第一小说网

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第11部分（第4页）

Harry：　〃Isnt　it　funny　the　only　black　man　is　named　last？〃

Barnes：　〃Harry；　its　left　to　right。　The　way　were　standing　here。〃

Harry：　〃And　after　the　only　woman。　Im　a　full　professor；　Beth　is　only　an　assistant　professor。〃

Beth：　〃Harry…〃

Ted：　〃You　know；　Hal；　perhaps　we　should　be　identified　by　our　full　titles　and　institutional　affiliations…〃

Harry：　〃…Whats　wrong　with　alphabetical　order…〃

Barnes：　〃…Thats　it！　Forget　it！　No　tape！〃

Edmunds：　〃Tape　is　off；　sir。〃

Barnes：　〃Jesus　Christ。〃

He　turned　away　from　the　group；　shaking　his　helmeted　head。　He　flipped　up　the　metal　plate；　exposed　the　two　buttons；　and　pushed　one。　A　yellow　light　blinked　〃READY。〃

〃Everybody　stay　on　internal　air；〃　Barnes　said。

＇＇72＇＇　They　all　continued　to　breathe　from　their　tanks；　in　case　the　interior　gases　in　the　spacecraft　were　toxic。

〃Everybody　ready？〃

〃Ready。〃

Barnes　pushed　the　button　marked　〃OPEN。〃

A　sign　flashed：　ADJUSTING　ATMOSPHERE。　Then；　with　a　rumble；　the　door　slid　open　sideways；　just　like　an　airplane　door。　For　a　moment　Norman　could　see　nothing　but　blackness　beyond。　They　moved　forward　cautiously；　shone　their　lights　through　the　open　door；　saw　girders；　a　plex　of　metal　tubes。

〃Check　the　air；　Beth。〃

Beth　pulled　the　plunger　on　a　small　gas　monitor　in　her　hand。　The　readout　screen　glowed。

〃Helium；　oxygen；　trace　CO2　and　water　vapor。　The　right　proportions。　Its　pressurized　atmosphere。〃

〃The　ship　adjusted　its　own　atmosphere？〃

〃Looks　like　it。〃

〃Okay。　One　at　a　time。〃

Barnes　removed　his　helmet　first；　breathed　the　air。　〃It　seems　okay。　Metallic；　a　slight　tingle；　but　okay。〃　He　took　a　few　deep　breaths；　then　nodded。　The　others　removed　their　helmets；　set　them　on　the　deck。

〃Thats　better。〃

〃Shall　we　go？〃

〃Why　not？〃

There　was　a　brief　hesitation；　and　then　Beth　stepped　through　quickly：　〃Ladies　first。〃

The　others　followed　her。　Norman　glanced　back；　saw　all　their　yellow　helmets　lying　on　the　floor。　Edmunds；　holding　the　video　camera　to　her　eye；　said；　〃Go　ahead；　Dr。　Johnson。〃　Norman　turned；　and　stepped　into　the　spacecraft。

INTERIOR

They　stood　on　a　catwalk　five　feet　wide；　suspended　high　in　the　air。　Norman　shone　his　flashlight　down：　the　beam　glowed　through　forty　feet　of　darkness　before　it　splashed　on　the　lower　hull。　Surrounding　them；　dimly　visible　in　the　darkness；　was　a　dense　network　of　struts　and　girders。

Beth　said；　〃Its　like　be