rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第57节

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　He　turned　to　Smith。　〃Landon　called　everyone　in　the　Black　Book…　and　someone　who　Reed　personally　asked　for。〃
　〃Let　me　guess。　Karl　Bauer。〃
　〃On　the　money。〃
　〃Makes　sense；〃　Smith　said。　〃He'd　want　to　be　on…site　when　Reed　es　down　with　his　baby。〃
　Klein　nodded　and　pointed　to　the　closed…circuit　monitor　that　suddenly　showed　a　picture。　〃Showtime。〃
　
　
　Despite　the　nest　of　worry　lines　and　crow's…feet；　the　president；　seated　behind　his　desk；　projected　an　image　of　authority　and　control。　As　he　waited　for　the　last　member　of　the　working　group　to　arrive；　he　surveyed　the　individuals　around　him。
　The　Central　Intelligence　Agency　was　represented　by　Bill　Dodge；　cool；　austere；　his　expression　betraying　nothing　as　he　leafed　through　the　latest　update　from　NASA。
　Martha　Nesbitt；　the　national　security　adviser；　sat　next　to　Dodge。　A　veteran　of　the　State　Department；　Marti；　as　she　was　called；　was　famous　for　the　speed　with　which　she　assessed　a　situation；　formulated　a　decision；　and　got　the　ball　rolling。
　Opposite　her　was　the　secretary　of　state；　Gerald　Simon；　picking　nonexistent　lint　off　his　hand…tailored　suit；　a　ritual　indicating　that　he　was　racked　by　indecision。
　〃I　hope　you've　had　time　to　gather　your　thoughts；〃　the　president　said。　〃Because　under　the　circumstances；　we　have　to　make　the　right　decision　the　first　time　around。〃
　He　looked　around　the　group。　〃As　of　now　Discovery　will　reach　its　‘window'　to　reenter　the　earth's　atmosphere　in　approximately　one　hour　At　that　point；　it　will　be　another　four　hours　before　it　begins　its　descent　procedure。　Seventy…five　minutes　later；　it　will　land　at　Edwards。　The　question　before　us　is　simple：　do　we　allow　the　craft　to　land？〃
　〃I　have　a　question；　sir；〃　Martha　Nesbitt　spoke　up。　〃At　what　point　do　we　lose　the　ability　to　destroy　the　orbiter？〃
　〃There's　really　no　such　cutoff　point；〃　the　president　replied。　〃The　fact　that　the　shuttle　carries　an　autodestruct　package　of　high　explosives　has；　for　obvious　reasons；　never　been　publicized。　However；　using　satellite　relays；　we　can　activate　the　mechanism　at　any　point　between　the　orbiter's　present　position　and　touchdown。〃
　〃But　the　package；　Mr。　President；　was　really　designed　to　blow　the　orbiter　in　space；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃The　whole　point　being　not　to　introduce　any　contaminants　into　our　atmosphere。〃
　〃That's　true；〃　Castilla　agreed。
　〃What's　also　true　is　that　we　have　no　idea　what　really　happened　onboard　Discovery；〃　Gerald　Simon　weighed　in。　He　glanced　around　the　room。　〃Five　dedicated　people　are　dead。　We　don't　know　how　or　why。　But　one　is　still　alive。　On　the　battlefield；　we　always　bring　out　our　dead。　And　if　there's　a　survivor　out　there；　we　damn　well　go　out　and　get　him。〃
　〃I　agree；〃　Marti　Nesbitt　said。　〃First　of　all；　according　to　the　latest　information；　the　orbiter　is　sound；　mechanically　speaking。　Second；　NASA　is　still　checking　into　what　could　have　taken　down　the　crew。　Rightly；　they're　focusing　on　the　food　and　fluids　supplies。　We　know　that　bacteria　grow　very　rapidly　in　microgravity。　It's　entirely　possible　that　something　that　is　harmless　on　earth　mutated　in　a　grotesque　way　and　overpowered　its　victims　before　they　could　respond。〃
　〃But　isn't　that　exactly　why　we　can't　risk　bringing　down　the　shuttle？〃　Gerald　Simon　asked。　〃I　have　to　look　at　this　from　the　state　department's　perspective。　We　know　we　have　something　lethal　on　that　ship；　but　we're　going　to　bring　it　down　anyway？　What　kind　of　danger　are　we　exposing　ourselves…　and　the　rest　of　the　world…　to？〃
　〃Maybe　no　danger　at　all；〃　Bill　Dodge　responded。　〃This　isn't　an　Andromeda…strain　scenario；　Gerry。　Or　some　X…file　about　an　extraterrestrial　plague　that　somehow　invaded　the　shuttle。　Whatever　killed　those　people　came　from　earth。　But　here；　it　obviously　didn't　have　the　lethal　capacity。　Take　away　the　microgravity　environment　and　the　damn　thing　dies。〃
　〃You're　willing　to　bet　the　country　on　that　theory？〃　Simon　retorted。　〃Or　the　planet？〃
　〃I　think　you're　overreacting；　Gerry。〃
　〃And　I　think　your　attitude　is　a　little　too　cavalier！〃
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen！〃　The　president's　words　silenced　the　room。　〃Debate；　questions；　ments；　fine。　But　no　arguing　or　backbiting。　We　don't　have　the　time。〃
　〃Does　NASA　have　any　reasonable　expectation　of　determining　what　happened　up　there？〃　the　national　security　adviser　asked。
　The　president　shook　his　head。　〃I　asked　Harry　Landon　that　same　question。　The　answer　is　no。　Although　the　survivor；　Dylan　Reed；　is　a　medical　doctor；　he　doesn't　have　the　time；　facilities；　or　help　to　conduct　any　kind　of　meaningful　investigation。　We　have　a　general　description　of　the　bodies'　condition；　but　certainly　not　enough　to　determine　the　cause　of　death。〃
　He　looked　around　the　room。　〃There　is　one　thing　I　can　say　for　sure：　Harry　Landon　does　not　believe　that　there's　even　a　consideration　of　destroying　the　shuttle。　Therefore；　neither　he　nor　anyone　from　NASA　can　be　permitted　into　our　discussions。　Having　said　that；　and　since　you've　all　had　a　chance　to　examine　the　facts　as　we　know　them；　we　need　to　take　a　preliminary　vote。　Bill；　we'll　start　with　you：　salvage　or　abort？〃
　〃Salvage。〃
　〃Marti？〃
　〃Abort。〃
　〃Gerry？〃
　〃Abort。〃
　As　the　president　steepled　his　fingers；　Bill　Dodge　spoke　up。
　〃Sir；　I　can　understand　why　my　colleagues　voted　the　way　they　did。　But　we　can't　lose　sight　of　the　fact　that　we　have　a　survivor　up　there。〃
　〃No　one's　losing　sight　of　that；　Bill；〃　Marti　Nesbitt　started　to　say。
　〃Let　me　finish；　Marti。　I　believe　I　have　a　solution。〃　Dodge　turned　to　the　group。　〃As　you're　all　aware；　I　wear　a　couple　of　hats；　one　of　them　being　the　codirector　of　the　Space　Security　Division。　Prior　to　his　tragic　accident；　Frank　Richardson　shared　that　responsibility。　Now　we've　anticipated　that　at　some　point　in　time；　a　biological　incident…　if　that's　what　occurred…　might　take　place　onboard　a　manned　or　unmanned　flight。　We　looked　specifically　at　the　shuttle　and　engineered　a　special　facility　for　just　such　a　contingency。〃
　〃And　where　would　this　facility　be？〃　Gerald　Simon　asked。
　〃At　our　flight…testing　range　at　Groome　Lake；　sixty　miles　northeast　of　Las　Vegas。〃
　〃What　are　we　talking　about　exactly？〃　the　president　asked。
　Dodge　produced　a　videocassette　from　his　briefcase。　〃It's　best　you　all　see　for　yourselves。〃
　He　inserted　the　tape　into　the　VCR　below　the　high…definition　television　monitor　and　pressed　the　play　button。　After　a　flurry　of　snow；　an　image　of　the　desert　came　into　sharp　focus。
　〃Doesn't　look　like　much　of　anything；〃　the　national　security　adviser　mented。
　〃Intentionally　so；〃　Dodge　replied。　〃We　borrowed　the　idea　from　the　Israelis。　Given　its　terrain；　Israel　has　few　places　to　hide　its　strike　aircraft。　So　they　built　a　series　of　underground　bunkers；　with　runways　that　don't　look　like　runways…　and　have　a　unique　feature。〃
　On　the　screen；　what　appeared　to　be　desert　floor　began　to　tilt　down　at　a　gradually　increasing　angle。　Dodge　froze　the　frame。
　〃This　is　where　the　runway　appears　to　end。　But　underneath　is　a　system　of　hydraulic　jacks。　The　runway　actually　extends　for　another　six　hundred　yards　as　it　slopes　into　an　underground　bunker。〃
　The　camera　followed　the　dip　in　the　runway。　On　either　side；　a　string　of　lights　came　on。　As　the　camera　descended　the　ramp；　a　huge；　concrete…lined　bunker　appeared　out　of　the　gloom。
　〃This　is　the　containment　chamber；〃　Dodge　explained。　〃The　walls　are　reinforced　concrete；　six　feet　thick。　The　air　circulation　is　HEPA　filtered；　just　like　at　the　CDC　hot　zone　labs。
　〃Once　the　shuttle　is　inside；　the　facility　is　sealed。　A　special　team　would　be　waiting　for　Dr。　Reed　when　he　es　out　and　would　take　him　into　a　decontamination　chamber。　Another　team　takes　samples　from　inside　the　craft　to　determine　what；　if　anything；　is　in　there。〃
　〃And　if　they　find　something？〃　the　secretary　of　state　asked。　〃Something　we　may　not　want　to　keep　around？〃
　〃Then　after　the　team　has　been　extracted；　this　happens。〃
　On　the　screen；　the　image　burst　into　flames。
　〃What　we　create　is　the　equivalent　to　not　one　but　three　air…burst　fuel　bombs。　The　fire　and　the　heat　incinerate　everything…　and　I　do　mean　everything。〃
　His　presentation　plete；　Dodge　removed　the　video。
　〃Questions；　observations？〃　the　president　asked。
　〃Has　this　facility　been　tested；　Bill？〃　Marti　Nesbitt　asked。
　〃We've　never　destroyed　a　shuttle；　if　that's　what　you　mean。　But　the　army　has　burned　tanks　to　a　crisp。　The　air　force；　entire　Titan　booster　rockets。　I　can　assure　you；　nothing　survives　in　there。〃
　〃I；　for　one；　like　the　idea；〃　Gerald　Simon　spoke　up。　〃Equally　important　as　getting　Dr。　Reed　back　is　finding　out　what　went　wrong　up　there。　If　we　have　a　chance　of　getting　that　information　and　we　can　destroy　the　craft　if　need　be；　then　I'm　prepared　to　change　my　vote。〃
　There　were　nods　and　murmurs　of　assent　around　the　room。
　〃I　need　a　few　minutes　to　consider　this；〃　the　president　said；　getting　to　his　feet。　〃I'm　going　to　ask　all　of　you　to　remain　here。　I　won't　be　long。〃
　
　
　In　the　next　room；　the　president　faced　Smith　and　Klein。　Pointing　at　the　closed…circuit　monitor；　he　said；　〃You　saw　and　heard　it　all。　What's　your　take？〃
　〃Isn't　it　an　interesting　coincidence　that　there's　a　facility　out　at　Groome　Lake　that's　not　only　tailor…made　for　the　current　situation；　but　that　no　one's　ever　heard　about；　sir？〃　Klein　said。
　The　president　shook　his　head。　〃I　never　suspected　that　such　a　place　existed。