Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第4部分

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young　man　looked　up；　Norman　saw　to　his　astonishment　that　he　was　utterly　serious。
〃We　could　really　be　caught　with　our　pants　down　on　this　one；〃　the　lawyer　said。　〃An　alien　invasion。〃
Norman　had　to　bite　his　lip。　〃That's　probably　true；〃　he　said。
〃People　in　the　Administration　are　worried。〃
〃Are　they？〃
〃There　is　the　feeling　at　the　highest　levels　that　contingency　plans　should　be　drawn。〃
＇＇15＇＇　〃You　mean　contingency　plans　in　the　event　of　an　alien　invasion。　。。。〃　Norman　somehow　managed　to　keep　a　straight　face。
〃Perhaps；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃perhaps　invasion　is　too　strong　a　word。　Let's　soften　that　to　say　'contact'：　alien　contact。〃
〃I　see。〃
〃You're　already　involved　in　civilian　crash…site　teams；　Dr。　Johnson。　You　know　how　these　emergency　groups　function。　We　want　your　input　concerning　the　optimal　position　of　a　crash…site　team　to　confront　an　alien　invader。〃
〃I　see；〃　Norman　said；　wondering　how　he　could　tactfully　get　out　of　this。　The　idea　was　clearly　ludicrous。　He　could　see　it　only　as　displacement：　the　Administration；　faced　with　immense　problems　it　could　not　solve；　had　decided　to　think　about　something　else。
And　then　the　lawyer　coughed；　proposed　a　study；　and　named　a　substantial　figure　for　a　two…year　research　grant。　Norman　saw　a　chance　to　buy　his　house。　He　said　yes。　〃I'm　glad　you　agree　the　problem　is　a　real　one。〃
〃Oh　yes；〃　Norman　said；　wondering　how　old　this　lawyer　was。　He　guessed　about　twenty…five。
〃We'll　just　have　to　get　your　security　clearance；〃　the　lawyer　said。
〃I　need　security　clearance？〃
〃Dr。　Johnson；〃　the　lawyer　said；　snapping　his　briefcase　shut；　〃this　project　is　top；　top　secret。〃
〃That's　fine　with　me；〃　Norman　said；　and　he　meant　it。　He　could　imagine　his　colleagues'　reactions　if　they　ever　found　out　about　this。
What　began　as　a　joke　soon　became　simply　bizarre。　Over　the　next　year；　Norman　flew　five　times　to　Washington　for　meetings　with　high…level　officials　of　the　National　Security　Council　over　the　pressing；　imminent　danger　of　alien　invasion。　His　work　was　very　secret。　One　early　question　was　whether　his　project　should　be　turned　over　to　DARPA；　the　Defense　Advanced　Research　Project　Agency　of　the　Pentagon。　They　decided　not　to。　There　were　questions　about　whether　it　should　be　given　to　NASA；　and　again　they　decided　not　to。　One　Administration　official　said；　〃This　isn't　a　scientific　matter；　Dr。　Johnson；　this　＇＇16＇＇　is　a　national　security　matter。　We　don't　want　to　open　it　out。〃　Norman　was　continually　surprised　at　the　level　of　the　officials　he　was　told　to　meet　with。　One　Senior　Undersecretary　of　State　pushed　aside　the　papers　on　his　desk　relating　to　the　latest　Middle　East　crisis　to　say；　〃What　do　you　think　about　the　possibility　that　these　aliens　will　be　able　to　read　our　minds？〃
〃I　don't　know；〃　Norman　said。
〃Well；　it　occurs　to　me。　How're　we　going　to　be　able　to　formulate　a　negotiating　posture　if　they　can　read　our　minds？〃
〃That　could　be　a　problem；〃　Norman　agreed；　sneaking　a　glance　at　his　watch。
〃Hell；　it's　bad　enough　our　encrypted　cables　get　intercepted　by　the　Russians。　We　know　the　Japanese　and　the　Israelis　have　cracked　all　our　codes。　We　just　pray　the　Russians　can't　do　it　yet。　But　you　see　what　I　mean；　the　problem。　About　reading　minds。〃
〃Oh　yes。〃
〃Your　report　will　have　to　take　that　into　consideration。〃
Norman　promised　it　would。
A　White　House　staffer　said　to　him；　〃You　realize　the　President　will　want　to　talk　to　these　aliens　personally。　He's　that　kind　of　man。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃　Norman　said。
〃And　I　mean；　the　publicity　value　here；　the　exposure；　is　incalculable。　The　President　meets　with　the　aliens　at　Camp　David。　What　a　media　moment。〃
〃A　real　moment；〃　Norman　agreed。
〃So　the　aliens　will　need　to　be　informed　by　an　advance　man　of　who　the　President　is；　and　the　protocol　in　talking　to　him。　You　can't　have　the　President　of　the　United　States　talking　to　people　from　another　galaxy　or　whatever　on　television　without　advance　preparation。　Do　you　think　the　aliens'll　speak　English？〃
〃Doubtful；〃　Norman　said。
〃So　someone　may　need　to　learn　their　language；　is　that　it？〃
〃It's　hard　to　say。〃
〃Perhaps　the　aliens　would　be　more　fortable　meeting　with　an　advance　man　from　one　of　our　ethnic　minorities；〃　the　＇＇17＇＇　White　House　man　said。　〃Anyway；　it's　a　possibility。　Think　about　it。〃
Norman　promised　he　would　think　about　it。
The　Pentagon　liaison；　a　Major　General；　took　him　to　lunch　and　over　coffee　casually　asked；　〃What　sorts　of　armaments　do　you　see　these　aliens　having？〃
〃I'm　not　sure；〃　Norman　said。
〃Well；　that's　the　crux　of　it；　isn't　it？　And　what　about　their　vulnerabilities？　I　mean；　the　aliens　might　not　even　be　human　at　all。〃
〃No；　they　might　not。〃
〃They　might　be　like　giant　insects。　Your　insects　can　withstand　a　lot　of　radiation。〃
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。
〃We　might　not　be　able　to　touch　these　aliens；〃　the　Pentagon　man　said　gloomily。　Then　he　brightened。　〃But　I　doubt　they　could　withstand　a　direct　hit　with　a　multimeg　nuclear　device；　do　you？〃
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　don't　think　they　could。〃　〃It'd　vaporize　'em。〃
〃Sure。〃
〃Laws　of　physics。〃
〃Right。〃
〃Your　report　must　make　that　point　clearly。　About　the　nuclear　vulnerability　of　these　aliens。〃
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。
〃We　don't　want　to　start　a　panic；〃　the　Pentagon　man　said。　〃No　sense　getting　everyone　upset；　is　there？　I　know　the　JCS　will　be　reassured　to　hear　the　aliens　are　vulnerable　to　our　nuclear　weapons。〃
〃I'll　keep　that　in　mind；〃　Norman　said。
Eventually；　the　meetings　ended；　and　he　was　left　to　write　his　report。　And　as　he　reviewed　the　published　speculations　on　extraterrestrial　life；　he　decided　that　the　Major　General　from　the　Pentagon　was　not　so　wrong；　after　all。　The　real　question　about　alien　contact…if　there　was　any　real　question　at　all…concerned　panic。　Psychological　panic。　The　only　important　human　experience　with　extraterrestrials　had　been　Orson　Welles's　1938　radio　broadcast　of　〃The　War　＇＇18＇＇　of　the　Worlds。〃　And　the　human　response　was　unequivocal。　People　had　been　terrified。
Norman　submitted　his　report；　entitled　〃Contact　with　Possible　Extraterrestrial　Life。〃　It　was　returned　to　him　by　the　NSC　with　the　suggestion　that　the　title　be　revised　to　〃sound　more　technical〃　and　that　he　remove　〃any　suggestion　that　alien　contact　was　only　a　possibility；　as　alien　contact　is　considered　virtually　certain　in　some　quarters　of　the　Administration。〃
Revised；　Norman's　paper　was　duly　classified　Top　Secret；　under　the　title　〃Remendations　for　the　Human　Contact　Team　to　Interact　with　Unknown　Life　Forms　（ULF）。〃　As　Norman　envisioned　it；　the　ULF　Contact　Team　demanded　particularly　stable　individuals。　In　his　report　he　had　said
〃I　wonder；〃　Barnes　said；　opening　a　folder；　〃if　you　recognize　this　quote：

Contact　teams　meeting　an　Unknown　Life　Form　（ULF）　must　be　prepared　for　severe　psychological　impact。　Extreme　anxiety　responses　will　almost　certainly　occur。　The　personality　traits　of　individuals　who　can　withstand　extreme　anxiety　must　be　determined；　and　such　individuals　selected　to　prise　the　team。
Anxiety　when　confronted　by　unknown　life　has　not　been　sufficiently　appreciated。　The　fears　unleashed　by　contact　with　a　new　life　form　are　not　understood　and　cannot　be　entirely　predicted　in　advance。　But　the　most　likely　consequence　of　contact　is　absolute　terror。〃

Barnes　snapped　the　folder　shut。　〃You　remember　who　said　that？〃
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　do。〃
And　he　remembered　why　he　had　said　it。
As　part　of　the　NSC　grant；　Norman　had　conducted　studies　of　group　dynamics　in　contexts　of　psychosocial　anxiety。　Following　the　procedures　of　Asch　and　Milgram；　he　constructed　several　environments　in　which　subjects　did　not　know　they　were　being　tested。　In　one　case；　a　group　of　subjects　were　told　to　take　an　elevator　to　another　floor　to　participate　in　a　test。　The　elevator　jammed　between　floors。　＇＇19＇＇　Subjects　were　then　observed　by　hidden　video　camera。　
There　were　several　variations　to　this。　Sometimes　the　elevator　was　marked　〃Under　Repair〃；　sometimes　there　was　telephone　munication　with　the　〃repairman；〃　sometimes　not；　sometimes　the　ceiling　fell　in；　and　the　lights　went　out；　and　sometimes　the　floor　of　the　elevator　was　constructed　of　clear　lucite。
In　another　case；　subjects　were　loaded　into　a　van　and　driven　out　into　the　desert　by　an　〃experiment　leader〃　who　ran　out　of　gas；　and　then　suffered　a　〃heart　attack；〃　thus　stranding　the　subjects。
In　the　most　severe　version；　subjects　were　taken　up　in　a　private　plane；　and　the　pilot