〃You can mention that to Captain Barnes； sir。〃
They ducked through a door； moving out of the hot sun into a fluorescent…lit hallway。 It was much cooler。 〃Air conditioning hasn't gone out lately；〃 the officer said。 〃At least that's something。〃
〃Does the air conditioning go out often？〃
〃Only when it's hot。〃
Through another door； and into a large workroom： metal walls； racks of tools； acetylene torches spraying sparks as workmen hunched over metal pontoons and pieces of intricate machinery； cables snaking over the floor。 〃We do ROV repairs here；〃 the officer said； shouting over the din。 〃Most of the heavy work is done on the tenders。 We just do some of the electronics here。 We go this way； sir。〃
Through another door； down another corridor； and into a wide； low…ceilinged room crammed with video monitors。 A ＇＇8＇＇ half…dozen technicians sat in shadowy half…darkness before the color screens。 Norman paused to look。
〃This is where we monitor the ROV's；〃 the officer said。 〃We've got three or four robots down on the bottom at any given time。 Plus the MSB's and the FD's； of course。〃
Norman heard the crackle and hiss of radio munications； soft fragments of words he couldn't make out。 On one screen he saw a diver walking on the bottom。 The diver was standing in harsh artificial light； wearing a kind of suit Norman had never seen； heavy blue cloth and a brightyellow helmet sculpted in an odd shape。
Norman pointed to the screen。 〃How deep is he？〃
〃I don't know。 Thousand； twelve hundred feet； something like that。〃
〃And what have they found？〃
〃So far； just the big titanium fin。〃 The officer glanced around。 〃It doesn't read on any monitors now。 Bill； can you show Dr。 Johnson here the fin？〃
〃Sorry； sir；〃 the technician said。 〃Present MainOps is working north of there； in quadrant seven。〃
〃Ah。 Quad seven's almost half a mile away from the fin；〃 the officer said to Norman。 〃Too bad： it's a hell of a thing to see。 But you'll see it later； I'm sure。 This way to Captain Barnes。〃
They walked for a moment down the corridor； then the officer said； 〃Do you know the Captain； sir？〃
〃No； why？〃
〃Just wondered。 He's been very eager to see you。 Calling up the techs every hour； to find out when you're arriving。〃
〃No；〃 Norman said； 〃I've never met him。〃
〃Very nice man。〃
〃I' m sure。〃
The officer glanced over his shoulder。 〃You know； they have a saying about the Captain；〃 he said。
〃Oh？ What's that？〃
〃They say his bite is worse than his bark。〃
* * *
＇＇9＇＇ Through another door； which was marked 〃Project mander〃 and had beneath that a sliding plate that said 〃Capt。 Harold C。 Barnes； USN。〃 The officer stepped aside； and Norman entered a paneled stateroom。 A burly man in shirtsleeves stood up from behind a stack of files。
Captain Barnes was one of those trim military men who made Norman feel fat and inadequate。 In his middle forties； Hal Barnes had erect military bearing； an alert expression； short hair； a flat gut； and a politician's firm handshake。
〃Wele aboard the Hawes； Dr。 Johnson。 How're you feeling？〃
〃Tired；〃 Norman said。
〃I'm sure； I'm sure。 You came from San Diego？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃So it's fifteen hours； give or take。 Like to have a rest？〃
〃I'd like to know what's going on；〃 Norman said。
〃Perfectly understandable。〃 Barnes nodded。 〃What'd they tell you？〃
〃Who？〃
〃The men who picked you up in San Diego； the men who flew you out here； the men in Guam。 Whatever。〃
〃They didn't tell me anything。〃
〃And did you see any reporters； any press？〃
〃No； nothing like that。〃
Barnes smiled。 〃Good。 I'm glad to hear it。〃 He waved Norman to a seat。 Norman sat gratefully。 〃How about some coffee？〃 Barnes said； moving to a coffee maker behind his desk； and then the lights went out。 The room was dark except for the light that streamed in from a side porthole。
〃God damn it！〃 Barnes said。 〃Not again。 Emerson！ Emerson！〃
An ensign came in a side door。 〃Sir！ Working on it； Captain。〃
〃What was it this time？〃
〃Blew out in ROV Bay 2； sir。〃
〃I thought we added extra lines to Bay 2。〃
〃Apparently they overloaded anyway； sir。〃
〃I want this fixed now； Emerson！〃
〃We hope to have it solved soon； sir。〃
＇＇10＇＇ The door closed； Barnes sat back in his chair。 Norman heard the voice in the darkness。 〃It's not really their fault；〃 he said。 〃These ships weren't built for the kind of power loads we put on them now； and…ah； there we are。〃 The lights came back on。 Barnes smiled。 〃Did you say you wanted coffee； Dr。 Johnson？〃
〃Black is fine；〃 Norman said。
Barnes poured him a mug。 〃Anyway； I'm relieved you didn't talk to anybody。 In my job； Dr。 Johnson； security is the biggest worry。 Especially on a thing like this。 If word gets out about this site； we'll have all kinds of problems。 And so many people are involved now。 。。。 Hell； CincPac didn't even want to give me destroyers until I started talking about Soviet submarine reconnaissance。 The next thing； I get four； then eight destroyers。〃
〃Soviet submarine reconnaissance？〃 Norman asked。 〃That's what I told them in Honolulu。〃 Barnes grinned。 〃Part of the game； to get what you need for an operation like this。 You've got to know how to requisition equipment in the modern Navy。 But of course the Soviets won't e around。〃
〃They won't？〃 Norman felt he had somehow missed the assumptions that lay behind the conversation； and was trying to catch up。
〃It's very unlikely。 Oh； they know we're here。 They'll have spotted us with their satellites at least two days ago； but we're putting out a steady stream of decodable messages about our Search and Rescue exercises in the South Pacific。 S and R drill represents a low priority for them； even though they undoubtedly figure a plane went down and we're recovering for real。 They may even suspect that we're trying to recover nuclear warheads； like we did off of Spain in '68。 But they'll leave us alone…because politically they don't want to be implicated in our nuclear problems。 They know we have troubles with New Zealand these days。〃
〃Is that what all this is？〃 Norman said。 〃Nuclear warheads？〃
〃No；〃 Barnes said。 〃Thank God。 Anything nuclear； somebody in the White House always feels duty…bound to announce it。 But we've kept this one away from the White ＇＇11＇＇ House staff。 In fact； we bypass the JCS on this。 All briefings go straight from the Defense Secretary to the President； personally。〃 He rapped his knuckles on the desk。 〃So far； so good。 And you're the last to arrive。 Now that you're here； we'll shut this thing down tight。 Nothing in； nothing out。〃
Norman still couldn't put it together。 〃If nuclear warheads aren't involved in the crash；〃 he said； 〃why the secrecy？〃
〃Well；〃 Barnes said。 〃We don't have all the facts yet。〃
〃The crash occurred in the ocean？〃
〃Yes。 More or less directly beneath us as we sit here。〃
〃Then there can't be any survivors。〃
〃Survivors？〃 Barnes looked surprised。 〃No； I wouldn't think so。〃
〃Then why was I called here？〃
Barnes looked blank。
〃Well；〃 Norman explained； 〃I'm usually called to crash sites when there are survivors。 That's why they put a psychologist on the team； to deal with the acute traumatic problems of surviving passengers； or sometimes the relatives of surviving passengers。 Their feelings； and their fears； and their recurring nightmares。 People who survive a crash often experience all sorts of guilt and anxiety； concerning why they survived and not others。 A woman sitting with her husband and children； suddenly they're all dead and she alone is alive。 That kind of thing。〃 Norman sat back in his chair。 〃But in this case…an airplane that crashed in a thousand feet of water…there wouldn't be any of those problems。 So why am I here？〃
Barnes was staring at him。 He seemed unfortable。 He shuffled the files around on his desk。
〃Actually； this isn't an airplane crash site； Dr。 Johnson。〃
〃What is it？〃
〃It's a spacecraft crash site。〃
There was a short pause。 Norman nodded。 〃I see。〃
〃That doesn't surprise you？〃 Barnes said。
〃No；〃 Norman said。 〃As a matter of fact； it explains a lot。 If a military spacecraft crashed in the ocean； that explains why I haven't heard anything about it on the radio； why it was kept secret； why I was brought here the way I was。 。。。 When did it crash？〃
＇＇12＇＇ Barnes hesitated just a fraction before answering。 〃As best we can estimate；〃 he said； 〃this spacecraft crashed three hundred years ago。〃
ULF
There was a silence。 Norman listened to the drone of the air conditioner。 He heard faintly the radio munications in the next room。 He looked at the mug of coffee in his hand； noticing a chip on the rim。 He struggled to assimilate what he was being told； but his mind moved sluggishly； in circles。
Three hundred years ago； he thought。 A spacecraft three hundred years old。 But the space program wasn't three hundred years old。 It was barely thirty years old。 So how could a spacecraft be three hundred years old？ It couldn't be。 Barnes must be mistaken。 But how could Barnes be mistaken？ The Navy wouldn't send all these ships； all these people； unless they were sure what was down there。 A spacecraft three hundred years old。
But how could that be？ It couldn't be。 It must be something else。 He went over it again and again； getting nowhere； his mind dazed and shocked。
〃…solutely no question about it；〃 Barnes was saying。 〃We can estimate the date from coral growth with great accuracy。 Pacific coral grows two…and…a…half centimeters a year； and the object…whatever it is…is covered in about five meters of coral。 That's a lot of coral。 Of course； coral doesn't grow at a depth of a thousand feet； which means that the present shelf collapsed to a lower depth at some point in the past。 The geologists are telling us that happened about a century ago； so we're assuming a total age for the craft of about three hundred years。 But we could be wrong about that。 It could； in fact； be much older。 It could be a thousand years old。〃
＇＇13＇＇ Barnes shifted papers on his desk again； arranging them into neat stacks； lining up the edges。
〃I don't mind telling you； Dr。 Johnson； this thing scares the hell out of me。 That's why you're here。〃
Norman shook his head。 〃I still don't understand。〃
〃We brought you here；〃 Barnes said； 〃because of your association with the ULF project。〃
〃ULF？〃 Norman said。 And he almost added； But ULF was a joke。 Seeing how serious Barnes was； he was glad he had caught himself in time。
Yet ulf was a joke。 Everything about it had been a joke； from the very beginning。
In 1979； in the waning days of the Carter Administration； Norman Johnson had been an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California at San Diego； his particular research interest was group dynamics and anxiety； and he occasionally served on FAA crash…site teams。 In those days； his biggest problems had been finding a house for Ellen and the kids； keeping up his publications； and wondering whether UCSD would give him tenure。 Norman's research was considered brilliant； but psychology was notoriously prone to intellectual fashions； and interest in the study of anxiety was declining as many researchers came to regard anxiety as a purely biochemical disorder that could be treated with drug therapy alone； one scientist had even gone so far as to say； 〃Anxiety is no longer a problem in psychology。 There is nothing left to study。〃 Similarly； group dynamics was percei