小说园

第10部分（第2页）

〃Why？〃　Norman　asked；　puzzled。

Barnes　shook　his　head。　〃Never；〃　he　said；　〃never　ask　a　reason　for　Navy　regulations。〃

The　inter　clicked；　and　Tina　Chan　said；　〃Captain　Barnes；　we　have　a　signal　from　the　divers。　They　are　mounting　the　airlock　now。　Another　few　minutes　to　open。〃

The　feeling　in　the　room　changed　immediately；　the　excitement　was　palpable。　Ted　rubbed　his　hands　together。　〃You　realize；　of　course；　that　even　without　opening　that　spacecraft；　we　have　already　made　a　major　discovery　of　profound　importance。〃

〃Whats　that？〃　Norman　said。

〃Weve　shot　the　unique　event　hypothesis　to　hell；〃　Ted　said；　glancing　at　Beth。

〃The　unique　event　hypothesis？〃　Barnes　said。

〃Hes　referring；〃　Beth　said；　〃to　the　fact　that　physicists　and　chemists　tend　to　believe　in　intelligent　extraterrestrial　life；　while　biologists　tend　not　to。　Many　biologists　feel　the　development　of　intelligent　life　on　Earth　required　so　many　peculiar　steps　that　it　represents　a　unique　event　in　the　universe；　that　may　never　have　occurred　elsewhere。〃

〃Wouldnt　intelligence　arise　again　and　again？〃　Barnes　said。

〃Well；　it　barely　arose　on　the　Earth；〃　Beth　said。　〃The　Earth　is　4。5　billion　years　old；　and　single…celled　life　appeared　3。9　billion　years　ago…almost　immediately；　geologically　speaking。　But　life　remained　single…celled　for　the　next　three　billion　＇＇62＇＇　years。　Then　in　the　Cambrian　period；　around　six　hundred　million　years　ago；　there　was　an　explosion　of　sophisticated　life　forms。　Within　a　hundred　million　years；　the　ocean　was　full　of　fish。　Then　the　land　became　populated：　Then　the　air。　But　nobody　knows　why　the　explosion　occurred　in　the　first　place。　And　since　it　didnt　occur　for　three　billion　years；　theres　the　possibility　that　on　some　other　planet；　it　might　never　occur　at　all。

〃And　even　after　the　Cambrian；　the　chain　of　events　leading　to　man　appears　to　be　so　special；　so　chancy；　that　biologists　worry　it　might　never　have　happened。　Just　consider　the　fact　that　if　the　dinosaurs　hadnt　been　wiped　out　sixty…five　million　years　ago…by　a　et　or　whatever…then　reptiles　might　still　be　the　dominant　form　on　Earth；　and　mammals　would　never　have　had　a　chance　to　take　over。　No　mammals；　no　primates。　No　primates；　no　apes。　No　apes；　no　man　。。。　There　are　a　lot　of　random　factors　in　evolution；　a　lot　of　luck。　Thats　why　biologists　think　intelligent　life　might　be　a　unique　event　in　the　universe；　only　occurring　here。〃

〃Except　now；〃　Ted　said；　〃we　know　its　not　a　unique　event。　Because　there　is　a　damn　big　spacecraft　out　there。〃

〃Personally；〃　Beth　said；　〃I　couldnt　be　more　pleased。〃　She　bit　her　lip。

〃You　dont　look　pleased；〃　Norman　said。

〃Ill　tell　you；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　cant　help　being　nervous。　Ten　years　ago；　Bill　Jackson　at　Stanford　ran　a　series　of　weekend　seminars　on　extraterrestrial　life。　This　was　right　after　he　won　the　Nobel　prize　in　chemistry。　He　split　us　into　two　groups。　One　group　designed　the　alien　life　form；　and　worked　it　all　out　scientifically。　The　other　group　tried　to　figure　out　the　life　form；　and　municate　with　it。　Jackson　presided　over　the　whole　thing　as　a　hard　scientist；　not　letting　anybody　get　carried　away。　One　time　we　brought　in　a　sketch　of　a　proposed　creature　and　he　said；　very　tough；　Okay；　wheres　the　anus？　That　was　his　criticism。　But　many　animals　on　Earth　have　no　anus。　There　are　all　kinds　of　excretory　mechanisms　that　dont　require　a　special　orifice。　Jackson　assumed　an　anus　was　necessary；　but　it　isnt。　And　now　。。。〃　She　shrugged。　〃Who　knows　what　well　find？〃

＇＇63＇＇　〃Well　know；　soon　enough；〃　Ted　said。

The　inter　clicked。　〃Captain　Barnes；　the　divers　have　the　airlock　mounted　in　place。　The　robot　is　now　ready　to　enter　the　spacecraft。〃

Ted　said；　〃What　robot？〃

THE　DOOR

〃I　dont　think　its　appropriate　at　all；〃　Ted　said　angrily。　〃We　came　down　here　to　make　a　manned　entry　into　this　alien　spacecraft。　I　think　we　should　do　what　we　came　here　to　do…make　a　manned　entry。〃

〃Absolutely　not；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We　cant　risk　it。〃

〃You　must　think　of　this；〃　Ted　said；　〃as　an　archaeological　site。　Greater　than　Chichén　Itzá；　greater　than　Troy；　greater　than　Tutankhamens　tomb。　Unquestionably　the　most　important　archaeological　site　in　the　history　of　mankind。　Do　you　really　intend　to　have　a　damned　robot　open　that　site？　Wheres　your　sense　of　human　destiny？〃

〃Wheres　your　sense　of　self…preservation？〃　Barnes　said。

〃I　strongly　object；　Captain　Barnes。〃

〃Duly　noted；〃　Barnes　said；　turning　away。　〃Now　lets　get　on　with　it。　Tina；　give　us　the　video　feed。〃

Ted　sputtered；　but　he　fell　silent　as　two　large　monitors　in　front　of　them　clicked　on。　On　the　left　screen；　they　saw　the　plex　tubular　metal　scaffolding　of　the　robot；　with　exposed　motors　and　gears。　The　robot　was　positioned　before　the　curved　gray　metal　wall　of　the　spacecraft。

Within　that　wall　was　a　door　that　looked　rather　like　an　airliner　door。　The　second　screen　gave　a　closer　view　of　the　door；　taken　by　the　video　camera　mounted　on　the　robot　itself。　〃Its　rather　similar　to　an　airplane　door；〃　Ted　said。

＇＇64＇＇　Norman　glanced　at　Harry；　who　smiled　enigmatically。　Then　he　looked　at　Barnes。　Barnes　did　not　appear　surprised。　Barnes　already　knew　about　the　door；　he　realized。

〃I　wonder　how　we　can　account　for　such　parallelism　in　door　design；〃　Ted　said。　〃The　likelihood　of　its　occurring　by　chance　is　astronomically　small。　Why；　this　door　is　the　perfect　size　and　shape　for　a　human　being！〃

〃Thats　right；〃　Harry　said。

〃Its　incredible；〃　Ted　said。　〃Quite　incredible。〃　Harry　smiled；　said　nothing。

Barnes　said；　〃Lets　find　control　surfaces。〃

The　robot　video　scanner　moved　left　and　right　across　the　spacecraft　hull。　It　stopped　on　the　image　of　a　rectangular　panel　mounted　to　the　left　of　the　door。

〃Can　you　open　that　panel？〃

〃Working　on　it　now；　sir。〃