p&c.icelimit-第42节

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　Minutes　crawled　by　while　Rochefort　remained　glued　to　the　puter　and　Amira　monitored　the　servos。　Then　Glinn　turned。
　〃All　right。　Let's　lower　the　jacks；　examine　the　settings；　and　try　again。〃
　Suddenly　a　strange　keening　seemed　to　fill　the　room；　ing　from　everywhere　and　nowhere　at　once。　It　was　almost　ghostly。　McFarlane　felt　his　skin　crawl。
　Rochefort　was　suddenly　intent　on　the　monitor。　〃Slumping　in　sector　six；〃　he　said；　his　fingers　flying　over　the　keyboard。
　The　sound　subsided。
　〃What　the　hell　was　that？〃　McFarlane　asked。
　Glinn　shook　his　head。　〃It　looks　like　we　might　have　lifted　the　meteorite　just　a　millimeter　in　sector　six；　but　then　it　subsided　and　pushed　the　jacks　back。〃
　〃Getting　another　shift；〃　Rochefort　said　suddenly；　a　note　of　alarm　in　his　voice。
　Glinn　strode　over　and　peered　at　the　screen。　〃It's　asymmetrical。　Lower　the　jacks　to　ninety；　quickly。〃
　A　patter　of　keystrokes；　and　Glinn　stepped　back；　frowning。　〃What's　with　sector　six？〃
　〃The　jacks　seemed　to　have　locked　at　a　hundred　tons；〃　Rochefort　said。　〃They　won't　go　down。〃
　〃Your　analysis？〃
　〃The　rock　may　be　settling　toward　that　sector。　If　so；　a　lot　of　weight　has　just　shifted　onto　them。〃
　〃Zero　out　all　the　jacks。〃
　To　McFarlane；　the　scene　seemed　almost　surreal。　There　was　no　sound；　no　dramatic　subterranean　rumbling；　just　a　group　of　tense　people　gathered　around　flickering　monitors。
　Rochefort　stopped　typing。　〃All　of　sector　six　has　locked　up。　The　jacks　must　have　frozen　under　the　weight。〃
　〃Can　we　zero　the　rest？〃
　〃If　I　do　that；　the　meteorite　might　destabilize。〃
　〃Destabilize；〃　McFarlane　repeated。　〃You　mean；　as　in　tilt？〃
　Glinn's　eyes　glided　toward　him；　then　returned　to　the　puter　screen。　〃Suggestions；　Mr。　Rochefort？〃　he　asked　coolly。
　The　engineer　leaned　back；　licked　the　tip　of　his　left　index　finger；　and　placed　it　against　his　right　thumb。　〃Here's　what　I　think。　We　leave　the　jacks　as　is。　Keep　them　in　position。　Then　we　release　the　fluid　from　the　emergency　hydraulic　valves　on　the　sector　six　jacks。　Unfreeze　them。〃
　〃How？〃　Glinn　asked。
　After　a　moment；　Rochefort　replied；　〃Manually。〃
　Glinn　held　up　his　radio。　〃Garza？〃
　〃Roger。〃
　〃You　follow　this？〃
　〃Roger　that。〃
　〃Your　opinion？〃
　〃I　agree　with　Gene。　We　must've　seriously　underestimated　the　weight　of　this　baby。〃
　Glinn　swiveled　his　gray　eyes　back　to　Rochefort。　〃And　who　do　you　suggest　should　drain　the　jacks？〃
　〃I　wouldn't　ask　anyone　to　do　it　but　myself。　Then　we'll　let　the　meteorite　settle　back　down　to　a　stable　resting　place；　set　additional　jacks；　and　try　again。〃
　〃You're　going　to　need　a　second　person；〃　came　Garza's　voice　over　the　radio。　〃That　would　be　me。〃
　〃I'm　not　going　to　send　both　my　chief　engineer　and　my　construction　manager　underneath　that　rock；〃　said　Glinn。　〃Mr。　Rochefort；　analyze　the　risk。〃
　Rochefort　did　some　calculations　on　a　pocket　calculator。　〃The　jacks　are　rated　to　stand　maximum　pressure　for　sixteen　hours。〃
　〃What　about　higher…than…maximum？　Assume　one　hundred　percent　above　maximum。〃
　〃The　time…failure　rate　gets　shorter。〃　Rochefort　made　another　series　of　calculations。　〃However；　the　chance　of　failure　in　the　next　thirty　minutes　is　less　than　one　percent。〃
　〃That's　acceptable；〃　said　Glinn。　〃Mr。　Rochefort；　take　a　crew　member　of　your　choice　along。〃　He　glanced　at　his　pocket　watch。　〃You　have　thirty　minutes　from　this　moment；　not　one　second　more。　Good　luck。〃
　Rochefort　stood　up　and　looked　at　them；　his　face　pale。　〃Remember；　sir；　we　don't　believe　in　luck；〃　he　said。　〃But　thank　you　all　the　same。〃
　
　Isla　Desolacion；
　10：24　A。M。
　
　ROCHEFORT　OPENED　the　door　to　the　decrepit　hut　and　moved　the　nail　kegs　aside；　exposing　the　access　tube　and　its　halo　of　bright　fluorescent　light。　He　gripped　the　rungs　of　the　ladder　and　began　to　descend；　palmtop　puter　and　radio　jiggling　on　his　belt。　Evans　followed　behind；　humming　an　off…key　variant　of　〃Muskrat　Ramble。〃
　The　main　emotion　Rochefort　felt　was　embarrassment。　Brief　as　it　was；　the　walk　from　the　munications　hut　had　taken　an　eternity。　Although　the　staging　area　was　deserted；　he　had　nevertheless　sensed　dozens　of　eyes　trained　directly　…　and　no　doubt　reproachfully　…　on　his　back。
　He　had　set　fifty　percent　more　jacks　than　deemed　necessary。　It　was　within　EES　operating　guidelines；　and　it　had　seemed　like　a　safe　margin。　But　he　had　miscalculated。　He　should　have　invoked　double　overage；　set　two　hundred　jacks。　But　the　time　pressure　had　always　been　there；　hovering　over　everything；　flowing　from　Lloyd　to　Glinn　and　infecting　everything　they　did。　So　Rochefort　had　suggested　a　hundred　and　fifty；　and　Glinn　had　not　questioned　his　decision。　The　fact　was；　nobody　had　said　anything　to　him　about　the　mistake　…　or　even　hinted　one　was　made。　But　that　did　not　negate　the　fact　that　he　had　been　wrong。　And　Rochefort　could　not　bear　to　be　wrong。　He　felt　saturated　by　bitterness。　Reaching　the　bottom；　he　moved　quickly　along　the　tunnel；　ducking　his　head　instinctively　below　the　lines　of　fluorescent　lights。　Chains　of　ice　crystals；　formed　from　the　condensed　breath　of　the　workers；　stuck　like　feathers　to　the　spars　and　trusses。　Evans；　ing　up　behind；　dragged　a　finger　through　them　as　he　whistled。
　Rochefort　was　humiliated；　not　worried。　He　knew　that　even　if　the　jacks　in　sector　six　failed　…　a　minuscule　possibility　…　it　was　unlikely　the　meteorite　would　do　anything　except　settle　back　down　into　place。　It　had　sat　there　for　untold　millennia；　and　the　forces　of　mass　and　inertia　dictated　it　would　probably　stay　that　way。　The　worst…case　scenario　meant　they'd　be　back　where　they　started　from。　
　Back　where　they　started　from　。。。　His　mouth　set　in　a　hard　line。　It　meant　setting　more　jacks；　perhaps　even　digging　a　few　more　tunnels。　He　had　strongly　remended　to　Glinn　that　all　Lloyd　Museum　personnel　be　left　behind；　that　it　should　be　strictly　an　EES　expedition；　that　Lloyd's　only　personal　involvement　should　be　to　take　final　possession　of　the　meteorite　and　pay　the　bill。　For　some　unknown　reason　of　his　own；　Glinn　had　allowed　Lloyd　to　get　daily　updates。　This　was　the　sort　of　thing　that　resulted。
　The　tunnel　reached　sector　one；　then　veered　left　at　a　ninety…degree　angle。　Rochefort　followed　the　main　tunnel　another　forty　feet；　then　took　one　of　the　side　branches　that　curved　around　toward　the　far　side　of　the　meteorite。　The　radio　burbled　and　he　pulled　it　from　his　belt。　〃Approaching　sector　six；〃　he　said。
　〃Diagnostics　indicate　that　all　jacks　in　that　sector；　with　the　exception　of　four　and　six；　need　to　be　unlocked；〃　said　Glinn。　〃We　estimate　you　can　plete　the　task　in　sixteen　minutes。〃　
　Twelve；　thought　Rochefort；　but　he　responded；　〃Affirmative。〃
　The　side　tunnel　angled　around　the　front　of　the　meteorite　and　split　into　three　access　tubes。　Rochefort　chose　the　center　tube。　Ahead；　he　could　see　the　jacks　of　sector　six；　yellow　against　the　bloodred　meteorite。　They　ran　ahead　in　a　long　line　from　the　end　of　the　access　tube。　Walking　forward；　he　examined　all　fifteen　in　turn。　They　looked　perfectly　secure；　their　claw　feet　firmly　anchored　to　the　base　of　the　wall　struts；　servo　cables　running　away　in　rivers　of　wire　and　cable。　The　jacks　did　not　appear　to　have　moved　in　the　slightest。　It　was　hard　to　believe　they　were　each　frozen　under　a　hundred　tons　of　strain。
　With　a　sigh　of　irritation；　he　crouched　by　the　first　jack。　The　belly　of　the　meteorite　curved　above　him；　ribbed　as　smoothly　and　as　regularly　as　if　worked　by　a　machine。　Evans　came　forward　with　a　small　cami…tool　for　unlocking　the　hydraulic　valves。　〃Looks　like　a　great　big　bowling　ball；　doesn't　it？〃　he　said　cheerfully。
　Rochefort　grunted　and　pointed　toward　the　valve　stem　of　the　first　jack。　Evans　knelt　beside　it；　gripped　the　stem　with　his　cami；　and　began　to　turn　it　gingerly。
　〃Don't　worry；　it's　not　going　to　break；〃　Rochefort　snapped。　〃Let's　move。　We've　got　another　twelve　waiting。〃
　〃More　rapidly；　Evans　spun　the　stem　through　a　ninety…degree　twist。　With　a　small　hammer；　Rochefort　adroitly　tapped　out　the　manual　slide　on　the　rear　of　the　jack；　exposing　the　safety　plate。　A　red　light　went　on；　indicating　the　valve　was　unlocked　and　ready　to　open。
　After　the　first　jack；　Evans　grew　less　hesitant；　and　they　began　to　work　quickly　in　tandem；　moving　down　the　line；　skipping　the　jacks　numbered　four　and　six。　At　the　last　jack；　number　fifteen；　they　stopped。　Rochefort　looked　at　his　watch。　It　had　taken　only　eight　minutes。　All　that　was　left　was　to　go　back　down　the　line；　punching　the　release　buttons　on　each　valve。　Although　the　fluid　was　under　intense　pressure；　an　internal　regulator　would　ensure　even　drainage；　slowly　easing　the　load　off　the　jack。　Meanwhile；　the　controlling　puter　back　in　the　munications　hut　would　be　lowering　in　tandem　the　hydraulic　pressure　on　all　the　other　jacks。　The　situation　would　return　to　normal；　and　then　all　they　needed　to　do　was　set　more　jacks　and　try　again。　He'd　do　Glinn　one　better；　set　three　hundred　jacks。　But　they　would　need　at　least　a　day　to　ferry　them　over　from　the　ship；　get　them　in　place；　wire　the　servos；　run　diagnostics。　They　would　need　more　tunnels；　too。。。　He　shook　his　head。　He　should　have　started　with　three　hundred　the　first　time。
　〃Feels　hot　in　here；〃　said　Evans；　tugging　back　his　hood。
　Rochefort　didn't　answer。　Heat　and　cold　were　one　and　the　same　to　him。　The　two　men　turned　and　began　walking　down　the　line　of　jacks；　stopping　at　each　to　raise　the　safety　plate　and　push　th