Slowly； Austin began to see where he was。 He was hovering in the middle of a wide pool； which was itself situated at one end of a gigantic subterranean cavern。
He turned in a plete circle； observing； one after another； the sheer vertical walls that lined every side of the cavern。
And then he saw the final wall。
His mouth fell open。
〃Control； you're not going to believe this。〃 Austin's stunned voice broke over the inter。
〃What is it； Ben？〃 Hensleigh said into her mike。
〃I'm looking at a cavern of some sort。 Walls are sheer…sided ice； probably the result of some kind of seismic activity。 Area of the cavern is unknown； but it looks like it extends several hundred feet into the ice。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃There's； ah。。。 there's something else down here； Sarah。〃
Hensleigh looked at Abby and frowned。 She keyed the inter。 〃What is it； Ben？〃
〃Sarah。。。〃 There was a long pause。 〃Sarah； I think I'm looking at a spaceship。〃
It was half…buried in the ice wall behind it。
Austin stared at it； entranced。
pletely black； it had a wingspan of about ninety feet。 Two sleek dorsal tail fins rose high into the air above the rear of the ship。 Both fins； however； were pletely embedded in the ice wall behind the ship…two shadowy blurs trapped within the clear； frozen wall。 It stood on three powerful…looking landing struts； and it looked magnificent…the aerodynamics sleek to the extreme； exuding a sense of raw power that was almost tangible。
There came a loud splash from behind him and Austin spun。
He saw the other divers； treading water behind him； staring up at the spaceship。 Beyond them； however； was a set of expanding ripples； the remnants； it seemed； of an object that had fallen into the water。。。。
〃What was that？〃 Austin said。 〃Hanson？〃
〃Ben； I don't know what it was； but something just went past my…〃
Austin watched as； without warning； Hanson was wrenched underwater。
〃Hanson！〃
And then there was another scream。 Harry Cox。
Austin turned； just in time to see the slicked back of a large animal rise above the surface and plow at tremendous speed into Cox's chest； driving him underwater。
Austin began to swim frantically for the water's edge。 As he swam； his head dipped below the surface and suddenly his ears were assaulted by a cacophony of sound…loud； shrill whistles and hoarse； desperate barks。
The next time his head surfaced； he caught a glimpse of the ice walls surrounding the pool of water。 He saw large holes set into the ice； just above the surface。 They were exactly the same as the ones he'd seen down in the ice tunnel before。
Then Austin saw something e out of one of the holes。
〃Holy Christ；〃 he breathed。
Hideous screams burst across the inter。
In the radio room of the ice station； Hensleigh stared in stunned silence at the blinking console in front of her。 Beside her； Abby had her hand across her mouth。 Terrified shouts rang out from the wall…mounted speakers：
〃Raymonds！ 〃
〃He's gone！〃
〃Oh； shit； no…〃
〃Jesus； the walls！ They're ing out of the fucking walls！〃
And then suddenly Austin's voice。 〃Get out of the water！ Get out of the water now！ 〃
Another scream。 Then another。
Sarah Hensleigh grabbed her mike。 〃Ben！ Ben！ e in！〃 Austin's voice crackled over the inter。 He was speaking quickly； in between short； shallow breaths。 〃Sarah； shit； I。。。 I can't see anybody else。 I can't。。。 They're all。。。 they're all gone。。。。〃 A pause； and then； 〃Oh； sweet Jesus。。。 Sarah！ Call for help！ Call for anything you ca…〃
And then a crash of breaking glass exploded across the inter and the voice of Benjamin Austin was gone。
Abby was on the radio； yelling hysterically into the mike。
〃For God's sake； somebody answer me！ This is station four…zero…niner…I repeat； this is station four…zero…niner。 We have just suffered heavy losses in an underwater cavern and request immediate assistance！ Can anybody hear me？ Somebody； please answer me！ Our divers…oh； Jesus…our divers said they saw a spacecraft of some sort in this cavern； and now； now we've lost contact with them！ The last we heard from them； they were under attack； under attack in the water。 。 。 。〃
Wilkes Ice Station received no response to their distress signal。
Despite the fact that it was picked up by at least three different radio installationss。
FIRST INCURSION
16 June 0630 hours
The hovercraft raced across the ice plain。
It was painted white； which was unusual。 Most Antarctic vehicles are painted bright orange； for ease of visibility。 And it sped across the vast expanse of snow with a surprising urgency。 Nobody is ever in a hurry in Antarctica。
Inside the speeding white hovercraft； Lieutenant Shane Schofield peered out through reinforced fiberglass windows。 About a hundred yards off his starboard bow he could see a second hovercraft…also white…whipping across the flat； icy landscape。
At thirty…two； Schofield was young to be in mand of a Recon Unit。 But he had experience that belied his age。 At five…ten； he was lean and muscular； with a handsome creased face and closely cropped black hair。 At the moment； his black hair was covered by a camouflaged Kevlar helmet。 A gray turtleneck collar protruded from beneath his shoulder plates； covering his neck。 Fitted inside the folds of the turtleneck collar was a lightweight Kevlar plate。 Sniper protection。
It was rumored that Shane Schofield had deep blue eyes； but this was a rumor that had never been confirmed。 In fact； it was folklore at Parris Island…the legendary training camp for the United States Marine Corps…that no one below the rank of General had ever actually seen Schofield's eyes。 He always kept them hidden behind a pair of reflective silver antiflash glasses。
His call sign added to the mystery； since it was mon knowledge that it had been Brigadier General Norman W。 McLean himself who had given Schofield his operational nickname…a nickname that many assumed had something to do with the young Lieutenant's hidden eyes。
〃Whistler One； do you copy？〃
Schofield picked up his radio。 〃Whistler Two； this is Whistler One。 What is it？〃
〃Sir…〃 The deep voice of Staff Sergeant Buck 〃Book〃 Riley was suddenly cut off by a wash of static。 Over the past twenty…four hours； ionospheric conditions over continental Antarctica had rapidly deteriorated。 The full force of a solar flare had kicked in； disrupting the entire electromagnetic spectrum and limiting radio contact to short…range UHF transmissions。 Contact between hovercrafts one hundred yards apart was difficult。 Contact with Wilkes Ice Station…their destination…was impossible。
The static faded and Riley's voice came over the speaker again。 〃Sir； do you remember that moving contact we picked up about an hour ago？〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 Schofield said。
For the past hour； Whistler Two had been picking up emissions from the electronic equipment on board a moving vehicle heading in the opposite direction； back down the coast toward the French research station； Dumont d'Urville。
〃What about it？〃
〃Sir； I can't find it anymore。〃
Schofield looked down at the radio。 〃Are you sure？〃
〃We have no reading on our scopes。 Either they shut down or they just disappeared。〃
Schofield frowned in thought； then he looked back at the cramped personnel partment behind him。 Seated there； two to each side； were four Marines； all dressed in snow fatigues。 White…gray Kevlar helmets sat in their laps。 White…gray body armor covered their chests。 White…gray automatic rifles sat by their sides。
It had been two days since the distress signal from Wilkes Ice Station had been picked up by the U。S。 Navy landing ship； Shreveport； while it had been in port in Sydney。 As luck would have it； only a week earlier it had been decided that the Shreveport…a rapid deployment vessel used to transport Marine Force Reconnaissance Units…would stay in Sydney for some urgent repairs while the rest of her group returned to Pearl Harbor。 That being the case； within an hour of the receipt of Abby Sinclair's distress signal； the Shreveport… now up and ready to go…was at sea； carrying a squad of Marines due south； heading toward the Ross Sea。
Now