p&c.icelimit-第47章
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〃Bring the jacks up to seventy；〃 said Glinn。
〃Done。〃
There was a long； boring wait。
〃Damn；〃 Rochefort muttered。 〃I'm getting no movement。 Nothing。〃
〃Bring them up to eighty。〃
Rochefort tapped on some keys。 There was a pause； then he shook his head。
〃Rachel？〃 Glinn asked。
〃Nothing wrong with the servos。〃
There was another silence； longer this time。
〃We should have seen movement at sixty…seven tons per jack。〃 Glinn waited a moment； then spoke again。 〃Raise it to one hundred。〃
Rochefort tapped the keyboard。 McFarlane glanced at the two faces illuminated in the gleam of Rochefort's monitor。 Suddenly； the tension in the hut had risen dramatically。
〃Nothing？〃 asked Glinn； something like concern in his voice。
〃It's still sitting there。〃 Rochefort's face was even more pinched than usual。
Glinn straightened up。 He slowly walked to the window； his fingers squeaking on the glass as he cleared a hole through the frost。
Minutes crawled by while Rochefort remained glued to the puter and Amira monitored the servos。 Then Glinn turned。
〃All right。 Let's lower the jacks； examine the settings； and try again。〃
Suddenly a strange keening seemed to fill the room； ing from everywhere and nowhere at once。 It was almost ghostly。 McFarlane felt his skin crawl。
Rochefort was suddenly intent on the monitor。 〃Slumping in sector six；〃 he said； his fingers flying over the keyboard。
The sound subsided。
〃What the hell was that？〃 McFarlane asked。
Glinn shook his head。 〃It looks like we might have lifted the meteorite just a millimeter in sector six； but then it subsided and pushed the jacks back。〃
〃Getting another shift；〃 Rochefort said suddenly； a note of alarm in his voice。
Glinn strode over and peered at the screen。 〃It's asymmetrical。 Lower the jacks to ninety； quickly。〃
A patter of keystrokes； and Glinn stepped back； frowning。 〃What's with sector six？〃
〃The jacks seemed to have locked at a hundred tons；〃 Rochefort said。 〃They won't go down。〃
〃Your analysis？〃
〃The rock may be settling toward that sector。 If so； a lot of weight has just shifted onto them。〃
〃Zero out all the jacks。〃
To McFarlane； the scene seemed almost surreal。 There was no sound； no dramatic subterranean rumbling； just a group of tense people gathered around flickering monitors。
Rochefort stopped typing。 〃All of sector six has locked up。 The jacks must have frozen under the weight。〃
〃Can we zero the rest？〃
〃If I do that； the meteorite might destabilize。〃
〃Destabilize；〃 McFarlane repeated。 〃You mean； as in tilt？〃
Glinn's eyes glided toward him； then returned to the puter screen。 〃Suggestions； Mr。 Rochefort？〃 he asked coolly。
The engineer leaned back； licked the tip of his left index finger； and placed it against his right thumb。 〃Here's what I think。 We leave the jacks as is。 Keep them in position。 Then we release the fluid from the emergency hydraulic valves on the sector six jacks。 Unfreeze them。〃
〃How？〃 Glinn asked。
After a moment； Rochefort replied； 〃Manually。〃
Glinn held up his radio。 〃Garza？〃
〃Roger。〃
〃You follow this？〃
〃Roger that。〃
〃Your opinion？〃
〃I agree with Gene。 We must've seriously underestimated the weight of this baby。〃
Glinn swiveled his gray eyes back to Rochefort。 〃And who do you suggest should drain the jacks？〃
〃I wouldn't ask anyone to do it but myself。 Then we'll let the meteorite settle back down to a stable resting place； set additional jacks； and try again。〃
〃You're going to need a second person；〃 came Garza's voice over the radio。 〃That would be me。〃
〃I'm not going to send both my chief engineer and my construction manager underneath that rock；〃 said Glinn。 〃Mr。 Rochefort； analyze the risk。〃
Rochefort did some calculations on a pocket calculator。 〃The jacks are rated to stand maximum pressure for sixteen hours。〃
〃What about higher…than…maximum？ Assume one hundred percent above maximum。〃
〃The time…failure rate gets shorter。〃 Rochefort made another series of calculations。 〃However； the chance of failure in the next thirty minutes is less than one percent。〃
〃That's acceptable；〃 said Glinn。 〃Mr。 Rochefort； take a crew member of your choice along。〃 He glanced at his pocket watch。 〃You have thirty minutes from this moment； not one second more。 Good luck。〃
Rochefort stood up and looked at them； his face pale。 〃Remember； sir； we don't believe in luck；〃 he said。 〃But thank you all the same。〃
Isla Desolacion；
10：24 A。M。
ROCHEFORT OPENED the door to the decrepit hut and moved the nail kegs aside； exposing the access tube and its halo of bright fluorescent light。 He gripped the rungs of the ladder and began to descend； palmtop puter and radio jiggling on his belt。 Evans followed behind； humming an off…key variant of 〃Muskrat Ramble。〃
The main emotion Rochefort felt was embarrassment。 Brief as it was； the walk from the munications hut had taken an eternity。 Although the staging area was deserted； he had nevertheless sensed dozens of eyes trained directly … and no doubt reproachfully … on his back。
He had set fifty percent more jacks than deemed necessary。 It was within EES operating guidelines； and it had seemed like a safe margin。 But he had miscalculated。 He should have invoked double overage； set two hundred jacks。 But the time pressure had always been there； hovering over everything； flowing from Lloyd to Glinn and infecting everything they did。 So Rochefort had suggested a hundred and fifty； and Glinn had not questioned his decision。 The fact was； nobody had said anything to him about the mistake … or even hinted one was made。 But that did not negate the fact that he had been wrong。 And Rochefort could not bear to be wrong。 He felt saturated by bitterness。 Reaching the bottom； he moved quickly along the tunnel； ducking his head instinctively below the lines of fluorescent lights。 Chains of ice crystals； formed from the condensed breath of the workers； stuck like feathers to the spars and trusses。 Evans； ing up behind； dragged a finger through them as he whistled。
Rochefort was humiliated； not worried。 He knew that even if the jacks in sector six failed … a minuscule possibility … it was unlikely the meteorite would do anything except settle back down into place。 It had sat there for untold millennia； and the forces of mass and inertia dictated it would probably stay that way。 The worst…case scenario meant they'd be back where they started from。
Back where they started from 。。。 His mouth set in a hard line。 It meant setting more jacks； perhaps even digging a few more tunnels。 He had strongly remended to Glinn that all Lloyd Museum personnel be left behind； that it should be strictly an EES expedition； that Lloyd's only personal involvement should be to take final possession of the meteorite and pay the bill。 For some unknown reason of his own； Glinn had allowed Lloyd to get daily updates。 This was the sort of thing that resulted。
The tunnel reached sector one； then veered left at a ninety…degree angle。 Rochefort followed the main tunnel another forty feet； then took one of the side branches that curved around toward the far side of the meteorite。 The radio burbled and he pulled it from his belt。 〃Approaching sector six；〃 he said。
〃Diagnostics indicate that all jacks in that sector； with the exception of four and six； need to be unlocked；〃 said Glinn。 〃We estimate you can plete the task in sixteen minutes。〃
Twelve； thought Rochefort； but he responded； 〃Affirmative。〃
The side tunnel angled around the front of the meteorite and split into three access tubes。 Rochefort chose the center tube。 Ahead； he could see the jacks of sector six； yellow against the bloodred meteorite。 They ran ahead in a long line from the end of the access tube。 Walking forward； he examined all fifteen in turn。 They looked perfectly secure； their claw feet firmly anchored to the base of the wall struts； servo cables running away in rivers of wire and cable。 The jacks did not appear to have moved in the slightest。 It was hard to believe they were each frozen under a hundred tons of strain。
With a sigh of irritation； he crouched by the first jack。 The belly of the meteorite curved above him； ribbed as smoothly and as
