Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第37章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




Norman　felt　dull　and　slow。　〃What　about　levy's　body？〃
〃Drop　the　body。　Get　back　here！〃
But　the　body；　he　thought　sluggishly。　They　had　to　do　＇＇202＇＇　something　with　the　body。　He　couldn't　just　leave　the　body。
〃What's　the　matter　with　you；　Norman？〃　Barnes　said。
Norman　mumbled　something；　and　he　vaguely　felt　Beth　grab　him　strongly　by　the　arm；　lead　him　back　toward　the　habitat。　The　water　was　now　clouded　with　white　eggs。　The　alarms　were　ringing　in　his　ears。　The　sound　was　very　loud。　And　then　he　realized：　a　new　alarm。　This　alarm　was　ringing　inside　his　suit。
He　began　to　shiver。　His　teeth　chattered　uncontrollably。　He　tried　to　speak　but　bit　his　tongue；　tasted　blood。　He　felt　numb　and　stupid。　Everything　was　happening　in　slow　motion。
As　they　approached　the　habitat；　he　could　see　that　the　eggs　were　sticking　to　the　cylinders；　clinging　densely；　making　a　nubbly　white　surface。
〃Hurry！〃　Barnes　shouted。　〃Hurry！　It's　ing　this　way！〃　They　were　under　the　airlock；　and　he　began　to　feel　surging　currents　of　water。　There　was　something　very　big　out　there。　Beth　was　pushing　him　upward　and　then　his　helmet　burst　above　the　waterline　and　Fletcher　gripped　him　with　strong　arms；　and　a　moment　after　that　Beth　was　pulled　up　and　the　hatch　slammed　shut。　Somebody　took　off　his　helmet　and　he　heard　the　alarm；　shrieking　loud　in　his　ears。　By　now　his　whole　body　was　shaking　in　spasms；　thumping　on　the　deck。　They　stripped　off　his　suit　and　wrapped　him　in　a　silver　blanket　and　held　him　until　his　shivering　lessened；　then　finally　stopped。　And　abruptly；　despite　the　alarm；　he　went　to　sleep。

MILITARY　CONSIDERATIONS

〃It's　not　your　goddamned　job；　that's　why；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You　had　no　authorization　to　do　what　you　did。　None　whatsoever。〃
＇＇203＇＇　〃Levy　might　have　still　been　alive；〃　Beth　said；　calm　in　the　face　of　Barnes's　fury。
〃But　she　wasn't　alive；　and　by　going　outside　you　risked　the　lives　of　two　civilian　expedition　members　unnecessarily。〃
Norman　said；　〃It　was　my　idea；　Hal。〃　Norman　was　still　wrapped　in　blankets；　but　they　had　given　him　hot　drinks　and　made　him　rest；　and　now　he　felt　better。
〃And　you；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You're　lucky　to　be　alive。〃
〃I　guess　I　am；〃　Norman　said。　〃But　I　don't　know　what　happened。〃
〃This　is　what　happened；〃　Barnes　said；　waving　a　small　fan　in　front　of　him。　〃Your　suit　circulator　shorted　out　and　you　experienced　rapid　central　cooling　from　the　helium。　Another　couple　of　minutes　and　you　would　have　been　dead。〃
〃It　was　so　fast；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　didn't　realize…〃
〃…You　goddamn　people；〃　Barnes　said。　〃I　want　to　make　something　clear。　This　is　not　a　scientific　conference。　This　is　not　the　Underwater　Holiday　Inn；　where　you　can　do　whatever　you　please。　This　is　a　military　operation　and　you　will　damn　well　follow　military　orders。　Is　that　clear？〃
〃This　is　a　military　operation？〃　Ted　said。
〃It　is　now；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Wait　a　minute。　Was　it　always？〃
〃It　is　now。〃
〃You　haven't　answered　the　question；〃　Ted　said。　〃Because　if　it　is　a　military　operation；　I　think　we　need　to　know　that。　I　personally　do　not　wish　to　be　associated　with…〃
〃…Then　leave；〃　Beth　said。
〃…a　military　operation　that　is…〃
〃…Look；　Ted；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You　know　what　this　is　costing　the　Navy？〃
〃No；　but　I　don't　see…〃
〃…I'll　tell　you。　A　deep…placement；　saturated　gas　environment　with　full　support　runs　about　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　an　hour。　By　the　time　we　all　get　out　of　here；　the　total　project　cost　will　be　eighty　to　a　hundred　million　dollars。　You　don't　get　that　kind　of　appropriations　from　the　military　without　what　they　call　'a　serious　expectation　of　military　benefit。'　It's　that　simple。　No　expectation；　no　money。　You　following　me？〃
＇＇204＇＇　〃You　mean　like　a　weapon？〃　Beth　said。
〃Possibly；　yes；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Well；〃　Ted　said；　〃I　personally　would　never　have　joined…〃
〃…Is　that　right？　You'd　fly　all　the　way　to　Tonga　and　I'd　say；　'Ted；　there's　a　spacecraft　down　there　that　might　contain　life　from　another　galaxy；　but　it's　a　military　operation；'　and　you'd　say；　'Gosh；　sorry　to　hear　that；　count　me　out'？　Is　that　what　you'd　have　done；　Ted？〃
〃Well　。。。〃　Ted　said。
〃Then　you　better　shut　up；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Because　I've　had　it　with　your　posturing。〃
〃Hear；　hear；〃　Beth　said。
〃I　personally　feel　you're　overwrought；〃　Ted　said。
〃I　personally　feel　you're　an　egomaniacal　asshole；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Just　a　minute；　everybody；〃　Harry　said。　〃Does　anybody　know　why　Levy　went　outside　in　the　first　place？〃
Tina　said；　〃She　was　on　a　TRL。〃
〃A　what？〃
〃A　Timeclock　Required　Lockout；〃　Barnes　said。　〃It's　the　duty　schedule。　Levy　was　Edmunds's　backup。　After　Edmunds　died；　it　became　Levy's　job　to　go　to　the　submarine　every　twelve　hours。〃
〃Go　to　the　sub？　Why？〃　Harry　said。
Barnes　pointed　out　the　porthole。　〃You　see　DH…7　over　there？　Well；　next　to　the　single　cylinder　is　an　inverted　dome　hangar；　and　beneath　the　dome　is　a　minisub　that　the　divers　left　behind。
〃In　a　situation　like　this；〃　Barnes　said；　〃Navy　regs　require　that　all　tapes　and　records　be　transferred　to　the　sub　every　twelve　hours。　The　sub　is　on　TBDR　Mode…Timed　Ballast　Drop　and　Release…set　on　a　timer　every　twelve　hours。　That　way；　if　somebody　doesn't　get　there　every　twelve　hours；　transfer　the　latest　tapes；　and　press　the　yellow　'Delay'　button；　the　sub　will　automatically　drop　ballast；　blow　tanks；　and　go　to　the　surface　unattended。〃
〃Why　is　that？〃
〃If　there's　a　disaster　down　here…say　something　happened　＇＇　205＇＇　to　all　of　us…then　the　sub　would　automatically　surface　after　twelve　hours；　with　all　the　tapes　accumulated　thus　far。　The　Navy'd　recover　the　sub　at　the　surface；　and　they'd　have　at　least　a　partial　record　of　what　happened　to　us　down　here。〃
〃I　see。　The　sub's　our　flight　recorder。〃
〃You　could　say　that；　yes。　But　it's　also　our　way　out；　our　only　emergency　exit。〃
〃So　Levy　was　going　to　the　sub？〃
〃Yes。　And　she　must　have　made　it；　because　the　sub　is　still　here。〃
〃She　transferred　the　tapes；　pressed　the　'Delay'　button；　and　then　she　died　on　the　way　back。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How　did　she　die？〃　Harry　said；　looking　carefully　at　Barnes。
〃We're　not　sure；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Her　entire　body　was　crushed；〃　Norman　said。　〃It　was　like　a　sponge。〃
Harry　said　to　Barnes；　〃An　hour　ago　you　ordered　the　EPSA　sensors　to　be　reset　and　adjusted。　Why　was　that？〃
〃We　had　gotten　a　strange　reading　in　the　previous　hour。〃
〃What　sort　of　a　reading？〃
〃Something　out　there。　Something　very　large。〃
〃But　it　didn't　trigger　the　alarms；〃　Harry　said。
〃No。　This　thing　was　beyond　alarm…set　parameters。〃
〃You　mean　it　was　too　big　to　set　off　the　alarms？〃
〃Yes。　After　the　first　false　alarm；　the　settings　were　all　cranked　down。　The　alarms　were　set　to　ignore　anything　that　large。　That's　why　Tina　had　to　readjust　the　settings。〃
〃And　what　set　off　the　alarms　just　now？〃　Harry　said。　〃When　Beth　and　Norman　were　out　there？〃
Barnes　said；　〃Tina？〃
〃I　don't　know　what　it　was。　Some　kind　of　animal；　I　guess。　Silent；　and　very　big。〃
〃How　big？〃
She　shook　her　head。　〃From　the　electronic　footprint；　Dr。　Adams；　I　would　say　the　thing　was　almost　as　big　as　this　habitat。〃

BATTLE　STATIONS

Beth　slipped　one　round　white　egg　onto　the　stage　of　the　scanning　microscope。　〃Well；〃　she　said；　peering　through　the　eyepiece；　〃it's　definitely　marine　invertebrate。　The　interesting　feature　is　this　slimy　coating。〃　She　poked　at　it　with　forceps。
〃What　is　it？〃　Norman　said。
〃Some　kind　of　proteinaceous　material。　Sticky。〃
〃No。　I　mean；　what　is　the　egg？〃
〃Don't　know　yet。〃　Beth　continued　her　examination　when　the　alarm　sounded　and　the　red　lights　began　to　flash　again。　Norman　felt　a　sudden　dread。
〃Probably　another　false　alarm；〃　Beth　said。
〃Attention；　all　hands；〃　Barnes　said　on　the　inter。　〃All　hands；　battle　stations。〃
〃Oh　shit；〃　Beth　said。
Beth　slid　gracefully　down　the　ladder　as　if　it　were　a　fire　pole；　Norman　followed　clumsily　back　down　behind　her。　At　the　munications　section　on　D　Cyl；　he　found　a　familiar　scene：　everyone　clustered　around　the　puter；　and　the　back　panels　again　removed。　The　lights　still　flashed；　the　alarm　still　shrieked。
〃What　is　it？〃　Norman　shouted。
〃Equipment　breakdown！〃
〃What　equipment　breakdown？〃
〃We　can't　turn　the　damn　alarm　off！〃　Barnes　shouted。　〃It　turned　it　on；　but　we　can't　turn　it　off！　Teeny…〃　
〃…W　orking　on　it；　sir！〃
The　big　engineer　was　crouched　behind　the　puter；　Norman　saw　the　broad　curve　of　her　back。
〃Get　that　damn　thing　off！〃
〃Getting　it　off；　sir！〃
〃Get　it　off；　I　can't　hear！〃
Hear　what？　Norman　wondered；　and　then　Harry　stumbled　into　the　room；　colliding　with　Norman。　〃Jesus。。。〃
〃This　is　an　emergency！〃　Barnes　was　shouting。　〃This　is　an　＇＇207＇＇　emergency！　Seaman　Chan！　Sonar！〃　Tina　was　next　to　him；　calm　as　always；　adjusting　dials　on　side　monitors。　She　slipped　on　headphones。
Norman　looked　at　the　sphere　on　the　video　monitor。　The　sphere　was　closed。
Beth　went　to　one　of　the　portholes　and　looked　closely　at　the　white　material　that　blocked　it。　Barnes　spun　like　a　dervish　beneath　the　flashing　red　lights；　shouting；　swearing　in　all　directions。
And　then　suddenly　the　alarm　stopped；　and　the　red　lights　stopped　flashing。　Everyone　was　silent。　Fletcher　straightened　and　sighed。
Harry　said；　〃I　thought　you　got　that　fixed…〃　
〃…Shhh。〃
They　heard　the　soft　repetitive　pong！　of　the　sonar　impulses。　Tina　cupped　her　hands　over　the　headphones；　frowning；　concentrating。
Nobody　moved　or　spoke。　They　stood　tensely；　listening　to　the　sonar　as　it　echoed　back。
Barnes　said　quietly　to　the　group；　〃A　few　minutes　ago；　we　got　a　signal。　From　outs