精校书屋

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第53部分（第1页）

〃Jesus。〃

〃Take　it　easy；　Harry。〃

Looking　back　down；　they　could　see　the　habitat　with　its　lights。　And　then　the　long　lines　of　explosives　set　over　the　spaceship　itself。　They　rose　past　the　high　fin　of　the　spacecraft；　leaving　it　behind；　seeing　only　black　water　now。

〃One　minute　twenty。〃

〃Nine　hundred　feet；〃　Norman　said。　There　was　very　little　sensation　of　movement；　only　the　changing　dials　on　the　instrument　panel　to　tell　them　they　were　moving。

〃Its　not　fast　enough；〃　Harry　said。　〃Thats　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　explosive　down　there。〃

It　is　fast　enough；　Norman　thought；　correcting　him。

〃The　shock　wave　will　crush　us　like　a　can　of　sardines；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。

The　shock　wave　will　not　harm　us。

Eight　hundred　feet。

〃Forty　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃Well　never　make　it。〃

〃Well　make　it。〃

＇＇358＇＇　They　were　at　seven　hundred　feet；　rising　fast。　The　water　now　had　a　faint　blue　color：　sunlight　filtering　down。

〃Thirty　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃Where　are　we？　Twenty…nine　。。。　eight　。。。〃

〃Six　hundred　twenty　feet；〃　Norman　said。　〃Six　ten。〃

They　looked　back　down　the　side　of　the　sub。　They　could　barely　discern　the　habitat；　faint　pinpricks　of　light　far　beneath　them。

Beth　coughed。　〃Its　too　late　now；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　knew　from　the　beginning　wed　never　make　it。〃

〃Yes　we　will；〃　Norman　said。

〃Ten　seconds；〃　Harry　said。　〃Nine　。。。　eight　。。。　Brace　yourself！〃

Norman　pulled　Beth　to　his　chest　as　the　explosion　rocked　the　submarine；　spinning　it　like　a　toy；　upending　it；　then　righting　it　again；　and　lifting　it　in　a　giant　upward　surge。

〃Mama！〃　Harry　shouted；　but　they　were　still　rising；　they　were　okay。　〃We　did　it！〃

〃Two　hundred　feet；〃　Norman　said。　The　water　outside　was　now　light　blue。　He　pushed　buttons；　slowing　the　ascent。　They　were　going　up　very　fast。

Harry　was　screaming；　pounding　Norman　on　the　back。　〃We　did　it！　God　damn　it；　you　son　of　a　bitch；　we　did　it！　We　survived！　I　never　thought　we　would！　We　survived！〃

Norman　was　having　trouble　seeing　the　instruments　for　tears　in　his　eyes。

And　then　he　had　to　squint　as　bright　sunlight　streamed　into　the　bubble　canopy　as　they　surfaced；　and　they　saw　calm　seas；　sky；　and　fluffy　clouds。

〃Do　you　see　that？〃　Harry　cried。　He　was　screaming　in　Normans　ear。　〃Do　you　see　that？　It　is　a　perfect　goddamned　day！〃

0000　HOURS

Norman　awoke　to　see　a　brilliant　shaft　of　light；　streaming　through　the　single　porthole；　shining　down　on　the　chemical　toilet　in　the　corner　of　the　depression　chamber。　He　lay　on　his　bunk　and　looked　around　the　chamber；　a　horizontal　cylinder　fifty　feet　long：　bunks；　a　metal　table　and　chairs　in　the　center　of　the　cylinder；　toilet　behind　a　small　partition。　Harry　snored　in　the　bunk　above　him。　Across　the　chamber；　Beth　slept；　one　arm　flung　over　her　face。　Faintly；　from　a　distance；　he　heard　men　shouting。

Norman　yawned；　and　swung　off　the　bunk。　His　body　was　sore　but　he　was　otherwise　all　right。　He　walked　to　the　shining　porthole　and　looked　out；　squinting　in　the　bright　Pacific　sun。

He　saw　the　rear　deck　of　the　research　ship　John　Hawes：　the　white　helicopter　pad；　heavy　coiled　cables；　the　tubular　metal　frame　of　an　underwater　robot。　A　Navy　crew　was　lowering　a　second　robot　over　the　side；　with　a　lot　of　shouting　and　swearing　and　waving　of　hands；　Norman　had　heard　their　voices　faintly　through　the　thick　steel　walls　of　the　chamber。

Near　the　chamber　itself；　a　muscular　seaman　rolled　a　large　green　tank　marked　〃Oxygen〃　alongside　a　dozen　other　tanks　on　the　deck。　The　three…man　medical　crew　which　supervised　the　depression　chamber　played　cards。

Looking　through　the　inch…thick　glass　of　the　porthole；　Norman　felt　as　if　he　were　peering　into　a　miniature　world　to　which　he　had　little　connection；　a　kind　of　terrarium　populated　by　interesting　and　exotic　specimens。　This　new　world　was　as　alien　to　him　as　the　dark　ocean　world　had　once　seemed　from　inside　the　habitat。

He　watched　the　crew　slap　down　their　cards　on　a　wooden　packing　crate；　watched　them　laugh　and　gesture　as　the　game　proceeded。　They　never　glanced　in　his　direction；　never　looked　at　the　depression　chamber。　Norman　didnt　understand　these　young　men。　Were　they　supposed　to　be　paying　attention　to　the　depression？　They　looked　young　and　inexperienced　to　Norman。　Focused　on　their　card　game；　they　seemed　＇＇360＇＇　indifferent　to　the　huge　metal　chamber　nearby；　indifferent　to　the　three　survivors　inside　the　chamber…and　indifferent　to　the　larger　meaning　of　the　mission；　to　the　news　the　survivors　had　brought　back　to　the　surface。　These　cheerful　Navy　cardplayers　didnt　seem　to　give　a　damn　about　Normans　mission。　But　perhaps　they　didnt　know。

He　turned　back　to　the　chamber；　sat　down　at　the　table。　His　knee　throbbed；　and　the　skin　was　swollen　around　the　white　bandage。　He　had　been　treated　by　a　Navy　physician　during　their　transfer　from　the　submarine　to　the　depression　chamber。　They　had　been　taken　off　the　minisub　Deepstar　III　in　a　pressurized　diving　bell；　and　from　there　had　been　transferred　to　the　large　chamber　on　the　deck　of　the　ship…the　SDC；　the　Navy　called　it；　the　surface　depression　chamber。　They　were　going　to　spend　four　days　here。　Norman　wasnt　sure　how　long　he　had　been　here　so　far。　They　had　all　immediately　gone　to　sleep；　and　there　was　no　clock　in　the　chamber。　The　face　of　his　own　wristwatch　was　smashed；　although　he　didnt　remember　it　happening。

On　the　table　in　front　of　him；　someone　had　scratched　〃U。S。N。　SUCKS〃　into　the　surface。　Norman　ran　his　fingers　over　the　grooves；　and　remembered　the　grooves　in　the　silver　sphere。　But　he　and　Harry　and　Beth　were　in　the　hands　of　the　Navy　now。

And　he　thought：　What　are　we　going　to　tell　them？

〃What　are　we　going　to　tell　them？〃　Beth　said。

It　was　several　hours　later；　Beth　and　Harry　had　awakened；　and　now　they　were　all　sitting　around　the　scarred　metal　table。　None　of　them　had　made　any　attempt　to　talk　to　the　crew　outside。　It　was；　Norman　thought；　as　if　they　shared　an　unspoken　agreement　to　remain　in　isolation　a　while　longer。

〃I　think　well　have　to　tell　them　everything；〃　Harry　said。

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