〃I'm still here； where are you？〃
〃Dive time is fifty…five minutes。 We are proceeding up the ice tunnel。〃
〃Any sign of trouble？〃
〃Nothing yet…whoa； wait a minute： who's this？〃
〃What is it； Fox？〃 Schofield said； alarmed。
〃No。 It's nothing；〃 Gant's voice said。 〃It's all right。 Scarecrow； if that little girl's up there with you； you might want to tell her that her friend is down here。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃That fur seal； Wendy； She just joined us in the tunnel。 Must have followed us down here。〃
Schofield pictured Gant and the others swimming up the underwater ice tunnel； covered in their mechanical breathing apparatus； while beside them Wendy swam happily； not needing any such equipment。
〃How far have you got to go？〃 Schofield asked。
〃Hard to say。 We've been going extra slow； just to be careful。 I'd say it'll be another five minutes or so。〃
〃Keep me posted；〃 Schofield said。 〃Oh； and； Fox。 Use caution。〃
〃You got it。 Scarecrow。 Fox； out。〃
The radio clicked off。 Schofield stared at the water in the pool。 It was still stained red。 At the moment； it was calm； glassy。 He took a step forward； toward it。
Something crunched beneath his feet。
He froze； looked down at his boots； bent down。
On the metal deck beneath his feet lay some broken shards of glass。 White frosted glass。
Schofield frowned at the glass。
And then； with frightening suddenness； a voice cut across his helmet inter： 〃Scarecrow； this is Snake。 I'm on B…deck。 I just checked Renshaw's room。 There was no answer when I banged on his door； so I busted it open。 Sir； there was no one in there。 Renshaw is gone。 I repeat； Renshaw is gone。〃
Schofield felt a chill run down his spine。
Renshaw wasn't in his room。
He was somewhere inside the station。
Schofield was about to move； about to go and find the others； when he heard a soft puncturelike sound； followed by a faint whistling through the air。 There came a sudden thwacking noise； and Schofield immediately felt a stinging； burning sensation on the back of his neck and then； to his horror； he suddenly realized that the thwacking noise had been the sound of something impacting against his neck at extremely high speed。
Schofield's knees buckled。 He suddenly felt very weak。
He immediately put his hand to his neck and then held it out in front of his face。
His hand was slicked with blood。
Blackness slowly overcame him and Schofield dropped to his knees。 The world darkened around him； and as his cheek thudded down against the ice…cold steel of the deck Shane Schofield had a single terrifying thought。
He had just been shot in the throat。
And then suddenly the thought vanished and the world went pletely and utterly black。
Shane Schofield's heart。。。
。。。 had stopped。
FOURTH INCURSION
16 June 1510 hours
Libby Gant swam up the steep underwater ice tunnel。
It was quiet here； she thought； peaceful。 The whole world was tinted pale blue。
As she swam； Gant could hear nothing but the soft； rhythmic hiss of her low…audibility breathing gear。 There were no other sounds…no whistling noises； no whale song； no nothing。
Gant stared out through her full…face diving mask。 In the glare of her halogen dive lantern the icy walls of the tunnel glowed a ghostly blue…on…white。 The other divers…Montana； Santa Cruz； and the scientist woman； Sarah Hensleigh… swam alongside her in silence。
All of a sudden the ice tunnel began to widen dramatically and Gant saw several large round holes set into the walls on either side of her。
They were larger than she had expected them to be…easily ten feet in diameter。 And they were round； perfectly round。 Gant counted eight such holes and wondered what kind of animal could possibly have made them。
And then； abruptly； she forgot about the holes set into the ice walls。 Something else had seized her attention。
The surface。
Gant keyed her inter。 〃Scarecrow。 This is Fox；〃 she said。 〃Scarecrow。 This is Fox。 Scarecrow； are you out there？〃
There was no reply。
〃Scarecrow； I repeat； this is Fox。 e in。〃
Still no reply。
That was strange； Gant thought。 Why would Scarecrow not answer her？ She had spoken to him only a few minutes ago。
Suddenly a voice crackled over her earpiece。
It wasn't Schofield。
〃Fox； this is Rebound！〃 He seemed to be shouting above some wind。 He must have been outside the station。 〃I read you。 What's up？〃
〃We're approaching the surface now；〃 Gant said。 〃Where's Scarecrow？〃 she added a little too quickly。
〃He's inside the station somewhere。 Down with Mother； I think。 Must have taken his helmet off or something。〃
Gant said； 〃Well； it might be a good idea to go find him and tell him what's going on down here。 We're about to surface inside the cavern。〃
〃Got it； Fox。〃
Gant clicked off her radio and resumed her swim upward。
The water's surface looked strange from below。
It was glassy。 Still。 It looked like a warped glass lens of some sort； pletely distorting the image of whatever it was that lay beyond it。
Gant swam toward it。 The others rose slowly in the water beside her。
They all broke the surface together。
In an instant； the world around Gant changed and she found herself treading water in the center of an enormous pool situated at one end of a massive underground cavern。 She saw Montana and Santa Cruz hovering in the water beside her； with Sarah Hensleigh behind them。
The cavern was absolutely huge。 Its ceiling was easily a hundred feet high； and its walls stretched so far into the distance that the farthest reaches of the cavern were cloaked in darkness； evading the fiarsh luminescent glare of the Marines' high…powered halogen lanterns。
And then Gant saw it。
〃I'll be damned 。。。；〃 she heard Santa Cruz say。
For a full minute； Gant could do nothing but stare。 Slowly； she began to make her wav toward the edge of the pool。 When she finally stepped up onto solid ground； she was totally entranced。 She couldn't take her eyes off it。
It looked like nothing she had ever seen before。 Like something out of a movie。 The mere sight of it took her breath away。
It was a ship of some sort。
A black ship…pletely black from nose to tail…about the same size as a fighter jet。 Gant saw that its two enormous tail fins were embedded in the ice wall behind it。 It looked as if they had been consumed by the ice as it had crept slowly forward through the ages。
The huge black spacecraft just stood there…in stark contrast to the cold white cavern around it…standing high on three powerful…looking hydraulic landing struts。
It looked fantastic； otherworldly。
And it looked mean。
Black and pointed； sleek and sharp； to Gant it looked like a huge praying mantis。 Its two black wings swooped down on either side of its fuselage so that it looked like a bird in flight with its wings at the lowest extremity。
The most striking feature of all； however； was the nose。
The ship had a hooked nose； a nose that pointed sharply downward； like the nose on the Concorde。 The cockpit…a rectangular reinforced tinted…glass canopy…was situated right above the hooked nose。
A huge praying mantis； Gant thought。 The sleekest； fastest…biggest…praying mantis that anyone has ever seen。
Gant realized that the others were also out of the water now； standing beside her on the frost…covered floor of the cavem； also staring up at the magnificent spacecraft。
Gant looked at her panions' faces。
Santa Cruz's mouth hung open。
Montana's eyes were wide。
Sarah Hensleigh's reaction； however； struck Gant as strange。 Hensleigh's eyes had narrowed and she stared at the spacecraft in an unusual way。 Despite herself； Gant felt a sudden chill。 Sarah Hensleigh's eyes glowed with what looked dangerously like ambition。
Gant shook the thought off。 and with the initial spell of the spacecraft broken； her eyes began to take in the rest of the gigantic cavern。
It took all of ten seconds for her to see them。
She froze instantly。
〃Oh； God 。。。；〃 she said； her voice low。 〃Oh； God。。。。〃
There were nine of them。
Bodies。
Human bodies； although at first it was hard to tell。
They we