8＇＇ 〃Barnes。 The Navy。 Everybody。 This is all a setup； Norman。〃
〃e on； Beth。 No conspiracies； now。 We have enough to worry about without…〃
〃…Just look at this；〃 she said。 She led him back upstairs； flicked on a console； pressed buttons。
〃I started putting it together when Barnes was on the phone；〃 she said。 〃Barnes was talking to somebody right up to the moment when the cable started to coil down。 Except that cable is a thousand feet long； Norman。 They would have broken munications several minutes before unhooking the cable itself。〃
〃Probably； yes 。。。〃
〃So who was Barnes talking to at the last minute？ Nobody。〃
〃Beth 。。。〃
〃Look；〃 she said； pointing to the screen。
SUMMARY DH…SUR/l
0910 BARNES TO SUR/1：
CIVILIAN AND USN PERSONNEL POLLED。 ALTHOUGH ADVISED OF RISKS； ALL PERSONNEL ELECT TO REMAIN DOWN FOR DURATION OF STORM TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATION OF ALIEN SPHERE AND ASSOCIATED SPACECRAFT。
BARNES； USN。
〃You're kidding；〃 Norman said。 〃I thought Barnes wanted to leave。〃
〃He did； but he changed his mind when he saw that last room； and he didn't bother to tell us。 I'd like to kill the bastard；〃 Beth said。 〃You know what this is about； Norman； don't you？〃
Norman nodded。 〃He hopes to find a new weapon。〃
〃Right。 Barnes is a Pentagon…acquisition man； and he wants to find a new weapon。〃
〃But the sphere is unlikely…〃
〃It's not the sphere；〃 Beth said。 〃Barnes doesn't really ＇＇129＇＇ care about the sphere。 He cares about the 'associated spacecraft。' Because； according to congruity theory； it's the spacecraft that is likely to pay off。 Not the sphere。〃
Congruity theory was a troublesome matter for the people who thought about extraterrestrial life。 In a simple way；