小说园

第18部分（第1页）

〃Thats　right。〃

〃Well；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Lets　consider　worst　cases。　＇＇113＇＇　Whats　the　worst　case　for　what　we　might　find？〃

Beth　said；　〃I　think　thats　clear。　Irrespective　of　whether　its　a　multidimensional　creature　or　a　virus　or　whatever；　irrespective　of　whether　it　shares　our　morals　or　has　no　morals　at　all；　the　worst　case　is　that　it　hits　us　below　the　belt。〃

〃Meaning？〃

〃Meaning　that　it　behaves　in　a　way　that　interferes　with　our　basic　life　mechanisms。　A　good　example　is　the　AIDS　virus。　The　reason　why　AIDS　is　so　dangerous　is　not　that　its　new。　We　get　new　viruses　every　year…every　week。　And　all　viruses　work　in　the　same　way：　they　attack　cells　and　convert　the　machinery　of　the　cells　to　make　more　viruses。　What　makes　the　AIDS　virus　dangerous　is；　it　attacks　the　specific　cells　that　we　use　to　defend　against　viruses。　AIDS　interferes　with　our　basic　defense　mechanism。　And　we　have　no　defense　against　it。〃

〃Well；〃　Barnes　said；　〃if　this　sphere　contains　a　creature　that　interferes　with　our　basic　mechanisms…what　would　that　creature　be　like？〃

〃It　could　breathe　in　air　and　exhale　cyanide　gas；〃　Beth　said。　〃It　could　excrete　radioactive　waste；〃　Harry　said。

〃It　could　disrupt　our　brain　waves；〃　Norman　said。　〃Interfere　with　our　ability　to　think。〃

〃Or；〃　Beth　said；　〃it　might　merely　disrupt　cardiac　conduction。　Stop　our　hearts　from　beating。〃

〃It　might　produce　a　sound　vibration　that　would　resonate　in　our　skeletal　system　and　shatter　our　bones；〃　Harry　said。　He　smiled　at　the　others。　〃I　rather　like　that　one。〃

〃Clever；〃　Beth　said。　〃But；　as　usual；　were　only　thinking　of　ourselves。　The　creature　might　do　nothing　directly　harmful　to　us　at　all。〃

〃Ah；〃　Barnes　said。

〃It　might　simply　exhale　a　toxin　that　kills　chloroplasts；　so　that　plants　could　no　longer　convert　sunlight。　Then　all　the　plants　on　Earth　would　die…and　consequently　all　life　on　Earth　would　die。〃

〃Ah；〃　Barnes　said。

〃You　see；〃　Norman　said；　〃at　first　I　thought　the　Anthropomorphic　Problem…the　fact　that　we　can　only　conceive　of　extraterrestrial　life　as　basically　human…I　thought　it　was　＇＇114＇＇　a　failure　of　imagination。　Man　is　man；　all　he　knows　is　man；　and　all　he　can　think　of　is　what　he　knows。　Yet；　as　you　can　see；　thats　not　true。　We　can　think　of　plenty　of　other　things。　But　we　dont。　So　there　must　be　another　reason　why　we　only　conceive　of　extraterrestrials　as　humans。　And　I　think　the　answer　is　that　we　are；　in　reality；　terribly　frail　animals。　And　we　dont　like　to　be　reminded　of　how　frail　we　are…how　delicate　the　balances　are　inside　our　own　bodies；　how　short　our　stay　on　Earth；　and　how　easily　it　is　ended。　So　we　imagine　other　life　forms　as　being　like　us；　so　we　dont　have　to　think　of　the　real　threat…the　terrifying　threat…they　may　represent；　without　ever　intending　to。〃

There　was　a　silence。

〃Of　course；　we　mustnt　forget　another　possibility；〃　Bames　said。　〃It　may　be　that　the　sphere　contains　some　extraordinary　benefit　to　us。　Some　wondrous　new　knowledge；　some　astonishing　new　idea　or　new　technology　which　will　improve　the　condition　of　mankind　beyond　our　wildest　dreams。〃

〃Although　the　chances　are；〃　Harry　said；　〃that　there　wont　be　any　new　idea　that　is　useful　to　us。〃

〃Why？〃　Barnes　said。

〃Well；　lets　say　that　the　aliens　are　a　thousand　years　ahead　of　us；　just　as　we　are　relative　to；　say；　medieval　Europe。　Suppose　you　went　back　to　medieval　Europe　with　a　television　set？　There　wouldnt　be　any　place　to　plug　it　in。〃

Barnes　stared　from　one　to　another　for　a　long　time。　〃Im　sorry；〃　he　said。　〃This　is　too　great　a　responsibility　for　me。　I　cant　make　the　decision　to　open　it　up。　I　have　to　call　Washington　on　this。〃

〃Ted　wont　be　happy；〃　Harry　said。

〃The　hell　with　Ted；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Im　going　to　give　this　to　the　President。　Until　we　hear　from　him；　I　dont　want　anybody　trying　to　open　that　sphere。〃

Barnes　called　for　a　two…hour　rest　period；　and　Harry　went　to　his　quarters　to　sleep。　Beth　announced　that　she　was　going　off　to　sleep；　too；　but　she　remained　at　the　monitor　station　with　Tina　Chan　and　Norman。　Chans　station　had　＇＇115＇＇　fortable　chairs　with　high　backs；　and　Beth　swiveled　in　the　chair；　swinging　her　legs　back　and　forth。　She　played　with　her　hair；　making　little　ringlets　by　her　ear；　and　she　stared　into　space。

Tired；　Norman　thought。　Were　all　tired。　He　watched　Tina；　who　moved　smoothly　and　continuously；　adjusting　the　monitors；　checking　the　sensor　inputs；　changing　the　videotapes　on　the　bank　of　VCRs；　tense；　alert。　Because　Edmunds　was　in　the　spaceship　with　Ted；　Tina　had　to　look　after　the　recording　units　as　well　as　her　own　munications　console。　The　Navy　woman　didnt　seem　to　be　as　tired　as　they　were；　but；　then；　she　hadnt　been　inside　the　spaceship。　To　her；　that　spaceship　was　something　she　saw　on　the　monitors；　a　TV　show；　an　abstraction。　Tina　hadnt　been　confronted　face…to…face　with　the　reality　of　the　new　environment；　the　exhausting　mental　struggle　to　understand　what　was　going　on；　what　it　all　meant。

〃You　look　tired；　sir；〃　Tina　said。

〃Yes。　Were　all　tired。〃

〃Its　the　atmosphere；〃　she　said。　〃Breathing　the　heliox。〃　So　much　for　psychological　explanations；　Norman　thought。　Tina　said；　〃The　density　of　the　air　down　here　has　a　real　effect。　Were　at　thirty　atmospheres。　If　we　were　breathing　regular　air　at　this　pressure；　it　would　be　almost　as　thick　as　a　liquid。　Heliox　is　lighter；　but　its　far　denser　than　what　were　used　to。　You　dont　realize　it；　but　its　tiring　just　to　breathe；　to　move　your　lungs。〃

〃But　you　arent　tired。〃

〃Oh；　Im　used　to　it。　Ive　been　in　saturated　environments　before。〃

〃Is　that　right？　Where？〃

〃I　really　cant　say；　Dr。　Johnson。〃

〃Navy　operations？〃

She　smiled。　〃Im　not　supposed　to　talk　about　it。〃

〃Is　that　your　inscrutable　smile？〃

〃I　hope　so；　sir。　But　dont　you　think　you　ought　to　try　and　sleep？〃

He　nodded。　〃Probably。〃

Norman　considered　going　to　sleep；　but　the　prospect　of　his　damp　bunk　was　unappealing。　Instead　he　went　down　to　the　galley；　hoping　to　find　one　of　Rose　Levys　desserts。　Levy　was　＇＇116＇＇　not　there；　but　there　was　some　coconut　cake　under　a　plastic　dome。　He　found　a　plate；　cut　a　slice；　and　took　it　over　to　one　of　the　portholes。　But　it　was　black　outside　the　porthole；　the　grid　lights　were　turned　off；　the　divers　gone。　He　saw　lights　in　the　portholes　of　DH…7；　the　divers　habitat；　located　a　few　dozen　yards　away。　The　divers　must　be　getting　ready　to　go　back　to　the　surface。　Or　perhaps　they　had　already　gone。

In　the　porthole；　he　saw　his　own　face　reflected。　The　face　looked　tired；　and　old。　〃This　is　no　place　for　a　fifty…three…year…old　man；〃　he　said；　watching　his　reflection。

As　he　looked　out；　he　saw　some　moving　lights　in　the　distance；　then　a　flash　of　yellow。　One　of　the　minisubs　pulled　up　under　a　cylinder　at　DH…7。　Moments　later；　a　second　sub　arrived；　to　dock　alongside　it。　The　lights　on　the　first　sub　went　out。　After　a　short　time；　the　second　sub　pulled　away；　into　the　black　water。　The　first　sub　was　left　behind。