The fire had been burning for two weeks when Tsumaka's crew found it. It might have been longer if it hadn't floated into Chinese waters, and reported by the local coast guard. They identified the logo of the Idamitsu Concern, alerting them that they were fully capable of cleaning up their own wreckage. Idamitsu was content to quietly remove this problem, to prevent any further investigation of the boat's contents.
And so, Tsumaka had set the Idamitsu 14 to rendezvous with the Flying Phoenix. The top half of the boat was consumed; a rancid fog plumed from the remains. Ken, the radio operator, kept trying to hail anyone on the Phoenix, until Tsumaka tapped his shoulder. "Call down to C-deck; assemble a team of seven to meet me by the port rafts."
The team rowed toward the fire; an oppressive heat transformed the December air into a sauna. "What are we doing, sir? No one could survive that!" Hansel shouted. "You're making us row into hell!"
Tsumaka answered in English, in case he could keep the secret any longer from the others; "We have to see what's left! See if there's anything to haul home!"
If there was anywhere that someone could find to climb up, they would be seared by the heat. The crew unpacked a drone, a remote-controlled camera under helicopter blades. They started it up, and let it rise into the smoke, to the top of the hull's remains. Tsumaka watched the monitor in Hansel's hands, which displayed the drone's discoveries.
The drone easily flew through where the deck floor had been. Approaching the lower deck level, the drone's view began to waver. "We're losing control, Captain!"
Tsumaka said to Hansel, "You're recording?"
Hansel nodded.
"The company owes you a helicopter. Take it down..."
The view began to plummet, toward water, before the image ended. Tsumaka ordered the mission done; they put on their hats and gloves, and began to row back into the winter.
As they emerged from the smoke, the Captain reviewed the final pictures recorded. He could see the broken floes of methane that continued to feed the fire as they were revealed. The helicopter landed in water, which meant the Flying Phoenix was a ring of metal holding the remaining ice - enough for his team to salvage for a profit. There was plenty of ice to burn.
inspired by Discover Magazine, "Japan Extracts Methane from 'Fire Ice' "
No comments:
Post a Comment