小说园

第19部分（第2页）

〃Okay；〃　Harry　said　at　last。　〃No　conclusions　are　possible。　We　have　insufficient　data。　The　question　is　whether　the　sphere　was　responding　to　something　in　its　immediate　environment；　or　whether　it　just　opened；　for　reasons　of　its　own。　Wheres　Ted？〃

〃Ted　left　the　sphere　and　went　to　the　flight　deck。〃

〃Teds　back；〃　Ted　said；　grinning　broadly。　〃And　I　have　some　real　news。〃

〃So　do　we；〃　Beth　said。

〃It　can　wait；〃　Ted　said。

〃But…〃

〃…I　know　where　this　ship　went；〃　Ted　said　excitedly。　〃Ive　been　analyzing　the　flight　data　summaries　on　the　flight　deck；　＇＇121＇＇　looking　at　the　star　fields；　and　I　know　where　the　black　hole　is　located。〃

〃Ted；〃　Beth　said；　〃the　sphere　opened。〃

〃It　did？　When？〃

〃A　few　minutes　ago。　Then　it　closed　again。〃

〃What　did　the　monitors　show？〃

〃No　biological　hazard。　It　seems　to　be　safe。〃

Ted　looked　at　the　screen。　〃Then　what　the　hell　are　we　doing　here？〃

Barnes　came　in。　〃Two…hour　rest　period　is　over。　Everybody　ready　to　go　back　to　the　ship　for　a　last　look？〃

〃Thats　putting　it　mildly；〃　Harry　said。

The　sphere　was　polished；　silent；　closed。　They　stood　around　it　and　stared　at　themselves；　distorted　in　reflection。　Nobody　spoke。　They　just　walked　around　it。

Finally　Ted　said；　〃I　feel　like　this　is　an　IQ　test；　and　Im　flunking。〃

〃You　mean　like　the　Davies　Message？〃　Harry　said。

〃Oh　that；〃　Ted　said。

Norman　knew　about　the　Davies　Message。　It　was　one　of　the　episodes　that　the　SETI　promoters　wished　to　forget。　In　1979；　there　had　been　a　large　meeting　in　Rome　of　the　scientists　involved　in　the　Search　for　Extraterrestrial　Intelligence。　Basically；　SETI　called　for　a　radio　astronomy　search　of　the　heavens。　Now　the　scientists　were　trying　to　decide　what　sort　of　message　to　search　for。

Emerson　Davies；　a　physicist　from　Cambridge；　England；　devised　a　message　based　on　fixed　physical　constants；　such　as　the　wavelength　of　emitted　hydrogen；　which　were　presumably　the　same　throughout　the　universe。　He　arranged　these　constants　in　a　binary　pictorial　form。

Because　Davies　thought　this　would　be　exactly　the　kind　of　message　an　alien　intelligence　might　send；　he　figured　it　would　be　easy　for　the　SETI　people　to　figure　out。　He　distributed　his　picture　to　everybody　at　the　conference。

Nobody　could　figure　it　out。

When　Davies　explained　it；　they　all　agreed　it　was　a　clever　＇＇122＇＇　idea；　and　a　perfect　message　for　extraterrestrials　to　send。　But　the　fact　remained　that　none　of　them　had　been　able　to　figure　out　this　perfect　message。

One　of　the　people　who　had　tried　to　figure　it　out；　and　had　failed；　was　Ted。

〃Well；　we　didnt　try　very　hard；〃　Ted　said。　〃There　was　a　lot　going　on　at　the　conference。　And　we　didnt　have　you　there；　Harry。〃

〃You　just　wanted　a　free　trip　to　Rome；〃　Harry　said。

Beth　said；　〃Is　it　my　imagination；　or　have　the　door　markingschanged？〃

Norman　looked。　At　first　glance；　the　deep　grooves　appeared　the　same；　but　perhaps　the　pattern　was　different。　If　so；　the　change　was　subtle。

〃We　can　pare　it　with　old　videotapes；〃　Barnes　said。　〃It　looks　the　same　to　me；〃　Ted　said。　〃Anyway；　its　metal。　I　doubt　it　could　change。〃

〃What　we　call　metal　is　just　a　liquid　that　flows　slowly　at　room　temperature；〃　Harry　said。　〃Its　possible　that　this　metal　is　changing。〃

〃I　doubt　it；〃　Ted　said。

Barnes　said；　〃You　guys　are　supposed　to　be　the　experts。　We　know　this　thing　can　open。　Its　been　open　already。　How　do　we　get　it　open　again？〃