p&c.icelimit-第40节

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　paper；〃　said　Amira。
　Glinn　looked　at　her。　〃Any　explanation？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃I　tried　to　do　a　quantum　mechanical　analysis　of　what　might　be　happening。　No　luck。　It　appears　to　be　impossible。〃
　McFarlane　continued　to　flip　through　his　notes。　〃The　last　test　we　did　was　X…ray　diffraction。〃
　〃Explain；〃　Glinn　murmured。
　〃You　shine　X　rays　through　the　material；　then　you　make　a　picture　of　the　diffraction　pattern　that　results。　A　puter　reverse…engineers　those　patterns　and　tells　you　what　kind　of　crystal　lattice　generated　them。　Well；　we　got　a　seriously　weird　diffraction　pattern　…　virtually　fractal。　Rachel　wrote　a　program　that　tried　to　calculate　what　kind　of　crystal　structure　would　produce　such　a　pattern。〃
　〃It's　still　trying；〃　Amira　said。　〃It's　probably　gagged　on　it　by　now。　It's　one　hell　of　a　putation；　if　it　can　be　done　at　all。〃
　〃One　other　thing；〃　said　McFarlane。　〃We　used　fission…track　analysis　to　date　the　coesite　from　the　staging　area。　We've　now　got　a　date　on　when　the　meteorite　struck：　thirty…two　million　years　ago。〃
　As　he　listened；　Glinn's　gaze　had　slowly　dropped　to　the　frozen　dirt　floor。　〃Conclusions？〃　he　said　at　last；　very　quietly。
　〃They're　very　preliminary〃　McFarlane　said。
　〃Understood。〃
　McFarlane　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Have　you　heard　of　the　hypothetical　‘island　of　stability'　on　the　periodic　table？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃For　years；　scientists　have　been　searching　for　heavier　and　heavier　elements　higher　on　the　periodic　table。　Most　of　the　ones　they've　found　are　very　short…lived：　they　last　only　a　few　billionths　of　a　second　before　they　decay　into　some　other　element。　But　there's　a　theory　that　way；　way　up　on　the　periodic　table　might　be　a　group　of　elements　that　are　stable　…　that　don't　decay。　An　island　of　stability。　Nobody　knows　what　kind　of　properties　these　elements　would　have；　but　they　would　be　extremely　strange；　and　very；　very　heavy。　You　couldn't　synthesize　them　even　with　the　largest　of　today's　particle　accelerators。〃
　〃And　you　think　this　might　be　such　an　element？〃
　〃I'm　fairly　sure　of　it；　actually。〃
　〃How　would　such　an　element　be　created？〃
　〃Only　in　the　most　violent　event　in　the　known　universe：　a　hypernova。〃
　〃A　hypernova？〃
　〃Yes。　It's　much　bigger　than　a　supernova。　It　occurs　when　a　giant　star　collapses　into　a　black　hole；　or　when　two　neutron　stars　collide　to　form　a　black　hole。　For　about　ten　seconds；　a　hypernova　produces　as　much　energy　as　the　rest　of　the　known　universe　put　together。　Such　a　thing　just　might　have　enough　energy　to　create　these　strange　elements。　It　also　might　have　had　enough　energy　to　accelerate　this　meteorite　into　space　at　a　speed　that　would　carry　it　across　the　vast　distances　between　stars；　to　land　on　Earth。〃
　〃An　interstellar　meteorite；〃　Glinn　said　in　a　flat　tone。
　McFarlane　noticed；　with　surprise；　a　brief　but　significant　exchange　of　glances　between　Glinn　and　Amira。　He　tensed　immediately；　but　Glinn　merely　nodded。
　〃You've　given　me　more　questions　than　answers。〃
　〃You　gave　us　only　twelve　hours。〃
　There　was　a　brief　silence。
　〃Let's　return　to　the　most　basic　question；〃　Glinn　said。　〃Is　it　dangerous？〃
　〃We　don't　have　to　worry　about　it　poisoning　anybody；〃　said　Amira。　〃It's　not　radioactive　or　reactive。　It's　totally　inert。　I　believe　it's　safe。　I　wouldn't；　however；　mess　around　with　it　electrically。　Being　a　room…temperature　superconductor；　it　has　powerful　and　strange　electromagnetic　properties。〃
　Glinn　turned。　〃Dr。　McFarlane？〃
　〃It's　a　mass　of　contradictions；〃　McFarlane　said；　keeping　his　voice　neutral。　〃We　haven't　discovered　anything　specifically　dangerous。　But　then　again；　we　haven't　shown　it　to　be　pletely　safe；　either。　We've　got　a　second　set　of　tests　running　now；　and　if　that　sheds　any　more　light　we'll　let　you　know。　But　it　will　take　years　to　really　answer　these　questions；　not　twelve　hours。〃
　〃I　see。〃　Glinn　sighed；　a　small　hissing　sound　that　in　anybody　else　would　have　been　irritation。　〃As　it　happens；　we　have　discovered　something　about　the　meteorite　that　may　be　of　interest　to　you。〃
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃We'd　originally　estimated　it　to　be　about　twelve　hundred　cubic　meters　in　size；　or　about　forty…two　feet　in　diameter。　Garza　and　his　crew　have　been　mapping　the　external　contours　of　the　meteorite　as　they　prepare　these　tunnels。　It　turns　out　the　meteorite　is　a　lot　smaller　than　we　believed。　It's　only　about　twenty　feet　in　diameter。〃
　McFarlane's　mind　tried　to　fit　this　fact　in。　In　an　odd　way；　he　felt　disappointment。　It　wasn't　much　bigger　than　the　Ahnighito；　at　the　museum　in　New　York。
　〃It's　difficult　to　measure　its　mass　at　this　point；〃　Glinn　said。　〃But　all　indications　are　that　the　meteorite　still　weighs　at　least　ten　thousand　tons。〃
　McFarlane　suddenly　forgot　his　disappointment。　〃That　means　it　has　a　specific　gravity　of　…　〃
　〃Jesus；　at　least　seventy…five；〃　said　Amira。
　Glinn　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃And　what　does　that　signify？〃
　〃The　two　heaviest　known　elements　are　osmium　and　iridium；〃　Amira　said。　〃They　each　have　a　specific　gravity　of　around　twenty…two。　With　a　specific　gravity　of　seventy…five；　this　meteorite　is　more　than　three　times　denser　than　any　known　element　on　Earth。〃
　〃There's　your　proof；〃　murmured　McFarlane。　He　felt　his　heart　pounding。
　〃I'm　sorry？〃　said　Glinn。
　It　was　as　if　a　weight　was　suddenly　plucked　from　McFarlane's　shoulders。　He　looked　Glinn　in　the　face。　〃There　can't　be　any　doubt　now。　It's　interstellar。〃
　Glinn　remained　inscrutable。
　〃There's　no　way　anything　that　dense　originated　in　our　solar　system。　It　must　have　e　from　somewhere　else。　A　place　in　the　universe　very　different　from　our　own。　The　region　of　a　hypernova。〃
　There　was　a　very　long　moment　of　silence。　McFarlane　could　hear　workmen　shouting　in　the　distant　tunnels；　and　the　muffled　sound　of　jackhammers　and　welding。　Finally　Glinn　cleared　his　throat。　〃Dr。　McFarlane；〃　he　began　quietly。　〃Sam。　I　apologize　if　I　seem　doubtful。　Understand　that　we're　operating　outside　the　parameters　of　any　conceivable　model。　There's　no　precedent　to　guide　us。　I　realize　you　haven't　had　adequate　time　for　your　tests。　But　our　window　of　opportunity　is　about　to　close。　I　want　your　best　guess　…　as　a　scientist；　and　as　a　human　being　…　whether　it's　safe　to　proceed；　or　whether　we　should　close　down　the　operation　and　go　home。〃
　McFarlane　took　a　deep　breath。　He　understood　what　Glinn　was　asking。　But　he　also　knew；　quite　clearly；　what　Glinn　had　left　unsaid。　As　a　scientist；　and　as　a　human　being　。。。　Glinn　was　asking　him　to　look　at　the　question　objectively　…　not　as　the　man　who　betrayed　his　friend　over　this　precise　thing　five　years　before。　Several　pictures　flashed　through　his　mind：　Lloyd；　pacing　before　his　pyramid；　the　glittering　black　eyes　of　the　destroyer　andante；　the　broken；　weathered　bones　of　his　dead　partner。
　McFarlane　began　slowly。　〃It's　been　lying　here　for　thirty…two　million　years　without　apparent　problems。　But　the　truth　is；　we　don't　know。　All　I　can　say　is；　this　is　a　scientific　discovery　of　the　highest　importance。　Are　the　risks　worth　it？　Nothing　truly　great　is　ever　acplished　without　risk。〃
　Glinn's　eyes　seemed　to　go　very　far　away。　His　expression　was　as　unreadable　as　always；　but　McFarlane　sensed　he　had　articulated　the　man's　own　thoughts。
　Glinn　pulled　out　his　pocket　watch；　opening　it　with　a　smart　snap　of　his　wrist。　He　had　made　a　decision。　〃We'll　lift　the　rock　in　thirty　minutes。　Rachel；　if　you　and　Gene　will　test　the　servo　connections；　we'll　be　ready。〃
　McFarlane　felt　a　sudden　flood　of　emotion　…　excitement　or　anticipation；　he　couldn't　be　precisely　sure。
　〃We　have　to　be　topside　for　those　tests；〃　Garza　said；　glancing　at　his　watch。　〃Nobody　is　allowed　down　here。〃
　The　feeling　ebbed　quickly。　〃I　thought　you　said　it　was　pletely　safe；〃　McFarlane　said。
　〃Double　overage；〃　Glinn　murmured。　Then；　leading　the　way；　he　walked　out　of　the　storage　vault　and　led　the　way　down　the　narrow　tunnel。
　
　Rolvaag；
　9：30　A。M。
　
　DR。　PATRICK　Brambell　lay　snug　in　his　bunk；　reading　Spenser's　The　Faerie　Queen。　The　tanker　rode　peacefully　in　the　sound；　and　the　mattress　was　delightfully　soft。　The　temperature　in　the　medical　suite　had　been　cranked　up　to　eighty…six　degrees：　exactly　the　way　he　liked　it。　Everyone　but　a　skeleton　crew　was　ashore；　preparing　to　lift　the　meteorite；　and　the　ship　was　quiet。　He　was　aware　of　no　disfort；　no　annoyance　in　the　world　…　save　perhaps　that　his　arm；　which　had　been　propping　up　the　book　in　front　of　his　nose　for　the　last　half　hour；　had　begun　to　fall　asleep。　And　that　was　a　problem　easily　remedied。　With　a　sigh　of　contentment；　he　transferred　the　book　to　his　other　hand；　turned　the　page；　and　immersed　himself　again　in　Spenser's　elegant　verse。
　Then　he　stopped。　There　was；　in　fact；　one　other　annoyance。　His　glance　fell　reluctantly　through　the　open　doorway；　past　the　hall　and　into　the　medical　laboratory　beyond。　On　a　gleaming　metal　gurney　sat　the　blue　evidence　locker；　clasps　loosened　but　lid　unopened。　There　was　something　forlorn；　almost　reproachful；　about　it。　Glinn　wanted　the　examination　by　the　end　of　the　day。
　Brambell　stared　at　it　for　a　moment。　Then　he　laid　the　book　aside；　rose　regretfully　from　his　bunk；　and　straightened　his　surgical　smock。　Though　he　rarely　practiced　medicine；　and　even　more　rarely　performed　surgery；　he　delighted　in　wearing　a　surgical　smock　and　never　took　one　off　while　awake。　As　a　uniform；　he　found　it　vastly　more　intimidating　than　a　policeman's　and　only　a