tc.redstormrising-第44章

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The　buoy　operated　for　over　an　hour；　continuously　sending　its　data　to　a　NATO　munications　satellite。　By　nightfall　the　data　was　being　broadcast　to　all　NATO　units　at　sea。　The　Russians　are　ing。

16　…　Last　Moves/First　Moves

USS　NIMITZ
The　speaker　had　announced　sunset　two　hours　before；　but　Bob　had　to　finish　his　work。　Sunsets　at　sea　far　away　from　the　polluted　city　air；　with　a　sharp　horizon　for　the　sun　to　slide　under；　were　always　something　he　enjoyed　watching。　What　he　saw　now　was　almost　as　good。　He　stood　with　his　hands　on　the　rail；　first　looking　down　at　the　foam　alongside　the　carrier's　sleek　huff；　then　after　a　brief　moment　of　preparation；　up。　Born　and　raised　in　Boston；　Toland　hadn't　known　what　the　Milky　Way　was　until　joining　the　Navy；　and　the　discovery　of　the　wide；　bright　belt　of　stars　overhead　was　always　a　source　of　wonder　to　him。　There　were　the　stars　he'd　learned　to　navigate　by；　with　sextant　and　trigonometric　tables…largely　replaced　now　by　electronic　aids　like　Omega　and　Loran…but　they　were　still　beautiful　to　behold。　Arcturus；　and　Vega；　and　Altair；　all　blinking　at　him　with　their　own　colors；　their　own　unique　characteristics　that　made　them　benchmarks　in　the　night　sky。
A　door　opened；　and　a　sailor　dressed　in　what　looked　like　a　purple　planeflueler's　shirt　joined　him　on　the　flight　deck　catwalk。
〃Darkened　ship；　sailor。　I'd　dump　that　cigarette；〃　Toland　said　sharply；　more　annoyed　to　have　his　precious　solitude　destroyed。
〃Sorry；　sir。〃　The　butt　sailed　over　the　side。　The　man　was　silent　for　a　few　minutes；　then　looked　at　Toland。　〃You　know　about　the　stars；　sir？〃
〃What　do　you　mean？〃
〃This　is　my　first　cruise；　sir；　an'　I　grew　up　in　New　York。　Never　saw　the　stars　like　this；　but　I　don't　even　know　what　they　are…the　names；　I　mean。　You　officers　know　all　that　stuff；　right？〃
Toland　laughed　quietly。　〃I　know　what　you　mean。　Same　with　my　first　time　out。　Pretty；　isn't　it？〃
〃Yes；　sir。　What's　that　one？〃　The　boy's　voice　sounded　tired。　Small　wonder；　Toland　thought；　with　all　the　flight　operations　they've　been　through　today。　The　youngster　pointed　to　the　brightest　dot　in　the　eastern　sky；　and　Bob　had　to　think　for　a　few　seconds。
〃That's　Jupiter。　A　planet；　not　a　star。　With　the　quartermaster's　spyglass；　you　can　pick　out　her　moons…some　of　them　anyway。〃　He　went　on　to　point　out　some　of　the　stars　used　for　navigation。
〃How　do　you　use　'em；　sir？〃　the　sailor　asked。
〃You　take　a　sextant　and　plot　their　height　above　the　horizon…sounds　harder　than　it　is；　just　takes　some　practice…and　you　check　that　against　a　book　of　star　positions。〃
〃Who　does　that；　sir？〃
〃The　book？　Standard　stuff。　I　imagine　the　book　we　use　es　from　the　Naval　Observatory　in　D。C。；　but　people　have　been　measuring　the　tracks　of　the　stars　and　planets　for　three　or　four　thousand　years；　long　before　telescopes　were　invented。　Anyway；　if　you　know　the　exact　time；　and　you　know　where　a　particular　star　is；　you　can　plot　out　where　you　are　on　the　globe　pretty　accurately；　within　a　few　hundred　yards　if　you　really　know　your　stuff。　Same　thing　with　the　sun　and　the　moon。　That　knowledge　has　been　around　for　hundreds　of　years。　The　tricky　part　was　inventing　a　clock　that　kept　good　time。　That　happened　about　two　hundred　and　some　years　ago。〃
〃I　thought　they　used　satellites　and　stuff　like　that。〃
〃We　do　now；　but　the　stars　are　just　as　pretty。〃
〃Yeah。〃　The　sailor　sat　down；　his　head　leaning　way　back　to　watch　the　curtain　of　white　points。　Beneath　them　the　ship's　hull　churned　the　water　to　foam　with　the　whispering　sound　of　a　continuously　breaking　wave。　Somehow　the　sound　and　the　sky　matched　each　other　perfectly。　〃Well；　at　least　I　learned　something　about　the　stars。　When's　it　gonna　start；　sir？〃
Toland　looked　up　at　the　constellation　of　Sagittarius。　The　center　of　the　galaxy　was　behind　it。　Some　astrophysicists　said　there　was　a　black　hole　in　there。　The　most　destructive　force　known　to　physics；　it　made　the　forces　under　man's　control　appear　puny　by　parison。　But　men　were　a　lot　easier　to　destroy。
〃Soon。〃

USS　CHICAGO
The　submarine　was　far　offshore　now；　west　of　the　surging　Soviet　submarine　and　surface　forces。　They'd　heard　no　explosions　yet；　but　it　couldn't　be　far　off。　The　nearest　Soviet　ship　was　about　thirty　miles　off　to　the　east；　and　a　dozen　more　were　plotted。　All　were　blasting　the　sea　with　their　active　sonars。
McCafferty　was　surprised　by　his　Flash　operational　order。　Chicago　was　being　pulled　out　of　the　Barents　Sea　and　shifted　to　a　patrol　area　in　the　Norwegian　Sea。　Mission：　to　interdict　Soviet　submarines　expected　to　head　south　toward　the　North　Atlantic。　A　political　decision　had　been　made：　It　must　not　appear　that　NATO　was　forcing　the　Soviets　into　a　war。　In　a　stroke；　the　pre…war　strategy　of　engaging　the　Soviet　Fleet　in　its　own　backyard　had　been　tossed　away。　Like　every　pre…war　battle　plan　in　this　century；　the　sub　skipper　reflected；　this　one　too　was　being　torn　up　because　the　enemy　wasn't　going　to　cooperate　and　do　what　we　thought　he'd　do。　Of　course。　He　was　putting　many　more　submarines　in　the　Atlantic　than　had　been　expected…even　worse；　we　were　making　it　easier　for　him！　McCafferty　wondered　what　other　surprises　were　in　store。　The　submarine's　torpedoes　and　missiles　were　now　fully　armed；　her　fire…control　systems　continuously　manned；　her　crew　standing　Condition…3　wartime　watch　routine。　But　their　orders　at　present　were　to　run　away。　The　captain　swore　to　himself；　angry　with　whoever　had　made　this　decision；　yet　still　hoping　in　a　quiet　er　of　his　mind　that　somehow　the　war　could　be　stopped。

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃It's　gotta　happen　soon；〃　AIRCENT　observed。　〃Shit；　they　got　their　troops　as　ready　as　I've　ever　seen。　They　can't　wait　until　all　our　Reforger　units　are　fully　in　place。　They　have　to　hit　us　soon。〃
〃I　know　what　you're　saying；　Charlie；　but　we　can't　move　first。〃
〃Any　word　on　our　visitors？〃　The　Air　Force　general　referred　to　Major　Chemyavin's　team　of　Spetznaz　mandos。
〃Still　sitting　tight。〃　A　unit　of　the　elite　GSG…9　German　border　guards　had　the　safe　house　under　continuous　surveillance；　with　a　second　English　ambush　team　between　them　and　their　supposed　target　in　Lammersdorf　Intelligence　officers　from　most　of　the　NATO　countries　were　part　of　the　surveillance　team；　each　with　a　direct　line　to　his　government。　〃What　if　they're　bait；　trying　to　get　us　to　strike　first？〃
〃I　know　we　can't　do　that；　General。　What　I　want　is　a　green　light　to　initiate　Dreamland　when　we　know　it's　all　for…real。　We　have　to　get　our　licks　in　fast；　boss。〃
SACEUR　leaned　back。　Trapped　by　his　duties　in　his　underground　mand　post；　he　hadn't　been　to　his　official　residence　in　ten　days。　He　wondered　if　any　general　officer　in　the　whole　world　had　gotten　any　sleep　in　the　past　two　weeks。
〃If　you　put　the　orders　up；　how　fast　can　you　react？〃
〃I　have　all　the　birds　loaded　and　ready　now。　My　crews　are　briefed。　If　I　order　them　to　stand　to；　I　can　have　Dreamland　running　thirty　minutes　from　your　signal。〃
〃Okay；　Charlie。　The　President　has　given　me　authority　to　react　to　any　attack。　Tell　your　people　to　stand　to。〃
〃Right。〃
SACEUR's　phone　rang。　He　lifted　it；　listened　briefly；　and　looked　up。　〃Our　visitors　are　moving；〃　he　told　AIRCENT。　To　his　operations　officer；　〃The　code　word　is　Firelight。〃　NATO　forces　would　now　go　to　maximum　alert。

AACHEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
The　Spetznaz　team　left　the　safe　house　in　two　small　vans　and　drove　south　on　the　road　to　Lammersdorf。　With　their　leader　killed　in　a　traffic　accident；　the　second　in　mand；　a　captain；　had　been　delivered　copies　of　the　papers　his　boss　had　died　to　get；　and　fully　briefed　his　men。　They　were　quiet　and　tense。　The　officer　had　taken　pains　to　explain　to　his　men　that　their　escape　had　been　carefully　planned；　that　once　clear　of　the　target　they'd　get　to　another　safe　house　and　wait　for　their　Red　Army　rades　to　arrive　in　five　days。　They　were　the　cream　of　the　Red　Army；　he'd　told　them；　thoroughly　trained　to　carry　out　dangerous　missions　behind　enemy　lines；　hence　valuable　to　the　State。　Every　man　had　bat　experience　fighting　in　the　mountains　of　Afghanistan；　he　reminded　them。　They　were　trained。　They　were　ready。
The　men　accepted　this　speech　as　elite　troopers　usually　did；　in　total　silence。　Chosen　most　of　all　for　their　intelligence；　each　of　them　knew　that　the　speech　was　merely　that。　The　mission　depended　largely　on　luck；　and　their　luck　had　already　gone　bad。　Every　one　of　them　wished　that　Major　Chernyavin