Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第1部分
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〃His best work since The Andromeda Strain。〃
…Los Angeles Times Book Review
〃Michael Crichton has done what he does best： giving us supense for our nerve endings and enough scientific speculation to keep our brains working at the same time。〃
…Newsweek
〃A fast…paced adventure 。。。 Just when the reader is certain nothing more can go wrong for the hapless band of explorers； the author twists the screw a notch tighter。〃
…San Francisco Chronicle
＇＇more＇＇
〃Ingenious and beguiling。〃
…Time
〃With ＇＇this＇＇ thriller； Michael Crichton returns to the kind of high…tech setting he evoked so successfully in The Andromeda Strain。 。。。 Crichton keeps the action moving。 。。。 Sphere is a perfect book for the beach。〃
…The Cleveland Plain Dealer
〃Plumbs the frightening depths of perverted psychology 。。。 Few writers can make science as entertaining as does Crichton。 There is plenty of mystery and misdirection to sustain the suspense； and the plotting is always clever。 。。。 A thoughtful and thrilling probe into the murky depths of imagination。〃
…Boston Herald
〃Possibly his best。〃
…New York Daily News
〃Ingenious； fast…moving； well…written 。。。 Crichton has set up a provocative situation。〃
…Publishers Weekly
〃It's fun； interspersing healthy dollops of suspense and humor with observations about the state of humankind。 。。。 Crichton has a gift for using words frugally to paint vivid characters。 。。。 Pure reading pleasure。〃
…Baton Rouge Sunday Magazine
〃Don't start this book late at night。 It won't cause nightmares but it will cause lack of sleep。 At least until it's finished。〃
…Asbury Park Press
〃Intriguing 。。。 spirited 。。。 bounces merrily along from one surprise to the next。〃
…Kirkus Reviews
Books by Michael Crichton：
Fiction：
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN
THE TERMINAL MAN
THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY
EATERS OF THE DEAD
CONGO
SPHERE
JURASSIC PARK
RISING SUN
DISCLOSURE
THE LOST WORLD
AIRFRAME
Nonfiction：
FIVE PATIENTS
JASPER JOHNS
ELECTRONIC LIFE
TRAVELS
Books published by The Ballantine Publishing Group
are available at quantity discounts on bulk purchases
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sales use。 For details； please call 1…800…733…3000。
SPHERE
A Novel by
Michael Crichton
BALLANTINE BOOKS ？ NEW YORK
Sale of this book without a front cover may be unauthorized。 If this book is coverless； it may have been reported to the publisher as 〃unsold or destroyed〃 and neither the author nor the Publisher may have received payment for it。
Copyright （c）1987 by Michael Crichton
All rights reserved under International and Pan…American Copyright Conventions。 Published in the United States of America by Ballantine Books； a division of Random House； Inc。； New York； and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited； Toronto。
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number： 86…46321
//。randomhouse。
ISBN 0…345…35314…5
This edition published by arrangement with Alfred A。 Knopf； Inc。
Manufactured in the United States of America
First International Edition： February 1988 First U。S。 Edition： August 1988
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12
FOR LYNN NESBIT
When a scientist views things； he's not considering the incredible at all。
…LOUIS I。 KAHN
You can't fool nature。
…RICHARD FEYNMAN
During the preparation of this manuscript； I received help and encouragement from Caroline Conley； Kurt Villadsen； Lisa Plonsker； Valery Pine； Anne…Marie Martin； John Deubert； Lynn Nesbit； and Bob Gottlieb。 I am grateful to them all。
CONTENTS
THE SURFACE
1
THE DEEP
45
THE MONSTER
171
THE POWER
267
THE SURFACE
WEST OF TONGA
For a long time the horizon had been a monotonous flat blue line separating the Pacific Ocean from the sky。 The Navy helicopter raced forward； flying low； near the waves。 Despite the noise and the thumping vibration of the blades； Norman Johnson fell asleep。 He was tired； he had been traveling on various military aircraft for more than fourteen hours。 It was not the kind of thing a fifty…three…year…old professor of psychology was used to。
He had no idea how long he slept。 When he awoke； he saw that the horizon was still flat； there were white semicircles of coral atolls ahead。 He said over the inter； 〃What's this？〃
〃Islands of Ninihina and Tafahi；〃 the pilot said。 〃Technically part of Tonga； but they're uninhabited。 Good sleep？〃
〃Not bad。〃 Norman looked at the islands as they flashed by： a curve of white sand； a few palm trees； then gone。 The flat ocean again。
〃Where'd they bring you in from？〃 the pilot asked。
〃San Diego；〃 Norman said。 〃I left yesterday。〃
〃So you came Honolulu…Guam…Pago…here？〃
〃That's right。〃
〃Long trip；〃 the pilot said。 〃What kind of work you do； sir？〃
〃I'm a psychologist；〃 Norman said。
〃A shrink； huh？〃 The pilot grinned。 〃Why not？ They've called in just about everything else。〃
〃How do you mean？〃
〃We've been ferrying people out of Guam for the last two days。 Physicists； biologists； mathematicians； you name it。 Everybody being flown to the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean。〃
＇＇4＇＇ 〃What's going on？〃 Norman said。
The pilot glanced at him； eyes unreadable behind dark aviator sunglasses。 〃They're not telling us anything； sir。 What about you？ What'd they tell you？〃
〃They told me；〃 Norman said； 〃that there was an airplane crash。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 the pilot said。 〃You get called on crashes？〃
〃I have been； yes。〃
For a decade； Norman Johnson had been on the list of FAA crash…site teams； experts called on short notice to investigate civilian air disasters。 The first time had been at the United Airlines crash in San Diego in 1976； then he had been called to Chicago in '78； and Dallas in '82。 Each time the pattern was the same…the hurried telephone call； frantic packing； the absence for a week or more。 This time his wife； Ellen； had been annoyed because he was called away on July 1； which meant he would miss their July 4 beach barbecue。 Then； too； Tim was ing back from his sophomore year at Chicago； on his way to a summer job in the Cascades。 And Amy； now sixteen； was just back from Andover； and Amy and Ellen didn't get along very well if Norman wasn't there to mediate。 The Volvo was making noises again。 And it was possible Norman might miss his mother's birthday the following week。 〃What crash is it？〃 Ellen had said。 〃I haven't heard about any crash。〃 She turned on the radio while he packed。 There was no news on the radio of an airline crash。
When the car pulled up in front of his house； Norman had been surprised to see it was a Navy pool sedan； with a uniformed Navy driver。
〃They never sent a Navy car the other times；〃 Ellen said； following him down the stairs to the front door。 〃Is this a military crash？〃
〃I don't know；〃 he said。
〃When will you be back？〃
He kissed her。 〃I'll call you；〃 he said。 〃Promise。〃
But he hadn't called。 Everyone had been polite and pleasant； but they had kept him away from telephones。 First at Hickam Field in Honolulu； then at the Naval Air Station in Guam； where he had arrived at two in the morning； and had ＇＇5＇＇ spent half an hour in a room that smelled of aviation gasoline； staring dumbly at an issue of the American Journal of Psychology which he had brought with him； before flying on。 He arrived at Pago Pago just as dawn was breaking。 Norman was hurried onto the big Sea Knight helicopter； which immediately lifted off the cold tarmac and headed west； over palm trees and rusty corrugated rooftops； into the Pacific。
He had been on this helicopter for two hours； sleeping part of the time。 Ellen； and Tim and Amy and his mother's birthday； now seemed very far away。
〃Where exactly are we？〃
〃Between Samoa and Fiji in the South Pacific；〃 the pilot said。
〃Can you show me on the chart？〃
〃I'm not supposed to do that； sir。 Anyway； it wouldn't show much。 Right now you're two hundred miles from anywhere； sir。〃
Norman stared at the flat horizon； still blue and featureless。 I can believe it； he thought。 He yawned。 〃Don't you get bored looking at that？〃
〃To tell you the truth； no； sir；〃 the pilot said。 〃I'm real happy to see it flat like this。 At least we've got good weather。 And it won't hold。 There's a cyclone forming up in the Admiralties； should swing down thi
