Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第40部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


omething　that　might　be　within　Jerry's　experience。　He　decided　to　imagine　a　planet　with　rings；　like　Saturn。　He　frowned：　Jerry；　I　am　going　to　send　you　a　picture。　Tell　me　what　you　see。
He　focused　his　mind　on　the　image　of　Saturn；　a　brightyellow　sphere　with　a　tilted　ring　system；　hanging　in　the　blackness　of　space。　He　sustained　the　image　about　ten　seconds；　and　then　looked　at　the　screen。
The　screen　did　not　change。
Jerry；　are　you　there？
The　screen　still　did　not　change。
〃Jerry；　are　you　there？〃　Norman　said。
YES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HERE。
〃I　don't　think　we　should　talk　in　this　room；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Maybe　if　we　go　into　another　cylinder；　and　turn　the　water　on　。。。〃
〃Like　in　the　spy　movies？〃
〃It's　worth　a　try。〃
Ted　said；　〃I　think　we're　being　unfair　to　Jerry。　If　we　feel　that　he　is　intruding　on　our　privacy；　why　don't　we　just　tell　him？　Ask　him　not　to　intrude？〃
I　DO　NOT　WISH　TO　IN　TRUDE。
〃Let's　face　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃This　guy　knows　a　lot　more　about　us　than　we　know　about　him。〃
YES　I　KNOW　MANY　THINGS　ABOUT　YOUR　ENTITIES。
〃Jerry；〃　Ted　said。
YES　TED。　I　AM　HERE。
〃Please　leave　us　alone。〃
I　DO　NOT　WISH　TO　DO　SO。　I　AM　HAPPY　TO　TALK　WITH　YOU。　I　ENJOY　TO　TALK　WITH　YOU。　LET　US　TALK　NOW。　I　WISH　IT。
〃It's　obvious　he　won't　listen　to　reason；〃　Barnes　said。
＇＇195＇＇　〃Jerry；〃　Ted　said；　〃you　must　leave　us　alone　for　a　while。〃
NO。　THAT　IS　NOT　POSSIBLE。　I　DO　NOT　AGREE。　NO！
〃Now　the　bastard's　showing　his　true　colors；〃　Barnes　said。
The　child　king；　Norman　thought。　〃Let　me　try。〃
〃Be　my　guest。〃
〃Jerry；〃　Norman　said。
YES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HERE。
〃Jerry；　it　is　very　exciting　for　us　to　talk　to　you。〃
THANK　YOU。　I　AM　EXCITED　ALSO。
〃Jerry；　we　find　you　a　fascinating　and　wonderful　entity。〃
Barnes　was　rolling　his　eyes；　shaking　his　head。
THANK　YOU；　NORMAN。
〃And　we　wish　to　talk　to　you　for　many；　many　hours；　Jerry。〃
GOOD。
〃We　admire　your　gifts　and　talents。〃
THANK　YOU。
〃And　we　know　that　you　have　great　power　and　understanding　of　all　things。〃
THIS　IS　SO；　NORMAN。　YES。
〃Jerry；　in　your　great　understanding；　you　certainly　know　that　we　are　entities　who　must　have　conversations　among　ourselves；　without　your　listening　to　us。　The　experience　of　meeting　you　is　very　challenging　to　us；　and　we　have　much　to　talk　about　among　ourselves。〃
Barnes　was　shaking　his　head。
I　HAVE　MUCH　TO　TALK　ABOUT　ALSO。　I　ENJOY　MUCH　TO　TALK　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES　NORMAN。
〃Yes；　I　know；　Jerry。　But　you　also　know　in　your　wisdom　that　we　need　to　talk　alone。〃
DO　NOT　BE　AFRAID。
〃We're　not　afraid；　Jerry。　We　are　unfortable。〃
DO　NOT　BE　UN　FORTABLE。
〃We　can't　help　it；　Jerry。　。。。　It　is　the　way　we　are。〃
I　ENJOY　MUCH　TO　TALK　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES　NORMAN。　I　AM　HAPPY。　ARE　YOU　HAPPY　ALSO？
〃Yes；　very　happy；　Jerry。　But；　you　see；　we　need…〃
GOOD。　I　AM　GLAD。
〃…we　need　to　talk　alone。　Please　do　not　listen　for　a　while。〃
AM　I　OFFENDED　YOU？
＇＇196＇＇　〃No；　you　are　very　friendly　and　charming。　But　we　need　to　talk　alone；　without　your　listening；　for　a　while。〃
I　UNDERSTAND　YOU　NEED　THIS。　I　WISH　YOU　TO　HAVE　FORT　WITH　ME；　NORMAN。　I　SHALL　GRANT　WHAT　YOU　DESIRE。
〃Thank　you；　Jerry。〃
〃Sure；〃　Barnes　said。　〃You　think　he'll　really　do　it？〃
WE'LL　BE　RIGHT　BACK　AFTER　A　SHORT　BREAK　FOR　THESE　MESSAGES　FROM　OUR　SPONSOR。
And　the　screen　went　blank。
Despite　himself；　Norman　laughed。
〃Fascinating；〃　Ted　said。　〃Apparently　he's　been　picking　up　television　signals。〃
〃Can't　do　that　from　underwater。〃
〃We　can't；　but　it　looks　like　he　can。〃
Barnes　said；　〃I　know　he's　still　listening。　I　know　he　is。　Jerry；　are　you　there？〃
The　screen　was　blank。
〃Jerry？〃
Nothing　happened。　The　screen　remained　blank。
〃He's　gone。〃


〃Well；〃　Norman　said。　〃you've　just　seen　the　power　of　psychology　in　action。〃　He　couldn't　help　saying　it。　He　was　still　annoyed　with　Ted。
〃I'm　sorry；〃　Ted　began。
〃That's　all　right。〃
〃But　I　just　don't　think　that　for　a　higher　intellect；　emotions　are　really　significant。〃
〃Let's　not　go　into　this　again；〃　Beth　said。
〃The　real　point；〃　Norman　said；　〃is　that　emotions　and　intellect　are　entirely　unrelated。　They're　like　separate　partments　of　the　brain；　or　even　separate　brains；　and　they　don't　municate　with　each　other。　That's　why　intellectual　understanding　is　so　useless。〃
Ted　said；　〃Intellectual　understanding　is　useless？〃　He　sounded　horrified。
＇＇197＇＇　〃In　many　cases；　yes；〃　Norman　said。　〃If　you　read　a　book　on　how　to　ride　a　bike；　do　you　know　how　to　ride　a　bike？　No；　you　don't。　You　can　read　all　you　want；　but　you　still　have　to　go　out　and　learn　to　ride。　The　part　of　your　brain　that　learns　to　ride　is　different　from　the　part　of　your　brain　that　reads　about　it。〃
〃What　does　this　have　to　do　with　Jerry？〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　know；〃　Norman　said；　〃that　a　smart　person　is　just　as　likely　to　blunder　emotionally　as　anyone　else。　If　Jerry　is　really　an　emotional　creature…and　not　just　pretending　to　be　one…then　we　need　to　deal　with　his　emotional　side　as　well　as　his　intellectual　side。〃
〃Very　convenient　for　you；〃　Ted　said。
〃Not　really；〃　Norman　said。　〃Frankly；　I'd　be　much　happier　if　Jerry　were　just　cold；　emotionless　intellect。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because；〃　Norman　said；　〃if　Jerry　is　powerful　and　also　emotional；　it　raises　a　question。　What　happens　if　Jerry　gets　mad？〃

LEVY

The　group　broke　up。　Harry；　exhausted　by　the　sustained　effort　of　decoding；　immediately　went　off　to　sleep。　Ted　went　to　C　Cyl　to　tape　his　personal　observations　on　Jerry　for　the　book　he　was　planning　to　write。　Barnes　and　Fletcher　went　to　E　Cyl　to　plan　battle　strategy；　in　case　the　alien　decided　to　attack　them。
Tina　stayed　for　a　moment；　adjusting　the　monitors　in　her　precise；　methodical　way。　Norman　and　Beth　watched　her　work。　She　spent　a　lot　of　time　with　a　deck　of　controls　Norman　＇＇198＇＇　had　never　noticed　before。　There　was　a　series　of　gas…plasma　readout　screens；　glowing　bright　red。
〃What's　all　that？〃　Beth　said。
〃EPSA。　The　External　Perimeter　Sensor　Array。　We　have　active　and　passive　sensors　for　all　modalities…thermal；　aural；　pressure…wave…ranged　in　concentric　circles　around　the　habitat。　Captain　Barnes　wants　them　all　reset　and　activated。〃
〃Why　is　that？〃　Norman　said。　
〃I　don't　know；　sir。　His　orders。〃
The　inter　crackled。　Barnes　said：　〃Seaman　Chan　to　E　Cylinder　on　the　double。　And　shut　down　the　　line　in　here。　I　don't　want　that　Jerry　listening　to　these　plans。〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃
Beth　said；　〃Paranoid　ass。〃
Tina　collected　her　papers　and　hurried　off。
Norman　sat　with　Beth　in　silence　for　a　moment。　They　heard　the　rhythmic　thumping；　from　somewhere　in　the　habitat。　Then　another　silence；　then　they　heard　the　thumping　again。
〃What　is　that？〃　Beth　said。　〃It　sounds　like　it's　somewhere　inside　the　habitat。〃　She　went　to　the　porthole；　looked　out；　flicked　on　the　exterior　floods。　〃Uh…oh；〃　Beth　said。　Norman　looked。
Stretching　across　the　ocean　floor　was　an　elongated　shadow　which　moved　back　and　forth　with　each　thumping　impact。　The　shadow　was　so　distorted　it　took　him　a　moment　to　realize　what　he　was　seeing。　It　was　the　shadow　of　a　human　arm；　and　a　human　hand。

〃Captain　Barnes。　Are　you　there？〃
There　was　no　reply。　Norman　snapped　the　inter　switch　again。
〃Captain　Barnes；　are　you　reading？〃
Still　no　reply。
〃He's　shut　off　the　　line；〃　Beth　said。　〃He　can't　hear　you。〃
〃Do　you　think　the　person's　still　alive　out　there？〃　Norman　said。
＇＇199＇＇　〃I　don't　know。　They　might　be。〃
〃Let's　get　going；〃　Norman　said。


He　tasted　the　dry　metallic　pressed　air　inside　his　helmet　and　felt　the　numbing　cold　of　the　water　as　he　slid　through　the　floor　hatch　and　fell　in　darkness　to　the　soft　muddy　bottom。　Moments　later；　Beth　landed　just　behind　him。
〃Okay？〃　she　said。
〃Fine。〃
〃I　don't　see　any　jellyfish；〃　she　said。
〃No。　Neither　do　I。〃
They　moved　out　from　beneath　the　habitat；　turned；　and　looked　back。　The　habitat　lights　shone　harshly　into　their　eyes；　obscuring　the　outlines　of　the　cylinders　rising　above。　They　could　clearly　hear　the　rhythmic　thumping；　but　they　still　could　not　locate　the　source　of　the　sound。　They　walked　beneath　the　stanchions　to　the　far　side　of　the　habitat；　squinting　into　the　lights。
〃There；〃　Beth　said。
Ten　feet　above　them；　a　blue…suited　figure　was　wedged　in　a　light　stand　bracket。　The　body　moved　loosely　in　the　current；　the　bright…yellow　helmet　banging　intermittently　against　the　wall　of　the　habitat。
〃Can　you　see　who　it　is？〃　Beth　said。
〃No。〃　The　lights　were　shining　directly　in　his　face。　Norman　climbed　up　one　of　the　heavy　supporting　stanchions　that　anchored　the　habitat　to　the　bottom。