第一小说网

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第13部分（第2页）

〃Its　all　food。　Nothing　but　food。〃

The　ship　had　traveled　with　an　enormous　amount　of　food。　Even　allowing　for　a　crew　of　twenty；　it　was　enough　food　for　a　voyage　of　several　years。

They　were　getting　very　tired；　it　was　a　relief　when　Beth　found　a　button；　said；　〃I　wonder　what　this　does…〃

Barnes　said；　〃Beth…〃

And　the　walkway　began　to　move；　rubber　tread　rolling　forward　with　a　slight　hum。

〃Beth；　I　want　you　to　stop　pushing　every　damn　button　you　see。〃

But　nobody　else　objected。　It　was　a　relief　to　ride　the　walkway　past　dozens　of　identical　storage　bays。　Finally　they　came　to　a　new　section；　much　farther　forward。　Norman　guessed　by　now　they　were　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　crew　partment　in　the　back。　That　meant　they　were　roughly　in　the　middle　of　the　huge　ship。

And　here　they　found　a　room　with　life…support　equipment；　and　twenty　hanging　spacesuits。

〃Bingo；〃　Ted　said。　〃Its　finally　clear。　This　ship　is　intended　to　travel　to　the　stars。〃

The　others　murmured；　excited　by　the　possibility。　Suddenly　it　all　made　sense：　the　great　size；　the　vastness　of　the　ship；　the　plexity　of　the　control　consoles。　。。。

〃Oh；　for　Christs　sake；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　cant　have　been　made　to　travel　to　the　stars。　This　is　obviously　a　conventional　spacecraft；　although　very　large。　And　at　conventional　speeds；　＇＇82＇＇　the　nearest　star　is　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　away。〃

〃Maybe　they　had　new　technology。〃

〃Where　is　it？　Theres　no　evidence　of　new　technology。〃

〃Well；　maybe　its…〃

〃Face　the　facts；　Ted；〃　Harry　said。　〃Even　with　this　huge　size；　the　ship　is　only　provisioned　for　a　few　years：　fifteen　or　twenty　years；　at　most。　How　far　could　it　go　in　that　time？　Barely　out　of　the　solar　system；　right？〃

Ted　nodded　glumly。　〃Its　true。　It　took　the　Voyager　spacecraft　five　years　to　reach　Jupiter；　nine　years　to　reach　Uranus。　In　fifteen　years　。。。　Maybe　they　were　going　to　Pluto。〃

〃Why　would　anyone　want　to　go　to　Pluto？〃

〃We　dont　know　yet；　but…〃

The　radios　squawked。　The　voice　of　Tina　Chan　said；　〃Captain　Barnes；　surface　wants　you　for　a　secure　encrypted　munication；　sir。〃

〃Okay；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Its　time　to　go　back；　anyway。〃　They　headed　back；　through　the　vast　ship；　to　the　main　entrance。

SPACE　AND　TIME

They　were　sitting　in　the　lounge　of　DH…8；　watching　the　divers　work　on　the　grid。　Barnes　was　in　the　next　cylinder；　talking　to　the　surface。　Levy　was　cooking　lunch；　or　dinner…a　meal；　anyway。　They　were　all　getting　confused　about　what　the　Navy　people　called　〃surface　time。〃

〃Surface　time　doesnt　matter　down　here；〃　Edmunds　said；　in　her　precise　librarians　voice。　〃Day　or　night；　it　just　doesnt　make　any　difference。　You　get　used　to　it。〃

They　nodded　vaguely。　Everyone　was　tired；　Norman　saw。　The　strain；　the　tension　of　the　exploration；　had　taken　its　toll。

＇＇83＇＇　Beth　had　already　drifted　off　to　sleep；　feet　up　on　the　coffee　table；　her　muscular　arms　folded　across　her　chest。

Outside　the　window；　three　small　submarines　had　e　down　and　were　hovering　over　the　grid。　Several　divers　were　clustered　around；　others　were　heading　back　to　the　divers　habitat；　DH…7。

〃Looks　like　somethings　up；〃　Harry　said。　〃Something　to　do　with　Barness　call？〃

〃Could　be。〃　Harry　was　still　preoccupied；　distracted。　〃Wheres　Tina　Chan？〃

〃She　must　be　with　Barnes。　Why？〃

〃I　need　to　talk　to　her。〃

〃What　about？〃　Ted　said。

〃Its　personal；〃　Harry　said。