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cc.floodtide-第107部分

小说: cc.floodtide 字数: 每页4000字

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ty and her crew waiting for them。
 
 The boat; a twenty…five…foot Parker with a cabin; was powered by a 250 Yamaha outboard。 Functional and electronically well equipped with a NavStar differential global…positioning system interfaced with a state of the art PC and Geometerics 866 marine magnetometer; the Divercity also mounted a Klein side…scan sonar that would play a key role in seeking out the remains of the Princess Don Wan。 For a close…up identification; the boat carried a Benthos MiniRover MK II underwater robotic vehicle。
 
 The experienced crew consisted of Ralph Wilbanks; a big; jolly man in his early forties with expansive brown eyes and a bristling mustache; and his partner; Wes Hall; easygoing; soft…spoken and smoothly handsome; who could have doubled for Mel Gibson。
 Wilbanks and Hall greeted Pitt and Julia warmly and introduced themselves。 〃We didn't expect you this early;〃 said Hall。
 〃Up with the birds; that's us;〃 Pitt said; nodding humorously。 〃How was your trip from Kenosha?〃
 〃Calm water all the way;〃 answered Wilbanks。
 
 Both men spoke in a soft Southern accent。 Pitt liked them almost immediately。 He didn't need a drawing to see they were a professional; job…dedicated pair。 They watched amused as Julia jumped from the dock; landing on the deck with the finesse of a limber cat。 She was dressed in jeans and a sweater under a nylon windbreaker。
 〃She's a fine; no…nonsense boat;〃 said Pitt; admiring the Divercity。
 Wilbanks nodded in agreement。 〃She does the job。〃 He turned to Julia。 〃I hope you don't mind roughing it; ma'am。 We're not equipped with a head。〃
 〃Don't worry about me;〃 Julia said; smiling。 〃I've got an iron bladder。〃
 Pitt looked across the water of the little harbor at the seemingly endless lake。 〃Light breeze; one… to two…foot waves; conditions look good。 Are we ready to cast off?〃
 Hall nodded and unwound the mooring lines from the dock's cleats。 Just as he was about to climb on board; he pointed down the dock at a figure awkwardly approaching and waving wildly。 〃Is he with you?〃
 Pitt found himself staring at Al Giordino; who was stomping across the wooden planks on a pair of crutches; his wounded leg encased in a plaster cast from ankle to crotch。 Giordino flashed his celebrated smile and said; 〃A pox on your house for thinking you could leave me onshore while you got all the glory。〃
 
 Happy to see his old friend; Pitt said; 〃You can't say I didn't try。〃
 Wilbanks and Hall gently lifted Giordino over the side and sat him on a long cushion that lay on a raised hump in the middle of the boat。 Pitt introduced him to the crew as Julia fussed over him and pressed a cup of coffee in his hand from a thermos she carried in a picnic basket。
 〃Shouldn't you be in a hospital?〃 she asked。
 〃I hate hospitals;〃 Giordino grumbled。 〃Too many people die in them。〃
 〃Is everyone aboard who's ing aboard?〃 Wilbanks inquired。
 〃All present and accounted for;〃 replied Pitt。
 Wilbanks grinned and said; 〃Then let's do it。〃
 
 As soon as they cleared the harbor; Wilbanks pushed the throttle forward and the Divercity leaped ahead; bow clear of the water; until she was skimming the waves at nearly thirty miles an hour。 While Julia and Giordino sat aft; enjoying the view and the beginning of a spectacular day under a sky decorated with clouds drifting overhead like a grazing herd of white buffalo; Pitt gave Wilbanks his chart with an X marked twenty…five miles just south of east frorh the Gallagher's house。 He had enclosed the X within a five…mile…by…five…mile search grid。 Wilbanks then programmed the coordinates into the puter and watched as the numbers came up on the monitor。 Hall busied himself studying the photos and dimensions of the Princess Dou Wan。
 It seemed hardly any time had passed before Wilbanks slowed the boat and announced; 〃ing up on lane one in eight hundred meters。〃 He used the metric system; since the equipment was set up for it。
 Pitt helped Hall drop over the magnetometer sensor and the side…scan sonar towfish; trailing them behind the stern of the boat on tethered cables。 After tying off the cables; they returned to the cabin。
 Wilbanks steered the boat toward the end of a line displayed on the monitor that led to a search grid with parallel lanes。 〃Four hundred meters to go。〃
 〃I feel like I'm taking part in an adventure;〃 said Julia。
 〃You're going to be sadly disappointed;〃 Pitt laughed。 〃Running search lanes for a shipwreck is downright tedious。 You might pare it to mowing grass on an endless lawn。 You can go hours; weeks or even months without finding so much as an old tire。〃
 Pitt took over the magnetometer duties as Hall set up the Klein & Associates Systems 2000 sonar。 He sat on a stool in front of the high…resolution color video display unit that was mounted in the same console as a thermal printer that recorded the floor of the lake in 256 shades of gray。
 〃Three hundred meters;〃 Wilbanks droned。
 〃What range are we set for?〃 Pitt asked Hall。
 〃Since we're hunting for a large target five hundred feet in length; we'll run thousand…meter lanes。〃 He pointed to the lake…bed detail that was beginning to unreel from the printer。 〃The bottom looks flat and undisturbed; and since we're operating in fresh water; we should have no problem spotting an anomaly that fits the target's dimensions。〃
 〃Speed?〃
 〃The water's pretty calm。 I think we can run at ten miles an hour and still get a sharp recording。〃
 〃Can I watch?〃 asked Julia from the cabin doorway。
 〃Be my guest;〃 said Hall; making room for her in the cramped quarters。
 〃The detail is amazing;〃 she said; staring at the image from the printer。 〃You can clearly see ripples in the sand。〃
 〃The resolution is good;〃 Hall lectured her; 〃but nowhere near the definition of a photograph。 The sonar image translates similar to a photo that's been duplicated and then run through a copy machine three or four times。〃
 Pitt and Hall exchanged grins。 Observers always became addicted to watching the sonar data。 Julia would be no different。 They knew that she would gaze entranced for hours; enthusiastically waiting for the image of a ship to materialize。
 〃Starting lane one;〃 Wilbanks proclaimed。
 〃What's our depth; Ralph?〃 Pitt asked。
 Wilbanks glanced up at his depth sounder; which hung from the roof on one side of the helm。 〃About four hundred ten feet。〃
 An old hand at search…and…survey; Giordino shouted from his fortable position on the cushion where he lay with his cast propped up on a railing。 〃I'm going to take a siesta。 Yell out if you spot anything。〃
 The hours passed slowly as the Divercity plowed through the low waves at ten miles an hour mowing the lawn; the magnetometer ticking away; the recording line trailing down the center of the graph paper until swinging off to the sides when it detected the presence of iron。 In unison; the side…scan sonar emitted a soft clack as the thermal plastic film unreeled from the printer。 It revealed a lake bed cold and desolate and free of human debris。
 〃It's a desert down there;〃 said Julia; rubbing tired eyes。
 〃No place to build your dream house;〃 said Hall with a little grin。
 〃That finishes lane twenty…two;〃 Wilbanks broadcast。 〃ing around on lane twenty…three。〃
 Julia looked at her watch。 〃Lunchtime;〃 she announced; opening the picnic basket she had packed at the bed and breakfast。 〃Anybody besides me hungry?〃
 〃I'm always hungry;〃 Giordino called out from the back of the boat。
 〃Amazing。〃 Pitt shook his head incredulously。 〃At twelve feet away; outside in a breeze with the roar of the outboard motor; he can still hear the mere mention of food。〃
 〃What delicacies have you prepared?〃 Giordino asked Julia; having dragged himself to the cabin doorway。
 〃Apples; granola bars; carrots and herbal ice tea。 You have your choice between hummus and avocado sandwiches。 It's what I call a healthy lunch。〃
 Every man on the boat looked at each of the others with utter horror。 She couldn't have received a more unpalatable reaction if she had said she was volunteering their services as diaper changers at a day…care center。 Out of deference to Julia none of the men said anything negative; since she went to the bother of fixing lunch。 The fact that she was a woman and their mothers had raised them all as gentlemen added to the dilemma。 Giordino; however; did not e from the old school。 He plained vociferously。
 〃Hummus and avocado sandwiches;〃 he said disgustedly。 〃I'm going to throw myself off the boat and swim to the nearest Burger King…〃
 〃I have a reading on the mag!〃 Pitt interrupted。 〃Anything on the sonar?〃
 〃My sonar towfish is trailing farther astern than your mag sensor;〃 said Hall; 〃so my reading will lag behind yours。〃
 Julia leaned closer to the sonar's printer in anticipation of seeing an object appear from the printer。 Slowly; the image of a hard target began to move across the video display and the printer simultaneously。
 〃A ship!〃 Julia shouted excitedly。 〃It's a ship!〃
 〃But not the one we're after;〃 Pitt said flatly。 〃She's an old sailing ship sitting straight up off the bottom。〃
 Wilbanks leaned around the others to peer at the sunken ship。 〃Look at that detail。 The cabins; the hatch covers; th

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