Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第19章

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ntly。　There　were　two　pressure　gauges　mounted　on　top　of　the　cube；　and　three　pistons；　and　there　were　a　series　of　silver　stripes　and　rectangles　on　the　outer　surface　on　the　left　side。　It　didn't　look　like　anything　he　had　seen　before。
〃Interesting。〃　Harry　peered　into　the　cube。　〃Some　kind　of　optronic　memory；　is　my　guess。　We　don't　have　anything　like　it。〃　He　touched　the　silver　stripes　on　the　outside。　〃Not　paint；　it's　some　plastic　material。　Probably　machine…readable。〃
〃By　what？　Certainly　not　us。〃
〃No。　Probably　a　robot　recovery　device　of　some　kind。〃
〃And　the　pressure　gauges？〃
〃The　cube　is　filled　with　some　kind　of　gas；　under　pressure。
＇＇98＇＇　Maybe　it　contains　biological　ponents；　to　attain　that　pactness。　In　any　case；　I'll　bet　this　large　glass　is　a　memory　device。〃
〃A　flight　recorder？〃
〃Their　equivalent；　yes。〃
〃How　do　we　access　it？〃
〃Watch　this；〃　Beth　said；　going　back　to　the　flight　deck。　She　began　pushing　sections　of　the　console；　activating　it。　〃Don't　tell　Barnes；〃　she　said　over　her　shoulder。
〃How　do　you　know　where　to　press？〃
〃I　don't　think　it　matters；〃　she　said。　〃I　think　the　console　can　sense　where　you　are。〃
〃The　control　panel　keeps　track　of　the　pilot？〃
〃Something　like　that。〃
In　front　of　them；　a　section　of　the　console　glowed；　making　a　screen；　yellow　on　black。

RV…LHOOQ　DI U。S。S。　STAR　VOYAGER

Then　nothing。
Harry　said；　〃Now　we'll　get　the　bad　news。〃
〃What　bad　news？〃　Norman　said。　And　he　wondered：　Why　had　Harry　stayed　behind　to　look　for　the　flight　recorder；　instead　of　going　with　Ted　and　Barnes　to　explore　the　rest　of　the　ship？　Why　was　he　so　interested　in　the　past　history　of　this　vessel？
〃Maybe　it　won't　be　bad；〃　Harry　said。
〃Why　do　you　think　it　might　be？〃
〃Because；〃　Harry　said；　〃if　you　consider　it　logically；　something　vitally　important　is　missing　from　this　ship…〃
＇＇99＇＇　At　that　moment；　the　screen　filled　with　columns：

SHIP　SYSTEMS PROPULSION　SYSTEMS
LIFE　SYSTEMS WASTE　MANAG　（V9）
DATA　SYSTEMS STATUS　OM2　（OUTER）
QUARTERMASTER STATUS　OM3　（INNER）
FLIGHT　RECORDS STATUS　OM4　（FORE）
CORE　OPERATIONS STATUS　DV7　（AFT）
DECK　CONTROL STATUS　V　（SUMMA）
INTEGRATION　（DIRECT）　 STATUS　REC　（2）　
LSS　TEST　1。0 LINE　A9…11
LSS　TEST　2。0 LINE　A　12…BX
LSS　TEST　3。0 STABILIX

〃What's　your　pleasure？〃　Beth　said；　hands　on　the　console。　〃Flight　records；〃　Harry　said。　He　bit　his　lip。

FLIGHT　DATA　SUMMARIES　RV…LHOOQ　
FDS　01/01/43…12/31/45
FDS　01/01/46…12/31/48　
FDS　01/01/49…12/31/51　
FDS　01/01/52…12/31/53　
FDS　01/01/54…12/31/54　
FDS　01/01/55…06/31/55　
FDS　07/01/55…12/31/55　
FDS　01/01/56…01/31/56　
FDS　02/01/56…ENTRY　EVENT　
FDS　ENTRY　EVENT
FDS　ENTRY　EVENT　SUMMARY　
8&6　！！OZ/010/Odd…000/XXX/X　
FS　XXX/X％　^/XXX…X@X/X！X/X

〃What　do　you　make　of　that？〃　Norman　said。
Harry　was　peering　at　the　screen。　〃As　you　see；　the　earliest　records　are　in　three…year　intervals。　Then　they're　shorter；　one　year；　then　six　months；　and　finally　one　month。　Then　this　entry　event　business。〃
〃So　they　were　recording　more　and　more　carefully；〃　Beth　said。　〃As　the　ship　approached　the　entry　event；　whatever　it　was。〃
〃I　have　a　pretty　good　idea　what　it　was；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　just　can't　believe　that…let's　start。　How　about　entry　event　summary？〃
Beth　pushed　buttons。
On　the　screen；　a　field　of　stars；　and　around　the　edges　of　the　field；　a　lot　of　numbers。　It　was　three…dimensional；　giving　the　illusion　of　depth。
〃Holographic？〃
〃Not　exactly。　But　similar。〃
＇＇100＇＇　〃Several　large…magnitude　stars　there　。。。〃
〃Or　planets。〃
〃What　planets？〃
〃I　don't　know。　This　is　one　for　Ted；〃　Harry　said。　〃He　may　be　able　to　identify　the　image。　Let's　go　on。〃
He　touched　the　console；　the　screen　changed。
〃More　stars。〃
〃Yeah；　and　more　numbers。〃
The　numbers　around　the　edges　of　the　screen　were　flickering；　changing　rapidly。　〃The　stars　don't　seem　to　be　moving；　but　the　numbers　are　changing。〃
〃No；　look。　The　stars　are　moving；　too。〃
They　could　see　that　all　the　stars　were　moving　away　from　the　center　of　the　screen；　which　was　now　black　and　empty。　〃No　stars　in　the　center；　and　everything　moving　away　。。。〃　Harry　said　thoughtfully。
The　stars　on　the　outside　were　moving　very　quickly；　streaking　outward。　The　black　center　was　expanding。
〃Why　is　it　empty　like　that　in　the　center；　Harry？〃　Beth　said。
〃I　don't　think　it　is　empty。〃
〃I　can't　see　anything。〃
〃No；　but　it's　not　empty。　In　just　a　minute　we　should　see…There！〃
A　dense　white　cluster　of　stars　suddenly　appeared　in　the　center　of　the　screen。　The　cluster　expanded　as　they　watched。　It　was　a　strange　effect；　Norman　thought。　There　was　still　a　distinct　black　ring　that　expanded　outward；　with　stars　on　the　outside　and　on　the　inside。　It　felt　as　if　they　were　flying　through　a　giant　black　donut。
〃My　God；〃　Harry　said　softly。　〃Do　you　know　what　you　are　looking　at？〃
〃No；〃　Beth　said。　〃What's　that　cluster　of　stars　in　the　center？〃
〃It's　another　universe。〃
〃It's　what？〃
〃Well；　okay。　It's　probably　another　universe。　Or　it　might　be　a　different　region　of　our　own　universe。　Nobody　really　knows　for　sure。〃
〃What's　the　black　donut？〃　Norman　said。
＇＇101＇＇　〃It's　not　a　donut。　It's　a　black　hole。　What　you　are　seeing　is　the　recording　made　as　this　spacecraft　went　through　a　black　hole　and　entered　into　another…Is　someone　calling？〃　Harry　turned；　cocked　his　head。　They　fell　silent；　but　heard　nothing。　〃What　do　you　mean；　another　universe…〃　
〃…Sssssh。〃
A　short　silence。　And　then　a　faint　voice　crying　〃Hellooo　。。。〃
〃Who's　that？〃　Norman　said；　straining　to　listen。　The　voice　was　so　soft。　But　it　sounded　human。　And　maybe　more　than　one　voice。　It　was　ing　from　somewhere　inside　the　spacecraft。
〃Yoo…hoo！　Anybody　there？　Hellooo。〃
〃Oh；　for　God's　sake；〃　Beth　said。　〃It's　them；　on　the　monitor。〃
She　turned　up　the　volume　on　the　little　monitor　Edmunds　had　left　behind。　On　the　screen　they　saw　Ted　and　Barnes；　standing　in　a　room　somewhere　and　shouting。　〃Hellooo　。。。　Hel…lo…oooo。〃
〃Can　we　talk　back？〃
〃Yes。　Press　that　button　on　the　side。〃　Norman　said；　〃We　hear　you。〃
〃High　damn　time！〃　Ted。
〃All　right；　now；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Listen　up。〃
〃What　are　you　people　doing　back　there？〃　Ted　said。　
〃Listen　up；〃　Barnes　said。　He　stepped　to　one　side；　revealing　a　piece　of　multicolored　equipment。　〃We　now　know　what　this　ship　is　for。〃
〃So　do　we；〃　Harry　said。
〃We　do？〃　Beth　and　Norman　said　together。
But　Barnes　wasn't　listening。　〃And　the　ship　seems　to　have　picked　up　something　on　its　travels。〃
〃Picked　up　something？　What　is　it？〃
〃I　don't　know；〃　Barnes　said。　〃But　it's　something　alien。〃

　〃SOMETHING　ALIEN〃

The　moving　walkway　carried　them　past　endless　large　cargo　bays。　They　were　going　forward；　to　join　Barnes　and　Ted　and　Edmunds。　And　to　see　their　alien　discovery。
〃Why　would　anyone　send　a　spaceship　through　a　black　hole？〃　Beth　asked。
〃Because　of　gravity；〃　Harry　said。　〃You　see；　black　holes　have　so　much　gravity　they　distort　space　and　time　incredibly。　You　remember　how　Ted　was　saying　that　planets　and　stars　make　dents　in　the　fabric　of　space…time？　Well；　black　holes　make　tears　in　the　fabric。　And　some　people　think　it's　possible　to　fly　through　those　tears；　into　another　universe；　or　another　part　of　our　universe。　Or　to　another　time。〃
〃Another　time！〃
〃That's　the　idea；〃　Harry　said。
〃Are　you　people　ing？〃　Barnes's　tinny　voice；　on　the　monitor。
〃In　transit　now；〃　Beth　said；　glowering　at　the　screen。　〃He　can't　see　you；〃　Norman　said。
〃I　don't　care。〃
They　rode　past　more　cargo　areas。　Harry　said；　〃I　can't　wait　to　see　Ted's　face　when　we　tell　him。〃
Finally　they　reached　the　end　of　the　walkway。　They　passed　through　a　midsection　of　struts　and　girders；　and　entered　a　large　forward　room　which　they　had　previously　seen　on　the　monitor。　With　ceilings　nearly　a　hundred　feet　high；　it　was　enormous。
You　could　put　a　six…story　building　in　this　room；　Norman　thought。　Looking　up；　he　saw　a　hazy　mist　or　fog。
〃What's　that？〃
〃That's　a　cloud；〃　Barnes　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃The　room　is　so　big　it　apparently　has　its　own　weather。　Maybe　it　even　rains　in　here　sometimes。〃
The　room　was　filled　with　machinery　on　an　immense　scale。　At　first　glance；　it　looked　like　oversized　earth…moving　machinery；　except　it　was　brightly　painted　in　primary　colors；　＇＇103＇＇　glistening　with　oil。　Then　Norman　began　to　notice　individual　features。　There　were　giant　claw　hands；　enormously　powerful　arms；　moving　gear　wheels。　And　an　array　of　buckets　and　receptacles。
He　realized　suddenly　he　was　looking　at　something　very　similar　to　the　grippers　and　claws　mounted　on　the　front　end　of　the　Charon　V　submersible　he　had　ridden　down　on　the　day　before。　Was　it　the　day　before？　Or　was　it　still　the　same　day？　Which　day？　Was　this　July　4？　How　long　had　they　been　down　here？
〃If　you　look　carefully；〃　Barnes　was　saying；　〃you　can　see　that　some　of　these　devices　appear　to　be　large…scale　weapons。　Others；　like　that　long　extensor　arm；　the　various　attachments　to　pick　things　up；　in　effect　make　this　ship　a　gigantic　robot。〃
〃A　robot　。。。〃
〃No　kidding；〃　Beth　said。
〃I　guess　it　would　have　been　appropriate　for　a　robot　to　open　it　after　all；〃　Ted　said　thoughtfully。　〃Maybe　even　fitting。〃
〃Snug　fitting；〃　Beth　said。
〃Pipe　fitting；〃　Norman　said。
〃Sort　of　robot…to…robot；　you　mean？〃　Harry　said。　〃Sort　of　a　meeting　of　the　threads　and　treads？〃
〃Hey；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　don't　make　fun　of　your　ments　even　when　they're　stupid。〃
〃I　wasn't　aware　they　ever　were；〃　Harry　said。
〃You　say　foolish　things　sometimes。　Thoughtless。〃
〃Children；〃　Barnes　said；　〃can　we　get　back　to　t