Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第42部分

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〃Hear；　hear；〃　Beth　said。
〃I　personally　feel　you're　overwrought；〃　Ted　said。
〃I　personally　feel　you're　an　egomaniacal　asshole；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Just　a　minute；　everybody；〃　Harry　said。　〃Does　anybody　know　why　Levy　went　outside　in　the　first　place？〃
Tina　said；　〃She　was　on　a　TRL。〃
〃A　what？〃
〃A　Timeclock　Required　Lockout；〃　Barnes　said。　〃It's　the　duty　schedule。　Levy　was　Edmunds's　backup。　After　Edmunds　died；　it　became　Levy's　job　to　go　to　the　submarine　every　twelve　hours。〃
〃Go　to　the　sub？　Why？〃　Harry　said。
Barnes　pointed　out　the　porthole。　〃You　see　DH…7　over　there？　Well；　next　to　the　single　cylinder　is　an　inverted　dome　hangar；　and　beneath　the　dome　is　a　minisub　that　the　divers　left　behind。
〃In　a　situation　like　this；〃　Barnes　said；　〃Navy　regs　require　that　all　tapes　and　records　be　transferred　to　the　sub　every　twelve　hours。　The　sub　is　on　TBDR　Mode…Timed　Ballast　Drop　and　Release…set　on　a　timer　every　twelve　hours。　That　way；　if　somebody　doesn't　get　there　every　twelve　hours；　transfer　the　latest　tapes；　and　press　the　yellow　'Delay'　button；　the　sub　will　automatically　drop　ballast；　blow　tanks；　and　go　to　the　surface　unattended。〃
〃Why　is　that？〃
〃If　there's　a　disaster　down　here…say　something　happened　＇＇　205＇＇　to　all　of　us…then　the　sub　would　automatically　surface　after　twelve　hours；　with　all　the　tapes　accumulated　thus　far。　The　Navy'd　recover　the　sub　at　the　surface；　and　they'd　have　at　least　a　partial　record　of　what　happened　to　us　down　here。〃
〃I　see。　The　sub's　our　flight　recorder。〃
〃You　could　say　that；　yes。　But　it's　also　our　way　out；　our　only　emergency　exit。〃
〃So　Levy　was　going　to　the　sub？〃
〃Yes。　And　she　must　have　made　it；　because　the　sub　is　still　here。〃
〃She　transferred　the　tapes；　pressed　the　'Delay'　button；　and　then　she　died　on　the　way　back。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How　did　she　die？〃　Harry　said；　looking　carefully　at　Barnes。
〃We're　not　sure；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Her　entire　body　was　crushed；〃　Norman　said。　〃It　was　like　a　sponge。〃
Harry　said　to　Barnes；　〃An　hour　ago　you　ordered　the　EPSA　sensors　to　be　reset　and　adjusted。　Why　was　that？〃
〃We　had　gotten　a　strange　reading　in　the　previous　hour。〃
〃What　sort　of　a　reading？〃
〃Something　out　there。　Something　very　large。〃
〃But　it　didn't　trigger　the　alarms；〃　Harry　said。
〃No。　This　thing　was　beyond　alarm…set　parameters。〃
〃You　mean　it　was　too　big　to　set　off　the　alarms？〃
〃Yes。　After　the　first　false　alarm；　the　settings　were　all　cranked　down。　The　alarms　were　set　to　ignore　anything　that　large。　That's　why　Tina　had　to　readjust　the　settings。〃
〃And　what　set　off　the　alarms　just　now？〃　Harry　said。　〃When　Beth　and　Norman　were　out　there？〃
Barnes　said；　〃Tina？〃
〃I　don't　know　what　it　was。　Some　kind　of　animal；　I　guess。　Silent；　and　very　big。〃
〃How　big？〃
She　shook　her　head。　〃From　the　electronic　footprint；　Dr。　Adams；　I　would　say　the　thing　was　almost　as　big　as　this　habitat。〃

BATTLE　STATIONS

Beth　slipped　one　round　white　egg　onto　the　stage　of　the　scanning　microscope。　〃Well；〃　she　said；　peering　through　the　eyepiece；　〃it's　definitely　marine　invertebrate。　The　interesting　feature　is　this　slimy　coating。〃　She　poked　at　it　with　forceps。
〃What　is　it？〃　Norman　said。
〃Some　kind　of　proteinaceous　material。　Sticky。〃
〃No。　I　mean；　what　is　the　egg？〃
〃Don't　know　yet。〃　Beth　continued　her　examination　when　the　alarm　sounded　and　the　red　lights　began　to　flash　again。　Norman　felt　a　sudden　dread。
〃Probably　another　false　alarm；〃　Beth　said。
〃Attention；　all　hands；〃　Barnes　said　on　the　inter。　〃All　hands；　battle　stations。〃
〃Oh　shit；〃　Beth　said。
Beth　slid　gracefully　down　the　ladder　as　if　it　were　a　fire　pole；　Norman　followed　clumsily　back　down　behind　her。　At　the　munications　section　on　D　Cyl；　he　found　a　familiar　scene：　everyone　clustered　around　the　puter；　and　the　back　panels　again　removed。　The　lights　still　flashed；　the　alarm　still　shrieked。
〃What　is　it？〃　Norman　shouted。
〃Equipment　breakdown！〃
〃What　equipment　breakdown？〃
〃We　can't　turn　the　damn　alarm　off！〃　Barnes　shouted。　〃It　turned　it　on；　but　we　can't　turn　it　off！　Teeny…〃　
〃…W　orking　on　it；　sir！〃
The　big　engineer　was　crouched　behind　the　puter；　Norman　saw　the　broad　curve　of　her　back。
〃Get　that　damn　thing　off！〃
〃Getting　it　off；　sir！〃
〃Get　it　off；　I　can't　hear！〃
Hear　what？　Norman　wondered；　and　then　Harry　stumbled　into　the　room；　colliding　with　Norman。　〃Jesus。。。〃
〃This　is　an　emergency！〃　Barnes　was　shouting。　〃This　is　an　＇＇207＇＇　emergency！　Seaman　Chan！　Sonar！〃　Tina　was　next　to　him；　calm　as　always；　adjusting　dials　on　side　monitors。　She　slipped　on　headphones。
Norman　looked　at　the　sphere　on　the　video　monitor。　The　sphere　was　closed。
Beth　went　to　one　of　the　portholes　and　looked　closely　at　the　white　material　that　blocked　it。　Barnes　spun　like　a　dervish　beneath　the　flashing　red　lights；　shouting；　swearing　in　all　directions。
And　then　suddenly　the　alarm　stopped；　and　the　red　lights　stopped　flashing。　Everyone　was　silent。　Fletcher　straightened　and　sighed。
Harry　said；　〃I　thought　you　got　that　fixed…〃　
〃…Shhh。〃
They　heard　the　soft　repetitive　pong！　of　the　sonar　impulses。　Tina　cupped　her　hands　over　the　headphones；　frowning；　concentrating。
Nobody　moved　or　spoke。　They　stood　tensely；　listening　to　the　sonar　as　it　echoed　back。
Barnes　said　quietly　to　the　group；　〃A　few　minutes　ago；　we　got　a　signal。　From　outside。　Something　very　large。〃
Finally　Tina　said；　〃I'm　not　getting　it　now；　sir。〃　〃Go　passive。〃
〃Aye　aye；　sir。　Going　passive。〃
The　pinging　sonar　stopped。　In　its　place　they　heard　a　slight　hiss。　Tina　adjusted　the　speaker　volume。
〃Hydrophones？〃　Harry　said　quietly。
Barnes　nodded。　〃Polar　glass　transducers。　Best　in　the　world。〃
They　all　strained　to　listen；　but　heard　nothing　except　the　undifferentiated　hiss。　To　Norman　it　sounded　like　tape　noise；　with　an　occasional　gurgle　of　the　water。　If　he　wasn't　so　tense；　he　would　have　found　the　sound　irritating。
Barnes　said；　〃Bastard's　clever。　He's　managed　to　blind　us；　cover　all　our　ports　with　goo。〃
〃Not　goo；〃　Beth　said。　〃Eggs。〃
〃Well；　they're　covering　every　damn　port　in　the　habitat。〃　The　hissing　continued；　unchanging。　Tina　twisted　the　＇＇208＇＇　hydrophone　dials。　There　was　a　soft　continuous　crackling；　like　cellophane　being　crumpled。
〃What's　that？〃　Ted　said。　
Beth　said；　〃Fish。　Eating。〃
Barnes　nodded。　Tina　twisted　the　dials。　〃Tuning　it　out。〃　They　again　heard　the　undifferentiated　hiss。　The　tension　in　the　room　lessened。　Norman　felt　tired　and　sat　down。　Harry　sat　next　to　him。　Norman　noticed　that　Harry　looked　more　thoughtful　than　concerned。　Across　the　room；　Ted　stood　near　the　hatch　door　and　bit　his　lip。　He　looked　like　a　frightened　kid。
There　was　a　soft　electronic　beep。　Lines　on　the　gas…plasma　screens　jumped。
Tina　said；　〃I　have　a　positive　on　peripheral　thermals。〃
Barnes　nodded：　〃Direction？〃
〃East。　ing。〃
They　heard　a　metallic　clank！　Then　another　clank！
〃What's　that？〃
〃The　grid。　He's　hitting　the　grid。〃
〃Hitting　it？　Sounds　like　he's　dismantling　it。〃
Norman　remembered　the　grid。　It　was　made　of　three…inch　pipe。
〃A　big　fish？　A　shark？〃　Beth　said。
Barnes　shook　his　head。　〃He's　not　moving　like　a　shark。　And　he's　too　big。〃
Tina　said；　〃Positive　thermals　on　in…line　perimeter。　He's　still　ing。〃
Barnes　said；　〃Go　active。〃
The　pong！　of　the　sonar　echoed　in　the　room。
Tina　said；　〃Target　acquired。　One　hundred　yards。〃
〃Image　him。〃
〃FAS　on；　sir。〃
There　was　a　rapid　succession　of　sonar　sounds：　pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！　Then　a　pause；　and　it　came　again：　pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
Norman　looked　puzzled。　Fletcher　leaned　over　and　whispered；　〃False…aperture　sonar　makes　a　detailed　picture　from　several　senders　outside；　gives　you　a　good　look　at　him。〃　He　smelled　liquor　on　her　breath。　He　thought：　Where'd　she　get　liquor？
＇＇209＇＇　Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！　
〃Building　image。　Ninety　yards。〃　
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！　
〃Image　up。〃
They　turned　to　the　screens。　Norman　saw　an　amorphous；　streaky　blob。　It　didn't　mean　much　to　him。
〃Jesus；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Look　at　the　size　of　him！〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！　
〃Eighty　yards。〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！　
Another　image　appeared。　Now　the　blob　was　a　different　shape；　the　streaks　in　another　direction。　The　image　was　sharper　at　the　edges；　but　it　still　meant　nothing　to　Norman。　A　big　blob　with　streaks　。。。
〃Jesus！　He's　got　to　be　thirty；　forty　feet　across！〃　Barnes　said。　〃No　fish　in　the　world　is　that　big；〃　Beth　said。
〃Whale？〃
〃It's　not　a　whale。〃
Norman　saw　that　Harry　was　sweating。　Harry　took　off　his　glasses