Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第25章

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　he　was　very　likely　to　get　useful　technology　from　the　spaceship　itself；　since　the　spaceship　had　been　made　by　men；　and　congruity　was　high。
And　he　had　lied　to　keep　them　down。　To　keep　the　search　going。
〃What　should　we　do　with　the　bastard？〃　Beth　said。　〃Nothing；　for　the　moment；〃　Norman　said。
〃You　don't　want　to　confront　him？　Jesus；　I　do。〃
〃It　won't　serve　any　purpose；〃　Norman　said。　〃Ted　won't　care；　and　the　Navy　people　are　all　following　orders。　And　anyway；　even　if　it　had　been　arranged　for　us　to　depart　as　planned；　would　you　have　gone；　leaving　Harry　behind　in　the　sphere？〃
〃No；〃　Beth　admitted。
〃Well；　then。　It's　all　academic。〃
〃Jesus；　Norman　。。。〃
〃I　know。　But　we're　here　now。　And　for　the　next　couple　of　days；　there's　not　a　damn　thing　we　can　do　about　it。　Let's　deal　with　that　reality　as　best　we　can；　and　point　the　finger　later。〃
〃You　bet　I'm　going　to　point　the　finger！〃
〃That's　fine。　But　not　now；　Beth。〃
〃Okay；〃　she　sighed。　〃Not　now。〃
She　went　back　upstairs。


Alone；　Norman　stared　at　the　console。　He　had　his　work　cut　out　for　him；　keeping　everybody　calm　for　the　next　few　days。　He　hadn't　looked　into　the　puter　system　before；　he　started　pressing　buttons。　Pretty　soon　he　found　a　file　marked　ULF　CONTACT　TEAM　BIOG。　＇＇131＇＇　He　opened　it　up。

Civilian　Team　Members
1。　Theodore　Fielding；　astrophysicist/planetary　geologist
2。　Elizabeth　Halpern；　zoologist/biochemist
3。　Harold　J。　Adams；　mathematician/logician
4。　Arthur　Levine；　marine　biologist/biochemist　
5。　John　F。　Thompson；　psychologist

Choose　one：

Norman　stared　in　disbelief　at　the　list。
He　knew　Jack　Thompson；　an　energetic　young　psychologist　from　Yale。　Thompson　was　world…renowned　for　his　studies　of　the　psychology　of　primitive　peoples；　and　in　fact　for　the　past　year　had　been　somewhere　in　New　Guinea；　studying　native　tribes。
Norman　pressed　more　buttons。

ULF　TEAM　PSYCHOLOGIST：　CHOICES　BY　RANK
1。　John　F。　Thompson；　Yale…approved　
2。　William　L。　Hartz；　UCB…approved
3。　Jeremy　White；　UT…approved　（pending　clearance）　
4。　Norman　Johnson；　SDU…rejected　（age）

He　knew　them　all。　Bill　Hartz　at　Berkeley　was　seriously　ill　with　cancer。　Jeremy　White　had　gone　to　Hanoi　during　the　Vietnam　War；　and　would　never　get　clearance。
That　left　Norman。
He　understood　now　why　he　had　been　the　last　to　be　called　in。　He　understood　now　about　the　special　tests。　He　felt　a　burst　of　intense　anger　at　Barnes；　at　the　whole　system　which　had　brought　him　down　here；　despite　his　age；　with　no　concern　for　his　safety。　At　fifty…three；　Norman　Johnson　had　no　business　being　a　thousand　feet　underwater　in　a　pressurized　exotic　gas　environment…and　the　Navy　knew　it。
It　was　an　outrage；　he　thought。　He　wanted　to　go　upstairs　and　give　Barnes　hell　in　no　uncertain　terms。　That　lying　son　of　a　bitch
He　gripped　the　arms　of　his　chair　and　reminded　himself　of　what　he　had　told　Beth。　Whatever　had　happened　up　to　this　point；　there　was　nothing　any　of　them　could　do　about　it　now。　He　would　indeed　give　Barnes　hell…he　promised　himself　he　＇＇132＇＇　would…but　only　when　they　got　back　to　the　surface。　Until　then；　it　was　no　use　making　trouble。
He　shook　his　head　and　swore。　
Then　he　turned　the　console　off。


The　hours　crept　by。　Harry　was　still　in　the　sphere。　Tina　ran　her　image　intensification　of　the　videotape　that　showed　the　sphere　open；　trying　to　see　interior　detail。　〃Unfortunately；　we　have　only　limited　puting　power　in　the　habitat；〃　she　said。　〃If　I　could　hard…link　to　the　surface　I　could　really　do　a　job；　but　as　it　is　。。。〃　She　shrugged。
She　showed　them　a　series　of　enlarged　freeze…frames　from　the　open　sphere。　The　images　clicked　through　at　one…second　intervals。　The　quality　was　poor；　with　jagged；　intermittent　static。
〃The　only　internal　structures　we　can　see　in　the　blackness；〃　Tina　said；　pointing　to　the　opening；　〃are　these　multiple　pointsources　of　light。　The　lights　appear　to　move　from　frame　to　frame。〃
〃It's　as　if　the　sphere　is　filled　with　fireflies；〃　Beth　said。　〃Except　these　lights　are　much　dimmer　than　fireflies；　and　they　don't　blink。　They　are　very　numerous。　And　they　give　the　impression　of　moving　together；　in　surging　patterns　。。。〃
〃A　flock　of　fireflies？〃
〃Something　like　that。〃　The　tape　ran　out。　The　screen　went　dark。
Ted　said；　〃That's　it？〃
〃I'm　afraid　so；　Dr。　Fielding。〃
〃Poor　Harry；〃　Ted　said　mournfully。
Of　all　the　group；　Ted　was　the　most　visibly　upset　about　Harry。　He　kept　staring　at　the　closed　sphere　on　the　monitor；　saying；　〃How　did　he　do　that？〃　Then　he　would　add；　〃I　hope　he's　all　right。〃
He　repeated　it　so　often　that　finally　Beth　said；　〃I　think　we　know　your　feelings；　Ted。〃
〃I'm　seriously　concerned　about　him。〃
〃I　am；　too。　We　all　are。〃
〃You　think　I'm　jealous；　Beth？　Is　that　what　you're　saying？〃
＇＇133＇＇　〃Why　would　anyone　think　that；　Ted？〃
Norman　changed　the　subject。　It　was　crucial　to　avoid　confrontations　among　group　members。　He　asked　Ted　about　his　analysis　of　the　flight　data　aboard　the　spaceship。
〃It's　very　interesting；〃　Ted　said；　warming　to　his　subject。　〃My　detailed　examination　of　the　earliest　flight…data　images；〃　he　said；　〃convinced　me　that　they　show　three　planets…Uranus；　Neptune；　and　Pluto…and　the　sun；　very　small　in　the　background。　Therefore；　the　pictures　are　taken　from　some　point　beyond　the　orbit　of　Pluto。　This　suggests　that　the　black　hole　is　not　far　beyond　our　own　solar　system。〃
〃Is　that　possible？〃　Norman　said。
〃Oh　sure。　In　fact；　for　the　last　ten　years　some　astrophysicists　have　suspected　that　there's　a　black　hole…not　a　large　one；　but　a　black　hole　just　outside　our　solar　system。〃
〃I　hadn't　heard　that。〃
〃Oh　yes。　In　fact；　some　of　us　have　argued　that；　if　it　was　small　enough；　in　a　few　years　we　could　go　out　and　capture　the　black　hole；　bring　it　back；　park　it　in　Earth　orbit；　and　use　the　energy　it　generates　to　power　the　entire　planet。〃
Barnes　smiled。　〃Black…hole　cowboys？〃
〃In　theory；　there's　no　reason　it　couldn't　be　done。　Then　just　think：　the　entire　planet　would　be　free　of　its　dependency　on　fossil　fuels。　。。。　The　whole　history　of　mankind　would　be　changed。〃
Barnes　said；　〃Probably　make　a　hell　of　a　weapon；　too。〃
〃Even　a　very　tiny　black　hole　would　be　a　little　too　powerful　to　use　as　a　weapon。〃
〃So　you　think　this　ship　went　out　to　capture　a　black　hole？〃
〃I　doubt　it；〃　Ted　said。　〃The　ship　is　so　strongly　made；　so　shielded　against　radiation；　that　I　suspect　it　was　intended　to　go　through　a　black　hole。　And　it　did。〃
〃And　that's　why　the　ship　went　back　in　time？〃　Norman　said。
〃I'm　not　sure；〃　Ted　said。　〃You　see；　a　black　hole　really　is　the　edge　of　the　universe。　What　happens　there　isn't　clear　to　anybody　now　alive。　But　what　some　people　think　is　that　you　don't　go　through　the　hole；　you　sort　of　skip　into　it；　like　a　＇＇134＇＇　pebble　skipping　over　water；　and　you　get　bounced　into　a　different　time　or　space　or　universe。〃
〃So　the　ship　got　bounced？〃
〃Yes。　Possibly　more　than　once。　And　when　it　bounced　back　here；　it　undershot　and　arrived　a　few　hundred　years　before　it　left。〃
〃And　on　one　of　its　bounces；　it　picked　up　that？〃　Beth　said；　pointing　to　the　monitor。
They　looked。　The　sphere　was　still　closed。　But　lying　next　to　it；　sprawled　on　the　deck　in　an　awkward　pose；　was　Harry　Adams。
For　a　moment　they　thought　he　was　dead。　Then　Harry　lifted　his　head　and　moaned。


THE　SUBJECT

Norman　wrote　in　his　notebook：　Subject　is　a　thirty…year…old　black　mathematician　who　has　spent　three　hours　inside　a　sphere　of　unknown　origin。　On　recovery　from　the　sphere　was　stuporous　and　unresponsive；　he　did　not　know　his　name；　where　he　was；　or　what　year　it　was。　Brought　back　to　habitat；　slept　for　one　half…hour　then　awoke　abruptly　plaining　of　headache。
〃Oh　God。〃
Harry　was　sitting　in　his　bunk；　holding　his　head　in　his　hands；　groaning。
〃Hurt？〃　Norman　asked。
〃Brutal。　Pounding。〃
〃Anything　else？〃
〃Thirsty。　God。〃　He　licked　his　lips。　〃Really　thirsty。〃
Extreme　thirst；　Norman　wrote。
Rose　Levy；　the　cook；　showed　up　with　a　glass　of　lemonade。　＇＇135＇＇　Norman　handed　the　glass　to　Harry；　who　drank　it　in　a　single　gulp；　passed　it　back。
〃More。〃
〃Better　bring　a　pitcher；〃　Norman　said。　Levy　went　off。　Norman　turned　to　Harry；　still　holding　his　head；　still　groaning；　and　said；　〃I　have　a　question　for　you。〃
〃What？〃
〃What's　your　name？〃
〃Norman；　I　don't　need　to　be　psychoanalyzed　right　now。〃
〃Just　tell　me　your　name。〃
〃Harry　Adams；　for　Christ's　sake。　What's　the　matter　with　you？　Oh；　my　head。〃
〃You　didn't　remember　before；〃　Norman　said。　〃When　we　found　you。〃
〃When　you　found　me？〃　he　asked。　He　seemed　confused　again。
Norman　nodded。　〃Do　you　remember　when　we　found　you？〃
〃It　must　have　been　。。。　outside。〃
〃Outside？〃
Harry　looked　up；　suddenly　furious；　eyes　glowing　with　rage。　〃Outside　the　sphere；　you　goddamn　idiot！　What　do　you　think　I'm　talking　about？〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Harry。〃
〃Your　questions　are　driving　me　crazy！〃
〃Okay；　okay。　Take　it　easy。〃
Emotionally　labile。　Rage　and　irritability。　Norman　made　more　notes。
〃Do　you　have　to　make　so　much　noise？〃　
Norman　looked　up；　puzzled。
〃Your　pen；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　sounds　like　Niagara　Falls。〃　
Norman　stopped　writing。　It　must　be　a　migraine；　or　something　like　migraine。　Harry　was　holding　his　head　in　his　hands　delicately；　as　if　it　were　made　of　glass。
〃Why　can't　I　have　any　aspirin；　for　Christ's　sake？〃
〃We　don't　want　to　give　you　anything　for　a　while；　in　case　you've　hurt　yourself。　We　need　to　know　where　the　pain　is。〃
〃The　pain；　Norman；　is　in　my　head。　It's　in　my　goddamn　head！　Now；　why　won't　you　give　me　any　aspirin？〃
＇＇1