Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第51章
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〃I am not sure you can; Jerry。〃
YES。 I CAN。
〃Then prove it。 Stop this sport of manifestations。〃 There was a long pause。 They waited for the response。
NORMAN YOUR TRICKS OF MANIPULATION ARE CHILDISH AND OBVIOUS TO THE POINT OF TEDIUM。 I ''281'' AM NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING WITH YOU FURTHER。 I WILL DO EXACTLY AS I PLEASE AND I WILL MANIFEST AS I WISH。
〃Our habitat cannot withstand more manifestations; Jerry…〃
I DO NOT CARE。
〃If you injure our habitat again; Harry will die。〃
Harry said; 〃Me and everybody else; for Christ's sake。〃
I DO NOT CARE NORMAN。
〃Why would you kill us; Jerry?〃
YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOWN HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE。 YOU PEOPLE DO NOT BELONG HERE。 YOU ARE ARROGANT CREATURES WHO INTRUDE EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND YOU HAVE TAKEN A GREAT FOOLISH RISK AND NOW YOU MUST PAY THE PRICE。 YOU ARE AN UNCARING UNFEELING SPECIES WITH NO LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER。
〃That's not true; Jerry。〃
DO NOT CONTRADICT ME AGAIN; NORMAN。
〃I'm sorry; but the unfeeling; uncaring person is you; Jerry。 You do not care if you injure us。 You do not care for our predicament。 It is you who are uncaring; Jerry。 Not us。 You。〃
ENOUGH。
〃He's not going to talk to you any more;〃 Harry said。 〃He's really mad; Norman。〃
And then the screen printed:
I WILL KILL YOU ALL。
Norman was sweating; he wiped his forehead; turned away from the words on the screen。
〃I don't think you can talk to this guy;〃 Beth said。 〃I don't think you can reason with him。〃
〃You shouldn't have made him angry;〃 Harry said。 He was almost pleading。 〃Why did you make him angry like that; Norman?〃
〃I had to tell him the truth。〃
''282'' 〃But you were so mean to him; and now he's angry。〃
〃It doesn't matter; angry or not;〃 Beth said。 〃Harry attacked us before; when he wasn't angry。〃
〃You mean Jerry;〃 Norman said to her。 〃Jerry attacked us。〃
〃Yes; right; Jerry。〃
〃That's a hell of a mistake to make; Beth;〃 Harry said。
〃You're right; Harry。 I'm sorry。〃
Harry was looking at her in an odd way。 Norman thought; Harry doesn't miss a trick; and he isn't going to let that one go by。
〃I don't know how you could make that confusion;〃 Harry said。
〃I know。 It was a slip of the tongue。 It was stupid of me。〃
〃I'll say。〃
〃I'm sorry;〃 Beth said。 〃Really I am。〃
〃Never mind;〃 Harry said。 〃It doesn't matter。〃
There was a sudden flatness in his manner; a plete indifference in his tone。 Norman thought: Uh…oh。
Harry yawned and stretched。 〃You know;〃 he said; 〃I'm suddenly very tired。 I think I'll take a nap now。〃
And he went off to the bunks。
1600 HOURS
〃We have to do something;〃 Beth said。 〃We can't talk him out of it。〃
〃You're right;〃 Norman said。 〃We can't。〃
Beth tapped the screen。 The words still glowed: I WILL KILL YOU ALL。
〃Do you think he means it?〃
〃Yes。〃
''283'' Beth stood; clenched her fists。 〃So it's him or us。〃
〃Yes。 I think so。〃
The implications hung in the air; unspoken。
〃This manifesting process of his;〃 Beth said。 〃Do you think he has to be pletely unconscious to prevent it from happening?〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Or dead;〃 Beth said。
〃Yes;〃 Norman said。 That had occurred to him。 It seemed so improbable; such an unlikely turn of events in his life; that he would now be a thousand feet under the water; contemplating the murder of another human being。 Yet that was what he was doing。
〃I'd hate to kill him;〃 Beth said。
〃Me; too。〃
〃I mean; I wouldn't even know how to begin to do it。〃
〃Maybe we don't have to kill him;〃 Norman said。 〃Maybe we don't have to kill him unless he starts some thing;〃 Beth said。 Then she shook her head。 〃Oh hell; Norman; who're we kidding? This habitat can't survive another attack。 We've got to kill him。 I just don't want to face up to it。〃
〃Neither do I;〃 Norman said。
〃We could get one of those explosive spear guns and have an unfortunate accident。 And then just wait for our time to be up; for the Navy to e and get us out of here。〃
〃I don't want to do that。〃
〃I don't; either;〃 Beth said。 〃But what else can we do?〃 〃We don't have to kill him;〃 Norman said。 〃Just make him unconscious。〃 He went to the first…aid cabinet; started going through the medicines。
〃You think there might be something there?〃 Beth said。
〃Maybe。 An anesthetic; I don't know。〃
〃Would that work?〃
〃I think anything that produces unconsciousness will work。 I think。〃
〃I hope you're right;〃 Beth said; 〃because if he starts dreaming and then manifests the monsters from his dreams; that wouldn't be very good。〃
''284'' 〃No。 But anesthesia produces a dreamless; total state of unconsciousness。〃 Norman was looking at the labels on the bottles。 〃Do you know what these things are?〃
〃No;〃 Beth said; 〃but it's all in the puter。〃 She sat down at the console。 〃Read me the names and I'll look them up for you。〃
〃Diphenyl paralene。
Beth pushed buttons; scanned a screen of dense text。 〃It's; uh 。。。 looks like 。。。 something for burns。〃
〃Ephedrine hydrochloride。〃
Another screen。 〃It's 。。。 I guess it's for motion sickness。〃
〃Valdomet。〃
〃It's for ulcers。〃
〃Sintag。〃
〃Synthetic opium analogue。 It's very short…acting。〃
〃Produces unconsciousness?〃 Norman asked。
〃No。 Not according to this。 Anyway; it only lasts a few minutes。〃
〃Tarazine。〃
〃Tranquilizer。 Causes drowsiness。〃
〃Good。〃 He set the bottle to one side。
〃 'And may also cause bizarre ideation。' 〃
〃No;〃 he said; and put the bottle back。 They didn't need to have any bizarre ideation。 〃Riordan?〃
〃Antihistamine。 For bites。〃
〃Oxalamine?〃
〃Antibiotic。〃
〃Chloramphenicol?〃
〃Another antibiotic。〃
〃Damn。〃 They were running out of bottles。 〃Parasolutrine?〃
〃It's a soporific。 。。。〃
〃What's that?〃
〃Causes sleep。〃
〃You mean it's a sleeping pill?〃
〃No; it's…it says you can give it in bination with paracin trichloride and use it as an anesthetic。〃
〃Paracin trichloride 。。。 Yes。 I have it here;〃 Norman said。 Beth was reading from the screen。 〃Parasolutrine twenty ''285'' cc's in bination with paracin six cc's given IM produces deep sleep suitable for emergency surgical procedures 。。。 no cardiac side effects 。。。 sleep from which the subject can be awakened only with difficulty 。。。 REM activity is suppressed。 。。。〃
〃How long does it last?〃
〃Three to six hours。〃
〃And how fast does it take effect?〃
She frowned。 〃It doesn't say。 'After appropriate depth of anesthesia is induced; even extensive surgical procedures may be begun 。。。' But it doesn't say how long it takes。〃
〃Hell;〃 Norman said。
〃It's probably fast;〃 Beth said。
〃But what if it isn't?〃 Norman said。 〃What if it takes twenty minutes? And can you fight it? Fight it off?〃
She shook her head。 〃Nothing about that here。〃
In the end they decided on a mixture of parasolutrine; paracin; dulcinea; and sintag; the opiate。 Norman filled a large syringe with the clear liquids。 The syringe was so big it looked like something for horses。
〃You think it might kill him?〃 Beth said。
〃I don't know。 Do we have a choice?〃
〃No;〃 Beth said。 〃We've got to do it。 Have you ever given an injection before?〃
Norman shook his head。 〃You?〃
〃Only lab animals。〃
〃Where do I stick it?〃
〃Do it in the shoulder;〃 Beth said。 〃While he's asleep。〃 Norman turned the syringe up to the light; and squirted a few drops from the needle into the air。 〃Okay;〃 he said。
〃I better e with you;〃 Beth said; 〃and hold him down。〃
〃No;〃 Norman said。 〃If he's awake and sees both of us ing; he'll be suspicious。 Remember; you don't sleep in the bunks any more。〃
〃But what if he gets violent?〃
〃I think I can handle this。〃
〃Okay; Norman。 Whatever you say。〃
* * *
''286'' The lights in the corridor of C Cyl seemed unnaturally bright。 Norman heard his feet padding on the carpet; heard the constant hum of the air handlers and the space heaters。 He felt the weight of the syringe concealed in his palm。 He came to the door to the sleeping quarters。
Two female Navy crewmen were standing outside the bulkhead door。 They snapped to attention as he approached。 〃Dr。 Johnson; sir!〃
Norman paused。 The women were handsome; black; and muscular…looking。 〃At ease; men;〃 Norman said with a smile。
They did not relax。 〃Sorry; sir! We have our orders; sir!〃 〃I see;〃 Norman said。 〃Well; carry on; then。〃 He started to move past them into the sleeping area。
〃Beg your pardon; Dr。 Johnson; sir!〃 They barred his way。
〃What is it?〃 Norman asked; as innocently as he could manage。
〃This area is off…limits to all personnel; sir!〃
〃But I want to go to sleep。〃
〃Very sorry; Dr。 Johnson; sir! No one may disturb Dr。 Adams while he sleeps; sir!〃
〃I won't disturb Dr。 Adams。〃
〃Sorry; Dr。 Johnson; sir! May we see what is in your hand; sir!〃
〃In my hand?〃
〃Yes; there is something in your hand; sir!〃
Their snapping; machine…gun delivery; always punctuated by the 〃sir!〃 at the end; was getting on his nerves。 He looked at them again。 The starched uniforms covered powerful muscles。 He didn't think he could force his way past them。 Beyond the door he saw Harry; lying on his back; snoring。 It was a perfect moment to inject him。
〃Dr。 Johnson; may we see what is in your hand; sir!〃
〃No; damn it; you may not。〃
〃Very good; Sir!〃
Norman turned; and walked back to D Cyl。
* * *
〃I saw;〃 Beth said; nodding to the monitor。
Norman looked at the monitor; at the two women in the corridor。 Then he looked at the adjacent monitor; which showed the sphere。
〃The sphere h