scoonts.theminotaur-第81章

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tay　in　the　flight　attitude　it　was　in　when　the　controls　were　released。　Negative　stability；　on　the　other　hand；　meant　that　once　the　plane　was　displaced　from　wings…level；　it　would　tend　to　increase　the　rate　of　displacement　if　the　controls　were　released。
　〃So　the　fly…by…wire　system　is　the　first　place　to　look；〃　Jake　Grafton　said；　〃Smoke；　you　saw　this　whole　thing　up　close　and　personal。　Do　you　have　anything　you　want　to　add？〃
　〃No；　sir。　I　think　the　movie　captured　it；　got　even　more　of　it　than　I　remember　seeing　at　the　time。　We　could　sit　and　niggle　over　her　decision　to　recover　from　the　second　spin　instead　of　ejecting；　but　I　doubt　that　would　be　fair。　It　was　a　prototype　and　she's　a　test　pilot。〃
　Jake　nodded。　He　agreed　with　Smoke；　as　he　usually　did。　He　had　tried　keeping　Smoke　Judy　at　arm's　length　after　that　night　he　saw　him　in　West　Virginia；　yet　except　for　that　unexplained　sighting；　he　had　nothing　else　against　the　man。　Judy　was　proving　to　be　a　fine　officer　and　an　excellent　pilot；　a　man　whose　opinions　and　judgment　could　be　trusted。　Which　was　precisely　why　Jake　had　assigned　him　to　fly　the　chase　plane。
　They　discussed　the　test　results　they　had　and　decided　how　to　proceed。　As　Jake　had　told　the　admiral；　his　report　was　going　to　be　written　with　the　data　the　group　had　gathered。　The　reason　for　the　crash　would　have　to　be　included；　if　it　could　be　established　by　the　time　he　was　ready　to　submit　the　document。　So　this　evening　he　assigned　the　bulk　of　his　staff　to　piling　test　results　and　the　rest　to　investigate；　or　monitor　the　contractor's　investigation　of；　the　crash。
　〃Except　for　the　people　who　are　working　with　TRX；　the　rest　of　you　need　to　get　back　to　Washington　and　dig　in。　Admiral　Dunedin　and　SECNAV　will　want　the　report　ASAP。〃
　Jake　Grafton　came　back　to　the　hospital　about　tea　that　night　to　look　in　on　Rita　and　talk　to　the　doctor　on　duty。　When　he　was　finished；　he　dragged　Toad　off　to　the　VOQ。　〃If　you're　blaming　yourself　about　this；　you'd　better　stop；〃　he　said　when　they　were　in　the　car。
　Tarkington　was　glum。　〃She　fought　it　all　the　way　down。　The　controls　were　just　too　sensitive。　The　plane　was　out　there　on　the　edge　of　the　envelope…high　G；　high　angle　of　attack…and　every　time　she　thought　she　had　it　under　control　she　lost　it　again。　She　kept　saying；　'I've　got　it　this　time。'〃
　〃She's　not　a　quitter。〃
　〃Not　by　a　long　shot。〃　Toad　looked　out　the　passenger's　side　window。　〃A　hundred　and　twenty　pounds　of　pure　guts。〃
　〃So　now　you're　telling　yourself　you　should　have　ejected　on　the　second　departure。〃
　〃Only　a　thousand　times　today。〃
　〃Why　didn't　you？〃
　〃I　should　have。〃
　〃Why　didn't　you？　Because　she　is　your　wife？〃
　〃Naw；〃　said　Toad　Tarkington；　swallowing　hard。　〃That　wasn't　it。　For　just　a　few　seconds　there　I　was　flying　with　you　again；　over　the　Med；　and　you　were　telling　me　to　hang　in　there。　Toad…man；　hang　tough。　So　I　hung　tough。　I　wanted　to　give　Rita　that　chance。　She　was　asking　for　it。　So　I　sat　there　and　watched　the　altimeter　unwind　and　waited　for　her　to　perform　her　miracle；　and　look…I　may　have　killed　her；　or　crippled　her　for　life。〃
　〃It's　all　your　fault；　is　that　it？〃
　〃Aw。　Christ；　CAG。〃
　〃Well；　if　you'd　been　in　the　front　seat　and　she'd　been　in　the　back；　what　would　you　have　done？〃
　〃About　what　Rita　did。　If　I　were　as　good　a　pilot　as　Rita。〃
　〃I've　been　around　these　planes　for　a　few　years；　Toad；　and　let　me　tell　you；　there　are　no　right　answers。　Some　answers　are　better　than　others；　but　every　option　has　unforeseen　twists。　If　you　had　jumped　when　the　plane　departed　the　second　time；　with　fifteen　or　sixteen　thousand　feet　of　altitude；　you　and　Rita　would　have　spent　the　rest　of　your　lives　thinking　you　jumped　too　soon；　that　you　might　have　saved　it　if　you　had　hung　in　there　just　a　little　longer。　My　father　always　called　that　being　between　a　rock　and　a　hard　place。〃
　Toad　shook　his　head。
　〃Years　ago；　in　Vietnam；　I　learned　that　you　can't　second…guess　yourself。　You　have　to　do　the　best　you　can　all　the　time；　make　the　best　decision　you　can　in　the　time　you　have　to　make　it…which　is　always　precious　little…and　live　with　the　consequences　regardless。　That's　the　way　flying　is。　And　occasionally　you're　going　to　make　a　mistake；　nick　it　up。　That's　inevitable。　The　trick　is　to　not　make　a　fatal　mistake。〃
　Jake　Grafton's　voice　hardened。　〃Flying　isn't　chess　or　football　or　checkers！　Flying　isn't　some　game！　Flying　is　life　distilled　down　to　the　essence…it's　the　straight；　two　hundred…proof　stuff。　And　Rita　knows；　she's　a　U。S。　Naval　Aviator。　She　chose　this　line　of　work　and　worked　like　a　slave　to　earn　that　ride　today。　She　knows。〃
　〃Yes；〃　Toad　admitted。　〃She　knows。〃
　
　At　3　A。M。　Rita's　mother　answered　her　phone　in　Connecticut。　She　had　obviously　just　awoke。　〃This　is　Toad　Tarkington；　Mrs。　Moravia。〃　You　know；　the　guy　who　married　your　daughter？　〃Sorry　to　bother　you　this　time　of　night　I　tried　to　call　earlier…〃
　〃We　were　at　a　party。　Is　everything　okay？〃　She　was　wide　awake　now　and　being　apprehensive。
　〃Well；　not　really。　That's　sorta　why　I'm　calling。　I　thought　you　should　know。〃
　She　went　to　battle　stations　while　Toad　tried　to　collect　his　thoughts。
　He　interrupted　her　torrent　of　words。　〃What　it　is…Rita　and　I　jumped　out　of　an　airplane　today；　Mrs。　Moravia。　Rita's　over　in　the　hospital　now。〃
　He　could　hear　her　talking　to　Mr。　Moravia。　The　pitch　in　her　voice　was　rising。
　〃Anyway；　Rita's　banged　up　pretty　good　and　I　thought　you　should　know。〃
　〃How　bad　is　it？〃
　〃She's　in　a　a；　Mrs。　Moravia。　She　hit　the　ground　before　her　parachute　had　time　to　open。〃　Silence。　Dead　silence。　Toad　continued；　〃Anyway；　I'm　with　her　and　she's　getting　the　best　medical　treatment　there　is　and　I'll　call　and　let　you　know　when　anything　changes。〃
　Mr。　Moravia　spoke　now。　Perhaps　his　wife　had　handed　him　the　phone。　〃What's　the　prognosis；　son？〃
　〃She　could　die；　Mr。　Moravia。　She's　in　bad　shape。〃
　〃Should　we　e　out　there？〃　He　didn't　even　know　where　Toad　was　calling　from。
　〃Not　now。　When　she　es　out　of　the　a；　that　might　be　a　good　idea。　But　not　now。　I'll　keep　you　advised。〃
　〃Are　you　okay？〃
　〃Fine；　sir。　No　injuries。〃　Nice　that　he　should　ask；　Toad　thought。
　〃We'll　pray　for　her。〃
　〃Yes；　do　that。　I'm　doing　some　of　that　myself。〃
　
　Harry　Franks；　the　program　manager　for　TRX；　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　hangar　issuing　orders。　A　small　army　of　workmen　were　placing　wreckage　in　piles　as　he　directed。　They　had　been　working　since　dawn。
　He　greeted　Jake　Grafton　without　enthusiasm。　〃Give　me　five　more　minutes　and　we'll　go　upstairs；〃　he　said；　then　pointed　to　a　pile　for　a　forklift　operator　with　a　piece　of　what　looked　like　outboard　wingtip。
　Jake　and　the　manders　wandered　toward　the　door；　trying　to　get　out　of　the　way。　The　plane　had　exploded　and　burned　when　it　hit；　so　the　pieces　that　were　left　were　blackened　and　charred。
　In　an　office　on　the　second　floor；　the　engineers　from　the　pany　that　had　manufactured　the　fly…by…wire　system；　AeroTech；　were　pleting　the　setup　of　their　equipment。　An　AeroTech　vice　president　sat　on　one　of　the　few　chairs；　sipping　coffee　and　watching　the　final　installation　of　the　network　of　wires　that　powered　and　connected　the　test　boxes。　He　didn't　look　very　vice　presidential。　He　and　the　engineers　had　flown　in　early　this　morning　and　had　had　only　a　few　hours'　sleep。　He　stood　up　to　shake　hands　with　Jake。
　After　the　introductions；　they　got　right　to　it。　The　only　surviving　processor　from　the　crashed　prototype　was　carefully　removed　from　its　bent；　damaged　box　and　its　innards　exposed。　It　was　physically　examined　by　the　assembled　experts　with　all　the　curiosity　of　a　group　of　med　students　examining　a　man　with　a　new　disease。
　Jake　backed　off　to　let　the　experts　have　room。　He　found　himself　beside　Harry　Franks。　〃Tell　me　again　how　the　fly…by…wire　system　works。〃
　〃The　aircraft　had　negative　stability；〃　Franks　said；　hooking　his　thumbs　behind　his　belt　and　warming　to　the　subject。　〃Most　high…tech　tactical　aircraft　today　have　negative　stability。〃　Jake　nodded。
　Franks　continued。　〃A　human　cannot　fly　a　negatively　stable　machine。　It　would　be　like　trying　to　keep　a　barn　door　balanced　on　top　of　a　flagpole。　So　puters　actually　do　the　flying。　In　that　way　we　could　build　a　highly　maneuverable　aircraft　and　optimize　its　low…observable…stealth…features　without　worrying　that　we　were　promising　or　negating　the　ability　of　the　pilot　to　control　it。　No