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第9部分（第2页）

〃She　seems　to　know　what　shes　doing；〃　Ted　said；　approvingly。

〃She　does；〃　Barnes　said。　〃But　all　the　major　support　systems　are　redundant。　Fletcher　is　just　our　final　redundancy。　Actually；　youll　find　the　entire　habitat　is　self…regulating。〃

He　clipped　heavy　badges　onto　the　jumpsuits。　〃Wear　these　at　all　times；　even　though　theyre　just　a　precaution：　the　alarms　trigger　automatically　if　life…support　conditions　go　below　optimum。　But　that　wont　happen。　There　are　sensors　in　each　room　of　the　habitat。　Youll　get　used　to　the　fact　that　the　environment　continually　adjusts　to　your　presence。　Lights　will　go　on　and　off；　heat　lamps　will　turn　on　and　off；　and　air　vents　will　hiss　to　keep　track　of　things。　Its　all　automatic；　dont　sweat　it。　＇＇57＇＇　Every　single　major　system　is　redundant。　We　can　lose　power；　we　can　lose　air；　we　can　lose　water　entirely；　and　we　will　be　fine　for　a　hundred　and　thirty　hours。〃

One　hundred　and　thirty　hours　didnt　sound　very　long　to　Norman。　He　did　the　calculation　in　his　head：　five　days。　Five　days　didnt　seem　very　long；　either。

They　went　into　the　next　cylinder；　the　lights　clicking　on　as　they　entered。　Cylinder　C　contained　living　quarters：　bunks；　toilets；　showers　（〃plenty　of　hot　water；　youll　find〃）。　Barnes　showed　them　around　proudly；　as　if　it　were　a　hotel。

The　living　quarters　were　heavily　insulated：　carpeted　deck；　walls　and　ceilings　all　covered　in　soft　padded　foam；　which　made　the　interior　appear　like　an　overstuffed　couch。　But；　despite　the　bright　colors　and　the　evident　care　in　decoration；　Norman　still　found　it　cramped　and　dreary。　The　portholes　were　tiny；　and　they　revealed　only　the　blackness　of　the　ocean　outside。　And　wherever　the　padding　ended；　he　saw　heavy　bolts　and　heavy　steel　plating；　a　reminder　of　where　they　really　were。　He　felt　as　if　he　were　inside　a　large　iron　lung…and；　he　thought；　that　isnt　so　far　wrong。

They　ducked　through　narrow　bulkheads　into　D　Cyl：　a　small　laboratory　with　benches　and　microscopes　on　the　top　level；　a　pact　electronics　unit　on　the　level　below。

〃This　is　Tina　Chan；〃　Barnes　said；　introducing　a　very　still　woman。　They　all　shook　hands。　Norman　thought　that　Tina　Chan　was　almost　unnaturally　calm；　until　he　realized　she　was　one　of　those　people　who　almost　never　blinked　their　eyes。

〃Be　nice　to　Tina；〃　Barnes　was　saying。　〃Shes　our　only　link　to　the　outside…she　runs　the　　ops；　and　the　sensor　systems　as　well。　In　fact；　all　the　electronics。〃

Tina　Chan　was　surrounded　by　the　bulkiest　monitors　Norman　had　ever　seen。　They　looked　like　TV　sets　from　the　1950s。　Barnes　explained　that　certain　equipment　didnt　do　well　in　the　helium　atmosphere；　including　TV　tubes。　In　the　early　days　of　undersea　habitats；　the　tubes　had　to　be　replaced　daily。　Now　they　were　elaborately　coated　and　shielded；　hence　their　bulk。

Next　to　Chan　was　another　woman；　Jane　Edmunds；　whom　Barnes　introduced　as　the　unit　archivist。

〃Whats　a　unit　archivist？〃　Ted　asked　her。

＇＇58＇＇　〃Petty　Officer　First　Class；　Data　Processing；　sir；〃　she　said　formally。　Jane　Edmunds　wore　spectacles　and　stood　stiffly。　She　reminded　Norman　of　a　librarian。

〃Data　Processing　。。。〃　Ted　said。

〃My　mission　is　to　keep　all　the　digital　recordings；　visual　materials；　and　videotapes；　sir。　Every　aspect　of　this　historic　moment　is　being　recorded；　and　I　keep　everything　neatly　filed。〃　Norman　thought：　She　is　a　librarian。

〃Oh；　excellent；〃　Ted　said。　〃Im　glad　to　hear　it。　Film　or　tape？〃

〃Tape；　sir。〃

〃I　know　my　way　around　a　video　camera；〃　Ted　said；　with　a　smile。　〃Whatre　you　putting　it　down　on；　half…inch　or　threequarter？〃

〃Sir；　we　use　a　datascan　image　equivalent　of　two　thousand　pixels　per　side…biased　frame；　each　pixel　carrying　a　twelvetone　gray　scale。〃

〃Oh；〃　Ted　said。

〃Its　a　bit　better　than　mercial　systems　you　may　be　familiar　with；　sir。〃

〃I　see；〃　Ted　said。　But　he　recovered　smoothly；　and　chatted　with　Edmunds　for　a　while　about　technical　matters。

〃Ted　seems　awfully　interested　in　how　were　going　to　record　this；〃　Barnes　said；　looking　uneasy。

〃Yes；　he　seems　to　be。〃　Norman　wondered　why　that　troubled　Barnes。　Was　Barnes　worried　about　the　visual　record？　Or　did　he　think　Ted　would　try　to　hog　the　show？　Would　Ted　try　to　hog　the　show？　Did　Barnes　have　any　worries　about　having　this　appear　to　be　a　civilian　operation？

〃No；　the　exterior　lights　are　a　hundred…fifty…watt　quartz　halogen；〃　Edmunds　was　saying。　〃Were　recording　at　equivalent　of　half　a　million　ASA；　so　thats　ample。　The　real　problem　is　backscatter。　Were　constantly　fighting　it。〃

Norman　said；　〃I　notice　your　support　team　is　all　women。〃

〃Yes；〃　Barnes　said。　〃All　the　deep…diving　studies　show　that　women　are　superior　for　submerged　operations。　Theyre　physically　smaller　and　consume　less　nutrients　and　air；　they　have　better　social　skills　and　tolerate　close　quarters　better；　and　they　are　physiologically　tougher　and　have　better　endurance。

＇＇59＇＇　The　fact　is；　the　Navy　long　ago　recognized　that　all　their　submariners　should　be　female。〃　He　laughed。　〃But　just　try　to　implement　that　one。〃　He　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Wed　better　move　on。　Ted？〃

They　went　on。　The　final　cylinder；　E　Cyl；　was　more　spacious　than　the　others。　There　were　magazines；　a　television；　and　a　large　lounge；　and　on　the　deck　below　was　an　efficient　mess　and　a　kitchen。　Seaman　Rose　Levy；　the　cook；　was　a　redfaced　woman　with　a　Southern　accent；　standing　beneath　giant　suction　fans。　She　asked　Norman　whether　he　had　any　favorite　desserts。

〃Desserts？〃

〃Yes　sir；　Dr。　Johnson。　I　like　to　make　everybodys　favorite　dessert；　if　I　can。　What　about　you；　you　have　a　favorite；　Dr。　Fielding？〃

〃Key　lime　pie；〃　Ted　said。　〃I　love　key　lime　pie。〃

〃Can　do；　sir；〃　Levy　said；　with　a　big　smile。　She　turned　back　to　Norman。　〃I　havent　heard　yours　yet；　Dr。　Johnson。〃

〃Strawberry　shortcake。〃

〃Easy。　Got　some　nice　New　Zealand　strawberries　ing　down　on　the　last　sub　shuttle。　Maybe　youd　like　that　shortcake　tonight？〃

〃Why　not；　Rose；〃　Barnes　said　heartily。

Norman　looked　out　the　black　porthole　window。　From　the　portholes　of　D　Cyl；　he　could　see　the　rectangular　illuminated　grid　that　extended　across　the　bottom；　following　the　half…mile…long　buried　spacecraft。　Divers；　illuminated　like　fireflies；　moved　over　the　glowing　grid　surface。

Norman　thought：　I　am　a　thousan

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