Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第8部分

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phisticated　sidelooking　sonar；　which　produced　this　picture　of　the　bottom。〃
In　color；　the　image　was　almost　three…dimensional　in　its　clarity。
〃As　you　see；　the　bottom　appears　flat　except　for　a　single　triangular　fin　which　sticks　up　some　two　hundred　and　eighty　feet　above　the　ocean　floor。　You　see　it　here；〃　he　said；　pointing。　〃Now；　this　wing　dimension　is　larger　than　any　known　aircraft　manufactured　in　either　the　United　States　or　the　Soviet　Union。　This　was　very　puzzling　at　first。　Next。〃
A　submersible　robot；　being　lowered　on　a　crane　over　the　side　of　a　ship。　The　robot　looked　like　a　series　of　horizontal　tubes　with　cameras　and　lights　nestled　in　the　center。
〃By　June　24；　the　Navy　had　the　ROV　carrier　Neptune　IV　on　site；　and　the　Remote　Operated　Vehicle　Scorpion；　which　you　see　here；　was　sent　down　to　photograph　the　wing。　It　returned　an　image　that　clearly　showed　a　control　surface　of　some　sort。　Here　it　is。〃
There　were　murmurs　from　the　group。　In　a　harshly　lit　color　image；　a　gray　fin　stuck　up　from　a　flat　coral　floor。　The　fin　was　sharp…edged　and　aeronautical…looking；　tapered；　definitely　artificial。
〃You'll　notice；〃　Barnes　said；　〃that　the　sea　bottom　in　this　region　consists　of　scrubby　dead　coral。　The　wing　or　fin　disappears　into　the　coral；　suggesting　the　rest　of　the　aircraft　might　be　buried　beneath。　An　ultra…high…resolution　SLS　bottom　scan　was　carried　out；　to　detect　the　shape　underneath　the　coral。　Next。〃
＇＇33＇＇　Another　color　sonar　image；　posed　of　fine　dots　instead　of　lines。
〃As　you　see；　the　fin　seems　to　be　attached　to　a　cylindrical　object　buried　under　the　coral。　The　object　has　a　diameter　of　a　hundred　and　ninety　feet；　and　extends　west　for　a　distance　of　2；754　feet　before　tapering　to　a　point。〃
More　murmurings　from　the　audience。
〃That's　correct；〃　Barnes　said。　〃The　cylindrical　object　is　half　a　mile　long。　The　shape　is　consistent　with　a　rocket　or　spacecraft…it　certainly　looks　like　that…but　from　the　beginning　we　were　careful　to　refer　to　this　object　as　'the　anomaly。'　〃
Norman　glanced　over　at　Ted；　who　was　smiling　up　at　the　screen。　But　alongside　Ted　in　the　darkness；　Harry　Adams　frowned　and　pushed　his　glasses　up　on　his　nose。
Then　the　projector　light　went　out。　The　room　was　plunged　into　darkness。　There　were　groans。　Norman　heard　Barnes　say；　〃God　damn　it；　not　again！〃　Someone　scrambled　for　the　door；　there　was　a　rectangle　of　light。
Beth　leaned　over　to　Norman　and　said；　〃They　lose　power　here　all　the　time。　Reassuring；　huh？〃
Moments　later；　the　electricity　came　back　on；　Barnes　continued。　〃On　June　25　a　SCARAB　remote　vehicle　cut　a　piece　from　the　tail　fin　and　brought　it　to　the　surface。　The　fin　segment　was　analyzed　and　found　to　be　a　titanium　alloy　in　an　epoxy…resin　honeyb。　The　necessary　bonding　technology　for　such　metal/plastic　materials　was　currently　unknown　on　Earth。
〃Experts　confirmed　that　the　fin　could　not　have　originated　on　this　planet…although　in　ten　or　twenty　years　we'd　probably　know　how　to　make　it。〃
Harry　Adams　grunted；　leaned　forward；　made　a　note　on　his　pad。
Meanwhile；　Barnes　explained；　other　robot　vessels　were　used　to　plant　seismic　charges　on　the　bottom。　Seismic　analysis　showed　that　the　buried　anomaly　was　of　metal；　that　it　was　hollow；　and　that　it　had　a　plex　internal　structure。
〃After　two　weeks　of　intensive　study；〃　Barnes　said；　〃we　concluded　the　anomaly　was　some　sort　of　spacecraft。〃
The　final　verification　came　on　June　27　from　the　geologists。　＇＇34＇＇　Their　core　samples　from　the　bottom　indicated　that　the　present　seabed　had　formerly　been　much　shallower；　perhaps　only　eighty　or　ninety　feet　deep。　This　would　explain　the　coral；　which　covered　the　craft　to　an　average　thickness　of　thirty　feet。　Therefore；　the　geologists　said；　the　craft　had　been　on　the　planet　at　least　three　hundred　years；　and　perhaps　much　longer：　five　hundred；　or　even　five　thousand　years。
〃However　reluctantly；〃　Barnes　said；　〃the　Navy　concluded　that　we　had；　in　fact；　found　a　spacecraft　from　another　civilization。　The　decision　of　the　President；　before　a　special　meeting　of　the　National　Security　Council；　was　to　open　the　spacecraft。　So；　starting　June　29；　the　ULF　team　members　were　called　in。〃
On　July　1；　the　subsea　habitat　DH…7　was　lowered　into　position　near　the　spacecraft　site。　DH…7　housed　nine　Navy　divers　working　in　a　saturated　exotic…gas　environment。　They　proceeded　to　do　primary　drilling　work。　〃And　I　think　that　brings　you　up　to　date；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Any　questions？〃
Ted　said；　〃The　internal　structure　of　the　spacecraft。　Has　it　been　clarified？〃
〃Not　at　this　point。　The　spacecraft　seems　to　be　built　in　such　a　way　that　shock　waves　are　transmitted　around　the　outer　shell；　which　is　tremendously　strong　and　well　engineered。　That　prevents　a　clear　picture　of　the　interior　from　the　seismics。〃
〃How　about　passive　techniques　to　see　what's　inside？〃
〃We've　tried；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Gravitometric　analysis；　negative。　Thermography；　negative。　Resistivity　mapping；　negative。　Proton　precision　magnetometers；　negative。〃
〃Listening　devices？〃
〃We've　had　hydrophones　on　the　bottom　from　day　one。　There　have　been　no　sounds　emanating　from　the　craft。　At　least　not　so　far。〃
〃What　about　other　remote　inspection　procedures？〃
〃Most　involve　radiation；　and　we're　hesitant　to　irradiate　the　craft　at　this　time。〃
Harry　said；　〃Captain　Barnes；　I　notice　the　fin　appears　undamaged；　and　the　hull　appears　a　perfect　cylinder。　Do　you　think　that　this　object　crashed　in　the　ocean？〃
〃Yes；〃　Barnes　said；　looking　uneasy。
＇＇35＇＇　〃So　this　object　has　survived　a　high…speed　impact　with　the　water；　without　a　scratch　or　a　dent？〃
〃Well；　it's　tremendously　strong。〃
Harry　nodded。　〃It　would　have　to　be。　。。。〃
Beth　said；　〃The　divers　who　are　down　there　now…what　exactly　are　they　doing？〃
〃Looking　for　the　front　door。〃　Barnes　smiled。　〃For　the　time　being；　we've　had　to　fall　back　on　classical　archaeological　procedures。　We're　digging　exploratory　trenches　in　the　coral；　looking　for　an　entrance　or　a　hatch　of　some　kind。　We　hope　to　find　it　within　the　next　twenty…four　to　forty…eight　hours。　Once　we　do；　you're　going　in。　Anything　else？〃
〃Yes；〃　Ted　said。　〃What　was　the　Russian　reaction　to　this　discovery？〃
〃We　haven't　told　the　Russians；〃　Barnes　said。　
〃You　haven't　told　them？〃
〃No。　We　haven't。〃
〃But　this　is　an　incredible；　unprecedented　development　in　human　history。　Not　just　American　history。　Human　history。　Surely　we　should　share　this　with　all　the　nations　of　the　world。　This　is　the　sort　of　discovery　that　could　unite　all　of　mankind…〃
〃You'd　have　to　speak　to　the　President；〃　Barnes　said。　〃I　don't　know　the　reasoning　behind　it；　but　it's　his　decision。　Any　other　questions？〃
Nobody　said　anything。　The　team　looked　at　each　other。
〃Then　I　guess　that's　it；〃　Barnes　said。
The　lights　came　on。　There　was　the　scraping　of　chairs　as　people　stood；　stretched。　Then　Harry　Adams　said；　〃Captain　Barnes；　I　must　say　I　resent　this　briefing　very　much。〃
Barnes　looked　surprised。　〃What　do　you　mean；　Harry？〃　The　others　stopped；　looked　at　Adams。　He　remained　seated　in　his　chair；　an　irritated　look　on　his　face。　〃Did　you　decide　you　have　to　break　the　news　to　us　gently？〃
〃What　news？〃
〃The　news　about　the　door。〃
Barnes　laughed　uneasily。　〃Harry；　I　just　got　through　telling　you　that　the　divers　are　cutting　exploratory　trenches；　looking　for　the　door…〃
＇＇36＇＇　〃…I'd　say　you　had　a　pretty　good　idea　where　the　door　was　three　days　ago；　when　you　started　flying　us　in。　And　I'd　say　that　by　now　you　probably　know　exactly　where　the　door　is。　Am　I　right？〃
Barnes　said　nothing。　He　stood　with　a　fixed　smile　on　his　face。
My　God；　Norman　thought；　looking　at　Barnes。　Harry's　right。　Harry　was　known　to　have　a　superbly　logical　brain；　an　astonishing　and　cold　deductive　ability；　but　Norman　had　never　seen　him　at　work。
〃Yes；〃　Barnes　said；　finally。　〃You're　right。〃
〃You　know　the　location　of　the　door？〃
〃We　do。　Yes。〃
There　was　a　moment　of　silence；　and　then　Ted　said；　〃But　this　is　fantastic！　Absolutely　fantastic！　When　will　we　go　down　there　to　enter　the　spacecraft？〃
〃Tomorrow；〃　Barnes　said；　never　taking　his　eyes　off　Harry。　And　Harry；　for　his　own　part；　stared　fixedly　at　Barnes。　〃The　minisubs　will　take　you　down　in　pairs；　starting　at　oh　eight　hundred　hours　tomorrow　morning。〃
〃This　is　exciting！〃　Ted　said。　〃Fantastic！　Unbelievable。〃
〃So；〃　Barnes　said；　still　watching　Harry；　〃you　should　all　get　a　good　night's　sleep…if　you　can。〃
〃　'Innocent　sleep；　sleep　that　knits　up　the　ravell'd　sl