alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第58章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


air　straight　from　the　engineroom　atmosphere；　it　gulps　it　down　in　great　draughts　and　would　soon　remove　all　the　air　in　the　ship。　Which　is　what　I　want。　We　bleed　pressed　air　under　fairly　high　pressure　into　the　fore　part　of　the　ship。　Nice；　clean；　fresh　air。　We　light　up　the　diesel　in　the　after　partit　will　run　rough　at　first　because　of　the　low　concentration　of　oxygen　in　this　poisonous　muckbut　it　will　run。　It　will　suck　up　much　of　this　filthy　air；　exhausting　its　gases　over　the　side；　and　as　it　does；　it　will　lower　the　atmospheric　pressure　aft　and　the　fresh　air　will　make　its　way　through　from　for'ard。　To　have　done　this　before　now　would　have　been　suicidal。　The　fresh　air　would　only　have　fed　the　flames　until　the　fire　was　out　of　control。　But　we　can　do　it　now。　We　can　run　it　for　a　few　minutes　only；　of　course；　but　a　few　minutes　will　be　ample。　You　are　with　me；　Lieutenant　Hansen？〃
　 Hansen　was　with　him；　all　right；　but　he　didn't　answer。　He　had　already　left。
　 Three　minutes　passed；　then　we　heard；　through　the　now　open　passageway　above　the　reactor　room；　the　erratic　sound　of　a　diesel　starting；　fading；　coughing；　then　catching　again　we　learned　later　that　the　engineers　had　had　to　bleed　off　several　ether　bottles　in　the　vicinity　of　the　air　intake　to　get　the　engine　to　catch。　For　a　minute　or　two　it　ran　roughly　and　erratically　and　seemed　to　be　making　no　impression　at　all　on　that　poisonous　air；　then；　imperceptibly　almost；　at　first；　then　with　an　increasing　degree　of　definition；　we　could　see　the　smoke　in　the　control　room；　illuminated　by　the　single　lamp　still　left　burning　there；　begin　to　drift　and　eddy　toward　the　reactor　passage。　Smoke　began　to　stir　and　eddy　in　the　corners　of　the　control　room　as　the　diesel　sucked　the　fumes　aft；　and　more　smoke…laden　air；　a　shade　lighter　in　color；　began　to　move　in　from　the　wardroom　passageway；　pulled　in　by　the　decreasing　pressure　in　the　control　room；　pushed　in　by　the　gradual　buildup　of　fresh　air　in　the　fore　part　of　the　submarine　as　pressed　air　was　bled　into　the　living　spaces。
　 A　few　more　minutes　made　the　miracle。　The　diesel　thudded　away　in　the　engine　room；　running　more　sweetly　and　strongly　as　air　with　a　higher　concentration　of　oxygen　reached　its　intake；　and　the　smoke　in　the　control　room　drained　steadily　away；　to　be　replaced　by　a　thin　grayish　mist　from　the　fore　part　of　the　ship　that　was　hardly　deserving　of　the　name　of　smoke　at　all。　And　that　mist　carried　with　it　air；　an　air　with　fresh；　life…giving　oxygen；　an　air　with　a　proportion　of　carbon　dioxide　and　carbon　monoxide　that　was　now　almost　negligible。　Or　so　it　seemed　to　us。
　 The　effect　upon　the　crew　was　just　within　the　limits　of　credibility。　It　was　as　if　a　wizard　had　passed　through　the　length　of　the　ship　and　touched　them　with　the　wand　of　life。　Unconscious　men；　men　for　whom　death　had　been　less　than　half　an　hour　away；　began　to　stir；　some　to　open　their　eyes。　Sick；　exhausted；　nauseated；　and　pain…wracked　men　who　had　been　lying　or　sitting　on　the　decks　in　attitudes　of　huddled　despair　sat　up　straight　or　stood；　their　faces　breaking　into　expressions　of　almost　ical　wonderment　and　disbelief　as　they　drew　great　draughts　down　into　their　aching　lungs　and　found　that　it　was　not　poisonous　gases　they　were　inhaling　but　fresh；　breathable　air：　men　who　had　made　up　their　minds　for　death　began　to　wonder　how　they　could　ever　have　thought　that　way。　As　air　went；　I　suppose；　it　was　pretty　substandard　stuff；　and　the　Factory　Acts　would　have　had　something　to　say　about　it；　but；　for　us；　no　pine…drenched　mountain　air　ever　tasted　half　so　sweet。
　 Swanson　kept　a　careful　eye　on　the　gauges　recording　the　air　pressure　in　the　submarine。　Gradually　it　sank　down　to　the　fifteen　pounds　at　which　the　atmosphere　was　normally　kept；　then　below　it。　He　ordered　the　pressed　air　to　be　released　under　higher　pressure；　and　then；　when　the　atmospheric　pressure　was　back　to　normal；　he　ordered　the　diesel　stopped　and　the　pressed　air　shut　off。
　 〃mander　Swanson；〃　I　said。　〃If　you　ever　want　to　make　admiral；　you　can　apply　to　me　for　a　reference　any　time。〃
　 〃Thank　you。〃　He　smiled。　〃We　have　been　very　lucky。〃
　 Sure　we　had　been　lucky；　the　way　men　who　sailed　with　Swanson　would　always　be　lucky。
　 We　could　now　hear　the　sounds　of　pumps　and　motors　as　Cartwright　started　in　on　the　slow　process　of　bringing　the　nuclear　power　plant　to　life　again。　Everyone　knew　that　it　was　touch　and　go　whether　there　would　be　enough　life　left　in　the　batteries　for　that；　but；　curiously；　no　one　seemed　to　doubt　that　Cartwright　would　succeed：　we　had　been　through　too　much　to　entertain　even　the　thought　of　failure　now。
　 Nor　did　we　fail。　At　exactly　eight　o'clock　that　morning　Cartwright　phoned　to　say　that　he　had　steam　on　the　turbine　blades　and　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　was　a　going　proposition　again。　I　was　glad　to　hear　it。
　
　
　 For　three　hours　we　cruised　along　at　slow　speed　while　the　air…conditioning　plant　worked　under　maximum　pressure　to　bring　the　air　inside　the　〃Dolphin〃　back　to　normal。　After　that；　Swanson　slowly　stepped　up　our　speed　until　we　had　reached　about　fifty　per　cent　of　normal　cruising　speed；　which　was　as　fast　as　the　propulsion　officer　deemed　it　safe　to　go。　For　a　variety　of　technical　reasons　it　was　impractical　for　the　〃Dolphin〃　to　operate　without　all　turbines　in　mission；；　so　we　were　reduced　to　the　speed　of　the　slowest；　and；　without　sheathing　on　it；　Cartwright　didn't　want　to　push　the　starboard　highpressure　turbine　above　a　fraction　of　its　power。　This　way；　it　would　take　us　much　longer　to　clear　the　ice　pack　and　reach　the　open　sea；　but　'the　captain；　in　a　broadcast；　said　that　if　the　limit　of　the　ice　pack　was　where　it　had　been　when　we'd　first　moved　under　itand　there　was　no　reason　to　think　it　should　have　shifted　more　than　a　few　mileswe　should　be　moving　out　into　the　open　sea　at　about　four　o'clock　the　following　morning。
　 By　four　o'clock　that　afternoon；　members　of　the　crew；　working　in　relays；　had　managed　to　clear　away　from　the　machinery　space　all　the　debris　and　foam　that　had　accumulated　during　the　long　night。　After　that；　Swanson　reduced　all　watches　to　the　barest　skeletons　required　to　run　the　ship；　so　that　as　many　men　as　possible　might　sleep　as　long　as　possible。　Now　that　the　exultation　of　victory　was　over；　now　that　the　almost　intolerable　relief　of　knowing　that　they　were　not；　after　all；　to　find　their　gasping　end　in　a　cold　iron　tomb　under　the　ice　cap　had　begun　to　fade；　the　inevitable　reaction；　when　it　did　e；　was　correspondingly　severe。　A　long　and　sleepless　night　behind　them；　hours　of　cruelly　back…breaking　toil　in　the　metal　jungle　of　the　machinery　space；　that　lifetime　of　tearing　tension　when　they　had　not　known　whether　they　were　going　to　live　or　die　but　had　believed　they　were　going　to　die；　the　poisonous　fumes　that　had　laid　them　all　on　the　rackall　of　these　bined　had　taken　cruel　toll　of　their　reserves　of　physical　and　mental　energy；　and　the　crew　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　were　now　sleep…ridden　and　exhausted　as　they　had　never　been。　When　they　lay　down　to　sleep；　they　slept　at　once；　like　dead　men。
　 I　didn't　sleep。　Not　then；　not　at　four　o'clock。　I　couldn't　sleep。　I　had　too　much　to　think　about：　like　how　it　had　been　primarily　my　fault；　through　mistake；　miscalculation；　or　sheer　pig…headedness；　that　the　〃Dolphin〃　and　her　crew　had　been　brought　to　such　desperate　straits；　like　what　mander　Swanson　was　going　to　say　when　he　found　out　how　much　I'd　kept　from　him；　how　little　I'd　told　him。　Still；　if　I　had　kept　him　in　the　dark　so　long；　I　couldn't　see　that　there　would　be　much　harm　in　it　if　I　kept　him　in　the　dark　just　that　little　time　longer。　It　would　be　time　enough　in　the　morning　to　tell　him　all　I　knew。　His　reactions　would　be　interesting；　to　say　the　least。　He　might　be　striking　some　medals　for　Rawlings；　but　I　had　the　feeling　that　he　wouldn't　be　striking　any　for　me。　Not　after　I'd　told　him　what　I'd　have　to。
　 Rawlings。　That　was　the　man　I　wanted　now。　I　went　to　see　him；　told　him　what　I　had　in　mind；　and　asked　him　if　he　would　mind　sacrificing　a　few　hours'　sleep　during　the　night。　M　always；　Rawlings　was　co…operation　itself。
　 Later　that　evening　I　had　a　look　at　one　or　two　of　the　patients。　Jolly；　exhausted　by　his　Herculean　efforts　of　the　previous　night；　was　fathoms　deep　in　slumber；　so　Swanson　had　asked　if　I　would　deputize　for　him。　So　I　did；　but　I　didn't　try　very　hard。　With　only　one　exception　they　were　sound　asleep；　and　none　of