s； and go to the surface unattended。〃
〃Why is that？〃
〃If there's a disaster down here…say something happened ＇＇ 205＇＇ to all of us…then the sub would automatically surface after twelve hours； with all the tapes accumulated thus far。 The Navy'd recover the sub at the surface； and they'd have at least a partial record of what happened to us down here。〃
〃I see。 The sub's our flight recorder。〃
〃You could say that； yes。 But it's also our way out； our only emergency exit。〃
〃So Levy was going to the sub？〃
〃Yes。 And she must have made it； because the sub is still here。〃
〃She transferred the tapes； pressed the 'Delay' button； and then she died on the way back。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃How did she die？〃 Harry said； looking carefully at Barnes。
〃We're not sure；〃 Barnes said。
〃Her entire body was crushed；〃 Norman said。 〃It was like a sponge。〃
Harry said to Barnes； 〃An hour ago you ordered the EPSA sensors to be reset and adjusted。 Why was that？〃
〃We had gotten a strange reading in the previous hour。〃
〃What sort of a reading？〃
〃Something out there。 Something very large。〃
〃But it didn't trigger the alarms；〃 Harry said。
〃No。 This thing was beyond alarm…set parameters。〃
〃You mean it was too big to set off the alarms？〃
〃Yes。 After the first false alarm； the settings were all cranked down。 The alarms were set to ignore anything that large。 That's why Tina had to readjust the settings。〃
〃And what set off the alarms just now？〃 Harry said。 〃When Beth and Norman were out there？〃
Barnes said； 〃Tina？〃
〃I don't know what it was。 Some kind of animal； I guess。 Silent； and very big。〃
〃How big？〃
She shook her head。 〃From the electronic footprint； Dr。 Adams； I would say the thing was almost as big as this habitat。〃
BATTLE STATIONS
Beth slipped one round white egg onto the stage of the scanning microscope。 〃Well；〃 she said； peering through the eyepiece； 〃it's definitely marine invertebrate。 The interesting feature is this slimy coating。〃 She poked at it with forceps。
〃What is it？〃 Norman said。
〃Some kind of proteinaceous material。 Sticky。〃
〃No。 I mean； what is the egg？〃
〃Don't know yet。〃 Beth continued her examination when the alarm sounded and the red lights began to flash again。 Norman felt a sudden dread。
〃Probably another false alarm；〃 Beth said。
〃Attention； all hands；〃 Barnes said on the inter。 〃All hands； battle stations。〃
〃Oh shit；〃 Beth said。
Beth slid gracefully down the ladder as if it were a fire pole； Norman followed clumsily back down behind her。 At the munications section on D Cyl； he found a familiar scene： everyone clustered around the puter； and the back panels again removed。 The lights still flashed； the alarm still shrieked。
〃What is it？〃 Norman shouted。
〃Equipment breakdown！〃
〃What equipment breakdown？〃
〃We can't turn the damn alarm off！〃 Barnes shouted。 〃It turned it on； but we can't turn it off！ Teeny…〃
〃…W orking on it； sir！〃
The big engineer was crouched behind the puter； Norman saw the broad curve of her back。
〃Get that damn thing off！〃
〃Getting it off； sir！〃
〃Get it off； I can't hear！〃
Hear what？ Norman wondered； and then Harry stumbled into the room； colliding with Norman。 〃Jesus。。。〃
〃This is an emergency！〃 Barnes was shouting。 〃This is an ＇＇207＇＇ emergency！ Seaman Chan！ Sonar！〃 Tina was next to him； calm as always； adjusting dials on side monitors。 She slipped on headphones。
Norman looked at the sphere on the video monitor。 The sphere was closed。
Beth went to one of the portholes and looked closely at the white material that blocked it。 Barnes spun like a dervish beneath the flashing red lights； shouting； swearing in all directions。
And then suddenly the alarm stopped； and the red lights stopped flashing。 Everyone was silent。 Fletcher straightened and sighed。
Harry said； 〃I thought you got that fixed…〃
〃…Shhh。〃
They heard the soft repetitive pong！ of the sonar impulses。 Tina cupped her hands over the headphones； frowning； concentrating。
Nobody moved or spoke。 They stood tensely； listening to the sonar as it echoed back。
Barnes said quietly to the group； 〃A few minutes ago； we got a signal。 From outside。 Something very large。〃
Finally Tina said； 〃I'm not getting it now； sir。〃 〃Go passive。〃
〃Aye aye； sir。 Going passive。〃
The pinging sonar stopped。 In its place they heard a slight hiss。 Tina adjusted the speaker volume。
〃Hydrophones？〃 Harry said quietly。
Barnes nodded。 〃Polar glass transducers。 Best in the world。〃
They all strained to listen； but heard nothing except the undifferentiated hiss。 To Norman it sounded like tape noise； with an occasional gurgle of the water。 If he wasn't so tense； he would have found the sound irritating。
Barnes said； 〃Bastard's clever。 He's managed to blind us； cover all our ports with goo。〃
〃Not goo；〃 Beth said。 〃Eggs。〃
〃Well； they're covering every damn port in the habitat。〃 The hissing continued； unchanging。 Tina twisted the ＇＇208＇＇ hydrophone dials。 There was a soft continuous crackling； like cellophane being crumpled。
〃What's that？〃 Ted said。
Beth said； 〃Fish。 Eating。〃
Barnes nodded。 Tina twisted the dials。 〃Tuning it out。〃 They again heard the undifferentiated hiss。 The tension in the room lessened。 Norman felt tired and sat down。 Harry sat next to him。 Norman noticed that Harry looked more thoughtful than concerned。 Across the room； Ted stood near the hatch door and bit his lip。 He looked like a frightened kid。
There was a soft electronic beep。 Lines on the gas…plasma screens jumped。
Tina said； 〃I have a positive on peripheral thermals。〃
Barnes nodded： 〃Direction？〃
〃East。 ing。〃
They heard a metallic clank！ Then another clank！
〃What's that？〃
〃The grid。 He's hitting the grid。〃
〃Hitting it？ Sounds like he's dismantling it。〃
Norman remembered the grid。 It was made of three…inch pipe。
〃A big fish？ A shark？〃 Beth said。
Barnes shook his head。 〃He's not moving like a shark。 And he's too big。〃
Tina said； 〃Positive thermals on in…line perimeter。 He's still ing。〃
Barnes said； 〃Go active。〃
The pong！ of the sonar echoed in the room。
Tina said； 〃Target acquired。 One hundred yards。〃
〃Image him。〃
〃FAS on； sir。〃
There was a rapid succession of sonar sounds： pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！ Then a pause； and it came again： pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！
Norman looked puzzled。 Fletcher leaned over and whispered； 〃False…aperture sonar makes a detailed picture from several senders outside； gives you a good look at him。〃 He smelled liquor on her breath。 He thought： Where'd she get liquor？
＇＇209＇＇ Pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！
〃Building image。 Ninety yards。〃
Pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！
〃Image up。〃
They turned to the screens。 Norman saw an amorphous； streaky blob。 It didn't mean much to him。
〃Jesus；〃 Barnes said。 〃Look at the size of him！〃
Pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！
〃Eighty yards。〃
Pong！ pong！ pong！ pong！
Another image appeared。 Now the blob was a different shape； the streaks in another direction。 The image was sharper at the edges； but it still meant nothing to Norman。 A big blob with streaks 。。。
〃Jesus！ He's got to be thirty； forty feet across！〃 Barnes said。 〃No fish in the world is that big；〃 Beth said。
〃Whale？〃
〃It's not a whale。〃
Norman saw that Harry was sweating。 Harry took off his glasses and wiped them on his jumpsuit。 Then he put them back on； and pu