tz.theicarushunt-第56部分

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　My　fingers　closed　on　thin　air。　The　mesh　was　out　of　my　reach。
　I　tried　again；　swinging　my　body　awkwardly　over　as　I　tried　to　get　enough　extension；　frowning　at　the　plete　illogic　of　the　situation。　I'd　been　motionless　relative　to　the　mesh　when　I'd　started；　and　no　matter　how　much　I'd　twisted　and　turned；　my　center　of　mass　should　have　remained　that　same　distance　away　from　it。　That　was　basic　level…one　physics。
　Yet　there　the　mesh　was；　sitting　a　good　five　centimeters　outside　my　best　reach。　I　knew　I　hadn't　bumped　the　mesh；　which　might　have　given　me　the　necessary　push；　and　any　air　current　strong　enough　to　account　for　this　much　movement　ought　to　have　been　whistling　in　my　ears；　which　it　wasn't。　Muttering　a　curse；　I　reached　to　my　tool　pouch　for　the　longest　probe　I　had　with　me。　The　patented　McKell　luck　was　running　true　to　form；　gumming　up　my　life　with　plications　I　didn't　need；　didn't　want；　and　most　certainly　didn't　have　time　to　deal　with。　I　got　a　good　grip　on　the　end　of　the　probe　and　stretched　it　out　to　the　mesh。
　It　didn't　reach。
　I　stared　at　the　gap　between　mesh　and　probe；　a　bad　taste　suddenly　tingling　against　my　tongue。　I　was　moving　away　from　the　mesh；　all　right。　Slowly　and　subtly；　but　now　that　I　was　looking　for　it　I　could　definitely　see　the　mesh　receding。　And　the　only　way　I　could　be　moving　like　this　was　if　the　small　sphere　had　suddenly　developed　a　gravitational　field　like　its　big　brother　beside　it。
　I　looked　around　again；　paying　special　attention　to　the　loops　of　cable　hanging　through　to　my　side　of　the　mesh。　No；　the　field　wasn't　exactly　like　that　of　its　big　brother；　I　corrected　myself。　It　was；　instead；　an　exact　inverse　of　it。　Instead　of　pulling　everything　toward　the　outer　wall；　this　one　was　pushing　everything　toward　the　center。　I　tried　to　think　how　it　could　be　pulling　that　one　off；　but　my　mind　wasn't　up　to　it。
　Besides；　I　had　more　urgent　things　to　think　about　at　the　moment。　If　the　field　was　focused　toward　the　center　of　the　sphere…and　that　was　certainly　how　it　looked　from　the　way　the　hanging　cables　were　now　pointed　inward…then　once　I　hit　the　zero　mark　I　would　be　pretty　well　stuck　there。　Any　direction　I　turned　I　would　be　looking　uphill；　and　with　absolutely　nothing　available　to　kick　or　push　off　against；　I　would　be　as　solidly　pinned　as　a　mosquito　in　a　spiderweb。
　I　picked　another　curse　out　of　my　repertoire；　a　heavy…duty　one　this　time；　as　I　swung　my　light　around　looking　for　inspiration。　There　were　the　hanging　cables；　of　course；　now　resembling　Spanish　moss　more　than　they　did　floating　seaweed。　But　without　knowing　what　any　of　them　were　for　I　would　have　to　be　pretty　desperate　before　I'd　risk　damage　to　either　the　Icarus　or　myself　by　tugging　at　them。　Besides　which；　a　second　look　showed　that　I　wasn't　going　to　get　anywhere　within　grabbing　range　of　any　of　them。
　Still；　once　I'd　choked　down　the　panic　reaction　and　forced　myself　to　think　rationally；　I　realized　that　I　was　hardly　in　dire　straits。　Tera　knew　I　was　in　here；　and　once　I　failed　to　emerge　it　would　only　be　a　matter　of　time　before　Ixil　or　one　of　the　others　ventured　in　to　find　out　what　had　happened　to　me。　A　rope　belayed　outside　and　carefully　threaded　in　through　the　tangle　of　wires；　and　I　could　pull　myself　to　the　mesh　and　ultimately　to　safety。　Tera's　insistence　that　I　bring　food　and　water　in　here　might　turn　out　to　have　been　a　good　idea　after　all。
　I　seemed　to　be　drifting　faster　now；　though　it　was　difficult　to　tell　for　sure。　A　sudden　yellow　glow　appeared　from　the　corner　of　my　eye；　and　I　turned　to　see　that　one　of　the　flat　displays　that　had　been　showing　the　same　red　symbols　as　all　the　others　had　suddenly　changed　to　a　grid　pattern　of　yellow…and…black　squares。　Even　as　I　studied　it　another　of　the　displays　also　changed；　this　one　to　squares　of　orange　and　black。　For　a　minute　I　glanced　between　them；　trying　to　see　if　there　was　any　pattern　in　the　layout　of　their　colored　squares。　But　if　there　was　it　was　too　subtle　for　me　to　pick　out。
　I　was　about　two　meters　from　the　center；　still　drifting　at　a　leisurely　pace；　when　it　suddenly　occurred　to　me　that　if　I　kept　on　this　same　course　I　was　going　to　run　directly　into　the　articulated　arm　angling　across　my　path。
　I　played　my　light　over　the　arm；　feeling　a　fresh　batch　of　sweat　leaching　onto　my　face　as　I　did　so。　I'd　already　noted　that　the　arm　was　posed　of　an　alternating　series　of　black…and…silver　bands；　what　I　hadn't　noticed　until　then　was　that　at　the　very　tip　of　the　arm　the　color　scheme　changed　to　about　twenty　centimeters　of　a　disturbingly　luminescent　gray。　My　field　sensor　wasn't　picking　up　anything　from　it　yet；　but　I　was　still　too　far　away　for　any　current　less　than　a　couple　hundred　volts　to　register。　The　arm　didn't　look　like　any　of　the　power　cables　I'd　had　to　sneak　through　on　my　way　in；　but　considering　the　alien　origin　of　this　place　that　didn't　give　me　much　fort。
　What　was　clear；　and　of　no　fort　whatsoever；　was　that　even　if　the　arm　suddenly　came　to　life　with　enough　power　to　light　up　New　Cleveland；　there　was　still　no　way　in　space　for　me　to　miss　running　into　it。　About　all　I　could　think　of　to　do　was　to　try　to　get　a　careful　grip　on　it　as　I　approached　and　use　it　as　a　fulcrum　to　swing　the　bulk　of　my　body　around　it　instead　of　hitting　it　full　force。
　The　problem　with　that　idea　was　that　if　it　didn't　have　the　structural　strength　necessary　to　handle　that　kind　of　sudden　stress；　the　gray　end　was　probably　going　to　break　off　in　my　hand。　On　the　other　hand；　if　it　was　that　weak　and　I　didn't　grab　it；　it　would　probably　break　anyway　as　I　slammed　into　it。
　And　as　my　train　of　thought　reached　that　depressingly　no…win　conclusion；　I　was　there。　Clenching　my　teeth；　feeling　rather　like　someone　trying　to　sneak　up　and　grab　a　sleeping　pit　viper；　I　reached　out　with　my　right　hand　and　got　a　careful　grip　on　the　arm。
　Too　careful。　The　material　was　far　more　slippery　than　it　looked；　and　before　I　knew　it　my　hand　was　sliding　straight　down　the　striped　section　toward　the　gray　end。　I　squeezed　harder；　simultaneously　trying　to　swing　my　body　around　as　I'd　originally　planned。　But　my　lack　of　purchase　on　the　arm　meant　I　had　no　leverage　at　all；　and　I　found　myself　instead　sliding　along　the　arm　in　a　sort　of　low…gravity　version　of　a　fireman　and　his　pole。
　It　was　hardly　the　way　I'd　planned　things；　but　at　least　the　arm　was　clearly　stronger　than　my　worst…case　scenario　had　anticipated。　Even　with　my　full　weight　pressing　on　it　via　my　one…handed　grip；　it　was　showing　no　sign　of　breaking　or　even　bending。　Maybe　even　strong　enough　that　I'd　be　able　to　use　it　to　climb　back　out　to　the　mesh。
　Assuming；　of　course；　I　could　figure　out　how　to　get　a　solid　grip　on　the　damn　thing。　Swinging　my　body　partially　around；　I　got　my　other　hand　in　place　and　grabbed　as　hard　as　I　dared。
　The　two…handed　grip　helped　some；　but　not　enough。　I　was　still　sliding　serenely　down　the　arm；　now　almost　to　the　gray　section　at　the　end。　If　I　couldn't　stop　myself；　I　knew；　my　momentum　would　cause　me　to　overshoot　the　end　of　the　arm　and　go　straight　through　the　sphere's　center。　Hardly　a　catastrophe；　since　there　was　nothing　over　there　for　me　to　crash　into；　but　it　would　cost　me　more　of　our　increasingly　precious　minutes　while　I　waited　for　the　gravitational　field　to　slow　me　to　a　stop　and　bring　me　back　to　the　center　again。
　And　then　I　was　to　the　gray　section　of　the　arm。　Clenching　my　teeth；　knowing　this　was　my　last　chance　to　stop　myself　with　a　modicum　of　dignity；　I　squeezed　it　hard。
　It　was　as　if　I'd　grabbed　hold　of　a　live　hundred…volt　wire。　Suddenly　my　whole　body　was　tingling；　the　hairs　on　my　neck　and　arms　standing　straight　up；　my　clenched　teeth　trying　to　vibrate　against　each　other。　And　on　top　of　all　of　it　was　the　chagrin　that　after　all　of　my　exaggerated　caution　and　borderline　paranoia；　I'd　finally　hit　a　live　wire。　What　made　it　even　worse　was　that　I'd　even　hit　it　entirely　on　purpose。
　And　yet；　at　the　same　time；　the　small　part　of　my　mind　that　hadn't　gone　into　instant　panic　mode　was　noticing　that　if　this　was　an　electric　shock　it　was　like　none　I'd　ever　experienced　before。　There　was　no　pain；　for　one　thing；　and　none　of　the　subtle　promises　of　future　pain；　either。　In　addition；　the　tingling　was　running　uniformly　through　my　entire　body；　not　simply　along　my　arms　and　chest　as　a　normal　current　ought　to　flow。　There　was　a　distant　sound　like　the　awful　ripping　thunder　crack　from　a　too…close　lightning　strike；　and　everything　went　black。
　It　didn't　stay　black　long。　Almost　before　the　darkness　had　a　chance　to　register；　the　lights　came　back　on　again。　Not　the　harsh；　sharp…edged　beam　of　my　flashlight；　but　a　softer；　much　more　muted　glow。　For　a　second　I　wondered　if　I　had　blacked　out；　but　both　the　darkness　and　the　light　had　e　without　any　of　the　normal　cues　and　sensations　of　a　loss　and　regaining　of　consciousness。
　It　was　at　about　that　point　in　my　slow…motion　cogitation　that　I　suddenly　noticed　the　striped　arm　with　the　booby…trapped　end　was　gone。　So　was　the　tangle　of　wiring　and　geometric　monitor　shapes　I'd　been　facing　across　the　small　sphere。
　So；　for　that　matter；　was　the　small　sphere。
　Belatedly；　I　focused　my　eyes　straight　ahead　of　me　on　the　now　familiar　curving　gray　hull。　So　I　had　blacked　out　in　there；　at　least　long　enough　for　the　jolt　to　kick　me　out　here　to　the　center　of　the　Icarus's　big　resonance　sphere。　I　winced　as　I　thought　of　all　the　stuff　I　must　have　torn　through　on　my　way　out…I　was　probably　lucky　I　hadn't　been　electrocuted　for　real。
　Though　if　I'd　wrecked　enough　of　the　alien　electronics　to　render　the　stardrive　inoperable　I　would　probably　soon　wish　I　had　been　crisped。　Twisting　around　in　the　catlike；　half…swimming　movements　of　standard　zero…gee　maneuvering　technique；　I　worked　myself　around　toward　the　access　hole；　wondering　why　Tera　wasn't　screaming　her　head　off　at　me。
　The　reason　was　very　simple。　Tera　wasn't　there。
　Neither　was　the　tool　kit　I'd　left　beside　the　opening。　Neither　was　the　ship's　puter　that　had　been　more　or　less　permanently　mounted　there。　Neither；　for　that　matter；　were　the　stacks　of　meter…square　panels；　the　piles　of　mechanical　equipment；　or　the　consolidated　bits　of　personal　effects。
　I　was　in　the　large　sphere；　all　right。　Problem　was；　I　wasn't　in　the　Icarus。
　A　familiar　sense　of　falling　permeated　my　confusion：　The　sphere's　gravitational　field　had　taken　hold　and　was　pulling　me　gently　down　toward　the　inner　surface。　Too　slowly；　or　so　it　seemed；　considering　the