mc.theandromedastrein-第26部分

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field　of　view　was　smaller。　They　still　saw　nothing　on　the　surface：　no　punctures；　no　indentations；　nothing　that　looked　like　a　small　growth　of　any　kind。
　　　〃Let's　go　to　one　hundred；〃　Stone　said。　Leavitt　adjusted　the　controls　and　sat　back。　They　were　beginning　what　they　knew　would　be　a　long　and　tedious　search。　Probably　they　would　find　nothing。　Soon　they　would　examine　the　interior　of　the　capsule；　they　might　find　something　there。　Or　they　might　not。　In　either　case；　they　would　take　samples　for　analysis；　plating　out　the　scrapings　and　swabs　onto　growth　media。
　
　　　Leavitt　glanced　from　the　viewing　screens　to　look　into　the　room。　The　viewer；　suspended　from　the　ceiling　by　a　plex　arrangement　of　rods　and　wires；　was　automatically　moving　in　slow　circles　around　the　capsule。　He　looked　back　to　the　screens。
　
　　　There　were　three　screens　in　main　control；　and　all　showed　exactly　the　same　field　of　view。　In　theory；　they　could　use　three　viewers　projecting　onto　three　screens；　and　cover　the　capsule　in　one　third　the　time。　But　they　did　not　want　to　do　that　at　least　not　now。　Both；　men　knew　that　their　interest　and　attention　would　fatigue　as　the　day　wore　on。　No　matter　how　hard　they　tried；　they　could　not　remain　alert　all　the　time。　But　if　two　men　watched　the　same　image；　there　was　less　chance　of　missing　something。
　
　　　The　surface　area　of　the　cone…shaped　capsule；　thirty…seven　inches　long　and　a　foot　in　diameter　at　the　base；　was　just　over　650　square　inches。　Three　scans；　at　five；　twenty；　and　one　hundred　power；　took　them　slightly　more　than　two　hours。　At　the　end　of　the　third　scan；　Stone　said；　〃I　suppose　we　ought　to　proceed　with　the　440　scan　as　well。〃
　
　　　〃But？〃
　　　〃I　am　tempted　to　go　directly　to　a　scan　of　the　interior。　If　we　find　nothing；　we　can　e　back　outside　and　do　a　440。〃
　　　〃I　agree。〃
　　　〃All　right；〃　Stone　said。　〃Start　with　five。　On　the　inside。〃
　
　　　Leavitt　worked　the　controls。　This　time；　it　could　not　be　done　automatically；　the　viewer　was　programmed　to　follow　the　contours　of　any　regularly　shaped　object；　such　as　a　cube；　a　sphere；　or　a　cone。　But　it　could　not　probe　the　interior　of　the　capsule　without　direction。　Leavitt　set　the　lenses　at　five　diameters　and　switched　the　remote　viewer　to　manual　control。　Then　he　directed　it　down　into　the　scoop　opening　of　the　capsule。
　
　　　Stone；　watching　the　screen；　said；　〃More　light。〃
　
　　　Leavitt　made　adjustments。　Five　additional　remote　lights　came　down　from　the　ceiling　and　clicked　on；　shining　into　the　scoop。
　
　　　〃Better？〃
　　　〃Fine。〃
　
　　　Watching　his　own　screen；　Leavitt　began　to　move　the　remote　viewer。　It　took　several　minutes　before　he　could　do　it　smoothly；　it　was　difficult　to　coordinate；　rather　like　trying　to　write　while　you　watched　in　a　mirror。　But　soon　he　was　scanning　smoothly。
　
　　　The　five…power　scan　took　twenty　minutes。　They　found　nothing　except　a　small　indentation　the　size　of　a　pencil　point。　At　Stone's　suggestion；　when　they　began　the　twenty…power　scan　they　started　with　the　indentation。
　
　　　Immediately；　they　saw　it：　a　tiny　black　fleck　of　jagged　material　no　larger　than　a　grain　of　sand。　There　seemed　to　be　bits　of　green　mixed　in　with　the　black。
　
　　　Neither　man　reacted；　though　Leavitt　later　recalled　that　he　was　〃trembling　with　excitement。　I　kept　thinking；　if　this　is　it；　if　it's　really　something　new；　some　brand　new　form　of　life。。。〃
　
　　　However；　all　he　said　was；　〃Interesting。〃
　
　　　〃We'd　better　plete　the　scan　at　twenty　power；〃　Stone　said。　He　was　working　to　keep　his　voice　calm；　but　it　was　clear　that　he　was　excited　too。
　
　　　Leavitt　wanted　to　examine　the　fleck　at　higher　power　immediately；　but　he　understood　what　Stone　was　saying。　They　could　not　afford　to　jump　to　conclusions　any　conclusions。　Their　only　hope　was　to　be　grindingly；　interminably　thorough。　They　had　to　proceed　methodically；　to　assure　themselves　at　every　point　that　they　had　overlooked　nothing。
　
　　　Otherwise；　they　could　pursue　a　course　of　investigation　for　hours　or　days；　only　to　find　it　ended　nowhere；　that　they　had　made　a　mistake；　misjudged　the　evidence；　and　wasted　time。
　
　　　So　Leavitt　did　a　plete　scan　of　the　interior　at　twenty　power。　He　paused；　once　or　twice；　when　they　thought　they　saw　other　patches　of　green；　and　marked　down　the　coordinates　so　they　could　find　the　areas　later；　under　higher　magnification。　Half　an　hour　passed　before　Stone　announced　he　was　satisfied　with　the　twenty…power　scan。
　
　　　They　took　a　break　for　caffeine；　swallowing　two　pills　with　water。　The　team　had　agreed　earlier　that　amphetamines　should　not　be　used　except　in　times　of　serious　emergency；　they　were　stocked　in　the　Level　V　pharmacy；　but　for　routine　purposes　caffeine　was　preferred。
　
　　　The　aftertaste　of　the　caffeine　pill　was　sour　in　his　mouth　as　Leavitt　clicked　in　the　hundred…power　lenses；　and　began　the　third　scan。　As　before；　they　started　with　the　indentation；　and　the　small　black　fleck　they　had　noted　earlier。
　
　　　It　was　disappointing：　at　higher　magnification　it　appeared　no　different　from　their　earlier　views；　only　larger。　They　could　see；　however；　that　it　was　an　irregular　piece　of　material；　dull；　looking　like　rock。　And　they　could　see　there　were　definitely　flecks　of　green　mined　on　the　jagged　surface　of　the　material。
　
　　　〃What　do　you　make　of　it？〃　Stone　said。
　
　　　〃If　that's　the　object　the　capsule　collided　with；〃　Leavitt　said；　〃it　was　either　moving　with　great　speed；　or　else　it　is　very　heavy。　Because　it's　not　big　enough〃
　
　　　〃To　knock　the　satellite　out　of　orbit　otherwise。　I　agree。　And　yet　it　did　not　make　a　very　deep　indentation。〃
　
　　　〃Suggesting？〃
　　　Stone　shrugged。　〃Suggesting　that　it　was　either　not　responsible　for　the　orbital　change；　or　that　it　has　some　elastic　properties　we　don't　yet　know　about。〃
　　　〃What　do　you　think　of　the　green？〃
　　　Stone　grinned。　〃You　won't　trap　me　yet。　I　am　curious；　nothing　more。〃
　
　　　Leavitt　chuckled　and　continued　the　scan。　Both　men　now　felt　elated　and　inwardly　certain　of　their　discovery。　They　checked　the　other　areas　where　they　had　noted　green；　and　confirmed　the　presence　of　the　patches　at　higher　magnification。
　
　　　But　the　other　patches　looked　different　from　the　green　on　the　rock。　For　one　thing；　they　were　larger；　and　seemed　somehow　more　luminous。　For　another；　the　borders　of　the　patches　seemed　quite　regular；　and　rounded。
　
　　　〃Like　small　drops　of　green　paint；　spattered　on　the　inside　of　the　capsule；〃　Stone　said。
　　　〃I　hope　that's　not　what　it　is。〃
　　　〃We　could　probe；〃　Stone　said。
　　　〃Let's　wait　for　440。〃　
　
　　　Stone　agreed。　By　now　they　had　been　scanning　the　capsule　for　nearly　four　hours；　but　neither　man　felt　tired。　They　watched　closely　as　the　viewing　screens　blurred　for　a　moment；　the　lenses　shifting。　When　the　screens　came　back　into　focus；　they　were　looking　at　the　indentation；　and　the　black　fleck　with　the　green　areas。　At　this　magnification；　the　surface　irregularities　of　the　rock　were　striking　it　was　like　a　miniature　planet；　with　jagged　peaks　and　sharp　valleys。　It　occurred　to　Leavitt　that　this　was　exactly　what　they　were　looking　at：　a　minute；　plete　planet；　with　its　life　forms　intact。　But　he　shook　his　head；　dismissing　the　thought　from　his　mind。　Impossible。
　
　　　Stone　said；　〃If　that's　a　meteor；　it's　damned　funny…looking。〃　
　
　　　〃What　bothers　you？〃
　　　〃That　left　border；　over　there。〃　Stone　pointed　to　the　screen。　〃The　surface　of　the　stone　if　it　is　stone　is　rough　everywhere　except　on　that　left　border；　where　it　is　smooth　and　rather　straight。〃　
　　　〃Like　an　artificial　surface？〃
　　　Stone　sighed。　〃If　I　keep　looking　at　it；〃　he　said；　〃I　might　start　to　think　so。　Let's　see　those　other　patches　of　green。〃　
　
　　　Leavitt　set　the　coordinates　and　focused　the　viewer。　A　new　image　appeared　on　the　screens。　This　time；　it　was　a　close…up　of　one　of　the　green　patches。　Under　high　magnification　the　borders　could　be　seen　clearly。　They　were　not　smooth；　but　slightly　notched：　they　looked　almost　like　a　gear　from　the　inside　of　a　watch。
　
　　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　Leavitt　said。
　　　〃It's　not　paint。　That　notching　is　too　regular。〃
　
　　　As　they　watched；　it　happened：　the　green　spot　turned　purple　for　a　fraction　of　a　second；　less　than　the　blink　of　an　eye。　Then　it　turned　green　once　more。
　
　　　〃Did　you　see　that？〃
　　　〃I　saw　it。　You　didn't　change　the　lighting？〃
　　　〃No。　Didn't　touch　it。〃
　
　　　A　moment　later；　it　happened　again：　green；　a　flash　of　purple；　green　again。
　
　　　〃Amazing。〃　
　　　〃This　may　be〃
　
　　　And　then；　as　they　watched；　the　spot　turned　purple　and　remained　purple。　The　notches　disappeared；　the　spot　had　enlarged　slightly；　filling　in　the　V…shaped　gaps。　It　was　now　a　plete　circle。　It　became　green　once　more。
　
　　　〃It's　growing；〃　Stone　said。
　
　　　***
　
　　　They　worked　swiftly。　The　movie　cameras　were　brought　down；　recording　from　five　angles　at　ninety…six　frames　per　second。　Another　time…lapse　camera　clicked　off　frames　at　half…second　intervals。　Leavitt　also　brought　down　two　more　remote　cameras；　and　set　them　at　different　angles　from　the　original　camera。
　
　　　In　main　control；　all　three　screens　displayed　different　views　of　the　green　spot。
　
　　　〃Can　we　get　more　power？　More　magnification？〃　Stone　said。
　　　〃No。　You　remember　we　decided　440　was　the　top。〃
　
　　　Stone　swore。　To　obtain　higher　magnification；　they　would　have　to　go　to　a　separate　room；　or　else　use　t