jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第24节

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！


　The　dinosaur　shook　its　head；　then　opened　and　closed　its　mouth　a　few　times；　making　a　smacking　sound。　Mariel　could　see　the　tongue　moving　in　and　out。　The　dinosaur　put　its　head　down　and　sniffed　at　the　garden　and　the　pillow；　and　then　its　head　came　up　and　it　sniffed　at　Mariel。　As　she　watched；　its　mouth　came　open　and　it　hissed　again。　The　dinosaur　seemed　to　want　more　sugar。　Its　hiss　was　turning　into　an　〃aaaahhh〃　sound。　It　was　almost　cute。　Mariel　went　to　her　pantry　and　dug　out　the　sugar　she　had　opened　yesterday　for　the　Sugar　cookies　the　Ibarras　were　now　enjoying。　Back　at　the　window；　the　dinosaur　was　looking　around；　but　as　soon　as　it　saw　Mariel　its　head　went　up；　and　its　mouth　came　open；　and　it　emitted　a　loud　〃aaaaah。〃　Mariel　turned　the　bag　upside　down　and　poured　the　sugar　into　the　dinosaur's　mouth。　Swallowing；　it　snapped　its　jaws　closed　and　began　smacking　its　lips。　It　looked　around　again　and　then　opened　its　mouth　and　made　its　sound。
　〃Oh　my；　what　have　I　done？〃　Mariel　asked　herself　〃I　never　thought　you　would　have　a　sweet　tooth。〃
　Mariel　didn't　know　what　to　do。　She　couldn't　keep　feeding　it　sugar；　but　she　didn't　want　it　to　go　away。　She　was　about　to　get　another　bag　of　sugar　when　the　sound　of　an　air　horn　split　the　meadow。　The　dinosaur　spun；　its　tail　slamming　into　Mariel's　building。　She　felt　the　vibrations。　The　horn　sounded　again；　followed　by　the　sounds　of　gunfire。
　Now　the　iguanodon　trotted　back　across　the　meadow；　watching　for　the　source　of　the　sound　as　it　went。　Again　the　horn　sounded。　More　gunfire　popped。　Mariel　looked　left　and　saw　another　dinosaur　running　on　four　legs　in　the　distance；　but　it　was　too　far　away　for　her　to　see　clearly。　The　iguanodon　receded　into　the　meadow。
　Mariel　sat　back　in　her　chair；　feeling　sad　and　lonely　again。　Her　life　had　gone　from　dull　routine　to　exciting　and　frightening　and　back　to　dull　in　a　matter　of　hours。　She　rocked　in　her　chair　and　looked　out　her　window。　She　craved　excitement　like　the　dinosaur　craved　sugar。　Reaching　over；　she　turned　on　her　radio　and　picked　up　her　crocheting。　She　smiled　to　herself。　Mr；　Iguan…odon　would　remember　the　sugar；　and　when　its　sweet　tooth　started　calling　it　would　e　home　to　her；　and　she　would　be　there。
　
　19。　　SECURITY　COUNCIL
　
　If　there　is　a　mon　denominator　among　these　strange　falls　from　the　sky；　it　is　the　disruption　of　electric　power。　Such　failures　have　not　been　explained　by　engineers。
　…Constance　Jones；　Fortiology　and　the　Modern　Age
　
　Washington；　DX。　POSTQUILT：　SUNDAY；　7：50　A。M。　EST
　
　The　Security　Council　met　in　the　basement　of　the　White　House　in　the　Situation　Room；　brightly　lit　with　banks　of　fluorescent　bulbs　built　into　the　ceiling。　Nick　had　seen　operating　rooms　with　less　light。　A　table　held　doughnuts；　coffee；　and　orange　juice。　The　orange　juice　was　untouched；　but　the　coffee　pots　had　already　been　refilled　once。　Nick　helped　himself　to　a　cup。
　Elizabeth's　chair　was　next　to　the　President's　but　pushed　back　so　that　she　had　to　lean　forward　to　whisper　in　his　ear；　which　she　did　frequently。　Nick　did　not　have　a　regular　seat；　but　Elizabeth　motioned　him　to　a　chair　near　the　far　end　of　the　rectangular　table。
　The　meeting　was　about　to　begin　when　Dr。　Gogh　arrived。　Under　his　arm　he　held　a　folder　identical　to　the　one　Nick　had　received　from　Elizabeth。　Expressions　of　surprise　spread　around　the　table；　but　Dr。　Gogh　sat　down　and　immediately　began　poring　over　his　notes。　Nick　noticed　that　Gogh's　seat　was　closer　to　the　President's　than　Nick's。
　Because　the　situation　was　treated　as　a　military　emergency；　the　CIA；　NSA；　and　defense　intelligence　reports　were　at　the　top　of　the　agenda。　Nick's　report　would　be　last。　After　making　sure　the　armed　forces　were　on　full　alert　and　that　all　SAC　bombers　were　either　in　the　air　or　on　the　flight　line；　the　President　began　taking　more　detailed　reports。　The　various　intelligence　reports　all　focused　on　the　state　of　readiness　of　the　U。S。　armed　forces　and　threat　assessment。　The　immediate　concern　was　the　loss　of　the　ELF　system…the　network　of　buried　transmission　lines　that　made　up　the　extreme　low　frequency　transmission　system；　designed　to　keep　the　nation's　fleet　of　nuclear　submarines　in　contact　with　the　military　authorities。　The　loss　of　the　system　would　mean　dependence　on　less　reliable　and　more　vulnerable　systems　requiring　the　submarines　to　approach　the　surface　to　municate　via　satellites。　One　of　the　naval　aides　estimated　30　percent　of　the　ELF　system　was　in　terrain　that　was　farmland　and　forest　one　minute；　and　arctic　tundra　the　next。　Like　the　others　present；　the　President　ignored　the　incredible　changes　in　the　terrain　and　focused　on　the　relatively　inconsequential　loss　of　the　munications　system。
　From　all　over　the　country　had　e　reports　of　huge　tracts　of　land　disappearing　and　being　replaced　by　other　terrain；　often　radically　different　in　climate。　Nick　new　that　part　of　New　York　had　vanished；　apparently　replaced　by　grasslands；　but　other　reports　confirmed　a　huge　sheet　of　ice　had　appeared　in　Iowa；　a　tropical　jungle　in　Georgia；　and　a　desert　in　Ohio。　Massive　floods　were　occurring　in　East　St。　Louis　and　other　locales。　The　flooding　gave　Nick　an　idea；　and　he　nursed　it；　temporarily　oblivious　to　the　meeting　around　him。
　〃No；　Mr。　President；　we　have　no　estimate　of　the　extent　of　the　loss　although　we　have　some　reports　that　part　of　the　system　we　thought　was　lost　may　still　be　intact　but　dysfunctional。　Although　the　topography　has　changed；　the　ELF　lines　may　remain　under　the　surface。　We　are　organizing　teams　to　check　on　that　now。〃
　After　Elizabeth　leaned　forward　and　whispered　in　the　President's　ear　again；　he　asked；　〃Colonel；　do　you　have　an　estimate　of　when　the　results　of　that　assessment　will　be　available？　When　you　do；　would　you　see　that　my　chief　of　staff　has　that？　Thank　you。〃
　President　McIntyre　had　been　twirling　a　twisted　paper　clip　in　his　fingers　but　put　it　down　to　run　his　finger　down　the　agenda。　Before　he　could　find　his　place　Elizabeth　leaned　forward　and　pointed。　The　President　seemed　unconcerned　about　Elizabeth's　blatant　intrusion。
　The　head　of　the　CIA　gave　the　next　report。　Samuel　Cannon　was　another　of　the　President's　old　friends。　He'd　had　a　rough　ride　through　the　confirmation　hearings。　The　Congress　was　leery　of　making　a　former　auto　executive　head　of　the　CIA；　but　the　President　had　his　man　in　the　CIA；　qualified　or　not。
　〃As　I　understand　your　reports；　Sam；　the　events　are　random　and　not　targeted　at　military　installations。　Both　civilian　and　military　targets　have　been　hit？〃
　〃That's　right；　sir；〃　the　CIA　director　confirmed。　〃Whatever　the　weapon　is；　it　missed　our　strategic　capabilities。　Although　we　have　lost　munication　with　some　facilities。〃
　Lost　munication　or　lost　facilities？　Nick　wondered。
　〃Could　the　strategy　be　to　take　out　civilian　targets？〃　the　President　asked。
　〃If　the　targets　were　civilian　then　the　weapon　was　just　as　inaccurate。　We　have　unconfirmed　reports　of　even　nearly　uninhabited　areas　being　affected。　Whatever　it　was；　was　powerful　but　not　accurate。〃
　Cannon　said　it　with　satisfaction；　as　if　a　weapon　that　could　make　a　third　of　New　York　City　disappear；　never　mind　three　million　people；　was　no　threat　if　it　could　not　be　aimed　accurately。
　Elizabeth　leaned　forward　again　and　whispered　in　the　President's　ear。
　〃I　know　you　don't　believe　the　Russians　are　technologically　capable　of　such　an　attack；〃　McIntyre　said；　〃but　it　seems　even　less　likely　that　any　other　country　would　have　the　technology　to　do　this。　Is　it　possible　something　has　escaped　our　scrutiny？　What　about　the　project　they　have　going　at　the　old　Chernobyl　site　in　the　Ukraine？〃
　The　CIA　director　and　Elizabeth　flinched　at　the　mention　of　Chernobyl。　It　was　clear　the　President　had　mitted　a　breach　of　security　just　by　saying　the　name。
　〃Sir；〃　Cannon　began　cautiously；　〃I　don't　think　this　is　the　place　to　discuss　the　。　。　。　ah　。　。　。　other　matter。〃
　〃I'm　not　asking　you　to　discuss　it；　I'm　asking　you　to　assess　the　possibility　that　it　has　something　to　do　with　what　has　happened　to　our　country。〃
　The　CIA　director　looked　at　his　assistant　behind　him；　who　leaned　forward　and　whispered　a　la　Elizabeth　Hawthorne。　While　they　whispered　Nick　noticed　that　Gogh　was　still　engrossed　in　the　reports。
　〃Our　best　information　suggests　there　is　no　connection　between　this　latest　event　and　the　other　matter。〃
　〃Is　it　possible　that　one　of　our　own　projects　could　have　inadvertently　produced　this　effect？　Possibly　the　fusion　project；　or　maybe　that　muon　particle　projector　。。。　or　what　about　the　antimatter　space　drive？　I　always　had　doubts　about　that　project；〃　McIntyre　said　dryly。
　〃Mr。　President！　If　you　wish　to　discuss　these　projects　we　should　dismiss　all　those　with　inadequate　security　clearance。〃
　Nick　found　this　discussion　particularly　interesting。　Whatever　these　black　bag　projects　were；　spilling　the　beans　had　the　CIA　director　white…faced　with　rage。
　〃Calm　down；　Sam；　I'm　more　concerned　with　finding　out　about　what　has　happened　than　I　am　about　leaking　information　on　pie…in…the…sky　secret　weapons。　I　only　want　to　know　whether　these　projects　could　in　some　way　have　produced　the　。　。　。　the　。　。　。　whatever　it　is　that　happened　today。〃
　The　President　was　visibly　angry　at　the　CIA　director's　resistance　to　his　questions。　Elizabeth　whispered　in　the　chief　executive's　ear　again。
　〃Sam；　we　have　dozens　of　highly　classified　projects　going　on　right　this　minute。　I