Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第28章

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Tina　said；　〃Certainly；　Dr。　Fielding；〃　and　printed　out　a　second　sheet。
〃If　it's　a　message；〃　Harry　said；　〃it's　most　likely　a　simple　substitution　code；　like　an　askey　code。　It　would　help　if　we　＇＇147＇＇　could　run　a　decoding　program　on　the　puter。　Can　anybody　program　this　thing？〃
They　all　shook　their　heads。　〃Can　you？〃　Barnes　said。
〃No。　And　I　suppose　there's　no　way　to　transmit　this　to　the　surface？　The　NSA　code…breaking　puters　in　Washington　would　take　about　fifteen　seconds　to　do　this。〃
Barnes　shook　his　head。　〃No　contact。　I　wouldn't　even　put　up　a　radio　wire　on　a　balloon。　The　last　report；　they　have　forty…foot　waves　on　the　surface。　Snap　the　wire　right　away。〃
〃So　we're　isolated？〃
〃We're　isolated。〃
〃I　guess　it's　back　to　the　old　pencil　and　paper。　I　always　say；　traditional　tools　are　best…particularly　when　there's　nothing　else。〃　And　left　the　room。
〃He　seems　to　be　in　a　good　mood；〃　Barnes　said。　
〃I'd　say　a　very　good　mood；〃　Norman　said。　
〃Maybe　a　little　too　good；〃　Ted　said。　〃A　little　manic？〃　
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃Just　a　good　mood。〃
〃I　thought　he　was　a　little　high；〃　Ted　said。
〃Let　him　stay　that　way；〃　Barnes　snorted；　〃if　it　helps　him　to　crack　this　code。〃
〃I'm　going　to　try；　too；〃　Ted　reminded　him。　
〃That's　fine；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You　try；　too。〃

TED

〃I'm　telling　you；　this　reliance　on　Harry　is　misplaced。〃　Ted　paced　back　and　forth　and　glanced　at　Norman。　〃Harry　is　manic；　and　he's　overlooking　things。　Obvious　things。〃
〃Like　what？〃
〃Like　the　fact　that　the　printout　can't　possibly　be　a　discharge　from　the　puter。〃
〃How　do　you　know？〃　Norman　said。
〃The　processor；〃　Ted　said。　〃The　processor　is　a　68090　chip；　＇＇148＇＇　which　means　that　any　memory　dump　would　be　in　hex。〃
〃What's　hex？〃
〃There　are　lots　of　ways　to　represent　numbers；〃　Ted　said。　〃The　68090　chip　uses　base…sixteen　representation；　called　'hexadecimal。'　Hex　is　entirely　different　from　regular　decimal。　Looks　different。〃
〃But　the　message　used　zero　through　nine；〃　Norman　said。　〃Exactly　my　point；〃　Ted　said。　〃So　it　didn't　e　from　the　puter。　I　believe　it's　definitely　a　message　from　the　sphere。　Furthermore；　although　Harry　thinks　it　is　a　substitution　code；　I　think　it's　a　direct　visual　representation。〃
〃You　mean　a　picture？〃
〃Yes；〃　Ted　said。　〃And　I　think　it's　a　picture　of　the　creature　itself！〃　He　started　searching　through　sheets　of　paper。　〃I　started　with　this。〃

001110101110011100111010100000　　　　111101011101
　　　11110110110101　　　　100110101010100101
100101111010000　　　　　11010010100010101100000　
111011111110101　　　　　1001010110　　　　　　1001101010101101
　　　　　　1000111101000010101100101　　　　　10000100
1000111101000010101　　　　　　1001010110
111111011011101100100000
001110101110011100111010100000　　　　　111101011101
11110110110101　　　　　100110101010100101　　　　　　10010
1111010000　　　　　　11010010100010101100000
111011111110101　　　　　　1001010110　　　　　　1001101010101101
　　　　　1000111101000010101100101　　　　　　　10000100
1000111101000010101　　　　　1001010110
111111011011101100100000
001110101110011100111010100000　　　　　111101011101
　　　11110110110101　　　　　　100110101010100101　　　　　　10010
　　　1111010000　　　　　　11010010100010101100000
111011111110101　　　　　　1001010110　　　　　　1001101010101101
　　　　　　1000111101000010101100101　　　　　　10000100

〃Now；　here　I　have　translated　the　message　to　binary；〃　Ted　said。　〃You　can　immediately　sense　visual　pattern；　can't　you？〃
〃Not　really；〃　Norman　said。
〃Well；　it　is　certainly　suggestive；〃　Ted　said。　〃I'm　telling　you；　all　those　years　at　JPL　looking　at　images　from　the　planets；　I　have　an　eye　for　these　things。　So；　the　next　thing　I　did　was　go　back　to　the　original　message　and　fill　in　the　spaces。　I　got　＇＇149＇＇　this。〃

？　？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301521？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　
？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033008？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？

〃Uh…huh　。。。〃　Norman　said。
〃I　agree；　it　doesn't　look　like　anything；〃　Ted　said。　〃But　by　changing　the　screen　width；　you　get　this。〃
Proudly；　he　held　up　the　next　sheet。

？　？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　
？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　
？1822？　？042610134；　？0830162137？　？1604？　
？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　
？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　
？04261013？　？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　
？1822？　？033013130432？　？00032125252632？
？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　
？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　
？033013130432？　？00032125252632？　？032629？　
？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　
？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　？0830162137？　
？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？0326294；　？301321？　？04261037？　
？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　
？04261013？　？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　
？1822？　？033013130432？　？00032125252632？　
？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？

＇＇150＇＇　〃Yes？〃　Norman　said。
〃Don't　tell　me　you　don't　see　the　pattern；〃
Ted　said。　〃I　don't　see　the　pattern；〃　Norman　said。
〃Squint　at　it；〃　Ted　said。
Norman　squinted。　〃Sorry。〃
〃But　it　is　obviously　a　picture　of　the　creature；〃　Ted　said。　〃Look；　that's　the　vertical　torso；　three　legs；　two　arms。　There's　no　head；　so　presumably　the　creature's　head　is　located　within　the　torso　itself。　Surely　you　see　that；　Norman。〃
〃Ted　。。。〃
〃For　once；　Harry　has　missed　the　point　entirely！　The　message　is　not　only　a　picture；　it's　a　self…portrait！〃
〃Ted　。。。〃
Ted　sat　back。　He　sighed。　〃You're　going　to　tell　me　I'm　trying　too　hard。〃
〃I　don't　want　to　dampen　your　enthusiasm；〃　Norman　said。
〃But　you　don't　see　the　alien？〃
〃Not　really；　no。〃
〃Hell。〃　Ted　tossed　the　papers　aside。　〃I　hate　that　son　of　a　bitch。　He's　so　arrogant；　he　makes　me　so　mad。　。。。　And　on　top　of　that；　he's　young！〃
〃You're　forty；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　wouldn't　exactly　call　that　over　the　hill。〃
〃For　physics；　it　is；〃　Ted　said。　〃Biologists　can　sometimes　do　important　work　late　in　life。　Darwin　was　fifty　when　he　published　the　Origin　of　Species。　And　chemists　sometimes　do　good　work　when　they're　older。　But　in　physics；　if　you　haven't　done　it　by　thirty…five；　the　chances　are；　you　never　will。〃
〃But　Ted；　you're　respected　in　your　field。〃
Ted　shook　his　head。　〃I've　never　done　fundamental　work。　I've　analyzed　data；　I've　e　to　some　interesting　conclusions。　But　never　anything　fundamental。　This　expedition　is　my　chance　to　really　do　something。　To　really　。。。　get　my　name　in　the　books。〃
Norman　now　had　a　different　sense　of　Ted's　enthusiasm　and　energy；　that　relentlessly　juvenile　manner。　Ted　wasn't　emotionally　retarded；　he　was　driven。　And　he　clung　to　his　youth　out　of　a　sense　that　time　was　slipping　by　and　he　hadn't　yet　acplished　anything。　It　wasn't　obnoxious。　It　was　sad。
＇＇151＇＇　〃Well；〃　Norman　said；　〃the　expedition　isn't　finished　yet。〃
〃No；〃　Ted　said；　suddenly　brightening。　〃You're　right。　You're　absolutely　right。　There　are　more；　wonderful　experiences　awaiting　us。　I　just　know　there　are。　And　they'll　e；　won't　they。〃
〃Yes；　Ted；〃　Norman　said。　〃They'll　e。〃

BETH

〃Damn　it；　nothing　works！〃　She　waved　a　hand　to　her　laboratory　bench。　〃Not　a　single　one　of　the　chemicals　or　reagents　here　is　worth　a　damn！〃
〃What've　you　tried？〃　Barnes　said　calmly。　〃Zenker…Formalin；　H　and　E；　the　other　stains。　Proteolytic　extractions；　enzyme　breaks。　You　name　it。　None　of　it　works。　You　know　what　I　think；　I　think　that　whoever　stocked　this　lab　did　it　with　outdated　ingredients。〃
〃No；〃　Barnes　said；　〃it's　the　atmosphere。〃
He　explained　that　their　environment　contained　only　2　percent　oxygen；　1　percent　carbon　dioxide；　but　no　nitrogen　at　all。　〃Chemical　reactions　are　unpredictable；〃　he　said。　〃You　ought　to　take　a　look　at　Levy's　recipe　book　sometime。　It's　like　nothing　you've　ever　seen　in　your　life。　The　food　looks　normal　when　she's　finished；　but　she　sure　doesn't　make　it　the　normal　way。〃
〃And　the　lab？〃
〃The　lab　was　stocked　without　knowing　the　working　depth　we　would　be　at。　If　we　were　shallower；　we'd　be　breathing　pressed　air；　and　all　your　chemical　reactions　would　work…they'd　just　go　very　fast。　But　with　heliox；　reactions　are　unpredictable。　And　if　they　won't　go；　well　。。。〃　He　shrugged。
〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　she　said。
〃The　best　you　can；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Same　as　the　rest　of　us。〃
＇＇152＇＇　〃Well；　all　I　can　really　do　is　gross　anatomica