Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第54章
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e thought： No； it's just the atmosphere。 Cuts and bruises healing faster in the high…pressure environment。 It wasn't anything mysterious。 Just an atmospheric effect。
He toweled himself as dry as he could with the damp towel； and then went back to his bunk。 Harry was still snoring； as loud as ever。
Norman lay on his back； stared at the red humming coils of the ceiling heater。 He had an idea； and got out of bed； and shifted Harry's talker from the base of his throat to one side。 Immediately the snores changed to a soft； high…pitched hiss。
Much better； he thought。 He lay on the damp pillow； and was almost immediately asleep。 He awoke with no sense of passing time…it might have been only a few seconds…but he felt refreshed。 He stretched and yawned； and got out of bed。
Harry still slept。 Norman moved the talker back； and the ＇＇264＇＇ snores resumed。 He went into D Cyl； to the console。 Still on the screen were the words：
HEY MAN GET OFF MY BACK。
〃Jerry？〃 Norman said。 〃Are you there； Jerry？〃
The screen did not respond。 Jerry wasn't there。 Norman looked at the stack of printouts to one side。 I really should go over this stuff； he thought。 Because something troubled him about Jerry。 Norman couldn't put his finger on it； but even if one imagined the alien as a spoiled child…king； Jerry's behavior didn't make sense。 It just didn't add up。 Including the last message。
HEY MAN GET OFF MY BACK。
Street talk？ Or just imitating Harry？ In any case it wasn't Jerry's usual mode of munication。 Usually Jerry was ungrammatical and sort of spacy； talking about entities and awareness。 But from time to time he would bee sharply colloquial。 Norman looked at the sheets。
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER A SHORT BREAK FOR THESE MESSAGES FROM OUR SPONSOR。
That was one example。 Where had that e from？ It sounded like Johnny Carson。 Then why didn't Jerry sound like Johnny Carson all the time？ What caused the shift？
Then； too； there was the problem of the squid。 If Jerry liked to scare them； if he enjoyed rattling their cage and seeing them jump； why use a squid？ Where had that idea e from？ And why only a squid？ Jerry seemed to enjoy manifesting different things。 So why hadn't he produced giant squid one time； great white sharks another time； and so on？ Wouldn't that provide a greater challenge to his abilities？
Then there was the problem of Ted。 Ted had been playing with Jerry at the time he was killed。 If Jerry liked to play so much； why would he kill off a player？ It just didn't make sense。
Or did it？
Norman sighed。 His trouble lay in his assumptions。 Norman was assuming that the alien had logical processes similar to his own。 But that might not be true。 For one thing； Jerry might operate at a much faster metabolic rate； and thus have a different sense of time。 Kids played with a toy only until ＇＇265＇＇ they got tired of it； then they changed to another。 The hours that seemed so painfully long to Norman might be only a few seconds in the consciousness of Jerry。 He might just be playing with the squid for a few seconds； until he dropped it for another toy。
Kids also had a poor idea about breaking things。 If Jerry didn't know about death； then he wouldn't mind killing Ted； because he would think the death was just a temporary event； a 〃humorous〃 manifestation by Ted。 He might not realize he was actually breaking his toys。
And it was also true； when he thought about it； that Jerry had manifested different things。 Assuming that the jellyfish and the shrimps and the sea fans and now the sea snakes were his manifestations。 Were they？ Or were they just normal parts of the environment？ Was there any way to tell？
And the Navy seaman； he thought suddenly。 Let's not forget the seaman。 Where had he e from？ Was that seaman another of Jerry's manifestations？ Could Jerry manifest his playmates at will？ In that case； he really wouldn't care if he killed them all。
But I think that's clear； Norman thought。 Jerry doesn't care if he kills us。 He just wants to play； and he doesn't know his own strength。
Yet there was something else。 He scanned the sheets of printout； feeling instinctively some underlying organization to everything。 Something he wasn't getting； some connection he wasn't making。
As he thought about it； he kept ing back to one question： Why a squid？ Why a squid？
Of course； he thought。 They had been talking about a squid； during the conversation at dinner。 Jerry must have overheard that。 He must have decided that a squid would be a provocative item to manifest。 And he was certainly right about that。
Norman shifted the papers； and came upon the very first message that Harry had decoded。
HELLO。 HOW ARE YOU？ I AM FINE。 WHAT IS YOUR NAME？ MY NAME IS JERRY。
＇＇266＇＇ That was as good a place to begin as any。 It had been quite a feat for Harry to decode it； Norman thought。 If Harry hadn't succeeded with that； they would never have ever started talking to Jerry at all。
Norman sat at the console； stared at the keyboard。 What had Harry said？ The keyboard was a spiral： the letter G was one； and B was two； and so on。 Very clever to figure it out。 Norman would never have figured that out in a million years。 He started trying to find the letters in the first sequence。
00032125252632 032629 301321 04261037 18 3016 06180
82132 29033005 1822 04261013 0830162137 1604 083016
21 1822 033013130432
Let's see 。。。 00 marked the beginning of the message； Harry had said。 And 03； that was H。 And then 21； that was E； then 25 was L； and 25 was another L； and just above it； 26； was 0。 。。。
HELLO。
Yes； it all fitted。 He continued translating。 032629 was HOW。 。。。
HOW ARE YOU？
So far； so good。 Norman experienced a certain pleasure； almost as if he were decoding it himself for the first time。 Now； 18。 That was I。。。 。
I AM FINE。
He moved more quickly； writing down the letters。
WHAT IS YOUR NAME？
Now； 1604 was MY。 。。。 MY NAME IS 。。。 But then he found a mistake in one letter。 Was that possible？ Norman kept going； found a second mistake； then wrote out the message； and stared at it in growing shock。
MY NAME IS HARRY。
〃Jesus Christ；〃 he said。
He went over it again； but there was no mistake。 Not by him。 The message was perfectly clear。
HELLO。 HOW ARE YOU？ I AM FINE。 WHAT IS YOUR NAME？ MY NAME IS HARRY。
THE POWER
THE SHADOW
Beth sat up in her bed in the laboratory and stared at the message Norman had given her。 〃Oh my God；〃 she said。 She pushed her thick dark hair away from her face。 〃How can it be？〃 she said。
〃It all goes together；〃 Norman said。 〃Just think。 When did the messages start？ After Harry came out of the sphere。 When did the squid and the other animals first appear？ After Harry came out of the sphere。〃
〃Yes； but…〃
〃…At first there were little squid； but then； when we were going to eat them； suddenly there were shrimps； too。 Just in time for dinner。 Why？ Because Harry doesn't like to eat squid。〃
Beth said nothing； she just listened。
〃And who； as a child； was terrified by the giant squid in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea？〃
〃Harry was；〃 she said。 〃I remember he said that。〃 Norman went on in a rush。 〃And when does Jerry appear on the screen？ When Harry is present。 Not at other times。 And when does Jerry answer us as we talk？ When Harry is in the room to hear what we're saying。 And why can't Jerry read our minds？ Because Harry can't read our minds。 And remember how Barnes kept asking for the name； and Harry wouldn't ask for the name？ Why？ Because he was afraid the screen would say 'Harry；' not 'Jerry。' 〃
〃And the crewman 。。。〃
〃Right。 The black crewman。 Who shows up just as Harry is having a dream of being rescued？ A black crewman shows up to rescue us。〃
＇＇270＇＇ Beth was frowning； thinking。 〃What about the giant squid？〃
〃Well； in the middle of its attack； Harry hit his head and was knocked unconscious。 Immediately the squid disappeared。 It didn't e back again until Harry woke up from his nap； and told you he'd take over。〃
〃My God；〃 Beth said。
〃Yes；〃 Norman said。 〃It explains a lot。〃
She was silent for a while； staring at the message。 〃But how is he doing it？〃
〃I doubt if he is。 At least； not consciously。〃 Norman had been thinking about this。 〃Let's assume；〃 he said； 〃that something happened to Harry when he went inside the sphere…he acquired
