The enormous diving bell broke the surface with a loud splash。
Benjamin K。 Austin strode purposefully around the water's edge barking orders； a black insulated wet suit stretched tight across his broad barrel chest。 Austin was a marine biologist from Stanford。 He was also the chief of station of Wilkes Ice Station。
〃All right！ Hold it there！〃 Austin called to the young technician manning the winch controls on C…deck。 〃OK； ladies and gentlemen； no time to waste。 Get inside。〃
One after the other； the six wet…suited figures gathered around the edge of the pool dived into the icy water。 They rose a few seconds later inside the big dome…shaped diving bell that now sat half…submerged in the center of the pool。
Austin was standing at the edge of the large； round pool that formed the base of Wilkes Ice Station。 Five stories deep； Wilkes was a remote coastal research station； a giant underground cylinder that had literally been carved into the ice shelf。 A series of narrow catwalks and ladders hugged the circumference of the vertical cylinder； creating a wide circular shaft in the middle of the station。 Doorways led off each of the catwalks…into the ice…creating the five different levels of the station。 Like many others before them； the residents of Wilkes had long since discovered that the best way to endure the harsh polar weather was to live under it。
Austin shouldered into his scuba gear； running through the equation in his head for the hundredth time。
Three hours since the divers' radio link had cut out。 Before that； one hour of hands…free diving up the ice tunnel。 And one hour's descent in the diving bell。。。。
In the diving bell； they would have been breathing 〃free〃 air…the diving bell's own supply of heliox…so that didn't count。 It was only when they left the diving bell and started using tank air that the clock began to run。
Four hours； then。
The two divers had been living off tank air for four hours。
The problem was their tanks contained only three hours' worth of breathing time。
And for Austin that had meant a delicate balancing act。
The last words he and the others had heard from the two divers…before their radio signal had abruptly cut to static… had been some anxious chatter about strange whistling noises。
On the one hand； the whistling could have been anything： blues； minkes； or any other kind of harmless baleen whale。 And the radio cutout could easily have been the result of interference caused by nearly half a kilometer of ice and water。 For all Austin knew； the two divers had turned around immediately and begun the hour…long trip back to the diving bell。 To pull it up prematurely would be to leave them stranded on the bottom； out of time and out of air。
On the other hand； if the divers actually had met with trouble…killers； leopard seals…then naturally Austin would have wanted to yank up the diving bell as quickly as possible and send others down to help。
In the end； he decided that any help he could send…after hauling up the diving bell and sending it back down again… would be too late anyway。 If Price and Davis were going to survive； the best bet was to leave the diving bell down there。
That was three hours ago…and that was as much time as Austin had been willing to give them。 And so he'd pulled up the diving bell； and now a second team was preparing to go down…
〃Hey。〃
Austin turned。 Sarah Hensleigh； one of the paleontologists； came up alongside him。
Austin liked Hensleigh。 She was intelligent while at the same time practical and tough； not afraid to get her hands dirty。 It came as no surprise to him that she was also a mother。 Her twelve…year…old daughter； Kirsty； had been visiting the station for the past week。
〃What is it？〃 Austin said。
〃The topside antenna's taking a beating。 The signal isn't getting through；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃It also looks like there's a solar flare ing in。〃
〃Oh； shit。。。。〃
〃For what it's worth； I've got Abby scanning all the military frequencies； but I wouldn't get your hopes up。〃
〃What about outside？〃
〃Pretty bad。 We've got eighty…footers breaking on the cliffs and a hundred…knot wind on the surface。 If we have casualties； we won't be getting them out of here by ourselves。〃
Austin turned to stare at the diving bell。 〃And Renshaw？〃
〃He's still shut up in his room。〃 Hensleigh looked up nervously toward B…deck。
Austin said； 〃We can't wait any longer。 We have to go down。〃
Hensleigh just watched him。
〃Ben…；〃 she began。
〃Don't even think about it； Sarah。〃 Austin began walking away from her； toward the water's edge。 〃I need you up here。 So does your kid。 You just get that signal out。 We'll get the others。〃
〃ing to three thousand feet；〃 Austin's voice crackled out from the wall…mounted speakers。
Sarah Hensleigh was sitting inside the darkened radio room of Wilkes Ice Station。 〃Roger that； Mawson；〃 she said into the microphone in front of her。
〃There doesn't appear to be any activity outside； Control。 The coast is clear。 All right； ladies and gentlemen； we 're stopping the winch。 Preparing to leave the diving bell。〃
One kilometer below sea level； the diving bell jolted to a halt。
Inside； Austin keyed the inter。 〃Control； confirm time at 2132 hours； please。〃
The seven divers sitting inside the cramped confines of the Douglas Mawson looked tensely at one another。
Hensleigh's voice came over the speaker。 〃I copy； Mawson。 Time confirmed at 2132 hours。〃
〃Control； mark that we are turning over to self…contained air supply at 2132 hours。〃
〃Marked。〃
The seven divers reached up for their heavy face masks； brought them down off their hooks； clamped them to the circular buckles on the collarbones of their suits。
〃Control； we are now leaving the diving bell。〃
Austin stepped forward； pausing for a moment to look at the black pool of water lapping against the rim of the diving bell。 Then he stepped off the deck and splashed into the darkness。
〃Divers。 Time is now 2220 hours； dive time is forty…eight minutes。 Report；〃 Hensleigh said into her mike。
Inside the radio room behind Sarah sat Abby Sinclair； the station's resident meteorologist。 For the past two hours Abby had been manning the satellite radio console； trying without success to raise an outside frequency。
The inter crackled。 Austin's voice answered； 〃Control； we are still proceeding up the ice tunnel。 Nothing so far。〃
〃Roger； divers；〃 Hensleigh said。 〃Keep us informed。〃
Behind her； Abby keyed her talk button again。 〃Calling all frequencies； this is station four…zero…niner…I repeat； this is station four…zero…niner…requesting immediate assistance。 We have two casualties； possibly fatalities； on hand and we are in need of immediate support。 Please acknowledge。〃 Abby released the button and said to herself； 〃Somebody； anybody。〃
The ice tunnel was starting to widen。
As Austin and the other divers slowly made their way upward； they began to notice several strange holes set into the walls on either side of the underwater tunnel。
Each hole was perfectly round； at least ten feet in diameter。 And they were all set on an incline so that they descended into the ice tunnel。 One of the divers aimed his flashlight up into one of the holes； revealing only impenetrable inky darkness。
Suddenly Austin's voice cut across their inters。 〃OK； people； stay tight。 I think I see the surface。〃
Inside the radio room； Sarah Hensleigh leaned forward in her chair； listening to Austin's voice over the inter。
〃The surface appears calm。 No sign of Price or Davis。〃 Hensleigh and Abby exchanged a glance。 Hensleigh keyed her inter。 〃Divers。 This is Control。 What about the noises they mentioned？ Do you hear anything？ Any whale song？〃
〃Nothing yet； Control。 Hold on now： I'm ing to the surface。〃
Austin's helmet broke the glassy surface。
Icy water drained off his faceplate。 Austin lifted his Princeton…Tec dive light above the water's surface。 The exposed halogen bulb cast a wide flood pattern over the area around him； illuminating it to its farthest corners。
Slowly； Austin began to see where he was。 He was hovering in the middle of a wide pool； which was itse