p&c.icelimit-第55章

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　After　a　pause；　Britton　drew　herself　up。　〃Thank　you；　Sam；〃　she　said。　Then；　turning　smartly；　she　headed　for　the　bridge。
　
　Isla　Desolacion；
　July　20；　2：05　P。M。
　
　MCFARLANE　AND　Rachel　stood　at　the　edge　of　the　staging　area；　in　the　cold　afternoon　sun。　The　eastern　sky　was　clear　and　bright；　the　landscape　below　painfully　sharp　in　the　crisp　air。　But　the　sky　to　the　west　looked　very　different：　a　vast；　dark　cloak　that　stretched　across　the　horizon；　tumbling　low；　moving　in　their　direction；　blotting　out　the　mountain　peaks。　A　gust　of　wind　swirled　old　snow　around　their　feet。　The　storm　was　no　longer　just　a　blip　on　a　screen：　it　was　almost　on　top　of　them。
　Garza　came　toward　them。　〃Never　thought　I'd　like　the　look　of　a　storm　as　ugly　as　that　one；〃　he　said；　smiling　and　pointing　westward。
　〃What's　the　plan　now？〃　McFarlane　asked。
　〃Cut　and　cover；　from　here　to　the　shore；〃　said　Garza　with　a　wink。
　〃Cut　and　cover？〃
　〃Instant　tunnel。　It's　the　simplest　engineered　tunnel；　a　technique　that's　been　used　since　Babylon。　We　dig　a　channel　with　a　hydraulic　excavator；　roof　it　over　with　steel　plates；　and　throw　dirt　and　snow　on　top　to　hide　it。　As　the　meteorite　is　dragged　toward　the　shore；　we　backfill　the　old　tunnel　and　dig　new　tunnel　ahead。〃
　Rachel　nodded　toward　the　hydraulic　excavator。　〃That　baby　makes　Mike　Mulligan's　steam　shovel　look　like　a　Tonka　toy。〃
　McFarlane　thought　back　to　all　that　had　been　acplished　in　the　two　days　since　the　meteorite　crushed　Rochefort　and　Evans。　The　tunnels　had　been　cleared　and　reshored；　and　double　the　number　of　jacks　positioned　under　the　rock。　The　meteorite　had　been　raised　without　a　hitch；　a　cradle　built　underneath　it；　and　the　dirt　cleared　away。　A　gigantic　steel　flatbed　cart　had　been　brought　up　from　the　ship　and　positioned　next　to　it。　Now　it　was　time　to　drag　the　meteorite　and　its　cradle　onto　the　cart。　Garza　had　made　it　all　look　so　easy。
　The　engineer　grinned　again。　He　was　garrulous；　in　high　spirits。　〃Ready　to　see　the　heaviest　object　ever　moved　by　mankind　get　moved？〃
　〃Sure；〃　said　McFarlane。
　〃The　first　step　is　positioning　it　on　the　cart。　We'll　have　to　uncover　the　meteorite　for　that。　Briefly。　That's　why　I　like　the　look　of　that　storm。　Don't　want　those　damn　Chileans　getting　a　gander　at　our　rock。〃
　Garza　stepped　back　and　spoke　into　his　radio。　Farther　away；　Stonecipher　made　a　motion　with　his　hands　to　the　crane　operator。　As　McFarlane　watched；　the　crane　operator　began　removing　the　steel　roofing　plates　off　the　cut　that　held　the　meteorite　and　stacking　them　nearby。　The　wind　was　picking　up；　whistling　about　the　huts　and　whipping　snow　along　the　ground。　The　final　metal　plate　twisted　wildly　in　the　air　as　the　crane　operator　fought　to　hold　the　boom　steady　against　the　gusts。　〃To　the　left；　to　the　left！〃　Stonecipher　called　into　his　radio。　〃Now；　boom　down；　boom　down；　boom　down。。。　Cut。〃　After　a　tense　moment；　it；　too；　was　set　safely　aside。　McFarlane　gazed　into　the　open　trench。
　For　the　first　time；　McFarlane　saw　the　meteorite　exposed　in　its　entirety。　It　lay　in　its　cradle；　a　bloodred；　lopsided　egg　atop　a　nest　of　timbers　and　metal　I…beams。　It　was　a　breathtaking　sight。　Dimly；　he　was　aware　that　Rachel　was　speaking。
　〃What　did　I　tell　you；〃　she　said　to　Garza。　〃He's　got　the　look。〃
　〃The　look〃　was　a　term　she　had　coined　for　the　way　almost　anybody　…　technicians；　scientists；　construction　workers　…　tended　to　stop　what　they　were　doing　and　stare　at　the　meteorite；　as　if　mesmerized。
　With　an　effort；　McFarlane　pulled　his　gaze　from　the　meteorite　to　her。　The　infectious　twinkle　of　merriment　…　so　evidently　missing　for　the　last　twenty…four　hours　…　had　returned　to　her　eyes。
　〃It's　beautiful；〃　he　said。
　He　glanced　back　down　the　length　of　the　exposed　tunnel　to　the　cart　that　would　carry　the　rock。　It　was　a　remarkablelooking　thing；　a　honeybed　flatbed　of　steel　and　ceramiccarbon　posite　a　hundred　feet　long。　Although　he　could　not　see　them　from　above；　McFarlane　knew　that　beneath　the　cart　was　an　array　of　heavy…duty　aircraft　tires：　thirty…six　axles；　with　forty　tires　on　each　axle；　to　bear　the　staggering　weight　of　the　meteorite。　At　the　far　end；　a　massive　steel　capstan　rose　from　a　socket　in　the　tunnel　bed。
　Glinn　was　calling　out　orders　to　dark　figures　in　the　tunnel；　raising　his　voice　above　the　increasing　fury　of　the　wind。　The　front　now　loomed　above　them；　a　cliff　of　dark　weather　that　ate　away　daylight　as　it　approached。　He　broke　off　and　came　over　to　McFarlane。
　〃Any　new　results　from　the　second　set　of　tests；　Dr。　McFarlane？〃　he　asked　as　he　watched　the　men　work　beneath　them。
　McFarlane　nodded。　〃On　several　fronts。〃　He　fell　silent。　It　was　only　a　small　satisfaction；　he　knew：　making　Glinn　ask。　It　continued　to　rankle　him；　Glinn's　monitoring　his　actions。　But　he　had　decided　not　to　make　an　issue　of　it　…　at　least　not　now。
　Glinn　inclined　his　head；　as　if　perceiving　the　thought。　〃I　see。　May　we　hear　them；　please？〃
　〃Sure　thing。　We　have　its　melting　point　now。　Or　rather；　I　should　say　vapor　point；　since　it　goes　directly　from　a　solid　to　a　gas。〃
　Glinn　raised　his　eyebrows　inquiringly。
　〃One　point　two　million　degrees　Kelvin。〃
　Glinn　breathed　out。　〃Good　Lord。〃
　〃We've　also　made　some　progress　on　its　crystalline　structure。　It's　an　extremely　plicated；　asymmetrical　fractal　pattern　built　from　nested　isosceles　triangles。　The　patterns　repeat　themselves　at　different　scales　from　the　macroscopic　all　the　way　down　to　individual　atoms。　A　textbook　fractal。　Which　explains　its　extreme　hardness。　It　appears　to　be　elemental；　not　an　alloy。〃
　〃Any　more　information　about　its　place　on　the　periodic　table？〃
　〃Very　high　up；　above　one　seventy…seven。　A　superactinide　element；　probably。　The　individual　atoms　appear　to　be　gigantic；　each　with　hundreds　of　protons　and　neutrons。　It's　most　definitely　an　element　in　the　‘island　of　stability'　we　talked　about　earlier。〃
　〃Anything　else？〃
　McFarlane　took　a　breath　of　frosty　air。　〃Yes。　Something　very　interesting。　Rachel　and　I　dated　the　Jaws　of　Hanuxa。　The　volcanic　eruptions　and　lava　flows　date　almost　precisely　to　the　time　of　the　meteorite's　impact。〃
　Glinn's　eyes　flickered　toward　him。　〃Your　conclusion？〃
　〃We　always　assumed　that　the　meteorite　landed　near　a　volcano。　But　now　it　looks　as　if　the　meteorite　made　the　volcano。〃
　Glinn　waited。
　〃The　meteorite　was　so　heavy　and　dense；　and　traveling　so　fast；　that　it　punched　deep　into　the　earth's　crust；　like　a　bullet；　triggering　the　volcanic　eruption。　That's　why　Isla　Desolacion；　alone　among　the　Cape　Horn　islands；　is　volcanic。　In　his　journal；　Nestor　talked　about　the　‘weird　coesite'　of　the　region。　And　when　I　reexamined　the　coesite　with　the　X…ray　diffractor；　I　realized　he　was　right。　It　is　different。　The　meteorite's　impact　was　so　severe　that　the　surrounding　rock　that　wasn't　vaporized　underwent　a　phase　change。　The　impact　chemically　changed　the　material　into　a　form　of　coesite　never　seen　before。〃
　He　gestured　in　the　direction　of　the　Jaws　of　Hanuxa。　〃The　force　of　the　eruption；　the　turbulence　of　the　magma　and　the　explosive　release　of　gases；　carried　the　meteorite　back　up；　where　it　froze　into　position　several　thousand　feet　down。　Over　millions　of　years；　in　the　uplift　and　erosion　of　the　southern　Cordillera；　it　gradually　moved　closer　and　closer　to　the　surface；　until　it　finally　eroded　out　of　the　island　valley。　At　least；　that's　what　seems　to　fit　the　facts。〃
　There　was　a　thoughtful　silence。　Then　Glinn　looked　over　at　Garza　and　Stonecipher。　〃Let's　proceed。〃
　Garza　shouted　out　orders。　McFarlane　watched　as　some　of　the　figures　in　the　tunnel　below　gingerly　attached　a　webbing　of　thick　Kevlar　straps　to　the　cradle　and　the　meteorite。　Others　pulled　more　straps　over　the　top　of　the　sled　and　into　position　around　the　capstan。　Then　the　group　stood　back。　There　was　a　metallic　cough；　then　a　throaty　rumble；　and　the　ground　beneath　McFarlane's　feet　came　alive　with　vibration。　Two　massive　diesel　generators　began　turning　the　steel　capstan。　As　it　turned；　the　webbing　of　Kevlar　straps　slowly　began　to　wind　up；　taking　out　the　slack；　tightening　around　the　rock。　The　generators　stopped：　the　meteorite　was　now　ready　to　move。
　McFarlane's　eyes　returned　to　the　meteorite。　The　shadow　of　the　storm　fell　across　the　staging　area；　and　the　meteorite　looked　duller；　as　if　some　internal　fire　had　been　quenched。
　〃Jesus；〃　Rachel　said；　glancing　at　the　wall　of　wind　an