Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第51部分

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〃It　means；　don't　buy　that　stock　after　all；〃　she　said。　Norman　sipped　the　Coke　with　a　sense　of　vague　unease。　The　galley　seemed　subtly　changed　from　the　last　time　he　had　seen　it。　He　wasn't　sure…he'd　only　glanced　briefly　at　the　room　before…but　he　usually　had　a　good　memory　for　room　layouts；　and　his　wife　had　always　joked　that　Norman　could　find　his　way　around　any　kitchen。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　remember　a　refrigerator　in　the　galley。〃
〃I　never　really　noticed；　myself；〃　Beth　said。
〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　Norman　said；　〃this　whole　room　looks　different　to　me。　It　looks　bigger；　and…I　don't　know…different。〃
〃It's　'cause　you're　hungry。〃　Harry　grinned。
〃Maybe；〃　Norman　said。　Harry　could　actually　be　right。　In　the　sixties；　there　had　been　a　number　of　studies　of　visual　perception　which　demonstrated　that　subjects　interpreted　blurred　slides　according　to　their　predispositions。　Hungry　people　saw　all　the　slides　as　food。
But　this　room　really　did　look　different。　For　instance；　he　didn't　remember　the　door　to　the　galley　being　to　the　left；　as　＇＇249＇＇　it　was　now。　He　remembered　it　as　being　in　the　center　of　the　wall　separating　the　galley　from　the　bunks。
〃This　way；〃　Beth　said；　leading　them　farther　aft。　〃Actually；　the　refrigerator　was　what　got　me　thinking。　It's　one　thing　to　store　a　lot　of　food　on　a　test　ship　being　sent　through　a　black　hole。　But　to　stock　a　refrigerator…why　bother　to　do　that？　It　made　me　think；　there　might　be　a　crew　after　all。〃
They　entered　a　short；　glass…walled　tunnel。　Deep…purple　lights　glowed　down　on　them。　〃Ultraviolet；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　don't　know　what　it's　for。〃
〃Disinfection？〃
〃Maybe。〃
〃Maybe　it's　to　get　a　suntan；〃　Harry　said。　〃Vitamin　D。〃　Then　they　came　into　a　large　room　unlike　anything　Norman　had　ever　seen。　The　floor　glowed　purple；　bathing　the　room　in　ultraviolet　light　from　beneath。　Mounted　on　all　four　walls　were　a　series　of　wide　glass　tubes。　Inside　each　tube　was　a　narrow　silver　mattress。　The　tubes　all　appeared　empty。
〃Over　here；〃　Beth　said。
They　peered　through　one　glass　tube。　The　naked　woman　had　once　been　beautiful。　It　was　still　possible　to　see　that。　Her　skin　was　dark　brown　and　deeply　wrinkled；　her　body　withered。
〃Mummified？〃　Harry　said。
Beth　nodded。　〃Best　I　can　figure　out。　I　haven't　opened　the　tube；　considering　the　risk　of　infection。〃
〃What　was　this　room？〃　he　said；　looking　around。
〃It　must　be　some　kind　of　hibernation　chamber。　Each　tube　is　separately　connected　to　a　life…support　system…power　supply；　air　handlers；　heaters；　the　works…in　the　next　room。〃
Harry　counted。　〃Twenty　tubes；〃　he　said。
〃And　twenty　bunks；〃　Norman　said。
〃So　where　is　everybody　else？〃
Beth　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　know。〃
〃This　woman　is　the　only　one　left？〃
〃Looks　like　it。　I　haven't　found　any　others。〃
〃I　wonder　how　they　all　died；〃　Harry　said。
〃Have　you　been　to　the　sphere？〃　Norman　asked　Beth。
〃No。　Why？〃
＇＇250＇＇　〃Just　wondered。〃
〃You　mean；　you　wondered　if　the　crew　died　after　they　picked　up　the　sphere？〃
〃Basically；　yes。〃
〃I　don't　think　the　sphere　is　aggressive　or　dangerous　in　any　sense；〃　Beth　said。　〃It's　possible　that　the　crew　died　of　natural　causes　in　the　course　of　the　journey　itself。　This　woman；　for　example；　is　so　well　preserved　it　makes　you　wonder　about　radiation。　Maybe　she　got　a　large　dose　of　radiation。　There's　tremendous　radiation　around　a　black　hole。〃
〃You　think　the　crew　died　going　through　the　black　hole；　and　the　sphere　was　picked　up　automatically　by　the　spacecraft　later？〃
〃It's　possible。〃
〃She's　pretty　good…looking；〃　Harry　said；　peering　through　the　glass。　〃Boy；　the　reporters　would　go　crazy　with　this；　wouldn't　they？　Sexy　woman　from　the　future　found　nude　and　mummified。　Film　at　eleven。〃
〃She's　tall；　too；〃　Norman　said。　〃She　must　be　over　six　feet。〃
〃An　Amazon　woman；〃　Harry　said。　〃With　great　tits。〃
〃All　right；〃　Beth　said。
〃What's　wrong…offended　on　her　behalf？〃　Harry　said。
〃I　don't　think　there's　any　need　for　ments　of　that　kind。〃
〃Actually；　Beth；〃　Harry　said；　〃she　looks　a　little　like　you。〃
Beth　frowned。
〃I'm　serious。　Have　you　looked　at　her？〃
〃Don't　be　ridiculous。〃
Norman　peered　through　the　glass；　shielding　his　hand　against　the　reflection　of　the　purple　UV　tubes　in　the　floor。　The　mummified　woman　did　indeed　look　like　Beth…younger；　taller；　stronger；　but　like　Beth；　nevertheless。　〃He's　right；〃　Norman　said。
〃Maybe　she's　you；　from　the　future；〃　Harry　said。
〃No；　she's　obviously　in　her　twenties。〃
〃Maybe　she's　your　granddaughter。〃
〃Pretty　unlikely；〃　Beth　said。
〃You　never　know；〃　Harry　said。　〃Does　Jennifer　look　like　you？〃
〃Not　really。　But　she's　at　that　awkward　stage。　And　she　＇＇251＇＇　doesn't　look　like　that　woman。　And　neither　do　I。〃
Norman　was　struck　by　the　conviction　with　which　Beth　denied　any　resemblance　or　association　to　the　mummified　woman。　〃Beth；〃　he　said；　〃what　do　you　suppose　happened　here？　Why　is　this　woman　the　only　one　left？〃
〃I　think　she　was　important　to　the　expedition；〃　Beth　said。　〃Maybe　even　the　captain；　or　the　co…captain。　The　others　were　mostly　men。　And　they　did　something　foolish…I　don't　know　what…something　she　advised　them　against…and　as　a　result　they　all　died。　She　alone　remained　alive　in　this　spacecraft。　And　she　piloted　it　home。　But　there　was　something　wrong　with　her…something　she　couldn't　help…and　she　died。〃
〃What　was　wrong　with　her？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Something。〃
Fascinating；　Norman　thought。　He'd　never　really　considered　it　before；　but　this　room…for　that　matter；　this　entire　spacecraft…was　one　big　Rorschach。　Or　more　accurately；　a　TAT。　The　Thematic　Apperception　Test　was　a　psychological　test　that　consisted　of　a　series　of　ambiguous　pictures。　Subjects　were　supposed　to　tell　what　they　thought　was　happening　in　the　pictures。　Since　no　clear　story　was　implied　by　the　pictures；　the　subjects　supplied　the　stories。　And　the　stories　told　much　more　about　the　storytellers　than　about　the　pictures。
Now　Beth　was　telling　them　her　fantasy　about　this　room：　that　a　woman　had　been　in　charge　of　the　expedition；　the　men　had　failed　to　listen　to　her；　they　had　died；　and　she　alone　had　remained　alive；　the　sole　survivor。
It　didn't　tell　them　much　about　this　spaceship。　But　it　told　them　a　lot　about　Beth。
〃I　get　it；〃　Harry　said。　〃You　mean　she's　the　one　who　made　the　mistake　and　piloted　the　ship　back　too　far　into　the　past。　Typical　woman　driver。〃
〃Do　you　have　to　make　a　joke　of　everything？〃
〃Do　you　have　to　take　everything　so　seriously？〃
〃This　is　serious；〃　Beth　said。
〃I'll　tell　you　a　different　story；〃　Harry　said。　〃This　woman　screwed　up。　She　was　supposed　to　do　something；　and　she　forgot　to　do　it；　or　else　she　made　a　mistake。　And　then　she　went　into　hibernation。　As　a　result　of　her　mistake；　the　rest　of　the　＇＇252＇＇　crew　died；　and　she　never　woke　up　from　the　hibernation…never　realized　what　she　had　done；　because　she　was　so　unaware　of　what　was　really　happening。〃
〃I'm　sure　you　like　that　story　better；〃　Beth　said。　〃It　fits　with　your　typical　black…male　contempt　for　women。〃
〃Easy；〃　Norman　said。
〃You　resent　the　power　of　the　female；〃　Beth　said。
〃What　power？　You　call　lifting　weights　power？　That's　only　strength…and　it　es　out　of　a　feeling　of　weakness；　not　power。〃
〃You　skinny　little　weasel；〃　Beth　said。
〃What're　you　going　to　do；　beat　me　up？〃　Harry　said。　〃Is　that　your　idea　of　power？〃
〃I　know　what　power　is；〃　Beth　said；　glaring　at　him。
〃Easy；　easy；〃　Norman　said。　〃Let's　not　get　into　this。〃
Harry　said；　〃What　do　you　think；　Norman？　Do　you　have　a　story　about　the　room；　too？〃
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　don't。〃
〃Oh；　e　on；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　bet　you　do。〃
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃And　I'm　not　going　to　mediate　between　you　two。　We've　all　got　to　stay　together　on　this。　We　have　to　work　as　a　team；　as　long　as　we're　down　here。〃
〃It's　Harry　who's　divisive；〃　Beth　said。　〃From　the　beginning　of　this　trip；　he's　tried　to　make　trouble　with　everybody。　All　those　snide　little　ments　。。。〃
〃What　snide　little　ments？〃　Harry　said。
〃You　know　perfectly　well　what　snide　little　ments；〃　Beth　said。
Norman　walked　out　of　the　room。　〃Where're　you　going？〃
〃Your　audience　is　leaving。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because　you're　both　boring。〃
〃Oh；〃　Beth　said；　〃Mr。　Cool　Psychologist　decides　we　are　boring？〃
〃That's　right；〃　Norman　said；　walking　through　the　glass　tunnel；　not　looking　back。
〃Where　do　you　get　off；　making　all　these　judgments　of　other　people？〃　Beth　shouted　at　him。
＇＇253＇＇　He　kept　walking。
〃I'm　speaking　to　you！　Don't　you　walk　away　while　I'm　speaking　to　you；