Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第15章

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〃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…〃
〃Just　don't　push　any　more　buttons；　Beth！〃
They　were　moving　around　the　cabin；　looking　at　the　instrument　panel；　at　the　chairs。　All　of　them；　that　is；　all　except　for　Harry。　He　stood　very　still　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　not　moving；　and　said；　〃Anybody　see　a　date　anywhere？〃
〃No　date。〃
〃There's　got　to　be　a　date；〃　Harry　said；　suddenly　tense。　〃And　we've　got　to　find　it。　Because　this　is　definitely　an　American　spaceship　from　the　future。〃
〃What's　it　doing　here？〃　Norman　asked。　〃Damned　if　I　know；〃　Harry　said。　He　shrugged。　Norman　frowned。
〃What's　wrong；　Harry？〃
〃Nothing。〃
〃Sure？〃
〃Yeah；　sure。〃
Norman　thought：　He's　figured　out　something；　and　it　bothers　him。　But　he's　not　saying　what　it　is。
Ted　said；　〃So　this　is　what　a　time…travel　machine　looks　like。
〃I　don't　know；〃　Barnes　said。　〃If　you　ask　me；　this　instrument　panel　looks　like　it's　for　flying；　and　this　room　looks　like　a　flight　deck。〃
Norman　thought　so；　too：　everything　about　the　room　reminded　him　of　an　airplane　cockpit。　The　three　chairs　for　pilot；　copilot；　navigator。　The　layout　of　the　instrumentation。　This　was　a　machine　that　flew；　he　was　sure　of　it。　Yet　something　was　odd。　。。。
He　slipped　into　one　of　the　contoured　chairs。　The　soft　leather…like　material　was　almost　too　fortable。　He　heard　a　gurgling：　water　inside？
〃I　hope　you're　not　going　to　fly　this　sucker；〃　Ted　laughed。
〃No；　no。〃
〃What's　that　whirring　noise？〃
The　chair　gripped　him。　Norman　had　an　instant　of　panic；　feeling　the　chair　move　all　around　his　body；　squeezing　his　shoulders；　wrapping　around　his　hips。　The　leather　padding　slid　around　his　head；　covering　his　ears；　drawing　down　over　＇＇77＇＇　his　forehead。　He　was　sinking　deeper；　disappearing　inside　the　chair　itself；　being　swallowed　up　by　it。
〃Oh　God　。。。〃
And　then　the　chair　snapped　forward；　pulling　up　tight　before　the　control　console。　And　the　whirring　stopped。　Then　nothing。
〃I　think；〃　Beth　said；　〃that　the　chair　thinks　you　are　going　to　fly　it。〃
〃Umm；〃　Norman　said；　trying　to　control　his　breathing；　his　racing　pulse；　〃I　wonder　how　I　get　out？〃
The　only　part　of　his　body　still　free　were　his　hands。　He　moved　his　fingers；　felt　a　panel　of　buttons　on　the　arms　of　the　chair。　He　pressed　one。
The　chair　slid　back；　opened　like　a　soft　clam；　released　him。　Norman　climbed　out；　and　looked　back　at　the　imprint　of　his　body；　slowly　disappearing　as　the　chair　whirred　and　adjusted　itself。
Harry　poked　one　of　the　leather　pads　experimentally；　heard　the　gurgle。　〃Water…filled。〃
〃Makes　perfect　sense；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Water's　not　pressible。　You　can　withstand　enormous　G…forces　sitting　in　a　chair　like　this。〃
〃And　the　ship　itself　is　built　to　take　great　strains；〃　Ted　said。　〃Maybe　time　travel　is　strenuous？　Structurally　strenuous？〃
〃Maybe。〃　Norman　was　doubtful。　〃But　I　think　Barnes　is　right…this　is　a　machine　that　flew。〃
〃Perhaps　it　just　looks　that　way；〃　Ted　said。　〃After　all；　we　know　how　to　travel　in　space；　but　we　don't　know　how　to　travel　in　time。　We　know　that　space　and　time　are　really　aspects　of　the　same　thing；　space…time。　Perhaps　you're　required　to　fly　in　time　just　the　way　you　fly　in　space。　Maybe　time　travel　and　space　travel　are　more　similar　than　we　think　now。〃
〃Aren't　we　forgetting　something？〃　Beth　said。　〃Where　is　everybody？　If　people　flew　this　thing　in　either　time　or　space；　where　are　they？〃
〃Probably　somewhere　else　on　the　ship。〃
〃I'm　not　so　sure；〃　Harry　said。　〃Look　at　this　leather　on　these　seats。　It's　brand…new。〃
〃Maybe　it　was　a　new　ship。〃
＇＇78＇＇　〃No；　I　mean　really　brand…new。　This　leather　doesn't　show　any　scratches；　any　cuts；　any　coffee…cup　spills　or　stains。　There　is　nothing　to　suggest　that　these　seats　have　ever　been　sat　in。〃　〃Maybe　there　wasn't　any　crew。〃
〃Why　would　you　have　seats　if　there　wasn't　any　crew？〃
〃Maybe　they　took　the　crew　out　at　the　last　minute。　It　seems　they　were　worried　about　radiation。　The　inner　hull's　leadshielded；　too。〃
〃Why　should　there　be　radiation　associated　with　time　travel？〃
〃I　know；〃　Ted　said。　〃Maybe　the　ship　got　launched　by　accident。　Maybe　the　ship　was　on　the　launch　pad　and　somebody　pressed　the　button　before　the　crew　got　aboard　so　the　ship　took　off　empty。〃
〃You　mean；　oops；　wrong　button？〃
〃That'd　be　a　hell　of　a　mistake；〃　Norman　said。
Barnes　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　not　buying　it。　For　one　thing；　a　ship　this　big　could　never　be　launched　from　Earth。　It　had　to　be　built　and　assembled　in　orbit；　and　launched　from　space。〃
〃What　do　you　make　of　this？〃　Beth　said；　pointing　to　another　console　near　the　rear　of　the　flight　deck。　There　was　a　fourth　chair；　drawn　up　close　to　the　console。
The　leather　was　wrapped　around　a　human　form。
〃No　kidding。。。〃
〃There's　a　man　in　there？〃
〃Let's　have　a　look。〃　Beth　pushed　the　armrest　buttons。　The　chair　whirred　back　from　the　console　and　unwrapped　itself。　They　saw　a　man；　staring　forward；　his　eyes　open。
〃My　God；　after　all　these　years；　perfectly　preserved；〃　Ted　said。
〃You　would　expect　that；〃　Harry　said。　〃Considering　he's　a　mannequin。〃
〃But　he's　so　lifelike…〃
〃Give　our　descendants　some　credit　for　advances；〃　Harry　said。　〃They're　half　a　century　ahead　of　us。〃　He　pushed　the　mannequin　forward；　exposing　an　umbilicus　running　out　the　back；　at　the　base　of　the　hips。
〃Wires　。。。〃
〃Not　wires；〃　Ted　said。　〃Glass。　Optical　cables。　This　whole　＇＇79＇＇　ship　uses　optical　technology；　and　not　electronics。〃
〃In　any　case；　it's　one　mystery　solved；〃　Harry　said；　looking　at　the　dummy。　〃Obviously　this　craft　was　built　to　be　a　manned　ship；　but　it　was　sent　out　unmanned。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Probably　the　intended　voyage　was　too　dangerous。　They　sent　an　unmanned　vessel　first；　before　they　sent　a　manned　vessel。〃
Beth　said；　〃And　where　did　they　send　it？〃
〃With　time　travel；　you　don't　send　it　to　a　where。　You　send　it　to　a　when。〃
〃Okay。　Then　to　when　did　they　send　it？〃
Harry　shrugged。　〃No　information　yet；〃　he　said。
That　diffidence　again；　Norman　thought。　What　was　Harry　really　thinking？
〃Well；　this　craft　is　half　a　mile　long；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　have　a　lot　more　to　see。〃
〃I　wonder　if　they　had　a　flight　recorder；〃　Norman　said。
〃You　mean　like　a　mercial　airliner？〃
〃Yes。　Something　to　record　the　activity　of　the　ship　on　its　voyage。〃
〃They　must　have；〃　Harry　said。　〃Trace　the　dummy　cable　back；　you're　sure　to　find　it。　I'd　like　to　see　that　recorder；　too。　In　fact；　I　would　say　it　is　crucial。〃
Norman　was　looking　at　the　console；　lifting　up　a　keyboard　panel。　〃Look　here；〃　he　said。　〃I　found　a　date。〃
They　clustered　around。　There　was　a　stamp　in　the　plastic　beneath　the　keyboard。　〃Intel　Inc。　Made　in　U。S。A。　Serial　No：　98004077　8/5/43。〃
〃August　5；　2043？〃
〃Looks　like　it。〃
〃So　we're　walking　through　a　ship　fifty…odd　years　before　it's　going　to　be　built。　。。。〃
〃This　is　giving　me　a　headache。〃
〃Look　here。〃　Beth　had　moved　forward　from　the　console　deck；　into　what　looked　like　living　quarters。　There　were　twenty　bunk　beds。
〃Crew　of　twenty？　If　it　took　three　people　to　fly　it；　what　were　the　other　seventeen　for？〃
＇＇80＇＇　Nobody　had　an　answer　to　that。
Next；　they　entered　a　large　kitchen；　a　toilet；　living　quarters。　Everything　was　new　and　sleekly　designed；　but　recognizable　for　what　it　was。
〃You　know；　Hal；　this　is　a　lot　more　fortable　than　DH…8。〃
〃Yes；　maybe　we　should　move　in　here。〃
〃Absolutely　not；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We're　studying　this　ship；　not　living　in　it。　We've　got　a　lot　more　work　to　do　before　we　even　begin　to　know　what　this　is　all　about。〃
〃It'd　be　more　efficient　to　live　here　while　we　explore　it。〃
〃I　don't　want　to　live　here；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　gives　me　the　creeps。〃
〃Me　too；〃　Beth　said。
They　had　been　aboard　the　ship　for　an　hour　now；　and　Norman's　feet　hurt。　That　was　another　thing　he　hadn't　anticipated：　while　exploring　a　large　spacecraft　from　the　future；　your　feet　could　begin　to　hurt。
But　Barnes　continued　on。


Leaving　the　crew　quarters；　they　entered　a　vast　area　of　narrow　walkways　set　out　between　great　sealed　partments　that　stretched　ahead　as　far　as　they　could　see。　The　partments　turned　out　to　be　storage　bays　of　immense　size。　They　opened　one　bay　and　found　it　was　filled　with　heavy　plastic　containers；　which　looked　rather　like　the　loading　containers　of　contemporary　airliners；　except　many　times　larger。　They　opened　one　container。
〃No　kidding；〃　Barnes　said；　peering　inside。　〃What　is　it？〃
〃Food。〃
The　food　was　wrapped　in　layers　of　lead　foil　and　plastic；　like　NASA　rations。　Ted　picked　one　up。　〃Food　from　the　future！〃　he　said；　and　smacked　his　lips。
〃You　going　to　eat　that？〃　Harry　said。
〃Absolutely；〃　Ted　said。　〃You　know；　I　once　had　a　bottle　of　Dom　Pérignon　1897；　but　this　will　be　the　first　time　I've　ever　had　anything　to　eat　from　the　future；　from　2043。〃
＇＇81＇＇　〃It's　also　three　hundred　years　old；〃　Harry　said。
〃Maybe　you'll　want　to　film　this；〃　Ted　said　to　Edmunds。　〃Me　eating。〃
Edmunds　dutifully　put　the　camera　to　her　eye；　flicked　on　the　light。
〃Let's　not　do　that　now；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　have　other　things　to　acplish。〃
〃This　is　human　interest；〃　Ted　said。　〃Not　now；〃　Barnes　said　firmly。
He　opened　a　second　storage　container；　and　a　third。　They　all　contained　food。　They　moved　to　the　next　storage　bay　and　opened　more　containers。
〃It's　all　food。　Nothing　but　food。〃
The　ship　had　traveled　with　an　enormous　amount　of　food。　Even　allowing　for　a　crew　of　twenty；　it　was　enough　food　for　a　voyage　of　several　years。
They　were　getting　very　tired