rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第50节

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　During　the　shuttle's　pioneer　years；　in　the　early　1980s；　procedures　were　set　in　place　to　deal　with　the　inevitable　mishap；　malfunction；　or　tragedy。　Enumerated　in　the　so…called　Black　Book；　they　were　first　implemented　in　January　1986；　after　the　disaster　that　took　Challenger　51…L。
　Harry　Landon　had　been　present　in　mission　control　that　day。　He　still　remembered　the　mission　director's　expression　of　horror　when　the　shuttle　exploded　seventy…three　seconds　after　liftoff。　Then　he　watched　as　the　director；　tears　streaming　down　his　face；　reached　for　the　Book　and　began　making　the　necessary　calls。
　Landon's　fingers　trembled　as　he　fumbled　for　the　key　to　unlock　the　drawer　he'd　prayed　he　would　never　have　to　open。　The　Book　was　a　slender　three…ring　binder。　Landon　opened　it　to　the　first　page；　reached　for　the　phone；　then　hesitated。
　Getting　to　his　feet；　he　plugged　his　headset　into　the　inter　system　that　connected　him　to　all　the　headsets　used　by　the　staff。
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　he　said　somberly。　〃If　I　can　have　your　attention。。。　Thank　you。　You　all　heard　the　last　munication　from　Discovery。　If　it's　accurate…　and　we　don't　know　that　it　is…　then　we　are　in　the　middle　of　a　true　catastrophe。　The　best　thing　we　can　do　for　our　people　up　there　is　to　follow　procedures　and　be　ready　to　respond　to　any　request　for　assistance。　Continue　to　monitor　all　aspects　of　the　flight　and　of　the　shuttle's　condition。　If　there's　deviation　or　anything　unusual…　no　matter　how　insignificant…　I　want　to　know　about　it。　I　want　the　data　team　to　review　all　the　tapes；　every　conversation；　every　transmission。　Whatever　happened　up　there　happened　quickly。　But　there　had　to　be　a　trigger。　I　want　to　know　what　it　was。〃
　Landon　paused。　〃I　know　what　you　must　be　thinking；　and　going　through。　I　know　what　I'm　asking　you　to　do　is　difficult。　But　we　cannot　lose　hope　that　there　may　be　survivors。　That's　whom　we're　working　for。　Whoever's　left；　we　want　to　bring　them　down　safely。　Nothing　else　matters。〃
　He　looked　around。　〃Thank　you　all。〃
　The　silence　that　had　settled　over　the　room　began　to　break　up。　Landon　was　relieved　that　the　grim　expressions　were　replaced　by　ones　of　resolve　and　determination。　He　had　always　believed　that　the　people　he　worked　with　were　the　best；　now　they　were　proving　him　right。
　Landon's　first　call　went　to　Rich　Warfield；　the　president's　science　adviser。　A　physicist　by　training；　Warfield　was　familiar　with　the　shuttle　program。　He　immediately　grasped　the　magnitude　of　the　mishap。
　〃What　can　I　tell　the　president；　Harry？〃　he　asked。　〃He'll　want　the　bottom　line；　no　bullshit。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Landon　replied。　〃First；　there　has　been　no　munication　with　Discovery　since　Wallace's　last　transmission。　In　it；　he　indicated　that　the　crew　was　dying　or　dead。　I'll　have　someone　play　you　the　actual　tape　in　case　the　president　wants　to　hear　for　himself。
　〃As　for　the　shuttle；　it　appears　stable。　There's　been　no　change　in　flight　path；　speed；　or　trajectory。　All　onboard　systems　are　green。〃
　〃Give　me　your　educated　guess；　Harry；〃　Warfield　prompted。
　〃All　air…supply　readings　are　normal；〃　Landon　replied。　〃That　means　no　toxic　contaminants。　No　smoke；　no　fire；　no　gases。〃
　〃What　about　food　poisoning？〃　Warfield　suggested。　〃Could　it　be　something　as　mundane　as　that？〃
　〃The　crew　would　have　been　having　their　first　meal。　But　even　if　all　the　food　were　contaminated；　I　doubt　that　the　poison　could　have　spread　so　quickly…　or　virulently。〃
　〃What　about　the　payload？〃
　〃This　wasn't　a　classified　flight。　The　Spacelab　had　the　usual　menagerie　of　frogs；　insects；　and　mice　to　be　used　for　experiments。。。〃
　〃But　what；　Harry？〃
　Landon　double…checked　the　experiments'　schedule。　〃Megan　Olson　was　slated　to　begin　work　on　Legionnaires'　disease。　That's　the　only　bug　in　the　program。　She　never　got　started　on　it。〃
　〃Could　the　bug　have　filtered　out　somehow？〃
　〃Chances　are　ten　thousand　to　one　that　it　did。　We　have　all　sorts　of　sensors　to　detect　a　leak　in　the　Biorack。　But　let's　say　it　did。　Legionnaires'　doesn't　work　that　fast。　Whatever　killed　the　crew　did　so　in　a　matter　of　minutes。〃
　For　a　moment　there　was　silence。
　〃I　know　it's　not　my　area　of　expertise；〃　Warfield　said　finally。　〃But　if　you　carve　away　the　other　possibilities；　it　still　sounds　to　me　like　a　bug　got　loose。〃
　〃Off　the　record；　I'm　tempted　to　agree　with　you；〃　Landon　replied。　〃But　I　wouldn't　go　planting　that　idea　in　the　president's　mind。　Right　now；　we　just　don't　know。〃
　〃The　president　will　have　questions；〃　Warfield　said　heavily。　〃I　think　you　know　what　the　first　one　will　be。〃
　Landon　closed　his　eyes。　〃This　is　the　procedure；　Rich。　During　launch；　the　range　safety　officer　tracks　the　flight。　His　finger　is　never　far　from　the　destruct　button。　If　anything　goes　wrong；　well。。。　You　remember　Challenger？　After　the　external　tank　blew　and　the　shuttle　exploded；　the　solid　rocket　boosters　kept　going。　The　RSO　brought　them　down。
　〃The　shuttle　has　a　destruct　sequence　that　can　be　activated　by　us　when　it's　on　its　way　down。　At　that　point；　it's　still　far　enough　out　that　if　we　had　to；　we　could　blow　it　up　without　any　danger　to　the　population　below。〃
　Landon　paused。　〃Rich；　when　you　tell　him　this；　remind　him　that　he's　the　one　who　has　to　give　that　order。〃
　〃All　right；　Harry。　Let　me　pass　along　what　we　have　so　far。　Don't　be　surprised　if　he　calls　you　direct。〃
　〃The　minute　I　know　more；　I'll　let　you　know；〃　Landon　said。
　〃Harry；　last　thing：　can　we　bring　the　shuttle　down　on　autopilot？〃
　〃Hell；　we　can　bring　a　seven…forty…seven　down　that　way。　The　question　is；　will　we　want　to？〃
　Landon's　next　call　went　to　the　range　safety　officer；　who　had　already　been　apprised　of　the　emergency。　Landon　explained　as　much　as　he　could；　then　added　that　the　original　duration　of　this　mission　had　been　eight　days。
　〃Clearly　that's　not　the　case　anymore；〃　he　said。　〃It's　not　a　question　of　if　but　when　we　bring　her　down。〃
　〃And　once　she's　in　range？〃　the　RSO　asked　quietly。
　〃Then　we'll　see。〃
　Landon　continued　down　the　list；　which　included　calls　to　General　Richardson　and　Anthony　Price。　In　addition　to　being　the　air　force　chief　of　staff；　Richardson　was　also　codirector　of　the　Space　Security　Division；　which　was　responsible　for　identifying　and　monitoring　everything　that　was　either　approaching　earth　or　in　orbit　around　it。　As　head　of　the　National　Security　Agency；　Price　was　on　the　list　because　the　shuttle　sometimes　flew　classified　missions　sponsored　by　the　NSA。
　Every　time　he　finished　a　call；　Landon　looked　around；　hoping　that　one　of　his　people　would　have　some　news　for　him。　He　recognized　this　as　the　gesture　of　a　desperate　man；　under　the　circumstances；　any　conversation　he　might　have　been　having　would　have　been　interrupted　if　contact　with　the　shuttle　had　been　reestablished。
　For　the　next　two　hours；　Landon　continued　to　work　the　phones。　He　was　grateful　that　at　least　for　now；　he　didn't　have　to　deal　with　the　media。　Many　in　NASA　resented　the　fact　that　shuttle　flights　were　now　considered　so　mundane　that　coverage　was　not　warranted。　During　the　ill…fated　Challenger　launch；　CNN　had　been　the　sole　network　providing　live　feed。　Today；　only　NASA　cameras　had　recorded　Discovery's　liftoff。
　〃Landon；　circuit　four！〃
　Landon　didn't　even　bother　to　see　who　was　speaking。　He　found　the　channel　and　heard　a　faint　voice　through　the　crackle　of　static。
　〃Mission　control；　this　is　Discovery。　Do　you　copy？〃
　
　Dylan　Reed　was　still　in　the　Spacelab；　in　his　protective　EMU；　his　boots　in　the　floor　restraints　that　kept　him　positioned　in　front　of　the　auxiliary　munications　panel。　The　several　hours　of　deliberate　inmunicado　seemed　like　an　eternity　to　him。　He'd　turned　off　the　radio　so　that　he　wouldn't　have　to　listen　to　the　desperate　voices　floating　from　mission　control。　Now；　to　proceed　with　the　next　phase　of　the　operation；　he　had　reestablished　contact。
　〃Mission　control；　this　is　Discovery。　Do　you　read？〃
　〃Discovery；　this　is　the　mission　director。　What　is　your　status？〃
　〃Harry；　is　that　you？〃
　〃Dylan？〃
　〃It's　me。　Thank　God；　Harry！　I　didn't　think　I'd　ever　hear　another　human　voice。〃
　〃Dylan；　what　happened　up　there？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I'm　in　the　lab。　One　of　the　EMUs　was　showing　default。　I　climbed　in　to　check　it　out。　Then　I　heard。。。　Jesus；　Harry；　it　sounded　like　they　were　being　strangled。　And　the　mo　gear　was　down…〃
　〃Dylan；　hang　on；　okay？　Try　to　stay　calm。　Is　there　anyone　else　in　the　lab？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃And　you've　had　no　munication　with　the　rest　of　the　crew？〃
　〃No。　Harry；　listen。　What…？〃
　〃We　don't　know；　Dylan。　That's　the　long　and　the　short　of　it。　We　got　a　garbled　message　out　of　Wallace　but　he　couldn't　tell　us　what　happened。　It　had　to　be　something　fast　and　extremely　lethal。　We're　thinking　a　bug　got　loose。　Do　you　have　anything　like　that　on　board？〃
　Actually　what　I　have　is　a　shuttle　that's　one　big　hot　zone。
　But　what　he　said　was：　〃Christ；　Harry！　What　are　you　talking　about？　Look　at　the　manifest。　The　worst　we're　carrying　is　Legionnaires'　and　that's　still　in　the　biofreezer。〃
　〃Dylan；　you　have　to　do　this；〃　Landon　said　in　a　measured　tone。　〃You　have　to　go　back　into　the　orbiter　and　see。。。　and　tell　us　what　you　see。〃
　〃Harry！〃
　〃Dylan；　we　have　to　know。〃
　〃What　if　they're　all　dead；　Harry？　What　am　I　supposed　to　do　for　them？〃
　〃Nothing；　son。　There's　nothing　you　can　do。　But　we're　going　to　bring　you　home。　No　one　leaves　their　post　until　you're　back　on　the　ground；　saf