Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第41部分 (第3/7頁)

of　little　waves　to　an　inch。　But　you　can　also　make　ELF；　extremely　low…frequency　waves；　which　are　long…each　individual　wave　is　maybe　twenty　feet　long。　And　those　waves；　once　generated；　will　go　a　very　great　distance；　thousands　of　miles；　through　water；　no　problem。　The　only　trouble　is　that；　since　the　waves　are　long；　they're　also　slow。　That's　why　we're　getting　one　character　every　five　seconds。　The　Navy　needed　a　way　to　municate　with　their　submarines　underwater；　so　they　built　a　big　ELF　antenna　in　Wisconsin　to　send　these　long　waves。　And　that's　what　we're　getting。〃

〃And　the　code？〃

〃It　must　be　a　pression　code…three…letter　groupings　which　stand　for　a　long　section　of　predefined　message。　So　it　won't　take　so　long　to　send　a　message。　Because　if　you　sent　a　plain　text　message；　it　would　literally　take　hours。〃

CQX　VDX　MOP　LKI　XXC　VRW　TGK　PIU　YQA　IYT

＇＇277＇＇　EEQ　FVC　ZNB　TMK　EXE　MMN　OPW　GEW

The　letters　stopped。

〃Looks　like　that's　it；〃　Harry　said。

〃How　do　we　translate　it？〃　Beth　said。

〃Assuming　it's　a　Navy　transmission；〃　Harry　said；　〃we　don't。〃

〃Maybe　there's　a　codebook　here　somewhere；〃　Beth　said。

〃Just　hold　on；〃　Harry　said。

The　screen　shifted；　translating　groups　one　after　another。

2340　HOURS　7…07　CHIEF　CINCPAC　TO　BARNES　DEEPHAB…8

〃It's　a　message　to　Barnes；〃　Harry　said。　They　watched　as　the　other　letter　groups　were　translated。

SURFACE　SUPPORT　VESSELS　STEAMING　NANDI　AND　VIPATI　TO　YOUR　LOCATION　ETA　1600　HOURS　7…08　DEEP　WITHDRAW　AUTOSET　ACKNOWLEDGE　GOOD　LUCK　SPAULDING　END

〃Does　that　mean　what　I　think　it　means？〃　Beth　said。

〃Yeah；〃　Harry　said。　〃The　cavalry　is　on　the　way。〃

〃Hot　damn！〃　Beth　clapped　her　hands。

〃The　storm　must　be　calming　down。　They've　sent　the　surface　ships　and　the