Sphere (深海圓疑) 原版小說

第22部分 (第3/7頁)

〃

〃Fair　amount。　Ten　giga；　something　like　that。〃

〃Maybe　the　helium's　getting　to　the　chips；〃　Tina　said。　〃Maybe　it's　a　saturation　effect。〃

〃I　still　think　you　should　keep　it；〃　Ted　said。

＇＇142＇＇　Norman　had　been　looking　at　the　screen。　He　was　no　mathematician；　but　he'd　looked　at　a　lot　of　statistics　in　his　life；　searching　for　patterns　in　the　data。　That　was　something　human　brains　were　inherently　good　at；　finding　patterns　in　visual　material。　Norman　couldn't　put　his　finger　on　it；　but　he　sensed　a　pattern　here。　He　said；　〃I　have　the　feeling　it's　not　random。〃

〃Then　let's　keep　it；〃　Barnes　said。

Tina　went　forward　to　the　console。　As　her　hands　touched　the　keys；　the　screen　went　blank。

〃So　much　for　that；〃　Barnes　said。　〃It's　gone。　Too　bad　we　didn't　have　Harry　to　look　at　it　with　us。〃

〃Yeah；〃　Ted　said　gloomily。　〃Too　bad。〃

ANALYSIS

〃Take　a　look　at　this；〃　Beth　said。　〃this　one　is　still　alive。〃

Norman　was　with　her　in　the　little　biological　laboratory　near　the　top　of　D　Cylinder。　Nobody　had　been　in　this　laboratory　since　their　arrival；　because　they　hadn't　found　anything　living。　Now；　with　the　lights　out；　he　and　Beth　watched　the　squid　move　in　the　glass　tank。

The　creature　had　a　delicate　appearance。　The　blue　glow　was　concentrated　in　stripes　along　the　back　and　sides　of　the　creature。

〃Yes；〃　Beth　said；　〃the　bioluminescent　structures　seem　to　be　located　dorsally。　They're　bacteria；　of　course。〃

〃What　are？〃

〃The　bioluminescent　areas。　Squid　can't　create　light　themselves。　The　creatures　that　do　are　bacteria。　So　the　bioluminescent　animals　in　the　sea　have　incorporated　these　bacteria　into　＇＇143＇＇　their　bodies。　You're　seeing　bacteria　glowing　through　the　skin。〃

〃So　it's　like　an　infection？〃

〃Yes；　in　a　way