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第54部分（第1页）

〃Because　its　literally　a　sort　of　mirror　for　us；〃　Norman　said。

〃Speaking　of　which；　theres　another　possibility；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　may　not　be　alien　at　all。　It　may　be　man…made。〃　That　took　Norman　pletely　by　surprise。　Harry　explained。

〃Consider；〃　Harry　said。　〃A　ship　from　our　own　future　went　through　a　black　hole；　into　another　universe；　or　another　part　＇＇364＇＇　of　our　universe。　We　cannot　imagine　what　would　happen　as　a　result　of　that。　But　suppose　there　were　some　major　distortion　of　time。　Suppose　that　ship；　which　left　with　a　human　crew　in　the　year　2043；　actually　has　been　in　transit　for　thousands　and　thousands　of　years。　Couldnt　the　human　crew　have　invented　it　during　that　time？〃

〃I　dont　think　thats　likely；〃　Beth　said。

〃Well；　lets　consider　for　a　moment；　Beth；〃　Harry　said　gently。　Norman　noticed　that　Harry　wasnt　arrogant　any　more。　They　were　all　in　this　together；　Norman　thought；　and　they　were　working　together　in　a　way　they　never　had　before。　All　the　time　underwater　they　had　been　at　odds；　but　now　they　functioned　smoothly　together；　coordinated。　A　team。

〃There　is　a　real　problem　about　the　future；〃　Harry　was　saying；　〃and　we　dont　admit　it。　We　assume　we　can　see　into　the　future　better　than　we　really　can。　Leonardo　da　Vinci　tried　to　make　a　helicopter　five　hundred　years　ago；　and　Jules　Verne　predicted　a　submarine　a　hundred　years　ago。　From　instances　like　that；　we　tend　to　believe　that　the　future　is　predictable　in　a　way　that　it　really　isnt。　Because　neither　Leonardo　nor　Jules　Verne　could　ever　have　imagined；　say；　a　puter。　The　very　concept　of　a　puter　implies　too　much　knowledge　that　was　simply　inconceivable　at　the　time　those　men　were　alive。　It　was；　if　you　will；　information　that　came　out　of　nowhere；　later　on。

〃And　were　no　wiser；　sitting　here　now。　We　couldnt　have　guessed　that　men　would　send　a　ship　through　a　black　hole…we　didnt　even　suspect　the　existence　of　black　holes　until　a　few　years　ago…and　we　certainly　cant　guess　what　men　might　acplish　thousands　of　years　in　the　future。〃　〃Assuming　the　sphere　was　made　by　men。〃

〃Yes。　Assuming　that。〃

〃And　if　it　wasnt？　If　its　really　a　sphere　from　an　alien　civilization？　Are　we　justified　in　erasing　all　human　knowledge　of　this　alien　life？〃

〃I　dont　know；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃If　we　decide　to　forget　the　sphere　。。。〃

〃Then　itll　be　gone；〃　Norman　said。

Beth　stared　at　the　table。　〃I　wish　we　could　ask　someone；〃　she　said　finally。

＇＇365＇＇　〃There　isnt　anybody　to　ask；〃　Norman　said。

〃But　can　we　really　forget　it？〃　Beth　said。　〃Will　it　work？〃

There　was　a　long　silence。

〃Yes；〃　Harry　said；　finally。　〃Theres　no　question　about　it。　And　I　think　we　already　have　evidence　that　we　will　forget　about　it。　That　solves　a　logical　problem　that　bothered　me　from　the　beginning；　when　we　first　explored　the　ship。　Because　something　very　important　was　missing　from　that　ship。〃

〃Yes？　What？〃

〃Any　sign　that　the　builders　of　the　ship　already　knew　travel　through　a　black　hole　was　possible。〃

〃I　dont　follow　you；〃　Norman　said。

〃Well；〃　Harry　said；　〃the　three　of　us　have　already　seen　a　spaceship　that　has　been　through　a　black　hole。　Weve　walked　through　it。　So　we　know　that　such　travel　is　possible。〃

〃Yes　。。。〃

〃Yet；　fifty　years　from　now；　men　are　going　to　build　that　ship　in　a　very　tentative；　experimental　way；　with　apparently　no　knowledge　that　the　ship　has　already　been　found；　fifty　years　in　their　past。　There　is　no　sign　on　the　ship　that　the　builders　already　know　of　its　existence　in　the　past。〃

〃Maybe　its　one　of　those　time　paradoxes；〃　Beth　said。　〃You　know；　how　you　cant　go　back　and　meet　yourself　in　the　past。　。。。〃

Harry　shook　his　head。　〃I　dont　think　its　a　paradox；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　that　all　knowledge　of　that　ship　is　going　to　be　lost。〃

〃You　mean；　we　are　going　to　forget　it。〃

〃Yes；〃　Harry　said。　〃And；　frankly；　I　think　its　a　much　better　solution。　For　a　long　time　while　we　were　down　there；　I　assumed　none　of　us　would　ever　get　back　alive。　That　was　the　only　explanation　I　could　think　of。　Thats　why　I　wanted　to　make　out　my　will。〃

〃But　if　we　decide　to　forget　。。。〃

〃Exactly；〃　Harry　said。　〃If　we　decide　to　forget；　that　will　produce　the　same　result。〃

〃The　knowledge　will　be　gone　forever；〃　Norman　said　quietly。　He　found　himself　hesitating。　Now　that　they　had　arrived　at　this　moment；　he　was　strangely　reluctant　to　proceed。　He　ran　＇＇366＇＇　his　fingertips　over　the　scarred　table；　touching　the　surface；　as　if　it　might　provide　an　answer。

In　a　sense；　he　thought；　all　we　consist　of　is　memories。　Our　personalities　are　constructed　from　memories；　our　lives　are　organized　around　memories；　our　cultures　are　built　upon　the　foundation　of　shared　memories　that　we　call　history　and　science。　But　now；　to　give　up　a　memory；　to　give　up　knowledge；　to　give　up　the　past　。。。

〃Its　not　easy；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。

〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃Its　not。〃　In　fact　he　found　it　so　difficult　he　wondered　if　he　was　experiencing　a　human　characteristic　as　fundamental　as　sexual　desire。　He　simply　could　not　give　up　this　knowledge。　The　information　seemed　so　important　to　him；　the　implications　so　fascinating。　。。。　His　entire　being　rebelled　against　the　idea　of　forgetting。

〃Well；〃　Harry　said；　〃I　think　we　have　to　do　it；　anyway。〃

〃I　was　thinking　of　Ted；〃　Beth　said。　〃And　Barnes；　and　the　others。　Were　the　only　ones　who　know　how　they　really　died。　What　they　gave　their　lives　for。　And　if　we　forget　。。。〃

〃When　we　forget；〃　Norman　said　firmly。

〃She　has　a　point；〃　Harry　said。　〃If　we　forget；　how　do　we　handle　all　the　details？　All　the　loose　ends？〃

〃I　dont　think　thats　a　problem；〃　Norman　said。　〃The　unconscious　has　tremendous　creative　powers；　as　weve　seen。　The　details　will　be　taken　care　of　unconsciously。　Its　like　the　way　we　get　dressed　in　the　morning。　When　we　dress；　we　dont　necessarily　think　of　every　detail；　the　belt　and　the　socks　and　so　on。　We　just　make　a　basic　overall　decision　about　how　we　want　to　look；　and　then　we　get　dressed。〃

〃Even　so；〃　Harry　said。　〃We　still　better　make　the　overall　decision；　because　we　all　have　the　power；　and　if　we　imagine　different　stories；　well　get　confusion。〃