atlantis.found-第41部分

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　　　　　Evie's　eyes　stared　at　the　obscure　form　rising　from　the　depths。　As　it　surfaced；　the　hair　fanned　out　and　the　eyes　seemed　to　be　looking　directly　at　the　sun。　〃Oh　Lord！〃　she　gasped；　her　face　turning　as　pale　as　the　ice　floe。　〃It's　a　woman！〃　So　shocked　was　Evie；　she　neglected　to　shoot　photos　of　the　strange　woman　before　she　was　wrapped　in　a　plastic　sheet　and　loaded　onto　a　sled。
　　　　　Pitt　was　helped　off　with　his　air　tanks　and　gazed　at　the　sled　with　the　body　that　was　being　dragged　by　crewmen　toward　the　Polar　Storm。　〃Unless　I　miss　my　guess；　she　was　an　officer。〃
　　　　　〃A　great　pity；〃　said　Cox　sorrowfully。　〃She　must　have　been　a　very　attractive　lady。〃
　　　　　〃Even　in　death；〃　Evie　said；　sadly；　〃there　was　an　undeniable　sophistication　about　her。　If　I'm　any　judge　of　character；　she　was　a　woman　of　quality。〃
　　　　　〃Maybe；〃　said　Pitt；　〃but　what　was　she　doing　on　a　submarine　that　should　have　been　destroyed　five　decades　ago？　Hopefully；　she'll　provide　a　piece　of　the　puzzle　if　an　identification　can　be　made　on　her　body。〃
　　　　　〃I'm　going　to　follow　this　story　to　its　conclusion；〃　she　said　resolutely。
　　　　　Pitt　removed　his　dive　fins　and　pulled　on　a　pair　of　fur…lined　boots。　〃You'd　better　check　with　the　Navy　and　Admiral　Sandecker。　They　may　not　want　this　affair　leaked　to　the　public　just　yet。〃
　　　　　Evie　started　to　voice　a　protest；　but　Pitt　was　already　walking　in　the　tracks　of　the　sled　back　to　the　ship。
　
　
　　　　　Pitt　showered　and　shaved；　soaking　up　the　steam　in　the　stall　before　relaxing　with　a　small　glass　of　Agavero　Liqueur　de　Tequila　from　a　bottle　he'd　purchased　when　he　was　on　a　dive　trip　to　La　Paz；　Mexico。　Only　when　he　had　collected　his　thoughts　in　proper　order　did　he　call　Sandecker　in　Washington。
　　　　　〃A　body；　you　say；〃　said　Sandecker；　after　listening　to　Pitt's　postmortem　of　the　events　following　the　assault　on　the　ship。　〃A　female　officer　of　the　U…boat。〃
　　　　　〃Yes；　sir。　At　the　first　opportunity；　I'll　have　her　flown　to　Washington　for　examination　and　identification。〃
　　　　　〃Not　easy；　if　she's　a　foreign　national。〃
　　　　　〃I'm　confident　her　history　can　be　tracked　down。〃
　　　　　〃Were　any　of　the　artifacts　from　the　Madras　damaged　in　the　attack？〃　asked　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃All　safe　and　intact。〃
　　　　　〃You　and　everyone　on　board　were　lucky　to　escape　without　being　killed。〃
　　　　　〃It　was　a　near　thing；　Admiral。　If　mander　Cunningham　hadn't　shown　up　in　the　Tucson　when　he　did；　it　would　be　the　Polar　Storm　lying　under　an　icy　sea　instead　of　the　U…boat。〃
　　　　　〃Yaeger　ran　an　investigation　of　the　U…2015　through　his　data　files。　The　sub　was　an　enigma。　The　records　indicate　that　she　was　lost　off　Denmark　in　early　April　of　1945。　However；　some　historians　believe　she　escaped　the　war　intact　and　was　scuttled　by　her　crew　in　the　Rio　de　la　Plata　between　Argentina　and　Uruguay　near　the　site　where　the　Graf　Spee　was　blown　up；　but　nothing　has　ever　been　proven。〃
　　　　　〃So　her　ultimate　fate　was　never　established？〃
　　　　　〃No；〃　answered　Sandecker。　‘All　that　is　known　for　sure　is　that　she　was　pleted　in　November　of　1944；　sent　to　sea；　but　never　entered　bat　duty。〃
　　　　　〃What　did　the　German　navy　use　her　for？〃
　　　　　〃Because　she　was　a　new　generation　in　German　electrodesign；　she　was　considered　far　superior　to　any　other　submarines　then　in　service　by　any　nation　at　the　time。　Her　lower　hull；　which　was　packed　with　powerful　batteries；　enabled　her　to　outrun　most　surface　vessels；　remain　submerged　for　literally　months；　and　travel　great　distances　underwater。　What　little　information　Yaeger　was　able　to　dig　out　of　old　German　military　documents　was　that　she　became　part　of　a　project　known　as　the　New　Destiny　Operation。〃
　　　　　〃Where　have　I　heard　that　term　before？〃　Pitt　muttered。
　　　　　〃This　was　a　blueprint　drawn　up　by　top　Nazis；　in　collaboration　with　the　Peron　government　in　Argentina；　for　the　flow　of　immense　wealth　accumulated　by　the　Nazis　during　the　war。　While　other　submarines　were　still　maintaining　bat　patrols　to　sink　Allied　shipping；　the　U…2015　was　traveling　back　and　forth　between　Germany　and　Argentina　on　a　mission　of　transferring　hundreds　of　millions　of　dollars'　worth　of　gold　and　silver　bullion；　platinum；　diamonds；　and　art　objects　stolen　from　the　great　collections　of　Europe。　High…level　Nazi　officials　and　their　families　were　also　transported　along　with　the　treasure　cargo；　all　discharged　in　absolute　secrecy　at　a　remote　port　on　the　coast　of　Patagonia。〃
　　　　　〃This　went　on　before　the　war　ended？〃
　　　　　〃Right　up　to　the　bitter　end；〃　Sandecker　answered。　〃The　story　that　circulated　in　unconfirmed　reports　suggests　that　Operation　New　Destiny　was　the　brainchild　of　Martin　Bormann。　He　may　have　possessed　a　fanatical　adoration　of　Adolf　Hitler；　but　he　was　smart　enough　to　see　the　Third　Reich　crashing　and　burning　in　flames。　Smuggling　the　Nazi　hierarchy　and　a　staggering　amount　of　valuables　to　a　nation　friendly　to　Germany　was　his　goal　even　before　the　Allied　armies　crossed　the　Rhine。　His　most　ambitious　plan　was　to　smuggle　Hitler　to　a　secret　redoubt　in　the　Andes；　but　it　fell　through　when　Hitler　insisted　on　dying　in　his　bunker　in　Berlin。〃
　　　　　〃Was　the　U…2015　the　only　U…boat　transporting　riches　and　passengers　to　South　America？〃　asked　Pitt。
　　　　　〃No；　there　were　at　least　twelve　others。　All　were　accounted　for　after　the　war。　A　few　were　sunk　by　Allied　planes　and　warships。　The　rest　were　either　turned　over　in　a　neutral　country　or　scuttled　by　their　crews。〃
　　　　　〃Any　clues　as　to　what　happened　to　the　money　and　passengers？〃
　　　　　〃None；〃　Sandecker　admitted。　〃A　sailor　from　one　of　the　U…boats　who　was　interviewed　long　after　the　war　he　disappeared　shortly　after　described　heavy　wooden　crates　loaded　onto　trucks　sitting　at　a　deserted　dock。　The　passengers；　dressed　in　civilian　clothes；　looked　and　acted　as　if　they　were　important　personages　in　the　Nazi　party；　and　were　hustled　off　in　waiting　cars。　What　happened　to　them　or　the　treasure　is　not　known。〃
　　　　　〃Argentina　was　a　hotbed　for　old　Nazis。　What　better　place　to　recruit　and　organize　a　new　world　order　on　the　ashes　of　the　old？〃
　　　　　〃Probably　less　than　a　handful　are　still　alive。　Any　Nazi　who　held　a　high　position　in　the　party　or　military　would　have　to　be　ninety　or　older。〃
　　　　　〃The　plot　thickens；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Why　would　a　bunch　of　old　Nazis　resurrect　the　U…2015　and　use　it　to　destroy　a　research　ship？〃
　　　　　〃For　the　same　reasons　they　tried　to　kill　you　in　Telluride；　and　Al　and　Rudi　on　St。　Paul　Island　in　the　Indian　Ocean。〃
　　　　　〃I'm　remiss　for　not　asking　about　them　earlier；〃　said　Pitt　regretfully。　〃How　did　they　make　out？　Did　they　find　a　chamber　with　the　artifacts？〃
　　　　　〃They　did；〃　Sandecker　replied。　〃But　then　they　narrowly　missed　death　when　their　plane　was　destroyed　before　they　could　take　off　and　return　to　Cape　Town。　As　near　as　we　can　figure；　a　cargo　ship　sent　off　a　helicopter　with　six　armed　men　to　kill　any　island　intruders　and　lay　their　hands　on　whatever　artifacts　the　passengers　from　the　Madras　left　after　their　visit　in　1779。　Al　and　Rudi　killed　them　all；　as　well　as　shooting　down　the　helicopter。　Rudi　took　a　bullet　that　badly　fractured　his　tibia。　He's　stable　and　will　mend；　but　he'll　be　wearing　a　cast　for　a　long　while。〃
　　　　　〃Are　they　still　on　the　island？〃
　　　　　〃Just　Al。　Rudi　was　picked　up　about　an　hour　ago　by　helicopter　from　a　passing　British　missile　frigate　returning　to　Southampton　from　Australia。　He'll　soon　be　on　his　way　to　Cape　Town　for　an　operation　in　a　South　African　hospital。〃
　　　　　〃Six　killers　and　a　helicopter；〃　Pitt　said　with　admiration。　〃I　can't　wait　to　hear　their　story。〃
　　　　　〃Quite　astounding；　when　you　consider　they　were　unarmed　during　the　initial　stage　of　the　battle。〃
　　　　　〃The　Fourth　Empire's　intelligence　network　is　nothing　short　of　amazing；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Before　the　U…boat　begin　blasting　at　the　Polar　Storm；　I　had　a　brief　chat　with　the　captain。　When　I　gave　him　my　name；　he　asked　how　I　came　to　be　in　the　Antarctic　after　Colorado。　Beware；　Admiral；　it　pains　me　to　say　it；　but　I　think　we　may　have　an　informer　in　or　near　your　NUMA　office。〃
　　　　　〃I'll　look　into　it；〃　said　Sandecker；　the　thought　stirring　him　to　anger。　〃In　the　meantime；　I'm　sending　Dr。　O'Connell　to　St。　Paul　Island　for　an　on…site　study　of　the　chamber　and　artifacts　found　by　Al　and　Rudi。　I'm　arranging　transportation　for　you　to　meet　her　and　oversee　the　removal　and　transportation　of　the　artifacts　back　to　the　States。〃
　　　　　〃What　about　the　French？　Don't　they　own　the　island？〃
　　　　　〃What　they　don't　know　won't　hurt　them。〃
　　　　　〃When　do　I　get　back　to　civilization　again？〃
　　　　　〃You'll　be　in　your　own　bed　by　the　end　of　the　week。　Is　there　anything　else　on　your　mind？〃
　　　　　〃Have　Pat　and　Hiram　had　any　luck　in　deciphering　the　inscriptions？〃
　　　　　〃They　made　a　breakthrough　with　the　numbering　system。　According　to　the　puter's　analysis　of　the　star　positions　on　the　chamber's　ceiling；　the　inscriptions　are　nine　thousand　years　old。〃
　　　　　Pitt　wasn't　sure　he　had　heard　correctly。　〃Did　you　say　nine　thousand？〃
　　　　　〃Hiram　dated　the　construction　of　the　chamber　on　or　about　7100　B。C。〃
　　　　　Pitt　was　stunned。　〃Are　you　saying　that　an　advanced　civilization　was　established　four　thousand　years　before　the　Sumerians　or　Egyptians？〃
　　　　　〃I　haven't　sat　through　a　course　in　ancient　history　since　Annapolis；〃　said　Sandecker；　〃but　as　I　recall；　I　was　taught　the　same　lesson。〃
　　　　　〃Archaeologists　won't　be　overjoyed　to　rewrite　the　book　on　prehistoric　civilizations。〃
　　　　　〃Yaeger　and　Dr。　O'Connell　have　also　made　headway　in　deciphering　the　alphabetic　inscriptions。　It's　beginning　to　develop　as　some　kind　of　record　describing　an　early　worldwide　catastrophe。〃
　　　　　〃An　unknown　ancient　civilization　wiped　out　by　a　great　catastrophe。　If　I　didn't　know　better；　Admiral；　I'd　say　you　were　talking　about　Atlantis。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　didn't　immediately　reply。　Pitt　swore　that　he　could　almost　hear　the　wheels　turning　inside　the　admiral's　head　eight　thousand　miles　away。　Finally；　Sandecker　spoke　slowly　〃Atlantis。〃　He　repeated　the　name　as　if　it　were　holy。　〃Strange　as　it　sounds；　you　may　be　closer　to　the　mark　than　you　think。〃
　
　TWENTY…FIRST…CENTURY　ARK
　
　April　4；　2001
　Buenos　Aires；　Argentina
　　　　　Premier　opera　houses　throughout　the　world　are　judged　by　singers　and　musicians　for　their　acoustics；　the　quality　of　sound　that　carries　from　the　stage　to　the　box　seats　and　then　to　the　gallery　far　up　in　the　stratosphere。　To　the　opera　lovers　who　buy　the　tickets