rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第51节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


on　the　ground；　safe　and　sound。〃
　Landon　was　about　to　add　〃I　promise；〃　but　the　words　couldn't　make　it　past　his　lips。
　〃All　right；　Harry。　I'll　go　check　out　the　orbiter。　I　want　to　keep　the　mo　link　open。〃
　〃We　need　you　to　check　the　video　feed。　We　have　no　picture。〃
　That's　because　I　fixed　the　cameras。
　〃Roger　that。　Leaving　the　lab　now。〃
　The　bulky　space　suit　made　his　movements　awkward；　but　slowly　Reed　floated　through　the　connecting　tunnel；　taking　care　not　to　snag　any　part　of　his　suit。　Even　the　slightest　tear　would　be　fatal。
　The　sight　in　the　mid…deck　made　him　gag。　Stone；　Karol；　and　Carter　had　been　reduced　to　bloated　corpses　covered　in　sores；　floating　freely　or　snagged　to　pieces　of　equipment　by　an　arm　or　a　leg。　Trying　not　to　look；　Reed　maneuvered　his　way　around　them　to　the　ladder。　Up　in　the　flight　deck；　he　found　Wallace　strapped　to　the　mander's　chair。
　〃Mission　control；　this　is　Discovery。〃
　Landon　responded　instantly。　〃Go　ahead；　Dylan。〃
　〃I　found　everyone　except　Megan。　Jesus；　I　can't　tell　you。。。〃
　〃We　need　to　know　what　they　look　like；　Dylan。〃
　〃The　bodies　are　bloated；　sores；　blood。。。　I've　never　seen　anything　like　it。〃
　〃Are　there　any　signs　of　the　contaminant？〃
　〃Negative。　But　I'm　not　taking　off　the　EMU。〃
　〃Of　course　not。　Can　you　tell　what　they　were　eating？〃
　〃I'm　on　the　flight　deck；　with　Wallace。　Let　me　go　downstairs。〃
　After　a　few　minutes；　Reed　was　back　on　the　link。　In　reality；　he　hadn't　moved。　〃Looks　like　whatever　was　brought　onboard。　Chicken；　peanut　butter；　shrimp。。。〃
　〃Okay；　we're　checking　the　source　of　the　food　right　now：　If　it　was　contaminated；　the　agent　might　have　mutated　in　microgravity。〃　Landon　paused。　〃You　need　to　find　Megan。〃
　〃I　know。　I'll　check　mid…deck　again；　the　john。。。　If　she's　not　there；　she'll　be　on　the　lower　deck。〃
　〃Contact　me　as　soon　as　you　find　her。　Mission　director　out。〃
　
　
　Thank　God！
　Although　her　transmit　button　was　still　malfunctioning；　Megan　had　heard　every　word　between　Reed　and　Landon。　She　slumped　forward；　her　helmet　clicking　against　the　air…lock　door。　Hundreds　of　questions　raced　through　her　mind：　How　could　the　rest　of　the　crew　be　dead？　What　could　have　overtaken　them？　Was　it　something　they　had　brought　onboard？　It'd　been　less　than　an　hour　since　she'd　last　seen　Carter　and　the　others。　Now　they　were　dead？
　Megan　forced　herself　to　calm　down。　She　glanced　at　the　nest　of　wires　in　the　open　panel　above　the　door。　Clearly　there　was　a　mix…up　in　the　wiring。　Following　the　instructions　printed　on　the　panel　door；　she　had　tried　to　reverse　a　number　of　connections　but　so　far　hadn't　found　the　faulty　one。
　Relax；　she　told　herself。　Dylan　will　be　down　here　in　a　few　minutes。　When　he　doesn't　find　me　out　there；　he'll　realize　I'm　in　here。　He'll　open　the　door　from　his　end。
　Megan　took　as　much　fort　in　the　thought　as　she　could。　She　wasn't　prone　to　claustrophobia；　but　she　could　feel　the　air　lock…　no　bigger　than　a　pair　of　broom　closets　set　side　by　side…　closing　in　on　her。
　If　only　the　damn　mike　worked！　To　be　heard　by　another　human　would　be　the　sweetest　thing。
　Then　fix　the　mike；　she　told　herself。
　Dylan's　voice　came　over　her　headset：　〃Mission　director；　I'm　in　the　lower　deck。　No　sign　of　Megan　yet。　I'll　check　the　storage　holds。〃
　Even　though　she　knew　that　sound　was　baffled　in　space；　Megan　raised　both　hands　and　began　pounding　on　the　door。　Maybe　somehow　Dylan　would　hear　her。
　〃Mission　director；　I've　checked　most　of　the　hold。　Still　nothing。〃
　Landon's　voice　floated　through　Megan's　headset：　〃Suggest　you　try　the　air　lock。　Maybe　she　got　in　there。〃
　Yes；　try　the　air　lock！
　〃Roger　that；　mission　director。　I'll　cut　mo　until　I　reach　the　air　lock。〃
　As　soon　as　Reed　approached　the　door；　he　saw　Megan's　face　behind　the　porthole。　The　joy　and　relief　in　her　eyes　speared　him。　He　switched　on　the　inter　mode　on　his　munications　set。
　〃Megan；　can　you　hear　me？〃
　He　saw　her　nod。
　〃I'm　not　receiving。　Is　your　transmitter　down？〃
　Megan　nodded；　then　floated　up　and　pointed　to　the　mo　unit　built　into　the　chest　of　her　EMU。　She　gave　the　universal　thumbsdown　signal　and　worked　her　way　back　to　the　porthole。
　Reed　looked　at　her。　〃Okay。　I　understand。　Not　that　it　makes　any　difference。〃
　Megan　wasn't　sure　she'd　heard　him　correctly　and　mimed　a　shrug。
　〃You　don't　understand；〃　Reed　said。　〃Of　course　you　don't。　How　could　you？　Megan。。。〃　He　hesitated。　〃I　can't　help　you　get　out。〃
　Her　eyes　widened　in　terror　and　disbelief。
　〃Let　me　tell　you　what's　out　here；　Megan。　A　virus。　The　kind　the　world　has　never　seen　before　because　it's　not　of　this　world。　It　was　born　on　earth；　but　it　was　given　life　here；　in　the　Spacelab。　That's　what　I　was　working　on。〃
　She　was　shaking　her　head；　her　lips　moving　frantically　in　soundless　words。
　〃You　should　try　to　stay　calm；〃　Reed　continued。　〃You　heard　me　talking　to　mission　control。　They　know　everyone's　dead。　They　have　no　clue　what　happened　up　here。　And　they　never　will。〃
　Reed　wet　his　lips。　〃Discovery　has　bee　a　kind　of　Marie　Celeste；　a　doomed　ghost　ship。　Of　course；　there　are　differences。　I'm　still　alive　and　so　are　you…　for　the　time　being。　NASA　can　and　will　bring　the　orbiter　down　on　autopilot。　As　long　as　I'm　alive；　they're　not　going　to　push　the　autodestruct　button。〃
　Reed　let　a　beat　go　by。　〃They　won't　have　to。〃
　Megan　felt　hot　tears　spill　over　her　cheeks。　She　was　faintly　aware　that　she　was　screaming　but　that　had　no　impact　on　Reed。　His　expression　remained　as　cold　and　remote　as　arctic　ice。
　〃I　wish　it　were　someone　other　than　you；　Megan；〃　he　was　saying。　〃Really　I　do。　But　Treloar　had　to　be　eliminated　and　you　were　his　backup。　Now；　I　don't　expect　you　to　understand。　But　since　I　was　the　one　who　brought　you　into　the　program　and　gave　you　this　chance；　I　feel　I　owe　you　an　explanation。　You　see；　we　need　to　keep　our　bioweapons'　arsenal　strong。　All　those　treaties　we　signed…　do　you　think　places　like　Iraq；　Libya；　or　North　Korea　give　a　damn　about　them？　Of　course　not。　They're　too　busy　developing　their　own　weapons。　Well；　now　we'll　have　something　that　will　trump　whatever　they　e　up　with。　And　we'll　be　the　only　ones　to　have　it。
　〃The　sample　I　made？　A　thimbleful　is　enough　to　eradicate　any　country　we　choose。　I　realize　that's　not　a　very　scientific　measurement；　but　you　get　my　drift。　If　you　don't　believe　me；　look　at　what　happened　here；　how　quickly　the　smallpox　went　to　work；　the　consequences。。。〃
　Never　in　her　life　had　Megan　felt　so　powerless。　Reed's　voice　droned　in　her　ears　like　something　from　a　nightmare。　She　could　not　believe　such　words　ing　from　a　man　she　had　thought　she　knew；　a　colleague；　a　mentor；　someone　she'd　trusted　implicitly。
　He's　insane。　That's　all　I　need　to　know。　And　what　I　need　to　do　is　get　out　of　here！
　When　Reed　spoke　again；　it　was　as　though　he'd　read　her　mind。
　〃You've　done　most　of　my　job　for　me；　Megan；　locking　yourself　in　like　that。　The　fire　will　do　the　rest。　I　didn't　mention　that？　Well；　there's　going　to　be　an　awful　lot　of　confusion　when　this　thing　lands。　The　only　thing　on　mission　control's　mind　will　be　to　get　me　out　of　here　safely。　After　that；　if　something　explodes；　well。。。〃　He　shrugged。　〃You've　been　a　part　of　history；　Megan。　I'll　never　forget　you…　or　the　others。〃
　His　eyes　never　left　hers　as　he　touched　a　panel　on　his　mo　unit。　〃Mission　director；　this　is　Reed。　Do　you　copy？〃
　She　heard　Landon's　voice：　〃Copy；　Dylan。〃
　〃I　have　an　update。　I。。。　I　found　Megan。　She's　dead。。。　like　the　others。〃
　There　was　a　moment's　silence　on　the　other　end。　〃I　copy；　Dylan。　I'm　so　sorry。　Listen；　we're　working　to　bring　you　home。　Can　you　get　to　the　flight　deck？〃
　〃Affirmative。〃
　〃We　won't　need　any　help；　but　if　something　goes　wrong。。。〃
　〃Understood。　Harry？〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃You've　opened　the　Black　Book；　right？〃
　〃Yes；　Dylan。〃
　〃There's　a　name　that's　not　in　there。　Dr。　Karl　Bauer。　He　knows　more　about　bugs　than　anyone　alive。　I　think　you　might　want　to　consult　with　him　about　the　quarantine。〃
　〃Roger　that。　We'll　get　Bauer　to　the　landing　site。　We're　running　emergency　descent　models　right　now。　As　soon　as　we　have　a　firm　trajectory；　we'll　let　you　know。〃
　Reed　smiled　faintly　and；　looking　directly　at　Megan；　said；　〃Roger；　mission　director。　Discovery；　signing　off。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY　FIVE
　　
　The　helicopter　ferrying　Jon　Smith　from　Camp　David　landed　in　the　cargo　transport　area　of　Andrews　Air　Force　Base。　Smith　hopped　out　and　trotted　across　the　tarmac　to　the　white　panel　truck　parked　next　to　a　sleek　executive　jet。
　〃Hello；　Jon；〃　Major…General　Kirov　said；　watching　the　corpsmen　pull　a　stretcher　out　of　the　truck。
　〃Did　everything　go　as　planned？〃　Smith　asked。
　〃It　did；〃　Kirov　replied。　〃These　men〃　…he　indicated　the　corpsmen…　〃arrived　at　your　house　exactly　on　schedule。　They　were　very　quick；　very　efficient。〃
　Smith　glanced　at　Ivan　Beria；　a　blanket　tucked　up　to　his　chin；　as　he　was　wheeled　by。
　〃Is　he　all　right？〃
　〃The　tranquilizers　worked　perfectly；〃　Kirov　replied。
　Smith　nodded。
　As　the　stretcher　disappeared　into　the　jet；　Kirov　turned　to　Smith。　〃I　am　grateful　to　you…　and　to　Mr。　Klein…　for　allowing　me　to　help。　I　only　wish　I　could　do　more。〃
　Smith　shook　the　Russian's　hand。　〃I'll　stay　in　touch；　General。　I　think　we　got　everything　we　could　out　of　Beria；　but　if　he　says　anything　interesting。。。〃
　〃You'll　be　the　first　to　know；〃　Kirov　assured　him。　〃Good…bye；　Jon　Smith。　I　hope　that　we　will　meet　again；　u