danbrown.deceptionpoint-第27部分

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　Tolland　now　wished　he'd　thought　to　take　some　video；　while　Corky　had　gone　to　find　Norah　and　Ming；　the　bioluminescence　had　begun　fading　rapidly。　Within　a　couple　of　minutes；　all　the　twinkling　had　simply　stopped。
　Tolland　threw　another　piece　of　ice　into　the　water；　but　nothing　happened。　No　green　splash。
　〃Where　did　they　go？〃　Corky　asked。
　Tolland　had　a　fairly　good　idea。　Bioluminescence…one　of　nature's　most　ingenious　defense　mechanisms…was　a　natural　response　for　plankton　in　distress。　A　plankton　sensing　it　was　about　to　be　consumed　by　larger　organisms　would　begin　flashing　in　hopes　of　attracting　much　larger　predators　that　would　scare　off　the　original　attackers。　In　this　case；　the　plankton；　having　entered　the　shaft　through　a　crack；　suddenly　found　themselves　in　a　primarily　freshwater　environment　and　bioluminesced　in　panic　as　the　freshwater　slowly　killed　them。　〃I　think　they　died。〃
　〃They　were　murdered；〃　Norah　scoffed。　〃The　Easter　Bunny　swam　in　and　ate　them。〃
　Corky　glared　at　her。　〃I　saw　the　luminescence　too；　Norah。〃
　〃Was　it　before　or　after　you　took　LSD？〃
　〃Why　would　we　lie　about　this？〃　Corky　demanded。
　〃Men　lie。〃
　〃Yeah；　about　sleeping　with　other　women；　but　never　about　bioluminescent　plankton。〃
　Tolland　sighed。　〃Norah；　certainly　you're　aware　that　plankton　do　live　in　the　oceans　beneath　the　ice。〃
　〃Mike；〃　she　replied　with　a　glare；　〃please　don't　tell　me　my　business。　For　the　record；　there　are　over　two　hundred　species　of　diatoms　that　thrive　under　Arctic　ice　shelves。　Fourteen　species　of　autotrophic　nannoflagellates；　twenty　heterotrophic　flagellates；　forty　heterotrophic　dinoflagellates；　and　several　metazoans；　including　polychaetes；　amphipods；　copepods；　euphausids；　and　fish。　Any　questions？〃
　Tolland　frowned。　〃Clearly　you　know　more　about　Arctic　fauna　than　I　do；　and　you　agree　there's　plenty　of　life　underneath　us。　So　why　are　you　so　skeptical　that　we　saw　bioluminescent　plankton？〃
　〃Because；　Mike；　this　shaft　is　sealed。　It's　a　closed；　freshwater　environment。　No　ocean　plankton　could　possibly　get　in　here！〃
　〃I　tasted　salt　in　the　water；〃　Tolland　insisted。　〃Very　faint；　but　present。　Saltwater　is　getting　in　here　somehow。〃
　〃Right；〃　Norah　said　skeptically。　〃You　tasted　salt。　You　licked　the　sleeve　of　an　old　sweaty　parka；　and　now　you've　decided　that　the　PODS　density　scans　and　fifteen　separate　core　samples　are　inaccurate。〃
　Tolland　held　out　the　wet　sleeve　of　his　parka　as　proof。
　〃Mike；　I'm　not　licking　your　damn　jacket。〃　She　looked　into　the　hole。　〃Might　I　ask　why　droves　of　alleged　plankton　decided　to　swim　into　this　alleged　crack？〃
　〃Heat？〃　Tolland　ventured。　〃A　lot　of　sea　creatures　are　attracted　by　heat。　When　we　extracted　the　meteorite；　we　heated　it。　The　plankton　may　have　been　drawn　instinctively　toward　the　temporarily　warmer　environment　in　the　shaft。〃
　Corky　nodded。　〃Sounds　logical。〃
　〃Logical？〃　Norah　rolled　her　eyes。　〃You　know；　for　a　prize…winning　physicist　and　a　world…famous　oceanographer；　you're　a　couple　of　pretty　dense　specimens。　Has　it　occurred　to　you　that　even　if　there　is　a　crack…which　I　can　assure　you　there　is　not…it　is　physically　impossible　for　any　sea…water　to　be　flowing　into　this　shaft。〃　She　stared　at　both　of　them　with　pathetic　disdain。
　〃But；　Norah。。。　；〃　Corky　began。
　〃Gentlemen！　We're　standing　above　sea　level　here。〃　She　stamped　her　foot　on　the　ice。　〃Hello？　This　ice　sheet　rises　a　hundred　feet　above　the　sea。　You　might　recall　the　big　cliff　at　the　end　of　this　shelf？　We're　higher　than　the　ocean。　If　there　were　a　fissure　into　this　shaft；　the　water　would　be　flowing　out　of　this　shaft；　not　into　it。　It's　called　gravity。〃
　Tolland　and　Corky　looked　at　each　other。
　〃Shit；〃　Corky　said。　〃I　didn't　think　of　that。〃
　Norah　pointed　into　the　water…filled　shaft。　〃You　may　also　have　noticed　that　the　water　level　isn't　changing？〃
　Tolland　felt　like　an　idiot。　Norah　was　absolutely　right。　If　there　had　been　a　crack；　the　water　would　be　flowing　out；　not　in。　Tolland　stood　in　silence　a　long　moment；　wondering　what　to　do　next。
　〃Okay。〃　Tolland　sighed。　〃Apparently；　the　fissure　theory　makes　no　sense。　But　we　saw　bioluminescence　in　the　water。　The　only　conclusion　is　that　this　is　not　a　closed　environment　after　all。　I　realize　much　of　your　icedating　data　is　built　on　the　premise　that　the　glacier　is　a　solid　block；　but…〃
　〃Premise？〃　Norah　was　obviously　getting　agitated。　〃Remember；　this　was　not　just　my　data；　Mike。　NASA　made　the　same　findings。　We　all　confirmed　this　glacier　is　solid。　No　cracks。〃
　Tolland　glanced　across　the　dome　toward　the　crowd　gathered　around　the　press　conference　area。　〃Whatever　is　going　on；　I　think；　in　good　faith；　we　need　to　inform　the　administrator　and…〃
　〃This　is　bullshit！〃　Norah　hissed。　〃I'm　telling　you　this　glacial　matrix　is　pristine。　I'm　not　about　to　have　my　core　data　questioned　by　a　salt　lick　and　some　absurd　hallucinations。〃　She　stormed　over　to　a　nearby　supply　area　and　began　collecting　some　tools。　〃I'll　take　a　proper　water　sample；　and　show　you　this　water　contains　no　saltwater　plankton…living　or　dead！〃
　　
　Rachel　and　the　others　looked　on　as　Norah　used　a　sterile　pipette　on　a　string　to　harvest　a　water　sample　from　the　melt　pool。　Norah　placed　several　drops　in　a　tiny　device　that　resembled　a　miniature　telescope。　Then　she　peered　through　the　oculus；　pointing　the　device　toward　the　light　emanating　from　the　other　side　of　the　dome。　Within　seconds　she　was　cursing。
　〃Jesus　Christ！〃　Norah　shook　the　device　and　looked　again。　〃Damn　it！　Something's　got　to　be　wrong　with　this　refractometer！〃
　〃Saltwater？〃　Corky　gloated。
　Norah　frowned。　〃Partial。　It's　registering　three　percent　brine…which　is　totally　impossible。　This　glacier　is　a　snow　pack。　Pure　freshwater。　There　should　be　no　salt。〃　Norah　carried　the　sample　to　a　nearby　microscope　and　examined　it。　She　groaned。
　〃Plankton？〃　Tolland　asked。
　〃G。　polyhedra；〃　she　replied；　her　voice　now　sedate。　〃It's　one　of　the　planktons　we　glaciologists　monly　see　in　the　oceans　under　ice　shelves。〃　She　glanced　over　at　Tolland。　〃They're　dead　now。　Obviously　they　didn't　survive　long　in　a　three　percent　saltwater　environment。〃
　The　four　of　them　stood　in　silence　a　moment　beside　the　deep　shaft。
　Rachel　wondered　what　the　ramifications　of　this　paradox　were　for　the　overall　discovery。　The　dilemma　appeared　minor　when　pared　to　the　overall　scope　of　the　meteorite；　and　yet；　as　an　intel　analyst；　Rachel　had　witnessed　the　collapse　of　entire　theories　based　on　smaller　snags　than　this。
　〃What's　going　on　over　here？〃　The　voice　was　a　low　rumble。
　Everyone　looked　up。　The　bearish　frame　of　the　NASA　administrator　emerged　from　the　dark。
　〃Minor　quandary　with　the　water　in　the　shaft；〃　Tolland　said。　〃We're　trying　to　sort　it　out。〃
　Corky　sounded　almost　gleeful。　〃Norah's　ice　data　is　screwed。〃
　〃Bite　me　twice；〃　Norah　whispered。
　The　administrator　approached；　his　furry　eyebrows　lowering。　〃What's　wrong　with　the　ice　data。〃
　Tolland　heaved　an　uncertain　sigh。　〃We're　showing　a　three　percent　saltwater　mix　in　the　meteorite　shaft；　which　contradicts　the　glaciology　report　that　the　meteorite　was　encased　in　a　pristine　freshwater　glacier。〃　He　paused。　〃There's　also　plankton　present。〃
　Ekstrom　looked　almost　angry。　〃Obviously　that's　impossible。　There　are　no　fissures　in　this　glacier。　The　PODS　scans　confirmed　that。　This　meteorite　was　sealed　in　a　solid　matrix　of　ice。〃
　Rachel　knew　Ekstrom　was　correct。　According　to　NASA's　density　scans；　the　ice　sheet　was　rock　solid。　Hundreds　of　feet　of　frozen　glacier　on　all　sides　of　the　meteorite。　No　cracks。　And　yet　as　Rachel　imagined　how　density　scans　were　taken；　a　strange　thought　occurred　to　her。。。　
　〃In　addition；〃　Ekstrom　was　saying；　〃Dr。　Mangor's　core　samples　confirmed　the　solidity　of　the　glacier。〃
　〃Exactly！〃　Norah　said；　tossing　the　refractometer　on　a　desk。　〃Double　corroboration。　No　fault　lines　in　the　ice。　Which　leaves　us　no　explanation　whatsoever　for　the　salt　and　plankton。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Rachel　said；　the　boldness　of　her　voice　surprising　even　herself。　〃There　is　another　possibility。〃　The　brainstorm　had　hit　her　from　the　most　unlikely　of　memories。
　Everyone　was　looking　at　her　now；　their　skepticism　obvious。
　Rachel　smiled。　〃There's　a　perfectly　sound　rationale　for　the　presence　of　salt　and　plankton。〃　She　gave　Tolland　a　wry　look。　〃And　frankly；　Mike；　I'm　surprised　it　didn't　occur　to　you。〃
　
　　
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　〃Plankton　frozen　in　the　glacier？〃　Corky　Marlinson　sounded　not　at　all　sold　on　Rachel's　explanation。　〃Not　to　rain　on　your　parade；　but　usually　when　things　freeze　they　die。　These　little　buggers　were　flashing　us；　remember？〃
　〃Actually；〃　Tolland　said；　giving　Rachel　an　impressed　look；　〃she　may　have　a　point。　There　are　a　number　of　species　that　enter　suspended　animation　when　their　environment　requires　it。　I　did　an　episode　on　that　phenomenon　once。〃
　Rachel　nodded。　〃You　showed　northern　pike　that　got　frozen　in　lakes　and　had　to　wait　until　the　thaw　to　swim　away。　You　also　talked　about　micro…organisms　called　'waterbears'　that　became　totally　dehydrated　in　the　desert；　remained　that　way　for　decades；　and　then　reinflated　when　rains　returned。〃
　Tolland　chuckled。　〃So　you　really　do　watch　my　show？〃
　Rachel　gave　a　slightly　embarrassed　shrug。
　〃What's　your　point；　Ms。　Sexton？〃　Norah　demanded。
　〃Her　point；〃　Tolland　said；　〃which　should　have　dawned　on　me　earlier；　is　that　one　of　the　species　I　mentioned　on　that　program　was　a　kind　of　plankton　that　gets　frozen　in　the　polar　ice　cap　every　winter；　hibernates　inside　the　ice；　and　then　swims　away　every　summer　when　the　ice　cap　thins。〃　Tolland　paused。　〃Granted　the　species　I　featured　on　the　show　was　not　the　bioluminescent　species　we　saw　here；　but　maybe　the　same　thing　happened。〃
　〃Frozen　plankton；〃　Rachel　continued；　excited　to　have　Michael　Tolland　so　enthusiastic　about　her　idea；　〃could　explain　everything　we're　seeing　here。　At　some　point　in　the　past；　fissures　could　have　opened　in　this　glacier；　filled　with　plankton…rich　saltwater；　and　then　refroze。　What　if　there　were　frozen　pockets　of　saltwater　in　this　glacier？　Frozen　saltwater　containing　frozen　plankton？　Imagine　if　while　you　were　raising　the　heated　meteorite　through　the　ice；　it　passed　through　a　frozen　saltwater　pocket。　The　saltwater　ice　would　have　melted；　releasing　the　plankton　from　hibernation；　and　giving　us　a　small　percentage　of　salt　mixed　in　the　freshwater。〃
　〃Oh；　for　the　love　of　God！〃　Norah　exclaimed　with　a　hostile　groan。　〃Suddenly　ever