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第21部分（第1页）

〃A　flock　of　fireflies？〃

〃Something　like　that。〃　The　tape　ran　out。　The　screen　went　dark。

Ted　said；　〃Thats　it？〃

〃Im　afraid　so；　Dr。　Fielding。〃

〃Poor　Harry；〃　Ted　said　mournfully。

Of　all　the　group；　Ted　was　the　most　visibly　upset　about　Harry。　He　kept　staring　at　the　closed　sphere　on　the　monitor；　saying；　〃How　did　he　do　that？〃　Then　he　would　add；　〃I　hope　hes　all　right。〃

He　repeated　it　so　often　that　finally　Beth　said；　〃I　think　we　know　your　feelings；　Ted。〃

〃Im　seriously　concerned　about　him。〃

〃I　am；　too。　We　all　are。〃

〃You　think　Im　jealous；　Beth？　Is　that　what　youre　saying？〃

＇＇133＇＇　〃Why　would　anyone　think　that；　Ted？〃

Norman　changed　the　subject。　It　was　crucial　to　avoid　confrontations　among　group　members。　He　asked　Ted　about　his　analysis　of　the　flight　data　aboard　the　spaceship。

〃Its　very　interesting；〃　Ted　said；　warming　to　his　subject。　〃My　detailed　examination　of　the　earliest　flight…data　images；〃　he　said；　〃convinced　me　that　they　show　three　planets…Uranus；　Neptune；　and　Pluto…and　the　sun；　very　small　in　the　background。　Therefore；　the　pictures　are　taken　from　some　point　beyond　the　orbit　of　Pluto。　This　suggests　that　the　black　hole　is　not　far　beyond　our　own　solar　system。〃

〃Is　that　possible？〃　Norman　said。

〃Oh　sure。　In　fact；　for　the　last　ten　years　some　astrophysicists　have　suspected　that　theres　a　black　hole…not　a　large　one；　but　a　black　hole　just　outside　our　solar　system。〃

〃I　hadnt　heard　that。〃

〃Oh　yes。　In　fact；　some　of　us　have　argued　that；　if　it　was　small　enough；　in　a　few　years　we　could　go　out　and　capture　the　black　hole；　bring　it　back；　park　it　in　Earth　orbit；　and　use　the　energy　it　generates　to　power　the　entire　planet。〃

Barnes　smiled。　〃Black…hole　cowboys？〃

〃In　theory；　theres　no　reason　it　couldnt　be　done。　Then　just　think：　the　entire　planet　would　be　free　of　its　dependency　on　fossil　fuels。　。。。　The　whole　history　of　mankind　would　be　changed。〃

Barnes　said；　〃Probably　make　a　hell　of　a　weapon；　too。〃

〃Even　a　very　tiny　black　hole　would　be　a　little　too　powerful　to　use　as　a　weapon。〃

〃So　you　think　this　ship　went　out　to　capture　a　black　hole？〃

〃I　doubt　it；〃　Ted　said。　〃The　ship　is　so　strongly　made；　so　shielded　against　radiation；　that　I　suspect　it　was　intended　to　go　through　a　black　hole。　And　it　did。〃

〃And　thats　why　the　ship　went　back　in　time？〃　Norman　said。

〃Im　not　sure；〃　Ted　said。　〃You　see；　a　black　hole　really　is　the　edge　of　the　universe。　What　happens　there　isnt　clear　to　anybody　now　alive。　But　what　some　people　think　is　that　you　dont　go　through　the　hole；　you　sort　of　skip　into　it；　like　a　＇＇134＇＇　pebble　skipping　over　water；　and　you　get　bounced　into　a　different　time　or　space　or　universe。〃

〃So　the　ship　got　bounced？〃

〃Yes。　Possibly　more　than　once。　And　when　it　bounced　back　here；　it　undershot　and　arrived　a　few　hundred　years　before　it　left。〃

〃And　on　one　of　its　bounces；　it　picked　up　that？〃　Beth　said；　pointing　to　the　monitor。

They　looked。　The　sphere　was　still　closed。　But　lying　next　to　it；　sprawled　on　the　deck　in　an　awkward　pose；　was　Harry　Adams。

For　a　moment　they　thought　he　was　dead。　Then　Harry　lifted　his　head　and　moaned。

THE　SUBJECT

Norman　wrote　in　his　notebook：　Subject　is　a　thirty…year…old　black　mathematician　who　has　spent　three　hours　inside　a　sphere　of　unknown　origin。　On　recovery　from　the　sphere　was　stuporous　and　unresponsive；　he　did　not　know　his　name；　where　he　was；　or　what　year　it　was。　Brought　back　to　habitat；　slept　for　one　half…hour　then　awoke　abruptly　plaining　of　headache。

〃Oh　God。〃

Harry　was　sitting　in　his　bunk；　holding　his　head　in　his　hands；　groaning。

〃Hurt？〃　Norman　asked。

〃Brutal。　Pounding。〃

〃Anything　else？〃

〃Thirsty。　God。〃　He　licked　his　lips。　〃Really　thirsty。〃

Extreme　thirst；　Norman　wrote。