Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第51部分 (第3/7頁)

nd　Beth　had　manifested　monsters；　but　Norman　had　not。　Norman　knew　his　unconscious。　No　monsters　awaited　him。

No。　Wrong。

He　was　startled　by　the　suddenness　of　the　thought；　the　abruptness　of　it。　Was　he　really　wrong？　He　considered　carefully；　and　decided　once　again　that　he　was　correct　after　all。　Beth　and　Harry　were　at　risk　from　the　products　of　their　＇＇346＇＇　unconscious；　but　Norman　was　not。　Norman　knew　himself；　the　others　did　not。

〃The　fears　unleashed　by　contact　with　a　new　life　form　are　not　understood。　The　most　likely　consequence　of　contact　is　absolute　terror。〃

The　statements　from　his　own　report　popped　into　his　head。　Why　should　he　think　of　them　now？　It　had　been　years　since　he　had　written　his　report。

〃Under　circumstances　of　extreme　terror；　people　make　decisions　poorly。〃

Yet　Norman　wasn't　afraid。　Far　from　it。　He　was　confident　and　strong。　He　had　a　plan；　he　was　carrying　it　out。　Why　should　he　even　think　of　that　report？　At　the　time；　he'd　agonized　over　it；　thinking　of　each　sentence。　。。。　Why　was　it　ing　to　mind　now？　It　troubled　him。

〃Your　attention；　please。　Sixteen　minutes　and　counting。〃　Norman　scanned　the　gauges　before　him。　He　was　at　nine　hundred　feet；　rising　swiftly。　There　was　no　turning　back　now。　Why　should　he　even　think　of　turning　back？

Why　should　it　enter　his　mind？

As　he　rose　silently　through　black　water；　he　increasingly　felt　a　kind　of　split　inside　himself；　an　almost　schizophrenic　internal　division。　Something　was　wrong；　he　sensed。　There　was　something　he　hadn't　considered　yet。

But　what　could　he　have　overlooked？　Nothing；　he　decided；　because；　unlike　Beth　and　Harry；　I　am　fully　conscious；　I　am　aware　of　everything　that　is　happening　inside　me。

Except　Norman　didn't　really　believe　that。　plete　awareness　might　be　a　p