Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第54章

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〃I　don't　know；　I　thought…I　don't　know　。。。〃　He　trailed　off。
〃You　thought　we　were　under　attack　again？〃　she　said。
He　nodded。
＇＇299＇＇　〃Why　would　you　think　that；　Norman？〃　she　said。
Beth　was　looking　at　him　again　in　that　odd　way。　An　appraising　way；　her　stare　very　direct　and　cool。　There　was　no　hint　of　seductiveness　to　her。　If　anything；　she　conveyed　the　suspiciousness　of　the　old　Beth：　You're　a　man；　and　you're　a　problem。
〃Harry's　still　unconscious；　isn't　he？　So　why　would　you　think　we　were　being　attacked？〃
〃I　don't　know。　I　guess　I　was　dreaming。〃
Beth　shrugged。　〃Maybe　you　felt　the　vibration　of　me　walking　on　the　floor；〃　she　said。　〃Anyway；　I'm　glad　you　decided　to　sleep。〃
That　same　appraising　stare。　As　if　there　were　something　wrong　with　him。
〃You　haven't　slept　enough；　Norman。〃
〃None　of　us　have。〃
〃You；　particularly。〃
〃Maybe　you're　right。〃　He　had　to　admit　he　felt　better　now　that　he　had　slept　for　a　couple　of　hours。　He　smiled。　〃Did　you　eat　all　the　coffee　and　Danish？〃
〃There　isn't　any　coffee　and　Danish；　Norman。〃
〃I　know。〃
〃Then　why　would　you　say　that？〃　she　asked　seriously。
〃It　was　a　joke；　Beth。〃
〃Oh。〃
〃Just　a　joke。　You　know；　a　humorous　reflection　on　our　condition？〃
〃I　see。〃　She　was　working　with　the　screens。　〃By　the　way；　what　did　you　find　out　about　the　balloon？〃
〃The　balloon？〃
〃The　surface　balloon。　Remember　we　talked　about　it？〃　He　shook　his　head。　He　didn't　remember。
〃Before　I　went　out　to　the　sub；　I　asked　about　the　control　codes　to　send　a　balloon　to　the　surface；　and　you　said　you'd　look　in　the　puter　and　see　if　you　could　find　how　to　do　it。〃
〃I　did？〃
〃Yes；　Norman。　You　did。〃
He　thought　back。　He　remembered　how　he　and　Beth　had　＇＇300＇＇　lifted　Harry's　inert；　surprisingly　heavy　body　off　the　floor；　setting　him　on　the　couch；　and　how　they　had　staunched　the　flow　of　blood　from　his　nose　while　Beth　had　started　an　intravenous　line；　which　she　knew　how　to　do　from　her　work　with　lab　animals。　In　fact；　she　had　made　a　joke；　saying　she　hoped　Harry　fared　better　than　her　lab　animals；　since　they　usually　ended　up　dead。　Then　Beth　had　volunteered　to　go　to　the　sub；　and　he　had　said　he'd　stay　with　Harry。　That　was　what　he　remembered。　Nothing　about　any　balloons。
〃Sure；〃　Beth　said。　〃Because　the　munication　said　we　were　supposed　to　acknowledge　transmission；　and　that　means　a　radio　balloon　sent　to　the　surface。　And　we　figured；　with　the　storm　abating；　the　surface　conditions　must　be　calm　enough　to　allow　the　balloon　to　ride　without　snapping　the　wire。　So　it　was　a　question　of　how　to　release　the　balloons。　And　you　said　you'd　look　for　the　control　mands。〃
〃I　really　don't　remember；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　sorry。〃
〃Norman；　we　have　to　work　together　in　these　last　few　hours；〃　Beth　said。
〃I　agree；　Beth。　Absolutely。〃
〃How　are　you　feeling　now？〃　she　said。
〃Okay。　Pretty　good；　in　fact。〃
〃Good；〃　she　said。　〃Hang　in　there；　Norman。　It's　only　a　few　more　hours。〃
She　hugged　him　warmly；　but　when　she　released　him；　he　saw　in　her　eyes　that　same　detached；　appraising　look。


An　hour　later；　they　figured　out　how　to　release　the　balloon。　They　distantly　heard　a　metallic　sizzle　as　the　wire　unwound　from　the　outside　spool；　trailing　behind　the　inflated　balloon　as　it　shot　toward　the　surface。　Then　there　was　a　long　pause。
〃What's　happening？〃　Norman　said。
〃We're　a　thousand　feet　down；〃　Beth　said。　〃It　takes　a　while　for　the　balloon　to　get　to　the　surface。〃
Then　the　screen　changed；　and　they　got　a　readout　of　surface　conditions。　Wind　was　down　to　fifteen　knots。　Waves　were　＇＇301＇＇　running　six　feet。　Barometric　pressure　was　20。9。　Sunlight　was　recorded。
〃Good　news；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　surface　is　okay。〃
Norman　was　staring　at　the　screen；　thinking　about　the　fact　that　sunlight　was　recorded。　He　had　never　longed　for　sunlight　before。　It　was　funny；　what　you　took　for　granted。　Now　the　thought　of　seeing　sunlight　struck　him　as　unbelievably　pleasurable。　He　could　imagine　no　greater　joy　than　to　see　sun　and　clouds；　and　blue　sky。
〃What　are　you　thinking？〃
〃I'm　thinking　I　can't　wait　to　get　out　of　here。〃
〃Me；　too；〃　Beth　said。　〃But　it　won't　be　long　now。〃


Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
Norman　was　checking　Harry；　and　he　spun　at　the　sound。　〃What　is　it；　Beth？〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Take　it　easy；〃　Beth　said；　at　the　console。　〃I'm　just　figuring　out　how　to　work　this　thing。〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Work　what？〃
〃The　side…scanning　sonar。　False…aperture　sonar。　I　don't　know　why　they　call　it　'false…aperture。'　Do　you　know　what　that　refers　to；　'false…aperture'？〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃No；　I　don't；〃　Norman　said。　〃Turn　it　off；　please。〃　The　sound　was　unnerving。
〃It's　marked　'FAS；'　which　I　think　stands　for　'false…aperture　sonar；'　but　it　also　says　'side…　scanning。'　It's　very　confusing。〃
〃Beth；　turn　it　off！〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Sure；　of　course；〃　Beth　said。
〃Why　do　you　want　to　know　how　to　work　that；　anyway？〃　Norman　said。　He　felt　irritable；　as　if　she'd　intentionally　annoyed　him　with　that　sound。
〃Just　in　case；〃　Beth　said。
〃In　case　what；　for　Christ's　sake？　You　said　yourself　that　＇＇302＇＇　Harry's　unconscious。　There　aren't　going　to　be　any　more　attacks。〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Norman；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　want　to　be　prepared；　that's　all。〃

0720　HOURS

He　couldn't　talk　her　out　of　it。　She　insisted　on　going　outside　and　wiring　the　explosives　around　the　ship。　It　was　an　absolutely　fixed　idea　in　her　mind。
〃But　why；　Beth？〃　he　kept　saying。
〃Because　I'll　feel　better　after　I　do　it；〃　she　said。
〃But　there　isn't　any　reason　to　do　it。〃
〃I'll　feel　better　if　I　do；〃　she　insisted；　and　in　the　end　he　couldn't　stop　her。
He　saw　her　now；　a　small　figure　with　a　single　glowing　light　from　her　helmet；　moving　from　one　crate　of　explosives　to　another。　She　opened　each　crate　and　removed　large　yellow　cones　which　looked　rather　like　the　cones　that　highway　repair　trucks　used。　These　cones　were　wired　together；　and　when　the　wiring　was　pleted　a　small　red　light　glowed　at　the　tip。
He　saw　small　red　lights　all　up　and　down　the　length　of　the　ship。　It　made　him　uneasy。
When　she　left；　he　had　said　to　her；　〃But　you　won't　wire　up　the　explosives　near　the　habitat。〃
〃No；　Norman。　I　won't。〃
〃Promise　me。〃
〃I　told　you；　I　won't。　If　it's　going　to　upset　you；　I　won't。〃
〃It's　going　to　upset　me。〃
〃Okay；　okay。〃
Now　the　red　lights　were　strung　along　the　length　of　the　ship；　starting　at　the　dimly　visible　tail；　which　rose　out　of　the　coral　＇＇303＇＇　bottom。　Beth　moved　farther　north；　toward　the　rest　of　the　unopened　crates。
Norman　looked　at　Harry；　who　snored　loudly　but　who　remained　unconscious。　He　paced　back　and　forth　in　D　Cyl；　and　then　went　to　the　monitors。
The　screen　blinked。
I　AM　ING。
Oh　God；　he　thought。　And　in　the　next　moment　he　thought；　How　can　this　be　happening？　It　can't　be　happening。　Harry　was　still　out　cold。　How　could　it　be　happening？
I　AM　ING　FOR　YOU。
〃Beth！〃
Her　voice　sounded　tinny　on　the　inter。
〃Yes；　Norman。〃
〃Get　the　hell　out　of　there。〃
DO　NOT　BE　AFRAID；　the　screen　said。
〃What　is　it；　Norman？〃　she　said。
〃I'm　getting　something　on　the　screen。〃
〃Check　Harry。　He　must　be　waking　up。〃
〃He's　not。　Get　back　here；　Beth。〃
I　AM　ING　NOW。
〃All　right；　Norman；　I'm　heading　back；〃　she　said。
〃Fast；　Beth。〃
But　he　didn't　need　to　say　that；　already　he　could　see　her　light　bouncing　as　she　ran　across　the　bottom。　She　was　at　least　a　hundred　yards　from　the　habitat。　He　heard　her　breathing　hard　on　the　inter。
〃Can　you　see　anything；　Norman？〃
〃No；　nothing。〃　He　was　straining　to　look　toward　the　horizon；　where　the　squid　had　always　appeared。　The　first　thing　had　always　been　a　green　glow　on　the　horizon。　But　he　saw　no　glow　now。
Beth　was　panting。
〃I　can　feel　something；　Norman。　I　feel　the　water　。。。　surging　。。。　strong。　。。。〃
The　screen　flashed：
I　WILL　KILL　YOU。
〃Don't　you　see　anything　out　here？〃　Beth　said。
〃No。　I　don't　see　anything　at　all。〃　He　saw　Beth；　alone　on　the　muddy　bottom。　Her　light　the　solitary　focus　of　his　attention。
＇＇304＇＇　〃I　can　feel　it；　Norman。　It's　close。　Jesus　God。　What　about　the　alarms？〃
〃Nothing；　Beth。〃
〃Jesus。〃　Her　breath　came　in　hissing　gasps　as　she　ran。　Beth　was　in　good　shape；　but　she　couldn't　exert　herself　like　that　in　this　atmosphere。　Not　for　long；　he　thought。　Already　he　could　see　she　was　moving　more　slowly；　the　helmet　lamp　bobbing　more　slowly。
〃Norman？〃
〃Yes；　Beth。　I'm　here。〃
〃Norman；　I　don't　know　if　I　can　make　it。〃
〃Beth；　you　can　make　it。　Slow　down。〃
〃It's　here；　I　can　feel　it。〃
〃I　don't　see　anything；　Beth。〃
He　heard　a　rapid　sharp　clicking　sound。　At　first　he　thought　it　was　static　on　the　line；　and　then　he　realized　it　was　her　teeth　chattering　as　she　shivered。　With　this　exertion　she　should　be　getting　overheated；　but　instead　she　was　getting　cold。　He　didn't　understand。
〃…cold；　Norman。〃
〃Slow　down；　Beth。〃
〃Can't…talking…close…〃
She　was　slowing　down；　despite　herself。　She　had　e　into　the　area　of　the　habitat　lights；　and　she　was　no　more　than　ten　yards　from　the　hatch；　but　he　could　see　her　limbs　moving　slowly；　clumsily。
And　now　at　last　he　could　see　something　swirling　the　muddy　sediment　behind　her；　in　the　darkness　beyond　the　lights。　It　was　like　a　tornado；　a　swirling　cloud　of　muddy　sediment。　He　couldn't　see　what　was　inside　the　cloud；　but　he　sensed　the　power　within　it。
〃Close…Nor…〃
Beth　stumbled；　fell。　The　swirling　cloud　moved　toward　her。
I　WILL　KILL　YOU　NOW。
Beth　got　to　her　feet；　looked　back；　saw　the　churning　cloud　bearing　down　on　her。　Something　about　it　filled　Norman　with　a　deep　horror；　a　horror　from　childho