第一小说网

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第30部分（第3页）

〃No；　but　I　dont　see…〃

〃…Ill　tell　you。　A　deep…placement；　saturated　gas　environment　with　full　support　runs　about　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　an　hour。　By　the　time　we　all　get　out　of　here；　the　total　project　cost　will　be　eighty　to　a　hundred　million　dollars。　You　dont　get　that　kind　of　appropriations　from　the　military　without　what　they　call　a　serious　expectation　of　military　benefit。　Its　that　simple。　No　expectation；　no　money。　You　following　me？〃

＇＇204＇＇　〃You　mean　like　a　weapon？〃　Beth　said。

〃Possibly；　yes；〃　Barnes　said。

〃Well；〃　Ted　said；　〃I　personally　would　never　have　joined…〃

〃…Is　that　right？　Youd　fly　all　the　way　to　Tonga　and　Id　say；　Ted；　theres　a　spacecraft　down　there　that　might　contain　life　from　another　galaxy；　but　its　a　military　operation；　and　youd　say；　Gosh；　sorry　to　hear　that；　count　me　out？　Is　that　what　youd　have　done；　Ted？〃

〃Well　。。。〃　Ted　said。

〃Then　you　better　shut　up；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Because　Ive　had　it　with　your　posturing。〃

〃Hear；　hear；〃　Beth　said。

〃I　personally　feel　youre　overwrought；〃　Ted　said。

〃I　personally　feel　youre　an　egomaniacal　asshole；〃　Barnes　said。

〃Just　a　minute；　everybody；〃　Harry　said。　〃Does　anybody　know　why　Levy　went　outside　in　the　first　place？〃

Tina　said；　〃She　was　on　a　TRL。〃

〃A　what？〃

〃A　Timeclock　Required　Lockout；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Its　the　duty　schedule。　Levy　was　Edmundss　backup。　After　Edmunds　died；　it　became　Levys　job　to　go　to　the　submarine　every　twelve　hours。〃

〃Go　to　the　sub？　Why？〃　Harry　said。

Barnes　pointed　out　the　porthole。　〃You　see　DH…7　over　there？　Well；　next　to　the　single　cylinder　is　an　inverted　dome　hangar；　and　beneath　the　dome　is　a　minisub　that　the　divers　left　behind。

〃In　a　situation　like　this；〃　Barnes　said；　〃Navy　regs　require　that　all　tapes　and　records　be　transferred　to　the　sub　every　twelve　hours。　The　sub　is　on　TBDR　Mode…Timed　Ballast　Drop　and　Release…set　on　a　timer　every　twelve　hours。　That　way；　if　somebody　doesnt　get　there　every　twelve　hours；　transfer　the　latest　tapes；　and　press　the　yellow　Delay　button；　the　sub　will　automatically　drop　ballast；　blow　tanks；　and　go　to　the　surface　unattended。〃

〃Why　is　that？〃

〃If　theres　a　disaster　down　here…say　something　happened　＇＇　205＇＇　to　all　of　us…then　the　sub　would　automatically　surface　after　twelve　hours；　with　all　the　tapes　accumulated　thus　far。　The　Navyd　recover　the　sub　at　the　surface；　and　theyd　have　at　least　a　partial　record　of　what　happened　to　us　down　here。〃

〃I　see。　The　subs　our　flight　recorder。〃

〃You　could　say　that；　yes。　But　its　also　our　way　out；　our　only　emergency　exit。〃

〃So　Levy　was　going　to　the　sub？〃

〃Yes。　And　she　must　have　made　it；　because　the　sub　is　still　here。〃

〃She　transferred　the　tapes；　pressed　the　Delay　button；　and　then　she　died　on　the　way　back。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃How　did　she　die？〃　Harry　said；　looking　carefully　at　Barnes。

〃Were　not　sure；〃　Barnes　said。

〃Her　entire　body　was　crushed；〃　Norman　said。　〃It　was　like　a　sponge。〃

Harry　said　to　Barnes；　〃An　hour　ago　you　ordered　the　EPSA　sensors　to　be　reset　and　adjusted。　Why　was　that？〃

〃We　had　gotten　a　strange　reading　in　the　previous　hour。〃

〃What　sort　of　a　reading？〃

〃Something　out　there。　Something　very　large。〃

〃But　it