Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第9部分

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〃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　sleave　of　care；'　〃　Ted　said。　He　was　literally　bobbing　up　and　down　in　his　chair　with　excitement。
〃During　the　rest　of　the　day；　supply　and　technical　officers　will　be　ing　to　measure　and　outfit　you。　Any　other　questions；〃　Barnes　said；　〃you　can　find　me　in　my　office。〃
He　left　the　room；　and　the　meeting　broke　up。　When　the　others　filed　out；　Norman　remained　behind；　with　Harry　Adams。　Harry　never　moved　from　his　chair。　He　watched　the　technician　packing　up　the　portable　screen。
〃That　was　quite　a　performance　just　now；〃　Norman　said。
〃Was　it？　I　don't　see　why。〃
〃You　deduced　that　Barnes　wasn't　telling　us　about　the　door。〃
〃Oh；　there's　much　more　he's　not　telling　us　about；〃　Adams　＇＇37＇＇　said；　in　a　cold　voice。　〃He's　not　telling　us　about　any　of　the　important　things。〃
〃Like　what？〃
〃Like　the　fact；〃　Harry　said；　getting　to　his　feet　at　last；　〃that　Captain　Barnes　knows　perfectly　well　why　the　President　decided　to　keep　this　a　secret。〃
〃He　does？〃
〃The　President　had　no　choice；　under　the　circumstances。〃
〃What　circumstances？〃
〃He　knows　that　the　object　down　there　is　not　an　alien　spacecraft。〃
〃Then　what　is　it？〃
〃I　think　it's　quite　clear　what　it　is。〃
〃Not　to　me；〃　Norman　said。
Adams　smiled　for　the　first　time。　It　was　a　thin　smile；　entirely　without　humor。　〃You　wouldn't　believe　it　if　I　told　you；〃　he　said。　And　he　left　the　room。

TESTS

Arthur　levine；　the　marine　biologist；　was　the　only　member　of　the　expedition　Norman　Johnson　had　not　met。　It　was　one　of　the　things　we　hadn't　planned　for；　he　thought。　Norman　had　assumed　that　any　contact　with　unknown　life　would　occur　on　land；　he　hadn't　considered　the　most　obvious　possibility…that　if　a　spacecraft　landed　at　random　somewhere　on　the　Earth；　it　would　most　likely　e　down　on　water；　since　70　percent　of　the　planet　was　covered　with　water。　It　was　obvious　in　retrospect　that　they　would　need　a　marine　biologist。
What　else；　he　wondered；　would　prove　obvious　in　retrospect？
He　found　Levine　hanging　off　the　port　railing。　Levine　came　＇＇38＇＇　from　the　oceanographic　institute　at　Woods　Hole；　Massachusetts。　His　hand　was　damp　when　Norman　shook　it。　Levine　looked　extremely　ill　at　ease；　and　finally　admitted　that　he　was　seasick。
〃Seasick？　A　marine　biologist？〃　Norman　said。
〃I　work　in　the　laboratory；〃　he　said。　〃At　home。　On　land。　Where　things　don't　move　all　the　time。　Why　are　you　smiling？〃
〃Sorry；〃　Norman　said。
〃You　think　it's　funny；　a　seasick　marine　biologist？〃
〃Incongruous；　I　guess。〃
〃A　lot　of　us　get　seasick；〃　Levine　said。　He　stared　out　at　the　sea。　〃Look　out　there；〃　he　said。　〃Thousands　of　miles　of　flat。　Nothing。〃
〃The　ocean。〃
〃It　gives　me　the　creeps；〃　Levine　said。


〃So？〃　Barnes　said；　back　in　his　office。　〃What　do　you　think？〃
〃Of　what？〃
〃Of　the　team；　for　Christ's　sake。〃
〃It's　the　team　I　chose；　six　years　later。　Basically　a　good　group；　certainly　very　able。〃
〃I　want　to　know　who　will　crack。〃
〃Why　should　anybody　crack？〃　Norman　said。　He　was　looking　at　Barnes；　noticing　the　thin　line　of　sweat　on　his　upper　lip。　The　mander　was　under　a　lot　of　pressure　himself。
〃A　thousand　feet　down？〃　Barnes　said。　〃Living　and　working　in　a　cramped　habitat？　Listen；　it's　not　like　I'm　going　in　with　military　divers　who　have　been　trained　and　who　have　themselves　under　control。　I'm　taking　a　bunch　of　scientists；　for　God's　sake。　I　want　to　make　sure　they　all　have　a　clean　bill　of　health。　I　want　to　make　sure　nobody's　going　to　crack。〃
〃I　don't　know　if　you　are　aware　of　this；　Captain；　but　psychologists　can't　predict　that　very　accurately。　Who　will　crack。〃
〃Even　when　it's　from　fear？〃
〃Whatever　it's　from。〃
Barnes　frowned。　〃I　thought　fear　was　your　specialty。〃
＇＇39＇＇　〃Anxiety　is　one　of　my　research　interests　and　I　can　tell　you　who；　on　the　basis　of　personality　profiles；　is　likely　to　suffer　acute　anxiety　in　a　stress　situation。　But　I　can't　predict　who'll　crack　under　that　stress　and　who　won't。〃
〃Then　what　good　are　you？〃　Barnes　said　irritably。　He　sighed。　〃I'm　sorry。　Don't　you　just　want　to　interview　them；　or　give　them　some　tests？〃
〃There　aren't　any　tests；〃　Norman　said。　〃At　least；　none　that　work。〃
Barnes　sighed　again。　〃What　about　Levine？〃
〃He's　seasick。〃
〃There　isn't　any　motion　underwater；　that　won't　be　a　problem。　But　what　about　him；　personally？〃
〃I'd　be　concerned；〃　Norman　said。
〃Duly　noted。　What　about　Harry　Adams？　He's　arrogant。〃
〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。　〃But　that's　probably　desirable。〃　Studies　had　shown　that　the　people　who　were　most　successful　at　handling　pressure　were　people　others　didn't　like…individuals　who　were　described　as　arrogant；　cocksure；　irritating。
〃Maybe　so；〃　Barnes　said。　〃But　what　about　his　famous　research　paper？　Harry　was　one　of　the　biggest　supporters　of　SETI　a　few　years　back。　Now　that　we've　found　something；　he's　suddenly　very　negative。　You　remember　his　paper？〃
Norman　didn't；　and　was　about　to　say　so　when　an　ensign　came　in。　〃Captain　Barnes；　here　is　the　visual　upgrade　you　wanted。〃
〃Okay；〃　Barnes　said。　He　squinted　at　a　photograph；　put　it　down。　〃What　about　the　weather？〃
〃No　change；　sir。　Satellite　reports　are　confirming　we　have　forty…eight　plus…minus　twelve　on　site；　sir。〃
〃Hell；〃　Barnes　said。
〃Trouble？〃　Norman　asked。
〃The　weather's　going　bad　on　us；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　may　have　to　clear　out　our　surface　support。〃
〃Does　that　mean　you'll　cancel　going　down　there？〃
〃No；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　go　tomorrow；　as　planned。〃
〃Why　does　Harry　think　this　thing　is　not　a　spacecraft？〃　Norman　asked。
＇＇40＇＇　Barnes　frowned；　pushed　papers　on　his　desk。　〃Let　me　tell　you　something；〃　he　said。　〃Harry's　a　theoretician。　And　theories　are　just　that…theories。　I　deal　in　the　hard　facts。　The　fact　is；　we've　got　something　damn　old　and　damn　strange　down　there。　I　want　to　know　what　it　is。〃
〃But　if　it's　not　an　alien　spacecraft；　what　is　it？〃
〃Let's　just　wait　until　we　get　down　there；　shall　we？〃　Barnes　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃The　second　habitat　should　be　anchored　on　the　sea　floor　by　now。　We'll　begin　moving　you　down　in　fifteen　hours。　Between　now　and　then；　we've　all　got　a　lot　to　do。〃


〃Just　hold　it　there；　Dr。　Johnson。〃　Norman　stood　naked；　felt　two　metal　calipers　pinch　the　back　of　his　arms；　just　above　the　elbow。　〃Just　a　bit　。。。　that's　fine。　Now　you　can　get　into　the　tank。〃
The　young　medical　corpsman　stepped　aside；　and　Norman　climbed　the　steps　to　the　metal　tank；　which　looked　like　a　military　version　of　a　Jacuzzi。　The　tank　was　filled　to　the　top　with　water。　As　he　lowered　his　body　into　the　water；　it　spilled　over　the　sides。
〃What's　all　this　for？〃　Norman　asked。
〃I'm　sorry；　Dr。　Johnson。　If　you　would　pletely　immerse　yourself　。。。〃
〃What？〃
〃Just　for　a　moment；　sir　。。。〃
Norman　took　a　breath；　ducked　under　the　water；　came　back　up。
〃That's　fine；　you　can　get　out　now；〃　the　corpsman　said；　handing　him　a　towel。
〃What's　all　this　for？〃　he　asked　again；　climbing　down　the　ladder。
〃Total　body　adipose　content；〃　the　corpsman　said。　〃We　have　to　know　it；　to　calculate　your　sat　stats。〃
〃My　sat　stats？〃
〃Your　saturation　statistics。〃　The　corpsman　marked　points　on　his　clipboard。
〃Oh　dear；〃　he　said。　〃You're　off　the　graph。〃
＇＇41＇＇　〃Why　is　that？〃
〃Do　you　get　much　exercise；　Dr。　Johnson？〃
〃Some。〃　He　was　feeling　defensive　now。　And　the　towel　was　too　small　to　wrap　around　his　waist。　Why　did　the　Navy　use　such　small　towels？
〃Do　you　drink？〃
〃Some。〃　He　was　feeling　distinctly　defensive。　No　question　about　it。
〃May　I　ask　when　you　last　consumed　an　alcoholic　beverage；　sir？〃
〃I　don't　know。　Two；　three　days　ago。〃　He　was　having　trouble　thinking　back　to　San　Diego。　It　seemed　so　far　away。　〃Why？〃
〃That's　fine；　Dr。　Johnson。　Any　trouble　with　joints；　hips　or　knees？〃
〃No；　why？〃
〃Episodes　of　syncope；　faintness　or　blackouts？〃　
〃No　。。。〃
〃If　you　would　just　sit　over　here；　sir。〃　The　corpsman　pointed　to　a　stool；　next　to　an　electronic　device　on　the　wall。　〃I'd　really　like　some　answers；〃　Norman　said。
〃Just　stare　at　the　green　dot；　both　eyes　wide　open。　。。。〃
He　felt　a　brief　blast　of　air　on　both　eyes；　and　blinked　instinctively。　A　printed　strip　of　paper　clicked　out。　The　corpsman　tore　it　off；　glanced　at　it。
〃That's　fine；　Dr。　Johnson。　If　you　would　e　this　way　。。。〃　〃I'd　like　some　information　from　you；〃　Norman　said。　〃I'd　like　to　know　what's　going　on。〃
〃I　understand；　sir；　but　I　have　to　finish　your　workup　in　time　for　your　next　b