p&c.icelimit-第84章

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itton　hardly　felt　the　cold。
　Lloyd　approached；　shrugging　glass　from　his　clothes。　A　nasty　cut　across　his　forehead　was　bleeding　profusely。
　〃Mr。　Lloyd；　report　to　sick　bay　…　〃　Britton　began　automatically。
　〃Don't　be　ridiculous；〃　he　said　impatiently；　wiping　the　blood　off　his　brow　and　flinging　it　to　one　side。　〃I'm　here　to　help。〃
　The　blast　seemed　to　have　shocked　him　back　to　life。　〃Then　you　can　get　us　all　foul…weather　gear；〃　Britton　said；　gesturing　toward　a　storage　locker　at　the　rear　of　the　bridge。
　A　radio　crackled　and　Howell　answered。　〃Waiting　on　the　casualty　list；　ma'am。　Damage　control　reports　fire　in　the　engine　room。　It　was　a　direct　hit。〃
　〃Can　it　be　contained　with　portable　extinguishers？〃
　〃Negative。　It's　spreading　too　fast。〃
　〃Use　the　fixed　C02　system。　And　I　want　water　fog　on　the　exterior　bulkheads。〃
　She　glanced　over　at　Glinn。　He　had　been　speaking　urgently　to　his　operative　at　the　EES　console。　The　man　stood　and　vanished　from　the　bridge。
　〃Mr。　Glinn；　I　need　a　report　from　the　hold；　please；〃　she　said。
　He　turned　to　Howell。　〃Patch　Garza　through。〃
　A　minute　later；　the　overhead　speaker　crackled。　〃Jesus；　what　the　hell's　going　on？〃　Garza　asked。
　〃We've　received　two　more　hits。　What's　your　status？〃
　〃Those　explosions　came　on　a　roll。　They　broke　additional　welds。　We're　working　as　fast　as　we　can；　but　the　meteorite　…　〃
　〃Keep　on　it；　Manuel。　Smartly。〃
　Lloyd　returned　from　the　locker　and　began　distributing　gear　to　the　bridge　crew。　Britton　accepted　hers；　pulled　it　on；　and　looked　forward。　The　ice　islands　now　loomed　up；　faintly　blue　in　the　moonlight；　barely　two　miles　distant；　rearing　two　hundred　feet　or　more　out　of　the　water；　the　surf　tearing　and　ripping　at　their　bases。
　〃Mr。　Howell；　what　is　the　position　of　the　enemy　ship？〃
　〃Just　at　three　miles　and　closing。　They're　firing　again。〃
　There　was　another　explosion　off　the　port　beam；　a　geyser　of　water　that　rose；　only　to　immediately　bend　almost　horizontal　under　the　force　of　the　panteonero。　Now　Britton　could　hear　the　distant　reports　of　the　guns　themselves；　strangely　disconnected　from　the　nearby　explosions。　There　was　another　crash；　a　shudder；　and　she　flinched　as　white…hot　metal　screamed　up　past　the　bridge　windows。
　〃Glancing　shot；　maindeck；〃　Howell　said。　He　looked　over　at　her。　〃The　fire's　being　contained。　But　damage　to　both　turbines　was　severe。　The　explosion　knocked　out　the　high…　and　low…pressure　turbines。　We're　losing　power；　fast。〃
　She　dropped　her　eyes　and　watched　as　the　digital　readout　blinked　the　ship's　speed　back　at　them。　It　dropped　to　fourteen　knots；　then　thirteen。　With　the　drop　in　speed；　the　motion　of　the　ship　became　worse。　Britton　could　feel　the　storm　taking　over；　clutching　her　ship　in　its　anarchistic　grip。　Ten　knots。　The　bigger　waves　were　shoving　it　hard；　sideways；　up；　down；　in　a　weird　and　sickening　ballet。　Never　had　she　believed　a　ship　this　big　could　be　so　bullied　by　the　sea。　She　focused　on　the　console。
　The　engine　warning　lights　were　on。　They　didn't　tell　her　anything　she　didn't　already　know：　beneath　her　feet　she　felt　the　distant　thrum　of　the　wrecked　engines；　strained；　stuttering；　intermittent。　And　then　the　lights　flickered　again　as　the　power　failed　and　the　backup　systems　engaged。
　No　one　spoke　as　the　great　vessel　plowed　through　the　seas。　Its　great　inertia　continued　to　carry　it　forward；　but　every　breaking　wave　robbed　another　knot　or　two　from　its　forward　motion。　Ramirez　gained　on　them　ever　more　quickly。
　Britton　looked　around　at　her　officers　on　the　bridge。　Every　one　of　them　looked　back　with　pale；　steady　faces。　The　chase　was　over。
　Lloyd　broke　the　silence。　Blood　from　his　wounded　forehead　trickled　into　his　right　eye；　and　he　blinked　it　away　absently。　〃I　guess　this　is　it；〃　he　said。
　Britton　nodded。
　Lloyd　turned　to　McFarlane。　〃You　know；　Sam；　I　wish　I　was　down　in　the　hold　right　now。　I'd　kind　of　like　to　say　goodbye　to　it。　I　suppose　that　sounds　crazy。　Does　that　sound　crazy　to　you？〃
　〃No；〃　he　replied。　〃No；　it　doesn't。〃
　Out　of　the　corner　of　her　eye；　Britton　saw　Glinn　turn　toward　them　at　these　words。　But　the　man　remained　silent　as　the　dark　shadows　of　the　ice　islands　slipped　ever　closer。
　
　Almirante　Ramirez；
　5：15　P。M。
　
　CEASE　FIRING；〃　Vallenar　said　to　the　tactical　action　officer。　He　raised　his　binoculars　and　examined　the　wounded　ship。　Plumes　of　black　smoke；　thick　and　low；　were　pouring　from　the　stern　of　the　tanker　and　barreling　across　the　moonlit　seas。　At　least　two　confirmed　hits；　including　what　looked　like　a　shell　directly　into　the　engine　room　and　extensive　damage　to　their　munications　masts。　It　was　brilliant　shooting　in　seas　such　as　this：　enough　to　leave　the　ship　dead　in　the　water；　exactly　as　he　had　hoped。　He　could　already　see　they　were　losing　headway　…　really　losing　headway。　This　time；　there　was　no　feint。
　The　American　ship　was　still　aiming　for　the　ice　islands。　They　would　prove　a　pathetic；　temporary　shelter　from　his　guns。　But　the　female　captain　had　shown　great　courage。　She　would　not　surrender　her　ship　until　all　courses　of　action　had　been　tried。　He　could　understand　such　a　captain。　Hiding　behind　the　island　was　a　noble；　if　futile；　gesture。　And；　of　course；　for　them　there　would　be　no　surrender。　Only　death。
　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　In　twenty　minutes；　he　would　pull　through　the　gap　and　draw　up　to　the　Rolvaag。　The　slack　water　in　the　lee　of　the　ice　islands　would　give　him　a　steady　platform　for　precise　firing。
　He　began　to　visualize　the　kill。　There　could　be　no　error；　no　possibility　of　reversal。　He　would　position　the　Ramirez　at　least　a　mile　away；　to　prevent　more　underwater　excursions。　He　would　illuminate　the　entire　area　with　phosphorus　flares。　There　would　be　no　haste：　the　operation　would　be　executed　with　care。　But　he　wouldn't　tease　it　out；　make　things　unduly　slow；　he　was　no　sadist；　and　the　female　captain　in　particular　deserved　a　respectful　death。
　It　would　be　best　to　hull　her　aft；　he　decided；　at　the　waterline；　so　she　would　go　down　by　the　stern。　It　was　most　important　that　none　escaped　to　provide　an　eyewitness　account　of　what　happened　here。　He　would　turn　the　40…millimeter　guns　on　the　first　lifeboats；　that　would　keep　the　rest　on　board　until　the　end。　As　the　ship　went　down；　the　survivors　would　crowd　into　the　forecastle；　where　he　could　better　see　them。　He　wanted　most　particularly　to　make　sure　the　smooth　one；　the　lying　cabron；　would　die。　This　man　was　behind　everything。　If　anyone　had　ordered　his　son　executed；　it　was　him。
　The　tanker；　now　slowed　to　five　knots；　was　drawing　between　the　ice　islands；　passing　close　to　the　larger　one。　Very　close；　in　fact；　perhaps　the　rudder　was　damaged。　The　islands　were　so　tall；　so　sheer；　that　the　tanker　appeared　to　be　slipping　into　some　monstrous　hangar　of　gleaming　azure。　As　the　Rolvaag　disappeared　from　view　between　them；　he　saw　the　ship　begin　a　turn　to　port。　That　would　take　it　behind　the　larger　of　the　two　islands　and　into　its　lee；　temporarily　out　of　the　reach　of　his　guns。　It　was　a　sad；　hopeless　effort。
　〃Sonar？〃　he　called　out；　dropping　the　binoculars　at　last。
　〃Clear；　sir。〃
　That　was　it　…　there　was　no　unexpected　underwater　ice；　it　was　a　clean　drop　from　the　top　to　the　root　of　the　ice　island。　Time　to　finish　the　job。
　〃Steady　through　the　gap。　Follow　their　course。〃
　He　turned　to　the　tactical　action　officer。　〃Await　my　orders　to　engage　with　the　guns。〃
　〃Aye；　sir。〃
　Vallenar　swiveled　back　to　the　windows；　raising　the　binoculars　once　again。
　
　Rolvaag；
　5：20　P。M。
　
　THE　ROLVAAG　passed　between　the　ice　islands；　gliding　into　a　tranquil；　twilit　world。　The　wind　dropped；　no　longer　gusting　through　the　broken　windows　into　the　bridge。　Suddenly　the　ship　was　released　from　the　evil　grip　of　the　storm。　Britton　found　the　sudden　silence　in　the　midst　of　the　storm　unsettling。　She　stared　up　at　the　cliffs　that　rose　up　on　either　side；　sheer　as　if　cleaved　with　an　ax。　Below；　at　the　waterline；　the　pounding　surf　on　the　windward　side　had　formed　an　undercut　of　fantastic…looking　caves。　In　the　moonlight；　the　ice　shone　a　pure；　rich　blue　so　deep　she　thought　it　one　of　the　most　beautiful　things　she　had　ever　seen。　Funny；　she　thought；　how　the　nearness　of　death　could　heighten　one's　sense　of　beauty。
　Glinn；　who　had　disappeared　onto　the　port　bridge　wing；　now　returned；　closing　the　door　carefully　behind　him。　He　approached　her；　wiping　flecks　of　sp