Sphere

by Michael Crichton

damn old and damn strange down there. I want to know what it is. "

  "But if it's not an alien spacecraft, what is it?"

  "Let's just wait until we get down there, shall we?" Barnes glanced at his watch. "The second habitat should be anchored on the sea floor by now. We'll begin moving you down in fifteen hours. Between now and then, we've all got a lot to do. "

  "Just hold it there, Dr. Johnson. " Norman stood naked, felt two metal calipers pinch the back of his arms, just above the elbow. "Just a bit . . . that's fine. Now you can get into the tank. "

  The young medical corpsman stepped aside, and Norman climbed the steps to the metal tank, which looked like a military version of a Jacuzzi. The tank was filled to the top with water. As he lowered his body into the water, it spilled over the sides.

  "What's all this for?" Norman asked.

  "I'm sorry, Dr. Johnson. If you would completely immerse yourself . . . "

  "What?"

  "Just for a moment, sir . . . "

  Norman took a breath, ducked under the water, came back up.

  "That's fine, you can get out now," the corpsman said, handing him a towel.

  "What's all this for?" he asked again, climbing down the ladder.

  "Total body adipose content," the corpsman said. "We have to know it, to calculate your sat stats. "

  "My sat stats?"

  "Your saturation statistics. " The corpsman marked points on his clipboard.

  "Oh dear," he said. "You're off the graph. "

  "Why is that?"

  "Do you get much exercise, Dr. Johnson?"

  "Some. " He was feeling defensive now. And the towel was too small to wrap around his waist. Why did the Navy use such small towels?

  "Do you drink?"

  "Some. " He was feeling distinctly defensive. No question about it.

  "May I ask when you last consumed an alcoholic beverage, sir?"

  "I don't know. Two, three days ago. " He was having trouble thinking back to San Diego. It seemed so far away. "Why?"

  "That's fine, Dr. Johnson. Any trouble with joints, hips or knees?"

  "No, why?"

  "Episodes of syncope, faintness or blackouts?"

  "No . . . "

  "If you would just sit over here, sir. " The corpsman pointed to a stool, next to an electronic device on the wall. "I'd really like some answers," Norman said.

  "Just stare at the green dot, both eyes wide open. . . . "