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d　＇＇360＇＇　indifferent　to　the　huge　metal　chamber　nearby；　indifferent　to　the　three　survivors　inside　the　chamber…and　indifferent　to　the　larger　meaning　of　the　mission；　to　the　news　the　survivors　had　brought　back　to　the　surface。　These　cheerful　Navy　cardplayers　didn't　seem　to　give　a　damn　about　Norman's　mission。　But　perhaps　they　didn't　know。
He　turned　back　to　the　chamber；　sat　down　at　the　table。　His　knee　throbbed；　and　the　skin　was　swollen　around　the　white　bandage。　He　had　been　treated　by　a　Navy　physician　during　their　transfer　from　the　submarine　to　the　depression　chamber。　They　had　been　taken　off　the　minisub　Deepstar　III　in　a　pressurized　diving　bell；　and　from　there　had　been　transferred　to　the　large　chamber　on　the　deck　of　the　ship…the　SDC；　the　Navy　called　it；　the　surface　depression　chamber。　They　were　going　to　spend　four　days　here。　Norman　wasn't　sure　how　long　he　had　been　here　so　far。　They　had　all　immediately　gone　to　sleep；　and　there　was　no　clock　in　the　chamber。　The　face　of　his　own　wristwatch　was　smashed；　although　he　didn't　remember　it　happening。
On　the　table　in　front　of　him；　someone　had　scratched　〃U。S。N。　SUCKS〃　into　the　surface。　Norman　ran　his　fingers　over　the　grooves；　and　remembered　the　grooves　in　the　silver　sphere。　But　he　and　Harry　and　Beth　were　in　the　hands　of　the　Navy　now。
And　he　thought：　What　are　we　going　to　tell　them？


〃What　are　we　going　to　tell　them？〃　Beth　said。
It　was　several　hours　later；　Beth　and　Harry　had　awakened；　and　now　they　were　all　sitting　around　the　scarred　metal　table。　None　of　them　had　made　any　attempt　to　talk　to　the　crew　outside。　It　was；　Norman　thought；　as　if　they　shared　an　unspoken　agreement　to　remain　in　isolation　a　while　longer。
〃I　think　we'll　have　to　tell　them　everything；〃　Harry　said。
〃I　don't　think　we　should；〃　Norman　said。　He　was　surprised　by　the　strength　of　his　conviction；　the　firmness　of　his　own　voice。
〃I　agree；〃　Beth　said。　〃I'm　not　sure　the　world　is　ready　for　that　sphere。　I　certainly　wasn't。〃
＇＇361＇＇　She　gave　Norman　a　sheepish　look。　He　put　his　hand　on　her　shoulder。
〃That's　fine；〃　Harry　said。　〃But　look　at　it　from　the　standpoint　of　the　Navy。　The　Navy　has　mounted　a　large　and　expensive　operation；　six　people　have　died；　and　two　habitats　have　been　destroyed。　They're　going　to　want　answers…and　they're　going　to　keep　asking　until　they　get　them。〃
〃We　can　refuse　to　talk；〃　Beth　said。
〃That　won't　make　any　difference；〃　Harry　said。　〃Remember；　the　Navy　has　all　the　tapes。〃
〃That's　right；　the　tapes；〃　Norman　said。　He　had　forgotten　about　the　videotapes　they　had　brought　up　in　the　submarine。　Dozens　of　tapes；　documenting　everything　that　had　happened　in　the　habitat　during　their　time　underwater。　Documenting　the　squid；　the　deaths；　the　sphere。　Documenting　everything。
〃We　should　have　destroyed　those　tapes；〃　Beth　said。
〃Perhaps　we　should　have；〃　Harry　said。　〃But　it's　too　late　now。　We　can't　prevent　the　Navy　from　getting　the　answers　they　want。〃
Norman　sighed。　Harry　was　right。　At　this　point　there　was　no　way　to　conceal　what　had　happened；　or　to　prevent　the　Navy　from　finding　out　about　the　sphere；　and　the　power　it　conveyed。　That　power　would　represent　a　kind　of　ultimate　weapon：　the　ability　to　overe　your　enemies　simply　by　imagining　it　had　happened。　It　was　frightening　in　its　implications；　and　there　was　nothing　they　could　do　about　it。　Unless…
〃I　think　we　can　prevent　them　from　knowing；〃　Norman　said。
〃How？〃　Harry　said。
〃We　still　have　the　power；　don't　we？〃
〃I　guess　so。〃
〃And　that　power；〃　Norman　said；　〃consists　of　the　ability　to　make　anything　happen；　simply　by　thinking　it。〃
〃Yes　。。。〃
〃Then　we　can　prevent　the　Navy　from　knowing。　We　can　decide　to　forget　the　whole　thing。〃
Harry　frowned。　〃That's　an　interesting　question：　whether　we　have　the　power　to　forget　the　power。〃
＇＇362＇＇　〃I　think　we　should　forget　it；〃　Beth　said。　〃That　sphere　is　too　dangerous。〃
They　fell　silent；　considering　the　implications　of　forgetting　the　sphere。　Because　forgetting　would　not　merely　prevent　the　Navy　from　knowing　about　the　sphere…it　would　erase　all　knowledge　of　it；　including　their　own。　Make　it　vanish　from　human　consciousness；　as　if　it　had　never　existed　in　the　first　place。　Remove　it　from　the　awareness　of　the　human　species；　forever。
〃Big　step；〃　Harry　said。　〃After　all　we've　been　through；　just　to　forget　about　it　。。。〃
〃It's　because　of　all　we've　been　through；　Harry；〃　Beth　said。　〃Let's　face　it…we　didn't　handle　ourselves　very　well。〃　Norman　noticed　that　she　spoke　without　rancor　now；　her　previous　bative　edge　gone。
〃I'm　afraid　that's　true；〃　Norman　said。〃The　sphere　was　built　to　test　whatever　intelligent　life　might　pick　it　up；　and　we　simply　failed　that　test。〃
〃Is　that　what　you　think　the　sphere　was　made　for？〃　H　said。　〃I　don't。〃
〃Then　what？〃　Norman　said。
〃Well；〃　Harry　said；　〃look　at　it　this　way：　Suppose　you　were　an　intelligent　bacterium　floating　in　space；　and　you　came　upon　one　of　our　munication　satellites；　in　orbit　around　the　Earth。　You　would　think；　What　a　strange；　alien　object　this　is；　let's　explore　it。　Suppose　you　opened　it　up　and　crawled　inside。　You　would　find　it　very　interesting　in　there；　with　lots　of　huge　things　to　puzzle　over。　But　eventually　you　might　climb　into　one　of　the　fuel　cells；　and　the　hydrogen　would　kill　you。　And　your　last　thought　would　be：　This　alien　device　was　obviously　made　to　test　bacterial　intelligence　and　to　kill　us　if　we　make　a　false　step。
〃Now；　that　would　be　correct　from　the　standpoint　of　the　dying　bacterium。　But　that　wouldn't　be　correct　at　all　from　the　standpoint　of　the　beings　who　made　the　satellite。　From　our　point　of　view；　the　munications　satellite　has　nothing　to　do　with　intelligent　bacteria。　We　don't　even　know　that　there　are　intelligent　bacteria　out　there。　We're　just　trying　to　＇＇363＇＇　municate；　and　we've　made　what　we　consider　a　quite　ordinary　device　to　do　it。〃
〃You　mean　the　sphere　might　not　be　a　message　or　a　trophy　or　a　trap　at　all？〃
〃That's　right；〃　Harry　said。　〃The　sphere　may　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　search　for　other　life　forms；　or　testing　life；　as　we　might　imagine　those　activities　to　occur。　It　may　be　an　accident　that　the　sphere　causes　such　profound　changes　in　us。〃
〃But　why　would　someone　build　such　a　machine？〃　Norman　said。
〃That's　the　same　question　an　intelligent　bacterium　would　ask　about　a　munications　satellite：　Why　would　anyone　build　such　a　thing？〃
〃For　that　matter；〃　Beth　said；　〃it　may　not　be　a　machine。　The　sphere　may　be　a　life　form。　It　may　be　alive。〃
〃Possible；〃　Harry　said；　nodding。
Beth　said；　〃So；　if　the　sphere　is　alive；　do　we　have　an　obligation　to　keep　it　alive？〃
〃We　don't　know　if　it　is　alive。〃
Norman　sat　back　in　the　chair。　〃All　this　speculation　is　interesting；〃　he　said；　〃but　when　you　get　down　to　it；　we　don't　really　know　anything　about　the　sphere。　In　fact；　we　shouldn't　even　be　calling　it　the　sphere。　We　probably　should　just　call　it　'sphere。'　Because　we　don't　know　what　it　is。　We　don't　know　where　it　came　from。　We　don't　know　whether　it's　living　or　dead。　We　don't　know　how　it　came　to　be　inside　that　spaceship。　We　don't　know　anything　about　it　except　what　we　imagine…and　what　we　imagine　says　more　about　us　than　it　does　about　the　sphere。〃
〃Right；〃　Harry　said。
〃Because　it's　literally　a　sort　of　mirror　for　us；〃　Norman　said。
〃Speaking　of　which；　there's　another　possibility；〃　Harry　said。　〃It　may　not　be　alien　at　all。　It　may　be　man…made。〃　That　took　Norman　pletely　by　surprise。　Harry　explained。
〃Consider；〃　Harry　said。　〃A　ship　from　our　own　future　went　through　a　black　hole；　into　another　universe；　or　another　part　＇＇364＇＇　of　our　universe。　We　cannot　imagine　what　would　happen　as　a　result　of　that。　But　suppose　there　were　some　major　distortion　of　time。　Suppose　that　ship；　which　left　with　a　human　crew　in　the　year　2043；　actually　has　been　in　transit　for　thousands　and　thousands　of　years。　Couldn't　the　human　crew　have　invented　it　during　that　time？〃
〃I　don't　think　that's　likely；〃　Beth　said。
〃Well；　let's　consider　for　a　moment；　Beth；〃　Harry　said　gently。　Norman　noticed　that　Harry　wasn't　arrogant　any　more。　They　were　all　in　this　together；　Norman　thought；　and　they　were　working　together　in　a　way　they　never　had　before。　All　the　time　underwater　they　had　been　at　odds；　but　now　they　functioned　smoothly　together；　coordinated。　A　team。
〃There　is　a　real　problem　about　the　future；〃　Harry　was　saying；　〃and　we　don't　admit　it。　We　assume　we　can　see　into　the　future　better　than　we　really　can。　Leonardo　da　Vinci　tried　to　make　a　helicopter　five　hundred　years　ago；　and　Jules　Verne　predicted　a　submarine　a　hundred　years　ago。　From　instances　like　that；　we　tend　to　believe　that　the　future　is　predictable　in　a　way　that　it　really　isn't。　Because　neither　Leonardo　nor　Jules　Verne　could　ever　have　imagined；　say；　a　puter。　The　very　concept　of　a　puter　implies　too　much　knowledge　that　was　simply　inconceivable　at　the　time　those　men　were　alive。　It　was；　if　you　will；　information　that　came　out　of　nowhere；　later　on。
〃And　we're　no　wiser；　sitting　here　now。　We　couldn't　have　guessed　that　men　would　send　a　ship　through　a　black　hole…we　didn't　even　suspect　the　existence　of　black　holes　until　a　few　years　ago…and　we　certainly　can't　guess　what　men　might　acplish　thousands　of　years　in　the　future。〃　〃Assuming　the　sphere　was　made　by　men。〃
〃Yes。　Assuming　that。〃
〃And　if　it　wasn't？　If　it's　really　a　sphere　from　an　alien　civilization？　Are　we　justified　in　erasing　all　human　knowledge　of　this　alien　life？〃
〃I　don't　know；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃If　we　decide　to　forget　the　sphere　。。。〃
〃Then　it'll　be　gone；〃　Norman　said。
Beth　stared　at　the　table。　〃I　wish　we　could　ask　someone；〃　she　said　finally。
＇＇365＇＇　〃There　isn't　anybody　to　ask；〃　Norman　said。
〃But　can　we　really　forget　it？〃　Beth　said。　〃Will　it　work？〃
There　was　a　long　silence。
〃Yes；〃　Harry　said；　finally。　〃There's　no　question　about　it。　And　I　think　we　already　have　evidence　that　we　will　forget　about　it。　That　solves　a　logical　problem　that　bothered　me　from　the　beginning；　when　we　first　explored　the　ship。　Because　something　very　important　was　missing　from　that　ship。〃
〃Yes？　What？〃
〃Any　sign　that　the　builders　of　the　ship　already　knew　travel　through　a　black　hole　was　possible。〃
〃I　don't　follow　you；〃　Norman　said。
〃Well；〃　Harry　said；　〃the　three　of　us　have　already　seen　a　spaceship　that　has　been　through　a　black　hole。　We've　walked　through　it。　So　we　know　that　such　travel　is　possible。〃
〃Yes　。。。〃
〃Yet；　fifty　years　from　now；　men　are　going　to　build　that　ship　in　a　very　tentative；　experimental　way；　with　apparently　no　knowledge　that　the　ship　has　already　been　found；　fifty　years　in　their　past。　There　is　no　sign　on　the　ship　that　the　builders　already　know　of　its　existence　in　the　past。〃
〃Maybe　it's　one　of　those　time　paradoxes；〃　Beth　said。　〃You　know；　how　you　can't　go　back　and　meet　yourself　in　the　past。　。。。〃
Harry　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　think　it's　a　paradox；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　that　all　knowledge　of　that　ship　is　going　to　be　lost。〃
〃You　mean；　we　are　going　to　forget　it。〃
〃Yes；〃　Harry　said。　〃And；　frankly；　I　think　it's　a　much　better　solution。　For　a　long　time　while　we　were　down　there；　I　assumed　none　of　us　would　ever　get　back　alive。　That　was　the　only　explanation　I　could　think　of。　That's　why　I　wanted　to　make　out　my　will。〃
〃But　if　we　decide　to　forget　。。。〃
〃Exactly；〃　Harry　said。　〃If　we　decide　to　forget；　that　will　produce　the　same　result。〃
〃The　knowledge　will　be　gone　forever；〃　Norman　said　quietly。　He　found　himself　hesitating。　Now　that　they　had　arrived　at　this　moment；　he　was　strangely　reluctant　to　proceed。　He　ran　＇＇366＇＇　his　fingertips　over　the　scarred　table；　touching　the　surface；　as　if　it　might　provide　an　answer。
In　a　sense；　he　thought；　all　we　consist　of　is　memories。　Our　personalities　are　constructed　from　memories；　our　lives　are　organized　around　memories；　our　cultures　are　built　upon　the　foundation　of　shared　memories　that　we　call　history　and　science。　But　now；　to　give　up　a　memory；　to　give　up　knowledge；　to　give　up　the　past　。。。
〃It's　not　easy；〃　Harry　said；　shaking　his　head。
〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃It's　not。〃　In　fact　he　found　it　so　difficult　he　wondered　if　he　was　experiencing　a　human　characteristic　as　fundamental　as　sexual　desire。　He　simply　could　not　give　up　this　knowledge。　The　information　seemed　so　important　to　him；　the　implications　so　fascinating。　。。。　His　entire　being　rebelled　against　the　idea　of　forgetting。
〃Well；〃　Harry　said；　〃I　think　we　have　to　do　it；　anyway。〃
〃I　was　thinking　of　Ted；〃　Beth　said。　〃And　Barnes；　and　the　others。　We're　the　only　ones　who　know　how　they　really　died。　What　they　gave　their　lives　for。　And　if　we　forget　。。。〃
〃Whe