alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第10章

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　radar　sighting　had　been　reported。　Various　reasons　had　been　put　forward　to　explain　the　failure；　especially　the　failure　of　the　Strategic　Air　mand's　B52　bomber　whose　radar　was　known　to　be　easily　capable　of　picking　out　a　hut　against　contrasting　background　from　ten　thousand　feet　and　in　pitch　darkness。　It　had　been　suggested　that　the　huts　were　no　longer　there：　that　the　radar's　eye　was　unable　to　distinguish　between　an　ice…sheathed　hut　and　the　thousands　of　ice　hummocks　that　dot　the　polar　cap　in　winter：　and　that　they　had　been　searching　in　the　wrong　area　in　the　first　place。　The　most　probable　explanation　was　that　the　radar　waves　had　been　blurred　and　deflected　by　the　dense　clouds　of　ice　spicules　blowing　over　the　area。　Whatever　the　reason；　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　remained　as　silent　as　if　no　life　bad　ever　been　there；　as　lost　as　if　it　had　never　existed。
　 〃There's　no　percentage　in　staying　up　here　and　getting　frozen　to　death。〃　mander　Swanson's　voice　was　a　half…shout；　it　had　to　be　to　make　him　heard。　〃If　we're　going　under　that　ice；　we　might　as　well　go　now。〃　He　turned　his　back　to　the　wind　and　stared　out　to　the　west　where　a　big；　broad…beamed　trawler　was　rolling　heavily　and　sluggishly　in　the　seas　less　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away。　The　〃Morning　Star〃；　which　had　closed　right　up　to　the　edge　of　the　ice　pack　over　the　last　two　days；　listening；　waiting；　and　all　in　vain；　was　about　to　return　to　Hull：　her　fuel　reserves　were　running　low。
　 〃Send　them　this　message；〃　Swanson　said　to　the　seaman　by　his　side。　〃'We　are　about　to　dive　and　proceed　under　the　ice。　We　do　not　expect　to　emerge　for　minimum　four　days；　are　prepared　to　remain　maximum　fourteen。'〃　He　turned　to　me　and　said；　〃If　we　can't　find　them　in　that　time〃　and　left　the　sentence　unfinished。
　 I　nodded；　and　he　went　on　with　the　message：　〃'Many　thanks　for　your　splendid　co…operation。　Good　luck　and　a　safe　trip　home。'〃　As　the　signalman's　lamp　started　chattering　out　its　message；　he　said　wonderingly；　〃Do　those　fishermen　trawl　up　in　the　Arctic　the　entire　winter？〃
　 〃They　do。〃
　 〃The　whole　winter。　Fifteen　minutes　and　I'm　about　dead。　Just　a　bunch　of　decadent　limeys；　that's　what　they　are。〃　A　lamp　aboard　the　〃Morning　Star〃　flickered　for　some　seconds；　and　Swanson　said；　〃What　reply？〃
　 〃Mind　your　heads　under　that　ice。　Good　luck　and　goodby。〃
　 〃Everybody　below；〃　Swanson　said。　As　the　signalman　began　to　strip　the　canvas　dodger；　I　dropped　down　a　ladder　into　a　small　partment　beneath；　wriggled　through　a　hatch　and　down　a　second　ladder　to　the　pressure　hull　of　the　submarine；　another　hatch；　a　third　ladder；　and　then　I　was　on　the　control　deck　of　the　〃Dolphin〃。　Swanson　and　the　signalman　followed；　then　last　of　all　Hansen；　who　had　to　close　the　two　heavy　water…tight　doors　above。
　 mander　Swanson's　diving　technique　would　have　proved　a　vast　disappointment　to　those　brought　up　on　a　diet　of　movie　submarines。　No　frenzied　activity；　no　tense；　steely…eyed　men　hovering　over　controls；　no　dramatic　calls　of　〃Dive；　dive；　dive；〃　no　blaring　of　kiaxons。　Swanson　reached　down　a　steel…spring　microphone；　said　quietly；　〃This　is　the　captain。　We　are　about　to　move　under　the　ice。　Diving　now；〃　hung　up　and　said：　〃Three　hundred　feet。〃
　 The　chief　electronics　technician　leisurely　checked　the　rows　of　lights　indicating　all　hatches；　surface　openings；　and　valves　closed　to　the　sea。　The　disc　lights　were　out：　the　slot　lights　burned　brightly。　Just　as　leisurely　he　rechecked　them；　glanced　at　Swanson　and　said；　〃Straight　line　shut；　sir。〃　Swanson　nodded。　Air　hissed　loudly　out　of　the　ballast　tanks；　and　that　was　it。　We　were　on　our　way。　It　was　about　as　wildly　exciting　as　watching　a　man　push　a　wheelbarrow。　And　there　was　something　oddly　reassuring　about　it　all。
　 Ten　minutes　later　Swanson　came　up　to　me。　In　the　past　two　days　I'd　e　to　know　mander　Swanson　fairly　well；　like　him　a　lot；　and　respect　him　tremendously。　The　crew　had　plete　and　implicit　faith　in　him。　I　was　beginning　to　have　the　same　thing。　He　was　a　kindly；　genial　man　with　a　vast　knowledge　of　every　aspect　of　submarining；　a　remarkable　eye　for　detail；　an　even　more　remarkably　acute　mind　and　an　imperturbability　that　remained　absolute　tinder　all　conditions。　Hansen；　his　executive　officer　and　clearly　no　respecter　of　persons；　had　said　flatly　that　Swanson　was　the　best　submarine　officer　in　the　Navy。　I　hoped　he　was　right；　that　was　the　kind　of　man　I　wanted　around　in　conditions　like　these。
　 〃We're　about　to　move　under　the　ice　now；　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　he　said。　〃How　do　you　feel　about　it？〃
　 〃I'd　feel　better　if　I　could　see　where　we　were　going。〃
　 〃We　can　see；〃　he　said。　〃We've　got　the　best　eyes　in　the　world　aboard　the　〃Dolphin〃。　We've　got　eyes　that　look　down；　around；　ahead；　and　straight　up。　Our　downward　eye　is　the　fathometer；　or　echo…sounder；　which　tells　us　just　how　deep　the　water　below　our　keel　is　and　as　we　have　about　five　thousand　feet　of　water　below　our　keel　at　this　particular　spot；　we're　hardly　likely　to　bump　into　underwater　projections　and　its　use　right　now　is　purely　a　formality。　But　no　responsible　navigation　officer　would　ever　think　of　switching　it　off。　We　have　two　sonar　eyes　for　looking　around　and　ahead；　one　sweeping　the　ship；　another　searching　out　a　fifteen…degree　path　on　either　side　of　the　bow。　Sees　everything；　hears　everything。　You　drop　a　wrench　on　a　warship　twenty　miles　away　and　we　know　all　about　it。　Fact。　Again　it　seems　purely　a　formality。　The　sonar　is　searching　for　underwater　ice　stalactites　forced　down　by　the　pressure　of　rafted　ice　above；　but　in　five　trips　under　the　ice　and　two　to　the　Pole；　I've　never　seen　underwater　stalactites　or　ridges　deeper　than　two　hundred　feet；　and　we're　at　three　hundred　feet　now。　But　we　still　keep　them　on。〃
　 〃You　might　bump　into　a　whale？〃　I　suggested。
　 〃We　might　bump　into　another　submarine。〃　He　wasn't　smiling。　〃And　that　would　be　the　end　of　both　of　us。　What　with　the　Russian　and　our　own　nuclear　submarines　busy　crisscrossing　to　and　fro　across　the　top　of　the　world；　the　underside　of　the　polar　ice　cap　is　getting　more　like　Times　Square　every　day。〃
　 〃But　surely　the　chances〃
　 〃What　are　the　chances　of　mid…air　collision　to　the　only　two　iiruaft　occupying　ten　thousand　square　miles　of　sky？　On　paper；　they　don't　exist。　There　have　been　three　such　collisions　this　year　already。　So　we　keep　the　sonar　pinging。　But　the　really　important　eye；　when　you're　under　the　ice；　is　the　one　that　looks　up。　e　and　have　a　look　at　it。〃
　 He　led　the　way　to　the　after…starboard　end　of　the　control　room；　where　Dr。　Benson　and　another　man　were　busy　studying　a　glassed…in　eye…level　machine　that　outwardly　consisted　of　a　seven…inch…wide　moving　ribbon　of　paper　and　an　inked　stylus　that　was　tracing　a　narrow；　straight　black　line　along　it。　Benson　was　engrossed　in　adjusting　some　of　the　calibrated　controls。
　 〃The　surface　fathometer；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Better　known　as　the　ice　machine。　It's　not　really　Dr。　Benson's　machine　at　all；　we　have　two　trained　operators　aboard；　but　as　we　see　no　way　of　separating　him　from　it　without　actually　courtmartialing　him；　we　take　the　easy　way　out　and　let　him　be。〃　Benson　grinned；　but　his　eye　didn't　leave　the　line　traced　out　by　the　stylus。　〃Same　principle　as　the　echo…sounding　machine：　it　just　bounces　an　echo　back　from　the　icewhen　there　is　any。　That　thin　black　line　you　see　means　open　water　above。　When　we　move　under　the　ice；　the　stylus　has　an　added　vertical　motion　which　not　only　indicates　the　presence　of　ice　but　also　gives　us　its　thickness。〃
　 〃Ingenious；〃　I　said。
　 〃It's　more　than　that。　Under　the　ice　it　can　be　life　or　death　for　the　〃Dolphin〃。　It　certainly　means　life　or　death　for　Drift　Station　Zebra。　If　we　ever　get　its　position；　we　can't　reach　it　until　we　break　through　the　ice；　and　this　is　the　only　machine　that　can　tell　us　where　the　ice　is　thinnest。〃
　 〃No　open　water　at　this　time　of　year？　No　leads？〃
　 〃'Polynyas；'　we　call　them。　None。　Mind　you；　the　ice　pack　is　never　static；　not　even　in　winter；　and　surface…pressure　changes　can　very　occasionally　tear　the　ice　apart　and　expose　open　water。　With　air　temperatures　such　as　you　get　in　winter；　you　can　guess　how　long　the　open　water　stays　in　a　liquid　condition。　There's　a　skin　of　ice　on　it　in　five　minutes；　as　inch　in　an　hour；　and　a　foot　inside　two　days。　If　we　ge　to　one　of　those　frozen…over　polynyas　inside；　say；　three　days　we've　got　a　fair　chance　of　breaking　through。〃
　 〃Wi