alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第48节
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It was Rawlings。 He was very weak and had to be helped out of his breathing equipment and his suit。 His face was white and streaming sweat； his hair and clothes so saturated with sweat that he might easily have e straight from an immersion in the sea。 But he was grinning triumphantly。
〃No steam leak； Captain； that's for certain。〃 It took him three breaths to get that out。 〃But fire down below in the machinery space。 Sparks flying all over the shop。 Some flame； not much。 I located it； sir。 Starboard high…pressure turbine。 The sheathing's on fire。〃
〃You'll get that medal； Rawlings；〃 Swanson said； 〃even if I have to make the damn thing myself。〃 He turned to the waiting firemen。 〃You heard。 Starboard turbine。 Four at a time； fifteen minutes maximum。 Lieutenant Raeburn； the first party。 Knives； claw hammers； pliers； crow bars； CO2。 Saturate the sheathing first； then rip it off。 Watch out for flash flames when you're pulling it off。 I don't have to warn you about the steam pipes。 Now； on your way。〃
They left。 I said to Swanson： 〃Doesn't sound so much。 How long will it take？ Ten minutes； quarter of an hour？〃
He looked at me somberly。 〃A minimum of three or four hoursif we're lucky。 It's hell's own maze down in the machinery space there。 Valves； tubes； condensers； and miles of that damned steam piping that would burn your hands off if you touched it。 Working conditions even normally are so cramped as to be almost impossible。 Then there's that huge turbine housing with all that thick insulation sheathing wrapped all around it； and the engineers who fitted it meant it to stay there for keeps。 Before they start； they have to douse the fire with the CO2 extinguishers； and even that won't help much。 Every time they rip off a piece of charred insulation； the oil…soaked stuff below will burst into flames again as soon as it es into contact with the oxygen in the atmosphere。〃
〃'Oil…soaked'？〃
〃That's where the whole trouble must lie；〃 Swanson explained。 〃Wherever you have moving machinery； you must have oil for lubrication。 There's no shortage of machinery； down in the machine spaceand no shortage of oil； either。 And just as certain materials are strongly hygroscopic； so that damned insulation has a remarkable affinity for oil。 Where there's any around； whether in its normal fluid condition or in fine suspension in the atmosphere； that sheathing attracts it as a magnet does iron ffiings。 And it's as absorbent as blotting paper。〃
〃But what could have caused the fire？〃
〃Spontaneous bustion。 There have been cases before。 We've gone over fifty thousand miles in this ship now； and in that time I suppose the sheathing has bee thoroughly saturated。 We've been going at top speed ever since we left Zebra； and the excess heat generated has set the damn thing off。 。 。 。 John； no word from Cartwright yet？〃
〃Nothing。〃
〃He must have been in there for the better part of twenty minutes now。〃
〃Maybe。 But he was just beginning to put his suit onhe and Ringmanwhen I left； and maybe； they didn't go into the engine room right away。 I'll call the stern room。〃 He did； then hung up； his face grave。 〃Stern room says they've been gone twenty…five minutes。 Shall I investigate； sir？〃
〃You stay right here。 I'm not〃
He broke off as the after door opened with a crash and two men came staggering outrather； one staggering； the other supporting him。 The door was heaved shut and the men's masks； removed。 One man I recognized as an enlisted man who had acpanied Raeburn； the other was Cartwright。
〃Lieutenant Raeburn sent me out with the lieutenant here；〃 the enlisted man said。 〃He's not so good； I think； Captain。〃
It was a pretty fair diagnosis。 He wasn't so good and that was a fact。 He was barely conscious but nonetheless fighting grimly to hang on to what few shreds of consciousness were left him。
〃Ringman；〃 he jerked out。 〃Five minutesfive minutes ago。 We were going back〃
〃Ringman；〃 Swanson prompted with a gentle insistence。 〃What about Ringman？〃
〃He fell。 Down into the machinery space。 II went after him； tried to lift him up the ladder。 He screamed。 God； he screamed。 Ihe〃
He slumped in his chair； was caught before he fell to the floor。 I said： 〃Ringman。 Either a major fracture or internal injuries。
〃Damn！〃 Swanson swore softly。 〃Damn it all！ A fracture。 Down there。 John； have Cartwright carried through to the crew's mess。 A fracture！〃
〃Please have a mask and suit ready for me；〃 Jolly said briskly。 〃I'll fetch Dr。 Benson's emergency kit from the sick bay。〃
〃You？〃 Swanson shook his head。 〃Damned decent； Jolly。 I appreciate it； but I can't let you〃
〃Just for once； old boy； the hell with your Navy regulations；〃 Jolly said politely。 〃The main thing to remember； mander； is that I'm aboard this ship； too。 Let us remember that we allurnsink or swim together。 No joke intended。〃
〃But you don't know how to operate those sets〃
〃I can learn； can't I？〃 Jolly said with some asperity。 He turned and left。
Swanson looked at me。 He was wearing goggles； but they couldn't hide the concern in his face。 He said； curiously hesitant： 〃Do you think〃
〃Of course Jolly's right。 You've no option。 If Benson were fit you know very well you'd have him down there in no time。 Besides； Jolly is a damned fine doctor。〃
〃You haven't been down there； Carpenter。 It's a metal jungle。 There isn't room to splint a broken finger； much less〃
〃I don't think Dr。 Jolly will try to fix or splint anything。 He'll just give Ringman a jab that will put him out so that he can be brought up here without screaming in agony all the way。〃
Swanson nodded； pursed his lips； and walked away to examine the ice fathometer。 I said to Hansen； 〃It's pretty bad； isn't it？〃
〃You can say that again； friend。 It's worse than bad。 Normally； there should be enough air in the submarine to last us maybe sixteen hours。 But well over half the air in this ship； from here right aft； is already practically unbreathable。 What we have left can't possibly last us more than a few hours。 Skipper's boxed in on three sides。 If he doesn't start the air purifiers up； the men working down in the machinery space are going to have a hell of a job doing anything。 Working in near…zero visibility with breathing apparatus on； you're practically as good as blind： the floods will make hardly any difference。 If he does start up the purifiers in the engine room； the fresh oxygen will cause the fire to spread。 And when he starts them up； of course； that means less and less power to get the reactor working again。〃
〃That's very forting；〃 I said。 〃How long will it take you to restart the reactor？〃
〃At least an hour。 That's after the fire has been put out and everything checked for safety。 At least an hour。〃
〃And Swanson reckoned three or four hours to put the fire out。 Say five； all told。 It's a long time。 Why doesn't he use some of his reserve power cruising around to find a lead？〃
〃An even bigger gamble than staying put and trying to put out the fire。 I'm with the skipper。 Let's fight the devil we know rather than the one we don't。〃
Medical case in hand； Jolly came coughing and spluttering his way back into the control center and started pulling on a suit and breathing apparatus。 Hansen gave him instructions on how to operate it； and Jolly seemed to get the idea pretty quickly。 Brown； the enlisted man who'd helped Cartwright into the control center； was detailed to acpany him： Jolly had no idea of the location of the ladder leading down from the upper engine room to the machinery space。
〃Be as quick as you can；〃 Swanson said。 〃Remember； Jolly； you're not trained for this sort of thing。 I'll expect you back inside ten minutes。〃
They were back in exactly four minutes。 They didn't have an unconscious Ringman with them； either。 The only unconscious figure was that of Dr。 Jolly； whom Brown half carried； half dragged over the sill into the control room。
〃Can't say for sure what happened；〃 Brown gasped。 He was trembling from the effort he had just made； Jolly must have outweighed him by at least thirty pounds。 〃We'd just got into the engine room and shut the door。 I was leading； and suddenly Dr。 Jolly fell against me。 I think he must have tripped over something。 He knocked me down。 When I got to my feet； he was lying there behind me。 I put the flashlight on him。 He was out cold。 His mask had been torn loose。 I put it on as best I could and pulled him out。〃
〃My God；〃 Hansen said reflectively。 〃The medical profession on the 〃Dolphin〃 〃is〃 having a rough time。〃 He gloomily surveyed the prone figure of Dr。 Jolly as it was carried away toward the after door and relatively fresh air。 〃All three sawbones out of mission now。 That's very handy； isn't it； skipper？〃
Swanson didn't answer。 I said to him； 〃The injection for Ringman。 Would you know what to give； how to give it and where？〃
〃No。〃
〃Would any of your crew？〃
〃I'm in no position to argue； Dr。 Carpenter。〃
I opened Jolly's medical kit； hunted among the bottles on the lid rack until I found what I wanted； dipped a hypodermic and injected it in my left forearm； just where the bandage ended。 〃Pain…killer；〃 I said。 〃I'm just a softy。 But I want to be able to use the forefinge
