tc.redstormrising-第19节

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ar　only；　and　under　the　captain's　orders；　sonar　had　not　told　the　fire…control　party　what　they　were　tracking。　For　the　time　being；　every　surface　contact　was　being　treated　as　a　hostile　warship。
〃Range　three…five　hundred　yards；〃　the　executive　officer　reported。　〃Bearing　one…four…two；　speed　eighteen　knots；　course　two…six…one。〃
〃Up　scope！〃　McCafferty　ordered。　The　attack　periscope　slid　up　from　its　well　on　the　starboard　side　of　the　pedestal。　A　quartermaster's　mate　got　behind　the　instrument；　dropped　the　handles　in　place；　and　trained　it　to　the　proper　bearing。　The　captain　sighted　the　crosshairs　on　the　target's　bow。
〃Bearing…mark！〃

The　quartermaster　squeezed　the　button　on　the　〃pickle；〃　transmitting　the　bearing　to　the　MK…117　fire…control　puter。
〃Angle　on　the　bow；　starboard　twenty。〃
The　fire…control　technician　punched　the　data　into　the　puter。　The　microchips　rapidly　puted　distances　and　angles。
〃Solution　set。　Ready　for　tubes　three　and　four！〃
〃Okay。〃　McCafferty　stepped　back　from　the　periscope　and　looked　over　at　the　exec。　〃You　want　to　see　what　we　killed？〃
〃Damn！〃　The　executive　officer　laughed　and　lowered　the　periscope。　〃Move　over；　Otto　Kretchmer！〃
McCafferty　picked　up　the　microphone；　which　went　to　speakers　throughout　the　submarine。　〃This　is　the　captain　speaking。　We　just　pleted　the　tracking　exercise。　For　anyone　who's　interested；　the　ship　we　just　'killed'　is　the　Universe　Ireland；　three　hundred　forty　thousand　tons'　worth　of　ultra…large　crude…carrier。　That　is　all。〃　He　put　the　mike　back　in　its　cradle。
〃XO；　critique？〃
〃It　was　too　easy；　skipper；〃　the　executive　officer　said。　〃His　speed　and　course　were　constant。　We　might　have　shaved　four　or　five　minutes　on　the　target…motion　analysis　right　after　we　acquired　him；　but　we　were　looking　for　a　zigzag　instead　of　a　constant　course。　For　my　money；　it's　better　to　proceed　like　that　on　a　slow　target。　I'd　say　we　have　things　going　pretty　well。〃
McCafferty　nodded　agreement。　A　high…speed　target　like　a　destroyer　might　well　head　directly　for　them。　The　slow　ones　would　probably　be　altering　course　constantly　under　wartime　conditions。　〃We're　getting　there。〃　The　captain　looked　over　to　his　fire…control　party。　〃That　was　well　done。　Let's　keep　it　that　way。〃　The　next　time；　McCafferty　thought；　he'd　arrange　for　sonar　not　to　report　a　target　until　it　got　really　close。　Then　he'd　see　how　fast　his　men　could　handle　a　snapshot　engagement。　Until　then　he　decided　on　a　strenuous　series　of　puter…simulated　engagement　drills。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃Those　are　batteries。　Okay；　it's　confirmed。〃　Lowe　handed　over　the　satellite　photographs。　A　number　of　trucks　were　visible；　and　though　most　had　their　loadbeds　covered　by　canvas；　the　loadbeds　of　three　were　exposed　to　the　high…flying　satellite。　What　he　saw　were　the　bathtub…shapes　of　oversized　battery　cells；　and　gangs　of　seamen　manhandling　them　across　a　pier。
〃How　old　are　these　shots？〃　Toland　asked。
〃Eighteen　hours。〃
〃Would　have　been　useful　this　morning；〃　the　younger　man　grumped。　〃Looks　like　three　Tangos　nested　together。　These　are　ten…ton　trucks。　I　count　nine　of　them。　I　checked　around；　each　individual　battery　cell　weighs　two　hundred　eighteen　kilograms　empty…〃
〃Ouch。　How　many　to　fill　up　a　sub？〃
〃A　lot！〃　Toland　grinned。　〃We　don't　know　that；　exactly。　I　found　four　different　estimates；　with　a　thirty…percent　spread。　It　probably　differs　from　ship　to　ship　anyway。　The　more　you　build　of　a　design；　the　more　you're　tempted　to　fool　around　with　it。　That's　what　we　do。〃　Toland　looked　up。　〃We　need　more　access　to　these。〃
〃Already　taken　care　of。　From　here　on　we're　on　the　distribution　list　for　all　shots　of　naval　sites。　What　do　you　think　of　the　activity　for　the　surface　ships？〃
Toland　shrugged。　The　photographs　showed　perhaps　a　dozen　surface　batants；　ranging　from　cruisers　to　corvettes。　The　decks　of　all　were　littered　with　cables　and　crates；　a　large　number　of　men　was　visible。　〃You　can't　tell　much　from　this。　No　cranes；　so　nothing　massive　was　being　onloaded；　but　cranes　can　move；　too。　That's　the　problem　with　ships。　Everything　you　need　to　know　about　is　under　cover。　All　we　can　tell　from　these　photos　is　that　they're　tied　alongside。　Anything　else　is　pure　supposition。　Even　with　the　subs；　we're　inferring　that　they're　loading　batteries　aboard。〃
〃e　on；　Bob；〃　Lowe　snorted。
〃Think　about　it；　Chuck；〃　Toland　replied。　〃They　know　what　our　satellites　are　for；　right？　They　know　what　their　orbital　paths　are；　and　they　know　when　they　will　be　at　any　given　point　in　space。　If　they　really　want　to　fake　us　out；　how　hard　is　it？　If　your　mission　was　to　fake　out　satellites；　and　you　knew　when　they　came；　you　think　you　might　play　games　with　the　other　guy's　head？　We　depend　too　much　on　these　things。　They're　useful　as　hell；　sure；　but　they　have　their　limitations。　It'd　be　nice　to　get　some　human　intelligence　on　this。〃

POLYARNYY；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃There's　just　something　weird　about　watching　a　guy　pour　cement　into　a　ship；〃　Flynn　observed　on　the　ride　back　to　Murmansk。　No　one　had　ever　told　him　about　ballast。
〃Ah；　but　it　can　be　a　beautiful　thing！〃　exclaimed　their　escort；　a　junior　captain　in　the　Soviet　Navy。　〃Now　if　only　your　navies　can　do　the　same！〃
The　small　press　group　that　had　been　allowed　to　stand　on　a　pier　and　watch　the　neutralization　of　the　first　two　Yankee…class　fleet　ballistic　missile　submarines　was　being　carefully　managed；　Flynn　and　Calloway　noted。　They　were　being　driven　around　in　groups　of　two　and　three；　each　group　with　a　naval　officer　and　a　driver。　Hardly　unexpected；　of　course。　Both　men　were　amazed　that　they　were　being　allowed　onto　so　sensitive　a　base　at　all。
〃A　pity　that　your　president　did　not　allow　a　team　of　American　officers　to　observe　this；〃　the　escort　went　on。
〃Yeah；　I　have　to　agree　with　you　there；　Captain；〃　Flynn　nodded。　It　would　have　made　a　much　better　story。　As　it　was；　a　Swede　and　an　Indian　officer；　neither　a　submariner；　had　gotten　a　closer　look　at　what　the　reporters　called　the　〃cement　ceremony；〃　and　reported　somberly　afterward　that；　yes；　cement　had　been　poured　into　each　missile　launch　tube　on　the　two　submarines。　Flynn　had　timed　the　length　of　each　pour；　and　would　do　some　checking　when　he　got　back。　What　was　the　volume　of　a　missile　tube？　How　much　cement　to　fill　it？　How　long　to　pour　the　cement？　〃Even　so；　Captain；　you　must　agree　that　the　American　response　to　your　country's　negotiating　position　has　been　extremely　positive。〃
Through　all　this；　William　Calloway　kept　his　peace　and　stared　out　the　car's　window。　He'd　covered　the　Falkland　Islands　War　for　his　wire　service；　and　spent　a　lot　of　time　with　the　Royal　Navy；　both　afloat　and　in　naval　shipyards　watching　preparations　for　sending　the　Queen's　fleet　south。　They　were　now　passing　by　the　piers　and　work　areas　for　a　number　of　surface　warships。　Something　was　wrong　here；　but　he　couldn't　quite　pin　it　down。　What　Flynn　did　not　know　was　that　his　colleague　often　worked　informally　for　the　British　Secret　Intelligence　Service。　Never　in　a　sensitive　capacity…the　man　was　a　correspondent；　not　a　spy…but　like　most　reporters　he　was　a　shrewd；　observant　man；　careful　to　note　things　that　editors　would　never　allow　to　clutter　up　a　story。　He　didn't　even　know　who　the　station　chief　in　Moscow　was；　but　he　could　report　on　this　to　a　friend　in　Her　Majesty's　embassy。　The　data　would　find　its　way　to　the　right　person。
〃So　what　does　our　English　friend　think　of　Soviet　shipyards？〃　the　captain　inquired　with　a　broad　smile。
〃Far　more　modem　than　ours；〃　Calloway　replied。　〃And　I　gather　you　don't　have　dockyard　unions；　Captain？〃
The　officer　laughed。　〃We　have　no　need　for　unions　in　the　Soviet　Union。　Here　the　workers　already　own　everything。〃　That　was　the　standard　Party　line；　both　reporters　noted。　Of　course。
〃Are　you　a　submarine　officer？〃　the　Englishman　inquired。
〃No！〃　the　captain　exclaimed。　A　hearty　laugh。　Russians　are　big　on　laughs　when　they　want　to　be；　Flynn　thought。　〃I　e　from　the　steppes。　I　like　blue　sky　and　broad　horizons。　I　have　great　respect　for　my　rades　on　submarines；　but　I　have　no　wish　to　join　them。〃
〃My　feelings　exactly；　Captain；〃　Calloway　agreed。　〃We　elderly　Brits　like　our　parks　and　gardens。　What　sort　of　sailor　are　you？〃
〃I　have　shore　assignment　now；　but　my　last　ship　was　Leonid　Brezhnev；　icebreaker。　We　do　some　survey　work；　and　also　make　a　way　for　merchant　ships　along　the　Arctic　Coast　to　the　Pacific。〃
〃That　must　be　a　demanding　job；〃　Calloway　said。　〃And　a　dangerous　one。〃　Keep　talking；　old　boy　。　。　。
〃It　demands　caution；　yes；　but　we　Russians　are　accustomed　to　cold　and　ice。　It　is　a　proud　task　to　aid　the　economic　growth　of　your　country。〃
〃I　could　never　be　a　sailor；〃　Calloway　went　on。　He　saw　a　curious　look　in　Flynn's　eyes：　The　hell　you　couldn't　。　。　。　〃Too　much　work；　even　when　you're　in　port。　Like　now。　Are　your　shipyards　always　this　busy？〃
〃Ah；　this　is　not　busy；〃　the　captain　said　without　much　thought。
The　man　from　Reuters　nodded。　The　ships　were　cluttered；　but　there　was　not　that　much　obvious　activity。　Not　so　many　people　moving　about。　Many　cranes　were　still。　Trucks　were　parked。　But　the　surface　warships　and　auxiliaries　were　cluttered　as　if　。　。　。　He　checked　his　watch。　Three…thirty　in　the　afternoon。　The　workday　was　hardly　over。　〃A　great　day　for　East…West　detente；〃　he　said　to　cover　his　feelings。　〃A　great　story　for　Pat　and　me　to　tell　our　readers。〃
〃This　is　good。〃　The　captain　smiled　again。　〃It　is　time　we　had　real　peace。〃
The　correspondents　were　back　in　Mosc