cc.fireice-第44节

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　Paul　asked　to　see　a　chart。　The　captain　pushed　aside　a　blue　curtain　that　divided　the　wheelhouse　from　the　smaller　chart　room。　A　map　of　the　Black　Sea　was　spread　out　on　the　table。　〃We're　here；〃　Atwood　said；　putting　his　finger　on　a　spot　off　the　western　shore　of　the　Black　Sea。
　
　Trout's　tall　form　bent　over　the　chart。　〃We're　over　the　edge　of　a　shallow　underwater　shelf　that　wraps　around　the　shoreline　past　Romania　and　the　Danube　delta；　the　Bosporus　and　around　to　Crimea　in　the　north。〃　He　turned　to　his　wife。　〃Gamay　can　fill　us　in　on　the　biological　and　archaeological　angles。〃
　
　Gamay　took　over。　〃The　shelf　Paul　talked　about　is　an　incredibly　productive　fishery。　It's　home　to　salmon；　beluga　sturgeon；　turbot。　You'll　find　dolphins　here　and　bonito；　although　the　stocks　are　down。　Some　say　the　Turks　have　over…　fished　the　sea；　but　they　say　it's　European　Union　pollution　ing　from　the　Danube。　What's　not　in　dispute　is　the　fact　that　below　a　fluctuating　depth　of　around　four　hundred　fifty　feet；　there　is　no　life。　Ninety　percent　of　the　sea　is　sterile。　With　the　fish　population　down；　huge　red　tides　and　jellyfish　infestations　have　e　in。　People　are　concerned　enough　to　actually　start　doing　something。〃
　〃That's　how　NUMA　came　to　be　involved；〃　Captain　Atwood　said。　〃We　were　collecting　information　for　a　joint　Russian…Turkish　project。〃
　〃I　was　wondering　why　you　didn't　have　representatives　from　either　country　aboard；〃　Paul　said。
　
　〃On　earlier　trips　the　government　observers　spent　most　of　their　time　telling　the　ships　where　they　couldn't　conduct　surveys。　Admiral　Sandecker　insisted　on　carte　blanche　when　NUMA　was　asked　to　lend　a　hand。　Which　meant　no　observers　on　this　preliminary　survey。　Between　his　prestige　and　their　desperation；　he　was　able　to　hold　his　own。〃
　〃These　countries　have　a　good　reason　to　be　desperate；〃　Gamay　said。　〃The　pollution　is　creating　the　conditions　for　a　'turnover。'　If　the　dead　water　rises　to　the　top；　everything　in　the　sea　and　around　the　rim　could　be　wiped　out。〃
　〃There's　nothing　like　the　threat　of　extinction　to　get　people　off　their　butts；〃　Gunn　remarked。
　
　〃That　would　do　it　for　me；〃　Austin　said。　Trout　drew　his　finger　along　the　map。　〃The　bottom　here　will　be　covered　with　black　mud　over　clay　that　marks　the　change　of　the　ancient　lake　to　a　sea。　When　you　get　beyond　the　edge　of　the　shelf；　we　find　deep　submarine　canyons　carved　into　the　steep　shelf　slope。　Ten　thousand　years　ago；　the　sea　level　was　a　thousand　feet　lower　than　it　is　now。　The　flood　theory　suggests　that　sixty　thousand　square　miles　were　inundated　by　the　waters　of　the　Mediterranean。〃
　〃Which　made　anyone　with　a　boat　very　popular；〃　Austin　said。
　
　Gamay　said；　〃This　deals　directly　with　our　situation。　As　Paul　explained　last　night；　ship　worms　can't　survive　in　the　deep　water；　so　wooden　wrecks　will　be　perfectly　preserved　for　thousands　of　years。　And　steel　ships　will　disintegrate。〃
　
　A　crewman　called　the　captain　into　the　wheelhouse。　Atwood　excused　himself。　A　minute　later；　he　returned；　his　face　wreathed　in　a　wide　grin。
　
　〃We're　on　target。　Our　mystery　ship　should　be　right　below　our　radio　antenna。〃
　
　Gunn　said；　〃Remind　me　to　send　a　bouquet　of　flowers　to　the　young　woman　who　gave　her　sailor　boy　a　GPS　watch。〃
　
　Austin　looked　out　at　the　sea　stretching　to　the　horizon　and　thought　of　the　wasted　time　that　could　have　been　spent　in　a　fruitless　search　for　the　ship。　〃I've　got　a　better　idea；〃　Austin　said。　〃Let's　send　her　a　whole　greenhouse。〃
　
　Zavala　arrived　and　they　went　down　to　the　starboard　deck；　where　sunlight　gleamed　off　the　metal　skin　of　a　small　torpedo　that　rested　in　an　aluminum　rack。　The　tall　man　disconnecting　a　puter　modem　attached　to　the　device　was　Mark　Murphy；　the　Argo's　expert　in　remote…operated　undersea　vehicles。
　
　Murphy　was　a　nonconformist　who　scorned　the　NUMA　work　coveralls　for　his　own　uniform：　faded　jean　cutoffs；　chamois　shirt　worn　over　a　T…shirt；　scuffed　work　boots　and　a　short…billed　baseball　cap。　Both　his　cap　and　T…shirt　had　the　word　Argonaut　printed　on　them。　He　was　in　his　early　fifties；　and　a　thick　salt…and…pepper　beard　covered　his　chin；　but　his　ruddy　sunburned　face　glowed　with　boyish　enthusiasm。
　
　He　saw　Zavala　gazing　at　the　torpedo　and　said；　〃Be　my　guest。〃
　〃Thanks。〃　Zavala　ran　his　fingertips　lightly　over　the　wide　stripes　of　green；　yellow　and　black　painted　on　the　metal　skin。　〃Sexy；〃　he　said　with　a　low　whistle。　〃Very　sexy。〃
　〃You'll　have　to　excuse　my　friend；〃　Austin　said。　〃He　hasn't　had　shore　leave　for　at　least　twenty…four　hours。〃
　〃I　understand　perfectly；〃　Murphy　replied。　〃This　baby　is　hot。　Wait'll　you　see　the　way　she　performs。〃
　
　Austin　was　amused　but　not　surprised　to　hear　the　two　men　fawn　over　the　device。　Zavala　was　a　brilliant　marine　engineer　who　had　designed　or　directed　construction　of　many　underwater　vehicles。　Murphy　was　the　Argo's　expert　in　their　use。　To　them；　the　clean　lines　of　the　pact　object　cradled　in　its　aluminum　rack　were　as　sensual　as　the　curves　of　the　female　body。
　
　Austin　could　understand　their　passion。　The　UUV　was　only　62　inches　long；　7。5　inches　in　diameter　and　weighed　a　mere　eighty　pounds。　But　the　bantam…sized　device　represented　the　cutting　edge　of　undersea　exploration；　a　vehicle　that　could　operate　almost　independently　of　its　shipboard　controllers。　This　model　was　developed　by　the　Woods　Hole　Oceanographic　Institution；　which　had　dubbed　it　SAHRV；　for　Semi…Autonomous　Hydrographic　Reconnaissance　Vehicle。
　
　〃We're　about　ready　to　launch；〃　Murphy　said。　〃We've　dropped　two　separate　transducers　over　the　side；　one　at　each　er　of　the　survey　area。　That　sets　up　the　navigational　net。　The　vehicle　talks　constantly　with　the　transducers　that　tell　it　where　it　is　at　all　times。　The　data　she　picks　up　will　be　recorded　on　a　hard　drive　and　downloaded　later。〃
　〃Why　not　telemeter　the　information　directly　back　to　the　ship？〃　Austin　asked。
　
　〃We　could；　but　the　data　would　take　too　long　to　make　it　through　the　water。　I've　told　the　vehicle　to　survey　ten　one…hundred…foot　lanes　at　high　resolution　for　a　start。　She'll　run　at　five　point　five　knots　around　ninety　feet　off　the　bottom。　The　collision　avoidance　sonar　will　make　sure　she　goes　over　or　around　any　big　obstacles。〃
　
　Murphy　reached　over　and　pressed　a　magnetic　switch　on　the　side　of　the　vehicle。　The　battery…powered　stainless　steel　propeller　whirred　softly。　With　the　help　of　another　crewman；　Murphy　gently　lowered　the　rack　into　the　water。
　
　The　Argo　bristled　with　an　amazing　array　of　winches　and　cranes　to　handle　the　variety　of　electronic　eyes　and　ears　and　hands；　manned　and　unmanned　submersibles　the　scientists　on　board　dropped　into　the　ocean。　One　crane；　so　powerful　it　could　lift　a　house；　also　had　weak　links　that　would　deliberately　break　under　undue　stress　…　that　was　to　prevent　them　from　sinking　in　case　the　ship　hooked　onto　an　undersea　mountain。
　
　Most　of　the　heavy　equipment　was　lowered　through　the　moon　pool；　a　center　section　of　the　Argo's　hull　that　opened　to　the　sea　through　huge　sliding　doors。　With　the　UUV；　however；　it　was　only　a　matter　of　lowering　it　over　the　side。　The　propeller　grabbed　water　and　the　vehicle　took　off　like　a　fish　released　from　a　hook。　It　headed　away　from　the　ship　and　arced　into　a　preprograrnmed　thirty…foot　circle　when　it　hit　open　sea。
　
　〃She'll　go　around　four　times　to　calibrate　the　pass；〃　Murphy　explained。　〃The　vehicle　is　talking　to　the　navigational　net　now；　getting　its　bearings　through　triangulation。〃　As　they　watched；　the　vehicle　made　a　small　circle　and　disappeared　below　the　surface。　〃She's　heading　off　to　do　her　first　lane。〃
　〃What　do　we　do　now？〃　Austin　said。
　
　Murphy　gave　them　his　big…toothed　grin。　〃We　go　have　some　coffee　and　doughnuts。〃
　
　…21…
　THE　UNDERSEA　VEHICLE　moved　back　and　forth　above　the　ocean　floor　in　a　lawn…mowing　pattern；　its　path　on　the　ocean　floor　displayed　on　the　puter　screen。　When　its　task　was　finished；　the　UUV　homed　in　on　a　third　transducer　like　a　puppy　who'd　heard　the　word　bone。　The　vehicle　nosed　up　to　the　side　of　the　ship；　where　it　was　snagged　in　a　special　pickup　rack　and　lifted　back　on　deck。　Murphy　hooked　up　a　modem　and　transferred　all　the　data　from　the　dripping　vehicle　to　his　laptop　puter。　Then　he　disconnected　the　puter。
　
　Tucking　the　laptop　under　his　arm；　Murphy　led　the　way　to　the　conference　room；　where　he　set　the　laptop　down　on　a　table　and　connected　it　to　a　large…screen　monitor。　The　puter's　SeaSone　software　began　to　generate　high…resolution　sonar　images　in　slow　motion　onto　the　screen；　and　the　pictures　of　the　seafloor　as　recorded　by　the　UUV　flowed　down　from　the　top　of　the　monitor　like　twin　waterfalls。　Latitude；　longitude　and　position　were　displayed　to　the　right　of　the　screen。　Murphy　adjusted　the　screen's　color　control　to　a　yellow…brown　that　was　easy　on　the　eyes。
　
　The　seafloor　was　largely　unmarked。　Occasionally；　a　boulder　showed　up　or　dark　and　light　patches　indicated　differences　in　sediment。　Halfway　through　its　fourth　track；　the　sonar　caught　two　straight　lines　joined　at　an　angle。　All　eyes　were　focused　on　the　monitor　as　the　vehicle　finished　the　track；　turned　and　came　back。　Murphy　froze　the　picture。
　
　〃Bingo！〃　he　said。　The　unmistakable　image　of　a　ship　stood　out　in　sharp　relief。　With　a　click　of　the　puter　mouse；　Murphy　zoomed　in　the　picture。　The　darks　and　lights　became　doors；　hatches　and　portholes。　The　puter　pile