atlantis.found-第89部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　　　Yaeger　greeted　his　old　friends　and　Pat；　who　was　introduced　to　Loren　for　the　first　time。　Then　Sandecker　introduced　Dr。　Timothy　Friend。　〃Tim　is　an　old　school　pal。　He　helped　me　pass　algebra　in　high　school。　When　I　went　to　the　Naval　Academy；　he　went　to　the　Colorado　School　of　Mines　for　a　degree　in　geophysics。　Not　content　with　that；　he　obtained　his　Ph。D。　in　astronomy　at　Stanford；　and　became　one　of　the　country's　most　respected　astronomers　and　director　of　the　government's　Strategic　puting　and　Simulation　Laboratory。　Tim　is　a　wizard　of　innovative　visualization　techniques。〃
　　　　　Friend's　bald　head　was　encircled　by　wisps　of　gray　hair；　like　a　school　of　silverfish　swimming　around　a　coral　dome。　A　short　man；　he　had　to　tilt　his　head　back　slightly　to　gaze　up　at　the　two　women；　who　were　considerably　taller。　Giordino；　who　stood　five　feet　four；　was　the　only　one　he　could　look　straight　in　the　eye。　A　quiet　man　among　friends；　he　became　outgoing　and　lively　when　lecturing　before　students；　directors　of　corporations；　or　high　government　officials。　It　was　easy　to　tell　that　he　was　in　his　element。
　　　　　〃Would　you　all　care　to　sit　down？〃　said　Pitt；　motioning　to　fortable　leather　chairs　and　sofas　spaced　in　a　square　in　the　center　of　the　truck's　cargo　area。　Once　they　were　seated；　an　embassy　staff　member　served　coffee　and　sandwiches　from　a　small　galley　behind　the　cab。
　　　　　〃Loren　asked　to　e　along；〃　said　Sandecker；　without　preamble。　〃She　and　her　congressional　aides　investigated　Destiny　Enterprises　and　came　up　with　some　intriguing　information。〃
　　　　　〃What　I　found　in　the　past　two　days　is　quite　worrisome；〃　Loren　began。　〃Very　quietly；　under　astounding　secrecy；　the　Wolf　family　and　Destiny　Enterprises　have　sold　every　business；　every　one　of　their　shares　in　national　and　international　corporations；　every　financial　holding；　all　bonds；　all　stocks；　all　real　estate；　including　every　stick　of　furniture　in　their　homes。　All　bank　accounts　have　been　cleaned　out。　Every　asset　large　and　small　has　been　liquidated。　Billions　of　dollars　were　converted　into　gold　bullion　that　was　transported　to　a　secret　location〃
　
　　　　　〃Where　it　is　now　stored　in　the　cargo　partments　of　their　fleet　of　ships；〃　Pitt　finished。
　　　　　〃It's　as　though　the　entire　family　of　two　hundred　members　has　never　existed。〃
　　　　　〃These　are　not　stupid　people；〃　Pitt　said　convincingly。　〃I　find　it　inconceivable　that　they　are　capable　of　irrational　judgment。　So　is　there　a　et　ing；　or　isn't　there？〃
　　　　　〃The　very　reason　I've　asked　Tim　to　e　along；〃　explained　Sandecker。
　　　　　Friend　laid　out　several　small　piles　of　papers　on　a　table　between　the　chairs　and　sofas。　He　picked　up　the　first　one　and　leafed　through　it　before　consulting　his　notes。　〃Before　I　answer　that；　let　me　go　back　a　bit；　so　you　can　understand　what　the　Wolfs　have　been　preparing　for。　I　think　it　best　to　begin　with　the　et's　impact　on　earth　sometime　around　seven　thousand　B。C。　Fortunately；　this　is　not　an　event　that　occurs　on　a　regular　basis。　Although　Earth　is　struck　daily；　it's　by　small　asteroid　fragments　no　larger　than　a　fist　that　burn　up　upon　entry　into　the　atmosphere。　About　every　century；　one　approximately　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　in　diameter　strikes　Earth；　such　as　the　one　that　produced　the　crater　in　Window；　Arizona；　and　the　other　that　exploded　before　impact　in　Siberia　in　1908　that　plastered　eight　hundred　square　miles。　Once　every　million　years；　an　asteroid　half　a　mile　wide　strikes　with　a　force　equal　to　detonating　every　nuclear　device　on　Earth　simultaneously。　Over　two　thousand　of　these　big　celestial　missiles　cross　our　orbit　on　a　regular　schedule。〃
　　　　　〃Not　a　pretty　picture；〃　said　Pat。
　　　　　〃Don't　lose　any　sleep　over　it；〃　Friend　said；　smiling。　〃Your　odds　of　dying　from　an　asteroid　are　twenty　thousand　to　one　during　your　lifetime。　We　can't；　however；　discount　the　logical　possibility　that　it's　only　a　question　of　time　before　our　luck　runs　out。〃
　　　　　Pitt　poured　a　cup　of　coffee。　〃I　assume　you're　talking　about　a　really　stupendous　bang。〃
　　　　　〃Indeed；〃　said　Friend；　nodding　vigorously。　〃Once　every　one　hundred　million　years；　a　mammoth　asteroid　or　et　strikes　Earth；　like　the　one　that　smacked　into　the　sea　off　Yucatan　sixty…five　million　years　ago　and　caused　the　extinction　of　the　dinosaurs。　This　impact　came　from　an　object　six　miles　in　diameter　that　left　a　crater　one　hundred　and　twenty　miles　wide。〃
　　　　　Friend　paused　to　scan　his　paperwork　before　continuing。　〃That　was　smaller　than　the　one　that　struck　nine　thousand　years　ago。　Our　puter　model　indicates　that　it　measured　nearly　ten　miles　in　diameter　and　plunged　into　Hudson　Bay；　Canada。　The　resulting　chain　reaction　annihilated　nearly　ninety…nine　percent　of　all　plant　and　animal　life　on　the　planet；　which　is　twenty　percent　more　than　the　asteroid　that　caused　the　extinction　of　the　dinosaurs　sixty…five　million　years　earlier。〃
　　　　　Loren　stared　at　Friend　with　rapt　interest。　〃A　chain　reaction　prising　what　type　of　disasters？〃
　　　　　〃You　take　an　object　ten　miles　in　diameter；　weighing　several　billion　tons；　and　then　hurl　it　through　a　vacuum　into　a　big　soft　ball　at　a　speed　of　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　miles　an　hour；　and　you're　going　to　have　a　blast　that　is　gargantuan　beyond　prehension。　The　earth　probably　rang　like　a　bell；　as　the　shock　of　impact　was　transmitted　into　every　corner。　Using　puter　simulation　and　visualization　techniques；　which　were　very　plicated　and　would　take　me　two　hours　to　explain；　we　determined　that　the　et　came　on　an　angle；　punching　into　the　southeastern　section　of　Hudson　Bay　and　blasting　out　a　crater　two　hundred　and　thirty　miles　in　diameter；　or　more　than　twice　the　size　of　the　island　of　Hawaii。　The　entire　mass　of　water　in　the　bay　was　vaporized；　as　the　bulk　of　the　now…disintegrating　et　plowed　into　the　Earth　to　a　depth　of　two　miles。　Astronauts　have　taken　photos　that　show　a　perfect　sphere　where　the　shoreline　circles　the　remains　of　the　crater。〃
　　　　　〃How　do　you　know　it　was　a　et　and　not　an　asteroid　or　meteor？〃　asked　Yaeger。
　　　　　〃An　asteroid　is　a　small　body　or　minor　planet　that　wanders　the　inner　solar　system　and　revolves　around　the　sun。　Some　are　rich　in　carbon。　Others　contain　minerals　rich　in　iron；　silicon；　and　other　minerals。　Meteorites　for　the　most　part；　are　smaller　fragments　from　asteroids　that　have　collided　with　one　another　and　broken　up。　The　largest　ever　found　weighed　seventy　tons。　A　et　is　quite　different。　It's　often　called　a　dirty　snowball　made　up　of　ice；　gas；　and　rocky　dust　particles。　They　usually　travel　in　very　long　oval　orbits　on　the　outer　edge　of　the　solar　system；　and　often　beyond。　Because　of　gravitational　interaction　from　the　sun　and　planets；　a　few　are　diverted　and　orbit　around　the　sun。　When　they　e　close　to　the　sun；　the　et's　surface　ice　vaporizes　and　forms　a　spectacular　elongated　cone　or　tail。　It's　generally　thought　that　they　are　leftovers　from　the　formation　of　the　planets。　By　drilling　and　then　analyzing　the　position　of　the　microscopic　debris　found　in　and　around　the　Hudson　Bay　crater；　geophysicists　discovered　tiny　particles　that　they　identified　as　part　of　the　et　that　slammed　into　the　earth　in　seven　thousand　B。C。　Tests　revealed　no　traces　of　the　usual　minerals　and　metals　associated　with　asteroids。〃
　　　　　〃So　we　have　impact；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃Then　what　happened？〃
　　　　　〃A　measureless　inverted　cone　of　red…hot　rock；　steam；　dust；　and　debris　was　hurled　up　and　above　the　atmosphere；　only　to　plunge　in　a　fiery　rain　back　down　on　Earth；　igniting　uncontrollable　forest　fires　around　the　world。　Huge　amounts　of　sulfur；　shock…heated　nitrogen；　and　great　doses　of　fluorides　were　injected　into　the　atmosphere。　The　ozone　layer　would　have　been　destroyed；　skies　blotted　out；　as　winds　of　hurricane　strength　whipped　across　the　land　and　seas。　Our　simulation　suggests　this　cloud　of　debris　and　smoke　lasted　no　less　than　fourteen　months。　This　alone　would　have　killed　off　most　of　Earth's　life　and　collapsed　the　food　chain。〃
　　　　　〃It　sounds　too　horrible　for　me　to　imagine；〃　said　Loren　quietly。
　　　　　Friend　made　a　taut　smile。　〃Lamentably；　that's　only　the　opening　act。　Because　Hudson　Bay　opened　into　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　waves　as　high　as　seven　or　eight　miles　were　formed　that　burst　across　the　lowlands。　Florida　would　have　been　totally　inundated；　along　with　most　of　the　islands　of　the　world。　Much　of　Europe　and　Africa　saw　waves　surging　hundreds　of　miles　inlan