alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第8章

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。　Then　the　outer　door　is　closedagain。　Simple。〃
　 〃Yes。〃　For　some　reason　or　other　this　odd　contraption　held　a　curious　fascination　for　me。　Days　later　I　was　to　remember　my　inexplicable　interest　in　it　and　wonder　whether；　after　all；　I　wasn't　being　psychic　with　advancing　years。
　 〃It's　not　worth　all　that　attention；〃　Benson　said　goodhumoredly。　〃Just　an　up…to…date　version　of　the　old　rubbish　chute。　e　on；　a　long　way　to　go　yet。〃
　 He　led　the　way　from　the　galley　to　a　heavy　steel　door　set　in　a　transverse　bulkhead。　Eight　massive　clamps　to　release　and　then　replace　after　we　had　passed　through　the　doorway。
　 〃The　for'ard　torpedo　storage　room。〃　Benson's　voice　was　lowered；　for　at　least　half　of　the　sixteen　or　so　bunks　that　lined　the　bulkheads　or　were　jammed　up　close　to　the　torpedoes　and　racks　were　occupied　and　every　man　occupying　them　was　sound　asleep。　〃Only　six　torpedoes；　as　you　can　see。　Normally　there's　stowage　for　twelve　plus　another　six　constantly　kept　loaded　in　the　torpedo　tubes。　But　those　six　are　all　we　have　just　now。　We　had　a　malfunction　in　two　of　our　torpedoesthe　newest　and　more　or　less　untested　radio…controlled　type　during　the　Nato　exercises　just　ended；　and　Admiral　Garvie　ordered　them　all　to　be　removed　for　inspection　when　we　got　back　to　the　Holy　Loch。　The　〃Hunley〃that's　our　depot　shipcarries　experts　for　working　on　those　things。　However；　they　were　no　sooner　taken　off　yesterday　morning　than　this　driftstation　operation　came　our　way；　and　mander　Swanson　insisted　on　having　at　least　six　…　of　them　put　back　on　right　away。〃　Benson　grinned。　〃If　there's　one　thing　a　submarine　skipper　hates　it's　putting　to　sea　without　his　torpedoes。　He　feels　he　might　just　as　well　stay　at　home。〃　…
　 〃Those　torpedoes　are　still　not　operational？〃
　 〃I　don't　know　whether　they　are　or　not。　Our　sleeping　warriors　here　will　do　their　best　to　find　out　when　they　e　to。〃
　 〃Why　aren't　they　working　on　them　now？〃
　 〃Because　before　our　return　to　the　Clyde；　they　were　working　on　them　for　nearly　sixty　hours　non…stop　trying　to　find　out　the　cause　of　the　malfunctionand　if　it　existed　in　the　other　torpedoes。　I　told　the　skipper　that　if　he　wanted　to　blow　up　the　〃Dolphin〃；　as　good　a　way　as　any　was　to　let　those　torpedomen　keep　on　workingthey　were　starting　to　stagger　around　like　zombies；　and　a　zombie　is　the　last　person　you　want　to　have　working　on　the　highly　plicated　innards　of　a　torpedo。　So　he　pulled　them　off。〃
　 He　walked　the　length　of　the　gleaming　torpedoes　and　halted　before　another　steel　door　in　a　cross　bulkhead。　He　opened　this；　and　beyond；　four　feet　away；　was　another　such　heavy　door　set　in　another　such　bulkhead。　The　sills　were　about　eighteen　inches　above　deck　level。
　 〃You　don't　take　many　chances　in　building　those　boats；　do　you？〃　I　asked。　〃It's　like　breaking　into　the　Bank　of　England。〃
　 〃Being　a　nuclear　sub　doesn't　mean　that　we're　not　as　vulnerable　to　underwater　hazards　as　the　older　ships；〃　Benson　said。　〃We　are。　Ships　have　been　lost　before　because　the　collision　bulkhead　gave　way。　The　hull　of　the　〃Dolphin〃　can　withstand　terrific　pressures；　but　a　relatively　minor　tap　from　a　sharpedged　object　can　rip　us　wide　open　like　an　electric　can　opener。　The　biggest　danger　is　surface　collision；　which　nearly　always　happens　at　the　bows。　So；　to　make　doubly　sure　in　the　event　of　a　bows　collision；　we　have　those　double…collision　bulkheadsthe　first　submarine　ever　to　have　them。　Makes　fore　and　aft　movement　here　a　bit　…difficult；　but　you've　no　idea　how　much　more　soundly　we　all　sleep　at　night。〃
　 He　closed　the　after　door　behind　him　and　opened　the　for'ard　one。　We　found　ourselves　in　the　for'ard　torpedo　room；　a　narrow；　cramped　partment　barely　long　enough　to　permit　torpedoes　to　be　loaded　or　withdrawn　from　their　tubes。　Those　tubes；　with　their　heavy　hinged　rear　doors；　were　arranged　close　together　in　two　vertical　banks　of　three。　Overhead　were　the　loading　rails；　with　heavy　chain　tackles　attached。　And　that　was　all。　No　bunks　in　here　and　I　didn't　wonder：　I　wouldn't　have　liked　to　be　the　one　to　sleep　for'ard　of　those　collision　bulkheads。
　 We　began　to　work　our　way　aft　and　had　reached　the　mess　hail　when　a　sailor　came　up　and　said　that　the　captain　wanted　to　see　me。　I　followed　him　up　the　wide　central　stairway　into　the　control　room；　Dr。　Benson　a　few　paces　behind　to　show　that　he　wasn't　being　too　inquisitive。　mander　Swanson　was　waiting　for　me　by　the　door　of　the　radio　room。
　 〃Morning；　Doctor。　Sleep　well？〃
　 〃Fifteen　hours。　What　do　you　think？　And　breakfasted　even　better。　What's　up；　mander？〃　Something　was　up；　that　was　for　sure：　for　once；　mander　Swanson　wasn't　smiling。
　 〃Message　ing　through　about　Drift　Station　Zebra。　Has　to　be　decoded　first；　but　that　should　take　only　minutes。〃　Decoding　or　not；　it　seemed　to　me　that　Swanson　already　had　a　fair　idea　of　the　content　of　that　message。
　 〃When　did　we　surface？〃　I　asked。　A　submarine　loses　radio　contact　as　soon　as　it　submerges。
　 〃Not　since　we　left　the　Clyde。　We're　close　to　three　hundred　feet　down　right　now。〃
　 〃This　is　a　〃radio〃　message　that's　ing　through？〃
　 〃What　else？　Times　have　changed。　We　still　have　to　surface　to　transmit　but　we　can　receive　down　to　our　maximum　depth。　Somewhere　in　Connecticut　is　the　world's　largest　radio　transmitter；　using　an　extremely　low　frequency；　which　can　contact　us　at　this　depth　far　more　easily　than　any　other　radio　station　can　contact　a　surface　ship。　While　we're　waiting；　e　and　meet　the　drivers。〃
　 He　introduced　me　to　some　of　his　control…center　crewas　with　Benson；　it　seemed　to　be　a　matter　of　plete　indifference　to　him　whether　it　was　officer　or　enlisted　manand　finally　stopped　by　an　officer　sitting　just　aft　of　the　periscope　stand；　a　youngster　who　looked　as　if　he　should　still　be　in　high　school。　〃Will　Raeburn；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Normally　we　pay　no　attention　to　him　but　after　we　move　under　the　ice　he　bees　the　most　important　man　on　the　ship。　Our　navigation　officer。　Are　we　lost；　Will？〃
　 〃We're　just　there；　Captain。〃　He　pointed　to　a　tiny　pinpoint　of　light　on　the　Norwegian　Sea　chart　spread　out　beneath　the　glass　on　the　plotting　table。　〃Gyro　and　sins　are　checking　to　a　hair。〃
　 〃'Sins'？〃　I　said。
　 〃You　may　well　look　surprised；　…　Dr。　Carpenter；〃　Swanson　said。　〃Lieutenant　Raeburn　here　is　far　too　young　to　have　any　sins。　He　is　referring　to　S。I。N。S。Ship's　Inertial　Navigational　Systema　device　once　used　for　guiding　intercontinental　missiles　and　now　adapted　for　submarine　use；　specifically　nuclear　submarines。　No　point　in　my　elaborating：　Will's　ready　to　talk　your　head　off　about　it　if　he　manages　to　corner　you。〃　He　glanced　at　the　chart　position。　〃Are　we　getting　there　quickly　enough　to　suit　you；　Doctor？〃
　 〃I　still　don't　believe　it；〃　I　said。
　 〃We　cleared　the　Holy　Loch　a　little　earlier　than　I　expected；　before　seven；〃　Swanson　admitted。　〃I　had　intended　to　carry　out　some　slow…time　dives　to　adjust　trim；　but　it　wasn't　necessary。　Even　the　lack　of　twelve　torpedoes　up　in　the　nose　didn't　make　her　as　stern…heavy　as　I'd　expected。　She's　so　damned　big　that　a　few　tons　more　or　less　or　here　or　there　doesn't　seem　to　make　any　difference　to　her。　So　we　just　came　barreling　on　up〃
　 He　broke　off　to　accept　a　signal　sheet　from　a　sailor；　and　read　through　it　slowly；　taking　his　time　about　it。　Then　ho　jerked　his　head；　walked　to　a　quiet　corner　of　the　control　center；　and　faced　me　as　I　came　up　to　him。　He　still　wasn't　smiling。
　 〃I'm　sorry；〃　he　said。　〃Major　Halliwell；　the　mandant　of　the　drift　station　。　。　。　You　said　last　night　he　was　a　very　close　friend　of　yours？〃
　 I　felt　my　mouth　begin　to　go　dry。　I　nodded；　and　took　the　message　from　him。　It　read：
　
　 A　further　radio　message；　very　broken　and　difficult　to　decipher；　was　received　0945　Greenwich　Mean　Time　from　Drift　Ice　Station　Zebra　by　the　British　trawler　〃Morning　Star〃；　the　vessel　that　picked　up　the　previous　broadcast。　Message　stated　that　Major　Halliwell；　Officer　manding；　and　three　others；　unnamed；　critically　injured　or　dead；　no　indication　who　or　how　many　of　the　four　are　dead。　Others；　number　again　unknown；　suffering　severely　from　burns　and　exposure。　Some　message　about　food　and　fuel；　atmospheric　conditions　and　weakness　in　transmission　made　it　quite　indecipherable。　Understood　from　very　garbled　signal　that　survivors　in　one　hut　unable　to　move　because　of　weather。　Words　〃ice　storm〃　clearly　picked　up。　Apparent　details　of　wind　speed　and　temperatur