Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第32部分

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？　？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　
？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　
？1822？　？042610134；　？0830162137？　？1604？　
？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　
？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　
？04261013？　？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　
？1822？　？033013130432？　？00032125252632？
？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　
？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　
？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　
？033013130432？　？00032125252632？　？032629？　
？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　
？29033005？　？1822？　？04261013？　？0830162137？　
？1604？　？08301621？　？1822？　？033013130432？　
？00032125252632？　？0326294；　？301321？　？04261037？　
？18？　？3016？　？0618082132？　？29033005？　？1822？　
？04261013？　？0830162137？　？1604？　？08301621？　
？1822？　？033013130432？　？00032125252632？　
？032629？　？301321？　？04261037？　？18？　？3016？

＇＇150＇＇　〃Yes？〃　Norman　said。
〃Don't　tell　me　you　don't　see　the　pattern；〃
Ted　said。　〃I　don't　see　the　pattern；〃　Norman　said。
〃Squint　at　it；〃　Ted　said。
Norman　squinted。　〃Sorry。〃
〃But　it　is　obviously　a　picture　of　the　creature；〃　Ted　said。　〃Look；　that's　the　vertical　torso；　three　legs；　two　arms。　There's　no　head；　so　presumably　the　creature's　head　is　located　within　the　torso　itself。　Surely　you　see　that；　Norman。〃
〃Ted　。。。〃
〃For　once；　Harry　has　missed　the　point　entirely！　The　message　is　not　only　a　picture；　it's　a　self…portrait！〃
〃Ted　。。。〃
Ted　sat　back。　He　sighed。　〃You're　going　to　tell　me　I'm　trying　too　hard。〃
〃I　don't　want　to　dampen　your　enthusiasm；〃　Norman　said。
〃But　you　don't　see　the　alien？〃
〃Not　really；　no。〃
〃Hell。〃　Ted　tossed　the　papers　aside。　〃I　hate　that　son　of　a　bitch。　He's　so　arrogant；　he　makes　me　so　mad。　。。。　And　on　top　of　that；　he's　young！〃
〃You're　forty；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　wouldn't　exactly　call　that　over　the　hill。〃
〃For　physics；　it　is；〃　Ted　said。　〃Biologists　can　sometimes　do　important　work　late　in　life。　Darwin　was　fifty　when　he　published　the　Origin　of　Species。　And　chemists　sometimes　do　good　work　when　they're　older。　But　in　physics；　if　you　haven't　done　it　by　thirty…five；　the　chances　are；　you　never　will。〃
〃But　Ted；　you're　respected　in　your　field。〃
Ted　shook　his　head。　〃I've　never　done　fundamental　work。　I've　analyzed　data；　I've　e　to　some　interesting　conclusions。　But　never　anything　fundamental。　This　expedition　is　my　chance　to　really　do　something。　To　really　。。。　get　my　name　in　the　books。〃
Norman　now　had　a　different　sense　of　Ted's　enthusiasm　and　energy；　that　relentlessly　juvenile　manner。　Ted　wasn't　emotionally　retarded；　he　was　driven。　And　he　clung　to　his　youth　out　of　a　sense　that　time　was　slipping　by　and　he　hadn't　yet　acplished　anything。　It　wasn't　obnoxious。　It　was　sad。
＇＇151＇＇　〃Well；〃　Norman　said；　〃the　expedition　isn't　finished　yet。〃
〃No；〃　Ted　said；　suddenly　brightening。　〃You're　right。　You're　absolutely　right。　There　are　more；　wonderful　experiences　awaiting　us。　I　just　know　there　are。　And　they'll　e；　won't　they。〃
〃Yes；　Ted；〃　Norman　said。　〃They'll　e。〃

BETH

〃Damn　it；　nothing　works！〃　She　waved　a　hand　to　her　laboratory　bench。　〃Not　a　single　one　of　the　chemicals　or　reagents　here　is　worth　a　damn！〃
〃What've　you　tried？〃　Barnes　said　calmly。　〃Zenker…Formalin；　H　and　E；　the　other　stains。　Proteolytic　extractions；　enzyme　breaks。　You　name　it。　None　of　it　works。　You　know　what　I　think；　I　think　that　whoever　stocked　this　lab　did　it　with　outdated　ingredients。〃
〃No；〃　Barnes　said；　〃it's　the　atmosphere。〃
He　explained　that　their　environment　contained　only　2　percent　oxygen；　1　percent　carbon　dioxide；　but　no　nitrogen　at　all。　〃Chemical　reactions　are　unpredictable；〃　he　said。　〃You　ought　to　take　a　look　at　Levy's　recipe　book　sometime。　It's　like　nothing　you've　ever　seen　in　your　life。　The　food　looks　normal　when　she's　finished；　but　she　sure　doesn't　make　it　the　normal　way。〃
〃And　the　lab？〃
〃The　lab　was　stocked　without　knowing　the　working　depth　we　would　be　at。　If　we　were　shallower；　we'd　be　breathing　pressed　air；　and　all　your　chemical　reactions　would　work…they'd　just　go　very　fast。　But　with　heliox；　reactions　are　unpredictable。　And　if　they　won't　go；　well　。。。〃　He　shrugged。
〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　she　said。
〃The　best　you　can；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Same　as　the　rest　of　us。〃
＇＇152＇＇　〃Well；　all　I　can　really　do　is　gross　anatomical　analyses。　All　this　bench　is　worthless。〃
〃Then　do　the　gross　anatomy。〃
〃I　just　wish　we　had　more　lab　capability。　。。。〃
〃This　is　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Accept　it　and　go　on。〃
Ted　entered　the　room。　〃You　better　take　a　look　outside；　everybody；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　portholes。　〃We　have　more　visitors。〃


The　squid　were　gone。　For　a　moment　norman　saw　nothing　but　the　water；　and　the　white　suspended　sediment　caught　in　the　lights。
〃Look　down。　At　the　bottom。〃
The　sea　floor　was　alive。　Literally　alive；　crawling　and　wiggling　and　tremulous　as　far　as　they　could　see　in　the　lights。　〃What　is　that？〃
Beth　said；　〃It's　shrimps。　A　hell　of　a　lot　of　shrimps。〃　And　she　ran　to　get　her　net。
〃Now；　that's　what　we　ought　to　be　eating；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　love　shrimp。　And　those　look　perfect…size；　a　little　smaller　than　crayfish。　Probably　delicious。　I　remember　once　in　Portugal；　my　second　wife　and　I　had　the　most　fabulous　crayfish。　。。。〃
Norman　felt　slightly　uneasy。　〃What're　they　doing　here？〃　
〃I　don't　know。　What　do　shrimps　do；　anyway？　Do　they　migrate？〃
〃Damned　if　I　know；〃　Barnes　said。　〃I　always　buy　'em　frozen。　My　wife　hates　to　peel　'em。〃
Norman　remained　uneasy；　though　he　could　not　say　why。　He　could　clearly　see　now　that　the　bottom　was　covered　in　shrimps；　they　were　everywhere。　Why　should　it　bother　him？
Norman　moved　away　from　the　window；　hoping　his　sense　of　vague　uneasiness　would　go　away　if　he　looked　at　something　else。　But　it　didn't　go　away；　it　just　stayed　there…a　small　tense　knot　in　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　He　didn't　like　the　feeling　at　all。

HARRY

〃Harry。〃
〃Oh；　hi；　Norman。　I　heard　the　excitement。　Lot　of　shrimps　outside；　is　that　it？〃
Harry　sat　on　his　bunk；　with　the　paper　printout　of　numbers　on　his　knees。　He　had　a　pencil　and　pad；　and　the　page　was　covered　with　calculations；　scratchouts；　symbols；　arrows。
〃Harry；〃　Norman　said；　〃what's　going　on？〃
〃Damned　if　I　know。〃
〃I'm　just　wondering　why　we　should　suddenly　be　finding　life　down　here…the　squid；　the　shrimps…when　before　there　was　nothing。　Ever。〃
〃Oh；　that。　I　think　that's　pretty　clear。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃Sure。　What's　different　between　then　and　now？〃
〃You've　been　inside　the　sphere。〃
〃No；　no。　I　mean；　what's　different　in　the　outside　environment？〃
Norman　frowned。　He　didn't　grasp　what　Harry　was　driving　at。
〃Well；　just　look　outside；〃　Harry　said。　〃What　could　you　see　before　that　you　can't　see　now？〃
〃The　grid？〃
〃Uh…huh。　The　grid　and　the　divers。　Lot　of　activity…and　a　lot　of　electricity。　I　think　it　scared　off　the　normal　fauna　of　the　area。　This　is　the　South　Pacific；　you　know；　it　ought　to　be　teeming　with　life。〃
〃And　now　that　the　divers　are　gone；　the　animals　are　back？〃
〃That's　my　guess。〃
〃That's　all　there　is　to　it？〃　Norman　said；　frowning。
〃Why　are　you　asking　me？〃　Harry　said。　〃Ask　Beth；　she'll　give　you　a　definitive　answer。　But　I　know　animals　are　sensitive　to　all　kinds　of　stimuli　we　don't　notice。　You　can't　run　God　knows　how　many　million　volts　through　underwater　cables；　to　light　a　half…mile　grid　in　an　environment　that　has　never　seen　light　before；　and　not　expect　to　have　an　effect。〃
＇＇154＇＇　Something　about　this　argument　tickled　the　back　of　Norman's　mind。　He　knew　something；　something　pertinent。　But　he　couldn't　get　it。
〃Harry。〃
　〃Yes；　Norman。　You　look　a　little　worried。　You　know；　this　substitution　code　is　really　a　bitch。　I'll　tell　you　the　truth；　I'm　not　sure　I'll　be　able　to　crack　it。　You　see；　the　problem　is；　if　it　is　a　letter　substitution；　you　will　need　two　digits　to　describe　a　single　letter；　because　there　are　twenty…six　letters　in　the　alphabet；　assuming　no　punctuation…which　may　or　may　not　be　included　here　as　well。　So　when　I　see　a　two　next　to　a　three；　I　don't　know　if　it　is　letter　two　followed　by　letter　three；　or　just　letter　twenty…three。　It's　taking　a　long　time　to　work　through　the　permutations。　You　see　what　I　mean？〃
〃Harry。〃
〃Yes；　Norman。〃
〃What　happened　inside　the　sphere？〃
〃Is　that　what　you're　worried　about？〃　Harry　asked。
〃What　makes　you　think　I'm　worried　about　anything？〃　Norman　asked。
〃Your　face；〃　Harry　said。　〃That's　what　makes　me　think　you're　worried。〃
〃Maybe　I　am；〃　Norman　said。　〃Bu