第6部分(第3/7 頁)

ere　all　the　time。　Reassuring；　huh？〃

Moments　later；　the　electricity　came　back　on；　Barnes　continued。　〃On　June　25　a　SCARAB　remote　vehicle　cut　a　piece　from　the　tail　fin　and　brought　it　to　the　surface。　The　fin　segment　was　analyzed　and　found　to　be　a　titanium　alloy　in　an　epoxy…resin　honeyb。　The　necessary　bonding　technology　for　such　metal/plastic　materials　was　currently　unknown　on　Earth。

〃Experts　confirmed　that　the　fin　could　not　have　originated　on　this　planet…although　in　ten　or　twenty　years　we'd　probably　know　how　to　make　it。〃

Harry　Adams　grunted；　leaned　forward；　made　a　note　on　his　pad。

Meanwhile；　Barnes　explained；　other　robot　vessels　were　used　to　plant　seismic　charges　on　the　bottom。　Seismic　analysis　showed　that　the　buried　anomaly　was　of　metal；　that　it　was　hollow；　and　that　it　had　a　plex　internal　structure。

〃After　two　weeks　of　intensive　study；〃　Barnes　said；　〃we　concluded　the　anomaly　was　some　sort　of　spacecraft。〃

The　final　verification　came　on　June　27　from　the　geologists。　＇＇34＇＇　Their　core　samples　from　the　bottom　indicated　that　the　present　seabed　had　formerly　been　much　shallower；　perhaps　only　eighty　or　ninety　feet　deep。　This　would　explain　the　coral；　which　covered　the　craft　to　an　average　thickness　of　thirty　feet。　Therefore；　the　geologists　said；　the　craft　had　been　on　the　planet　at　least　three　hundred　years；　and　perhaps　much　longer：　five　hundred；　or　even　five　thousand　years。

〃However　reluctantly；〃　Barnes　said；　〃the　Navy　concluded　that　we　had；　in　fact；　found　a　spacecraft　from　another　civilization。　The　decision　of　the　President；　before　a　special　meeting　of　the　National　Security　Council；　was　to　open　the　spacecraft。　So；　starting　June　29；　the　ULF　team　members　were　called　in。〃

On　July　1；　the　subsea　habitat　DH…7　was　lowered　into　positio