Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第15部分

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〃Shall　I　try　the　probe？〃
〃Try　the　probe。〃
The　claw　hand　moved　back；　and　a　thin　needle　probe　extended　out　toward　the　button。　The　probe　slid　forward；　adjusted　position　delicately；　touched　the　button。　It　pushed…and　slipped　off。
〃Trying　again；　sir。〃
The　probe　again　pressed　the　button；　and　again　slid　off。
〃Sir；　the　surface　is　too　slippery。〃
〃Keep　trying。〃
〃You　know；〃　Ted　said　thoughtfully；　〃this　is　still　a　remarkable　situation。　In　one　sense；　it's　even　more　remarkable　than　contact　with　extraterrestrials。　I　was　already　quite　certain　that　extraterrestrial　life　exists　in　the　universe。　But　time　travel！　Frankly；　as　an　astrophysicist　I　had　my　doubts。　From　everything　we　know；　it's　impossible；　contradicted　by　the　laws　of　physics。　And　yet　now　we　have　proof　that　time　travel　is　possible…and　that　our　own　species　will　do　it　in　the　future！〃
Ted　was　smiling；　wide…eyed；　and　happy　again。　You　had　to　＇＇68＇＇　admire　him；　Norman　thought…he　was　so　wonderfully　irrepressible。
〃And　here　we　are；〃　Ted　said；　〃on　the　threshold　of　our　first　contact　with　our　species　from　the　future！　Think　of　it！　We　are　going　to　meet　ourselves　from　some　future　time！〃
The　probe　pressed　again；　and　again；　without　success。
〃Sir；　we　cannot　impact　the　button。〃
〃I　see　that；〃　Barnes　said；　standing　up。　〃Okay；　shut　it　down　and　get　it　out　of　there。　Ted；　looks　like　you're　going　to　get　your　wish　after　all。　We'll　have　to　go　in　and　open　it　up　manually。　Let's　suit　up。〃

INTO　THE　SHIP

In　the　changing　room　in　cylinder　A；　Norman　stepped　into　his　suit。　Tina　and　Edmunds　helped　fit　the　helmet　over　his　head；　and　snap…locked　the　ring　at　the　neck。　He　felt　the　heavy　weight　of　the　rebreather　tanks　on　his　back；　the　straps　pressed　into　his　shoulders。　He　tasted　metallic　air。　There　was　a　crackle　as　his　helmet　inter　came　on。
The　first　words　he　heard　were　〃What　about　'At　the　threshold　of　a　great　opportunity　for　the　human　species'？〃　Norman　laughed；　grateful　for　the　break　in　the　tension。
〃You　find　it　funny？〃　Ted　asked；　offended。
Norman　looked　across　the　room　at　the　suited　man　with　〃FIELDING〃　stenciled　on　his　yellow　helmet。
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃I'm　just　nervous。〃
〃Me；　too；〃　Beth　said。
〃Nothing　to　it；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Trust　me。〃
〃What　are　the　three　biggest　lies　in　DH…8？〃　Harry　said；　and　they　laughed　again。
They　crowded　together　into　the　tiny　airlock；　bumping　helmeted　heads；　and　the　bulkhead　hatch　to　the　left　was　sealed；　＇＇69＇＇　the　wheel　spinning。　Barnes　said；　〃Okay；　folks；　just　breathe　easy。〃　He　opened　the　lower　hatch；　exposing　black　water。　The　water　did　not　rise　into　the　partment。　〃The　habitat's　on　positive　pressure；〃　Barnes　said。　〃The　level　won't　e　up。　Now　watch　me；　and　do　this　the　way　I　do。　You　don't　want　to　tear　your　suit。〃　Moving　awkwardly　with　the　weight　of　the　tanks；　he　crouched　down　by　the　hatch；　gripped　the　side　handholds；　and　let　go；　disappearing　with　a　soft　splash。
One　by　one；　they　dropped　down　to　the　floor　of　the　ocean。　Norman　gasped　as　near…freezing　water　enveloped　his　suit；　immediately　he　heard　the　hum　of　a　tiny　fan　as　the　electrical　heaters　in　his　suit　activated。　His　feet　touched　soft　muddy　ground。　He　looked　around　in　the　darkness。　He　was　standing　beneath　the　habitat。　Directly　ahead；　a　hundred　yards　away；　was　the　glowing　rectangular　grid。　Barnes　was　already　striding　forward；　leaning　into　the　current；　moving　slowly　like　a　man　on　the　moon。
〃Isn't　this　fantastic？〃
〃Calm　down；　Ted；〃　Harry　said。
Beth　said；　〃Actually；　it's　odd　how　little　life　there　is　down　here。　Have　you　noticed？　Not　a　sea　fan；　not　a　slug；　not　a　sponge；　not　a　solitary　fish。　Nothing　but　empty　brown　sea　floor。　This　must　be　one　of　those　dead　spots　in　the　Pacific。〃
A　bright　light　came　on　behind　him；　Norman's　own　shadow　was　cast　forward　on　the　bottom。　He　looked　back　and　saw　Edmunds　holding　a　camera　and　light　in　a　bulky　waterproof　housing。
〃We　recording　all　this？〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃
〃Try　not　to　fall　down；　Norman；〃　Beth　laughed。　
〃I'm　trying。〃
They　were　closer　now　to　the　grid。　Norman　felt　better　seeing　the　other　divers　working　there。　To　the　right　was　the　high　fin；　extending　out　of　the　coral；　an　enormous；　smooth　dark　surface　dwarfing　them　as　it　rose　toward　the　surface。
Barnes　led　them　past　the　fin　and　down　into　a　tunnel　cut　in　the　coral。　The　tunnel　was　sixty　feet　long；　narrow；　strung　with　lights。　They　walked　single　file。　It　felt　like　going　down　into　a　mine；　Norman　thought。
＇＇70＇＇　〃This　what　the　divers　cut？〃
〃That's　right。〃
Norman　saw　a　boxy；　corrugated…steel　structure　surrounded　by　pressure　tanks。
〃Airlock　ahead。　We're　almost　there；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Everybody　okay？〃
〃So　far；〃　Harry　said。
They　entered　the　airlock；　and　Barnes　closed　the　door。　Air　hissed　loudly。　Norman　watched　the　water　recede；　down　past　his　faceplate；　then　his　waist；　his　knees；　then　to　the　floor。　The　hissing　stopped；　and　they　passed　through　another　door；　sealing　it　behind　them。
Norman　turned　to　the　metal　hull　of　the　spaceship。　The　robot　had　been　moved　aside。　Norman　felt　very　much　as　if　he　were　standing　alongside　a　big　jetliner…a　curved　metal　surface；　and　a　flush　door。　The　metal　was　a　dull　gray；　which　gave　it　an　ominous　quality。　Despite　himself；　Norman　was　nervous。　Listening　to　the　way　the　others　were　breathing；　he　sensed　they　were　nervous；　too。
〃Okay？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Everybody　here？〃　
Edmunds　said；　〃Wait　for　video；　please；　sir。〃　
〃Okay。　Waiting。〃
They　all　lined　up　beside　the　door；　but　they　still　had　their　helmets　on。　It　wasn't　going　to　be　much　of　a　picture；　Norman　thought。
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　running。〃　
Ted：　〃I'd　like　to　say　a　few　words。〃
Harry：　〃Jesus；　Ted。　Can't　you　ever　let　up？〃
Ted：　〃I　think　it's　important。〃
Harry：　〃Go　ahead；　make　your　speech。〃
Ted：　〃Hello。　This　is　Ted　Fielding；　here　at　the　door　of　the　unknown　spacecraft　which　has　been　discovered…〃
Barnes：　〃Wait　a　minute；　Ted。　'Here　at　the　door　of　the　unknown　spacecraft'　sounds　like　'here　at　the　tomb　of　the　unknown　soldier。'　〃
Ted：　〃You　don't　like　it？〃
Barnes：　〃Well；　I　think　it　has　the　wrong　associations。〃
Ted：　〃I　thought　you　would　like　it。〃
Beth：　〃Can　we　just　get　on　with　it；　please？〃
＇＇71＇＇　Ted：　〃Never　mind。〃
Harry：　〃What；　are　you　going　to　pout　now？〃
Ted：　〃Never　mind。　We'll　do　without　any　mentary　on　this　historic　moment。〃
Harry：　〃Okay；　fine。　Let's　get　it　open。〃
Ted：　〃I　think　everybody　knows　how　I　feel。　I　feel　that　we　should　have　some　brief　remarks　for　posterity。〃
Harry：　〃Well；　make　your　goddamn　remarks！〃
Ted：　〃Listen；　you　son　of　a　bitch；　I've　had　about　enough　of　your　superior；　know…it…all　attitude…〃
Barnes：　〃Stop　tape；　please。〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　stopped；　sir。〃
Barnes：　〃Let's　everyone　settle　down。〃
Harry：　〃I　consider　all　this　ceremony　utterly　irrelevant。〃
Ted：　〃Well；　it's　not　irrelevant；　it's　appropriate。〃
Barnes：　〃All　right；　I'll　do　it。　Roll　the　tape。〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　rolling。〃
Barnes：　〃This　is　Captain　Barnes。　We　are　now　about　to　open　the　hatch　cover。　Present　with　me　on　this　historic　occasion　are　Ted　Fielding；　Norman　Johnson；　Beth　Halpern；　and　Harry　Adams。〃
Harry：　〃Why　am　I　last？〃
Barnes：　〃I　did　it　left　to　right；　Harry。〃
Harry：　〃Isn't　it　funny　the　only　black　man　is　named　last？〃
Barnes：　〃Harry；　it's　left　to　right。　The　way　we're　standing　here。〃
Harry：　〃And　after　the　only　woman。　I'm　a　full　professor；　Beth　is　only　an　assistant　professor。〃
Beth：　〃Harry…〃
Ted：　〃You　know；　Hal；　perhaps　we　should　be　identified　by　our　full　titles　and　institutional　affiliations…〃
Harry：　〃…What's　wrong　with　alphabetical　order…〃
Barnes：　〃…That's　it！　Forget　it！　No　tape！〃
Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　off；　sir。〃
Barnes：　〃Jesus　Christ。〃
He　turned　away　from　the　group；　shaking　his　helmeted　head。　He　flipped　up　the　metal　plate；　exposed　the　two　buttons；　and　pushed　one。　A　yellow　light　blinked　〃READY。〃
〃Everybody　stay　on　internal　air；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇72＇＇　They　all　continued　to　breathe　from　their　tanks；　in　case　the　interior　gases　in　the　spacecraft　were　toxic。
〃Everybody　ready？〃
〃Ready。〃
Barnes　pushed　the　button　marked　〃OPEN。〃
A　sign　flashed：　ADJUSTING　ATMOSPHERE。　Then；　with　a　rumble；　the　door　slid　open　sideways；　just　like　an　airplane　door。　For　a　moment　Norman　could　see　nothing　but　blackness　beyond。　They　moved　forward　cautiously；　shone　their　lights　through　the　open　door；　saw　girders；　a　plex　of　metal　tubes。
〃Check　the　air；　Beth。〃
Beth　pulled　the　plunger　on　a　small　gas　monitor　in　her　hand。　The　readout　screen　glowe