面白診断2
by two more men in pressure suits. He looked as though he had every intention of—yes, now he was saying something to the operators of the personnel carrier. They all were going up.Whatever Michael was doing, Mino-san wasn't going to be pleased. The whole scene was about to get crazy. Did Mike have a weapon? Even if he did, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Friday 8:52 A.M.
"Take it up."
Tanzan Mino was marching up the steps of the Person¬nel Module, accompanied by six kobun in black leather jackets and the M-I pilots.
The operators glanced at each other, then moved to comply. One Japanese pilot had just come down and disap¬peared into the haze. Now two more had arrived, along with the CEO. Were there three Japanese pilots? Things were starting to get peculiar. But then this was no ordinary flight; it was the big one.
The door clicked shut with a quiet, pneumatic whoosh, and the module began its ascent. As they rode, Tanzan Mino reflected that in less than an hour this vehicle would be setting new records for manned flight. The world would hear about it from a press conference he would hold in Tokyo, carried live around the globe. That press briefing would also announce a new alliance between Japan and the Soviet Union. It would be a double coup. The planet's geopolitics would never again be the same.
The module glided to a halt and its door opened.
He'd been right. The cockpit hatch was sealed, which meant somebody was inside. The Soviet pilot must be up to something. But what?
Then, unbidden, the pressure hatch started opening, slowly swinging back and around, and standing there, just inside, was a man in a pressure suit. There was no reflect¬ing visor on his helmet now to hide his face.
Friday 8:53 A.M.
Vance stared at the small army facing him, including Tanzan Mino and his two pilots. This definitely was not the drill. Something had gone very, very wrong. Had