cyclops-第6部分

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behind　an　impenetrable　curtain　of　security；　unknown　and　undiscovered　for　twenty…six　years。〃
　　　　Joe　stared　down　the　fairway。　〃It　would　take　me　a　month　to　describe　the　problems；　the　setbacks；　and　the　tragedies　that　were　suffered。　The　scientific　and　engineering　breakthroughs　in　developing　a　hydrogen　reduction　process　for　making　water；　an　oxygen…extraction　apparatus；　and　a　power…generating　plant　whose　turbine　is　driven　by　liquid　nitrogen。　The　accumulation　of　materials　and　equipment　launched　into　designated　orbit　by　a　private　space　agency　sponsored　by　the　‘inner　core。'　The　construction　of　a　lunar　transfer　vehicle　designed　to　ferry　it　all　from　earth　orbit　to　the　Jersey　Colony。〃
　　　　〃And　this　was　done　under　the　nose　of　our　entire　space　program？〃
　　　　〃What　was　advertised　as　large　munication　satellites　were　disguised　sections　of　the　lunar　transfer　vehicle；　each　containing　a　man　in　an　internal　capsule。　I　won't　go　into　the　ten　years　of　planning　for　that　moment　or　the　remarkable　plexity　of　their　linkup　with　each　other　and　one　of　our　abandoned　space　laboratories　that　was　used　as　a　base　for　the　vehicle's　assembly。　Or　the　breakthrough　in　designing　a　lightweight；　efficient　solar　electric　engine　using　oxygen　as　the　propulsion　fuel。　But　the　job　was　acplished。〃
　　　　Joe　stopped　to　allow　the　President　to　hit　another　shot。　〃Then　it　was　a　matter　of　gathering　up　the　life…support　systems　and　supplies　already　sent　into　orbit　and　transporting　all　of　it；　actually　towing　it　like　a　tugboat；　to　the　predetermined　site　on　the　moon。　Even　an　old　Soviet　orbiting　laboratory　and　any　useful　piece　of　space　junk　were　pulled　to　the　Jersey　Colony。　From　the　beginning；　it's　been　a　no…frills　operation；　the　pioneering　trek　of　man　from　his　home　on　earth；　the　most　important　evolutionary　step　since　the　first　fish　struggled　onto　land　over　300　million　years　ago。　But　by　God；　we　did　it。　As　we　sit　here　and　talk　ten　men　are　living　and　working　in　a　hostile　environment　240；000　miles　away。〃
　　　　As　Joe　spoke　his　eyes　took　on　the　look　of　a　messiah。　Then　the　vision　faded　and　he　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃We'd　better　hurry　along　before　the　Secret　Service　wonders　why　we're　lagging。　Anyway；　that's　the　gist　of　it。　I'll　try　to　answer　your　questions　while　you　play〃
　　　　The　President　stared　at　him　in　awe。　〃Jesus；〃　he　groaned。　〃I　don't　think　I　can　absorb　all　this。〃
　　　　〃My　apologies　for　throwing　so　much　at　you　in　so　short　a　time；〃　said　Joe　swiftly。　〃But　it　was　necessary。〃
　　　　〃Where　exactly　on　the　moon　is　this　Jersey　Colony？〃
　　　　〃After　studying　the　photographs　from　the　Lunar　Orbiter　probes　and　Apollo　missions；　we　detected　a　geyser　of　vapor　issuing　from　a　volcanic　region　in　the　southern　hemisphere　of　the　moon's　far　side。　Closer　examination　showed　it　to　be　a　large　cavern；　perfect　shelter　for　locating　the　initial　installation。〃
　　　　〃You　said　ten　men　are　up　there？〃
　　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　　〃What　about　rotation；　replacements？〃
　　　　〃No　rotation。〃
　　　　〃God；　that　means　the　original　crew　who　assembled　the　lunar　transport　have　been　in　space　six　years。〃
　　　　〃That's　true；〃　acknowledged　Joe。　〃One　died　and　seven　were　added　as　the　base　was　expanded　to　support　more　life。〃
　　　　〃What　about　their　families？〃
　　　　〃All　bachelors。　All　knew　and　accepted　the　hardship　and　risk。〃
　　　　〃You　say　I'm　only　the　second　President　to　learn　of　the　project？〃
　　　　〃That's　correct。〃
　　　　〃Not　allowing　the　nation's　Chief　Executive　to　share　in　the　project　is　an　insult　to　the　office。〃
　　　　Joe's　dark　blue　eyes　deepened　even　more。　He　stared　at　the　President　with　stern　malice。　〃Presidents　are　political　animals。　Votes　bee　more　precious　than　treasure。　Nixon　might　have　used　the　Jersey　Colony　as　a　smokescreen　to　bail　himself　out　of　Watergate。　Same　with　Carter　and　the　Iranian　hostage　fiasco。　Reagan　to　enhance　his　image　while　lording　it　over　the　Russians。　What's　even　more　deplorable　is　the　thought　of　what　Congress　would　do　with　the　project；　the　partisan　politics　that　would　e　into　play　as　debate　raged　to　no　good　purpose　over　whether　the　money　would　be　better　spent　on　defense　or　feeding　the　poor。　I　love　my　country；　Mr。　President；　and　consider　myself　a　better　patriot　than　most；　but　I　no　longer　have　any　faith　in　the　government。〃
　　　　〃You　took　the　people's　tax　dollars。〃
　　　　〃Which　will　be　repaid　with　interest　from　scientific　benefits。　But　do　not　forget；　private　individuals　and　their　corporations　contributed　half　the　money；　and；　I　might　add；　without　any　thought　of　profit　or　personal　gain。　Defense　and　space　contractors　cannot　make　that　claim。〃
　　　　The　President　did　not　argue。　He　quietly　set　his　ball　on　a　tee　and　socked　the　ball　toward　the　eighteenth　green。
　　　　〃If　you　distrust　Presidents　so　much；〃　he　said　bitterly；　〃why　did　you　drop　out　of　the　heavens　to　tell　me　all　this？〃
　　　　〃We　may　have　a　problem。〃　Joe　slipped　a　photograph　from　the　back　of　the　folder　and　held　it　up。　〃Through　our　connections　I've　obtained　a　picture　taken　from　an　Air　Force　stealth　aircraft　making　surveillance　flights　over　Cuba。〃
　　　　The　President　knew　better　than　to　ask　how　it　came　to　be　in　Joe's　hands。　〃So　what　am　I　looking　for？〃
　　　　〃Please　study　the　area　above　the　northern　coast　of　the　island　and　below　the　Florida　Keys。〃
　　　　The　President　took　a　pair　of　glasses　from　his　shirt　pocket　and　peered　at　the　image　in　the　photo。　〃Looks　like　the　Goodyear　blimp。〃
　　　　〃No；　it's　the　Prosperteer；　an　old　airship　belonging　to　Raymond　LeBaron。〃
　　　　〃I　thought　he　was　lost　over　the　Caribbean　two　weeks　ago。〃
　　　　〃Ten　days　to　be　exact；　along　with　the　blimp　and　two　crewmen。〃
　　　　〃Then　this　photo　was　taken　before　he　disappeared。〃
　　　　〃No；　the　film　came　off　the　aircraft　only　eight　hours　ago。〃
　　　　〃Then　LeBaron　must　be　alive。〃
　　　　〃I'd　like　to　think　so；　but　all　attempts　to　raise　the　Prosperteer　by　radio　have　gone　unanswered。〃
　　　　〃What's　LeBaron's　connection　with　the　Jersey　Colony？〃
　　　　〃He　was　a　member　of　the　‘inner　core。'　〃

　　　　The　President　leaned　close。　〃And　you；　Joe；　are　you　one　of　the　original　nine　men　who　conceived　the　project？〃
　　　　Joe　didn't　answer。　He　didn't　have　to。　The　President；　staring　at　him；　knew　without　a　doubt。
　　　　Satisfied；　he　sat　back　and　relaxed。　〃Okay；　so　what's　your　problem？〃
　　　　〃In　ten　days　the　Soviets　will　take　their　newest　heavy…lift　launch　vehicle　out　of　the　barn　and　send　it　into　space　with　a　manned　lunar　lander　that's　six　times　the　size　and　weight　of　the　module　used　by　our　astronauts　during　the　Apollo　program。　You　know　the　details　from　CIA　intelligence　reports。〃
　　　　〃I've　been　briefed　on　their　lunar　mission；〃　the　President　agreed。
　　　　〃And　you're　also　aware　that　over　the　past　two　years　they've　sent　three　unmanned　probes　in　orbit　around　the　moon　to　survey　and　photograph　landing　sites。　The　third　and　last　crashed　onto　the　moon's　surface。　The　second　had　an　engine　malfunction　and　its　fuel　exploded。　The　first　probe；　however；　performed　successfully；　at　least　in　the　beginning。　It　circled　the　moon　twelve　times。　Then　something　went　wrong。　After　returning　to　earth　orbit　prior　to　reentry　it　suddenly　refused　all　mands　from　the　ground。　For　the　next　eighteen　months；　Soviet　space　controllers　worked　at　bringing　the　craft　down　intact。　Whether　or　not　they　were　able　to　retrieve　its　visual　data；　we　have　no　way　of　knowing。　Finally；　they　managed　to　fire　the　retro…rockets。　But　instead　of　Siberia；　their　lunar　probe；　Selenos　4；　landed　in　the　Caribbean　Sea。〃
　　　　〃What　has　this　to　do　with　LeBaron？〃
　　　　〃He　went　searching　for　the　Soviet　moon　probe。〃
　　　　A　doubtful　look　crossed　the　President's　face。　〃According　to　CIA　reports；　the　Russians　retrieved　the　craft　in　deep　water　off　Cuba。〃
　　　　〃A　smokescreen。　They　even　put　on　a　good　show　of　raising　the　craft。　But　in　reality；　they　were　never　able　to　find　it。〃
　　　　〃And　your　people　think　they　know　where　it　lies？〃
　　　　〃We　have　a　site　pinpointed；　yes。〃
　　　　〃Why　would　you　want　to　beat　the　Russians　out　of　a　few　pictures　of　the　moon？　There　are　thousands　of　photos　available　to　anybody　who　wants　to　study　them。〃
　　　　〃Those　were　all　taken　before　Jersey　Colony　was　established。　The　new　Russian　survey　will　no　doubt　reveal　the　location。〃
　　　　〃What　harm　could　it　do？〃
　　　　〃I　believe　that　if　the　Kremlin　discovers　the　truth；　the　USSR's　first　mission　to　the　moon　will　be　to　attack；　capture　our　colony；　and　use　it　for　their　own　purposes。〃
　　　　〃I　don't　buy　that。　The　Kremlin　would　be　laying　their　entire　space　program　open　for　retaliation　by　our　side。〃
　　　　〃You　forget；　Mr。　President；　our　lunar　project　is　blanketed　in　secrecy。　No　one　can　charge　the　Russians　with　stealing　something　that　isn't　supposed　to　exist。〃
　　　　〃You're　stabbing　in　the　dark；〃　the　President　said　sharply。
　　　　Joe's　eyes　hardened。　〃No　matter。　Our　astronauts　were　the　first　to　step　on　the　lunar　surface。　We　were　the　first　to　colonize　it。　The　moon　belongs　to　the　United　States　and　we　shall　fight　any　intrusion。〃
　　　　〃This　isn't　the　fourteenth　century；〃　said　the　President；　shocked。　〃We　can't　take　up　arms　and　keep　the　Soviets　or　anyone　else　off　the　moon。　Besides；　the　United　Nations　ruled　that　no　country　had　jurisdiction　over　the　moon　and　planets。〃
　　　　〃Would　the　Kremlin　heed　U。N。　policy　if　they　were　in　our　shoes？　I　think　not。〃　Joe　twisted　in　the　seat　and　extracted　a　putter　from　the　bag。　〃The　eighteenth　green。　Your　final　play；　Mr。　President。〃
　　　　Dazedly；　the　President　lined　up　the　lay　of　the　green　and　sank　a　twenty…foot　putt。　〃I　could　stop　you；〃　he　said　coldly。
　　　　〃How？　NASA　has　no　ready　hardware　to　land　a　platoon　of　Marines　on　the　lunar　surface。　Thanks　to　the　shortsightedness　of　you　and　your　predecessors；　their　efforts　are　wrapped　up　in　the　orbiting　space　station。〃
　　　　〃I　can't　stand　by　and　allow　you　to　start　a　war　in　space　that　might　spill　over　on　earth。〃
　　　　〃Your　hands　are　tied。〃
　　　　〃You　could　be　wrong　about　the　Russians。〃
　　　　〃Let　us　hope　so；〃　said　Joe。　〃But　I　suspect　they　may　have　already　killed　Raymond　LeBaron。〃
　　　　〃And　this　is　why　you've　taken　me　into　your　confidence？〃
　　　　〃If　the　worst　happens；　at　least　you　have　been　alerted　to　the　facts　and　can　prepare　your　strategy　for　the　bedlam　to　follow。〃
　　　　〃Suppose　I　have　my　bodyguards　arrest　you　as　a　crackpot　assassin；　and　then　blow　the　lid　off　Jersey　Colony？〃
　　　　〃Arrest　me　and　Reggie　Salazar　dies。　Expose　the　project　and　all　the　behind…the…scenes　double…dealing；　the　backstabbing；　the　fraud　and　the　lies；　and；　yes；　the　deaths　that　took　pl