Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第65部分

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She　didn't　sound　so　calm　any　more。　〃What's　the　matter；　Beth？〃
〃Turn　that　damned　tape　off；　Norman！〃
He　was　about　to　ask　her　why；　but　then　he　saw　Beth　enter　the　video　image；　stand　next　to　the　sphere。　Beth　closed　her　eyes　and　clenched　her　fists。　The　convoluted　grooves　of　the　sphere　parted；　revealing　blackness。　And　as　he　watched；　Beth　stepped　inside　the　sphere。
And　the　door　of　the　sphere　closed　behind　her。


〃You　goddamned　men；〃　Beth　said　in　a　tight；　angry　voice。　〃You're　all　the　same；　you　can't　leave　well　enough　alone；　none　of　you。〃
〃You　lied　to　me；　Beth。〃
〃Why　did　you　watch　that　tape？　I　begged　you　not　to　watch　that　tape。　It　could　only　hurt　you　to　watch　that　tape；　Norman。〃　She　wasn't　angry　any　more；　now　she　was　pleading；　near　tears。　She　was　undergoing　rapid　emotional　shifts。　Unstable；　unpredictable。
And　she　was　in　control　of　the　habitat。
〃Beth。〃
〃I'm　sorry；　Norman。　I　can't　trust　you　any　more。〃
〃Beth。〃
〃I'm　turning　you　off；　Norman。　I'm　not　going　to　listen　to…〃
〃……Beth；　wait…〃
〃…you　any　more。　I　know　how　dangerous　you　are。　I　saw　what　you　did　to　Harry。　How　you　twisted　the　facts　so　that　it　was　Harry's　fault。　Oh　yes；　it　was　Harry's　fault；　by　the　time　you　got　through。　And　now　you　want　to　make　it　Beth's　fault；　don't　you？　Well；　let　me　tell　you；　Norman；　you　won't　be　able　to　do　it；　because　I　have　shut　you　off；　Norman。　I　can't　hear　your　soft；　convincing　words。　I　can't　hear　your　manipulation。　So　don't　waste　your　breath；　Norman。〃
He　stopped　the　tape。　The　monitor　now　showed　Beth　at　the　console　in　the　room　below。
＇＇321＇＇　Pushing　buttons　on　the　console。
〃Beth？〃　he　said。
She　didn't　reply；　she　just　went　on　working　at　the　console；　muttering　to　herself。
〃You're　a　real　son　of　a　bitch；　Norman；　do　you　know　that？　You　feel　so　terrible　that　you　need　to　make　everybody　else　just　as　low　as　you　are。〃
She　was　talking　about　herself；　he　thought。
〃You're　so　big　on　the　unconscious；　Norman。　The　unconscious　this；　the　unconscious　that。　Jesus　Christ；　I'm　sick　of　you。　Your　unconscious　probably　wants　to　kill　us　all；　just　because　you　want　to　kill　yourself　and　you　think　everybody　else　should　die　with　you。〃
He　felt　a　shuddering　chill。　Beth；　with　her　lack　of　self…esteem；　her　deep　core　of　self…hate；　had　gone　inside　the　sphere；　and　now　she　was　acting　with　the　power　of　the　sphere；　but　without　stability　to　her　thoughts。　Beth　saw　herself　as　a　victim　who　struggled　against　her　fate；　always　unsuccessfully。　Beth　was　victimized　by　men；　victimized　by　the　establishment；　victimized　by　research；　victimized　by　reality。　In　every　case　she　failed　to　see　how　she　had　done　it　to　herself。　And　she's　put　explosives　all　around　the　habitat；　he　thought。
〃I　won't　let　you　do　it；　Norman。　I'm　going　to　stop　you　before　you　kill　us　all。〃
Everything　she　said　was　the　reverse　of　the　truth。　He　began　to　see　the　pattern　now。
Beth　had　figured　out　how　to　open　the　sphere；　and　she　had　gone　there　in　secret；　because　she　had　always　been　attracted　to　power…she　always　felt　she　lacked　power　and　needed　more。　But　Beth　wasn't　prepared　to　handle　power　once　she　had　it。　Beth　still　saw　herself　as　a　victim；　so　she　had　to　deny　the　power；　and　arrange　to　be　victimized　by　it。
It　was　very　different　from　Harry。　Harry　had　denied　his　fears；　and　so　fearful　images　had　manifested　themselves。　But　Beth　denied　her　power；　and　so　she　manifested　a　churning　cloud　of　formless；　uncontrolled　power。
Harry　was　a　mathematician　who　lived　in　a　conscious　world　of　abstraction；　of　equations　and　thoughts。　A　concrete　form；　like　a　squid；　was　what　Harry　feared。　But　Beth；　the　zoologist　＇＇322＇＇　who　dealt　every　day　with　animals；　creatures　she　could　touch　and　see；　created　an　abstraction。　A　power　that　she　could　not　touch　or　see。　A　formless　abstract　power　that　was　ing　to　get　her。
And　to　defend　herself；　she　had　armed　the　habitat　with　explosives。　It　wasn't　much　of　a　defense；　Norman　thought。　Unless　you　secretly　wanted　to　kill　yourself。
The　horror　of　his　true　predicament　became　clear　to　him。　〃You　won't　get　away　with　this；　Norman。　I　won't　let　it　happen。　Not　to　me。〃
She　was　punching　keys　on　the　console。　What　was　she　planning？　What　could　she　do　to　him？　He　had　to　think。　Suddenly；　the　lights　in　the　laboratory　went　off。　A　moment　later；　the　big　space　heater　died；　the　red　elements　cooling；　turning　dark。
She　had　shut　off　the　power。
With　the　heater　turned　off；　how　long　could　he　last？　He　took　the　blankets　from　her　bed；　wrapped　himself　in　them。　How　long；　without　heat？　Certainly　not　six　hours；　he　thought　grimly。
〃I'm　sorry；　Norman。　But　you　understand　the　position　I'm　in。　As　long　as　you're　conscious；　I'm　in　danger。〃
Maybe　an　hour；　he　thought。　Maybe　I　can　last　an　hour。
〃I'm　sorry；　Norman。　But　I　have　to　do　this　to　you。〃
He　heard　a　soft　hiss。　The　alarm　on　his　chest　badge　began　to　beep。　He　looked　down　at　it。　Even　in　the　darkness；　he　could　see　it　was　now　gray。　He　knew　immediately　what　had　happened。
Beth　had　turned　off　his　air。

0535　HOURS

Huddled　in　the　darkness；　listening　to　the　beep　of　his　alarm　and　the　hiss　of　the　escaping　air。　The　pressure　diminishing　rapidly：　his　ears　popped；　as　if　he　were　in　an　airplane　taking　off。
Do　something；　he　thought；　feeling　a　surge　of　panic。
But　there　was　nothing　he　could　do。　He　was　locked　in　the　upper　chamber　of　D　Cyl。　He　could　not　get　out。　Beth　had　control　of　the　entire　facility；　and　she　knew　how　to　run　the　life…support　systems。　She　had　shut　off　his　power；　she　had　shut　off　his　heat；　and　now　she　had　shut　off　his　air。　He　was　trapped。
As　the　pressure　fell；　the　sealed　specimen　bottles　exploded　like　bombs；　shooting　fragments　of　glass　across　the　room。　He　ducked　under　the　blankets；　feeling　the　glass　rip　and　tug　at　the　cloth。　Breathing　was　harder　now。　At　first　he　thought　it　was　tension；　and　then　he　realized　that　the　air　was　thinner。　He　would　lose　consciousness　soon。
Do　something。
He　couldn't　seem　to　catch　his　breath。
Do　something。
But　all　he　could　think　about　was　breathing。　He　needed　air；　needed　oxygen。　Then　he　thought　of　the　first…aid　cabinet。　Wasn't　there　emergency　oxygen　in　the　cabinet？　He　wasn't　sure。　He　seemed　to　remember。　。。。　As　he　got　up；　another　specimen　bottle　exploded；　and　he　twisted　away　from　the　flying　glass。
He　was　gasping　for　breath；　chest　heaving。　He　started　to　see　gray　spots　before　his　eyes。
He　fumbled　in　the　darkness；　looking　for　the　cabinet；　his　hands　moving　along　the　wall。　He　touched　a　cylinder。　Oxygen？　No；　too　large…it　must　be　the　fire　extinguisher。　Where　was　the　cabinet？　His　hands　moved　along　the　wall。　Where？
He　felt　the　metal　case；　the　embossed　cover　with　the　raised　cross。　He　pulled　it　open；　thrust　his　hands　inside。
More　spots　swam　before　his　eyes。　There　wasn't　much　time。　His　fingers　touched　small　bottles；　soft　bandage　packs。　＇＇324＇＇　There　was　no　air　bottle。　Damn！　The　bottles　fell　to　the　floor；　and　then　something　large　and　heavy　landed　on　his　foot　with　a　thud。　He　bent　down；　touched　the　floor；　felt　a　shard　of　glass　cut　his　finger；　paid　no　attention。　His　hand　closed　over　a　cold　metal　cylinder。　It　was　small；　hardly　longer　than　the　palm　of　his　hand。　At　one　end　was　some　fitting；　a　nozzle。　。。。
It　was　a　spray　can…some　kind　of　damn　spray　can。　He　threw　it　aside。　Oxygen。　He　needed　oxygen！
By　the　bed；　he　remembered。　Wasn't　there　emergency　oxygen　by　every　bed　in　the　habitat？　He　felt　for　the　couch　where　Beth　had　slept；　felt　for　the　wall　above　where　her　head　would　have　been。　Surely　there　was　oxygen　nearby。　He　was　dizzy　now。　He　wasn't　thinking　clearly。
No　oxygen。
Then　he　realized　this　wasn't　a　regular　bed。　It　wasn't　intended　for　sleeping。　They　wouldn't　have　placed　any　oxygen　here。　Damn！　And　then　his　hand　touched　a　metal　cylinder；　clipped　to　the　wall。　At　one　end　was　something　soft。　Soft　。。。
An　oxygen　mask。
Quickly　he　pushed　the　mask　over　his　mouth　and　nose。　He　felt　the　bottle；　twisted　a　knurled　knob。　He　heard　a　hissing；　breathed　cold　air。　He　felt　a　wave　of　intense　dizziness；　and　then　his　head　cleared。　Oxygen！　He　was　fine！
He　felt　the　shape　of　the　bottle；　gauging　its　size。　It　was　an　emergency　bottle；　only　a　few　hundred　cc's。　How　long　would　it　last？　Not　long；　he　thought。　A　few　minutes。　It　was　only　a　temporary　reprieve。
Do　something。
But　he　couldn't　think　of　anything　to　do。　He　had　no　options。　He　was　locked　in　a　room。
He　remembered　one　of　his　teachers；　fat　old　Dr。　Temkin。　〃You　always　have　an　option。　There　is　alw