小说园

第11部分（第2页）

The　probe　pressed　again；　and　again；　without　success。

〃Sir；　we　cannot　impact　the　button。〃

〃I　see　that；〃　Barnes　said；　standing　up。　〃Okay；　shut　it　down　and　get　it　out　of　there。　Ted；　looks　like　youre　going　to　get　your　wish　after　all。　Well　have　to　go　in　and　open　it　up　manually。　Lets　suit　up。〃

INTO　THE　SHIP

In　the　changing　room　in　cylinder　A；　Norman　stepped　into　his　suit。　Tina　and　Edmunds　helped　fit　the　helmet　over　his　head；　and　snap…locked　the　ring　at　the　neck。　He　felt　the　heavy　weight　of　the　rebreather　tanks　on　his　back；　the　straps　pressed　into　his　shoulders。　He　tasted　metallic　air。　There　was　a　crackle　as　his　helmet　inter　came　on。

The　first　words　he　heard　were　〃What　about　At　the　threshold　of　a　great　opportunity　for　the　human　species？〃　Norman　laughed；　grateful　for　the　break　in　the　tension。

〃You　find　it　funny？〃　Ted　asked；　offended。

Norman　looked　across　the　room　at　the　suited　man　with　〃FIELDING〃　stenciled　on　his　yellow　helmet。

〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃Im　just　nervous。〃

〃Me；　too；〃　Beth　said。

〃Nothing　to　it；〃　Barnes　said。

〃Trust　me。〃

〃What　are　the　three　biggest　lies　in　DH…8？〃　Harry　said；　and　they　laughed　again。

They　crowded　together　into　the　tiny　airlock；　bumping　helmeted　heads；　and　the　bulkhead　hatch　to　the　left　was　sealed；　＇＇69＇＇　the　wheel　spinning。　Barnes　said；　〃Okay；　folks；　just　breathe　easy。〃　He　opened　the　lower　hatch；　exposing　black　water。　The　water　did　not　rise　into　the　partment。　〃The　habitats　on　positive　pressure；〃　Barnes　said。　〃The　level　wont　e　up。　Now　watch　me；　and　do　this　the　way　I　do。　You　dont　want　to　tear　your　suit。〃　Moving　awkwardly　with　the　weight　of　the　tanks；　he　crouched　down　by　the　hatch；　gripped　the　side　handholds；　and　let　go；　disappearing　with　a　soft　splash。

One　by　one；　they　dropped　down　to　the　floor　of　the　ocean。　Norman　gasped　as　near…freezing　water　enveloped　his　suit；　immediately　he　heard　the　hum　of　a　tiny　fan　as　the　electrical　heaters　in　his　suit　activated。　His　feet　touched　soft　muddy　ground。　He　looked　around　in　the　darkness。　He　was　standing　beneath　the　habitat。　Directly　ahead；　a　hundred　yards　away；　was　the　glowing　rectangular　grid。　Barnes　was　already　striding　forward；　leaning　into　the　current；　moving　slowly　like　a　man　on　the　moon。

〃Isnt　this　fantastic？〃

〃Calm　down；　Ted；〃　Harry　said。

Beth　said；　〃Actually；　its　odd　how　little　life　there　is　down　here。　Have　you　noticed？　Not　a　sea　fan；　not　a　slug；　not　a　sponge；　not　a　solitary　fish。　Nothing　but　empty　brown　sea　floor。　This　must　be　one　of　those　dead　spots　in　the　Pacific。〃

A　bright　light　came　on　behind　him；　Normans　own　shadow　was　cast　forward　on　the　bottom。　He　looked　back　and　saw　Edmunds　holding　a　camera　and　light　in　a　bulky　waterproof　housing。

〃We　recording　all　this？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Try　not　to　fall　down；　Norman；〃　Beth　laughed。

〃Im　trying。〃

They　were　closer　now　to　the　grid。　Norman　felt　better　seeing　the　other　divers　working　there。　To　the　right　was　the　high　fin；　extending　out　of　the　coral；　an　enormous；　smooth　dark　surface　dwarfing　them　as　it　rose　toward　the　surface。

Barnes　led　them　past　the　fin　and　down　into　a　tunnel　cut　in　the　coral。　The　tunnel　was　sixty　feet　long；　narrow；　strung　with　lights。　They　walked　single　file。　It　felt　like　going　down　into　a　mine；　Norman　thought。

＇＇70＇＇　〃This　what　the　divers　cut？〃

〃Thats　right。〃

Norman　saw　a　boxy；　corrugated…steel　structure　surrounded　by　pressure　tanks。

〃Airlock　ahead。　Were　almost　there；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Everybody　okay？〃

〃So　far；〃　Harry　said。

They　entered　the　airlock；　and　Barnes　closed　the　door。　Air　hissed　loudly。　Norman　watched　the　water　recede；　down　past　his　faceplate；　then　his　waist；　his　knees；　then　to　the　floor。　The　hissing　stopped；　and　they　passed　through　another　door；　sealing　it　behind　them。

Norman　turned　to　the　metal　hull　of　the　spaceship。　The　robot　had　been　moved　aside。　Norman　felt　very　much　as　if　he　were　standing　alongside　a　big　jetliner…a　curved　metal　surface；　and　a　flush　door。　The　metal　was　a　dull　gray；　which　gave　it　an　ominous　quality。　Despite　himself；　Norman　was　nervous。　Listening　to　the　way　the　others　were　breathing；　he　sensed　they　were　nervous；　too。