and he screamed once； and fell backward。
AFTERMATH
He was staring at a bank of lights in some odd； angled perspective。 He sat up； feeling a sharp pain； and looked around him。 He was sitting on the floor in D Cylinder。 A faint smoky haze hung in the air。 The padded walls were blackened and charred in several places。
There must have been a fire here； he thought； staring at the damage in astonishment。 When had this happened？ Where had he been at the time？
He got slowly to one knee； and then to his feet。 He turned to E Cylinder； but for some reason the bulkhead door to E was shut。 He tried to spin the wheel to unlock it； it was jammed shut。
He didn't see anybody else。 Where were the others？ Then he remembered something about Ted。 Ted had died。 The ＇＇231＇＇ squid swinging Ted's body in the airlock。 And then Fletcher had said to get back； and she had thrown the power switch。 。。。
It was starting to e back to him。 The fire。 There had been a fire in E Cylinder。 He had gone into E with Tina to put out the fire。 He remembered going into the room； seeing the flames lick up the side of the walls。 。。。 After that； he wasn't sure。
Where were the others？
For an awful moment he thought he was the only survivor； but then he heard a cough in C Cyl。 He moved toward the sound。 He didn't see anybody so he went to B Cyl。
Fletcher wasn't there。 There was a large streak of blood on the metal pipes； and one of her shoes on the carpet。 That was all。
Another cough； from among the pipes。
〃Fletcher？〃
〃Just a minute 。。。〃
Beth emerged； grease…streaked； from the pipes。 〃Good； you're up。 I've got most of the systems going； I think。 Thank God the Navy has instructions printed on the housings。 Anyway； the smoke's clearing and the air quality is reading all right…not great； but all right…and all the vital stuff seems to be intact。 We have air and water and heat and power。 I'm trying to find out how much power and air we have left。〃
〃Where's Fletcher？〃
〃I can't find her anywhere。〃 Beth pointed to the shoe on the carpet； and the streak of blood。
〃Tina？〃 Norman asked。 He was alarmed at the prospect of being trapped down here without any Navy people at all。 〃Tina was with you；〃 Beth said； frowning。
〃I don't seem to remember；〃 Norman said。
〃You probably got a jolt of current；〃 Beth said。 〃That would give you retrograde amnesia。 You won't remember the last few minutes before the shock。 I can't find Tina； either； but according to the status sensors E Cyl is flooded and shut down。 You were with her in E。 I don't know why it flooded。〃
〃What about Harry？〃
〃He got a jolt； too； I think。 You're lucky the amperage ＇＇232＇＇ wasn't higher or you'd both be fried。 Anyway； he's lying on the floor in C； either sleeping or unconscious。 You might want to take a look at him。 I didn't want to risk moving him； so I just left him there。〃
〃Did he wake up？ Talk to you？〃
〃No； but he seems to be breathing fortably。 Color's good； all that。 Anyway； I thought I better get the life…support systems going。〃 She wiped grease on her cheek。 〃I mean； it's just the three of us now； Norman。〃
〃You； me； and Harry？〃
〃That's right。 You； me； and Harry。〃
Harry was sleeping peacefully on the floor between the bunks。 Norman bent down； lifted one eyelid； shone a light in Harry's pupil。 The pupil contracted。
〃This can't be heaven；〃 Harry said。
〃Why not？〃 Norman said。 He shone the light in the other pupil； it contracted。
〃Because you're here。 They don't let psychologists into heaven。〃 He gave a weak smile。
〃Can you move your toes？ Your hands？〃
〃I can move everything。 I walked up here； Norman； from down in C。 I'm okay。〃
Norman sat back。 〃I'm glad you're okay； Harry。〃 He meant it： he had been dreading the thought of an injury to Harry。 From the beginning of the expedition； they had all relied on Harry。 At every critical juncture； he had supplied the breakthrough； the necessary understanding。 And even now； Norman took fort in the thought that； if Beth couldn't figure out the life…support systems； Harry could。
〃Yeah； I'm okay。〃 He closed his eyes again； sighed。 〃Who's left？〃
〃Beth。 Me。 You。〃
〃Jesus。〃
〃Yeah。 You want to get up？〃
〃Yeah； I'll get in the bunk。 I'm real tired； Norman。 I could sleep for a year。〃
＇＇233＇＇ Norman helped him to his feet。 Harry dropped quickly onto the nearest bunk。
〃Okay if I sleep for a while？〃
〃Sure。〃
〃That's good。 I'm real tired； Norman。 I could sleep for a year。〃
〃Yes； you said that…〃
He broke off。 Harry was snoring。 Norman reached over to remove something crumpled on the pillow beneath Harry's head。
It was Ted Fielding's notebook。
Norman suddenly felt overwhelmed。 He sat on his bunk； holding the notebook in his hands。 Finally he looked at a couple of pages； filled with Ted's large； enthusiastic scrawl。 A photograph fell onto his lap。 He turned it over。 It was a photo of a red Corvette。 And the feelings just overwhelmed him。 Norman didn't know if he was crying for Ted； or crying for himself； because it was clear to him that one by one； they were all dying down here。 He was very sad； and very afraid。
Beth was in D Cyl； at the munications console； turning on all the monitors。
〃They did a pretty good job with this place；〃 she said。 〃Everything is marked； everything has instructions； there're puter help files。 An idiot could figure it out。 There's just one problem that I can see。〃
〃What's that？〃
〃The galley was in E Cyl； and E Cyl is flooded。 We've got no food； Norman。〃
〃None at all？〃
〃I don't think so。〃
〃Water？〃
〃Yes； plenty of water； but no food。〃
〃Well； we can make it without food。 How much longer have we got down here？〃
〃It looks like two more days。〃
〃We can make it；〃 Norman said； thinking： Two days； Jesus。 Two more days in this place。
＇＇234＇＇ 〃That's assuming the storm clears on schedule；〃 Beth added。 〃I've been trying to figure out how to release a surface balloon； and see what it's like up there。 Tina used to punch some special code to release a balloon。〃
〃We can make it；〃 Norman said again。
〃Oh sure。 If worse es to worst； we can always get food from the spaceship。 There's plenty over there。〃
〃You think we can risk going outside？〃
〃We'll have to；〃 she said； glancing at the screens； 〃sometime in the next three hours。〃
〃Why？〃
〃The minisub。 It has that automatic surfacing timer； unless someone goes over and punches the button。〃
〃The hell with the sub；〃 Norman said。 〃Let the sub go。〃 〃Well； don't be too hasty；〃 Beth said。 〃That sub can hold three people。〃
〃You mean we could all get out of here in it？〃
〃Yeah。 That's what I mean。〃
〃Christ；〃 Norman said。 〃Let's go now。〃
〃There are two problems with that；〃 Beth said。 She pointed to the screens。 〃I've been going over the specs。 First； the sub is unstable on the surface。 If there are big waves on the surface； it'll bounce us around worse than anything we've had down here。 And the second thing is that we have to link up with a depression chamber on the surface。 Don't forget； we still have ninety…six hours of depression ahead of us。〃
〃And if we don't depress？〃 Norman said。 He was thinking； Let's just go to the surface in the sub and throw open the hatch and see the clouds and the sky and breathe some normal earth air。
〃We have to depress；〃 Beth said。 〃Your bloodstream is satur