Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第45章

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se　he　was　afraid。　At　a　moment　of　great　personal　danger；　Beth　had　abandoned　him。　There　were　only　three　of　them　left　down　there；　and　they　needed　each　other…they　needed　to　depend　on　each　other。　But　Beth　was　unreliable；　and　that　made　him　afraid。　And　angry。
〃Can　you　hear　me？〃　her　voice　said；　on　the　inter。　〃Anybody　hear　me？〃
Norman　reached　for　the　microphone；　but　Harry　snatched　it　away。　〃I'll　do　this；〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　Beth；　we　can　hear　you。〃
〃I'm　in　the　ship；〃　she　said；　her　voice　crackling　on　the　inter。　〃I've　found　another　partment；　aft；　behind　the　crew　bunks。　It's　quite　interesting。〃
Quite　interesting；　Norman　thought。　Jesus；　quite　interesting。　He　grabbed　the　microphone　from　Harry。　〃Beth；　what　the　hell　are　you　doing　over　there？〃
〃Oh；　hi；　Norman。　You　made　it　back　okay；　huh？〃
〃Barely。〃
〃You　have　some　trouble？〃　She　didn't　sound　concerned。
〃Yes；　I　did。〃
〃Are　you　all　right？　You　sound　mad。〃
〃You　bet　I'm　mad。　Beth；　why　did　you　leave　while　I　was　out　there？〃
〃Harry　said　he'd　take　over　for　me。〃
〃He　what？〃　Norman　looked　at　Harry。　Harry　was　shaking　his　head　no。
〃Harry　said　he'd　take　over　at　the　console　for　me。　He　told　me　to　go　ahead　to　the　ship。　Since　the　squid　wasn't　around；　it　seemed　like　a　good　time。〃
Norman　cupped　his　hand　over　microphone。　〃I　don't　the　remember　that；〃　Harry　said。
〃Did　you　talk　to　her？〃
〃I　don't　remember　talking　to　her。〃
Beth　said；　〃Just　ask　him；　Norman。　He'll　tell　you。〃
〃He　says　he　never　said　that。〃
〃Well；　then；　he's　full　of　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃What　do　you　think；　I'd　abandon　you　when　you　were　outside；　for　Christ's　sake？〃　＇＇247＇＇　There　was　a　pause。　〃I'd　never　do　that；　Norman。〃
〃I　swear；〃　Harry　said　to　Norman。　〃I　never　had　any　conversation　with　Beth。　I　never　talked　to　her　at　all。　I'm　telling　you；　she　was　gone　when　I　woke　up。　There　was　nobody　here。　If　you　ask　me；　she　always　intended　to　go　to　the　ship。〃
Norman　remembered　how　quickly　Beth　had　agreed　to　let　Norman　go　to　the　sub；　how　surprised　he　had　been。　Perhaps　Harry　was　right；　he　thought。　Perhaps　Beth　had　been　planning　it　all　along。
〃You　know　what　I　think？〃　Harry　said。　〃I　think　she's　cracking　up。〃
Over　the　inter；　Beth　said；　〃You　guys　get　it　straightened　out？〃
Norman　said；　〃I　think　so；　Beth；　yes。〃
〃Good；〃　Beth　said。　〃Because　I　have　made　a　discovery　over　here；　in　the　spaceship。〃
〃What's　that？〃
〃I've　found　the　crew。〃


〃You　both　came；〃　Beth　said。　She　was　sitting　on　a　console　in　the　fortable　beige　flight　deck　of　the　spacecraft。　〃Yes；〃　Norman　said；　looking　at　her。　She　looked　okay。　If　anything；　she　looked　better　than　ever。　Stronger；　clearer。　She　actually　looked　rather　beautiful；　he　thought。　〃Harry　thought　that　the　squid　wouldn't　e　back。〃
〃The　squid　was　out　there？〃
Norman　briefly　told　her　about　his　attack。
〃Jesus。　I'm　sorry；　Norman。　I'd　never　have　left　if　I　had　any　idea。〃
She　certainly　didn't　sound　like　somebody　who　was　cracking　up；　Norman　thought。　She　sounded　appropriate　and　sincere。　〃Anyway；〃　he　said；　〃I　injured　it；　and　Harry　thought　it　wouldn't　e　back。〃
Harry　said；　〃And　we　couldn't　decide　who　should　stay　behind；　so　we　both　came。〃
〃Well；　e　this　way；〃　Beth　said。　She　led　them　back；　through　the　crew　quarters；　past　the　twenty　bunks　for　the　＇＇248＇＇　crew；　the　large　galley。　Norman　paused　at　the　galley。　So　did　Harry。
〃I'm　hungry；〃　Harry　said。
〃Eat　something；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　did。　They　have　some　sort　of　nut　bars　or　something；　they　taste　okay。〃　She　opened　a　drawer　in　the　galley；　produced　bars　wrapped　in　metal　foil；　gave　them　each　one。　Norman　tore　the　foil　and　saw　something　that　looked　like　chocolate。　It　tasted　dry。
〃Anything　to　drink？〃
〃Sure。〃　She　threw　open　a　refrigerator　door。　〃Diet　Coke？〃
〃You're　kidding。　。。。。。
〃The　can　design　is　different；　and　I'm　afraid　it's　warm；　but　it's　Diet　Coke；　all　right。〃
〃I'm　buying　stock　in　that　pany；〃　Harry　said。　〃Now　that　we　know　it'll　still　be　there　in　fifty　years。〃　He　read　the　can。　〃Official　drink　of　the　Star　Voyager　Expedition。〃
〃Yeah；　it's　a　promo；〃　Beth　said。
Harry　turned　the　can　around。　The　other　side　was　printed　in　Japanese。　〃Wonder　what　this　means？〃
〃It　means；　don't　buy　that　stock　after　all；〃　she　said。　Norman　sipped　the　Coke　with　a　sense　of　vague　unease。　The　galley　seemed　subtly　changed　from　the　last　time　he　had　seen　it。　He　wasn't　sure…he'd　only　glanced　briefly　at　the　room　before…but　he　usually　had　a　good　memory　for　room　layouts；　and　his　wife　had　always　joked　that　Norman　could　find　his　way　around　any　kitchen。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　remember　a　refrigerator　in　the　galley。〃
〃I　never　really　noticed；　myself；〃　Beth　said。
〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　Norman　said；　〃this　whole　room　looks　different　to　me。　It　looks　bigger；　and…I　don't　know…different。〃
〃It's　'cause　you're　hungry。〃　Harry　grinned。
〃Maybe；〃　Norman　said。　Harry　could　actually　be　right。　In　the　sixties；　there　had　been　a　number　of　studies　of　visual　perception　which　demonstrated　that　subjects　interpreted　blurred　slides　according　to　their　predispositions。　Hungry　people　saw　all　the　slides　as　food。
But　this　room　really　did　look　different。　For　instance；　he　didn't　remember　the　door　to　the　galley　being　to　the　left；　as　＇＇249＇＇　it　was　now。　He　remembered　it　as　being　in　the　center　of　the　wall　separating　the　galley　from　the　bunks。
〃This　way；〃　Beth　said；　leading　them　farther　aft。　〃Actually；　the　refrigerator　was　what　got　me　thinking。　It's　one　thing　to　store　a　lot　of　food　on　a　test　ship　being　sent　through　a　black　hole。　But　to　stock　a　refrigerator…why　bother　to　do　that？　It　made　me　think；　there　might　be　a　crew　after　all。〃
They　entered　a　short；　glass…walled　tunnel。　Deep…purple　lights　glowed　down　on　them。　〃Ultraviolet；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　don't　know　what　it's　for。〃
〃Disinfection？〃
〃Maybe。〃
〃Maybe　it's　to　get　a　suntan；〃　Harry　said。　〃Vitamin　D。〃　Then　they　came　into　a　large　room　unlike　anything　Norman　had　ever　seen。　The　floor　glowed　purple；　bathing　the　room　in　ultraviolet　light　from　beneath。　Mounted　on　all　four　walls　were　a　series　of　wide　glass　tubes。　Inside　each　tube　was　a　narrow　silver　mattress。　The　tubes　all　appeared　empty。
〃Over　here；〃　Beth　said。
They　peered　through　one　glass　tube。　The　naked　woman　had　once　been　beautiful。　It　was　still　possible　to　see　that。　Her　skin　was　dark　brown　and　deeply　wrinkled；　her　body　withered。
〃Mummified？〃　Harry　said。
Beth　nodded。　〃Best　I　can　figure　out。　I　haven't　opened　the　tube；　considering　the　risk　of　infection。〃
〃What　was　this　room？〃　he　said；　looking　around。
〃It　must　be　some　kind　of　hibernation　chamber。　Each　tube　is　separately　connected　to　a　life…support　system…power　supply；　air　handlers；　heaters；　the　works…in　the　next　room。〃
Harry　counted。　〃Twenty　tubes；〃　he　said。
〃And　twenty　bunks；〃　Norman　said。
〃So　where　is　everybody　else？〃
Beth　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　know。〃
〃This　woman　is　the　only　one　left？〃
〃Looks　like　it。　I　haven't　found　any　others。〃
〃I　wonder　how　they　all　died；〃　Harry　said。
〃Have　you　been　to　the　sphere？〃　Norman　asked　Beth。
〃No。　Why？〃
＇＇250＇＇　〃Just　wondered。〃
〃You　mean；　you　wondered　if　the　crew　died　after　they　picked　up　the　sphere？〃
〃Basically；　yes。〃
〃I　don't　think　the　sphere　is　aggressive　or　dangerous　in　any　sense；〃　Beth　said。　〃It's　possible　that　the　crew　died　of　natural　causes　in　the　course　of　the　journey　itself。　This　woman；　for　example；　is　so　well　preserved　it　makes　you　wonder　about　radiation。　Maybe　she　got　a　large　dose　of　radiation。　There's　tremendous　radiation　around　a　black　hole。〃
〃You　think　the　crew　died　going　through　the　black　hole；　and　the　sphere　was　picked　up　automatically　by　the　spacecraft　later？〃
〃It's　possible。〃
〃She's　pretty　good…looking；〃　Harry　said；　peering　through　the　glass。　〃Boy；　the　reporters　would　go　crazy　with　this；　wouldn't　they？　Sexy　woman　from　the　future　found　nude　and　mummified。　Film　at　eleven。〃
〃She's　tall；　too；〃　Norman　said。　〃She　must　be　over　six　feet。〃
〃An　Amazon　woman；〃　Harry　said。　〃With　great　tits。〃
〃All　right；〃　Beth　said。
〃What's　wrong…offended　on　her　behalf？〃　Harry　said。
〃I　don't　think　there's　any　need　for　ments　of　that　kind。〃
〃Actually；　Beth；〃　Harry　said；　〃she　looks　a　little　like　you。〃
Beth　frowned。
〃I'm　serious。　Have　you　looked　at　her？〃
〃Don't　be　ridiculous。〃
Norman　peered　through　the　glass；　shielding　his　hand　against　the　reflection　of　the　purple　UV　tubes　in　the　floor。　The　mummified　woman　did　indeed　look　like　Beth…younger；　taller；　stronger；　but　like　Beth；　nevertheless。　〃He's　right；〃　Norman　said。
〃Maybe　she's　you；　from　the　future；〃　Harry　said。
〃No；　she's　obviously　in　her　twenties。〃
〃Maybe　she's　your　granddaughter。〃
〃Pretty　unlikely；〃　Beth　said。
〃You　never　know；〃　Harry　said。　〃Does　Jennifer　look　like　you？〃
〃Not　really。　But　she's　at　that　awkward　stage。　And　she　＇＇251＇＇　doesn't　look　like　that　woman。　And　neither　do　I。〃
Norman　was　struck　by　the　conviction　with　which　Beth　denied　any　resemblance　or　association　to　the　mummified　woman。　〃Beth；〃　he　said；　〃what　do　you　suppose　happened　here？　Why　is　this　woman　the　only　one　left？〃
〃I　think　she　was　important　to　the　expedition；〃　Beth　said。　〃Maybe　even　the　captain；　or　the　co…captain。　The　others　were　mostly　men。　And　they　did　something　foolish…I　don't　know　what…something　she　advised　them　against…and　as　a　result　they　all　died。　She　alone　remained　alive　in　this　spacecraft。　And　she　piloted　it　home。　But　there　was　something　wrong　with　her…something　she　couldn't　help…and　she　died。〃
〃What　was　wrong　with　her？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Something。〃
Fascinating；　Norman