Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第53部分

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〃No　more　than　the　rest　of　us。〃
〃Jesus！　What　do　I　have　to　do　to　convince　you？　I　had　a　whole　conversation　with　the　man　and　now　he　denies　it。　You　think　that's　normal？　You　think　we　can　trust　a　person　like　that？〃
〃Beth。　I　wasn't　there。〃
〃You　mean　it　might　be　me。〃
〃I　wasn't　there。〃
〃You　think　I　might　be　the　one　who's　cracking　up？　I　say　there　was　a　conversation　when　there　really　wasn't？〃
＇＇258＇＇　〃Beth。〃
〃Norman；　I'm　telling　you。　There　is　a　problem　about　Harry　and　you　aren't　facing　up　to　it。〃
They　heard　footsteps　approaching。
〃I'm　going　to　my　lab；〃　she　said。　〃You　think　about　what　I've　said。〃
She　climbed　the　ladder　as　Harry　walked　in。　〃Well；　guess　what？　Beth　did　an　excellent　job　with　the　life…support　systems。　Everything　looks　fine。　We　have　air　for　fifty…two　hours　more　at　present　rates　of　consumption。　We　should　be　fine。　You　talking　to　Jerry？〃
〃What？〃　Norman　said。　Harry　pointed　to　the　screen：
HELLO　NORMAN。
〃I　don't　know　when　he　came　back。　He　wasn't　talking　earlier。〃
〃Well；　he　is　now；〃　Harry　said。
HELLO　HARRY。
〃How's　it　going；　Jerry？〃　Harry　said。
FINE　THANK　YOU。　HOW　ARE　YOU？　I　AM　WANTING　SO　MUCH　TO　TALK　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES。　WHERE　IS　THE　CONTROL　ENTITY　HARALD　C。　BARNES？
〃Don't　you　know？〃
I　DO　NOT　SENSE　THAT　ENTITY　NOW。
〃He's；　uh；　gone。〃
I　SEE。　HE　WAS　NOT　FRIENDLY。　HE　DID　NOT　ENJOY　TO　TALK　WITH　ME。
Norman　thought；　What　is　he　telling　us？　Did　Jerry　get　rid　of　Barnes　because　he　thought　he　was　unfriendly？
〃Jerry；〃　Norman　said；　〃what　happened　to　the　control　entity？〃
HE　WAS　NOT　FRIENDLY。　I　DID　NOT　LIKE　HIM。
〃Yes；　but　what　happened　to　him？〃
HE　IS　NOT　NOW。
〃And　the　other　entities？〃
AND　THE　OTHER　ENTITIES。　THEY　DID　NOT　ENJOY　TO　TALKING　WITH　ME。
Harry　said；　〃You　think　he's　saying　he　got　rid　of　them？
I　AM　NOT　HAPPY　TO　TALKING　WITH　THEM。
＇＇259＇＇　〃So　he　got　rid　of　all　the　Navy　people？〃　Harry　said。　Norman　was　thinking；　That's　not　quite　correct。　He　also　got　rid　of　Ted；　and　Ted　was　trying　to　municate　with　him。　Or　with　the　squid。　Was　the　squid　related　to　Jerry？　How　would　Norman　ask　that？
〃Jerry　。。。〃
YES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HERE。
〃Let's　talk。〃
GOOD。　I　LIKE　THAT　MUCH。
〃Tell　us　about　the　squid；　Jerry。〃
THE　ENTITY　SQUID　IS　A　MANIFESTATION。
〃Where　did　it　e　from？〃
DO　YOU　LIKE　IT？　I　CAN　MANIFEST　IT　MORE　FOR　YOU。
〃No；　no；　don't　do　that；〃　Norman　said　quickly。
YOU　DO　NOT　LIKE　IT？
〃No；　no。　We　like　it；　Jerry。〃
THIS　IS　TRUE？
〃Yes；　true。　We　like　it。　Really　we　do。〃
GOOD。　I　AM　PLEASED　YOU　LIKE　IT。　IT　IS　A　VERY　IMPRESSIVE　ENTITY　OF　LARGE　SIZE。
〃Yes；　it　is；〃　Norman　said；　wiping　sweat　from　his　forehead。　Jesus；　he　thought；　this　is　like　talking　to　a　child　with　a　loaded　gun。
IT　IS　DIFFICULT　FOR　ME　TO　MANIFEST　THIS　LARGE　ENTITY。　I　AM　PLEASED　THAT　YOU　LIKE　IT。
〃Very　impressive；〃　Norman　agreed。　〃But　you　do　not　need　to　repeat　that　entity　for　us。〃
YOU　WISH　A　NEW　ENTITY　MANIFESTED　FOR　YOU？
〃No；　Jerry。　Nothing　right　now；　thank　you。〃
MANIFESTING　IS　HAPPY　FOR　ME。
〃Yes；　I'm　sure　it　is。〃
I　AM　ENJOYING　TO　MANIFEST　FOR　YOU　NORMAN。　AND　ALSO　FOR　YOU　HARRY。
〃Thank　you；　Jerry。〃
I　AM　ENJOYING　YOUR　MANIFESTATIONS　ALSO。
〃Our　manifestations？〃　Norman　said；　glancing　at　Harry。　Apparently　Jerry　thought　that　the　people　on　the　habitat　were　manifesting　something　in　return。　Jerry　seemed　to　consider　it　an　exchange　of　some　kind。
＇＇260＇＇　YES　I　AM　ENJOYING　YOUR　MANIFESTATIONS　ALSO。
〃Tell　us　about　our　manifestations；　Jerry；〃　Norman　said。
THE　MANIFESTATIONS　ARE　SMALL　AND　THEY　DO　NOT　EXTEND　BEYOND　YOUR　ENTITIES　BUT　THE　MANIFESTATIONS　ARE　NEW　FOR　ME。　THEY　ARE　HAPPY　FOR　ME。
〃What's　he　talking　about？〃　Harry　said。
YOUR　MANIFESTATIONS　HARRY。
〃What　manifestations；　for　Christ's　sake？〃
〃Don't　get　mad；〃　Norman　warned。　〃Stay　calm。〃
I　AM　LIKING　THAT　ONE　HARRY。　DO　AN　OTHER。
Norman　thought：　Is　he　reading　emotions？　Does　he　regard　our　emotions　as　manifestations？　But　that　didn't　make　sense。　Jerry　couldn't　read　their　minds；　they'd　already　determined　that。　Maybe　he'd　better　check　again。　Jerry；　he　thought；　can　you　hear　me？
I　AM　LIKING　HARRY。　HIS　MANIFESTATIONS　ARE　RED。　THEY　ARE　WITFUL。
〃Witful？〃
WITFUL　=　FULL　OF　WIT？
〃I　see；〃　Harry　said。　〃He　thinks　we're　funny。〃
FUNNY　=　FULL　OF　FUN？
〃Not　exactly；〃　Norman　said。　〃We　entities　have　the　concept　of　。。。〃　He　trailed　off。　How　was　he　going　to　explain　〃funny〃？　What　was　a　joke；　anyway？　〃We　entities　have　the　concept　of　a　situation　which　causes　disfort　and　we　call　this　situation　humorous。〃
HUME　OR　US？
〃No。　One　word。〃　Norman　spelled　it　for　him。
I　SEE。　YOUR　MANIFESTATIONS　ARE　HUMOROUS。　THE　ENTITY　SQUID　MAKES　MANY　HUMOROUS　MANIFESTATIONS　FROM　YOU。
〃We　don't　think　so；〃　Harry　said。
I　THINK　SO。

And　that　about　summed　it　up；　Norman　thought；　sitting　at　the　console。　Somehow　he　had　to　make　Jerry　understand　the　seriousness　of　his　actions。　〃Jerry；〃　Norman　＇＇261＇＇　explained；　〃your　manifestations　injure　our　entities。　Some　of　our　entities　are　already　gone。〃
YES　I　KNOW。
〃If　you　continue　your　manifestations…〃
YES　I　AM　LIKING　TO　MANIFEST。　IT　IS　HUMOROUS　FOR　YOU。
〃…then　pretty　soon　all　our　entities　will　be　gone。　And　then　there　will　be　no　one　to　talk　to　you。〃
I　DO　NOT　WISH　THAT。
〃I　know　that。　But　many　entities　are　gone　already。〃
BRING　THEM　BACK。
〃We　can't　do　that。　They　are　gone　forever。〃
WHY？
〃We　cannot　bring　them　back。〃
WHY？
Just　like　a　kid；　Norman　thought。　Just　exactly　like　a　kid。　Telling　the　kid　you　can't　do　what　he　wants；　you　can't　play　the　way　he　wants　to　play；　and　he　refuses　to　accept　it。
〃We　do　not　have　the　power；　Jerry；　to　bring　them　back。〃
I　WISH　YOU　TO　BRING　THE　OTHER　ENTITIES　BACK　NOW。
〃He　thinks　we're　refusing　to　play；〃　Harry　said。
BRING　BACK　THE　ENTITY　TED。
Norman　said；　〃We　can't；　Jerry。　We　would　if　we　could。〃
I　AM　LIKING　THE　ENTITY　TED。　HE　IS　VERY　HUMOROUS。
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。　〃Ted　liked　you；　too。　Ted　was　trying　to　talk　to　you。〃
YES　I　AM　LIKING　HIS　MANIFESTATIONS。　BRING　BACK　TED。
〃We　can't。〃
There　was　a　long　pause。
I　AM　OFFENDED　YOU？
〃No；　not　at　all。〃
WE　ARE　FRIENDS　NORMAN　AND　HARRY。
〃Yes；　we　are。〃
THEN　BRING　BACK　THE　ENTITIES。
〃He　just　refuses　to　understand；〃　Harry　said。　〃Jerry；　for　God's　sake；　we　can't　do　it！〃
YOU　ARE　HUMOROUS　HARRY。　MAKE　IT　AGAIN。
＇＇262＇＇　He's　definitely　reading　strong　emotional　reactions　as　some　kind　of　manifestation；　Norman　thought。　Was　this　his　idea　of　play…to　make　a　provocation　to　the　other　party；　and　then　to　be　amused　by　their　responses？　Was　he　delighted　to　see　the　vivid　emotions　brought　on　by　the　squid？　Was　this　his　idea　of　a　game？
HARRY　MAKE　IT　AGAIN。　HARRY　MAKE　IT　AGAIN。
〃Hey；　man；〃　Harry　said　angrily。　〃Get　off　my　back！〃
THANK　YOU。　I　AM　LIKING　THAT。　IT　WAS　RED　ALSO。　NOW　YOU　WILL　PLEASE　BRING　BACK　THE　ENTITIES　GONE。
Norman　had　an　idea。　〃Jerry；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　wish　the　entities　back；　why　don't　you　bring　them　back？〃
I　AM　NOT　PLEASED　TO　DO　THIS。
〃But　you　could　do　it；　if　you　wanted　to。〃
I　CAN　DO　ANY　THING。
〃Yes；　of　course　you　can。　So　why　don't　you　bring　back　the　entities　you　desire？〃
NO。　I　AM　NOT　HAPPY　TO　DO　THIS。
〃Why　not？〃　Harry　said。
HEY　MAN　GET　OFF　MY　BACK。
〃No　offense；　Jerry；〃　Norman　said　quickly。　There　was　no　reply　on　the　screen。　〃Jerry？〃
The　screen　did　not　respond。
〃He's　gone　again；〃　Harry　said。　He　shook　his　head。　〃God　knows　what　the　little　bastard　will　do　next。〃

FURTHER　ANALYSIS

Norman　went　up　to　the　lab　to　see　beth；　but　she　was　asleep；　curled　up　on　her　couch。　In　sleep；　she　looked　quite　beautiful。　It　was　odd　after　all　the　time　down　here　she　should　seem　so　radiant。　It　was　as　if　the　harshness　had　gone　out　of　her　features。　Her　nose　did　not　seem　so　sharp　any　more；　the　line　of　the　mouth　was　softer；　fuller。　He　looked　at　her　arms；　which　had　been　sinewy；　veins　bulging。　The　muscles　seemed　smoother；　more　feminine　somehow。
Who　knows？　he　thought。　After　so　many　hours　down　here；　you're　no　judge　of　anything。　He　climbed　back　down　the　ladder　and　went　to　his　bunk。　Harry　was　already　there；　snoring　loudly。
Norman　decided　to　take　another　shower。　As　he　stepped　under　the　spray；　he　made　a　startling　discovery。
The　bruises　which　had　covered　his　body　were　gone。　Anyway；　almost　gone；　he　thought；　staring　down　at　the　remaining　patches　of　yellow　and　purple。　They　had　healed　within　hours。　He　moved　his　limbs　experimentally　and　realized　that　the　pain　had　gone；　too。　Why？　What　had　happened？　For　a　moment　he　thought　this　was　all　a　dream；　or　a　nightmare；　and　then　he　thought：　No；　it's　just　the　atmo