p&c.icelimit-第93章

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icious　sleep；　Rachel's　voice　kept　going　through　his　mind：　Not　what　you　think。　Not　what　you　think。　
　And　then　the　voice　changed：　louder；　more　metallic。　〃South　Georgia　Bravo。。。　In　sight。。。　Approaching　for　a　high…line　pickup。。。〃
　A　light　appeared　overhead。　There　was　a　clattering；　a　rhythmic　beating。　Voices；　a　radio。　He　struggled　against　it　all。　No；　no；　let　me　sleep！　Leave　me　be！　
　And　then　the　pain　began。
　
　
　South　Georgia　Island；
　July　29；　12：20　P。M。
　
　PALMER　LLOYD　lay　in　a　plywood　bunk　bed　in　the　infirmary　hut　of　the　British　scientific　station。　He　stared　at　the　plywood　ceiling：　endless　loops　of　dark　and　light　wood；　patterns　his　eyes　had　traced　a　thousand　times　over　the　recent　days。　He　smelled　the　stale　food　that　had　been　sitting　by　his　bed　since　lunchtime。　He　heard　the　sound　of　wind　outside　the　tiny　window　that　peeked　out　over　the　blue　snowfields；　blue　mountains；　and　blue　glaciers　of　the　island。
　It　had　been　three　days　since　their　rescue。　So　many　had　died；　on　the　ship；　in　the　lifeboats；　on　the　ice　island。　But　one　man　of　her　crew　alive；　what　put　to　sea　with　seventy…five。。。　The　old　sea…ditty　from　Treasure　Island　ran　through　his　head；　as　it　had　run；　over　and　over　and　over；　since　he　had　first　regained　consciousness　here　in　this　bed。
　He　had　survived。　Tomorrow；　a　helicopter　would　take　him　to　the　Falklands。　From　there　he　would　return　to　New　York。　Distantly；　he　wondered　how　the　media　was　going　to　report　this　one。　He　found　that　he　didn't　care。　So　little　seemed　important　anymore。　He　was　finished：　finished　with　the　museum；　finished　with　business；　finished　with　science。　All　his　dreams　…　they　seemed　so　ancient　now　…　had　gone　to　the　bottom　with　the　rock。　All　he　wanted　to　do　was　go　to　his　farm　in　upstate　New　York；　mix　a　stiff　martini；　sit　in　the　rocking　chair　on　the　porch；　and　watch　the　deer　eat　apples　in　his　orchard。
　An　orderly　came　in；　removed　the　tray；　and　began　to　put　down　another。
　Lloyd　shook　his　head。
　〃It's　my　job；　mate；〃　the　orderly　said。
　〃Very　well。〃
　At　that　moment　there　was　a　knock　on　the　door。　McFarlane　came　in。　His　left　hand　and　part　of　his　face　was　bandaged；　he　was　wearing　dark　glasses；　and　the　man　looked　unsteady　on　his　feet。　In　fact；　he　looked　terrible。　He　sat　down　in　the　metal　folding　chair　that　occupied　almost　all　the　free　space　in　the　tiny　room。　The　chair　creaked。
　Lloyd　was　surprised　to　see　him。　He　hadn't　seen　McFarlane　at　all　these　past　three　days。　He　had　just　assumed　McFarlane　was　through　with　him　…　as　well　he　should　be。　Hardly　anyone　had　spoken　to　him。　His　only　visitor　from　the　expedition；　in　fact；　had　been　Howell；　and　that　had　been　to　sign　some　papers。　They　all　hated　him　now。
　Lloyd　thought　McFarlane　was　waiting　to　speak　until　the　orderly　left。　But　the　door　closed　behind　them；　and　still　McFarlane　remained　silent。　He　did　not　say　anything　for　a　long　time。　And　then　at　last　he　removed　his　dark　glasses　and　leaned　forward。
　The　change　startled　Lloyd。　It　was　almost　as　if　the　man's　eyes　were　on　fire。　They　were　red　and　raw；　with　dark　circles　beneath。　He　was　dirty；　unkempt。　The　loss　of　the　meteorite；　the　death　of　Amira；　had　hit　him　hard。
　〃Listen；〃　said　McFarlane；　his　voice　tight　with　tension。　〃I've　got　something　to　tell　you。〃
　Lloyd　waited。
　McFarlane　bent　even　closer　now；　speaking　directly　into　Lloyd's　ear。　〃The　Rolvaag　went　down　at　61°32'14〃　South；　59°30'10〃　West。〃
　〃Please　don't　speak　of　this　with　me；　Sam。　Not　now。〃
　〃Yes；　now；〃　said　McFarlane　with　unexpected　vehemence。
　He　reached　into　his　pocket　and　withdrew　a　pact　disc。　He　held　it　up；　winking　its　rainbow　colors　in　the　light。
　〃On　this　disc　…　〃
　Lloyd　turned　away　and　faced　the　plywood　wall。　〃Sam；　it's　over。　The　meteorite's　gone。　Give　it　up。〃
　〃On　this　disc　is　the　last　batch　of　data　we　gathered　on　the　meteorite。　I　made　a　promise。　I've　been。。。　studying　it。〃
　Lloyd　felt　tired　…　so　very；　very　tired。　His　eyes　strayed　out　the　little　window　to　the　mountains　wreathed　in　glaciers；　their　icy　tops　piercing　the　clouds。　He　hated　the　sight　of　ice。　He　never　wanted　to　see　ice　again；　ever。
　〃Yesterday；〃　McFarlane　continued　relentlessly；　〃one　of　the　scientists　at　the　station　here　told　me　they'd　been　recording　some　very　unusual；　shallow　seaquakes。　Dozens　of　them；　all　below　3　on　the　Richter　scale。〃
　Lloyd　waited　for　McFarlane　to　continue。　It　was　all　so　irrelevant。
　〃The　epicenter　of　those　quakes　is　at　61°32'14〃　South；　59°30'10〃　West。〃
　Lloyd's　eyes　flickered。　He　slowly　turned　his　head　back　to　meet　the　young　scientist's　eyes。
　〃I've　been　analyzing　this　data；〃　McFarlane　continued。　〃It　mostly　has　to　do　with　the　shape　and　internal　structure　of　the　meteorite。　It's　very　unusual。〃
　Lloyd　did　not　answer；　but　he　did　not　turn　away　either。
　〃It's　layered。　It's　almost　symmetrical。　It's　not　natural。〃
　Lloyd　sat　up。　〃Not　natural？〃　He　was　beginning　to　feel　alarmed。　McFarlane　had　suffered　a　psychological　break。　He　needed　help。
　〃I　said；　layered。　It　has　an　outer　shell；　a　thick　inner　layer；　and　a　tiny　round　inclusion　right　in　the　center。　This　is　not　an　accident。　Think　about　it。　What　else　is　like　this？　It's　very　mon。　It　must　be　a　universal　structure。〃
　〃Sam；　you're　tired。　Let　me　call　a　nurse　for　you。　She'll　…　〃　But　McFarlane　interrupted。　〃Amira　figured　it　out。　Right　before　she　died。　It　was　in　her　hand。　Remember　how　she　said　we　had　to　stop　thinking　from　our　perspective；　start　thinking　from　the　meteorite's　perspective？　At　the　end；　Amira　knew。　It　reacted　to　salt　water。　It　had　been　waiting　for　salt　water。　Waiting　millions　of　years。〃
　Lloyd　looked　for　the　emergency　button　near　his　bed。　McFarlane　was　in　much　worse　condition　than　he　had　initially　thought。
　McFarlane　paused；　his　eyes　glittering　unnaturally。　〃You　see；　Lloyd；　it　wasn't　a　meteorite　at　all。〃
　Lloyd　felt　a　queer　suspension；　a　stillness　in　the　room。　There　was　the　button；　if　only　he　could　press　it　casually；　without　exciting　the　man。　McFarlane's　face　was　flushed；　sweaty；　his　breathing　rapid　and　shallow。　The　loss　of　the　rock；　the　sinking　of　the　Rolvaag；　the　deaths　in　the　water；　on　the　ice　…　it　must　have　broken　him。　Lloyd　felt　a　fresh　stab　of　guilt：　even　the　survivors　were　damaged。
　〃Did　you　hear　me；　Lloyd？　I　said　it's　not　a　meteorite。〃　
　〃What　was　it；　then；　Sam？〃　Lloyd　managed　to　ask；　keeping　his　voice　calm；　his　hand　casually　moving　toward　the　button。
　〃All　those　shallow　earthquakes；　right　where　the　ship　went　down。。。〃
　〃What　about　them？〃
　〃Just　this。　Are　you　familiar　with　the　Panspermia　theory？　That　the　earth　was　originally　seeded　with　life　from　spores　drifting　through　space？〃
　〃Certainly；　Sam；　certainly；〃　Lloyd　said　in　a　soothing　voice。　He　pressed　the　button：　once；　twice；　three　times。　The　nurse　would　be　there　momentarily。　McFarlane　would　get　help。
　〃Well；　this　is　Panspermia　with　a　vengeance。〃　The　redrimmed　eye　bored　into　Lloyd's。　〃That　thing　we　just　planted　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea？　I　don't　know　what　it　was；　not　exactly。　But　I　do　know　one　thing。〃　
　〃And　what's　that？〃　Lloyd　tried　to　sound　normal。　Thank　God；　he　could　hear　the　hurried　footsteps　of　the　nurse　in　the　corridor。
　〃It's　sprouting。〃
　
　Authors'　Note
　
　THE　ICE　Limit　is；　in　part；　inspired　by　a　real　scientific　expedition。　In　1906；　Admiral　Robert　E。　Peary　discovered　the　world's　largest　meteorite；　which　he　named　the　Ahnighito；　in　northern　Greenland。　He　located　it　because　Eskimos　in　the　area　were　using　cold…hammered　iron　spearpoints；　which　Peary　analyzed　and　found　to　be　meteoritic　in　origin。　He　ultimately　recovered　the　Ahnighito；　wrestling　it　to　his　ship　only　with　tremendous　difficulty。　The　mass　of　iron；　when　it　was　finally　aboard；　destroyed　all　the　ship's　passes。　He　managed　to　bring　it　back　to　the　American　Museum　of　Natural　History　in　New　York；　where　it　is　still　on　display　in　the　Hall　of　Meteorites。　He　recounted　the　story　in　his　book　Northward　over　the　Great　Ice。　〃Never；〃　Peary　wrote；　〃have　I　had　the　terrific　majesty　of　the　force　of　gravity　so　powerfully　brought　home　to　me　as　in　handling　this　mountain　of　iron。〃　The　Ahnighito　is　so　heavy　that　it　rests　on　six　massive　steel　pillars　that　penetrate　the　floor　of　the　museum's　meteorite　hall；　pass　through　the　basement；　and　are　bolted　into　the　very　bedrock　under　the　building。
　Needless　to　say；　while　many　of　the　locales　mentioned　in　The　Ice　Limit　actually