inary Sony color…television set and he'd run screaming； claiming it was witchcraft。 He wouldn't understand it at all。
〃But the point；〃 Ted said； 〃is that you couldn't explain it to him； either。 At least not easily。 Isaac Newton wouldn't be able to understand TV without first studying our physics for a couple of years。 He'd have to learn all the underlying concepts： electromagnetism； waves； particle physics。 These would all be new ideas to him； a new conception of nature。 In the meantime； the TV would be magic as far as he was concerned。 But to us it's ordinary。 It's TV。〃
〃You're saying we're like Isaac Newton？〃
Ted shrugged。 〃We're getting a munication and we don't know how it's done。〃
〃And we shouldn't bother to try and find out。〃
〃I think we have to accept the possibility；〃 Ted said； 〃that we may not be able to understand it。〃
Norman noticed the energy with which they threw themselves into this discussion； pushing aside the tragedy so recently witnessed。 They're intellectuals； he thought； and their characteristic defense is intellectualization。 Talk。 Ideas。 Abstractions。 Concepts。 It was a way of getting distance from the feelings of sadness and fear and being trapped。 Norman understood the impulse： he wanted to get away from those feelings himself。
Harry frowned at the spiral image。 〃We may not ＇＇169＇＇ understand how； but it's obvious what it's doing。 It's trying to municate by trying different presentations。 The fact that it's trying spirals may be significant。 Maybe it believes we think in spirals。 Or write in spirals。〃
〃Right；〃 Beth said。 〃Who knows what kind of weird creatures we are？〃
Ted said； 〃If it's trying to municate with us； why aren't we trying to municate back？〃
Harry snapped his fingers。 〃Good idea！〃 He went to the keyboard。
〃There's an obvious first step；〃 Harry said。 〃We just send the original message back。 We'll start with the first grouping； beginning with the double zeroes。〃
〃I want it made clear；〃 Ted said； 〃that the suggestion to attempt munication with the alien originated with me。〃
〃It's clear； Ted；〃 Barnes said。
〃Harry？〃 Ted said。
〃Yes； Ted；〃 Harry said。 〃Don't worry； it's your idea。〃
Sitting at the keyboard； Harry typed：
00032125252632
The numbers appeared on the screen。 There was a pause。 They listened to the hum of the air fans； the distant thump of the diesel generator。 They all watched the screen。
Nothing happened。
The screen went blank； and then printed out：
0001132121051808012232
Norman felt the hair rise on the back of his neck。
It was just a series of numbers on a puter screen； but it still gave him a chill。 Standing beside him； Tina shivered。 〃He answered us。〃
〃Fabulous；〃 Ted said。
〃I'll try the second grouping now；〃 Harry said。 He seemed calm； but his fingers kept making mistakes at the keyboard。 It took a few moments before he was able to type：
032629
The reply immediately came back：
0015260805180810213
〃Well；〃 Harry said； 〃looks like we just opened our line of munication。〃
＇＇170＇＇ 〃Yes；〃 Beth said。 〃Too bad we don't understand what we're saying to each other。〃
〃Presumably it knows what it's saying；〃 Ted said。 〃But we're still in the dark。〃
〃Maybe we can get it to explain itself。〃
Impatiently； Barnes said； 〃What is this it you keep referring to？〃
Harry sighed； and pushed his glasses up on his nose。 〃I think there's no doubt about that。 It；〃 Harry said； 〃is something that was previously inside the sphere； and that is now released； and is free to act。 That's what it is。〃
THE MONSTER
ALARM
Norman awoke to a shrieking alarm and flashing red lights。 He rolled out of his bunk； pulled on his insulated shoes and his heated jacket； and ran for the door； where he collided with Beth。 The alarm was screaming throughout the habitat。
〃What's happening！〃 he shouted； over the alarm。
〃I don't know！〃
Her face was pale； frightened。 Norman pushed past her。 In the B Cylinder； among all the pipes and consoles； a flashing sign winked： 〃LIFE SUPPORT EMERGENCY。〃 He looked for Teeny Fletcher； but the big engineer wasn't there。
He hurried back toward C Cylinder； passing Beth again。
〃Do you know？〃 Beth shouted。
〃It's life support！ Where's Fletcher？ Where's Barnes？〃
〃I don't know！ I'm looking！〃
〃There's nobody in B！〃 he shouted； and scrambled up the steps into D Cylinder。 Tina and Fletcher were there； working behind the puter consoles。 The back panels were pulled off； exposing wires； banks of chips。 The room lights were flashing red。
The screens all flashed 〃EMERGENCY…LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS。〃
〃What's going on？〃 Norman shouted。
Fletcher waved a hand dismissingly。
〃Tell me！〃
He turned； saw Harry sitting in the corner near Edmunds's video section like a zombie； with a pencil and a pad of paper on his knee。 He seemed pletely indifferent to the sirens； the lights flashing on his face。
〃Harry！〃
＇＇174＇＇ Harry didn't respond； Norman turned back to the two women。
〃For God's sake； will you tell me what it is？〃 Norman shouted。
And then the sirens stopped。 The screens went blank。 There was silence； except for soft classical music。
〃Sorry about that；〃 Tina said。
〃It was a false alarm；〃 Fletcher said。
〃Jesus Christ；〃 Norman said； dropping into a chair。 He took a deep breath。
〃Were you asleep？〃 He nodded。
〃Sorry。 It just went off by itself。〃
〃Jesus Christ。〃
〃The next time it happens； you can check your badge；〃 Fletcher said； pointing to the badge on her own chest。 〃That's the first thing to do。 You see the badges are all normal now。〃
〃Jesus Christ。〃
〃Take it easy； Norman；〃 Harry said。 〃When the psychiatrist goes crazy； it's a bad sign。〃
〃I'm a psychologist。〃
〃Whatever。〃
Tina said； 〃Our puter alarm has a lot of peripheral sensors； Dr。 Johnson。 It goes off sometimes。 There's not much we can do about it。〃
Norman nodded； went into E Cyl to the galley。 Levy had made strawberry shortcake for lunch； and nobody had eaten it because of the accident with Edmunds。 He was sure it would still be there； but when he couldn't find it； he felt frustrated。 He opened cabinet doors； slammed them shut。 He kicked the refrigerator door。
Take it easy； he thought。 It was just a false alarm。
But he couldn't overe the feeling that he was trapped； stuck in some damned oversized iron lung； while things slowly fell apart around him。 The worst moment had been Barnes's briefing； when he came back from sending Edmunds's body to the surface。
＇＇175＇＇ Barnes had decided it was time to make a little speech。 Deliver a little pep talk。
〃I know you're all upset about Edmunds；〃 he had said； 〃but what happened to her was an accident。 Perhaps she made an error of judgment in going out among jellyfish。 Perhaps not。 The fact is； accidents happen under the best of circumstances； and the deep sea is a particularly unforgiving environment。〃
Listening； Norman thought； He's writing his report。 Explaining it away to the brass。
〃Right now；〃 Barnes was saying； 〃I urge you all to remain calm。 It's sixteen hours since the gale hit topside。 We just sent up a sensor balloon to the surface。 Before we could make readings； the cable snapped； which suggests that surface waves are still thirty feet or higher； and the gale is still in full force。 The weather satellite estimates were for a sixty…hour storm on site； so we have two more full days down here。 There's not much we can do about it。 We just have to remain calm。 Don't forget； even when you do go topside you can't throw open the hatch and start breathing。 You have to spend four more days depressing in a hyperbaric chamber on the surface。〃
That was the first Norman had heard of surface depression。 Even after they left this iron lung； they would have to sit in another iron lung for another four days？
〃I thought you knew；〃 Barnes had said。 〃That's SOP for saturated environments。 You can stay down here as long as you like； but you have a four…day depress when you go back。 And believe me； this habitat's a lot nicer than the depression chamber。 So enjoy this while you can。〃
Enjoy this while you can； he thought。 Jesus Christ。 Strawberry shortcake would help。 Where the hell was Levy； anyway？
He went back to D Cyl。 〃Where's Levy？〃
〃Dunno；〃 Tina said。 〃Around here somewhere。 Maybe sleeping。〃
〃Nobody could sleep through that alarm；〃 Norman said。
〃Try the galley？〃
〃I just did。 Where's Barnes？〃
＇＇176＇＇ 〃He went back to the ship with Ted。 They're putting more sensors around the sphere。〃
〃I told them it was a waste of time；〃 Harry said。
〃So nobody knows where Levy is？〃 Norman said。
Fletcher finished screwing the puter panels back on。 〃Doctor；〃 she said； 〃are you one of those people who need to keep track of where everyone is？〃
〃No；〃 Norman said。 〃Of course not。〃
〃Then what's the big deal about Levy； sir？〃
〃I only wanted to know where the strawberry shortcake was。〃
〃Gone；〃 Fletcher said promptly。 〃Captain and I came back from funeral duty and we sat down and ate the whole thing； just like that。〃 She shook her head。
〃Maybe Rose'll make some more；〃 Harry said。
He found Beth in her laboratory； on the top level of D Cyl。 He walked in just in time to see her take a pill。
〃What was that？〃
〃Valium。 God。〃
〃Where'd you get it？〃
〃Look；〃 she said； 〃don't give me any psychotalk about it…〃
〃…I was just asking。〃
Beth pointed to a white box mounted on the wall in the corner of the lab。 〃There's a first…aid kit in every cylinder。 Turns out to be pretty plete； too。〃
Norman went over to the box； flipped open the lid。 There were neat partments with medicines； syringes； bandages。 Beth was right； it was quite plete…antibiotics； sedatives； tranquilizers； even surgical anesthetics。 He didn't recognize all the names on the bottles； but the psychoactive drugs were strong。
〃You could fight a war with the stuff in this kit。〃
〃Yeah； well。 The Navy。〃
〃There's everything you need here to do major surgery。〃 Norman noticed a card on the inside of the box。 It said 〃MEDAID CODE 103。〃
〃Any idea what this means？〃
＇＇177＇＇ She nodded。 〃It's a puter code。 I called it up。〃
〃And？〃
〃The news；〃 she said； 〃is not good。〃
〃Is that right？〃 He sat at the terminal in her room and punched in 103。 The screen said：
HYPERBARIC SATURATED ENVIRONMENT
MEDICAL PLICATIONS （MAJOR…FATAL）
1。01 Pulmonary Embolism
1。02 High Pressure Nervous Syndrome 1。03 Aseptic Bone Necrosis
1。04 Oxygen Toxicity
1。05 Thermal Stress Syndrome
1。06 Disseminated Pseudomonas Infection 1。07 Cerebral Infarction
Choose One：
〃Don't choose one；〃 Beth said。 〃Reading the details will only upset you。 Just leave it at this…we're in a very dangerous environment。 Barnes didn't bother to give us all the gory details。 You know why the Navy has that rule about pulling people out within seventy…two hours？ Because after seventy…two hours； you increase your risk of something called 'aseptic bone necrosis。' Nobody knows why； but the pressurized environment causes bone destruction in the leg and hip。 And you know why this habitat constantly adjusts as we walk through it？ It's not because that's slick and hightech。 It's because the helium atmosphere makes body…heat control very volatile。 You can quickly bee overheated； and just as quickly overchilled。 Fatally so。 It can happen so fast you don't realize it until it's too late and you drop dead。 And 'high pressure nervous syndrome'…that turns out to be sudden convulsions； paralysis； and