Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第30章

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l　squid　angrily　squirted　clouds　of　ink。
〃Cute　little　things；〃　Ted　said。　〃You　know；　the　development　of　squid　ink　is　a　very　interesting…〃
〃…What　do　you　say　to　squid　for　dinner？〃　Levy　said。
〃Hell　no；〃　Barnes　said。　〃If　this　is　an　undiscovered　species；　we're　not　going　to　eat　it。　The　last　thing　I　need　is　everybody　sick　from　food　poisoning。〃
〃Very　sensible；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　never　liked　squid；　anyway。　Interesting　mechanism　of　propulsion；　but　rubbery　texture。〃
At　that　moment；　there　was　a　buzz　as　one　of　the　monitors　turned　itself　on。　As　they　watched；　the　screen　rapidly　filled　with　numbers：

0003212525263203262930132104261037183016061
808213229033005182204261013083016213716040　
83016211822033013130432000321252526320326　
293013210426103718301606180821322903300518　
220426101308301623711604083016211822033013
1304320003212525263203262932104261037183016　
0618082132290330051822042610130830162137　
16040830162118220330131304320003212525263
203262930132104261037183016061808213229033
005182204261013083016213716040830162118220
3301313043200032125252632032629301321042610
3718301606180821322903300518220426101308
301621371604083162118220330131304320003212
525263203262930132104261037183016061808213
229033005182204261013083016213716040830162

〃Where's　that　ing　from？〃　Ted　said。　〃The　surface？〃
Barnes　shook　his　head。　〃We've　cut　direct　contact　with　the　surface。〃
〃Then　is　it　being　transmitted　underwater　in　some　way？〃
〃No；〃　Tina　said；　〃it's　too　fast　for　underwater　transmission。〃
〃Is　there　another　console　in　the　habitat？　No？　How　about　DH…7？〃
〃DH…7's　empty　now。　The　divers　have　gone。〃
〃Then　where'd　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　。。。〃
〃That's　probably　it；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Buffer　discharge　on　switchover。〃
〃I　think　you　should　keep　it；〃　Ted　said；　staring　at　the　screen。　〃Just　in　case　it's　a　message。〃
〃A　message　from　where？〃
〃From　the　sphere。〃
〃Hell；〃　Barnes　said；　〃it　can't　be　a　message。〃
〃How　do　you　know？〃
〃Because　there's　no　way　a　message　can　be　transmitted。　We're　not　hooked　up　to　anything。　Certainly　not　to　the　sphere。　It's　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　helium's　getting　to　the　chips；〃　Tina　said。　〃Maybe　it's　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　he'd　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　couldn't　put　his　finger　on　it；　but　he　sensed　a　pattern　here。　He　said；　〃I　have　the　feeling　it's　not　random。〃
〃Then　let's　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。　〃It's　gone。　Too　bad　we　didn't　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　hadn't　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。　They're　bacteria；　of　course。〃
〃What　are？〃
〃The　bioluminescent　areas。　Squid　can't　create　light　themselves。　The　creatures　that　do　are　bacteria。　So　the　bioluminescent　animals　in　the　sea　have　incorporated　these　bacteria　into　＇＇143＇＇　their　bodies。　You're　seeing　bacteria　glowing　through　the　skin。〃
〃So　it's　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…that's　where　it　squirts　the　ink；　and　propels　itself。〃
〃Is　it　really　a　new　species？〃　Norman　said。
She　sighed。　〃I　don't　know。　Internally　it　is　so　typical。　But　fewer　tentacles　would　qualify　it　as　a　new　species；　all　right。〃
〃You　going　to　get　to　call　it　Squidus　bethus？　〃　Norman　said。　
She　smiled。　〃Architeuthis　bethis；〃　she　said。　〃Sounds　like　a　dental　problem。　Architeuthis　bethis：　means　you　need　root　canal。〃
〃How　about　it；　Dr。　Halpern？〃　Levy　said；　poking　her　head　in。　〃Got　some　good　tomatoes　and　peppers；　be　a　shame　to　waste　them。　Are　the　squid　really　poisonous？〃
〃I　doubt　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃Squid　aren't　known　to　be。　Go　ahead；〃　she　said　to　Levy。　〃I　think　it'll　be　okay　to　eat　them。〃　When　Levy　had　gone；　Norman　said；　〃I　thought　you　gave　up　eating　these　things。〃
〃Just　octopi；〃　Beth　said。　〃An　octopus　is　cute　and　smart。　Squid　are　rather　。。。　unsympathetic。〃
〃Unsympathetic。〃
〃Well；　they're　cannibalistic；　and　rather　nasty。　。。。　She　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Are　you　psychoanalyzing　me　again？〃
〃No。　Just　curious。〃
〃As　a　zoologist；　you're　supposed　to　be　objective；〃　Beth　said；　〃but　I　have　feelings　about　animals；　like　anybody　else。　I　have　a　warm　feeling　about　octopi。　They're　clever；　you　know。　I　once　had　an　octopus　in　a　research　tank　that　learned　to　kill　cockroaches　and　use　them　as　bait　to　catch　crabs。　The　curious　crab　would　e　along；　investigate　the　dead　cockroach；　and　then　the　octopus　would　jump　out　of　its　hiding　place　and　catch　the　crab。
＇＇144＇＇　〃In　fact；　an　octopus　is　so　smart　that　the　biggest　limitation　to　its　behavior　is　its　lifespan。　An　octopus　lives　only　three　years；　and　that's　not　long　enough　to　develop　anything　as　plicated　as　a　culture　or　civilization。　Maybe　if　octopi　lived　as　long　as　we　do；　they　would　long　ago　have　taken　over　the　world。
〃But　squid　are　pletely　different。　I　have　no　feelings　about　squid。　Except　I　don't　really　like　'em。〃
He　smiled。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃at　least　you　finally　found　some　life　down　here。〃
〃You　know；　it's　funny；〃　she　said。　〃Remember　how　barren　it　was　out　there？　Nothing　on　the　bottom？〃
〃Sure。　Very　striking。〃
〃Well；　I　went　around　the　side　of　the　habitat；　to　get　these　squid。　And　there're　all　sorts　of　sea　fans　on　the　bottom。　Beautiful　colors；　blues　and　purples　and　yellows。　Some　of　them　quite　large。〃
〃Think　they　just　grew？〃
〃No。　They　must　have　always　been　in　that　spot；　but　we　never　went　over　there。　I'll　have　to　investigate　it　later。　I'd　like　to　know　why　they　are　localized　in　that　particular　place；　next　to　the　habitat。〃
Norman　went　to　the　porthole。　He　had　switched　on　the　exterior　habitat　lights；　shining　onto　the　bottom。　He　could　indeed　see　many　large　sea　fans；　purple　and　pink　and　blue；　waving　gently　in　the　current。　They　extended　out　to　the　edge　of　the　light；　to　the　darkness。
〃In　a　way；〃　Beth　said；　〃it's　reassuring。　We're　deep　for　the　majority　of　oceanic　life；　which　is　found　in　the　first　hundred　feet　of　water。　But　even　so；　this　habitat　is　located　in　the　most　varied　and　abundant　marine　environment　in　the　world。〃　Scientists　had　made　species　counts　and　had　determined　that　the　South　Pacific　had　more　species　of　coral　and　sponges　than　anywhere　else　on　Earth。
〃So　I'm　glad　we're　finally　finding　things；〃　she　said。　She　looked　at　her　benches　of　chemicals　and　reagents。　〃And　I'm　glad　to　finally　get　to　work　on　something。〃

*　*　*
＇＇145＇＇　Harry　was　eating　bacon　and　eggs　in　the　galley。　The　others　stood　around　and　watched　him；　relieved　that　he　was　all　right。　And　they　told　him　the　news；　he　listened　with　interest；　until　they　mentioned　that　there　had　been　a　large　school　of　squid。
〃Squid？〃
He　looked　up　sharply　and　almost　dropped　his　fork。　〃Yeah；　lots　of　'em；〃　Levy　said。　〃I'm　cooking　up　a　bunch　for　dinner。〃
〃Are　they　still　here？〃　Harry　asked。
〃No；　they're　gone　now。〃
He　relaxed；　shoulders　dropping。
〃Something　the　matter；　Harry？〃　Norman　said。
〃I　hate　squid；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　can't　stand　them。〃
〃I　don't　care　for　the　taste　myself；〃　Ted　said。
〃Terrible；〃　Harry　said；　n