dk.solesurvivor-第35节

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　　Two　seconds　of　silence。
　　SANTORELLI： What's　this？　What're　we　。。。　Roy；　you　off　the　auto　pilot？
　　BLANE： One　of　their　names　is　Dr。　Louis　Blom。
　　SANTORELLI： What？
　　BLANE： One　of　their　names　is　Dr。　Keith　Ramlock。
　　SANTORELLI： （with　audible　concern）　What's　this　on　the　McDoo？　You　been　in　the　FMC；　Roy？
　　
　　When　Joe　inquired；　Barbara　said；　'The　747…400s　use　digitised　avionics。　The　instrument　panel　is　dominated　by　six　of　the　largest　cathode…ray　tubes　made；　for　the　display　of　data。　And　the　McDoo　means　MCDU；　the　multi…function　control　and　display　unit。　There's　one　beside　each　pilot's　seat；　and　they're　interconnected；　so　anything　one　pilot　enters　is　updated　on　the　other's　unit。　They　control　the　Honeywell/Sperry　FMC；　the　flight　management　puter。　The　pilots　input　the　flight　plan　and　the　load　sheet　through　the　MCDU　keyboards；　and　all　enroute　flight…plan　changes　are　also　actuated　with　the　McDoos。'
　　'So　Santorelli　es　back　from　the　john　and　sees　that　Blane　has　made　changes　to　the　flight　plan。　Is　that　unusual？'
　　'Depends　on　weather；　turbulence；　unexpected　traffic；　holding　patterns　because　of　airport　problems　at　the　destination。。。
　　'But　at　this　point　in　a　coast…to…coast　flight…little　past　the　midpoint…in　pretty　good　weather；　with　everything　apparently　ticking　along　routinely？'
　　Barbara　nodded。　'Yeah；　Santorelli　would　wonder　why　they　were　making　flight…plan　changes　under　the　circumstances。　But　I　think　the　concern　in　his　voice　results　more　from　Blane's　unresponsiveness　and　from　something　unusual　he　saw　on　the　McDoo；　some　plan　change　that　didn't　make　sense。'
　　'Which　would　be？'
　　As　I　said　earlier；　they　were　seven　degrees　off　course。'
　　'Santorelli　wouldn't　have　felt　that　happening　when　he　was　in　the　lavatory？'
　　'It　started　soon　after　he　was　off　the　flight　deck；　and　it　was　a　gradual；　really　gentle　bank。　He　might　have　sensed　something；　but　there's　no　reason　he　would　have　realized　the　change　was　so　big。'
　　'Who　are　these　doctors…Blom　and　Ramlock？'
　　'I　don't　have　a　clue。　But　read　on。　It　gets　weirder。'
　　BLANE： They're　doing　bad　things　to　me。
　　SANTORELLI： Captain；　what's　wrong　here？
　　BLANE： They're　mean　to　me。
　　SANTORELLI： Hey；　are　you　with　me　here？
　　BLANE： Make　them　stop。
　　
　　Barbara　said；　'Blane's　voice　changes　there。　It's　sort　of　odd　all　the　way　through　this；　but　when　he　says　〃make　them　stop；〃　there's　a　tremor　in　it；　a　fragility；　as　if　he's　actually　in　。　。　。　not　pain　so　much　but　emotional　distress。'
　　
　　SANTORELLI： Captain。　。　。　Roy；　I'm　taking　over　here　now。
　　BLANE： Are　we　recording？
　　SANTORELLI： What？
　　
　　BLANE： Make　them　stop　hurting　me。
　　SANTORELLI： （worriedly）　Gonna　be…
　　BLANE： Are　we　recording？
　　SANTORELLI： Gonna　be　all　right　now…　A　hard　sound　like　a　punch。　A　grunt；　apparently　from　Santorelli。
　　Another　punch。　Santorelli　falls　silent。
　　BLANE： Are　we　recording？
　　
　　As　a　timpani　of　thunder　drummed　an　overture　in　the　east；　Joe　said；　'He　sucker…punched　his　copilot？'
　　'Or　hit　him　with　some　blunt　object；　maybe　something　he'd　taken　out　of　his　flight　bag　and　hidden　beside　his　seat　while　Santorelli　was　in　the　lay；　something　he　was　ready　with。'
　　'Premeditation。　What　the　hell？'
　　'Probably　hit　him　in　the　face；　because　Santorelli　went　right　out。　He's　silent　for　ten　or　twelve　seconds；　and　then'…she　pointed　to　the　transcript…'we　hear　him　groaning。'
　　'Dear　God。'
　　'On　the　tape；　Blane's　voice　now　loses　the　tremor；　the　fragility。　There's　a　bitterness　that　makes　your　skin　crawl。'
　　
　　BLANE： Make　them　stop　or　when　I　get　the　chance。　。　。　when　I　get　the　chance；　I'll　kill　everybody。　Everybody。　I　will。　I'll　do　it。　I'll　kill　everybody；　and　I'll　like　it。
　　
　　The　transcript　rattled　in　Joe's　hands。
　　He　thought　of　the　passengers　on　353：　some　dozing　in　their　seats；　others　reading　books；　working　on　laptops；　leafing　through　magazines；　knitting；　watching　a　movie；　having　a　drink；　making　plans　for　the　future；　all　of　them　placent；　none　aware　of　the　terrifying　events　occurring　in　the　cockpit。
　　Maybe　Nina　was　at　the　window；　gazing　out　at　the　stars　or　down　at　the　top　of　the　cloud　cover　below　them；　she　liked　the　window　seat。　Michelle　and　Chrissie　might　have　been　playing　a　game　of　Go　Fish　or　Old　Maids；　they　travelled　with　decks　for　various　games。
　　He　was　torturing　himself。　He　was　good　at　it　because　a　part　of　him　believed　that　he　deserved　to　be　tortured。
　　Forcing　those　thoughts　out　of　his　mind；　Joe　said；　'What　was　going　on　with　Blane；　for　God's　sake？　Drugs？　Was　his　brain　fried　on　something？'
　　'No。　That　was　ruled　out。'
　　'How？'
　　'It's　always　a　priority　to　find　something　of　the　pilots'　remains　to　test　for　drugs　and　alcohol。　It　took　some　time　in　this　case；'　she　said；　as　with　a　sweep　of　one　hand　she　indicated　the　scorched　pines　and　aspens　uphill；　'because　a　lot　of　the　organic　debris　was　scattered　as　much　as　a　hundred　yards　into　the　trees　west　and　north　of　the　impact。'
　　An　internal　darkness　encroached　on　Joe's　field　of　vision；　until　he　seemed　to　be　looking　at　the　world　through　a　tunnel。　He　bit　his　tongue　almost　hard　enough　to　draw　blood；　breathed　slowly　and　deeply；　and　tried　not　to　let　Barbara　see　how　shaken　he　was　by　these　details。
　　She　put　her　hands　in　her　pockets。　She　kicked　a　stone　into　the　crater。　'Really　need　this　stuff；　Joe？'
　　'Yes。'
　　She　sighed。　'We　found　a　portion　of　a　hand　we　suspected　was　Blane's　because　of　a　half…melted　wedding　band　that　was　fused　to　the　ring　finger；　a　relatively　unique　gold　band。　There　was　some　other　tissue　as　well。　With　that　we　identified…'
　　'Fingerprints？'
　　'No；　those　were　burned　off。　But　his　father's　still　alive；　so　the　Armed　Forces　DNA　Identification　Laboratory　was　able　to　confirm　it　was　Blane's　tissue　through　a　DNA　match　with　a　blood　sample　that　his　dad　supplied。'
　　'Reliable？'
　　A　hundred　percent。　Then　the　remains　went　to　the　toxicologists。　There　were　minute　amounts　of　ethanol　in　both　Blane　and　Santorelli；　but　that　was　just　the　consequences　of　putrefaction。　Blane's　partial　hand　was　in　those　woods　more　than　seventy…two　hours　before　we　found　it。　Santorelli's　remains…four　days。　Some　ethanol　related　to　tissue　decay　was　to　be　expected。　But　otherwise；　they　both　passed　all　the　toxicologicals。　They　were　clean　and　sober。'
　　Joe　tried　to　reconcile　the　words　on　the　transcript　with　the　toxicological　findings。　He　couldn't。
　　He　said；　'What're　the　other　possibilities？　A　stroke？'
　　'No；　it　just　didn't　sound　that　way　on　the　tape　I　listened　to；'　Barbara　said。　'Blane　speaks　clearly；　with　no　slurring　of　the　voice　whatsoever。　And　although　what　he's　saying　is　damn　bizarre；　it's　nevertheless　coherent…no　transposition　of　words；　no　substitution　of　inappropriate　words。'
　　Frustrated；　Joe　said；　'Then　what　the　hell？　A　nervous　breakdown；　psychotic　episode？'
　　Barbara's　frustration　was　no　less　than　Joe's：　'But　where　the　hell　did　it　e　from？　Captain　Delroy　Michael　Blane　was　the　most　rock…solid　psychological　specimen　you'd　ever　want　to　meet。　Totally　stable　guy。'
　　'Not　totally。'
　　'Totally　stable　guy；'　she　insisted。　'Passed　all　the　pany　psychological　exams。　Loyal　family　man。　Faithful　husband。　A　Mormon；　active　in　his　church。　No　drinking；　no　drugs；　no　gambling。　Joe；　you　can't　find　one　person　out　there　who　ever　saw　him　in　a　single　moment　of　aberrant　behaviour。　By　all　accounts　he　wasn't　just　a　good　man；　not　just　a　solid　man…but　a　happy　man。'
　　Lightning　glimmered。　Wheels　of　rolling　thunder　clattered　along　steel　rails　in　the　high　east。
　　Pointing　to　the　transcript；　Barbara　showed　Joe　where　the　747　made　the　first　sudden　three…degree　heading　change；　nose　right；　which　precipitated　a　yaw。　At　that　point；　Santorelli　was　groaning　but　not　fully　conscious　yet。　And　just　before　the　manoeuvre；　Captain　Blane　said；　〃This　is　fun。〃　There　are　these　other　sounds　on　the　tape　…here；　the　rattle　and　clink　of　small　loose　objects　being　flung　around　by　the　sudden　lateral　acceleration。'
　　This　is　fun。
　　Joe　couldn't　take　his　eyes　off　those　words。
　　Barbara　turned　the　page　for　him。　'Three　seconds　later；　the　aircraft　made　another　violent　heading　change　of　four　degrees；　nose　left。　In　addition　to　the　previous　clatter；　there　were　now　sounds　from　the　aircraft　…　a　thump　and　a　low　shuddery　noise。　And　Captain　Blane　is　laughing。'
　　'Laughing；'　Joe　said　with　inprehension。　'He　was　going　to　go　down　with　them；　and　he　was　laughing？'
　　'It　wasn't　anything　you'd　think　of　as　a　mad　laugh；　either。　It　was　a　pleasant　laugh；　as　if　he　were　genuinely　enjoying　himself。'
　　This　is　fun。
　　Eight　seconds　after　the　first　yawing　incident；　there　was　another　abrupt　heading　change　of　three　degrees；　nose　left；　followed　just　two　seconds　later　by　a　severe　shift　of　seven　degrees；　nose　right。　Blane　laughed　as　he　executed　the　first　manoeuvre　and；　with　the　second；　said；　Oh；　Wow！
　　'This　is　where　the　starboard　wing　lifted；　forcing　the　port　wing　down；'　Barbara　said。　'In　twenty…two　seconds　the　craft　was　banking　at　a　hundred　and　forty…six　degrees　with　a　downward　nose　pitch　of　eighty…four　degrees。'
　　'They　were　finished。'
　　'It　was　deep　trouble　but　not　hopeless。　There　was　still　a　chance　they　might　have　pulled　out　of　it。　Remember；　they　were　above　twenty　thousand　feet。　Room　for　recovery。'
　　Bec