p&c.icelimit-第15章

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！


LCCs　displace　up　to　half　a　million。〃
　〃It's　remarkable。　If　there　was　only　some　way　of　running　my　affairs　remotely；　I'd　give　anything　to　be　able　to　go　along。〃
　〃We'll　document　everything；　of　course。　There　will　be　daily　conferences　via　satellite　uplink。　I　think　you'll　share　everything　but　the　seasickness。〃
　As　they　continued　along　the　catwalk；　the　entire　port　side　of　the　vessel　became　visible。　Lloyd　stopped。
　〃What　is　it？〃　Glinn　asked。
　〃I。。。〃　Lloyd　paused；　temporarily　at　a　loss　for　words。　〃I　just　never　thought　it　would　look　so　credible。〃　
　Amusement　gleamed　briefly　in　Glinn's　eyes。　〃Industrial　Light　and　Magic　is　doing　a　fine　job；　don't　you　think？〃
　〃The　Hollywood　firm？〃
　Glinn　nodded。　〃Why　reinvent　the　wheel？　They've　got　the　best　visual　effects　designers　in　the　world。　And　they're　discreet。〃
　Lloyd　did　not　reply。　He　simply　stood　at　the　railing；　gazing　down。　Before　his　very　eyes；　the　sleek；　state…of…the…art　oil　tanker　was　being　transformed　into　a　shabby　ore　carrier　bound　for　its　graveyard　voyage。　The　forward　half　of　the　great　ship　presented　beautiful；　clean　expanses　of　painted　metal；　welds　and　plates　in　crisp　geometrical　perfection：　all　the　sparkling　newness　of　a　six…month…old　vessel。　From　amidships　to　the　stern；　however；　the　contrast　could　not　have　been　more　outrageous。　The　rear　section　of　the　ship　looked　like　a　wreck。　The　aft　superstructure　seemed　to　have　been　coated　in　twenty　layers　of　paint；　each　flaking　off　at　a　different　rate。　One　of　the　bridge　wings；　a　queer…looking　structure　to　begin　with；　had　been　apparently　crushed；　then　welded　back　together。　Great　rivers　of　rust　cascaded　down　the　dented　hull。　The　railings　were　warped；　and　missing　sections　had　been　crudely　patched　with　welded　pipe；　rebar；　and　angle　iron。
　〃It's　a　perfect　disguise；〃　said　Lloyd。　〃Just　like　the　mining　operation。〃
　〃I'm　especially　pleased　with　the　radar　mast；〃　said　Glinn；　pointing　aft。
　Even　from　this　distance；　Lloyd　could　see　the　paint　was　largely　stripped　off；　and　bits　of　metal　dangled　from　old　wires。　A　few　antennae　had　been　broken；　crudely　spliced；　then　broken　again。　Everything　was　streaked　with　stack　soot。
　〃Inside　that　wreck　of　a　mast；〃　Glinn　went　on；　〃you'll　find　the　very　latest　equipment：　P…Code　and　differential　GPS；　Spizz…64；　FLIR；　LN…66；　Slick　32；　passive　ESM；　and　other　specialized　radar　equipment；　Tigershark　Loran　C；　INMARSAT；　and　Sperry　GMDSS　munications　stations。　If　we　run　into　any；　ah；　special　situations；　there　are　some　mast　electronics　that　can　be　raised　at　the　push　of　a　button。〃
　As　Lloyd　watched；　a　crane　holding　a　huge　wrecking　ball　swiveled　toward　the　hull；　with　exquisite　care　the　ball　was　brought　in　contact　with　the　port　side　of　the　ship　once；　twice；　then　three　times；　adding　fresh　indignities。　Painters　with　thick　hoses　swarmed　over　the　ship's　midsection；　turning　the　spotless　deck　into　a　storm　of　simulated　tar；　oil；　and　grit。
　〃The　real　job　will　be　cleaning　all　this　up；〃　Glinn　said　〃Once　we　unload　the　meteorite　and　are　ready　to　resell　the　ship。〃
　Lloyd　tore　his　gaze　away。　Once　we　unload　the　meteorite。。。　In　less　than　two　weeks；　the　ship　would　be　heading　to　sea。　And　when　it　returned　…　when；　at　last；　his　prize　could　be　unveiled　…　the　whole　world　would　be　talking　about　what　had　been　acplished。
　〃Of　course；　we're　not　doing　much　to　the　interior；〃　Glinn　said　as　they　started　along　the　catwalk　again。　〃The　quarters　are　quite　luxurious　…　large　staterooms；　wood　paneling；　puter…controlled　lighting；　lounges；　exercise　rooms；　and　so　forth。〃
　Lloyd　stopped　once　again　as　he　noticed　activity　around　a　hole　cut　into　the　forward　hull。　A　line　of　bulldozers；　D…cats；　front…end　loaders；　skidders　with　house…size　tires；　and　other　heavy　mining　equipment　snaked　away　from　the　hole；　a　heavyweight　traffic　jam；　waiting　to　be　loaded　onto　the　ship。　There　was　a　roar　of　diesel　engines　and　the　grinding　of　gears　as；　one　by　one；　the　equipment　drove　in　and　disappeared　from　view。
　〃An　industrial…age　Noah's　ark；〃　said　Lloyd。
　〃It　was　cheaper　and　faster　to　make　our　own　door　than　to　position　all　the　heavy　equipment　with　a　crane；〃　Glinn　said。　〃The　Rolvaag　is　designed　like　a　typical　tanker。　The　cargo…oil　spaces　occupy　three　quarters　of　the　hull。　The　rest　is　taken　up　with　general　holds；　partments；　machinery　spaces；　and　the　like。　We've　built　special　bays　to　hold　the　equipment　and　raw　material　we'll　need　for　the　job。　We've　already　loaded　a　thousand　tons　of　the　best　Mannsheim　high…tensile　steel；　a　quarter　million　board　feet　of　laminated　timbers；　and　everything　from　aircraft　tires　to　generators。〃
　Lloyd　pointed。　〃And　those　boxcars　on　the　deck？〃
　〃They're　designed　to　look　like　the　Rolvaag　is　making　some　extra　bucks　on　the　side　piggybacking　containers。　Inside　are　some　very　sophisticated　labs。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　them。〃
　〃The　gray　one　closest　to　the　bow　is　a　hydro　lab。　Next　to　it　is　a　clean　room。　And　then　we　have　a　high…speed　CAD　workstation；　a　darkroom；　tech　stores；　a　scientific　freezer；　electron　microscope　and　X…ray　crystallography　labs；　a　diver's　locker；　and　an　isotope　and　radiation　chamber。　Belowdecks　are　medical　and　surgical　spaces；　a　biohazard　lab；　and　two　machine　shops。　No　windows　for　any　of　them；　I'm　afraid；　that　would　give　the　game　away。〃
　Lloyd　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　beginning　to　see　where　all　my　money　is　going。　Don't　forget；　Eli；　what　I'm　buying　is　basically　a　recovery　operation。　The　science　can　wait。〃
　〃I　haven't　forgotten。　But　given　the　high　degree　of　unknowns；　and　the　fact　that　we'll　only　get　one　chance　at　this　recovery；　we　must　be　prepared　for　anything。〃
　〃Of　course。　That's　why　I'm　sending　Sam　McFarlane。　But　as　long　as　things　go　according　to　plan；　his　expertise　is　for　use　with　the　engineering　problem。　I　don't　want　a　lot　of　timewasting　scientific　tests。　Just　get　the　thing　the　hell　out　of　Chile。　We'll　have　all　the　time　in　the　world　to　fuss　with　it　later。〃
　〃Sam　McFarlane；〃　Glinn　repeated。　〃An　interesting　choice。　Curious　fellow。〃
　Lloyd　looked　at　him。　〃Now　don't　you　start　telling　me　I　made　a　mistake。〃
　〃I　didn't　say　that。　I　merely　express　surprise　at　your　choice　of　planetary　geologists。〃
　〃He's　the　best　guy　for　the　job。　I　don't　want　a　crowd　of　wimpy　scientists　down　there。　Sam's　worked　both　the　lab　and　the　field。　He　can　do　it　all。　He's　tough。　He　knows　Chile。　The　guy　who　found　the　thing　was　his　ex…partner；　for　chrissakes；　and　his　analysis　of　the　data　was　brilliant。〃　He　leaned　confidentially　toward　Glinn。　〃So　he　made　an　error　of　judgment　a　couple　of　years　back。　And；　yes；　it　wasn't　a　small　one。　Does　that　mean　nobody　should　trust　him　for　the　rest　of　his　life？　Besides〃　…　and　here　he　placed　a　hand　on　Glinn's　shoulder…〃you'll　be　there　to　keep　an　eye　on　him。　Just　in　case　temptation　es　his　way。〃　He　released　his　hold　and　turned　back　to　the　ship。　〃And　speaking　of　temptation；　where　exactly　will　the　meteorite　go？〃
　〃Follow　me；〃　Glinn　said。　〃I'll　show　you。〃
　They　climbed　another　set　of　stairs　and　continued　along　a　high　catwalk　that　bridged　the　ship's　beam。　Here；　a　lone　figure　stood　at　the　rail：　silent；　erect；　dressed　in　a　captain's　outfit；　looking　every　inch　the　ship's　officer。　As　they　approached；　the　figure　detached　itself　from　the　railing　and　waited。　〃Captain　Britton；〃　said　Glinn；　〃Mr。　Lloyd。〃
　Lloyd　extended　his　hand；　then　froze。　〃A　woman？〃　he　blurted　involuntarily。
　Without　a　pause；　she　grasped　his　hand。　〃Very　observant；　Mr。　Lloyd。〃　She　gave　his　hand　a　firm；　short　shake。　〃Sally　Britton。〃
　〃Of　course；〃　said　Lloyd。　〃I　just　didn't　expect　…　…〃　Why　hadn't　Glinn　warned　him？　His　eyes　lingered　on　the　trim　form；　the　wisp　of　blond　hair　escaping　from　beneath　her　cap。
　〃Glad　you　could　meet　us；〃　said　Glinn。　〃I　wanted　you　to　see　the　ship　before　it　was　pletely　disguised。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Glinn；〃　she　said；　the　faint　smile　holding。　〃I　don't　think　I've　ever　seen　anything　quite　so　repulsive　in　my　life。〃
　〃It's　purely　cosmetic。〃
　〃I　intend　to　spend　the　next　several　days　making　sure　of　that。〃　She　pointed　toward　some　large　projections　from　the　side　of　the　superstructure。　〃What's　behind　those　forward　bulkheads？〃
　〃Additional　security　equipment；〃　Glinn　said。　〃We've　taken　every　possible　safety　precaution；　and　then　some。〃　
　〃Interesting。〃
　Lloyd　gazed　at　her　profile　curiously。　〃Eli　here　has　said　nothing　about　you；〃　he　said。　〃Can　you　fill　me　in　on