Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第5部分

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the　subjects。
In　the　most　severe　version；　subjects　were　taken　up　in　a　private　plane；　and　the　pilot　suffered　a　〃heart　attack〃　in　mid…air。　Despite　the　traditional　plaints　about　such　tests…that　they　were　sadistic；　that　they　were　artificial；　that　subjects　somehow　sensed　the　situations　were　contrived…Johnson　gained　considerable　information　about　groups　under　anxiety　stress。
He　found　that　fear　responses　were　minimized　when　the　group　was　small　（five　or　less）；　when　group　members　knew　each　other　well；　when　group　members　could　see　each　other　and　were　not　isolated；　when　they　shared　defined　group　goals　and　fixed　time　limits；　when　groups　were　mixed　age　and　mixed　gender；　and　when　group　members　had　high　phobic…tolerant　personalities　as　measured　by　LAS　tests　for　anxiety；　which　in　turn　correlated　with　athletic　fitness。
Study　results　were　formulated　in　dense　statistical　tables；　although；　in　essence；　Norman　knew　he　had　merely　verified　mon　sense：　if　you　were　trapped　in　an　elevator；　it　was　better　to　be　with　a　few　relaxed；　athletic　people　you　knew；　to　keep　the　lights　on；　and　to　know　someone　was　working　to　get　you　free。
Yet　Norman　knew　that　some　of　his　results　were　counterintuitive；　such　as　the　importance　of　group　position。　Groups　posed　entirely　of　men　or　entirely　of　women　were　much　poorer　at　handling　stress　than　mixed　groups；　groups　posed　of　individuals　roughly　the　same　age　were　much　poorer　than　groups　of　mixed　age。　And　pre…existing　groups　formed　for　another　purpose　did　worst　of　all；　at　one　point　he　＇＇20＇＇　had　stressed　a　championship　basketball　team；　and　it　cracked　almost　immediately。
Although　his　research　was　good；　Norman　remained　uneasy　about　the　underlying　purposes　for　his　paper…alien　invasion…which　he　personally　considered　speculative　to　the　point　of　absurdity。　He　was　embarrassed　to　submit　his　paper；　particularly　after　he　had　rewritten　it　to　make　it　seem　more　significant　than　he　knew　it　was。
He　was　relieved　when　the　Carter　Administration　did　not　like　his　report。　None　of　Norman's　remendations　were　approved。　The　Administration　did　not　agree　with　Dr。　Norman　Johnson　that　fear　was　a　problem；　they　thought　the　predominant　human　emotion　would　be　wonder　and　awe。　Furthermore；　the　Administration　preferred　a　large　contact　team　of　thirty　people；　including　three　theologians；　a　lawyer；　a　physician；　a　representative　from　the　State　Department；　a　representative　from　the　Joint　Chiefs；　a　select　group　from　the　legislative　branch；　an　aerospace　engineer；　an　exobiologist；　a　nuclear　physicist；　a　cultural　anthropologist；　and　a　television　anchor　personality。
In　any　case；　President　Carter　was　not　re…elected　in　1980；　and　Norman　heard　nothing　further　about　his　ULF　proposal。　He　had　heard　nothing　for　six　years。
Until　now。
Barnes　said；　〃You　remember　the　ULF　team　you　proposed？〃
〃Of　course；〃　Norman　said。
Norman　had　remended　a　ULF　team　of　four…an　astrophysicist；　a　zoologist；　a　mathematician；　a　linguist…and　a　fifth　member；　a　psychologist；　whose　job　would　be　to　monitor　the　behavior　and　attitude　of　the　working　team　members。
＇＇21＇＇　〃Give　me　your　opinion　of　this；〃　Barnes　said。　He　handed　Norman　a　sheet　of　paper：

ANOMALY　INVESTIGATION　TEAM

USN　STAFF/SUPPORT　MEMBERS
1。　Harold　C。　Barnes；　USN　Project　mander　Captain
2。　Jane　Edmunds；　USN　Data　Processing　Tech　P。O。　1C
3。　Tina　Chan；　USN　Electronics　Tech　P。O。　1C
4。　Alice　Fletcher；　USN　Deepsat　Habitat　Support　Chief　P。O。
5。　Rose　C。　Levy；　USN　Deepsat　Habitat　Support　2C

CIVILIAN　STAFF　MEMBERS
1。　Theodore　Fielding；　astrophysicist/planetary　geologist
2。　Elizabeth　Halpern；　zoologist/biochemist
3。　Harold　J。　Adams；　mathematician/logician
4。　Arthur　Levine；　marine　biologist/biochemist
5。　Norman　Johnson；　psychologist

Norman　looked　at　the　list。　〃Except　for　Levine；　this　is　the　civilian　ULF　Team　I　originally　proposed。　I　even　interviewed　them；　and　tested　them；　back　then。〃
〃Correct。〃
〃But　you　said　yourself：　there　are　probably　no　survivors。　There's　probably　no　life　inside　that　spacecraft。〃
〃Yes；〃　Barnes　said。　〃But　what　if　I'm　wrong？〃
He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃I'm　going　to　brief　the　team　members　at　eleven　hundred　hours。　I　want　you　to　e　along；　and　see　what　you　think　about　the　team　members；〃　Barnes　said。　〃After　all；　we　followed　your　ULF　report　remendations。〃
You　followed　my　remendations；　Norman　thought　with　a　sinking　feeling。　Jesus　Christ；　I　was　just　paying　for　a　house。
〃I　knew　you'd　jump　at　the　opportunity　to　see　your　ideas　put　into　practice；〃　Barnes　said。　〃That's　why　I've　included　you　on　the　team　as　the　psychologist；　although　a　younger　man　would　be　more　appropriate。〃
〃I　appreciate　that；〃　Norman　said。
〃I　knew　you　would；〃　Barnes　said；　smiling　cheerfully。　He　extended　a　beefy　hand。　〃Wele　to　the　ULF　Team；　Dr。　Johnson。〃

BETH

An　ensign　showed　norman　to　his　room；　tiny　and　gray；　more　like　a　prison　cell　than　anything　else。　Norman's　day　bag　lay　on　his　bunk。　In　the　corner　was　a　puter　console　and　a　keyboard。　Next　to　it　was　a　thick　manual　with　a　blue　cover。
He　sat　on　the　bed；　which　was　hard；　unweling。　He　leaned　back　against　a　pipe　on　the　wall。
〃Hi；　Norman；〃　a　soft　voice　said。　〃I'm　glad　to　see　they　dragged　you　into　this。　This　is　all　your　fault；　isn't　it？〃　A　woman　stood　in　the　doorway。
Beth　Halpern；　the　team　zoologist；　was　a　study　in　contrasts。　She　was　a　tall；　angular　woman　of　thirty…six　who　could　be　called　pretty　despite　her　sharp　features　and　the　almost　masculine　quality　of　her　body。　In　the　years　since　Norman　had　last　seen　her；　she　seemed　to　have　emphasized　her　masculine　side　even　more。　Beth　was　a　serious　weight…lifter　and　runner；　the　veins　and　muscles　bulged　at　her　neck　and　on　her　forearms；　and　her　legs；　beneath　her　shorts；　were　powerful。　Her　hair　was　cut　short；　hardly　longer　than　a　man's。
At　the　same　time；　she　wore　jewelry　and　makeup；　and　she　moved　in　a　seductive　way。　Her　voice　was　soft；　and　her　eyes　were　large　and　liquid；　especially　when　she　talked　about　the　living　things　that　she　studied。　At　those　times　she　became　almost　maternal。　One　of　her　colleagues　at　the　University　of　Chicago　had　referred　to　her　as　〃Mother　Nature　with　muscles。〃
Norman　got　up；　and　she　gave　him　a　quick　peck　on　the　cheek。　〃My　room's　next　to　yours；　I　heard　you　arrive。　When　did　you　get　in？〃
〃An　hour　ago。　I　think　I'm　still　in　shock；〃　Norman　said。　〃Do　you　believe　all　this？　Do　you　think　it's　real？〃
〃I　think　that's　real。〃　She　pointed　to　the　blue　manual　next　to　his　puter。
Norman　picked　it　up：　Regulations　Governing　Personnel　＇＇23＇＇　Conduct　During　Classified　Military　Operations。　He　thumbed　through　pages　of　dense　legal　text。
〃It　basically　says；〃　Beth　said；　〃that　you　keep　your　mouth　shut　or　you　spend　a　long　time　in　military　prison。　And　there's　no　calls　in　or　out。　Yes；　Norman；　I　think　it　must　be　real。〃
〃There's　a　spacecraft　down　there？〃
〃There's　something　down　there。　It's　pretty　exciting。〃　She　began　to　speak　more　rapidly。　〃Why；　for　biology　alone；　the　possibilities　are　staggering…everything　we　know　about　life　es　from　studying　life　on　our　own　planet。　But；　in　a　sense；　all　life　on　our　planet　is　the　same。　Every　living　creature；　from　algae　to　human　beings；　is　basically　built　on　the　same　plan；　from　the　same　DNA。　Now　we　may　have　a　chance　to　contact　life　that　is　entirely　different；　different　in　every　way。　It's　exciting；　all　right。〃
Norman　nodded。　He　was　thinking　of　something　else。　〃What　did　you　say　about　no　calls　in　or　out？　I　promised　to　call　Ellen。〃
〃Well；　I　tried　to　call　my　daughter　and　they　told　me　the　mainland　　links　are　out。　If　you　can　believe　that。　The　Navy's　got　more　satellites　than　admirals；　but　they　swear　there's　no　available　line　to　call　out。　Barnes　said　he'd　approve　a　cable。　That's　it。〃
〃How　old　is　Jennifer　now？〃　Norman　asked；　pleased　to　pull　the　name　from　his　memory。　And　what　was　her　husband's　name？　He　was　a　physicist；　Norman　remembered；　something　like　that。　Sandy　blond　man。　Had　a　beard。　Wore　bow　ties。
〃Nine。　She's　pitching　for　the　Evanston　Little　League　now。　Not　much　of　a　student；　but　a　hell　of　a　pitcher。〃　She　sounded　proud。　〃How's　your　family？　Ellen？〃
〃She's　fine。　The　kids　are　fine。　Tim's　a　sophomore　at　Chicago。　Amy's　at　Andover。　How　is　。。。〃
〃George？　We　divorced　three　years　ago；〃　Beth　said。　〃George　had　a　year　at　CERN　in　Geneva；　looking　for　exotic　particles；　and　I　guess　he　found　whatever　he　was　looking　for。　She's　French。　He　says　she's　a　great　cook。〃　She　shr