小说园

第22部分（第2页）

〃Is　there　another　console　in　the　habitat？　No？　How　about　DH…7？〃

〃DH…7s　empty　now。　The　divers　have　gone。〃

〃Then　whered　it　e　from？〃

Barnes　said；　〃It　looks　random　to　me。〃

Tina　nodded。　〃It　may　be　a　discharge　from　a　temporary　buffer　memory　somewhere　in　the　system。　When　we　switched　over　to　internal　diesel　power　。。。〃

〃Thats　probably　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Buffer　discharge　on　switchover。〃

〃I　think　you　should　keep　it；〃　Ted　said；　staring　at　the　screen。　〃Just　in　case　its　a　message。〃

〃A　message　from　where？〃

〃From　the　sphere。〃

〃Hell；〃　Barnes　said；　〃it　cant　be　a　message。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃Because　theres　no　way　a　message　can　be　transmitted。　Were　not　hooked　up　to　anything。　Certainly　not　to　the　sphere。　Its　got　to　be　a　memory　dump　from　somewhere　inside　our　own　puter　system。〃

〃How　much　memory　have　you　got？〃

〃Fair　amount。　Ten　giga；　something　like　that。〃

〃Maybe　the　heliums　getting　to　the　chips；〃　Tina　said。　〃Maybe　its　a　saturation　effect。〃

〃I　still　think　you　should　keep　it；〃　Ted　said。

＇＇142＇＇　Norman　had　been　looking　at　the　screen。　He　was　no　mathematician；　but　hed　looked　at　a　lot　of　statistics　in　his　life；　searching　for　patterns　in　the　data。　That　was　something　human　brains　were　inherently　good　at；　finding　patterns　in　visual　material。　Norman　couldnt　put　his　finger　on　it；　but　he　sensed　a　pattern　here。　He　said；　〃I　have　the　feeling　its　not　random。〃

〃Then　lets　keep　it；〃　Barnes　said。

Tina　went　forward　to　the　console。　As　her　hands　touched　the　keys；　the　screen　went　blank。

〃So　much　for　that；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Its　gone。　Too　bad　we　didnt　have　Harry　to　look　at　it　with　us。〃

〃Yeah；〃　Ted　said　gloomily。　〃Too　bad。〃

ANALYSIS

〃Take　a　look　at　this；〃　Beth　said。　〃this　one　is　still　alive。〃

Norman　was　with　her　in　the　little　biological　laboratory　near　the　top　of　D　Cylinder。　Nobody　had　been　in　this　laboratory　since　their　arrival；　because　they　hadnt　found　anything　living。　Now；　with　the　lights　out；　he　and　Beth　watched　the　squid　move　in　the　glass　tank。

The　creature　had　a　delicate　appearance。　The　blue　glow　was　concentrated　in　stripes　along　the　back　and　sides　of　the　creature。

〃Yes；〃　Beth　said；　〃the　bioluminescent　structures　seem　to　be　located　dorsally。　Theyre　bacteria；　of　course。〃

〃What　are？〃

〃The　bioluminescent　areas。　Squid　cant　create　light　themselves。　The　creatures　that　do　are　bacteria。　So　the　bioluminescent　animals　in　the　sea　have　incorporated　these　bacteria　into　＇＇143＇＇　their　bodies。　Youre　seeing　bacteria　glowing　through　the　skin。〃

〃So　its　like　an　infection？〃

〃Yes；　in　a　way。〃

The　large　eyes　of　the　squid　stared。　The　tentacles　moved。　〃And　you　can　see　all　the　internal　organs；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　brain　is　hidden　behind　the　eye。　That　sac　is　the　digestive　gland；　and　behind　it；　the　stomach；　and　below　that…see　it　beating？…the　heart。　That　big　thing　at　the　front　is　the　gonad；　and　ing　down　from　the　stomach；　a　sort　of　funnel…thats　where　it　squirts　the　ink；　and　propels　itself。〃

〃Is　it　really　a　new　species？〃　Norman　said。

She　sighed。　〃I　dont　know。　Internally　it　is　so　typical。　But　fewer　tentacles　would　qualify　it　as　a　new　species；　all　right。〃