Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第61部分

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ot　toward　the　surface。　Then　there　was　a　long　pause。
〃What's　happening？〃　Norman　said。
〃We're　a　thousand　feet　down；〃　Beth　said。　〃It　takes　a　while　for　the　balloon　to　get　to　the　surface。〃
Then　the　screen　changed；　and　they　got　a　readout　of　surface　conditions。　Wind　was　down　to　fifteen　knots。　Waves　were　＇＇301＇＇　running　six　feet。　Barometric　pressure　was　20。9。　Sunlight　was　recorded。
〃Good　news；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　surface　is　okay。〃
Norman　was　staring　at　the　screen；　thinking　about　the　fact　that　sunlight　was　recorded。　He　had　never　longed　for　sunlight　before。　It　was　funny；　what　you　took　for　granted。　Now　the　thought　of　seeing　sunlight　struck　him　as　unbelievably　pleasurable。　He　could　imagine　no　greater　joy　than　to　see　sun　and　clouds；　and　blue　sky。
〃What　are　you　thinking？〃
〃I'm　thinking　I　can't　wait　to　get　out　of　here。〃
〃Me；　too；〃　Beth　said。　〃But　it　won't　be　long　now。〃


Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
Norman　was　checking　Harry；　and　he　spun　at　the　sound。　〃What　is　it；　Beth？〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Take　it　easy；〃　Beth　said；　at　the　console。　〃I'm　just　figuring　out　how　to　work　this　thing。〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Work　what？〃
〃The　side…scanning　sonar。　False…aperture　sonar。　I　don't　know　why　they　call　it　'false…aperture。'　Do　you　know　what　that　refers　to；　'false…aperture'？〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃No；　I　don't；〃　Norman　said。　〃Turn　it　off；　please。〃　The　sound　was　unnerving。
〃It's　marked　'FAS；'　which　I　think　stands　for　'false…aperture　sonar；'　but　it　also　says　'side…　scanning。'　It's　very　confusing。〃
〃Beth；　turn　it　off！〃
Pong！　pong！　pong！　pong！
〃Sure；　of　course；〃　Beth　said。
〃Why　do　you　want　to　know　how　to　work　that；　anyway？〃　Norman　said。　He　felt　irritable；　as　if　she'd　intentionally　annoyed　him　with　that　sound。
〃Just　in　case；〃　Beth　said。
〃In　case　what；　for　Christ's　sake？　You　said　yourself　that　＇＇302＇＇　Harry's　unconscious。　There　aren't　going　to　be　any　more　attacks。〃
〃Take　it　easy；　Norman；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　want　to　be　prepared；　that's　all。〃

0720　HOURS

He　couldn't　talk　her　out　of　it。　She　insisted　on　going　outside　and　wiring　the　explosives　around　the　ship。　It　was　an　absolutely　fixed　idea　in　her　mind。
〃But　why；　Beth？〃　he　kept　saying。
〃Because　I'll　feel　better　after　I　do　it；〃　she　said。
〃But　there　isn't　any　reason　to　do　it。〃
〃I'll　feel　better　if　I　do；〃　she　insisted；　and　in　the　end　he　couldn't　stop　her。
He　saw　her　now；　a　small　figure　with　a　single　glowing　light　from　her　helmet；　moving　from　one　crate　of　explosives　to　another。　She　opened　each　crate　and　removed　large　yellow　cones　which　looked　rather　like　the　cones　that　highway　repair　trucks　used。　These　cones　were　wired　together；　and　when　the　wiring　was　pleted　a　small　red　light　glowed　at　the　tip。
He　saw　small　red　lights　all　up　and　down　the　length　of　the　ship。　It　made　him　uneasy。
When　she　left；　he　had　said　to　her；　〃But　you　won't　wire　up　the　explosives　near　the　habitat。〃
〃No；　Norman。　I　won't。〃
〃Promise　me。〃
〃I　told　you；　I　won't。　If　it's　going　to　upset　you；　I　won't。〃
〃It's　going　to　upset　me。〃
〃Okay；　okay。〃
Now　the　red　lights　were　strung　along　the　length　of　the　ship；　starting　at　the　dimly　visible　tail；　which　rose　out　of　the　coral　＇＇303＇＇　bottom。　Beth　moved　farther　north；　toward　the　rest　of　the　unopened　crates。
Norman　looked　at　Harry；　who　snored　loudly　but　who　remained　unconscious。　He　paced　back　and　forth　in　D　Cyl；　and　then　went　to　the　monitors。
The　screen　blinked。
I　AM　ING。
Oh　God；　he　thought。　And　in　the　next　moment　he　thought；　How　can　this　be　happening？　It　can't　be　happening。　Harry　was　still　out　cold。　How　could　it　be　happening？
I　AM　ING　FOR　YOU。
〃Beth！〃
Her　voice　sounded　tinny　on　the　inter。
〃Yes；　Norman。〃
〃Get　the　hell　out　of　there。〃
DO　NOT　BE　AFRAID；　the　screen　said。
〃What　is　it；　Norman？〃　she　said。
〃I'm　getting　something　on　the　screen。〃
〃Check　Harry。　He　must　be　waking　up。〃
〃He's　not。　Get　back　here；　Beth。〃
I　AM　ING　NOW。
〃All　right；　Norman；　I'm　heading　back；〃　she　said。
〃Fast；　Beth。〃
But　he　didn't　need　to　say　that；　already　he　could　see　her　light　bouncing　as　she　ran　across　the　bottom。　She　was　at　least　a　hundred　yards　from　the　habitat。　He　heard　her　breathing　hard　on　the　inter。
〃Can　you　see　anything；　Norman？〃
〃No；　nothing。〃　He　was　straining　to　look　toward　the　horizon；　where　the　squid　had　always　appeared。　The　first　thing　had　always　been　a　green　glow　on　the　horizon。　But　he　saw　no　glow　now。
Beth　was　panting。
〃I　can　feel　something；　Norman。　I　feel　the　water　。。。　surging　。。。　strong。　。。。〃
The　screen　flashed：
I　WILL　KILL　YOU。
〃Don't　you　see　anything　out　here？〃　Beth　said。
〃No。　I　don't　see　anything　at　all。〃　He　saw　Beth；　alone　on　the　muddy　bottom。　Her　light　the　solitary　focus　of　his　attention。
＇＇304＇＇　〃I　can　feel　it；　Norman。　It's　close。　Jesus　God。　What　about　the　alarms？〃
〃Nothing；　Beth。〃
〃Jesus。〃　Her　breath　came　in　hissing　gasps　as　she　ran。　Beth　was　in　good　shape；　but　she　couldn't　exert　herself　like　that　in　this　atmosphere。　Not　for　long；　he　thought。　Already　he　could　see　she　was　moving　more　slowly；　the　helmet　lamp　bobbing　more　slowly。
〃Norman？〃
〃Yes；　Beth。　I'm　here。〃
〃Norman；　I　don't　know　if　I　can　make　it。〃
〃Beth；　you　can　make　it。　Slow　down。〃
〃It's　here；　I　can　feel　it。〃
〃I　don't　see　anything；　Beth。〃
He　heard　a　rapid　sharp　clicking　sound。　At　first　he　thought　it　was　static　on　the　line；　and　then　he　realized　it　was　her　teeth　chattering　as　she　shivered。　With　this　exertion　she　should　be　getting　overheated；　but　instead　she　was　getting　cold。　He　didn't　understand。
〃…cold；　Norman。〃
〃Slow　down；　Beth。〃
〃Can't…talking…close…〃
She　was　slowing　down；　despite　herself。　She　had　e　into　the　area　of　the　habitat　lights；　and　she　was　no　more　than　ten　yards　from　the　hatch；　but　he　could　see　her　limbs　moving　slowly；　clumsily。
And　now　at　last　he　could　see　something　swirling　the　muddy　sediment　behind　her；　in　the　darkness　beyond　the　lights。　It　was　like　a　tornado；　a　swirling　cloud　of　muddy　sediment。　He　couldn't　see　what　was　inside　the　cloud；　but　he　sensed　the　power　within　it。
〃Close…Nor…〃
Beth　stumbled；　fell。　The　swirling　cloud　moved　toward　her。
I　WILL　KILL　YOU　NOW。
Beth　got　to　her　feet；　looked　back；　saw　the　churning　cloud　bearing　down　on　her。　Something　about　it　filled　Norman　with　a　deep　horror；　a　horror　from　childhood；　the　stuff　of　nightmares。
〃Normannnnnn　。。。〃
＇＇305＇＇　Then　Norman　was　running；　not　really　knowing　what　he　was　going　to　do；　but　propelled　by　the　vision　he　had　seen；　thinking　only　that　he　had　to　do　something；　he　had　to　take　some　action；　and　he　went　through　B　into　A　and　looked　at　his　suit　but　there　wasn't　time　and　the　black　water　in　the　open　hatch　was　spitting　and　swirling　and　he　saw　Beth's　gloved　hand　below　the　surface；　flailing；　she　was　right　there　beneath　him；　and　she　was　the　only　other　one；　and　without　thinking　he　jumped　into　the　black　water　and　went　down。


The　shock　of　the　cold　made　him　want　to　scream；　it　tore　at　his　lungs。　His　whole　body　was　instantly　numb；　and　he　felt　a　second　of　hideous　paralysis。　The　water　churned　and　tossed　him　like　a　great　wave；　he　was　powerless　to　fight　it；　his　head　banged　on　the　underside　of　the　habitat。　He　could　see　nothing　at　all。
He　reached　for　Beth；　throwing　his　arms　blindly　in　all　directions。　His　lungs　burned。　The　water　spun　him　in　circles；　upended　him。
He　touched　her；　lost　her。　The　water　continued　to　spin　him。　He　grabbed　her。　Something。　An　arm。　He　was　already　losing　feeling；　already　feeling　slower　and　stupider。　He　pulled。　He　saw　a　ring　of　light　above　him：　the　hatch。　He　kicked　his　legs　but　he　did　not　seem　to　move。　The　circle　came　no　closer。
He　kicked　again；　dragging　Beth　like　a　dead　weight。　Perhaps　she　was　dead。　His　lungs　burned。　It　was　the　worst　pain　he　had　ever　felt　in　his　life。　He　fought　the　pain；　and　he　fought　the　angry　churning　water　and　he　kept　kicking　toward　the　light；　that　was　his　only　thought；　to　kick　to　the　light；　to　e　closer　to　the　light；　to　reach　the　light；　the　light；　the　light。　。。。
The　light。
The　images　were　confusing。　Beth's　suited　body　clanging　on　the　metal；　inside　the　airlock。　His　own　knee　bleeding　on　the　metal　of　the　hatch；　the　drops　of　blood　spattering。　Beth's　shaking　hands　reaching　for　her　helmet；　twisting　it；　trying　to　get　the　helmet　unlocked。　Hands　shaking。　Water　in　the　hatch；　sucking；　surging。　Lights　in　his　eyes。　A　terrible　pain　＇＇306＇＇　somewhere。　Rust　very　close　to　his　face；　a　sharp　edge　of　metal。　Cold　metal。　Cold　air。　Li