Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第24章

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〃I　didn't　notice；　I　assumed　he　did。〃
〃God　damn　it；　I　thought　I　told　you　people…〃　Barnes　began；　and　then　stopped。　He　stared　at　the　monitor。
On　the　screen；　Harry　turned　toward　the　video　camera　and　made　a　short　bow。
〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；　your　attention；　please。　I　think　you　will　find　this　of　interest。〃
Harry　turned　to　face　the　sphere。　He　stood　with　his　arms　at　his　sides；　relaxed。　He　did　not　move　or　speak。　He　closed　his　eyes。　He　took　a　deep　breath。
The　door　to　the　sphere　opened。
〃Not　bad；　huh？〃　Harry　said；　with　a　sudden　grin。
Then　Harry　stepped　inside　the　sphere。　The　door　closed　behind　him。

*　*　*
＇＇125＇＇　They　all　began　talking　at　once。　Barnes　was　shouting　over　everyone　else；　shouting　for　quiet；　but　no　one　paid　any　attention　until　the　lights　in　the　habitat　went　out。　They　were　plunged　into　darkness。
Ted　said；　〃What's　happened？〃
The　only　light　came　through　the　portholes；　faintly；　from　the　grid　lights。　A　moment　later；　the　grid　went　out；　too。
〃No　power　。。。〃
〃I　tried　to　tell　you；〃　Barnes　said。
There　was　a　whirring　sound；　and　the　lights　flickered；　then　came　back　on。　〃We　have　internal　power；　we're　running　on　our　diesels　now。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Look；〃　Ted　said；　pointing　out　the　porthole。
Outside　they　saw　what　looked　like　a　wriggling　silver　snake。　Then　Norman　realized　it　was　the　cable　that　linked　them　to　the　surface；　sliding　back　and　forth　across　the　porthole　as　it　coiled　in　great　loops　on　the　bottom。
〃They've　cut　us　free！〃
〃That's　right；〃　Barnes　said。　〃They've　got　full　gale…force　conditions　topside。　They　can　no　longer　maintain　cables　for　power　and　munications。　They　can　no　longer　use　the　submarines。　They've　taken　all　the　divers　up；　but　the　subs　can't　e　back　for　us。　At　least　not　for　a　few　days；　until　the　seas　calm　down。〃
〃Then　we're　stuck　down　here？〃
〃That's　correct。〃
〃For　how　long？〃
〃Several　days；〃　Barnes　said。
〃For　how　long？〃
〃Maybe　as　long　as　a　week。〃
〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Beth　said。
Ted　tossed　his　bag　onto　the　couch。　〃What　a　fantastic　piece　of　luck；〃　he　said。
Beth　spun。　〃Are　you　out　of　your　mind？〃
〃Let's　all　stay　calm；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Everything's　under　control。　This　is　just　a　temporary　delay。　There's　no　reason　to　get　upset。〃
But　Norman　didn't　feel　upset。　He　felt　suddenly　exhausted。　＇＇126＇＇　Beth　was　sulking；　angry；　feeling　deceived；　Ted　was　excited；　already　planning　another　excursion　to　the　spacecraft；　arranging　equipment　with　Edmunds。
But　Norman　felt　only　tired。　His　eyes　were　heavy；　he　thought　he　might　go　to　sleep　standing　there　in　front　of　the　monitors。　He　excused　himself　hurriedly；　went　back　to　his　bunk；　lay　down。　He　didn't　care　that　the　sheets　were　clammy；　he　didn't　care　that　the　pillow　was　cold；　he　didn't　care　that　diesels　were　droning　and　vibrating　in　the　next　cylinder。　He　thought：　This　is　a　very　strong　avoidance　reaction。　And　then　he　was　asleep。

BEYOND　PLUTO

Norman　rolled　out　of　bed　and　looked　for　his　watch；　but　he'd　gotten　into　the　habit　of　not　wearing　one　down　here。　He　had　no　idea　what　time　it　was；　how　long　he　had　been　asleep。　He　looked　out　the　porthole；　saw　nothing　but　black　water。　The　grid　lights　were　still　off。　He　lay　back　in　his　bunk　and　looked　at　the　gray　pipes　directly　over　his　head；　they　seemed　closer　than　before；　as　if　they　had　moved　toward　him　while　he　slept。　Everything　seemed　cramped；　tighter；　more　claustrophobic。
Several　more　days　of　this；　he　thought。　God。
He　hoped　the　Navy　would　think　to　notify　his　family。　After　so　many　days；　Ellen　would　start　to　worry。　He　imagined　her　first　calling　the　FAA；　then　calling　the　Navy；　trying　to　find　out　what　had　happened。　Of　course；　no　one　would　know　anything；　because　the　project　was　classified；　Ellen　would　be　frantic。
Then　he　stopped　thinking　about　Ellen。　It　was　easier；　he　thought；　to　worry　about　your　loved　ones　than　to　worry　about　yourself。　But　there　wasn't　any　point。　Ellen　would　be　okay。　＇＇127＇＇　And　so　would　he。　It　was　just　a　matter　of　waiting。　Staying　calm；　and　waiting　out　the　storm。
He　got　into　the　shower；　wondering　if　they'd　still　have　hot　water　while　the　habitat　was　on　emergency　power。　They　did；　and　he　felt　less　stiff　after　his　shower。　It　was　odd；　he　thought；　to　be　a　thousand　feet　underwater　and　to　relish　the　soothing　effects　of　a　hot　shower。
He　dressed　and　headed　for　the　C　Cylinder。　He　heard　Tina's　voice　say；　〃…think　they'll　ever　get　the　sphere　open？〃
Beth：　〃Maybe。　I　don't　know。〃
〃It　scares　me。〃
〃I　don't　think　there's　a　reason　to　be　scared。〃
〃It's　the　unknown；〃　Tina　said。
When　Norman　came　in；　he　found　Beth　running　the　videotape；　looking　at　herself　and　Tina。　〃Sure；〃　Beth　said　on　the　videotape；　〃but　an　unknown　thing　is　not　likely　to　be　dangerous　or　frightening。　It's　most　likely　to　be　just　inexplicable。〃
Tina　said；　〃I　don't　know　how　you　can　say　that。〃
〃You　afraid　of　snakes？〃　Beth　said；　onscreen。
Beth　snapped　off　the　videotape。　〃Just　trying　to　see　if　I　could　figure　out　why　it　opened；〃　she　said。
〃Any　luck？〃　Norman　said。
〃Not　so　far。〃　On　the　adjacent　monitor；　they　could　see　the　sphere　itself。　The　sphere　was　closed。
〃Harry　still　in　there？〃　Norman　said。
〃Yes；〃　Beth　said。
〃How　long　has　it　been　now？〃
She　looked　up　at　the　consoles。　〃A　little　more　than　an　hour。〃
〃I　only　slept　an　hour？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃I'm　starving；〃　Norman　said；　and　he　went　down　to　the　galley　to　eat。　All　the　coconut　cake　was　gone。　He　was　looking　for　something　else　to　eat　when　Beth　showed　up。
〃I　don't　know　what　to　do；　Norman；〃　she　said；　frowning。
〃About　what？〃
〃They're　lying　to　us；〃　she　said。
〃Who　is？〃
＇＇128＇＇　〃Barnes。　The　Navy。　Everybody。　This　is　all　a　setup；　Norman。〃
〃e　on；　Beth。　No　conspiracies；　now。　We　have　enough　to　worry　about　without…〃
〃…Just　look　at　this；〃　she　said。　She　led　him　back　upstairs；　flicked　on　a　console；　pressed　buttons。
〃I　started　putting　it　together　when　Barnes　was　on　the　phone；〃　she　said。　〃Barnes　was　talking　to　somebody　right　up　to　the　moment　when　the　cable　started　to　coil　down。　Except　that　cable　is　a　thousand　feet　long；　Norman。　They　would　have　broken　munications　several　minutes　before　unhooking　the　cable　itself。〃
〃Probably；　yes　。。。〃
〃So　who　was　Barnes　talking　to　at　the　last　minute？　Nobody。〃
〃Beth　。。。〃
〃Look；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　the　screen。

　SUMMARY　DH…SUR/l

0910　BARNES　TO　SUR/1：

CIVILIAN　AND　USN　PERSONNEL　POLLED。　ALTHOUGH　ADVISED　OF　RISKS；　ALL　PERSONNEL　ELECT　TO　REMAIN　DOWN　FOR　DURATION　OF　STORM　TO　CONTINUE　INVESTIGATION　OF　ALIEN　SPHERE　AND　ASSOCIATED　SPACECRAFT。

BARNES；　USN。

〃You're　kidding；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　thought　Barnes　wanted　to　leave。〃
〃He　did；　but　he　changed　his　mind　when　he　saw　that　last　room；　and　he　didn't　bother　to　tell　us。　I'd　like　to　kill　the　bastard；〃　Beth　said。　〃You　know　what　this　is　about；　Norman；　don't　you？〃
Norman　nodded。　〃He　hopes　to　find　a　new　weapon。〃
〃Right。　Barnes　is　a　Pentagon…acquisition　man；　and　he　wants　to　find　a　new　weapon。〃
〃But　the　sphere　is　unlikely…〃
〃It's　not　the　sphere；〃　Beth　said。　〃Barnes　doesn't　really　＇＇129＇＇　care　about　the　sphere。　He　cares　about　the　'associated　spacecraft。'　Because；　according　to　congruity　theory；　it's　the　spacecraft　that　is　likely　to　pay　off。　Not　the　sphere。〃
Congruity　theory　was　a　troublesome　matter　for　the　people　who　thought　about　extraterrestrial　life。　In　a　simple　way；　the　astronomers　and　physicists　who　considered　the　possibility　of　contact　with　extraterrestrial　life　imagined　wonderful　benefits　to　mankind　from　such　a　contact。　But　other　thinkers；　philosophers　and　historians；　did　not　foresee　any　benefits　to　contact　at　all。
For　example；　astronomers　believed　that　if　we　made　contact　with　extraterrestrials；　mankind　would　be　so　shocked　that　wars　on　Earth　would　cease；　and　a　new　era　of　peaceful　cooperation　between　nations　would　begin。
But　historians　thought　that　was　nonsense。　They　pointed　out　that　when　Europeans　discovered　the　New　World…a　similarly　world…shattering　discovery…the　Europeans　did　not　stop　their　incessant　fighting。　On　the　contrary：　they　fought　even　harder。　Europeans　simply　made　the　New　World　an　extension　of　pre…existing　animosities。　It　became　another　place　to　fight；　and　to　fight　over。
Similarly；　astronomers　imagined　that　when　mankind　met　extraterrestrials；　there　would　be　an　exchange　of　information　and　technology；　giving　mankind　a　wonderful　advancement。
Historians　of　science　thought　that　was　nonsense；　too。　They　pointed　out　that　what　we　called　〃science〃　actually　consisted　of　a　rather　arbitrary　conception　of　the　universe；　not　likely　to　be　shared　by　other　creatures。　Our　ideas　of　science　were　the　ideas　of　visually　oriented；　monkey…like　creatures　who　enjoyed　changing　their　physical　environment。　If　the　aliens　were　blind　and　municated　by　odors；　they　might　have　evolved　a　very　different　science；　which　described　a　very　different　universe。　And　they　might　have　made　very　different　choices　about　the　directions　their　science　would　explore。　For　example；　they　might　ignore　the　physical　world　entirely；　and　instead　develop　a　highly　sophisticated　science　of　mind…in　other　words；　the　exact　opposite　of　what　Earth　science　had　done。　The　alien　technology　might　be　purely　mental；　with　no　visible　hardware　at　all。
＇＇130＇＇　This　issue　was　at　the　heart　of　congruity　theory；　which　said　that　unless　the　aliens　were　remarkably　similar　to　us；　no　exchange　of　information　was　likely。　Barnes　of　course　knew　that　theory；　so　he　knew　he　wasn't　likely　to　derive　any　useful　technology　from　the　alien　sphere。　But　he　was　very　likely　t