Sphere (深海圆疑) 原版小说-第69章

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the　explosion。
But　then　the　alarm　was　interrupted　by　a　deep；　resonant　male　voice　that　said；　〃Your　attention；　please。　Your　attention；　please。　All　construction　personnel　clear　the　blast　area　immediately。　Tevac　explosives　are　now　activated。　The　countdown　will　begin　。。。　now。　Mark　twenty；　and　counting。〃
On　the　cone；　a　red　display　flashed　20：00。　Then　it　began　counting　backward：　19：59　。。。　19：58　。。。
The　same　display　was　repeated　on　the　crystal　display　at　the　top　of　his　helmet。
It　took　him　a　moment　to　put　it　together；　to　understand。　Staring　at　the　cone；　he　read　the　yellow　lettering　once　again：　U。S。N。　CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION　USE　ONLY。
Of　course！　Tevac　explosives　weren't　weapons；　they　were　made　for　construction　and　demolition。　They　had　built…in　safety　timers…a　programmed　twenty…minute　delay　before　they　went　off；　to　allow　workers　to　get　away。
Twenty　minutes　to　get　away；　he　thought。　That　would　give　him　plenty　of　time。
Norman　turned；　and　began　striding　quickly　toward　DH…7　and　the　submarine。

0140　HOURS

He　walked　evenly；　steadily。　He　felt　no　strain。　His　breath　came　easily。　He　was　fortable　in　his　suit。　All　systems　working　smoothly。
He　was　leaving。　〃Norman；　please　。。。〃　Now　Beth　was　pleading　with　him；　another　erratic　shift　of　＇＇341＇＇　mood。　Norman　ignored　her。　He　continued　on　toward　the　submarine。　The　deep　recorded　voice　said；　〃Your　attention；　please。　All　Navy　personnel　clear　the　blast　area。　Nineteen　minutes　and　counting。〃
Norman　felt　an　enormous　sense　of　purposefulness；　of　power。　He　had　no　illusions　any　more。　He　had　no　questions。　He　knew　what　he　had　to　do。
He　had　to　save　himself。
〃I　don't　believe　you're　doing　this；　Norman。　I　don't　believe　you're　abandoning　us。〃
Believe　it；　he　thought。　After　all；　what　choice　did　he　have？　Beth　was　out　of　control　and　dangerous。　It　was　too　late　to　save　her　now…in　fact；　it　was　crazy　to　go　anywhere　near　her。　Beth　was　homicidal。　She'd　already　tried　to　kill　him　once；　and　had　nearly　succeeded。
And　Harry　had　been　drugged　for　thirteen　hours；　by　now　he　was　probably　clinically　dead；　brain…dead。　There　was　no　reason　for　Norman　to　stay。　There　was　nothing　for　him　to　do。
The　sub　was　close　now。　He　could　see　the　fittings　on　the　yellow　exterior。
〃Norman；　please　。。。　I　need　you。〃
Sorry；　he　thought。　I'm　getting　out　of　here。
He　moved　around　beneath　the　twin　propellor　screws；　the　name　painted　on　the　curved　hull；　Deepstar　III。　He　climbed　the　footholds；　moving　up　into　the　dome。
〃Norman…〃
Now　he　was　out　of　contact　with　the　inter。　He　was　on　his　own。　He　opened　the　hatch；　climbed　inside　the　submarine。　He　unlocked　his　helmet；　pulled　it　off。
〃Your　attention；　please。　Eighteen　minutes　and　counting。〃　Norman　sat　in　the　pilot's　padded　seat；　faced　the　controls。　The　instruments　blinked　on；　and　the　screen　directly　before　him　glowed。

DEEPSTAR　III　…　MAND　MODULE

Do　you　require　help？
Yes　 No　 Cancel

＇＇342＇＇　He　pressed　〃YES。〃　He　waited　for　the　next　screen　to　flash　up。
It　was　too　bad　about　Harry　and　Beth；　he　was　sorry　to　leave　them　behind。　But　they　had　both；　in　their　own　ways；　failed　to　explore　their　inner　selves；　thus　making　them　vulnerable　to　the　sphere　and　its　power。　It　was　a　classic　scientific　error；　this　so…called　triumph　of　rational　thought　over　irrational　thought。　Scientists　refused　to　acknowledge　their　irrational　side；　refused　to　see　it　as　important。　They　dealt　only　with　the　rational。　Everything　made　sense　to　a　scientist；　and　if　it　didn't　make　sense；　it　was　dismissed　as　what　Einstein　called　the　〃merely　personal。〃
The　merely　personal；　he　thought；　in　a　burst　of　contempt。　People　killed　each　other　for　reasons　that　were　〃merely　personal。〃

DEEPSTAR　III　…　CHECKLIST　OPTIONS

Descend Ascend
Secure Shutdown
Monitor Cancel

Norman　pressed　〃ASCEND。〃　The　screen　changed　to　the　drawing　of　the　instrument　panel；　with　the　flashing　point。　He　waited　for　the　next　instruction。
Yes；　he　thought；　it　was　true：　scientists　refused　to　deal　with　the　irrational。　But　the　irrational　side　didn't　go　away　if　you　refused　to　deal　with　it。　Irrationality　didn't　atrophy　with　disuse。　On　the　contrary；　left　unattended；　the　irrational　side　of　man　had　grown　in　power　and　scope。
And　plaining　about　it　didn't　help；　either。　All　those　scientists　whining　in　the　Sunday　supplements　about　man's　inherent　destructiveness　and　his　propensity　for　violence；　throwing　up　their　hands。　That　wasn't　dealing　with　the　irrational　side。　That　was　just　a　formal　admission　that　they　were　giving　up　on　it。
＇＇343＇＇　The　screen　changed　again：

DEEPSTAR　III　…　ASCEND　CHECKLIST

1。　Set　Ballast　Blowers　To：　On
Proceed　To　Next Cancel

Norman　pushed　buttons　on　the　panel；　setting　the　ballast　blowers；　and　waited　for　the　next　screen。
After　all；　how　did　scientists　approach　their　own　research？　The　scientists　all　agreed：　scientific　research　can't　be　stopped。　If　we　don't　build　the　bomb；　someone　else　will。　But　then　pretty　soon　the　bomb　was　in　the　hands　of　new　people；　who　said；　If　we　don't　use　the　bomb；　someone　else　will。
At　which　point；　the　scientists　said；　those　other　people　are　terrible　people；　they're　irrational　and　irresponsible。　We　scientists　are　okay。　But　those　other　people　are　a　real　problem。
Yet　the　truth　was　that　responsibility　began　with　each　individual　person；　and　the　choices　he　made。　Each　person　had　a　choice。
Well；　Norman　thought；　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　for　Harry　or　Beth　any　longer。　He　had　to　save　himself。
He　heard　a　deep　hum　as　the　generators　turned　on；　and　the　throb　of　the　propellors。　The　screen　flashed：
DEEPSTAR　III　…　PILOT　INSTRUMENTS　ACTIVATED
Here　we　go；　he　thought；　resting　his　hands　confidently　on　the　controls。　He　felt　the　submarine　respond　beneath　him。　〃Your　attention；　please。　Seventeen　minutes　and　counting。〃　Muddy　sediment　churned　up　around　the　canopy　as　the　screws　engaged；　and　then　the　little　submarine　slipped　out　from　beneath　the　dome。　It　was　just　like　driving　a　car；　he　thought。　There　was　nothing　to　it。
He　turned　in　a　slow　arc；　away　from　DH…7；　toward　DH…8。　He　was　twenty　feet　above　the　bottom；　high　enough　for　the　screws　to　clear　the　mud。
There　were　seventeen　minutes　left。　At　a　maximum　ascent　rate　of　6。6　feet　per　second…he　did　the　mental　calculation　quickly；　effortlessly…he　would　reach　the　surface　in　two　and　a　half　minutes。
There　was　plenty　of　time。
He　moved　the　submarine　close　to　DH…8。　The　exterior　＇＇344＇＇　habitat　floodlights　were　yellow　and　pale。　Power　must　be　dropping。　He　could　see　the　damage　to　the　cylinders…streams　of　bubbles　rising　from　the　weakened　A　and　B　Cylinders；　the　dents　in　the　D；　and　the　gaping　hole　in　E　Cyl；　which　was　flooded。　The　habitat　was　battered；　and　dying。
Why　had　he　e　so　close？　He　squinted　at　the　portholes；　then　realized　he　was　hoping　to　catch　sight　of　Harry　and　Beth；　one　last　time。　He　wanted　to　see　Harry；　unconscious　and　unresponsive。　He　wanted　to　see　Beth　standing　at　the　window；　shaking　her　fist　at　him　in　maniacal　rage。　He　wanted　confirmation　that　he　was　right　to　leave　them。
But　he　saw　only　the　fading　yellow　light　inside　the　habitat。　He　was　disappointed。
〃Norman。〃
〃Yes；　Beth。〃　He　felt　fortable　answering　her　now。　He　had　his　hands　on　the　controls　of　the　submarine；　ready　to　make　his　ascent。　There　was　nothing　she　could　do　to　him　now。　〃Norman；　you　really　are　a　son　of　a　bitch。〃
〃You　tried　to　kill　me；　Beth。〃
〃I　didn't　want　to　kill　you。　I　had　no　choice；　Norman。〃
〃Yeah；　well。　Me；　too。　I　have　no　choice。〃　As　he　spoke；　he　knew　he　was　right。　Better　for　one　person　to　survive。　Better　than　nothing。
〃You're　just　going　to　leave　us？〃
〃That's　right；　Beth。〃
His　hand　moved　to　the　ascent…rate　dial。　He　set　it　to　6。6　feet。　Ready　to　ascend。
〃You're　just　going　to　run　away？〃　He　heard　the　contempt　in　her　voice。
〃That's　right；　Beth。〃
〃You；　the　one　who　kept　talking　about　how　we　had　to　stay　together　down　here？〃
〃Sorry；　Beth。〃
〃You　must　be　very　afraid；　Norman。〃
〃I'm　not　afraid　at　all。〃　And　indeed　he　felt　strong　and　confident；　setting　the　controls；　preparing　for　his　ascent。　He　felt　better　than　he　had　felt　for　days。
〃Norman；〃　she　said。
〃Please　help　us。　Please。〃
Her　words　struck　him　at　some　deep　level；　arousing　feelings　＇＇345＇＇　of　caring；　of　professional　petence；　of　simple　human　kindness。　For　a　moment　he　felt　confusion；　his　strength　and　conviction　weakened。　But　then　he　got　a　grip　on　himself；　and　shook　his　head。　The　strength　flew　back　into　his　body