scoonts.theminotaur-第69节

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n　you're　a　corpse。　Is　that　what　you　want？〃
　〃No；〃　said　Tyler　Henry　contritely；　aware　that　he　had　gone　too　far。
　〃Just　one　word。　Admiral；　just　one　little　slip　by　you；　and　I'll　e　after　you　with　that　goddamn　warrant。　You'd　better　believe　it！　You　and　John　Hinckley　can　spend　your　declining　years　together。〃
　Camacho　wheeled　and　walked　away；　leaving　Henry　standing　there　staring　at　his　retreating　back。
　
　22
　
　Tyler　Henry　acpanied　the　ATA　project　crew　when　they　returned　to　Tonopah　in　July。　The　admiral　shook　hands　with　the　TRX　engineers　and　spent　three　hours　inspecting　the　plane；　which　occupied　the　hangar　where　the　Consolidated　bird　had　rested；　and　asking　questions。　At　his　request　Rita　Moravia　and　Toad　Tarkington　remained　beside　him。　Many　of　his　questions　were　directed　at　Rita；　but　when　he　wanted　to　know　something　about　the　navigation/attack　system；　he　asked　Toad。
　〃Is　that　right；　Franks？〃　the　admiral　growled　at　the　TRX　program　manager　after　he　bad　listened　carefully　to　one　of　Toad's　answers。
　Harry　Franks　nodded　his　assent。　It　looked　to　Jake　as　if　Franks　had　lost　ten　pounds　or　so；　but　the　cotton　of　his　colorful　sport　shirt　still　seemed　loaded　near　its　tensile　strength　where　it　stretched　over　his　middle。　Franks　rolled　the　stump　of　a　dead　cigar　from　one　corner　of　his　mouth　to　the　other　and　winked　at　Jake。
　With　his　shoulders　thrown　back　and　his　genial　air　of　self…assurance　and　mand；　Franks　reminded　Jake　of　the　salty　chief　petty　officers　he　had　grown　to　respect　and　admire　when　he　was　a　junior　officer。　Franks　certainly　was　no　modem　naval　officer　or　chief　in　mufti；　not　with　that　gut。　In　today's　navy　even　the　chief　petty　officers　were　slimmed　down　or　retired；　victims　of　rigid　weight　standards　enforced　with　awesome　zeal。　The　senior　admirals　liked　to　think　of　their　service　as　a　lean；　mean　fighting　machine；　which　of　course　it　was　not。　More　accurately；　the　navy　was　a　host　of　skinny　technocrats。　Not　only　were　roost　sailors　technicians；　most　of　the　officers　spent　the　vast　majority　of　their　professional　lives　as　administrators；　experts　on　instructions；　notices；　regulations；　and　budgets。　The　bureaucracy　was　mean　but　certainly　not　lean。
　Confusing；　Jake　mused；　glancing　once　again　at　Franks'　portico；　very　confusing。
　Unlike　the　trendy　and　not　so　trendy　humans　who　stood　admiring　it；　TRX's　prototype　was　exquisite　functionality。　The　mission　was　all…weather　attack。　The　plane　would　be　launched　from　the　deck　of　an　aircraft　carrier；　in　any　weather　day　or　night；　to　penetrate　the　enemy's　defenses；　find　and　destroy　the　target　without　outside　aid；　and　return　to　the　tiny　ship　in　the　vast　ocean　from　whence　it　came；　there　to　be　refueled　and　rearmed　and　launched　again。　Every　form　and　feature　had　been　carefully　crafted　for　the　rigid　demands　of　this　mission；　and　no　other。
　As　he　stood　listening　to　the　engineers　describe　their　creation；　Jake　Grafton's　eye　fell　on　Rita　Moravia　and　Toad　Tarkington；　two　intelligent　young　people　in　perfect　health　with　good　educations。　They　and　others　like　them　would　have　to　use　this　machine　as　a　weapon；　when　and　if。　The　technocrats　would　build　it　and　take　it　to　sea。　Yet　the　plane　would　never　be　anything　but　a　cunning　collection　of　glue；　diodes；　and　weird　alloys。　The　attack　must　e　from　the　hearts　of　those　who　rode　it　down　the　catapult　into　the　sky。
　The　important　things　in　war　never　change。　As　always；　victory　would　go　to　those　who　prepared　wisely；　planned　well；　and　drove　home　their　thrusts　with　a　grim；　fierce　determination。
　When　the　F…14　chase　plane　was　safely　airborne；　Rita　Moravia　smoothly　advanced　the　throttles　to　the　stops　and　let　the　two　improved　F404　engines　wind　up　to　fill！　power　as　she　checked　the　trim　setting　one　more　time。　The　cockpit　noise　level　was　higher　than　in　the　Consolidated　plane；　and　no　doubt　the　roar　of　the　engines　outside　was　also　louder。　The　exhausts　had　not　been　as　deeply　inset　above　the　wing　and　cooled　as　extensively　with　bypass　air　from　the　pressors；　consequently　more　of　the　engine's　rated　power　was　available　to　propel　the　plane　through　the　atmosphere。　And　the　noise　was　not　the　only　clue：　she　could　feel　slightly　more　vibration　and　a　perceptibly　greater　dip　of　the　nose　as　the　thrust　of　the　screaming　engines　pressed　the　nose…gear　oleo。　〃Anytime　you're　ready；〃　Toad　announced。
　After　dictating　all　the　engine　data　onto　the　audio　recorder　wired　into　the　ICS；　Rita　released　the　brakes。　The　nose　oleo　rebounded　and　the　plane　rolled　smartly；　picking　up　speed。
　The　little　thumps　and　bumps　as　the　wheels　crossed　the　expansion　joints　in　the　concrete　runway　came　quicker　and　quicker。　The　needle　on　the　airspeed　indicator　came　off　the　peg。　On　the　holographic　Heads…Up　Display…the　HUD…functioning　in　this　prototype；　the　symbology　came　alive。　The　sound　of　the　engines　dropped　in　volume　and　pitch　as　the　machine　accelerated。
　Now　the　weight　came　off　the　nose　wheel　as　the　stabilator　and　living　wing　controls　took　effect　and　began　to　exert　aerodynamic　force　on　the　nose；　trying　to　lift　it　from　the　runway。　Oh　yes。　With　Ac　joystick　held　ever　so　lightly　in　her　fingers；　she　felt　the　nose　wheel　bobble；　skip　lightly；　then　rise　from　the　concrete　as　the　wings　gripped　the　air。
　The　master　warning　light　illuminated…bright　yellow…and　beside　the　HUD　the　right　engine　fire　warning　light…brilliant　blood　red。
　She　smoothly　pulled　both　throttles　to　idle；　then　secured　the　right　one。　Nose　held　off　until　the　main　mounts　were　firmly　planted；　decelerating　nicely；　speed　brakes　and　flaperon　pop…up　deployed；　five　thousand　feet　of　concrete　remaining；　slowing。。。
　〃Ginger　aborting；〃　she　broadcast　on　the　radio。　〃Fire　light；　right　engine；　roll　the　truck。〃
　Nose　wheel　firmly　on　the　concrete；　Rita　applied　the　brakes　with　a　firm；　steady　pressure。　She　rolled　to　a　stop　and　killed　the　remaining　engine　as　she　opened　the　canopy。　The　fire　truck　charged　toward　them。
　Rita　pulled　her　helmet　off。　〃Any　fire？〃　she　shouted　at　the　man　on　the　truck　as　the　engine　noise　died。　Without　conscious　effort；　her　fingers　danced　across　the　panels　turning　off　everything。
　〃Not　that　we　can　see。〃
　〃Let's　get　out　anyway；〃　Rita　told　Toad；　who　had　already　toggled　his　quick…release　fittings　and　was　craning　out　of　the　rear　cockpit；　looking　for　smoke。
　Standing　beside　the　runway；　perspiring　profusely　as　the　summer　desert　sun　cooked　them；　Rita　and　Toad　heard　the　news　five　minutes　later　from　Harry　Franks。　A　swarm　of　technicians　already　had　the　engine　bay　doors　open。　〃Electrical　problem；　I'm　sure。　Will　tow　it　into　the　hangar　and　check　it　out　Nice　abort；〃　he　added　with　a　nod　at　Rita。　〃You　two　want　to　ride　back　in　the　van？　It's　air…conditioned。〃
　〃Yep；〃　said　Tarkington。　〃Nothing　like　air　force　hospitality。〃
　They　flew　the　plane　for　the　first　time　the　following　day。　Rita　came　back　from　the　flight　with　a　large　smile　on　her　face。　〃Captain；〃　she　told　Jake　Grafton　as　she　brushed　sweat…soaked　hair　from　her　forehead　and　eyes；　〃that's　one　sweet　machine。　Power；　handling；　plenty　of　G　available；　sweet　and　honest。　A　very　nice　airplane。〃
　Before　Harry　Franks'　grin　could　get　too　wide。　she　started　detailing　problems：　〃Controls　are　oversensitive。　Twitchy。　Trying　the　ball　is　a　real　challenge。　The　left　generator　dropped　off　the　line　twice；　which　was　maybe　a　good　thing；　because　we　found　the　power　relay　works　as　advertised；　the　inertia！　stayed　up　and　humming。　Toad　got　the　puter　running　again　without　any　problem　each　time。　And　the　rudder　trim。。。〃
　When　Rita　paused　for　air；　Toad　chimed　in。　〃I'd　like　to　go　over　how　those　fiber　optic　data　buses　work　with　someone；　one　more　time。　I'm　still　trying　to　figure　out　how。。。〃
　The　routine　was　exactly　like　it　had　been　a　month　before。　Telemetry；　videotapes　and　the　Flight　Data　Recorder　info　were　carefully　reviewed　and　the　data　piled　for　a　later　in…depth　analysis。　Those　problems　that　could　be　fixed　were；　and　major　problems　were　carefully　delineated　for　factory　study。
　Jake　Grafton　demanded　all　his　people　quit　work　at　9　P。M。　He　wanted　them　rested　and　back　at　the　hangar　at　six　each　morning。　Harry　Franks　worked　his　technicians　around　the　dock　in　shifts；　although　he　himself　put　in　eighteen…hour　days　and　was　on　call　at　night。
　Toad　tried　to　get　out　of　the　hangar　as　often　as　possible。　The　air　force　was　using　this　field　for　stealth　fighters…F…H7s…and　several　other　low…observable　prototypes；　including　the　B…2。　Every　so　often　if　he　was　outside　he　would　hear　a　rumble　and　there；　before　his　very　eyes；　would　be　some　exotic　shape　that　seemed　to　defy　the　laws　of　gravity　and　mon　sense　as　it　cleaved　the　hot　blue　desert　air。　He　felt　vaguely　guilty；　and　slightly　naughty。　To　satisfy　his　idle　curiosity　he　was　seeing　something　that　the　Powers　That　Be…Those　Who　Knew…the　Appointed；　Anointed　Keepers　of　the　Secret…didn't　think　his　little　mind　should　be　burdened　with。　So　he　stood　and　gawked；　curious　and　mystified；　a　little　boy　at　the　knothole；　watching　the　love　rites　of　the　groping　teenagers。　He　would　go　back　to　work　shaking　his　head　and　trot　outside　again；　hopefully；　several　hours　later。
　He　bumped　into　Jake　Grafton　on　one　of　these　excursions。　The　captain　stood　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　watching　a　pair　of　F…H7s　e　into　the　break。
　〃Amazing；　huh？〃　Jake　said。
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃I've　been　flying　for　twenty…five　years；〃　Grafton　said；　〃and　reading　everything　I　could　abou