A. Belyaev - Classics fantasy – 11

We slowly moved forward, to the polar station – the purpose of our swimming. And suddenly – stop! A push from which all of us got. Somehow looked round, we see: we are in an ice cave. Perhaps, we went off-course and entered a cave which was formed in the glacier of some island which was going down in water; and maybe, it was also in an iceberg; and maybe, it just was an ice heap in shallow water. Anyway, it is necessary to get out of a cave. It was such size that the submarine could not be deployed. It was necessary to go carefully a backing. In a few minutes intense silence we felt a push again. Ice hammered an exit from a cave. We appeared in an ice trap. Us was four: I am a captain, my assistant navigator Chudakov and mechanics Shanin and Burmin. With them I swim also now. We began to confer what to do. Fortunately, the radio station was as it should be. From the polar station, by our calculations, we were nearby. We, of course, immediately wired the situation. But from the outside of special hope to assign it was not come to the rescue. First, storm. The airplane will not depart. And if arrives what he can make? With itself will not bring divers with the full equipment. And divers during a storm will not be able to work. From above to lay down a bomb? The bomb together with an ice cave and us could blow up. Ice breakers nearby were not and it was under our conditions difficult to expect the help from them. Here unless more powerful, than ours, the submarine could try to punch the ice stopper which corked our cave if this stopper is not really big. But also for this time it is necessary.

– I – say the mechanic Burmin – I will take with myself an ammonal charge, I will leave in a cave, I will put a charge in a stopper, I will fit wires and I will return. Let’s blow up an electric spark.

– What will turn out? – the second mechanic, Shanin objects. – All ice cave at explosion will collapse and will crush us.

– Perhaps will also not crush – the navigator Chudakov says. – We in water, and ice is lighter than water.

– We first of all should survey the place of an exit from a cave. Perhaps, the stopper absolutely is also not big. Perhaps, our submarine hit against the hummock which is carried away down by a storm – I expressed the opinion.

– To survey is the first business – Burmin, and behind it and all others agreed.

We quickly equipped Burmin, helped it to put on in a diving suit, fastened to it on a back the oxygen device, distances in one hand an electric lamp, in other kaylo and released outside via the special hatch. In half an hour we hear Kyle’s blows to the case: gives signals that we opened the hatch. Opened. We listen – silence. And then again ringing knock on the case. What there befell? It was come urgently Shanina to the rescue to send. Both returned soon. It appeared, at Burmin the electric lamp deteriorated. He somehow came across the submarine, and the hatch in the dark could not find in any way. The stopper, in his opinion, is not big at all. Just pieces of ice jammed. Burmin assured that he in one place even punched a hole. But there will be enough work at several o’clock and on how many, definitely you will not consider: can be, new pieces of ice a current will bring. There is nothing to blow up, so. Not a wall, and porridge, but as to clear up this mess – here a question.

It was necessary to work in turn. Pieces of ice were involved in a cave and rose up. It became close. Worked hour after an hour, cautiously watching an oxygen consumption.

Well, further I have to disappoint you. You wait for the description as there was not enough oxygen as all began to choke as at the last moment we were saved. Perhaps, it and would be more interesting to listen, but actually everything occurred differently. There was enough oxygen. Got out of a cave independently. But when there passed several knots, again all fell from a push. Really new ice wall? No, iron. We faced, fortunately, on small to the course, the submarine which arrived to help out us. It damaged a radio set and therefore she could not warn us about the arrival. This boat was it is precautionary the large supply of oxygen cylinders is taken. We managed to receive them under water. Both boats were defended, the storm did not stop yet.

Here and all story – finished Yershov.

– And how on the ice-rink threw out you? – Kostin asked.

– It and not a so interesting adventure! – Yershov answered.

– And you after all tell – Kostin was not appeased.

– Well, well, I will tell. The storm threw out us on the ice-rink. Ice floes froze together, and our submarine remained to drift on an ice floe. To the polar station was not really far, perhaps, on foot would reach; but how to throw the submarine? Caused the help. The airplane on skis arrived. Explosions the ice-hole was made. The submarine from ice was torn off, to the airplane tied and tightened to edge of an ice-hole. Then I entered the submarine, and people pushed off it in water. I accepted back freight, crew, fell and continued swimming. Exclusively. And now good-bye.

– Well that? – having addressed Jim, the ethnographer and Ignat, Kostin asked. – Saw? Heard? Are happy? Well, I will show you one more picture, but only with half an eye.

On the TV there was an image of the globe turned to the viewer by the Northern hemisphere. From London line to Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow further on the East, to the Chukotski Peninsula, through the Bering Strait, to Fairbanks, Chicago, New York suddenly ran… The globe turned, the territory of North America opened. The black line from New York went down, to the southern states, to Kay-Vesta to extremities of the Florida peninsula.

– What is it? – Jim, увидав on the globe familiar places started.

– And it here that – Kostin answered. And Jim saw on the screen huge, a strange look an electric train which promptly moved on a track, the exceeding width a usual track twice.

– The shortest Trans-Siberian way from Europe to America – Kostin explained.

– How? And it already exists? – Jim exclaimed and even rose on a chair.

– You will know everything, you will grow old soon – Kostin told. – For today enough. It is necessary and for club to leave something.

The screen went out, the bulb under a ceiling was lit, and Jim still looked at a white rectangle of the screen.

17. An adventure on the ice road

To the room were knocked. Jim playing a sad song the Hawaiian guitar screamed from surprise. Vera Kolosova, fresh and ruddy as always was on the threshold.

– I did not prevent? – The girl quickly removed a fur-coat. Ignat helped it to pull down a heavy fur coat through the head. Now it stood in a woolen jersey and a gray knitted skirt. Then removed also valenoks, having put them in a corner – valenoks were covered with snow, snow thawed, and from them flowed. In woolen stockings, home-style, she approached a table and took seat on the stool substituted by Jim. Jim started over again strumming a song – this time more cheerful. Some time all were silent. – You will not deceive me this song, Jim – at last the girl told. – You grieve, I know. And you want to leave. I heard how you spoke about it with Ignat.

Jim silently nodded, continuing to touch strings.

– And so – the girl continued. – I spoke about you with the grandfather and with some of ours. Your mood very much disturbs us. I will be frank. What is endured by you was endured almost by each of us, at least, so far work did not take. You worry, perhaps, more sharply than others because your homeland – the complete antithesis to local places. You are sick with nostalgia – homesickness. It is the real disease. And from us many do not maintain. In particular southerners. Yesterday there left one Ukrainian, the day before yesterday – the companion the Caucasus. Even one person from the Urals ran away though in the Urals and tangerines do not ripen. In a word, there is what is called labor fluidity. And it harmfully affects construction. We have a club, there is a cinema, companion Kostin puts big televizorny installation. We will see performances of capital theaters – operas, dramas, ballets. We have a library. We suit a polar zoo. But all this, probably, is not enough.