乐文小说网

第48部分（第2页）

Youll　die　anyway。

And　then　he　thought；　You　damn　fool；　youre　holding　an　oxygen　bottle　in　your　hand；　you　have　enough　air　if　you　dont　stay　here；　wasting　time　worrying。　Get　on　with　it。

No；　he　thought；　theres　something　else；　something　Im　forgetting。　。。。

Get　on　with　it！

So　he　stopped　thinking；　and　climbed　up　to　the　ceiling　hatch　at　the　top　of　the　cylinder。　Then　he　held　his　breath；　braced　himself；　and　spun　the　wheel；　opening　the　hatch。

〃Norman！　Norman；　what　are　you　doing？　Norman！　You　are　insa…〃　he　heard　Beth　shout；　and　then　the　rest　was　lost　in　the　roar　of　freezing　water　pouring　like　a　mighty　waterfall　into　the　habitat；　filling　the　room。

The　moment　he　was　outside；　he　realized　his　mistake。　He　needed　weights。　His　body　was　buoyant；　tugging　him　up　toward　the　surface。　He　sucked　a　final　breath；　dropped　the　oxygen　bottle；　and　desperately　gripped　the　cold　pipes　on　the　outside　of　the　habitat；　knowing　that　if　he　lost　his　grip；　there　would　be　nothing　to　stop　him；　nothing　to　grab　onto；　all　the　way　to　the　surface。　He　would　reach　the　surface　and　explode　like　a　balloon。

Holding　the　pipes；　he　pulled　himself　down；　hand　over　hand；　looking　for　the　next　pipe；　the　next　protrusion　to　grab。　It　was　like　mountain…climbing　in　reverse；　if　he　let　go；　he　would　fall　upward　and　die。　His　hands　were　long　since　numb。　His　body　was　stiff　with　cold；　slow　with　cold。　His　lungs　burned。

He　had　very　little　time。

＇＇327＇＇　He　reached　the　bottom；　swung　under　D　Cyl；　pulled　himself　along；　felt　in　the　darkness　for　the　airlock。　It　wasnt　there！　The　airlock　was　gone！　Then　he　saw　he　was　beneath　B　Cyl。　He　moved　over　to　A；　felt　the　airlock。　The　airlock　was　closed。　He　tugged　the　wheel。　It　was　shut　tight。　He　pulled　on　it；　but　he　could　not　move　it。

He　was　locked　out。

The　most　intense　fear　gripped　him。　His　body　was　almost　immobile　from　cold；　he　knew　he　had　only　a　few　seconds　of　consciousness　remaining。　He　had　to　open　the　hatch。　He　pounded　it；　pounded　the　metal　around　the　rim；　feeling　nothing　in　his　numb　hands。

The　wheel　began　to　spin　by　itself。　The　hatch　popped　open。　There　must　have　been　an　emergency　button；　he　must　have…He　burst　above　the　surface　of　the　water；　gasped　air；　and　sank　again。　He　came　back　up；　but　he　couldnt　climb　out　into　the　cylinder。　He　was　too　numb；　his　muscles　frozen；　his　body　unresponsive。

You　have　to　do　it；　he　thought。　You　have　to　do　it。　His　fingers　gripped　metal；　slipped　off；　gripped　again。　One　pull；　he　thought。　One　last　pull。　He　heaved　his　chest　over　the　metal　rim；　flopped　onto　the　deck。　He　couldnt　feel　anything；　he　was　so　cold。　He　twisted　his　body；　trying　to　pull　his　legs　up；　and　fell　back　into　the　icy　water。

No！

He　pulled　himself　up　again；　one　last　time…again　over　the　rim；　again　onto　the　deck；　and　he　twisted；　twisted；　one　leg　up；　his　balance　precarious；　then　the　other　leg；　he　couldnt　really　feel　it；　and　then　he　was　out　of　the　water；　and　lying　on　the　deck。

He　was　shivering。　He　tried　to　stand；　and　fell　over。　His　whole　body　was　shaking　so　hard　he　could　not　keep　his　balance。

Across　the　airlock　he　saw　his　suit；　hanging　on　the　wall　of　the　cylinder。　He　saw　the　helmet；　〃JOHNSON〃　stenciled　on　it。　Norman　crawled　toward　the　suit；　his　body　shaking　violently。　He　tried　to　stand；　and　could　not。　The　boots　of　his　suit　were　directly　in　front　of　his　face。　He　tried　to　grip　them　in　his　hands；　but　his　hands　could　not　close。　He　tried　to　bite　the　suit；　＇＇328＇＇　to　pull　himself　up　with　his　teeth；　but　his　teeth　were　chattering　uncontrollably。

The　inter　crackled。

〃Norman！　I　know　what　youre　doing；　Norman！〃

Any　minute；　Beth　would　be　here。　He　had　to　get　into　the　suit。　He　stared　at　it；　inches　from　him；　but　his　hands　still　shook；　he　could　not　hold　anything。　Finally　he　saw　the　fabric　loops　near　the　waist　to　clip　instruments。　He　hooked　one　hand　into　the　loop；　managed　to　hold　on。　He　pulled　himself　upright。　He　got　one　foot　into　the　suit；　then　the　other。

〃Norman！〃

He　reached　for　the　helmet。　The　helmet　drummed　in　a　staccato　beat　against　the　wall　before　he　managed　to　get　it　free　of　the　peg　and　drop　it　over　his　head。　He　twisted　it；　heard　the　click　of　the　snap…lock。

He　was　still　very　cold。　Why　wasnt　the　suit　heating　up？　Then　he　realized；　no　power。　The　power　was　in　the　tank　pack。　Norman　backed　up　against　the　tank；　shrugged　it　on；　staggered　under　the　weight。　He　had　to　hook　the　umbilicus…he　reached　behind　him；　felt　it…held　it…hook　it　into　the　suit…at　the　waist…hook　it

He　heard　a　click。

The　fan　hummed。

He　felt　long　streaks　of　pain　all　over　his　body。　The　electrical　elements　were　heating；　painful　against　his　frozen　skin。　He　felt　pins　and　needles　all　over。　Beth　was　talking…he　heard　her　through　the　inter…but　he　couldnt　listen　to　her。　He　sat　heavily　on　the　deck；　breathing　hard。

But　already　he　knew　that　he　was　going　to　be　all　right；　the　pain　was　lessening；　his　head　was　clearing；　and　he　was　no　longer　shaking　so　badly。　He　had　been　chilled；　but　not　long　enough　for　it　to　be　central。　He　was　recovering　fast。

The　radio　crackled。

〃Youll　never　get　to　me；　Norman！〃

He　got　to　his　feet；　pulled　on　his　weight　belt；　locked　the　buckles。

〃Norman！〃

He　said　nothing。　He　felt　quite　warm　now；　quite　normal。　〃Norman！　I　am　surrounded　by　explosives！　If　you　e　＇＇329＇＇　anywhere　near　me；　I　will　blow　you　to　pieces！　Youll　die；　Norman！　Youll　never　get　near　me！〃

But　Norman　wasnt　going　to　Beth。　He　had　another　plan　entirely。　He　heard　his　tank　air　hiss　as　the　pressure　equalized　in　his　suit。

He　jumped　back　into　the　water。

0500　HOURS

The　sphere　gleame

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