　lift/thrust　nacelles　each　held　two　counter…rotating　engines；　enabling　the　Moller　to　lift　off　the　ground　like　a　helicopter　and　move　horizontally　like　a　conventional　aircraft　at　a　cruising　speed　of　three　hundred　miles　an　hour；　with　an　operational　ceiling　of　30；000　feet。　Lose　an　engine　or　two　and　it　could　still　land　safely　without　disfort　to　the　passengers。　Even　if　it　suffered　a　catastrophic　ponent　failure；　dual　airframe　parachutes　would　be　deployed　to　lower　the　Skycar　and　its　occupants　to　the　ground；　undamaged　and　unhurt。
　　　　　Sensors　and　fail…safe　systems　protected　against　all　errors　in　the　flight　mechanisms　or　puters。　The　vehicle's　four　puters　constantly　monitored　all　systems；　and　maintained　automatic　control　on　a　preset　flight　path　directed　by　Global　Positioning　System　satellites　that　guided　it　over　rivers　and　mountains　and　through　valleys　and　canyons。　The　enormously　efficient　guidance　system　eliminated　the　need　for　a　pilot。
　　　　　Pitt's　view　of　the　environment　outside　the　cockpit　was　limited。　He　seldom　bothered　to　stare　through　the　canopy。　He　didn't　care　to　see　the　plane's　shadow　under　the　dim　light　from　the　moon　whisking　over　the　uneven　rocks　below；　flitting　over　the　tops　of　the　trees；　lifting　over　sharp　rises　before　they　could　be　seen　ahead。　He　especially　wasn't　interested　in　seeing　how　the　plane　and　its　shadow　almost　blended　into　one。　He　could　watch　the　flight's　path　through　the　virtual　reality　topographical　display；　while　the　automatic　navigation　equipment　flew　the　Skycar　to　its　preprogrammed　destination。　Turbulence　was　dampened　by　the　quick；　automatic　re