Sphere - The thoughts of evil
Sphere is a novel by the American writer Michael Crichton from 1987.
The book was made into a film by Barry Levinson in 1998 under the title Sphere .
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The psychologist Dr. In 1976, Norman Johnson was commissioned to write instructions and scenario descriptions for the US government for a hypothetical first contact with an alien life form. Since Johnson considered the likelihood of such contact to be negligible, he fabricated the report and staffed the proposed team of experts with scientists from his circle of friends, including the mathematician Dr. Harry Adams and the biologist Dr. Elizabeth Halpern.
In 1987, the team of experts proposed by Johnson was unexpectedly ordered to work on an alleged plane crash in the Pacific. The real reason for the gathering, however, is the discovery of a gigantic spaceship that has been on the ocean floor for more than 300 years. In order to research the ship and any life forms on board, the team of experts will be housed in a deep-sea habitat on the sea floor.
The research reveals that it is an American spaceship from 2043 that got into the past in an unknown manner (presumably through a black hole ). On board the ship there is no crew apart from a mummified corpse, but a huge metal ball of extraterrestrial origin that the ship picked up on its journey.
Shortly after one of the scientists succeeded in opening and entering the sphere, the computers in the habitat suddenly receive messages from an alien being who calls himself Jerry and is apparently able to manifest his thoughts in the form of physical objects. The alien being turns out to be increasingly unpredictable over time and attacks the habitat with the help of a manifested giant octopus. As a result of the repeated attacks, all crew members except Johnson, Adams and Halpern are killed.
By analyzing a few logical inconsistencies, Johnson comes to the conclusion that the alien being Jerry is in fact the unconscious of Harry Adams, who was enabled by staying in the sphere to manifest his unconscious fears. Johnson and Halpern therefore anesthetize Adams with an anesthetic.
However, after manifestations continue to appear, Johnson finds out that Halpern was also in the sphere. He therefore decides to step into the sphere himself, because he believes that his training allows him to control his thoughts better than the other two.
Finally, the three remaining protagonists manage to blow up the spaceship and return to the surface of the water in a mini-submarine. Since neither of them was able to control the manifestation of his thoughts, they decide together to use their powers to forget the ability to manifest again. It is implied, however, that Elizabeth Halpern is the only one who does not abide by this agreement and that she retains her abilities.