Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第32章

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He　hurried　back　toward　C　Cylinder；　passing　Beth　again。
〃Do　you　know？〃　Beth　shouted。
〃It's　life　support！　Where's　Fletcher？　Where's　Barnes？〃
〃I　don't　know！　I'm　looking！〃
〃There's　nobody　in　B！〃　he　shouted；　and　scrambled　up　the　steps　into　D　Cylinder。　Tina　and　Fletcher　were　there；　working　behind　the　puter　consoles。　The　back　panels　were　pulled　off；　exposing　wires；　banks　of　chips。　The　room　lights　were　flashing　red。
The　screens　all　flashed　〃EMERGENCY…LIFE　SUPPORT　SYSTEMS。〃
〃What's　going　on？〃　Norman　shouted。
Fletcher　waved　a　hand　dismissingly。
〃Tell　me！〃
He　turned；　saw　Harry　sitting　in　the　corner　near　Edmunds's　video　section　like　a　zombie；　with　a　pencil　and　a　pad　of　paper　on　his　knee。　He　seemed　pletely　indifferent　to　the　sirens；　the　lights　flashing　on　his　face。
〃Harry！〃
＇＇174＇＇　Harry　didn't　respond；　Norman　turned　back　to　the　two　women。
〃For　God's　sake；　will　you　tell　me　what　it　is？〃　Norman　shouted。
And　then　the　sirens　stopped。　The　screens　went　blank。　There　was　silence；　except　for　soft　classical　music。
〃Sorry　about　that；〃　Tina　said。
〃It　was　a　false　alarm；〃　Fletcher　said。
〃Jesus　Christ；〃　Norman　said；　dropping　into　a　chair。　He　took　a　deep　breath。
〃Were　you　asleep？〃　He　nodded。
〃Sorry。　It　just　went　off　by　itself。〃
〃Jesus　Christ。〃
〃The　next　time　it　happens；　you　can　check　your　badge；〃　Fletcher　said；　pointing　to　the　badge　on　her　own　chest。　〃That's　the　first　thing　to　do。　You　see　the　badges　are　all　normal　now。〃
〃Jesus　Christ。〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Norman；〃　Harry　said。　〃When　the　psychiatrist　goes　crazy；　it's　a　bad　sign。〃
〃I'm　a　psychologist。〃
〃Whatever。〃
Tina　said；　〃Our　puter　alarm　has　a　lot　of　peripheral　sensors；　Dr。　Johnson。　It　goes　off　sometimes。　There's　not　much　we　can　do　about　it。〃
Norman　nodded；　went　into　E　Cyl　to　the　galley。　Levy　had　made　strawberry　shortcake　for　lunch；　and　nobody　had　eaten　it　because　of　the　accident　with　Edmunds。　He　was　sure　it　would　still　be　there；　but　when　he　couldn't　find　it；　he　felt　frustrated。　He　opened　cabinet　doors；　slammed　them　shut。　He　kicked　the　refrigerator　door。
Take　it　easy；　he　thought。　It　was　just　a　false　alarm。
But　he　couldn't　overe　the　feeling　that　he　was　trapped；　stuck　in　some　damned　oversized　iron　lung；　while　things　slowly　fell　apart　around　him。　The　worst　moment　had　been　Barnes's　briefing；　when　he　came　back　from　sending　Edmunds's　body　to　the　surface。
＇＇175＇＇　Barnes　had　decided　it　was　time　to　make　a　little　speech。　Deliver　a　little　pep　talk。
〃I　know　you're　all　upset　about　Edmunds；〃　he　had　said；　〃but　what　happened　to　her　was　an　accident。　Perhaps　she　made　an　error　of　judgment　in　going　out　among　jellyfish。　Perhaps　not。　The　fact　is；　accidents　happen　under　the　best　of　circumstances；　and　the　deep　sea　is　a　particularly　unforgiving　environment。〃
Listening；　Norman　thought；　He's　writing　his　report。　Explaining　it　away　to　the　brass。
〃Right　now；〃　Barnes　was　saying；　〃I　urge　you　all　to　remain　calm。　It's　sixteen　hours　since　the　gale　hit　topside。　We　just　sent　up　a　sensor　balloon　to　the　surface。　Before　we　could　make　readings；　the　cable　snapped；　which　suggests　that　surface　waves　are　still　thirty　feet　or　higher；　and　the　gale　is　still　in　full　force。　The　weather　satellite　estimates　were　for　a　sixty…hour　storm　on　site；　so　we　have　two　more　full　days　down　here。　There's　not　much　we　can　do　about　it。　We　just　have　to　remain　calm。　Don't　forget；　even　when　you　do　go　topside　you　can't　throw　open　the　hatch　and　start　breathing。　You　have　to　spend　four　more　days　depressing　in　a　hyperbaric　chamber　on　the　surface。〃
That　was　the　first　Norman　had　heard　of　surface　depression。　Even　after　they　left　this　iron　lung；　they　would　have　to　sit　in　another　iron　lung　for　another　four　days？
〃I　thought　you　knew；〃　Barnes　had　said。　〃That's　SOP　for　saturated　environments。　You　can　stay　down　here　as　long　as　you　like；　but　you　have　a　four…day　depress　when　you　go　back。　And　believe　me；　this　habitat's　a　lot　nicer　than　the　depression　chamber。　So　enjoy　this　while　you　can。〃
Enjoy　this　while　you　can；　he　thought。　Jesus　Christ。　Strawberry　shortcake　would　help。　Where　the　hell　was　Levy；　anyway？
He　went　back　to　D　Cyl。　〃Where's　Levy？〃
〃Dunno；〃　Tina　said。　〃Around　here　somewhere。　Maybe　sleeping。〃
〃Nobody　could　sleep　through　that　alarm；〃　Norman　said。
〃Try　the　galley？〃
〃I　just　did。　Where's　Barnes？〃
＇＇176＇＇　〃He　went　back　to　the　ship　with　Ted。　They're　putting　more　sensors　around　the　sphere。〃
〃I　told　them　it　was　a　waste　of　time；〃　Harry　said。
〃So　nobody　knows　where　Levy　is？〃　Norman　said。
Fletcher　finished　screwing　the　puter　panels　back　on。　〃Doctor；〃　she　said；　〃are　you　one　of　those　people　who　need　to　keep　track　of　where　everyone　is？〃
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃Of　course　not。〃
〃Then　what's　the　big　deal　about　Levy；　sir？〃
〃I　only　wanted　to　know　where　the　strawberry　shortcake　was。〃
〃Gone；〃　Fletcher　said　promptly。　〃Captain　and　I　came　back　from　funeral　duty　and　we　sat　down　and　ate　the　whole　thing；　just　like　that。〃　She　shook　her　head。
〃Maybe　Rose'll　make　some　more；〃　Harry　said。


He　found　Beth　in　her　laboratory；　on　the　top　level　of　D　Cyl。　He　walked　in　just　in　time　to　see　her　take　a　pill。　
〃What　was　that？〃
〃Valium。　God。〃
〃Where'd　you　get　it？〃
〃Look；〃　she　said；　〃don't　give　me　any　psychotalk　about　it…〃
〃…I　was　just　asking。〃
Beth　pointed　to　a　white　box　mounted　on　the　wall　in　the　corner　of　the　lab。　〃There's　a　first…aid　kit　in　every　cylinder。　Turns　out　to　be　pretty　plete；　too。〃
Norman　went　over　to　the　box；　flipped　open　the　lid。　There　were　neat　partments　with　medicines；　syringes；　bandages。　Beth　was　right；　it　was　quite　plete…antibiotics；　sedatives；　tranquilizers；　even　surgical　anesthetics。　He　didn't　recognize　all　the　names　on　the　bottles；　but　the　psychoactive　drugs　were　strong。
〃You　could　fight　a　war　with　the　stuff　in　this　kit。〃
〃Yeah；　well。　The　Navy。〃
〃There's　everything　you　need　here　to　do　major　surgery。〃　Norman　noticed　a　card　on　the　inside　of　the　box。　It　said　〃MEDAID　CODE　103。〃
〃Any　idea　what　this　means？〃
＇＇177＇＇　She　nodded。　〃It's　a　puter　code。　I　called　it　up。〃
〃And？〃
〃The　news；〃　she　said；　〃is　not　good。〃
〃Is　that　right？〃　He　sat　at　the　terminal　in　her　room　and　punched　in　103。　The　screen　said：

HYPERBARIC　SATURATED　ENVIRONMENT　
MEDICAL　PLICATIONS　（MAJOR…FATAL）

1。01　Pulmonary　Embolism
1。02 　High　Pressure　Nervous　Syndrome　1。03　Aseptic　Bone　Necrosis
1。04 　Oxygen　Toxicity
1。05 　Thermal　Stress　Syndrome
1。06 　Disseminated　Pseudomonas　Infection　1。07　Cerebral　Infarction

Choose　One：

〃Don't　choose　one；〃　Beth　said。　〃Reading　the　details　will　only　upset　you。　Just　leave　it　at　this…we're　in　a　very　dangerous　environment。　Barnes　didn't　bother　to　give　us　all　the　gory　details。　You　know　why　the　Navy　has　that　rule　about　pulling　people　out　within　seventy…two　hours？　Because　after　seventy…two　hours；　you　increase　your　risk　of　something　called　'aseptic　bone　necrosis。'　Nobody　knows　why；　but　the　pressurized　environment　causes　bone　destruction　in　the　leg　and　hip。　And　you　know　why　this　habitat　constantly　adjusts　as　we　walk　through　it？　It's　not　because　that's　slick　and　hightech。　It's　because　the　helium　atmosphere　makes　body…heat　control　very　volatile。　You　can　quickly　bee　overheated；　and　just　as　quickly　overchilled。　Fatally　so。　It　can　happen　so　fast　you　don't　realize　it　until　it's　too　late　and　you　drop　dead。　And　'high　pressure　nervous　syndrome'…that　turns　out　to　be　sudden　convulsions；　paralysis；　and　death　if　the　carbondioxide　content　of　the　atmosphere　drops　too　low。　That's　what　the　badges　are　for；　to　make　sure　we　have　enough　CO2　in　the　air。　That's　the　only　reason　we　have　the　badges。　Nice；　huh？〃
Norman　flicked　off　the　screen；　sat　back。　〃Well；　I　keep　＇＇178＇＇　ing　back　to　the　same　point…there's　not　much　we　can　do　about　it　now。〃
〃Exactly　what　Barnes　said。〃　Beth　started　pushing　equipment　around　on　her　counter　top；　nervously。　Rearranging　things。
〃Too　bad　we　don't　have　a　sample　of　those　jellyfish；〃　Norman　said。
〃Yes；　but　I'm　not　sure　how　much　good　it　would　do；　to　tell　the　truth。〃　She　frowned；　shifted　papers　on　the　counter　again。　〃Norman；　I'm　not　thinking　very　clearly　down　here。〃
〃How's　that？〃
〃After　the；　uh；　accident；　I　came　up　here　to　look　over　my　notes；　review　things。　And　I　checked　the　shrimps。　Remember　how　I　told　you　they　didn't　have　any　stomach？　Well；　they　do。　I'd　made　a　bad　dissection；　out　of　the　midsagittal　plane。　I　just　missed　all　the　midline　structures。　But　they're　there；　all　right；　the　shrimps　are　normal。　And　the　squid？　It　turns　out　the　one　squid　I　dissected　was　a　little　anomalous。　It　had　an　atrophic　gill；　but　it　had　one。　And　the　other　squid　are　perfectly　normal。　Just　what　you'd　expect。　I　was　wrong；　too　hasty。　It　really　bothers　me。〃
〃Is　that　why　you　took　the　Valium？〃
She　nodded。　〃I　hate　to　be　sloppy。〃
〃Nobody's　criticizing　you。〃
〃If　Harry　or　Ted　reviewed　my　work　and　found　that　I'd　made　these　stupid　mistakes　。。。〃
〃What's　wrong　with　a　mistake？〃
〃I　can　hear　them　now：　Just　like　a　woman；　not　careful　enough；　too　eager　to　make　a　discovery；　trying　to　prove　herself；　too　quick　to　draw　conclusions。　Just　like　a　woman。〃
〃Nobody's　criticizing　you；　Beth。〃
〃I　am。〃
〃Nobody　else；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　think　you　ought　to　give　yourself　a　break。〃
She　stared　at　the　lab　bench。　Finally　she　said；　〃I　can't。〃　Something　about　the　way　she　said　it　touched　him。　〃I　understand；〃　Norman　said；　and　a　memory　came　rushing　back　to　him。　〃You　know；　when　I　was　a　kid；　I　went　to　the　beach　with　my　younger　broth