669小说网

第28部分（第6页）

〃Since　youre　not　listening；〃　Barnes　said；　〃Ill　say　it　again。　Defense　is　a　fact　of　life。　If　this　Jerry　is　alive；　hell　have　a　concept　of　defense。〃

〃My　God；〃　Ted　said。　〃Now　youre　elevating　your　idea　of　defense　to　a　universal　life　principle…defense　as　an　inevitable　feature　of　life。〃

Barnes　said；　〃You　think　it　isnt？　What　do　you　call　a　cell　membrane？　What　do　you　call　an　immune　system？　What　do　＇＇190＇＇　you　call　your　skin？　What　do　you　call　wound　healing？　Every　living　creature　must　maintain　the　integrity　of　its　physical　borders。　Thats　defense；　and　we　cant　have　life　without　it。　We　cant　imagine　a　creature　without　a　limit　to　its　body　that　it　defends。　Every　living　creature　knows　about　defense；　I　promise　you。　Now　ask　him。〃

〃Id　say　the　Captain　has　a　point；〃　Beth　said。

〃Perhaps；〃　Ted　said；　〃but　Im　not　sure　we　should　introduce　concepts　that　might　induce　paranoia…〃

〃…Im　in　charge　here；〃　Barnes　said。

The　screen　printed　out：

IS　YOUR　JOURNEY　NOW　FAR　FROM　YOUR　LOCATION？

〃Tell　him　to　wait　a　minute。〃

Ted　typed；　PLEASE　WAIT。　WE　ARE　TALKING。

YES　I　AM　ALSO。　I　AM　DELIGHTED　TO　TALK　TO　MULTIPLE　ENTITIES　FROM　MADE　IN　THE　U。S。A。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。

THANK　YOU；　Ted　typed。

I　AM　PLEASED　TO　BE　IN　CONTACT　WITH　YOUR　ENTITIES。　I　AM　HAPPY　FOR　TALKING　WITH　YOU。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。

Barnes　said；　〃Lets　get　off…line。〃

The　screen　printed；　PLEASE　DO　NOT　STOP。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。

Norman　thought；　Ill　bet　he　wants　to　talk　to　somebody；　after　three　hundred　years　of　isolation。　Or　had　it　been　even　longer　than　that？　Had　he　been　floating　in　space　for　thousands　of　years　before　he　was　picked　up　by　the　spacecraft？

This　raised　a　whole　series　of　questions　for　Norman。　If　the　alien　entity　had　emotions…and　he　certainly　appeared　to…then　there　was　the　possibility　of　all　sorts　of　aberrant　emotional　responses；　including　neuroses；　even　psychoses。　Most　human　beings　when　placed　in　isolation　became　seriously　disturbed　rather　quickly。　This　alien　intelligence　had　been　isolated　for　hundreds　of　years。　What　had　happened　to　it　during　that　time？　Had　it　bee　neurotic？　Was　that　why　it　was　childish　and　demanding　now？

DO　NOT　STOP。　I　AM　ENJOYING　THIS　MUCH。

〃We　have　to　stop；　for　Christs　sake；〃　Barnes　said。

＇＇191＇＇　Ted　typed；　WE　STOP　NOW　TO　TALK　AMONG　OUR　ENTITIES。

IT　IS　NOT　NECESSARY　TO　STOP。　I　DO　NOT　CARE　TO　STOP。

Norman　thought　he　detected　a　petulant；　irritable　tone。　Perhaps　even　a　little　imperious。　I　do　not　care　to　stop…this　alien　sounded　like　Louis　XIV。

IT　IS　NECESSARY　FOR　US；　Ted　typed。

I　DO　NOT　WISH　IT。

IT　IS　NECESSARY　FOR　US；　JERRY。

I　UNDERSTAND。

The　screen　went　blank。

〃Thats　better；〃　Barnes　said。　〃Now　lets　regroup　here　and　formulate　a　game　plan。　What　do　we　want　to　ask　this　guy？〃

〃I　think　we　better　acknowledge；〃　Norman　said；　〃that　hes　showing　an　emotional　reaction　to　our　interaction。〃

〃Meaning　what？〃　Beth　said；　interested。

〃I　think　we　need　to　take　the　emotional　content　into　account　in　dealing　with　him。〃

〃You　want　to　psychoanalyze　him？〃　Ted　said。　〃Put　him　on　the　couch；　find　out　why　he　had　an　unhappy　childhood？〃

Norman　suppressed　his　anger；　with　some　difficulty。　Beneath　that　boyish　exterior　lies　a　boy；　he　thought。　〃No；　Ted；　but　if　Jerry　does　have　emotions；　then　wed　better　consider　the　psychological　aspects　of　his　response。〃

〃I　dont　mean　to　offend　you；〃　Ted　said；　〃b