〃Do you see that？〃 Harry cried。 He was screaming in Norman's ear。 〃Do you see that？ It is a perfect goddamned day！〃
0000 HOURS
Norman awoke to see a brilliant shaft of light； streaming through the single porthole； shining down on the chemical toilet in the corner of the depression chamber。 He lay on his bunk and looked around the chamber； a horizontal cylinder fifty feet long： bunks； a metal table and chairs in the center of the cylinder； toilet behind a small partition。 Harry snored in the bunk above him。 Across the chamber； Beth slept； one arm flung over her face。 Faintly； from a distance； he heard men shouting。
Norman yawned； and swung off the bunk。 His body was sore but he was otherwise all right。 He walked to the shining porthole and looked out； squinting in the bright Pacific sun。
He saw the rear deck of the research ship John Hawes： the white helicopter pad； heavy coiled cables； the tubular metal frame of an underwater robot。 A Navy crew was lowering a second robot over the side； with a lot of shouting and swearing and waving of hands； Norman had heard their voices faintly through the thick steel walls of the chamber。
Near the chamber itself； a muscular seaman rolled a large green tank marked 〃Oxygen〃 alongside a dozen other tanks on the deck。 The three…man medical crew which supervised the depression chamber played cards。
Looking through the inch…thick glass of the porthole； Norman felt as if he were peering into a miniature world to which he had little connection； a kind of terrarium populated by interesting and exotic specimens。 This new world was as alien to him as the dark ocean world had once seemed from inside the habitat。
He watched the crew slap down their cards on a wooden packing crate； watched them laugh and gesture as the game proceeded。 They never glanced in his direction； never looked at the depression chamber。 Norman didn't understand these young men。 Were they supposed to be paying attention to the depression？ They looked young and inexperienced to Norman。 Focused on their card game； they seemed ＇＇360＇＇ indifferent to the huge metal chamber nearby； indifferent to the three survivors inside the chamber…and indifferent to the larger meaning of the mission； to the news the survivors had brought back to the surface。 These cheerful Navy cardplayers didn't seem to give a damn about Norman's mission。 But perhaps they didn't know。
He turned back to the chamber； sat down at the table。 His knee throbbed； and the skin was swollen around the white bandage。 He had been treated by a Navy physician during their transfer from the submarine to the depression chamber。 They had been taken off the minisub Deepstar III in a pressurized diving bell； and from there had been transferred to the large chamber on the deck of the ship…the SDC； the Navy called it； the surface depression chamber。 They were going to spend four days here。 Norman wasn't sure how long he had been here so far。 They had all immediately gone to sleep； and there was no clock in the chamber。 The face of his own wristwatch was smashed； although he didn't remember it happening。
On the table in front of him； someone had scratched 〃U。S。N。 SUCKS〃 into the surface。 Norman ran his fingers over the grooves； and remembered the grooves in the silver sphere。 But he and Harry and Beth were in the hands of the Navy now。
And he thought： What are we going to tell them？
〃What are we going to tell them？〃 Beth said。
It was several hours later； Beth and Harry had awakened； and now they were all sitting around the scarred metal table。 None of them had made any attempt to talk to the crew outside。 It was； Norman thought； as if they shared an unspoken agreement to remain in isolation a while longer。
〃I think we'll have to tell them everything；〃 Harry said。
〃I don't think we should；〃 Norman said。 He was surprised by the strength of his conviction； the firmness of his own voice。
〃I agree；〃 Beth said。 〃I'm not sure the world is ready for that sphere。 I certainly wasn't。〃
＇＇361＇＇ She gave Norman a sheepish look。 He put his hand on her shoulder。
〃That's fine；〃 Harry said。 〃But look at it from the standpoint of the Navy。 The Navy has mounted a large and expensive operation； six people have died； and two habitats have been destroyed。 They're going to want answers…and they're going to keep asking until they get them。〃
〃We can refuse to talk；〃 Beth said。
〃That won't make any difference；〃 Harry said。 〃Remember； the Navy has all the tapes。〃
〃That's right； the tapes；〃 Norman said。 He had forgotten about the videotapes they had brought up in the submarine。 Dozens of tapes； documenting everything that had happened in the habitat during their time underwater。 Documenting the squid； the deaths； the sphere。 Documenting everything。
〃We should have destroyed those tapes；〃 Beth said。
〃Perhaps we should have；〃 Harry said。 〃But it's too late now。 We can't prevent the Navy from getting the answers they want。〃
Norman sighed。 Harry was right。 At this point there was no way to conceal what had happened； or to prevent the Navy from finding out about the sphere； and the power it conveyed。 That power would represent a kind of ultimate weapon： the ability to overe your enemies simply by imagining it had happened。 It was frightening in its implications； and there was nothing they could do about it。 Unless…
〃I think we can prevent them from knowing；〃 Norman said。
〃How？〃 Harry said。
〃We still have the power； don't we？〃
〃I guess so。〃
〃And that power；〃 Norman said； 〃consists of the ability to make anything happen； simply by thinking it。〃
〃Yes 。。。〃
〃Then we can prevent the Navy from knowing。 We can decide to forget the whole thing。〃
Harry frowned。 〃That's an interesting question： whether we have the power to forget the power。〃
＇＇362＇＇ 〃I think we should forget it；〃 Beth said。 〃That sphere is too dangerous。〃
They fell silent； considering the implications of forgetting the sphere。 Because forgetting would not merely prevent the Navy from knowing about the sphere…it would erase all knowledge of it； including their own。 Make it vanish from human consciousness； as if it had never existed in the first place。 Remove it from the awareness of the human species； forever。
〃Big step；〃 Harry said。 〃After all we've been through； just to forget about it 。。。〃
〃It's because of all we've been through； Harry；〃 Beth said。 〃Let's face it…we didn't handle ourselves very well。〃 Norman noticed that she spoke without rancor now； her previous bative edge gone。
〃I'm afraid that's true；〃 Norman said。〃The sphere was built to test whatever intelligent life might pick it up； and we simply failed that test。〃
〃Is that what you think the sphere was made for？〃 H said。 〃I don't。〃
〃Then what？〃 Norman said。
〃Well；〃 Harry said； 〃look at it this way： Suppose you were an intelligent bacterium floating in space； and you came upon one of our munication satellites； in orbit around the Earth。 You would think； What a strange； alien object this is； let's explore it。 Suppose you opened it up and crawled inside。 You would find it very interesting in there； with lots of huge things to puzzle over。 But eventually you might climb into one of the fuel cells； and the hydrogen would kill you。 And your last thought would be： Th