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第63章

Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第63章

小说: Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说 字数: 每页4000字

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〃No; Norman; I can't。〃
And she began crying again。


He tried all the hatches; one after another。 B Cyl; locked。 C Cyl; locked。 D Cyl; locked。
〃Your attention; please。 Thirteen minutes and counting。〃 He was standing by E Cyl; which had been flooded in an earlier attack。 He saw the gaping; jagged tear in the outer cylinder surface。 The hole was large enough for him to climb through; but the edges were sharp; and if he tore his suit 。。。
''349'' No; he decided。 It was too risky。 He moved beneath E Cyl。 Was there a hatch?
He found a hatch; spun the wheel。 It opened easily。 He pushed the circular lid upward; heard it clang against the inner wall。
〃Norman? Is that you?〃
He hauled himself up; into E Cyl。 He was panting from the exertion; on his hands and knees on the deck of E Cyl。 He shut the hatch and locked it again; then took a moment to get his breath。
〃Your attention; please。 Twelve minutes and counting。〃
Jesus; he thought。 Already?
Something white drifted past his faceplate; startling him。 He pulled back; realized it was a box of corn flakes。 When he touched it; the cardboard disintegrated in his hands; the flakes like yellow snow。
He was in the kitchen。 Beyond the stove he saw another hatch; leading to D Cyl。 D Cyl was not flooded; which meant that he must somehow pressurize E Cyl。
He looked up; saw an overhead bulkhead hatch; leading to the living room with the gaping tear。 He climbed up quickly。 He needed to find gas; some kind of tanks。 The living room was dark; except for the reflected light from the floodlights; which filtered in through the tear。 Cushions and padding floated in the water。 Something touched him and he spun and saw dark hair streaming around a face; and as the hair moved he saw part of the face was missing; torn away grotesquely。
Tina。
Norman shuddered; pushed her body away。 It drifted off; moving upward。
〃Your attention; please。 Eleven minutes and counting。〃 It was all happening too fast; he thought。 There was hardly enough time left。 He needed to be inside the habitat now。 No tanks in the living room。 He climbed back down to the kitchen; shutting the hatch above。 He looked at the stove; the ovens。 He opened the oven door; and a burst of gas bubbled out。 Air trapped in the oven。
But that couldn't be right; he thought; because gas was still ''350'' ing out。 A trickle of bubbles continued to e from the open oven。
A steady trickle。
What had Barnes said about cooking under pressure? There was something unusual about it; he couldn't remember exactly。 Did they use gas? Yes; but they also needed more oxygen。 That meant
He pulled the stove away from the wall; grunting with exertion; and then he found it。 A squat bottle of propane; and two large blue tanks。
Oxygen tanks。
He twisted the Y…valves; his gloved fingers clumsy。 Gas began to roar out。 The bubbles rushed up to the ceiling; where the gas was trapped; the big air bubble that was forming。
He opened the second oxygen tank。 The water level fell rapidly; to his waist; then his knees。 Then it stopped。 The tanks must be empty。 No matter; the level was low enough。
〃Your attention; please。 Ten minutes and counting。〃 Norman opened the bulkhead door to D Cyl; and stepped through; into the habitat。


The light was dim。 A strange green; slimy mold covered the walls。
On the couch; Harry lay unconscious; the intravenous line still in his arm。 Norman pulled the needle out with a spurt of blood。 He shook Harry; trying to rouse him。
Harry's eyelids fluttered; but he was otherwise unresponsive。 Norman lifted him; put him over his shoulder; carried him through the habitat。
On the inter; Beth was still crying。 〃Norman; you shouldn't have e。〃
〃Where are you; Beth?〃
On the monitors; he read:
DETONATION SEQUENCE 09:32。
Counting backward。 The numbers seemed too to move fast。
''351'' 〃Take Harry and go; Norman。 Both of you go。 Leave me behind。〃
〃Tell me where you are; Beth。〃
He was moving through the habitat; from D to C Cyl。 He didn't see her anywhere。 Harry was a dead weight on his shoulder; making it difficult to get through the bulkhead doors。
〃It won't do any good; Norman。〃
〃e on; Beth。 。。。〃
〃I know I'm bad; Norman。 I know I can't be helped。〃
〃Beth 。。。〃 He was hearing her through the helmet radio; so he could not locate her by the sound。 But he could not risk removing his helmet。 Not now。
〃I deserve to die; Norman。〃
〃Cut it out; Beth。〃
〃Attention; please。 Nine minutes and counting。〃
A new alarm sounded; an intermittent beeping that became louder and more intense as the seconds ticked by。
He was in B Cyl; a maze of pipes and equipment。 Once clean and multicolored; now the slimy mold coated every surface。 In some places fibrous mossy strands hung down。 B Cyl looked like a jungle swamp。
〃Beth 。。。〃
She was silent now。 She must be in this room; he thought。 B Cyl had always been Beth's favorite place; the place where the habitat was controlled。 He put Harry on the deck; propped him against a wall。 But the wall was slippery and Harry slid down; banged his head。 He coughed; opened his eyes。
〃Jesus。 Norman?〃
Norman held his hand up; signaling Harry to be quiet。
〃Beth?〃 Norman said。
No answer。 Norman moved among the slimy pipes。
〃Beth?〃
〃Leave me; Norman。〃
〃I can't do that; Beth。 I'm taking you; too。〃
〃No。 I'm staying; Norman。〃
〃Beth;〃 he said; 〃there's no time for this。〃
〃I'm staying; Norman。 I deserve to stay。〃
''352'' He saw her。
Beth was huddled in the back; wedged among pipes; crying like a child。 She held one of the explosive…tipped spear guns in her hand。 She looked at him tearfully。
〃Oh; Norman;〃 she said。 〃You were going to leave us。 。。。〃
〃I'm sorry。 I was wrong。〃
He started toward her; holding out his hands to her。 She swung the spear gun around。 〃No; you were right。 You were right。 I want you to leave now。〃
Above her head he saw a glowing monitor; the numbers clicking inexorably backward: 08:27 。。。 08:26 。。。
He thought; I can change this。 I want the numbers to stop counting。
The numbers did not stop。
〃You can't fight me; Norman;〃 she said; huddled in the corner。 Her eyes blazed with furious energy。
〃I can see that。〃
〃There isn't much time; Norman。 I want you to leave。〃 She held the gun; pointed firmly toward him。 He had a sudden sense of the absurdity of it all; that he had e back to rescue someone who didn't want to be rescued。 What could he do now? Beth was wedged back in there; beyond his reach; beyond his help。 There was barely enough time for him to get away; let alone to take Harry。 。。。
Harry; he thought suddenly。 Where was Harry now? I want Harry to help me。
But he wondered if there was time; the numbers were clicking backward; there was hardly more than eight minutes; now。 。。。
〃I came back for you; Beth。〃
〃Go;〃 she said。 〃Go now; Norman。〃
〃But; Beth…〃
〃…No; Norman! I mean it! Go! Why don't you go?〃 And then she began to get suspicious; she started to look around; and at that moment Harry stood up behind her; and swung the big wrench down on her head; and there was a sickening thud; and she fell。
〃Did I kill her?〃 Harry said。
''353'' And the deep male voice said; 〃Attention; please。 Eight minutes and counting。〃


Norman concentrated on the clock as it ticked backwards。 Stop。 Stop the countdown。
But when he looked again; the clock was still ticking backwards。 And the alarm: Was the alarm interfering with his concentration? He tried again。
Stop now。 The countdown will stop now。 The countdown has stopped。
〃Forget it;〃 Harry said。 〃It won't work。〃
〃But it should work;〃 Norman said。
〃No;〃 Harry said。 〃Because she's not pletely unconscious。〃
On the floor at their feet; Beth groaned。 Her leg moved。 〃She's still able to control it; somehow;〃 Norman said。 〃She's very strong。〃
〃Can we inject her?〃
Norman shook his head。 There was no time to go back for the syringe。 Anyway; if they injected her and it didn't work; it would be time wasted…
〃Hit her again?〃 Harry said。 〃Harder? Kill her?〃
〃No;〃 Norman said。
〃Killing her is the only way…〃
〃…No;〃 Norman said; thinking; We didn't kill you; Harry; when we had the chance。
〃If you won't kill her; then you can't do anything about that timer;〃 Harry said。 〃So we better get the hell out。〃
They ran for the airlock。


〃How much time is left'?〃 Harry said。 They were in the A Cyl airlock; trying to put the suit on Beth。 She was groaning; blood was matted on the back of her head。 Beth struggled a little; making it more difficult。
〃Jesus; Beth…how much time; Norman?〃
〃Seven and a half minutes; maybe less。〃
Her legs were in; they quickly pushed her arms in; zipped ''354'' up the chest。 They turned on her air。 Norman helped Harry with his suit。
〃Attention; please。 Seven minutes and counting。〃
Harry said; 〃How much time you figure to get to the surface?〃
〃Two and a half minutes; after we get inside the sub;〃 Norman said。
〃Great;〃 Harry said。
Norman snapped Harry's helmet locked。 〃Let's go。〃 Harry descended into the water; and Norman lowered Beth's unconscious body。 She was heavy with the tank and weights。
〃e on; Norman!〃
Norman plunged into the water。


At the submarine; Norman climbed up to the hatch entrance; but the untethered sub rolled unpredictably with his weight。 Harry; standing on the bottom; tried to push Beth up toward Norman; but Beth kept

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