第13部分(第1/7 頁)

〃Yes。　Something　to　record　the　activity　of　the　ship　on　its　voyage。〃

〃They　must　have；〃　Harry　said。　〃Trace　the　dummy　cable　back；　you're　sure　to　find　it。　I'd　like　to　see　that　recorder；　too。　In　fact；　I　would　say　it　is　crucial。〃

Norman　was　looking　at　the　console；　lifting　up　a　keyboard　panel。　〃Look　here；〃　he　said。　〃I　found　a　date。〃

They　clustered　around。　There　was　a　stamp　in　the　plastic　beneath　the　keyboard。　〃Intel　Inc。　Made　in　U。S。A。　Serial　No：　98004077　8/5/43。〃

〃August　5；　2043？〃

〃Looks　like　it。〃

〃So　we're　walking　through　a　ship　fifty…odd　years　before　it's　going　to　be　built。　。。。〃

〃This　is　giving　me　a　headache。〃

〃Look　here。〃　Beth　had　moved　forward　from　the　console　deck；　into　what　looked　like　living　quarters。　There　were　twenty　bunk　beds。

〃Crew　of　twenty？　If　it　took　three　people　to　fly　it；　what　were　the　other　seventeen　for？〃

＇＇80＇＇　Nobody　had　an　answer　to　that。

Next；　they　entered　a　large　kitchen；　a　toilet；　living　quarters。　Everything　was　new　and　sleekly　designed；　but　recognizable　for　what　it　was。

〃You　know；　Hal；　this　is　a　lot　more　fortable　than　DH…8。〃

〃Yes；　maybe　we　should　move　in　here。〃

〃Absolutely　not；〃　Barnes　said。　〃We're　studying　this　ship；　not　living　in　it。　We've　got　a　lot　more　work　to　do　before　we　even　begin　to　know　what　this　is　all　about。〃

〃It'd　be　more　efficient　to　live　here　while　we　explore　it。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　live　here；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　gives　me　the　creeps。〃

〃Me　too；〃　Beth　said。

They　had　been　aboard　the　ship　for　an　hour　now；　and　Norman's　feet　hurt。　That　was　another　thing　he　hadn't　anticipated：　while　exploring　a　large　spacecraft　from　the　future；　your　feet　could　begin　to　hurt。

But　Barnes　continued　on。

Leaving　the　crew　quarters；