Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第14章

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〃Okay？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Everybody　here？〃　
Edmunds　said；　〃Wait　for　video；　please；　sir。〃　
〃Okay。　Waiting。〃
They　all　lined　up　beside　the　door；　but　they　still　had　their　helmets　on。　It　wasn't　going　to　be　much　of　a　picture；　Norman　thought。
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　running。〃　
Ted：　〃I'd　like　to　say　a　few　words。〃
Harry：　〃Jesus；　Ted。　Can't　you　ever　let　up？〃
Ted：　〃I　think　it's　important。〃
Harry：　〃Go　ahead；　make　your　speech。〃
Ted：　〃Hello。　This　is　Ted　Fielding；　here　at　the　door　of　the　unknown　spacecraft　which　has　been　discovered…〃
Barnes：　〃Wait　a　minute；　Ted。　'Here　at　the　door　of　the　unknown　spacecraft'　sounds　like　'here　at　the　tomb　of　the　unknown　soldier。'　〃
Ted：　〃You　don't　like　it？〃
Barnes：　〃Well；　I　think　it　has　the　wrong　associations。〃
Ted：　〃I　thought　you　would　like　it。〃
Beth：　〃Can　we　just　get　on　with　it；　please？〃
＇＇71＇＇　Ted：　〃Never　mind。〃
Harry：　〃What；　are　you　going　to　pout　now？〃
Ted：　〃Never　mind。　We'll　do　without　any　mentary　on　this　historic　moment。〃
Harry：　〃Okay；　fine。　Let's　get　it　open。〃
Ted：　〃I　think　everybody　knows　how　I　feel。　I　feel　that　we　should　have　some　brief　remarks　for　posterity。〃
Harry：　〃Well；　make　your　goddamn　remarks！〃
Ted：　〃Listen；　you　son　of　a　bitch；　I've　had　about　enough　of　your　superior；　know…it…all　attitude…〃
Barnes：　〃Stop　tape；　please。〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　stopped；　sir。〃
Barnes：　〃Let's　everyone　settle　down。〃
Harry：　〃I　consider　all　this　ceremony　utterly　irrelevant。〃
Ted：　〃Well；　it's　not　irrelevant；　it's　appropriate。〃
Barnes：　〃All　right；　I'll　do　it。　Roll　the　tape。〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　rolling。〃
Barnes：　〃This　is　Captain　Barnes。　We　are　now　about　to　open　the　hatch　cover。　Present　with　me　on　this　historic　occasion　are　Ted　Fielding；　Norman　Johnson；　Beth　Halpern；　and　Harry　Adams。〃
Harry：　〃Why　am　I　last？〃
Barnes：　〃I　did　it　left　to　right；　Harry。〃
Harry：　〃Isn't　it　funny　the　only　black　man　is　named　last？〃
Barnes：　〃Harry；　it's　left　to　right。　The　way　we're　standing　here。〃
Harry：　〃And　after　the　only　woman。　I'm　a　full　professor；　Beth　is　only　an　assistant　professor。〃
Beth：　〃Harry…〃
Ted：　〃You　know；　Hal；　perhaps　we　should　be　identified　by　our　full　titles　and　institutional　affiliations…〃
Harry：　〃…What's　wrong　with　alphabetical　order…〃
Barnes：　〃…That's　it！　Forget　it！　No　tape！〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　off；　sir。〃
Barnes：　〃Jesus　Christ。〃
He　turned　away　from　the　group；　shaking　his　helmeted　head。　He　flipped　up　the　metal　plate；　exposed　the　two　buttons；　and　pushed　one。　A　yellow　light　blinked　〃READY。〃
〃Everybody　stay　on　internal　air；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇72＇＇　They　all　continued　to　breathe　from　their　tanks；　in　case　the　interior　gases　in　the　spacecraft　were　toxic。
〃Everybody　ready？〃
〃Ready。〃
Barnes　pushed　the　button　marked　〃OPEN。〃
A　sign　flashed：　ADJUSTING　ATMOSPHERE。　Then；　with　a　rumble；　the　door　slid　open　sideways；　just　like　an　airplane　door。　For　a　moment　Norman　could　see　nothing　but　blackness　beyond。　They　moved　forward　cautiously；　shone　their　lights　through　the　open　door；　saw　girders；　a　plex　of　metal　tubes。
〃Check　the　air；　Beth。〃
Beth　pulled　the　plunger　on　a　small　gas　monitor　in　her　hand。　The　readout　screen　glowed。
〃Helium；　oxygen；　trace　CO2　and　water　vapor。　The　right　proportions。　It's　pressurized　atmosphere。〃
〃The　ship　adjusted　its　own　atmosphere？〃
〃Looks　like　it。〃
〃Okay。　One　at　a　time。〃
Barnes　removed　his　helmet　first；　breathed　the　air。　〃It　seems　okay。　Metallic；　a　slight　tingle；　but　okay。〃　He　took　a　few　deep　breaths；　then　nodded。　The　others　removed　their　helmets；　set　them　on　the　deck。
〃That's　better。〃
〃Shall　we　go？〃
〃Why　not？〃
There　was　a　brief　hesitation；　and　then　Beth　stepped　through　quickly：　〃Ladies　first。〃
The　others　followed　her。　Norman　glanced　back；　saw　all　their　yellow　helmets　lying　on　the　floor。　Edmunds；　holding　the　video　camera　to　her　eye；　said；　〃Go　ahead；　Dr。　Johnson。〃　Norman　turned；　and　stepped　into　the　spacecraft。

INTERIOR

They　stood　on　a　catwalk　five　feet　wide；　suspended　high　in　the　air。　Norman　shone　his　flashlight　down：　the　beam　glowed　through　forty　feet　of　darkness　before　it　splashed　on　the　lower　hull。　Surrounding　them；　dimly　visible　in　the　darkness；　was　a　dense　network　of　struts　and　girders。
Beth　said；　〃It's　like　being　in　an　oil　refinery。〃　She　shone　her　light　on　one　steel　beam。　Stenciled　was　〃AVR…09。〃　All　the　stenciling　was　in　English。
〃Most　of　what　you　see　is　structural；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Cross…stress　bracing　for　the　outer　hull。　Gives　tremendous　support　along　all　axes。　The　ship　is　very　ruggedly　built；　as　we　suspected。　Designed　to　take　extraordinary　stresses。　There's　probably　another　hull　further　in。〃　Norman　was　reminded　that　Barnes　had　once　been　an　aeronautical　engineer。
〃Not　only　that；〃　Harry　said；　shining　his　light　on　the　outer　hull。　〃Look　at　this…a　layer　of　lead。〃
〃Radiation　shield？〃
〃Must　be。　It's　six　inches　thick。〃
〃So　this　ship　was　built　to　handle　a　lot　of　radiation。〃
〃A　hell　of　a　lot；〃　Harry　said。
There　was　a　haze　in　the　ship；　and　a　faintly　oily　feel　to　the　air。　The　metal　girders　seemed　to　be　coated　in　oil；　but　when　Norman　touched　them；　the　oil　didn't　e　off　on　his　fingers。　He　realized　that　the　metal　itself　had　an　unusual　texture：　it　was　slick　and　slightly　soft　to　the　touch；　almost　rubbery。
〃Interesting；〃　Ted　said。　〃Some　kind　of　new　material。　We　associate　strength　with　hardness；　but　this　metal…if　it　is　metal…is　both　strong　and　soft。　Materials　technology　has　obviously　advanced　since　our　day。〃
〃Obviously；〃　Harry　said。
〃Well；　it　makes　sense；〃　Ted　said。　〃If　you　think　of　America　fifty　years　ago　as　pared　with　today；　one　of　the　biggest　changes　is　the　great　variety　of　plastics　and　ceramics　we　have　now　that　were　not　even　imagined　back　then。　。。。〃　Ted　continued　to　talk；　his　voice　echoing　in　the　cavernous　darkness。　＇＇74＇＇　But　Norman　could　hear　the　tension　in　his　voice。　Ted's　whistling　in　the　dark；　he　thought。
They　moved　deeper　into　the　ship。　Norman　felt　dizzy　to　be　so　high　in　the　gloom。　They　came　to　a　branchpoint　in　the　catwalk。　It　was　hard　to　see　with　all　the　pipes　and　struts…like　being　in　a　forest　of　metal。
〃Which　way？〃
Barnes　had　a　wrist　pass；　it　glowed　green。　〃Go　right。〃　They　followed　the　network　of　catwalks　for　ten　minutes　more。　Gradually　Norman　could　see　that　Barnes　was　right：　there　was　a　central　cylinder　constructed　within　the　outer　cylinder；　and　held　away　from　it　by　a　dense　arrangement　of　girders　and　supports。　A　spacecraft　within　a　spacecraft。
〃Why　would　they　build　the　ship　like　this？〃
〃You'd　have　to　ask　them。〃
〃The　reasons　must　have　been　pelling；〃　Barnes　said。　〃The　power　requirements　for　a　double　hull；　with　so　much　lead　shielding　。。。　hard　to　imagine　the　engine　you'd　need　to　make　something　this　big　fly。〃
After　three　or　four　minutes；　they　arrived　at　the　door　on　the　inner　hull。　It　looked　like　the　outer　door。
〃Breathers　back　on？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Can　we　risk　it？〃
Without　waiting；　Beth　flipped　up　the　panel　of　buttons；　pressed　〃OPEN；〃　and　the　door　rumbled　open。　More　darkness　beyond。　They　stepped　through。　Norman　felt　softness　underfoot；　he　shined　his　light　down　on　beige　carpeting。
Their　flashlights　crisscrossed　the　room；　revealing　a　large；　contoured　beige　console　with　three　high…backed；　padded　seats。　The　room　was　clearly　built　for　human　beings。
〃Must　be　the　bridge　or　the　cockpit。〃
But　the　curved　consoles　were　pletely　blank。　There　was　no　instrumentation　of　any　kind。　And　the　seats　were　empty。　They　swung　their　beams　back　and　forth　in　the　darkness。　〃Looks　like　a　mockup；　rather　than　the　real　thing。〃
〃It　can't　be　a　mockup。〃
〃Well；　it　looks　like　one。〃
Norman　ran　his　hand　over　the　smooth　contours　of　the　console。　It　was　nicely　molded；　pleasant　to　feel。　Norman　＇＇75＇＇　pressed　the　surface；　felt　it　bend　to　his　touch。　Rubbery　again。　〃Another　new　material。〃
Norman's　flashlight　showed　a　few　artifacts。　Taped　to　the　far　end　of　the　console　was　a　handmarked　sign　on　a　three…by…five　filing　card：　It　said；　〃GO　BABY　GO！〃　Nearby　was　a　small　plastic　statuette　of　a　cute　animal　that　looked　like　a　purple　squirrel。　The　base　said；　〃Lucky　Lemontina。〃　Whatever　that　meant。
〃These　seats　leather？〃
〃Looks　like　it。〃
〃Where　are　the　damned　controls？〃
Norman　continued　to　poke　at　the　blank　console；　and　suddenly　the　beige　console　surface　took　on　depth；　and　appeared　to　contain　instruments；　screens。　All　the　instrumentation　was　somehow　within　the　surface　of　the　console；　like　an　optical　illusion；　or　a　hologram。　Norman　read　the　lettering　above　the　instruments：　〃Pos　Thrusters〃　。。。　〃F3　Piston　Booster〃　。。。　〃Glider〃　。。。　〃Sieves〃　。。。
〃More　new　technology；〃　Ted　said。　〃Reminiscent　of　liquid　crystals；　but　far　superior。　Some　kind　of　advanced　optoelectronics。〃
Suddenly　all　the　console　screens　glowed　red；　and　there　was　a　beeping　sound。　Startled；　Norman　jumped　back；　the　control　panel　was　ing　to　life。
〃Watch　it；　everybody！〃
A　single　bright　lightning　flash　of　intense　white　light　filled　the　room；　leaving　a　harsh　afterimage。
〃Oh　God　。。。〃
Another　flash…and　another…and　then　the　ceiling　lights　came　on；　evenly　illuminating　the　room。　Norman　saw　startled；　frightened　faces。　He　sighed；　exhaling　slowly。　〃Jesus　。。。〃
〃How　the　hell　did　that　happen？〃　Barnes　said。　
〃It　was　me；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　pushed　this　button。〃
〃Let's　not　go　around　pushing　buttons；　if　you　don't　mind；〃　Barnes　said　irritably。
〃It　was　marked　'ROOM　LIGHTS。'　It　seemed　an　appropriate　thing　to　do。〃
〃Let's　try　to　stay　together　on　this；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇76＇＇　〃Well；　Jesus；　Hat…〃
〃J