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第37部分（第2页）

〃Sure。〃　She　threw　open　a　refrigerator　door。　〃Diet　Coke？〃

〃Youre　kidding。　。。。。。

〃The　can　design　is　different；　and　Im　afraid　its　warm；　but　its　Diet　Coke；　all　right。〃

〃Im　buying　stock　in　that　pany；〃　Harry　said。　〃Now　that　we　know　itll　still　be　there　in　fifty　years。〃　He　read　the　can。　〃Official　drink　of　the　Star　Voyager　Expedition。〃

〃Yeah；　its　a　promo；〃　Beth　said。

Harry　turned　the　can　around。　The　other　side　was　printed　in　Japanese。　〃Wonder　what　this　means？〃

〃It　means；　dont　buy　that　stock　after　all；〃　she　said。　Norman　sipped　the　Coke　with　a　sense　of　vague　unease。　The　galley　seemed　subtly　changed　from　the　last　time　he　had　seen　it。　He　wasnt　sure…hed　only　glanced　briefly　at　the　room　before…but　he　usually　had　a　good　memory　for　room　layouts；　and　his　wife　had　always　joked　that　Norman　could　find　his　way　around　any　kitchen。　〃You　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　dont　remember　a　refrigerator　in　the　galley。〃

〃I　never　really　noticed；　myself；〃　Beth　said。

〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　Norman　said；　〃this　whole　room　looks　different　to　me。　It　looks　bigger；　and…I　dont　know…different。〃

〃Its　cause　youre　hungry。〃　Harry　grinned。

〃Maybe；〃　Norman　said。　Harry　could　actually　be　right。　In　the　sixties；　there　had　been　a　number　of　studies　of　visual　perception　which　demonstrated　that　subjects　interpreted　blurred　slides　according　to　their　predispositions。　Hungry　people　saw　all　the　slides　as　food。

But　this　room　really　did　look　different。　For　instance；　he　didnt　remember　the　door　to　the　galley　being　to　the　left；　as　＇＇249＇＇　it　was　now。　He　remembered　it　as　being　in　the　center　of　the　wall　separating　the　galley　from　the　bunks。

〃This　way；〃　Beth　said；　leading　them　farther　aft。　〃Actually；　the　refrigerator　was　what　got　me　thinking。　Its　one　thing　to　store　a　lot　of　food　on　a　test　ship　being　sent　through　a　black　hole。　But　to　stock　a　refrigerator…why　bother　to　do　that？　It　made　me　think；　there　might　be　a　crew　after　all。〃

They　entered　a　short；　glass…walled　tunnel。　Deep…purple　lights　glowed　down　on　them。　〃Ultraviolet；〃　Beth　said。　〃I　dont　know　what　its　for。〃

〃Disinfection？〃

〃Maybe。〃

〃Maybe　its　to　get　a　suntan；〃　Harry　said。　〃Vitamin　D。〃　Then　they　came　into　a　large　room　unlike　anything　Norman　had　ever　seen。　The　floor　glowed　purple；　bathing　the　room　in　ultraviolet　light　from　beneath。　Mounted　on　all　four　walls　were　a　series　of　wide　glass　tubes。　Inside　each　tube　was　a　narrow　silver　mattress。　The　tubes　all　appeared　empty。

〃Over　here；〃　Beth　said。

They　peered　through　one　glass　tube。　The　naked　woman　had　once　been　beautiful。　It　was　still　possible　to　see　that。　Her　skin　was　dark　brown　and　deeply　wrinkled；　her　body　withered。

〃Mummified？〃　Harry　said。

Beth　nodded。　〃Best　I　can　figure　out。　I　havent　opened　the　tube；　considering　the　risk　of　infection。〃

〃What　was　this　room？〃　he　said；　looking　around。

〃It　must　be　some　kind　of　hibernation　chamber。　Each　tube　is　separately　connected　to　a　life…support　system…power　supply；　air　handlers；　heaters；　the　works…in　the　next　room。〃

Harry　counted。　〃Twenty　tubes；〃　he　said。

〃And　twenty　bunks；〃　Norman　said。

〃So　where　is　everybody　else？〃

Beth　shook　her　head。　〃I　dont　know。〃

〃This　woman　is　the　only　one　left？〃

〃Looks　like　it。　I　havent　found　any　others。〃

〃I　wonder　how　they　all　died；〃　Harry　said。

〃Have　you　been　to　the　sphere？〃　Norman　asked　Beth。

〃No。　Why？〃

＇＇250＇＇　〃Just　wondered。〃

〃You　mean；　you　wondered　if　the　crew　died　after　they　picked　up　the　sphere？〃

〃Basically；　yes。〃

〃I　dont　think　the　sphere　is　aggressive　or　dangerous　in　any　sense；〃　Beth　said。　〃Its　possible　that　the　crew　died　of　natural　causes　in　the　course　of　the　journey　itself。　This　woman；　for　example；　is　so　well　preserved　it　makes　you　wonder　about　radiation。　Maybe　she　got　a　large　dose　of　radiation。　Theres　tremendous　radiation　around　a　black　hole。〃

〃You　think　the　crew　died　going　through　the　black　hole；　and　the　sphere　was　picked　up　automatically　by　the　spacecraft　later？〃

〃Its　possible。〃