Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第35章

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THANK　YOU；　Ted　typed。
I　AM　PLEASED　TO　BE　IN　CONTACT　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES。　I　AM　HAPPY　FOR　TALKING　WITH　YOU。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。
Barnes　said；　〃Let's　get　off…line。〃
The　screen　printed；　PLEASE　DO　NOT　STOP。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。
Norman　thought；　I'll　bet　he　wants　to　talk　to　somebody；　after　three　hundred　years　of　isolation。　Or　had　it　been　even　longer　than　that？　Had　he　been　floating　in　space　for　thousands　of　years　before　he　was　picked　up　by　the　spacecraft？
This　raised　a　whole　series　of　questions　for　Norman。　If　the　alien　entity　had　emotions…and　he　certainly　appeared　to…then　there　was　the　possibility　of　all　sorts　of　aberrant　emotional　responses；　including　neuroses；　even　psychoses。　Most　human　beings　when　placed　in　isolation　became　seriously　disturbed　rather　quickly。　This　alien　intelligence　had　been　isolated　for　hundreds　of　years。　What　had　happened　to　it　during　that　time？　Had　it　bee　neurotic？　Was　that　why　it　was　childish　and　demanding　now？
DO　NOT　STOP。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。
〃We　have　to　stop；　for　Christ's　sake；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇191＇＇　Ted　typed；　WE　STOP　NOW　TO　TALK　AMONG　OUR　ENTITIES。
IT　IS　NOT　NECESSARY　TO　STOP。　I　DO　NOT　CARE　TO　STOP。
Norman　thought　he　detected　a　petulant；　irritable　tone。　Perhaps　even　a　little　imperious。　I　do　not　care　to　stop…this　alien　sounded　like　Louis　XIV。
IT　IS　NECESSARY　FOR　US；　Ted　typed。
I　DO　NOT　WISH　IT。
IT　IS　NECESSARY　FOR　US；　JERRY。
I　UNDERSTAND。
The　screen　went　blank。
〃That's　better；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Now　let's　regroup　here　and　formulate　a　game　plan。　What　do　we　want　to　ask　this　guy？〃
〃I　think　we　better　acknowledge；〃　Norman　said；　〃that　he's　showing　an　emotional　reaction　to　our　interaction。〃
〃Meaning　what？〃　Beth　said；　interested。
〃I　think　we　need　to　take　the　emotional　content　into　account　in　dealing　with　him。〃
〃You　want　to　psychoanalyze　him？〃　Ted　said。　〃Put　him　on　the　couch；　find　out　why　he　had　an　unhappy　childhood？〃
Norman　suppressed　his　anger；　with　some　difficulty。　Beneath　that　boyish　exterior　lies　a　boy；　he　thought。　〃No；　Ted；　but　if　Jerry　does　have　emotions；　then　we'd　better　consider　the　psychological　aspects　of　his　response。〃
〃I　don't　mean　to　offend　you；〃　Ted　said；　〃but；　personally；　I　don't　see　that　psychology　has　much　to　offer。　Psychology's　not　a　science；　it's　a　form　of　superstition　or　religion。　It　simply　doesn't　have　any　good　theories；　or　any　hard　data　to　speak　of。　It's　all　soft。　All　this　emphasis　on　emotions…you　can　say　anything　about　emotions；　and　nobody　can　prove　you　wrong。　Speaking　as　an　astrophysicist；　I　don't　think　emotions　are　very　important。　I　don't　think　they　matter　very　much。〃
〃Many　intellectuals　would　agree；〃　Norman　said。
〃Yes。　Well；〃　Ted　said；　〃we're　dealing　with　a　higher　intellect　here；　aren't　we？〃
〃In　general；〃　Norman　said；　〃people　who　aren't　in　touch　＇＇192＇＇　with　their　emotions　tend　to　think　their　emotions　are　unimportant。〃
〃You're　saying　I'm　not　in　touch　with　my　emotions？〃　Ted　said。
〃If　you　think　emotions　are　unimportant；　you're　not　in　touch；　no。〃
〃Can　we　have　this　argument　later？〃　Barnes　said。　
〃Nothing　is；　but　thinking　makes　it　so；〃　Ted　said。
〃Why　don't　you　just　say　what　you　mean；〃　Norman　said　angrily；　〃and　stop　quoting　other　people？〃
〃Now　you're　making　a　personal　attack；〃　Ted　said。
〃Well；　at　least　I　haven't　denied　the　validity　of　your　field　of　study；〃　Norman　said；　〃although　without　much　effort　I　could。　Astrophysicists　tend　to　focus　on　the　far…off　universe　as　a　way　of　evading　the　realities　of　their　own　lives。　And　since　nothing　in　astrophysics　can　ever　be　finally　proven…〃
〃……That's　absolutely　untrue；〃　Ted　said。
〃…Enough！　That's　enough！〃　Barnes　said；　slamming　his　fist　on　the　table。　They　fell　into　an　awkward　silence。
Norman　was　still　angry；　but　he　was　also　embarrassed。　Ted　got　to　me；　he　thought。　He　finally　got　to　me。　And　he　did　it　in　the　simplest　possible　way；　by　attacking　my　field　of　study。　Norman　wondered　why　it　had　worked。　All　his　life　at　the　university　he'd　had　to　listen　to　〃hard〃　scientists…physicists　and　chemists…explain　patiently　to　him　that　there　was　nothing　to　psychology；　while　these　men　went　through　divorce　after　divorce；　while　their　wives　had　affairs；　their　kids　mitted　suicide　or　got　in　trouble　with　drugs。　He'd　long　ago　stopped　responding　to　these　arguments。
Yet　Ted　had　gotten　to　him。
〃…return　to　the　business　at　hand；〃　Barnes　was　saying。　〃The　question　is：　what　do　we　want　to　ask　this　guy？〃
WHAT　DO　WE　WANT　TO　ASK　THIS　GUY？
They　stared　at　the　screen。
〃Uh…oh；〃　Barnes　said。
UHOH。
〃Does　that　mean　what　I　think　it　means？〃
DOES　THAT　MEAN　WHAT　EYE　THINK　IT　MEANS？
＇＇193＇＇　Ted　pushed　back　from　the　console。　He　said　loudly；　〃Jerry；　can　you　understand　what　I　am　saying？〃
YES　TED。
〃Great；〃　Barnes　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃Just　great。〃
I　AM　HAPPY　ALSO。

ALIEN　NEGOTIATIONS

〃Norman；〃　Barnes　said；　〃I　seem　to　remember　you　covered　this　in　your　report；　didn't　you？　The　possibility　that　an　alien　could　read　our　minds。〃
〃I　mentioned　it；〃　Norman　said。
〃And　what　were　your　remendations？〃
〃I　didn't　have　any。　It　was　just　something　the　State　Department　asked　me　to　include　as　a　possibility。　So　I　did。〃
〃You　didn't　make　any　remendations　in　your　report？〃
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　at　the　time　I　thought　the　idea　was　a　joke。〃
〃It's　not；〃　Barnes　said。　He　sat　down　heavily；　stared　at　the　screen。　〃What　the　hell　are　we　going　to　do　now？〃
DO　NOT　BE　AFRAID。
〃That's　fine　for　him　to　say；　listening　to　everything　we　say。〃　He　looked　at　the　screen。　〃Are　you　listening　to　us　now；　Jerry？〃
YES　HAL。
〃What　a　mess；〃　Barnes　said。
Ted　said；　〃I　think　it's　an　exciting　development。〃
Norman　said；　〃Jerry；　can　you　read　our　minds？〃
YES　NORMAN。
〃Oh　brother；〃　Barnes　said。　〃He　can　read　our　minds。〃
Maybe　not；　Norman　thought。　He　frowned；　concentrating；　and　thought；　Jerry；　can　you　hear　me？
The　screen　remained　blank。
Jerry；　tell　me　your　name。
＇＇194＇＇　The　screen　did　not　change。
Maybe　a　visual　image；　Norman　thought。　Perhaps　he　can　receive　a　visual　image。　Norman　cast　around　in　his　mind　for　something　to　visualize；　chose　a　sandy　tropical　beach；　then　a　palm　tree。　The　image　of　the　palm　tree　was　clear；　but；　then；　he　thought；　Jerry　wouldn't　know　what　a　palm　tree　was。　It　wouldn't　mean　anything　to　him。　Norman　thought　he　should　choose　something　that　might　be　within　Jerry's　experience。　He　decided　to　imagine　a　planet　with　rings；　like　Saturn。　He　frowned：　Jerry；　I　am　going　to　send　you　a　picture。　Tell　me　what　you　see。
He　focused　his　mind　on　the　image　of　Saturn；　a　brightyellow　sphere　with　a　tilted　ring　system；　hanging　in　the　blackness　of　space。　He　sustained　the　image　about　ten　seconds；　and　then　looked　at　the　screen。
The　screen　did　not　change。
Jerry；　are　you　there？
The　screen　still　did　not　change。
〃Jerry；　are　you　there？〃　Norman　said。
YES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HERE。
〃I　don't　think　we　should　talk　in　this　room；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Maybe　if　we　go　into　another　cylinder；　and　turn　the　water　on　。。。〃
〃Like　in　the　spy　movies？〃
〃It's　worth　a　try。〃
Ted　said；　〃I　think　we're　being　unfair　to　Jerry。　If　we　feel　that　he　is　intruding　on　our　privacy；　why　don't　we　just　tell　him？　Ask　him　not　to　intrude？〃
I　DO　NOT　WISH　TO　IN　TRUDE。
〃Let's　face　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃This　guy　knows　a　lot　more　about　us　than　we　know　about　him。〃
YES　I　KNOW　MANY　THINGS　ABOUT　YOUR　ENTITIES。
〃Jerry；〃　Ted　said。
YES　TED。　I　AM　HERE。
〃Please　leave　us　alone。〃
I　DO　NOT　WISH　TO　DO　SO。　I　AM　HAPPY　TO　TALK　WITH　YOU。　I　ENJOY　TO　TALK　WITH　YOU。　LET　US　TALK　NOW。　I　WISH　IT。
〃It's　obvious　he　won't　listen　to　reason；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇195＇＇　〃Jerry；〃　Ted　said；　〃you　must　leave　us　alone　for　a　while。〃
NO。　THAT　IS　NOT　POSSIBLE。　I　DO　NOT　AGREE。　NO！
〃Now　the　bastard's　showing　his　true　colors；〃　Barnes　said。
The　child　king；　Norman　thought。　〃Let　me　try。〃
〃Be　my　guest。〃
〃Jerry；〃　Norman　said。
YES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HERE。
〃Jerry；　it　is　very　exciting　for　us　to　talk　to　you。〃
THANK　YOU。　I　AM　EXCITED　ALSO。
〃Jerry；　we　find　you　a　fascinating　and　wonderful　entity。〃
Barnes　was　rolling　his　eyes；　shaking　his　head。
THANK　YOU；　NORMAN。
〃And　we　wish　to　talk　to　you　for　many；　many　hours；　Jerry。〃
GOOD。
〃We　admire　your　gifts　and　talents。〃
THANK　YOU。
〃And　we　know　that　you　have　great　power　and　understanding　of　all　things。〃
THIS　IS　SO；　NORMAN。　YES。
〃Jerry；　in　your　great　understanding；　you　certainly　know　that　we　are　entities　who　must　have　conversations　among　ourselves；　without　your　listening　to　us。　The　experience　of　meeting　you　is　very　challenging　to　us；　and　we　have　much　to　talk　about　among　ourselves。〃
Barnes　was　shaking　his　head。
I　HAVE　MUCH　TO　TALK　ABOUT　ALSO。　I　ENJOY　MUCH　TO　TALK　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES　NORMAN。
〃Yes；　I　know；　Jerry。　But　you　also　know　in　your　wisdom　that　we　need　to　talk　alone。〃
DO　NOT　BE　AFRAID。
〃We're　not　afraid；　Jerry。　We　are　unfortable。〃
DO　NOT　BE　UN　FORTABLE。
〃We　can't　help　it；　Jerry。　。。。　It　is　the　way　we　are。〃
I　ENJOY　MUCH　TO　TALK　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HAPPY。　ARE　YOU　HAPPY　ALSO？
〃Yes；　very　happy；　Jerry。　But；　you　see；　we　need…〃
GOOD。　I　AM　GLAD。
〃…we　need　to　talk　alone。　Please　do　not　listen　for　a　while。〃
AM　I　OFFENDED　YOU？
＇＇196＇＇　〃No；　you　are　very　friendly　and　charming。　But　we　need　to　talk　alone；　without　your　listening；　for　a　while。〃
I　UNDERSTAND　YOU　NEED　THIS。　I　WISH　YOU　TO　HAVE　FORT　WITH　ME；　NORMAN。　I　SHALL　GRANT　WHAT　YOU　DESIRE。
〃Thank　you；　Jerry。〃
〃Sure；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You　think　he'll　really　do　it？〃
WE'LL　BE　RIGHT　BACK　AFTER　A　SHORT　BREAK