Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第50部分

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Back；　one　at　a　time。
The　crew　members　popped　back　in　the　tubes；　materializing　on　demand。
All　men。
The　women　were　changed　into　men。
All　women。
They　all　became　women。
He　had　the　power。

0200　HOURS

〃Norman。〃
Beth's　voice　over　the　loudspeakers；　hissing　through　the　empty　spacecraft。
〃Where　are　you；　Norman？　I　know　you're　there　somewhere。　I　can　feel　you；　Norman。〃
Norman　was　moving　through　the　kitchen；　past　the　empty　cans　of　Coke　on　the　counter；　then　through　the　heavy　door　and　into　the　flight　deck。　He　saw　Beth's　face　on　all　the　console　screens；　Beth　seeming　to　see　him；　the　image　repeated　a　dozen　times。
〃Norman。　I　know　where　you've　been。　You've　been　inside　the　sphere；　haven't　you；　Norman？〃
He　pressed　the　consoles　with　the　flat　of　his　hand；　trying　to　turn　off　the　screens。　He　couldn't　do　it；　the　images　remained。
〃Norman。　Answer　me；　Norman。〃
He　moved　past　the　flight　deck；　going　toward　the　airlock。　〃It　won't　do　you　any　good；　Norman。　I'm　in　charge　now。　Do　you　hear　me；　Norman？〃
In　the　airlock；　he　heard　a　click　as　his　helmet　ring　locked；　the　air　from　the　tanks　was　cool　and　dry。　He　listened　to　the　even　sound　of　his　own　breathing。
〃Norman。〃　Beth；　on　the　inter　in　his　helmet。　〃Why　don't　you　speak　to　me；　Norman？　Are　you　afraid；　Norman？〃　The　repetition　of　his　name　irritated　him。　He　pressed　the　buttons　to　open　the　airlock。　Water　began　to　flood　in　from　the　floor；　rising　swiftly。
〃Oh；　there　you　are；　Norman。　I　see　you　now。〃　And　she　began　to　laugh；　a　high；　cackling　laugh。
Norman　turned　around；　saw　the　video　camera　mounted　on　the　robot；　still　inside　the　airlock。　He　shoved　the　camera；　spinning　it　away。
〃That　won't　do　any　good；　Norman。〃
He　was　back　outside　the　spacecraft；　standing　by　the　air　lock。　The　Tevac　explosives；　rows　of　glowing　red　dots；　＇＇338＇＇　extended　away　in　erratic　lines；　like　an　airplane　runway　laid　out　by　some　demented　engineer。
〃Norman？　Why　don't　you　answer　me；　Norman？〃
Beth　was　unstable；　erratic。　He　could　hear　it　in　her　voice。　He　had　to　deprive　her　of　her　weapons；　to　turn　off　the　explosives；　if　he　could。
Off；　he　thought。　Let's　have　the　explosives　off　and　disarmed。
All　the　red　lights　immediately　went　off。
Not　bad；　he　thought；　with　a　burst　of　pleasure。　A　moment　later；　the　red　lights　blinked　back　on。
〃You　can't　do　it；　Norman；〃　Beth　said；　laughing。　〃Not　to　me。　I　can　fight　you。〃
He　knew　she　was　right。　They　were　having　an　argument；　a　test　of　wills；　turning　the　explosives　on　and　off。　And　the　argument　couldn't　ever　be　resolved。　Not　that　way。　He　would　have　to　do　something　more　direct。
He　moved　toward　the　nearest　of　the　Tevac　explosives。　Up　close；　the　cone　was　larger　than　he　had　thought；　four　feet　high；　with　a　red　light　at　the　top。
〃I　can　see　you；　Norman。　I　see　what　you're　doing。〃
There　was　writing　on　the　cone；　yellow　letters　stenciled　on　the　gray　surface。　Norman　bent　to　read　it。　His　faceplate　was　slightly　fogged；　but　he　could　still　make　out　the　words。

DANGER　…　TEVAC　EXPLOSIVES
U。S。N。　CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION　USE　ONLY
DEFAULT　DETONATE　SEQUENCE　20：00
CONSULT　MANUAL　USN/VV/512…A
AUTHORIZED　PERSONNEL　ONLY
DANGER…TEVAC　EXPLOSIVES

There　was　still　more　writing　beneath　that；　but　it　was　smaller；　and　he　couldn't　make　it　out。
〃Norman！　What're　you　doing　with　my　explosives；　Norman？〃
Norman　didn't　answer　her。　He　looked　at　the　wiring。　One　thin　cable　ran　into　the　base　of　the　cone；　and　a　second　cable　ran　out。　The　second　cable　went　along　the　muddy　bottom　to　＇＇339＇＇　the　next　cone；　where　there　were　again　just　two　cables…one　in；　and　one　out。
〃Get　away　from　there；　Norman。　You're　making　me　nervous。
One　cable　in；　and　one　cable　out。
Beth　had　wired　the　cones　together　in　series；　like　Christmas…tree　bulbs！　By　pulling　out　a　single　cable；　Norman　would　disconnect　the　entire　line　of　explosives。　He　reached　forward　and　gripped　the　cable　in　his　gloved　hand。
〃Norman！　Don't　touch　that　wire；　Norman！〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Beth。〃
His　fingers　closed　around　the　cable。　He　felt　the　soft　plastic　coating；　gripped　it　tightly。
〃Norman；　if　you　pull　that　cable　you'll　set　off　the　explosives。　I　swear　to　you…it'll　blow　you　and　me　and　Harry　and　everything　to　hell；　Norman。〃
He　didn't　think　it　was　true。　Beth　was　lying。　Beth　was　out　of　control　and　she　was　dangerous　and　she　was　lying　to　him　again。
He　drew　his　hand　back。　He　felt　the　tension　in　the　cable。
〃Don't　do　it；　Norman。　。。。
The　cable　was　now　taut　in　his　hand。　〃I'm　going　to　shut　you　down；　Beth。〃
〃For　God's　sake；　Norman。　Believe　me；　will　you？　You'll　kill　us　all！〃
Still　he　hesitated。　Could　she　be　telling　the　truth？　Did　she　know　about　wiring　explosives？　He　looked　at　the　big　gray　cone　at　his　feet；　reaching　up　to　his　waist。　What　would　it　feel　like　if　it　exploded？　Would　he　feel　anything　at　all？
〃The　hell　with　it；〃　he　said　aloud。
He　pulled　the　cable　out　of　the　cone。


The　shriek　of　the　alarm；　ringing　inside　his　helmet；　made　him　jump。　There　was　a　small　liquid…crystal　display　at　the　top　of　his　faceplate　blinking　rapidly：　〃EMERGENCY〃。。。　〃EMERGENCY〃。。。
〃Oh；　Norman。　God　damn　it。　Now　you've　done　it。〃
He　barely　heard　her　voice　over　the　alarm。　The　red　cone　＇＇340＇＇　lights　were　blinking；　all　down　the　length　of　the　spacecraft。　He　braced　himself　for　the　explosion。
But　then　the　alarm　was　interrupted　by　a　deep；　resonant　male　voice　that　said；　〃Your　attention；　please。　Your　attention；　please。　All　construction　personnel　clear　the　blast　area　immediately。　Tevac　explosives　are　now　activated。　The　countdown　will　begin　。。。　now。　Mark　twenty；　and　counting。〃
On　the　cone；　a　red　display　flashed　20：00。　Then　it　began　counting　backward：　19：59　。。。　19：58　。。。
The　same　display　was　repeated　on　the　crystal　display　at　the　top　of　his　helmet。
It　took　him　a　moment　to　put　it　together；　to　understand。　Staring　at　the　cone；　he　read　the　yellow　lettering　once　again：　U。S。N。　CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION　USE　ONLY。
Of　course！　Tevac　explosives　weren't　weapons；　they　were　made　for　construction　and　demolition。　They　had　built…in　safety　timers…a　programmed　twenty…minute　delay　before　they　went　off；　to　allow　workers　to　get　away。
Twenty　minutes　to　get　away；　he　thought。　That　would　give　him　plenty　of　time。
Norman　turned；　and　began　striding　quickly　toward　DH…7　and　the　submarine。

0140　HOURS

He　walked　evenly；　steadily。　He　felt　no　strain。　His　breath　came　easily。　He　was　fortable　in　his　suit。　All　systems　working　smoothly。
He　was　leaving。　〃Norman；　please　。。。〃　Now　Beth　was　pleading　with　him；　another　erratic　shift　of　＇＇341＇＇　mood。　Norman　ignored　her。　He　continued　on　toward　the　submarine。　The　deep　recorded　voice　said；　〃Your　attention；　please。　All　Navy　personnel　clear　the　blast　area。　Nineteen　minutes　and　counting。〃
Norman　felt　an　enormous　sense　of　purposefulness；　of　power。　He　had　no　illusions　any　more。　He　had　no　questions。　He　knew　what　he　had　to　do。
He　had　to　save　himself。
〃I　don't　believe　you're　doing　this；　Norman。　I　don't　believe　you're　abandoning　us。〃
Believe　it；　he　thought。　After　all；　what　choice　did　he　have？　Beth　was　out　of　control　and　dangerous。　It　was　too　late　to　save　her　now…in　fact；　it　was　crazy　to　go　anywhere　near　her。　Beth　was　homicidal。　She'd　already　tried　to　kill　him　once；　and　had　nearly　succeeded。
And　Harry　had　been　drugged　for　thirteen　hours；　by　now　he　was　probably　clinically　dead；　brain…dead。　There　was　no　reason　for　Norman　to　stay。　There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do。
The　sub　was　close　now。　He　could　see　the　fittings　on　the　yellow　exterior。
〃Norman；　please　。。。　I　need　you。〃
Sorry；　he　thought。　I'm　getting　out　of　here。
He　moved　around　beneath　the　twin　propellor　screws；　the　name　painted　on　the　curved　hull；　Deepstar　III。　He　climbed　the　footholds；　moving　up　into　the　dome。
〃Norman…〃
Now　he　was　out　of　contact　with　the　inter。　He　was　on　his　own。　He　opened　the　hatch；　climbed　inside　the　submarine。　He　unlocked　his　helmet；　pulled　it　off。
〃Your　attention；　please。　Eighteen　minutes　and　counting。〃　Norman　sat　in　the　pilot's　padded　seat；　faced　the　controls。　The　instruments　blinked　on；　and　the　screen　directly　before　him　glowed。

DEEPSTAR　III　…　MAND　MODULE

Do　you　require　help？
Yes　 No　 Cancel

＇＇342＇＇　He　pressed　〃YES。〃　He　waited　for　the　next　screen　to　flash　up。
It　was　too　bad　about　Harry　and　Beth；　he　was　sorry　to　leave　them　behind。　But　they　had　both；　in　their　own　ways；　failed　to　explore　their　inner　selves；　thus　making　them　vulnerable　to　the　sphere　and　its　power。　It　was　a　classic　scientific　error；　this　so…called　triumph　of　rational　thought　over　irrational　thought。　Scientists　refused　to　acknowledge　their　irrational　side；　refused　to　see　it　as　important。　They　dealt　only　with　the　rational。　Everything　made　sense　to　a　scientist；　and　if　it　didn't　make　sense；　it　was　dismissed　as　what　Einstein　called　the　〃merely　personal。〃
The　merely　personal；　he　thought；　in　a　burst　of　contempt。　People　killed　each　other　for　reasons　that　were　〃merely　personal。〃

DEEPSTAR　III　…　CHECKLIST　OPTIONS

Descend Ascend
Secure Shutdown
Monitor Cancel

Norman　pressed　〃ASCEND。〃　The　screen　changed　to　the　drawing　of　the　instrument　panel；　with　the　flashing　point。　He　waited　for　the　next　instruction。
Yes；　he　thought；　it　was　true：　scientists　refused　to　deal　with　the　irrational。　But　the　irrational　side　didn't　go　away　if　you　refused　to　deal　with　it。　Irrationality　didn't　atrophy　with　disuse。　On　the　contrary；　left　unattended；　the　irrational　side　of　man　had　grown　in　power　and　scope。
And　plaining　about　it　didn't　help；　either。　All　those　scientists　whining　in　the　Sunday　supplements　about　man's　inherent　destructiveness　and　his　propensity　for　violence；　throwing　up　their　hands。　That　wasn't　dealing　with　the　irrational　side。　That　was　just　a　formal　admission　that　they　were　giving　up　on　it。
＇＇343＇＇　The　screen　changed　again：

DEEPSTAR　III　…　ASCEND　CHECKLIST

1。　Set　Ballast　Blowers　To：　On
Proceed　To　Next Cancel

Norman　pushed　buttons　on　the　panel；　setting　the　ballast　blowers；　and　waited　for　the　next　screen。
After　all；　how　did　scientists　approach　their　own　research？　The　scientists　all　agreed：　scientific　research　can't　be　stopped。　If　we　don't　build　the　bomb；　someone　else　will。　But　then　pretty　soon　the　bomb　was　in　the　hands　of　new　people；　who　said；　If　we　don't　use　the　bomb；　someone　else　will。
At　which　point；　the　scientists　said；　those　other　people　are　terrible　people；　they're　irrational　and　irresponsible。　We　scientists　are　okay。　But　those　other　people　are　a　real　problem。
Yet　the　truth　was　that　responsibility　began　with　each　individual　person；　and　the　choices　he　made。　Each　person　had　a　choice。
Well；　Norman　thought；　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　for　Harry　or　Beth　any　longer。　He　had　to　save　himself。
He　heard　a　deep　hum　as　the　generators　turned　on；　and　the　throb　of　the　propellors。　The　screen　flashed：
DEEPSTAR　III　…　PILOT　INSTRUMENTS　ACTIVATED
Here　we　go；　he　thought；　resting　his　hands　confidently　on　the　controls。　He　felt　the　submarine　respond　beneath　him。　〃Your　attention；　please。　Seventeen　minutes　and　counting。〃　Muddy　sediment　churned　up　around　the　canopy　as　the　screws　engaged；　and　then　the　little　submarine　slipped　out　from　beneath　the　dome。　It　was　just　like　driving　a　car；　he　thought。　There　was　nothing　to　it。
He　turned　in　a　slow　arc；　away　from　DH…7；　toward　DH…8。　He　was　twenty　feet　above　the　bottom；　high　enough　for　the　screws　to　clear　the　mud。
There　were　seventeen　minutes　left。　At　a　maximum　ascent　rate　of　6。6　feet　per　second…he　did　the　mental　calculation　quickly；　effortlessly…he　would　reach　the　surface　in　two　and