By the time they had been transfered from the lander to the special FOKT accommodation of Rhab-war's casualty deck, both patients were fully conscious and making loud hissing noises. The sounds that the younger one was making did not translate, but Khone's were divided into repeated expressions of gratitude for its survival and weak but very insistent reassurances about its clinical condition. The healer's self-diagnosis was supported by the biosensors and confirmed by the less tangible but even more accurate findings of the emotion-sensitive Prilicla. And now that it was separated from its friendly off-world monsters, and its subconscious fears thereby allayed, by a thick transparent partition, Khone was quite happy to speak to anyone at anytime.
That included the nonmedical crew members who, with Captain Fletcher's permission, left their positions in Control and the Power Room briefly to congratulate the patient and tell complimentary lies about the obvious intelligence, parental resemblance, and great beauty of the new arrival, a male child of greater than average weight. In spite of Prilicla's urgings that it should rest and refrain from overexcitement, the atmosphere around Khone's accommodation more closely resembled a birthday party than the casualty deck of an ambulance ship.
207When Captain Fletcher arrived, they did not need an emphatic faculty to feel the atmosphere change. To Khone the Earth-human made a perfunctory inquiry about its health, then turned quickly to Prilicla.
I need a decision, Senior Physician, it went on, one that only you people can make. The hospital signaled us a few minutes ago, saying that an emergency beacon had been detected in this sector. The distressed ship is about five hours subspace flight away; the distress beacon was not one of the types used by the Federation, so the casualties might be a species new to us. That makes it difficult to estimate the time needed for the rescue. It could take a couple of days rather than hours.
The question is, it ended, do your patients require hospitalization before or after we respond to this distress call?”
It was not an easy decision to make because their patients, although stable and not in need of urgent treatment, belonged to a life-form about which little was known clinically, so that unexpected complications might arise at any time. Surprisingly the discussion, which was animated but necessarily brief, was ended by Khone itself.
Please, friends, it said during one of the rare lulls, Gogleskan females recover quickly once the birth trauma is over. I can assure you, both as a healer and a parent, that such a delay will not endanger either of us. Besides, here we are receiving much better attention than would be possible anywhere on Goglesk.”
You're forgetting something, Murchison said quietly. We may be going into a disaster situation possibly involving a life-form completely new to us. It is conceivable that they might horrify or scare even us,much less a Gogleskan leaving its planet for the nrsttime.”
They might, Khone replied, but they would almostcertainly be in a worse condition than I am.”
Very well, Prilicla said, turning back to the Captain. It seems that friend Khone has reminded us of the priorities and of our duty as healers. Tell the hospital that Rhabwar will respond.”
Fletcher disappeared in the direction of Control, and the Cinrusskin went on. We should now eat and sleep, since there might not be an opportunity to do either for some time. The patients' biosensors will be monitored automatically and any change in condition signaled to me at once. They need rest, too, and they wouldn't get it if I left a team member on duty. Come along, everyone. Sleep well, friend Khone.”
It flew gracefully into the gravity-free central well and up toward the dining and recreation deck, followed in more orthodox fashion by Naydrad, Danalta, Murchison, and Cha Thrat. But just before they began their weightless climb, Murchison gripped the ladder with one hand and placed the other on one of her mediallimbs.
Wait, please, it said. I would like to speak to you. Cha Thrat stopped but did not speak. The sensation of alien digits gently enclosing her arm and the sight of the flabby, pink Earth-human face looking up at her were giving rise to feelings that no Sommaradvan, much less a female one, had any business harboring. Slowly, so as not to give offense, she disengaged the limb from the other's grip and sought for emotionalcontrol.
I'm worried about this ship rescue, Cha Thrat, it said, and the effect on you of the casualties we may have to treat. Disaster injuries can be pretty bad, colli-sion fractures and explosive decompressions for the most part, and as a rule there are very few survivors. You don't seem to be able to keep your Sommaradvan nose out of the medical area, but this time you must try, try really hard, not to get involved with our casualties.”
Before Cha Thrat could reply, it went on. You did some very nice work with Khone, even though I'm still not sure what exactly was going on, but you were very lucky. If Khone or the infant or both of them had died, how would you have felt? More important, what would you have done to yourself?”
Nothing, Cha Thrat said, trying hard to tell herself that the expression on the pink face below her was one of friendly concern for an other-species subordinate and not something more personal. Quickly she went on. I would have felt very bad, but I would not have injured myself again. The code of ethics of a warrior-surgeon is strict, and even on Sommaradva there were colleagues who did not observe it as I have done, and who envied and disliked me for my own strict observance. To me the code remains valid, but in Sector General and on Gog-lesk there are other and equally valid codes. My viewpoints have changed...”
She stopped herself, afraid that she had said too much, but the other had not noticed that she had used the plural.
We call that broadening the mind, Murchison said, and I'm relieved and pleased for you, Cha Thrat. It's a pity that... Well, I meant what I said about you being the Maintenance Department's gain and our loss. Your superiors find you a bit hard to take at times, and after the Chalder and Hudlar incidents I can't imagine you being accepted for ward training by anyone. But maybe if you waited until the fuss died down, and didn't doanything else to get yourself noticed, I could speak to a few people about having you transfered back to the medical staff. How do you feel about that?”
I feel grateful, she replied, trying desperately to find a way of ending this conversation with a being who was not only sympathetic and understanding as a person, but whose physical aspect was arousing in her other feelings of the kind usually associated with the urge to procreate. Most definitely, she thought, this was a problem that could only be resolved by one of O'Mara's spells. Quickly she added, I also feel very hungry.”
Hungry! Murchison said. As the Earth-human turned to resume climbing to the dining area, it laughed suddenly and said, You know, Cha Thrat, sometimes you remind me of my life-mate.”
She was able to rest after the meal but not sleep and, after three hours of trying, she made the excuse to herself that Rhone's life-support and synthetic food delivery systems needed checking. She found the Gogleskan awake, as well, and they talked quietly while it fed the infant. Soon afterward they were both asleep and she was left to stare silently at the complex shapes of the casualty deck equipment, which looked like weird, mechanical phantasms in the night-level lighting, until the arrival of Prilicla.
Have you been able to speak with friend Khone? the Cinrusskin asked, hovering over the two Gogles-kans.
Yes, Cha Thrat replied. It will do as you suggested, to avoid embarrassing us.”
Thank you, friend Cha, Prilicla said. I feel the others awake and about to join us. We should be arrivingat any—”
It was interrupted by a double chime that announced their emergence into normal space, followed a few min-utes later by the voice of Lieutenant Haslam speaking! from Control.
We have long-range sensor contact with a large] ship, the communications officer said. There are noj indications of abnormal radiation levels, no expanding cloud of debris, no sign of any catastrophic malfunction.! The vessel is rotating around its longtitudinal axis as well I as spinning slowly end over end. We are locking the tele-1 scope into the sensor bearing and putting the image onf your repeater screen.”
A narrow, fuzzy triangle appeared in the center of the screen, becoming more distinct as Haslam brought it into focus.
It went on. Prepare for maximum thrust in ten minutes. Gravity compensators set for three Gs. We should close with it in less than two hours.”
Cha Thrat and Khone watched the screen with the rest of the medical team, who were making Prilicla tremble with the intensity of their impatience. They were as ready as it was possible to be, and the more detailed preparations would have to wait until they had some idea of the physiological classification of the people they were about to rescue. But it was possible for the ship ruler to draw conclusions, even at long range.
According to our astrogation computer, Fletcher said, the nearest star is eleven light-years distant and without planets, so the ship did not come from there. Although large* it is still much too small to be a generation ship, so it is highly probable that it uses a form of hyperdrive similar to our own. It does not resemble any vessel, past, current, or under development, on the Federation's fleet list.
In spite of its large size, the Captain went on, it has the aerodynamically clean triangular configuration typical of a vessel required to maneuver in a planetaryatmosphere. Most of the star-traveling species that we know prefer, for technical and economic reasons, to keep their combined atmosphere-and-space vessels small and build the larger nonlanders in orbit where streamlining is unnecessary. The two exceptions that I know of build their space-atmosphere ships large because the crews needed to operate them are themselves physicallymassive.”
Oh, great, Naydrad said. We'll be rescuing abunch of giants.”
This is only speculative at the moment, the Captain said. Your screen won't show it, but we're beginning to resolve some of the structural details. That ship was not put together by watchmakers. The overall design philosophy seems to have been one of simplicity and strength rather than sophistication. We are beginning to see small access and inspection panels, and two very large features that must be entry locks. While it is possible that these are cargo locks that double as entry ports for personnel who are physically small, the probability is that these people are a very large and massive life-form—”
Don't be afraid, friend Khone, Prilicla broke in quickly. Even a demented Hudlar couldn't break through the partition Cha Thrat put around you, and our casualties will be unconscious anyway. Both of you will be quite safe.”
Reassurance and gratitude are felt, the Gogleskan said. With a visible effort it added, more personally, Thank you.”
Friend Fletcher, the empath said, returning its attention to the Captain, can you speculate further about this life-form, other than that it is large and probably lacks digital dexterity?”
C.B.E.----IO I was about to, the Captain said. Analysis of internal atmosphere leakage shows that—”
Then the hull has been punctured! Cha Thrat said excitedly. From within or without?”
Technician, said the ship ruler, reminding her of her position and her insubordination with the single word. For your information, it is extremely difficult, expensive, and unnecessary to make a large, space-going structure completely airtight. It is more practical to maintain the vessel at nominal internal pressure and replace the negligible quantity of air that escapes. In this case, had escaping air not been observed, it would almost certainly have meant that the ship was open to space and airless.
But there are no signs of collision or puncture damage, Fletcher went on, and our sensor .data and analysis of the atmosphere leakage suggests that the crew are warm-blooded oxygen-breathers with environmental temperature and pressure requirements similar to our own.”
Thank you, friend Fletcher, Prilicla said, then joined the others who were silently watching the repeater screen.
The image of the slowly rolling and spinning ship had grown until it was brushing against the edges of the screen, when Murchison said, The ship is undamaged, uncontrolled, and, the sensors tell us, there is no abnormal escape of radiation from its main reactor. That means their problem is likely to be disease rather than traumatic injuries, a disabling or perhaps lethal illness affecting the entire crew. Under illness I would include the inhalation of toxic gas accidentally released from—”
No, ma'am, said Fletcher, who had maintained the communicator link with Control. Toxic contaminationof the air supply system on that scale would have showed up in our leak analyses. There's nothing wrong with theirair.”
Or, Murchison went on firmly, the toxic materialmay have contaminated their liquid or food supply, and been ingested. Either way, there may be no survivors and nothing for us to do here except posthumously investigate, record the physiology of a new life-form, and leave the rest to the Monitor Corps.”
The rest, Cha Thrat knew, would mean carrying out a detailed examination of the vessel's power, life-support, and navigation systems with the intention of assessing the species' level of technology. That might provide the information that would enable them to reconstruct the elements of the ship's course before the disaster occurred and trace it back to its planet of origin. Simultaneously, an even more careful evaluation of the nontechnical environment—crew accommodation and furnishings, art or decorative objects, personal effects, books, tapes, and self-entertainment systems—would be carried out so that they would know what kind of people lived on the home planet when they succeeded in finding it, as they ultimately would.
And eventually that world would be visited by the Cultural Contact specialists of the Monitor Corps and, like her own Sommaradva, it would never be the same again.
If there are no survivors, ma'am, Fletcher said regretfully, then it isn't a job for Rhabwar. But we'll only know when we go inside and check. Senior Physician, do you wish to send any of your people with me? At this stage, though, getting inside will be a mechanical rather than a medical problem. Lieutenant Chen and Technician Cha Thrat, you will assist me with the entry— Wait, something's happening to the ship!”
Cha Thrat was very surprised that Fletcher wanted her to help with such important work, badly worried in case she might not be able to perform to his expectations, and more than a little frightened at the thought of what might happen to them when they got inside the distressed ship. But the feelings were temporarily submerged at the sight of what was happening on the screen.
The ship's rate of spin and roll were increasing as they watched, and irregular spurts of vapor were fogging the forward and aft hull and the tips of the broad, triangular wings. She suffered a moment's sympathetic nausea for anyone who might be inside the vessel and conscious, then Fletcher's voice returned.
Attitude jets! it said excitedly. Somebody must be trying to check the spin, but is making it worse. Maybe the survivor isn't feeling well, or is injured, or isn't familiar with the controls. But now we know someone is alive in there. Dodds, as soon as we're in range, kill that spin and lock on with all tractors. Doctor Prilicla, you're in business again.”
Sometimes it's nice, Murchison said, speaking to nobody in particular, to be proved wrong.”
While Cha Thrat was donning her suit, she listened to the discussion between the medical team members and Fletcher that, had it not been for the presence of the gentle little empath, would have quickly developed into a bitter argument.
It was plain from the conversation that the Captain was Rhabwar's sole ruler so far as all ship operations were concerned, but at the site of a disaster its authority had to be relinquished to the senior medical person on board, who was empowered to use the resources of the ship and its officers as it saw fit. The main area of con-tention seemea to oe me responsibility ended and Prilicla's began.
The Captain argued that the medics were not, considering the fact that the distressed ship was structurally undamaged, on the disaster site until it got them into the ship, and until then they should continue to obey its orders or, at very least, act on its advice. Its advice was that they should remain on Rhabwar until it had effected an entry, because to do otherwise was to risk becoming casualties themselves if the injured or ill survivor—who had already made a mess of checking its ship's spin with the attitude jets—decided to do something equally unsuccessful and much more devastating with the main thrusters.
If the medical team was waiting outside the distressed ship's entry lock when thrust was applied, they would either be smashed against the hull plating or incinerated by its tail flare, and the rescue would be aborted because of a sudden lack of rescuers.
Fletcher's reasons for wanting the medics to remain behind until the other ship had been opened were sound, Cha Thrat thought, even though they had given her a new danger to worry about. But the medical team had been trained for the fastest possible rescue and treatment of survivors, and they were particularly anxious not to waste time in this case when there might only be one. By the time she was leaving for the airlock, a compromise had been worked out.
Prilicla would accompany Fletcher, Chen, and herself to the ship. While they were trying to get inside, the empath would move up and down the outer hull and try to pinpoint the locations of survivors by their emotional radiation. The rest of the medical team would hold themselves ready for a fast recovery of casualties as soon as the way was open.
She had been waiting only a few minutes in the lock antechamber when Lieutenant Chen arrived.
Good, you're here already, the Earth-human said, smiling. Help me move our equipment into the lock, please. The Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting.”
Without giving the impression that it was lecturing her, Chen discussed the purpose of the equipment they were moving from the nearby stowage compartment to the lock, so that Cha Thrat felt her level of ignorance was being reduced without the feelings of stupidity and inferiority that so often accompanied that process. She decided that the Earth-human was a considerate and helpful person, in spite of its rank, and one with whom she might risk a small insubordination.
This is in no sense a criticism of the ship ruler, she said carefully, but I am concerned lest Captain Fletcher is giving me credit for more technical experience than I in fact possess. Frankly, I'm surprised it wanted me along.”
Chen made an untranslatable sound and said, Don't be surprised, Technician, of worried.”
Regrettably, Cha Thrat said, I am both.”
For a few minutes the Lieutenant went on talking about the sections of portable airlock they were carrying that, when deployed and attached with fast-setting sealant around the entry port of the other ship', would enable Rhabwar's boarding tube to join the two vessels and allow the medics to do their work unhampered by space-suits.
But rest your mind, Cha Thrat, Chen went on. Your maintenance chief, Timmins, spoke to the Captain about you. It said that you are pretty bright, learn quickly, and we should give you as much work to do as possible. We should do this because, once the FOKT's accommodation was finished, you would havenothing to do and might fret. It said that, with your past performance in the hospital, the medical team wouldn't allow you anywhere near one of their patients.”
It laughed suddenly and went on. Now we know how wrong Timmins was. But we still intend to keep you busy. You have four times as many hands as I have, and I can't think of a better tool-carrier. Do I offend you,Technician?”
The question had been asked of the trainee technician and not the proud warrior-surgeon she had been, so the answer had to be No.”
That's good, Chen said. Now, close and seal your helmet, and double-check your safety-line attachments. The Captain's on his way.”
And then she was outside, festooned with equipment and drifting with the two Earth-humans across the short distance to the distressed vessel, which was now held by the rigid, nonmaterial beams of Rhabwar's tractors. While immobilizing the other ship, their own had acquired a proportion of its spin. But the countless stars that wheeled endlessly around the apparently motionless vessels aroused a feeling not of nausea butwonder.
Prilicla was already there when they arrived, having exited by the casualty deck's airlock, and was patrolling along the hull in its careful search for the emotional radiation that would indicate the presence of survivors.
As soon as they were standing upright and held to the gray, unpainted hull plating by their boot magnets, and with the bulk of Rhabwar hanging above them like a shining and convoluted white ceiling, the Captain began to speak.
It said, 'There are only so many ways for a door to open. It can hinge in or outward, slide vertically or laterally, unscrew clockwise or anticlockwise or, if the builders are sufficiently advanced in the field of molecular engineering, an opening could be dilated in an area of solid metal. We have yet to encounter a species capable of the latter and, if we ever do, we'll have to be very careful indeed, and remember to call them 'sir.1”
Before it had joined the Monitor Corps, she had learned, Fletcher had been a ruler-academic and one of Earth's foremost, and certainly most youthful, authorities on Extraterrestrial Comparative Technology, and the old habits died hard. Even on the hull of an alien ship that might apply thrust at any moment, it was lecturing —and remembering to include the occasional dry little joke. It was also speaking for the benefit of the recorders, in case something sudden and melodramatic happened.
We are standing on a large door or hatch that is rectangular in shape with rounded corners, it went on, sothe probability is that it will open in or out. Below us, according to the sensors, is a large, empty compartment, which means that it has to be a cargo or personnel lock rather than an equipment access or inspection panel. The hatch is featureless, so the external actuator mechanism should be behind one of the small panels in the door surround. Technician, the scanner, please.”
Because this particular scanner was designed to see into the vital organs of metal-encased machines rather than the softer structures of flesh and blood, it was much larger and heavier than its medical counterpart. In her eagerness to appear fast and efficient, Cha Thrat miscalculated the inertia and sent it crashing into the hatch cover, where it left a long, shallow dent before the Captain brought it to a halt.
Thank you, Fletcher said drily, and added, We are, of course, making no secret of our presence. A covert entry and our sudden appearance inside their ship might frighten the survivors, if there are any.”
Chen made an untranslatable noise and said, Whacking the hull with a sledgehammer would have been even better.”
Sorry, Cha Thrat said.
Two of the small panels concealed retractable lighting fixtures and the remaining one turned out to be a large rocker switch set flush with the hull plating. Fletcher warned them to stand clear, then pressed with its palm on both ends of the switch in turn. It had to press very hard, so hard that it had pushed its leg and arm magnets away from the hull, before anything happened.
A sudden rush of air from the edge of the slowly opening hatch sent Fletcher spinning away. Cha Thrat, who had the advantage of four foot-magnets holding her down, grabbed it by one leg and brought the Captain into contact with the hull again.
Thank you, Fletcher said, as the fog of escaping air cleared, then went on. Everyone inside. Doctor Prilicia, come quickly. The opening of the lock is sure to register on their control deck. If there are any survivors up there, now is the most likely time for them to get nervous and apply thrust...”
There are survivors, friend Fletcher, the empath broke in. One of them is forward, probably on the control deck, and several groups of them' farther aft, but none in your immediate area. Out here I am too far from the sources to be able to detect individual emotional radiation, but the predominant feelings are of fear, pain, and anger. It is the intensity of the anger that worries me, friend Fletcher, so go carefully. I am returning to Rhabwar for the rest of the medical team.”
With the scanner they were able to identify and trace the actuator wiring to a set of two rocker switches. The first one was locked in position, and when they pressed the second, the lock's outer seal closed behind them, after which the first one moved freely and opened the inner seal, simultaneously turning on the lighting.
Fletcher said a few words for the recorders about the intense greenish-yellow lighting that would, on later analysis, give useful information about the crew's visual organs and an indication of the type and proximity of their sun to the home planet. Then it led the way from the lock chamber into the corridor.
The corridor is about four meters high, square in cross-section, well lit, unpainted, and gravity-free, the Captain went on. We assume an artificial gravity system, currently malfunctioning or possibly switched off, because the inner surfaces are bare of ladders, climbing nets, or handholds that the crew would need to get about in the weightless condition. At this level the section of corridor visible to us follows the lateral curvature of theinner hull, and opposite the lock entrance there is a wide opening through which we can see two ramps, one ascending and the other descending, which lead, presumably, to other decks. We are taking the ascending one.”
Consulting the analyzer strapped to its arm, the Captain went on. Nothing toxic in the air, pressure low but still breathable, temperature normal. Open your visors so we can talk together without tying up the suit frequencies.”
Fletcher and Chen launched themselves into the air above the ascending ramp. Less expertly, Cha Thrat did likewise and was halfway to the top when the others arrived—and dropped suddenly onto the deck with a muffled crash of equipment and a much less quiet burst of strong language. She had enough warning to be able to land on her feet.
The artificial gravity system, the Captain said, when it had picked itself up again, is still operating in this area. Move quickly, please, we're looking for survivors.”
Large inward-opening doors with simple latch fastenings lined the corridor, and under Fletcher's direction, the search became a routine process. First unlatch the door, push it wide open while standing well back in case something nasty came through it, then search the compartment quickly for crew members. But the compartments held only racks of equipment or containers of various shapes and sizes whose labels they could not read, and nothing that in any way resembled furniture, wall decorations, or clothing.
So far, Fletcher reported, the ship's interior seemed incredibly spartan and utilitarian, and it was beginning to worry about the kind of people who would build and crew such a vessel.
At the top of the next ramp, in another section ofcorridor that was gravity-free, they saw one of them. It was hanging weightless, spinning slowly and occasionally bumping against the ceiling.
Careful! Fletcher warned as Cha Thrat moved forward for a closer look. But there was no danger because she could recognize a cadaver when she saw one, regardless of its species. A hand placed on its thick, heavily veined neck confirmed the absence of a pulse and a body temperature that was much too low for a warm-blooded oxygen-breather who was alive.
The Captain joined her and said, This is a big one, almost twice the mass of a Tralthan, physiological classification FGHI...”
FGHJ, Cha Thrat corrected.
Fletcher broke off and took a deep breath, which it expelled slowly through its nose. When it spoke she could not be sure whether the Captain was being what Earth-humans called sarcastic, or simply asking a question of a subordinate who appeared to have more knowledge in a particular area than it had.
Technician, it said, laying heavy emphasis on the first word, would you like to take over?”
Yes, she said eagerly, and went on. It has six limbs, four legs and two arms, all very heavily muscled, and is hairless except for a narrow band of stiff bristles running from the top of the head along the spine to the tail, which seems to have been surgically shortened at an early age. The body configuration is a thick cylinder of uniform girth between the fore and rear legs but the forward torso narrows toward the shoulders and is carried erect. The neck is very thick and the head small. There are two eyes, recessed and looking forward, a mouth with very large teeth, and other openings that are probably aural or olfactory sense organs. The legs...”
Friend Fletcher, Prilicla broke in gently. Wouldyou please switch on your vision pickup and spotlight, and hold them very steady? We want to see what Cha Thrat is describing.”
Suddenly every surface detail of the dead FGHJ was illuminated by a light even more intense than that of thecorridor.
You won't see a good picture, the Captain said. The shielding effects of the ship's hull will cause foggingand distortion.”
That is understood, the empath said. Friend Nay-drad is preparing the large pressure litter. We will be with you very soon. Please continue, Cha Thrat.”
The legs terminate in large, reddish-brown hooves, she went on, three of which are covered by thick, heavily padded bags fastened tightly at the tops, possibly to deaden the sound their feet make on the metal deck. Cylinders of metal, padded on the inner surfaces, encircle all four legs just below knee-level, with short lengths of chain attached to them. The links at the end of the chains have been broken or forced apart.
The creature's hands are large, with four digits, she continued, and do not appear particularly dexterous. There is a complicated harness suspended from and belted around the upper torso and flanks. Pouches of different sizes are attached to the harness. One of them is open and there are small tools scattered around thebody.”
Technician, the Captain said, remain here until the medic team arrives, then follow us. We're supposed to find and help the live ones and—”
No! Cha Thrat said without thinking. Then apologetically she added, I'm sorry, Captain. I mean, be verycareful.”
Chen was already moving down the corridor, but the Captain checked itself as it was about to follow.
I am always careful, Technician, it said quietly, but why do you think I should be very careful?”
I do not have a reason, she said, with three of her eyes on the cadaver and one on the Earth-human, only a suspicion. On Sommaradva there are certain people, warriors as well as serviles, who behave badly and without honor toward their fellow citizens and, on rare occasions, grievously injure or kill them. These lawbreakers are confined on an island from which there is no escape. On the vessel that transports them to this island the non-crew accommodation lacks comfort, and the prisoners themselves are immobilized by leg restraints. With respect, the similarities to our present situation are obvious.”
Fletcher was silent for a moment, then it said, Let's take your suspicion a stage further. You think this might be a prison ship, in distress not because of a technical malfunction but because its prisoners have broken free and may have killed or injured all or part of the crew before they realized that they were unable to work the ship themselves. Perhaps some crew members are holed up somewhere, in need of medical attention, after inflicting serious casualties among the escapees.”
Fletcher looked briefly at the cadaver, then returned its attention to Cha Thrat.
It's a neat theory, it went on. If true, we are faced with the job of convincing the ship's crew and a bunch of unruly prisoners, who are on less than friendly terms with each other, that we would like to help all of them without becoming casualties ourselves. But is it true? The leg restraints support your theory, but the harness and too! pouches suggest a crew member rather than a prisoner.
Thank you, Cha Thrat, it added, turning to followChen, I shall bear your suspicions in mind, and be verycareful.”
As soon as the Captain had finished speaking, Prilicla said quickly, Friend Cha, we can see wounds all over the body surface, but the details are indistinct. Describe them please. And do they support your theory? Are they the type of injuries that might be sustained by an entity being moved violently about inside a spinning ship, or could they have been inflicted deliberately by another member of the same species?”
On your answer, Murchison joined in, depends whether or not I go back for a heavy-duty spacesuit.”
And I, Naydrad said. Danalta, who belonged to a species impervious to physical injury, remained silent.
She looked closely at the brightly lit surfaces of the corridor for a moment, then gently rotated the cadaver so that its entire body was presented to the vision pickup. She was trying to think like a warrior-surgeon while at the same time remembering one of the basic physics tapes she had viewed as a trainee technician.
There are a large number of superficial contusions and abrasions, she said, concentrated on the flanks, knees, and elbows. They appear to have been made by grazing contact with the metal of the corridor, but the wound that caused its death is a large, depressed fracture located on and covering the top of the skull. It does not look as if it was caused by any type of metal tool or implement but by violent contact with the corridor wall. There is a patch of congealed blood, comparable to the area of the injury, on the wall where I am directing the vision pickup.
Remembering that the cadaver's position in the vessel is approximately amidships, she went on, wondering if the Captain's lecturing manner was a psychological contagion, it is unlikely that the spinning could havebeen responsible for such a grievous head injury. My conclusion is that the being, whose legs are very strong, misjudged a jump in weightless conditions and hit its head against the wall. The lesser wounds could have been caused while it was tumbling, unconscious and dying, inside the spinning ship.”
Murchison's voice sounded relieved as it said, So you're telling us that it had an accident, that no other antisocial type bashed in its skull?”
Yes, ChaThrat said.
I'll be with you in a few minutes, it said.
Friend Murchison, Prilicla began anxiously.
Don't worry, Doctor, said the Pathologist. If anyone or anything nasty threatens, Danalta will protectus.”
Of course, the shape-changer said.
While she was waiting for them to arrive, Cha Thrat continued to study the cadaver while listening to the voices of Prilicla, Fletcher, and Rhabwar's communications officer. The Cinrusskin's empathic faculty had given it approximate locations for the survivors who, apart from the single crew member in Control, seemed to be gathered together in three small groups of four or five persons on one deck. But the Captain had decided that it would be better to make contact with a single crew member before approaching a group, and was heading directly for the survivor on the Control deck.
Cha Thrat steadied the cadaver and took one of its large, strong hands in two of her upper manipulators. The fingers were short and stubby and tipped with claws that had been trimmed short, and none of the digits were opposable. In this species' prehistory she could imagine those clawed hands conveying freshly killed food to the mouth that even now was filled with long and very nasty-looking teeth. It did not, she thought, look like amember of a species capable of building ships that traveled between the stars.
It did not look, well, civilized. You can't always judge by external appearance, Murchison said, making Cha Thrat realize that she had been thinking aloud. Your Chalder friend from the AUGL ward makes this one look like a pussy-cat.”
The rest of the medical team were following closely behind the Pathologist: Naydrad guiding the litter; Prilicla walking the ceiling on its six, sucker-tipped legs; and, as she watched, Danalta extruded a thicker, sucker-tipped limb of its own and attached itself to the wall like some watchful, alien vegetable.
Quickly Murchison attached its instrument pack to the wall with magnetic pads and used larger magnets and webbing to immobilize the cadaver. It said, Our friend here was unlucky, but at least it is helping the others. I can do things to it which I would not think of doing to a living survivor, and without wasting time on—”
Dammit, this is ridiculous* a voice said in their suit phones, so distorted by surprise and incredulity that she did not recognize it at first as belonging to the Captain. Fletcher went on. We're on the control deck and we've found another crew member, alive, apparently uninjured, occupying one of five control positions. The other four positions are empty. But the survivor is wearing restraints on all four legs and is chained to its controlcouch!”
Cha Thrat turned away and left without speaking. The Captain had told her that she should follow Chen and itself as soon as the medical team arrived, and she wanted to do just that before Fletcher had a chance to countermand the earlier order. Her curiosity about this strange, chained-up ship's officer was so intense that it was almost painful.
It was not until she had ascended two decks that she noticed Prilicla silently following her.
Fletcher was saying I've tried communicating with it, with the translator and my making the usual friendly signs. Rhabwar's translation computer is capable of converting simple messages into any conceivable language that is based on a system of word-sounds. It growls and barks at me but the sounds don't translate. When I approach closely it acts as if it wants to tear my head off. At other times its body and limb movements are erratic and uncoordinated, although it seems anxious to be free of its leg restraints.”
Prilicia and Cha Thrat arrived at that moment, and the Captain added, See for yourselves.”
The Cinrusskin had taken up a position on the ceiling just inside the entrance, well away from the crew member's wildly flailing arms. It said, Friend Fletcher, the emotional radiation disturbs me. There are feelings of anger, fear, hunger, and blind, unthinking antagonism. There is a coarseness and intensity in these emotions not usually found in beings possessing high intelligence.”
I agree, Doctor, the Captain said, moving back instinctively as one of the clawless hands stabbed out at its face. But these couches were designed for this particular life-form, and the controls, switches, and doorhandles that we've seen so far in the ship are suited to those particular hands. At the moment it is completely ignoring the controls, and the sudden increase in spin we noticed during our approach was probably caused by it accidentally striking the keys concerned.
Its couch, like the other four, is mounted on runners, Fletcher went on. It has been moved back to the limit of its travel, which makes it very difficult for the being's hands to reach the control consoles. Have you any ideas, Senior Physician, because I haven't.”
No, friend Fletcher, Prilicla said, but lei us move to a lower deck where it cannot see or hear us.”
A few minutes later it continued. The levels of fear, anger, and antagonism have diminished, and its hunger remains at the same intensity. For reasons that aren't clear to me at the moment, the crew member's behavior is irrational and emotionally unstable. But it is in no immediate danger where it is, and it is not in any pain. Friend Murchison.”
Yes? the Pathologist responded. When you are examining that cadaver, it went on, pay special attention to the head. It has occurred to me that the cranial injury may not have been an accident, ' but was deliberately self-inflicted in response to acute and continuing cranial discomfort. You should look for evidence of an area of infection or cell degeneration affecting the brain tissues, which may have adversely affected or destroyed its higher centers of mentation andemotional control.
Friend Fletcher, it went on without waiting for a reply, we must quickly locate and check the condition of the other survivors. But carefully, in case they are behaving like our friend in Control.”
With Prilicla's empathic faculty to guide them, they quickly found the three large dormitory compartments containing the remaining conscious survivors, five in one room and four in each of the others. The doors were not locked but the occupants had not used the simple latch system that would have opened them from the inside. The artificial gravity system was in operation, and the brief look they were able to catch before the occupants spotted and began to attack them showed plain, unde-corated metal walls and flooring that was covered by disordered bedding and wrecked waste-disposal equip-ment. The smell, Cha Thrat thought, could have been cut with a knife.
Friend Fletcher, Prilicla said as they were leaving the last dormitory, all of the crew members are physically active and without pain, and if it wasn't for the fact that they are clearly no longer capable of working their ship, I would say that they are quite healthy. Unless friend Murchison discovers a clinical reason for their abnormal behavior, there is nothing we can do for them.
I realize that I am being both cowardly and selfish, it went on, but I do not want to endanger our casualty deck equipment and terrify friend Khone by moving in close on twenty oversized, overactive, and, at present, underintelligent life-forms who—”
I agree, Fletcher said firmly. If that lot got loose, they could wreck my ship and not just the casualty deck. The alternative is to keep them here, extend Rhabwar's hyperspace envelope, and Jump both ships to Sector General.”
That was my thought as well, friend Fletcher, Prilicla replied. Also, that you rig the boarding tube so that we can have rapid access to the survivors, that we gather samples of all packets and containers likely to hold this life-form's food or nutritious fluids. The only symptom these people display is intense hunger and, considering the size of their teeth, I would like to relieve it as soon as possible in case they start eating each other.”
And, the Pathologist's voice joined in, you want me to analyze the samples so as to tell you which containers hold paint and which soup?”
Thank you, friend Murchison, the empath said, and went on. As well as your cranial investigation would you look at the cadaver's general metabolism with a view to suggesting a safe anesthetic for use on these people, something fast-acting that we can shoot into them at adistance. They must all be anesthetized very quickly because—”
For fast work like that, Murchison broke in, I'll need Rhabwar1* lab, not a portable analyzer like this one. And I'll need the whole team to help me.”
Because, Prilicla resumed quietly, I have a feeling that there is another survivor who is not healthy and active and hungry. Its emotional radiation is extremely weak and characteristic of an entity who is deeply unconscious and perhaps dying. But I am unable to locate it because of the stronger, overriding emanations from the conscious survivors. That is why, as soon as the samples are gathered for friend Murchison, I would like ' every hole, comer, or compartment large enough to hold an FGHJ searched.
It must be done quickly, the Cinrusskin ended, because the feeling is very weak indeed.”
Awkwardly Fletcher said, 1 understand, Senior Physician, but there is a problem. Pathologist Murchison needs all of the medical team and extending Rhabwar's hyperenvelope and realigning our tractors for the Jump and deploying the boarding tube will require all of theship's officers...”
Which leaves me, Cha Thrat said quietly, withnothing to do.”
... So which should be given priority? the Captain went on, seeming not to have heard her. The search for your unconscious FGHJ, or getting it and the rest of them to Sector General as quickly as possible?”
I will search the ship, she said, more loudly.
Thank you, Cha Thrat, Prilicla said, 1 felt you wanting to volunteer. But think carefully before you decide. The survivor, should you find it, will be too weak to harm you. But there are other dangers. This ship is e, and as strange to us as it is to you.”
Yes, Technician, the Captain said. These aren't the maintenance tunnels at Sector General. The color codings, if present, will mean something entirely different.! You can't make assumptions about anything you see, and if you accidentally foul a control link... Very well, you may search, but stay out of trouble.
Fletcher turned to look at Prilicla and added plaintively, Or do you feel me feeling that I'm wasting my breath?”
With the printouts from Rhabwar's sensors providing information on the ship's layout, and in particular on the size and location of its empty spaces, Cha Thrat began a rapid and methodical search of the alien vessel. She ignored only the control deck, the occupied dormitories, and areas close to the ship's reactor that the sensor maps showed to be uninhabitable by the FGHJ life-form or, for that matter, any other species who were not radiation-eaters. She was very careful to check all interiors with sound sensors and the heavy-duty scanner before opening every door or panel. She was not afraid, but there were times when shivers marched like tiny, icy feet along the length of her spine.
It usually happened when the realization came that she was searching an alien starship for survivors of a species whose existence she could not have imagined ashort time ago, at the direction of other unimaginable beings from a place of healing whose size, complexity, and occupants were like the solid manifestations of a disordered mind. But the unthinkable and unimaginable had become not only thinkable but acceptable to her, and all because a discontented and unloved warrior-surgeon of Sommaradva had risked a limb and her professional reputation to treat an injured off-world ship ruler.
At the thought of what her future would have been had she not taken that risk she shivered again, in dread.
Even though the first search was to be a fast, perfunctory one, it took much longer than Cha Thrat had expected. By the time it was completed, Rhabwar's boarding tube was in position, and she could feel and hear the empty grumbling of both her stomachs.
Prilicla told her to relieve these symptoms before making her report.
When she arrived on the casualty deck, Prilicla, Mur-chison, and Danalta were working on the cadaver while Naydrad and Rhone, its hairy body pressed against the transparent dividing wall, watched with an interest so intense that only the Cinrusskin sensed her arrival.
What's wrong, friend Cha? the empath asked. Something disturbed you on the ship. I felt it evenhere.”
This, she replied, holding up one of the leg restraints that Murchison had removed from the cadaver and discarded before the dead FGHJ had been moved to Rhabwar. The chain is not locked to the leg cuff, it is attached with a simple spring-loaded bolt that can be released easily when pressure is applied just here.”
She demonstrated, then went on. When I was searching the control deck area I looked at the crew member chained to its couch, without being seen, and noticed that similar fastenings hold the chains to all fourof its leg cuffs. It and the cadaver here could have freed themselves simply by releasing the fastenings, which are within easy reach of its hands. It did not have to break free, and neither does the crew member chained to the control couch, who nevertheless continues to struggle violently against restraints that it could so easily remove. It is all very puzzling, but I think we must now discard the theory that any of these people were, prisoners under restraint.”
They were all watching her closely as she went on. But what is affecting them? What is it that leaves a crew member normally a responsible, highly trained individual capable of guiding a starship, in such a state that it cannot unfasten its couch restraints? What has rendered the other crew members incapable of opening their own dormitory doors or finding food for themselves? Why has their behavior degenerated to that of unthinking animals? Could contaminated food, or the absence of specific foods, have caused this? And before you left me, the Senior Physician suggested that an organism might have invaded the brain tissues. Is it possible that—”
If you will stop asking questions, Technician, Mur-chison broke in crossly, I'll have a chance to answer some of them. No, the food supply is plentiful and contains nothing toxic to this life-form. I have analyzed and identified several varieties carried on the ship, so you will be able to feed them when you go back. As for the brain tissues, there are no indications of damage, circulatory impairment, infection, or any pathological abnormality.
I found trace quantities of a complex chemical structure that, in the metabolism of this life-form, would act as a powerful tranquilizer. The residual material suggests that a massive dose was absorbed perhaps three or four days ago, and the effect has since worn off. A large sup-ply of this tranquilizer was found in one of the cadaver's harness pouches. So it seems that the crew members tranquilized themselves before confining themselves to the control couch and their dormitories.”
There was a long silence that was broken by Khone, who was holding up its offspring where the scrawny little entity could see all the strange creatures on the other side of its transparent panel. Cha Thrat wondered if the Gogleskan was already trying to weaken the young one's conditioning, even at the tender age of two days.
Impersonally it said, It is hoped that the time of more intelligent and experienced healers will not be wasted by this interruption, but on Goglesk it is accepted that in certain circumstances, and against their will, otherwise intelligent and civilized beings will behave like vicious and destructive animals. Perhaps the entities on the other vessel have a similar problem, and must take strong and repeated doses of medication to keep their animal natures under control so that they can live civilized lives, and make progress, and build starships.
Perhaps they are starved, Khone ended, not of food but of their civilizing drug.”
A neat idea, Murchison said warmly, then matching the Gogleskan's impersonal tone it went on. Admiration is felt for the originality of the healer's thinking but, regrettably, the medication concerned would not increase awareness and the ability to mentate, it would decrease it to the point where continuous use would cause these people to spend their entire lives in a state of semi-consciousness.”
Perhaps, Cha Thrat joined in, the state of semi-consciousness is pleasant and desirable. It shames me to admit it, but on Sommaradva there are people who deliberately affect and often damage their minds with sub-stances for the purely temporary pleasure they give the user...”
Sommaradva's shame, Naydrad said angrily, is shared by many worlds in the Federation.”
... And when these harmful substances are withdrawn suddenly from habitual users, she went on, their behavior becomes irrational and violent and similar, in many respects, to that of the FGHJs on the other ship.”
Murchison was shaking its head. Sorry, no again. I cannot be absolutely certain because we are dealing with the metabolism of a completely new life-form here, but I would say that the traces found in the cadaver's brain was a simple tranquilizer that deadens rather than heightens awareness, and is almost certainly nonaddic-tive. Had this not been so I would have suggested using it as an anesthetic.
And before you ask, the Pathologist went on, progress with the anesthetic is slow. I have gone as far as I can go with the physiological data provided by the cadaver, but to produce one that will be safe to use in large doses I require blood and gland secretion samples from a living FGHJ.”
Cha Thrat was silent for a moment, then she turned to include Prilicla as she said, I could not find any trace of injured or unconscious survivors during my preliminary search, but I shall search again more diligently when the required samples have been obtained. Is the being still alive? Can you give me even an approximate guide to its location?”
I can still feel it, friend Cha, Prilicla replied. But the cruder, conscious emoting of the other survivors is obscuring it.”
Then the sooner Pathologist Murchison has its samples the sooner we'll have the anesthetic to knock outthe emotional interference, Cha Thrat said briskly. My medial digits are strong enough to restrain the arms of the FGHJ on the control couch while my upper manipulators take the samples. From which veins and organs, and in what quantities, must they be removed?”
Murchison laughed suddenly and said, Please, Cha Thrat, let the medical team do something to justify its existence. You will hold the crew member tightly to its couch, Doctor Danalta will position the scanner, and I will obtain the samples while—”
Control here. Fletcher's voice broke in from the wall speaker. Jump in five seconds from . • •now- The extra mass of the distressed ship will delay our return somewhat. We are estimating Sector General parking orbit in just under four days.”
Thank you, friend Fletcher, Prilicla said. Suddenly there was the familiar but indescribable sensation, unseen, unheard, and unfelt but indisputably present, that signaled their removal from the universe of matter to the tiny, unreal, and purely mathematical structure that the ship's hyperdrive generators had built around them. She forced herself to look through the casualty deck's direct vision panel. The tractor and pressor beams that laced the ships rigidly together were invisible, so that she saw only the ridiculously flimsy boarding tube joining them and, at the bottom of the metal chasm formed by the two hulls, the heaving, flickering grayness that seemed to reach up through her eyes and pull her very brain out of focus.
She returned her attention to the solid, familiar if temporarily unreal world of the casualty deck before hyper-space could give her an eyestrain headache.
Cha Thrat had time for only a few words with Rhone before following Murchison, Danalta, and Naydrad to the boarding tube. The Charge Nurse was helping hercarry packages of the material that Murchison had identified as food, and she had only to compare them with the hundreds of others in the other ship's stores to be able to feed all of the surviving crew members until they bulged at the seams.
Her last sight of the casualty deck for a long time, although she did not know it just then, was of Senior Physician Prilicla hovering above the .widely scattered remains of the cadaver and interspersing its quiet words to Khone with untranslatable duckings and trillings to the younger Gogleskan.
If we can spare the time, Cha Thrat said to the Pathologist when they were standing around the control couch and its agitated and weakly struggling occupant, we could feed it before taking your samples. That might make the patient more contented, and amenable.”
We can spare the time for that, Murchison replied, then added, There are times, Cha Thrat, when you remind me of somebody else.”
Who do we know, Naydrad asked in its forthright Kelgian manner, who's that weird?”
The Pathologist laughed but did not reply, and neither did Cha Thrat. Without realizing it, Murchison had moved into a sensitive and potentially highly embarrassing area, and, if it ever did learn exactly what had happened to the Sommaradvan's mind on Goglesk, it should be from its life-mate, Conway, and not Cha Thrat—Prilicla had been quite insistent about that.
There was surprisingly little variety in the FGHJs' food containers—two differently shaped plastic bottles, one holding water and the other a faintly odorous nutrient liquid, and there were uniform blocks of a dry, spongy material wrapped in a thin plastic film with a large ring for tearing it open. The liquid and solid foods were synthetic, according to Murchison, but nutrition-ally tailored to the requirements of the FGHJs' metabolism, and the small quantities of nonnutrient material present were probably there to excite the taste buds.
But when Cha Thrat tossed one of the packages into the crew member's hands, it began tearing at it with its teeth without removing the plastic wrapping. The simple, spring-loaded caps sealing the bottles were also ignored. It tore open the neck of the container with its teeth and sucked out the liquid that it had not already spilled down its chest.
A few minutes later the Pathologist made an untranslatable sound and said, Its table manners certainly leave a lot to be desired, but it doesn't appear to be hungry anymore. Let's get started.”
Feeding the crew member made no perceptible difference to its behavior except, perhaps, to give it more strength to resist them. By the time Murchison had withdrawn its samples, Naydrad, Cha Thrat, and the Pathologist itself were displaying several areas of surface bruising and Danalta, whose body could not be injured or deformed except by the application of ultrahigh temperatures, had been forced into some incredible shape-changes in order to help them immobilize the brute. When the task was done, Murchison sent Naydrad and Danalta ahead with its test samples while it remained, breathing rapidly, and with its eyes fixed on the crew member.
I don't like this, it said.
It worries me, too, Cha Thrat said. However, if a problem is restated often enough, in different words, a solution sometimes emerges.”
I suppose some wise old Sommaradvan philosopher said that, Murchison said drily. I'm sorry, Technician. What were you going to say?”
An Earth-human Lieutenant called Timmins said it,”
she replied. And I was about to restate the problem, which is that we are faced with a ship's crew who are apparently suffering from a disease that leaves them completely healthy, but mindless. Not only can they not operate their own undamaged and fully functioning ship, they do not remember how to unfasten their leg restraints, unlatch doors, or open food containers. They have become like healthy animals.”
Murchison said quietly, The problem is being restated, but in the same words.”
The living quarters are bare and comfortless, Cha Thrat went on, which made us think at first that this was a prison ship. But is it possible that the crew members, for reasons that may be psychological and associated with space-travel, or a disease that affects them during space travel, know that bodily comforts, pleasant surroundings, and valued personal possessions would be wasted on them during a voyage because they expect to become animals. Perhaps the condition is brief, episodic, and temporary, but on this occasion something went wrong and it became permanent.”
Now, Murchison said, twitching her shoulders in the movement that Earth-humans called a shiver, the words are different. But if it is of any help to you, among the samples Naydrad brought me for analysis there was medication as well as food. The medication was of one kind only, the tranquilizer capsules of the type found on the cadaver, in a form intended for oral self-administration. So you may be right about them expecting the condition and taking steps to reduce accidental damage to themselves during the mindless phase. But it's strange that Naydrad, who looks very carefully for such things, found only this one type of medication, and no sign of any instruments for the purposes of examination, diagnosis, or surgery. Even if they knew in advance that theywere going to take sick, it looks as if the ship's crew did not include a medic.”
If anything, Cha Thrat said, this new information increases the problem.”
Murchison laughed, but the pallor of its normally pink face showed that it found nothing humorous in the situation. It said grimly, I could not find anything wrong with the being I examined, apart from the accidental head injury that killed it, nor can I see anything clinically wrong with the other crew members. But something has trace-lessly destroyed their higher centers of intelligence and wiped their minds clean of all memory, training, and experience so that they are left with nothing but the instincts and behavior patterns of animals.
What kind of organism or agency, it ended with another shiver, could cause such a selectively destructive effect as that?”
Cha Thrat had a sudden urge to wrap her medial arms around the Pathologist and comfort it, and an upsurge of the kind of emotion that no Sommaradvan, male or female, should feel for an Earth-human. With difficulty she controlled the feelings that were not her own and said gently, The anesthetic might give you the answer. We are seeing patients in whom the disease, or whatever, has run its course. If they are knocked out and we found the other one, isn't it possible that the disease might not have run its course with this survivor, or the survivor has natural resistance to it? By studying the disease and the resistant patient you might discover the cure for all of them.”
The anesthetic, yes, Murchison said, and smiled. Your tactful way of reminding a stupid Pathologist of the elements of her job would do credit to Prilicla itself. I'm wasting time here.”
It turned to leave, then hesitated. Its face was still very pale.
Whatever it is that is affecting these people, it said grimly, is outside my clinical experience, and possibly that of the hospital. But there should be no danger to us. You already know from your medical lectures that other-species pathogens can effect only life-forms that share a common planetary and evolutionary background, and have no effect on off-planet organisms. But there are times when, in spite of everything we know to the contrary, we wonder if we will someday run into the exception that proves the rule, a disease or a clinical condition that is capable of crossing the species barrier.
The mere possibility that this might be that exception, it went on very seriously, is scaring the hell out of me. If this should be our bacteriological bogeyman, we must remember that the disease does not appear to have any physical effects. The onset and symptomology of the condition are more likely to be psychological rather than physical. I shall discuss this with Prilicla, and we shall be watching you for any marked behavioral changes, just as you must keep a watch on your own mental processes for uncharacteristic thoughts or feelings.”
The Pathologist shook its head in obvious self-irritation. Nothing can harm you here, I'm as sure of that as I can possibly be. But please, Cha Thrat, be very careful anyway.”
SHE did not know how long she spent watching the mindless struggling of the FGHJ on its couch, and its strong, blunt-fingered hands that had guided this great vessel between the stars before she left the control deck, feeling depressed and angry at her inability to produce a single constructive idea, to begin collecting food for the other, still-hungry crew members. But when she entered the nearest food storage compartment a few minutes later, she was startled to find Prilicla alreadythere.
Friend Cha, the empath said, there has been achange of plan...”
The anesthetic that Murchison was producing would have to be tested, in minute but gradually increasing doses, initially on the FGHJ in Control. That process could take anything up to three days before the Pathologist could pronounce it safe for use. Prilicla felt sure that the survivor did not have three days and another method of pacifying the crew members, not as effective as anesthesia, must be tried. Adequate supplies of the crew's own tranquilizers were available, and large doses of these would be added to the crew's food and drink in the hope that, heavily tranquilized and with their hunger satisfied, the intensity of their emotional radiation would be245reduced to a level where the empath could isolate and locate the remaining and seriously ill or injured survivor.
I would like all of the crew members to be fed and tranquilized as quickly as possible, Prilicla went on. Our friend's emotional radiation is characteristic of a mind of high intelligence presently degraded by pain, rather than one in the condition of its crew-mates, but it grows steadily weaker. I fear for its life. ,At Prilicla's direction she heavily dosed the liquid food and water, then distributed it quickly to the dormitories while the Cinrusskin moved from deck to deck, with its empathic faculty extended to its maximum range and sensitivity. With full stomachs and dulled minds— some, of them even went to sleep—the crew members' emotional radiation became less obtrusive, but otherwise the results were negative.
I still can't get a fix, Prilicla said, its body trembling to its own as well as Cha Thrat's disappointment. There is still too much interference from the conscious survivors. All we can do now is return to Rhabwar and try to assist friend Murchison. Your charges will not grow hungry again for some time. Coming?”
No, she said, I would prefer to continue the normal, physical search for your dying survivor.”
Friend Cha, Prilicla said, must I remind you again that I am not a telepath, and that your secret, inner thoughts remain your own property. But your feelings are very clear to me, and they are of low-intensity excitement, pleasure, and caution, with the excitement predominating and the caution barely detectable. This worries me. My guess is that you have had an idea or come to a conclusion of some kind, which will involve personal risk before it can be proved or disproved. Would you like to tell me about it?”
The simple answer would have been No, but shecould not bring herself to hurt the empath's hypersensitive feelings with such a verbal discourtesy. Instead she said carefully, It may be that the idea came as a result of my ignorance regarding your empathic faculty, hence my reticence in mentioning it until I was sure that it had some value and 1 would avoid embarrassment.”
Prilicla continued to hover silently in the center of the compartment, and Cha Thrat went on. When we first searched the ship you were able to detect the presence of the unconscious survivor, but not locate it because of the conscious emoting of the others. Now that they are pacified into near-unconsciousness, the situation is the same because our survivor's condition has worsened, and I fear that it will remain the same even when the anesthetic becomes available and the others, too, are deeply unconscious.”
I share that fear, the empath said quietly. But go on.”
In my ignorance of the finer workings of your empathic faculty, she continued, I assumed that a weak source of emotional radiation positioned nearby would be more easily detectable than a stronger source at a distance. If there had been any such variation in strength, I'm sure you would have mentioned it.”
I would, Prilicla said, and you are right in many respects. In others, well, my emphathic faculty has limitations. It responds to the quality and intensity of feelings as well as their proximity. But detection is dependent on factors other than distance. There is the degree of intelligence and emotional sensitivity, the intensity of the emotions being felt, the physical size and strength of the emoting brain, and, of course, the level of consciousness. Normally these limitations can be ignored when I'm searching for just one source and my friends, usually the medical team, move away or controltheir emotions while I'm searching. That isn't the case here. But you must have reached some conclusions. What are they?”
Choosing her words carefully, Cha Thrat replied, That, because of its location, the unconscious survivor's radiation is and will remain obscured, and that it is very close to, or surrounded by, the conscious sources. This narrows the volume to be searched to the dormitory deck and perhaps the levels above and below it, and I shall concentrate on that volume only. And you said just now that the physical size of the emoting brain is a factor. Could it be that the survivor is a very small, and young, FGHJ hiding close to the mindless parent?”
Possibly, Prilicla replied. But regardless of age or size, it is in very bad shape.”
Controlling her growing excitement, she went on. 'There must be small storage cabinets, systems inspection centers, and odd holes and corners where a crew member or child would not normally go, but where a barely conscious entity whose injuries caused it to act irrationally might have hidden itself. I feel sure than I will find it soon.”
I know, Prilicla said. But there is more.”
Cha Thrat hesitated, then said, With respect, Cinrusskins are not a robust species, and for that reason are more sensitive to the risk of physical injury than beings like myself. I can assure you that I have no intention of placing myself at risk, for whatever reason. But if I was to tell you my plan in detail, the possibility exists that you would forbid me to carry it out.”
Would you obey me if I did? Prilicla asked.
She did not reply.
Friend Cha, Prilicla said gently, you have many qualities that I find admirable, including that of moderate cowardice, but you worry me. You have shown yourselfreluctant to obey orders that you personally feel to be wrong or unjustified. You have been disobedient in Sector General, on this ship, and, I suspect, on your home world. This is not a quality that people find admirable in a person of subordinate rank. What are we going to do with you?”
Cha Thrat was about to tell the little empath how sorry she felt at causing it mental distress, then realized that it already knew exactly how she felt toward it. Instead she said, With respect, you could allow me to proceed, and ask the Captain to concentrate the sensors on the reduced search area I have indicated, and report any changes to me at once.”
You know that I was thinking in the longer term, Prilicla said. But yes, I shall do as you suggest. I share friend Murchison's feelings about this situation. There is something very strange here, and possibly dangerous, but we cannot even guess where the threat, if there is a threat, will come from. Take great care, friend Cha, and guard your mind as well as your body.”
Cha Thrat began the search as soon as Prilicla left her, starting with the level above the dormitory deck, then moving to the one below it. But from the start her principal intention had been to enter and search those occupied dormitories, and, as soon as she did so, she knew that there would be a reaction from whoever was watching the sensor displays.
When it came, the voice in her earpiece was that of the Captain itself.
Technician! it said sharply. The sensors show a body of your mass and temperature entering one of the dormitories. Get out of there at once!”
It was possible to argue politely and be circumspect with a gentle little entity like Prilicla, Cha Thrat thought sadly, but not with the Captain. She had just been givena direct order that she had no intention of obeying, so she spoke as if she had not heard it.
I have entered a dormitory and am moving sideways around the room with my back to the wall, she said calmly. I am moving slowly so as not to disturb or frighten the occupants, who seem to be half asleep. Two of them have turned their heads to watch me but are making no threatening movements. There is a small door, tight-fitting and mounted flush with the wall, probably a recessed storage cabinet, that might be large enough for an FGHJ to force a way in to hide. I am opening the door now. Inside there are...”
Switch on your vision pickup, Fletcher said angrily, and save your breath.”
... shelves containing what appears to be cleaning materials for the waste-disposal facility, she continued. In case a fast retreat is necessary, I have left the heavier equipment outside and am wearing only a headset. Now I'm moving toward the wall facing the entrance where there is another small door.”
So you can hear me, Fletcher said coldly. And you heard my order.”
I've opened it, she went on quickly, and the missing survivor isn't there. Beside the door at floor level there is a small, flat, rectangular flap. Possibly it conceals a recessed handle for an upward-opening door. I will have to lie flat on the floor, and try to avoid the body wastes, to examine it.”
She heard the Captain make an untranslatable but very unsympathetic sound, then she said, It is a tight-fitting flap, hinged on the top side, and free to move in or out with gentle pressure. There is a layer of sponge around the edges that suggests that it is nearly airtight. I can't get my head close enough to the floor to see insidethe flap, but when I open it there is a strong smell that reminds me of the Sommaradvan glytt plant.
I'm sorry, she went on. Quite apart from the fact that you don't know what a glytt plant smells like, one wonders whether the seal is intended to keep the unpleasant smell of FGHJ wastes in or the other smell out. Or maybe it is just an inlet point for some kind of deodorant ...”
Friend Cha, Prilicla broke in. In the short time since you inhaled the odor, has there been any irritation of your breathing passages, nausea, impairment of vision, or dulling of sensation or intellect?”
What intellect? Fletcher murmured in a disparaging voice.
No, she replied. I am opening the door of the last remaining storage closet to be searched. It is larger than the others, filled with racked tools and what looks like replacement parts for the dormitory furniture, but is otherwise empty. The crew members are still ignoring me. I'm leaving now to search the next dormitory.”
Technician, Fletcher said quietly. If you can reply to Prilicla I know you can hear me. Now, I'm willing to consider your earlier disobedience as a temporary aberration, a fit of overenthusiasm, and a minor disciplinary matter. But if you continue the search in direct contravention of my orders you will be in major trouble. Neither the Monitor Corps nor the hospital has time for irresponsible subordinates.”
But I take full responsiblity for my actions, Cha Thrat protested, including any credit or discredit that may result from them. I know that I lack the training to investigate an other-species ship properly, but I am simply opening and closing doors and being very careful while I'm doing it.”
The Captain did not reply and maintained its silenceeven when the sensors must have been showing Cha Thrat entering the second dormitory. It was Prilicia who spoke first.
Friend Fletcher, the empath said quietly, I agree that there is a small element of risk in what the technician is doing. But it has discussed some of its ideas with me and is acting with my permission and, well, limited approval.”
Ignoring the tranquilized FGHJs and riot speaking at all, Cha Thrat was able search the dormitory much more quickly, but with the same negative result. None of the storage cabinets revealed the missing survivor, adult or child, and the .narrow, floor-level flap held nothing but the smell of glytt, which never had been one of her favorite aromas.
But the Cinrusskin's attempts to divert the Captain's anger from her aroused such a sudden emotional warmth in her that she hoped the empath would feel her gratitude. Without breaking into the conversation, and hoping that Prilicia could not feel her growing disappointment, she began searching the third and last dormitory.
... In any case, friend Fletcher, the empath was saying, the responsibility for whatever happens on the distressed ship until the survivors are treated and evacuated is not yours, but mine.”
I know, I know, the Captain agreed irritably. On the site of a disaster the medical team leader has the rank. In this situation you can tell a Monitor Corps ship commander like myself what to do, and be obeyed. You can even give orders to a Corps Maintenance Technician Grade Two called Cha Thrat, but I seriously doubt if they would be obeyed.”
There was another long silence, broken by the subject of the discussion. She said, I've finished searching thedormitories. All three contain identical arrangements of fittings and storage compartments, none of which contains the FGHJ we're looking for.
But the first and second dormitories share a common wall, she went on, trying to sound hopeful, likewise the second and third. But the first and third are divided by a short corridor leading inboard toward what must be another, fairly large storage compartment whose sides are common to the inner walls of the three dormitories. The missing FGHJ could be there.”
I don't think so, Fletcher said. The sensors show it as an empty compartment, about half the size of a dormitory, with a lot of low-power circuitry and ducting, probably environmental control lines to the dormitories, mounted on or behind the wall surfaces. By empty we mean that there are no large metal objects in the room, although organic material could be present if it was stored in nonmetal containers. But a piece of organic material of the body mass and temperature of a living FGHJ, whether moving or at rest, would show very clearly.
All the indications are that it is just another storeroom, the Captain ended. But no doubt you will search it, anyway.”
With difficulty, Cha Thrat ignored Fletcher's tone as she said, During my first search of this area I looked into this corridor and saw the blank end-wall containing what I mistakenly thought to be a section of badly fitted wail plating. My excuse for making this mistake is that there is no external handle or latch visible. On closer examination I see that it is not a badly fitted plate but an inward-opening door that is very slightly ajar, and the scanner shows that it fastens only from the inside.
The vision pickup is on, she added. I'm pushing the door open now.”
The place was a mess, she thought, with weightlessness adding to the general disorder so that floating debris made it difficult to see any distance into the room. There was a very strong smell of glytt.
We aren't receiving a clear picture, said Fletcher, and something close to the lens is blocking most of the view. Have you attached the pickup correctly or are we seeing part of your shoulder?”
No, sir, she replied, trying to keep her tone properly subordinate. The compartment is gravity-free and a large number of flat, roughly circular objects are floating about. They appear to be organic, fairly uniform in size, dark gray on one surface and with a paler, mottled appearance on the other. I suppose they could be cakes of preprepared food that escaped from a ruptured container, or they might be solid body waste, similar to that found in the dormitories, which has dried and become discolored. I'm trying to move some of it out of the way now.”
With a sudden feeling of distaste, she cleared the visual obstructions from the front of the pickup, using her medial hands because they were the only ones still covered by gloves. There was no response from Rhabwar.
There are large, irregular clumps of spongelike or vegetable material attached to the walls and ceiling, she went on, moving her body so that the pickup's images would let the others see, however unclearly, what she was trying to describe. So far as I can see, each clump is colored differently, although the colors are subdued, and under each one there is a short length of padded shelf.
At floor level, she continued, I can see three narrow, rectangular flaps. Their size and positions correspond to those found in the dormitories. These pancakes, or whatever, are all over the place, but I cansee something large floating in a corner near the ceiling ...It's the FGHJ!”
I don't understand why it didn't register on the sensors, Fletcher said. It was the kind of Captain who insisted on the highest standards of efficiency from its crew and the equipment in its charge, and treated a malfunction in either as a personal affront.
Good work, friend Cha, Prilicla said, enthusiastically breaking in. Quickly now, move it to the entrance for loading into the litter. We'll be with you directly. What is the general clinical picture?”
Cha Thrat moved closer, swatting more obstructions from her path as she said, I can't see any physical injuries at all, not even minor bruising, or external evidence of an illness. But this FGHJ isn't like the others. It seems to be a lot thinner and less well muscled. The skin appears darker, more wrinkled, and the hooves are discolored and cracked in several places. The body hair is gray. I... I think this is a much older FGHJ. It might be the ship ruler. Maybe it hid itself in here to avoid what happened to the rest of its crew...”
She broke off, and Prilicla called urgently, Friend Cha, why are you feeling like that? What happened to you?”
Nothing happened to me, she replied, fighting to control her disappointment. I am holding the FGHJ now. There is no need to hurry. It is dead.”
That explains why my sensors didn't register, Fletcher said.
Friend Cha, Prilicla said, ignoring the interruption, are you quite sure ! I can still feel the presence of a deeply unconscious mind.”
Cha Thrat drew the FGHJ toward her so that she could use her upper hands, then said, The body temperature is very low. Its eyes are open and do not react tolight. The usual vital signs are absent. I'm sorry, it i dead and... She broke off to look more closely at th creature's head, then went on excitedly. And I think know what killed it! The back of the neck. Can you s it?”
Not clearly, Prilicla replied quickly, obviously feeling her own growing excitement, and fear. One of those disklike objects is in the way.”
But that's it, she said. I thought at first that one of them had drifted against the cadaver and stuck to its head. But I was wrong. The thing attached itself deliberately to the FGHJ with those thick white tendrils you can see growing from the edge of the disk. Now that I'm looking for them, I can see that they all have the tendrils and, judging by their length, the penetration into the cadaver's spinal column and rear cranium is very deep. That thing is, or was, alive, and could have been responsible for—”
Technician, Fletcher broke in harshly, get out of there!”
At once, Prilicla said.
Very carefully Cha Thrat released her hold on the dead FGHJ, removed her vision pickup, and attached its magnetic clips to a clear area of wall. She knew that the medical team would want to study this strange and abhorrent life-form that was infesting the ship before deciding how to deal with it. Then she turned toward the entrance, which now seemed to be very far away.
The disks hung thickly like an alien minefield between the door and herself. Some of them were still moving slowly in the air eddies caused by her entry or by the blows with which she had so casually knocked them aside, or perhaps of their own volition. They presented views from every angle—the smooth surface of the mot-tied side, the gray and wrinkled reverse side, and the edges with their fringe of limp white tendrils.
She had been so busy searching for an FGHJ survivor that she had scarcely looked at the objects she had mistaken for cakes of food or dried wastes floating in the room. She still did not know what they were, only of what they were capable, which was the utter destruction of the highly trained and intelligent minds of their victims to leave them with nothing but the basic and purely instinctive responses of animals.
The thought of a predator who did not eat or physically harm its prey, but gorged itself on the intelligence of its victim, made her want to seek refuge in madness. She was desperately afraid of touching one of them again, but there were too many of them for her to avoid doing so. But if any of them got in her way, Cha Thrat decided grimly, she would touch it, hit it, very hard.
The gentle, reassuring voice of Prilicla sounded in her earpiece. It said, You are controlling your fear well, friend Cha. Move slowly and carefully and don't—”
She winced as a high-pitched, piercing sound erupted from the earpiece, signifying that too many people were talking to her at once and had overloaded her translator. But they realized immediately what was happening because the oscillation wavered and died to become one voice, the Captain's.
Technician, behind yourBy then it was too late.
All of her attention had been directed ahead and to the sides, where the greatest danger lay. When she felt the surprisingly light touch, followed by a sensation of numbness on the back of her neck, a cool, detached part of her mind thought that it was considerate of the thing to anesthetize the area before inserting its tendrils. She swung an eye to the rear to see what was happening, andinstinctively raised her upper hands to push away the disk that had left the dead FGHJ and was attaching itself to her. But the hands fumbled weakly, their digits suddenly powerless, and the arms fell limply away.
Other parts of her body ceased working, or began twitching and bending in the random, uncoordinated fashion of a person with serious brain damage. The calm, detached portion of her mind thought that her condition was not a pleasant sight for friends to see.
Fight it, Cha Thrat! Murchison's voice shouted from her earpiece. Whatever it's doing, fight it! We're on our way.”
She heard and appreciated the concern in the Patholo-gist's voice, but her tongue was one of the organs that was not working just then because her jaw was clamped shut. Altogether, she was in a state of considerable physiological confusion as muscles continued to twitch uncontrollably, her body writhed in weightless contortions, and sensations of heat, cold, pain, and pleasure affected random areas of her skin. She knew that the creature was exploring her central nervous system, trying to find out how her Sommaradvan body worked so that it would be able to control her.
Gradually the twitchings and writhings and even her fear diminished and were gone, and her body was able to resume its interrupted journey. The lens of the vision pickup turned to follow her. When she reached the door, she slammed it closed and locked it with fastenings that had suddenly become familiar.
Technician, Fletcher said sharply, what are you doingTIt was obvious that she was locking the door from the inside, Cha Thrat thought irritably. Probably the Captain meant why was she doing it. She tried to reply but her lips and tongue would not work. But surely her actionswould tell all of them that she, it, both of them, did not wish to be disturbed.
They were all talking at once again. She had to bend the earpiece back to reduce the sudden howl of translator oscillation that was making it difficult to think. The vision pickup was still following her and they must have realized the significance of her action because the babble died quickly and became one voice.
Friend Cha, Prilicla said, listen to me carefully. Some kind of parasitic life-form has attached itself to you and the quality of your emotional radiation is changing. Try, try hard to pull it off and get out of there before your condition worsens.”
I'm all right, Cha Thrat protested. Honestly, I feel fine. Just leave me alone until I can—”
But your thoughts and feelings aren't your own anymore, Murchison broke in. Fight, dammit! Try to keep control of your mind. At least try to open that door again so we won't waste time burning through it when we get to you.”
No, the Captain said firmly. I'm very sorry, Technician, they aren't leaving this ship...”
The argument that ensued immediately overloaded Cha Thrat's translator again, which made it impossible for her to talk to any of them. But there were parts of it,particularly when Fletcher was speaking in its ruler's voice, that she heard clearly.
The Captain was reminding them, and calling on Prili-cla to support it, that the strictest possible rules of quarantine governed this situation. They had encountered a life-form that absorbed the memory, personality, and intelligence of its victims and left them like mindless animals. Moreover, judging by their recent observations of Technician Cha Thrat, the things were capable of adapting to and quickly controlling any life-form.
By then nobody was trying to interrupt Fletcher as it went on. This could mean that they are not native to the planet of the FGHJs, that they may have come aboard anywhere, and are capable of doing this to the members of every intelligent species in the Federation! I don't know what drives them, why they're content to suck out the intelligence of their victims instead of feeding on the bodies, and I don't even want to think about it. Or about how, or how rapidly, they can reproduce themselves. There are dozens of them in the room with Cha Thrat, and they're so small that more of them could be hidden in odd corners all over the ship.
Until we get a properly equipped and protected decontamination squad in there, Fletcher went on, I have no choice but to seal and place a guard on the boarding tube. This is something completely new to our experience, and it may well be that the hospital will advise the complete destruction of the ship, and its contents.
If you will all think about it for a moment, the Captain ended, sounding very unhappy with itself, you will realize that we cannot take the slightest risk of that life-form getting onto this ship, or running loose in Sector General.”
There was silence for several moments while theythought about it, and Cha Thrat thought about the strange thing that had happened, and was still happening, to her.
While trying to help Rhone she had experienced a joining, and with it the shock and disorientation and excitement of having her mind invaded, but not taken over, by a personality that was completely alien to her. The effect had been rendered even stranger and more frightening by the fact that the Gogleskan's mind had also contained material from a previous joining with a mind whose memories were even more confusing, those of the Earth-human Conway. But this sensation was entirely different. The approach and entry was gentle, reassuring, and even pleasant, giving her the feeling that it was a process perfected after a lifetime of experience. But like herself, this invader seemed to be badly confused by the contents of her part-Sommaradvan, part-Gogleskan, and part Earth-human mind and, because of that confusion, it was having trouble controlling her body. She was still not sure of its intentions, but quite certain that she was still herself and that she was learning more and more about it with every passing second.
Murchison was the first to break the silence. It said, We have protective suits and cutting torches. Why don't we decontaminate that compartment ourselves and burn them all, including the one on the technician's neck, and get Cha Thrat back here for treatment while it still has some of its mind left? The hospital people can finish the decontamination when we—”
No, the Captain said firmly. If any of you medics go onto that ship, you won't be allowed back here.”
Cha Thrat did not want to join in because speaking would involve a minor mental effort and consequent disruption in an area of her mind that she wished to remain receptive. Instead, she moved her lower arms inthe Sign of Waiting, then realizing that it meant nothing to non-Sommaradvans, held up one hand palm forward in the Earth-human equivalent.
I am confused, Prilicla said suddenly. Friend Cha is not feeling pain or mental distress. It is wanting something very badly, but the emotional radiation is characteristic of a source trying very hard to maintain calm and to control its other feelings...”
But it isn't in control, Murchison broke in. Look at the way it was moving its arms about. You're forgetting that its feelings and emotions aren't its own.”
You, friend Murchison, are not the emotion-sensitive here, Prilicla said in the gentlest possible of reproofs. Friend Cha, try to speak. What do you want us to do?”
She wanted to tell them to stop talking and leave her alone, but she desperately needed their help and that reply would have given rise to more questions, interruptions, and mental dislocations. Her mind was a bubbling stew of thoughts, impressions, experiences, and memories that concerned not only her own past on Sommar-adva and Sector General, but those of Healer Khone and Diagnostician Conway. The new occupant was blundering about like an intruder lost in a large, richly furnished but imperfectly lit household, examining some items and shying away from others. This, Cha Thrat knew, was not the time to leave it alone.
But if she answered a few of their questions, said just enough to keep them quiet and make them do what she wanted, that might be the best course.
I am not in danger, Cha Thrat said carefully, or in any physical or emotional distress. I can regain full control of my mind and body any time I wish it, but choose not to because I don't want to risk breaking mental contact by talking for too long. As quickly as possible I wantSenior Physician Prilicla and Pathologist Murchison to join me. The FGHJs are not important right now. Neither is the anesthetic or the search for the other survivor because—”
'Wo.' Fletcher broke in, sounding as if it was about to be physically nauseous. Those things are intelligent. Do you see the insidious way they are trying to get the technician to reassure us and then entice us over to them? No doubt when you two are taken over there will be even better reasons for the rest of us to join you, or you to return here and leave Rhabwar's crew in the same condition as the FGHJs. No, there will be no more victims.”
Cha Thrat tried not to listen to the interruption because it set off trains of thought in her mind that were unsettling the new occupant and kept it from communicating properly with her. Very carefully she lifted her rear medial arm and bent it so that the large digit was pointing at the thing clinging to the back of her neck.
This is the survivor, she said, the only survivor.”
Suddenly the stranger in her mind was feeling a measure of satisfaction and reassurance, as if it had at last succeeded in making its need understood, and she found that she could speak without the fear of it going away, fading, and perhaps dying on her.
It is very ill, she went on, but it was able to regain mobility and consciousness for a short time when I entered the compartment. That was when it decided to make a last, desperate try to obtain help for its friends and the host creatures in their charge. The first, fumbled attempts to make contact were the reason for my uncoordinated limb movements. Only within the past few minutes has it realized that it is the only survivor.”
None of them, not even the Captain, was saying aword now. She continued. That is why I need Prilicla to monitor its emotional radiation at close range, and Mur-chison to investigate its dead friends, in the hope of finding out what killed them and finding a cure before its own condition becomes terminal—”
No, the Captain said again. It sounds like a good story, and especially intriguing to a bunch of e-t medics, but it could still be a ruse to get mental control of more of our people. I'm sorry, Technician, we can't risk it.”
Prilicla said gently, Friend Fletcher makes a good point. And you yourself know that the Captain's arguments are valid because you observed the mindless condition of the FGHJs after these creatures left them. Friend Cha, I, too, am sorry.”
It was Cha Thrat's turn to be silent as she tried to find a solution that would satisfy them. Somehow she had not expected the gentle little empath to be so tough.
Finally she said, Physically the creature is extremely debilitated and I could quite easily remove it to demonstrate its lack of physical control over me, but such a course might kill it. However, if I was to demonstrate my normal physical coordination by leaving this compartment and descending four levels, where we would be clear of the emotional interference from the FGHJs, and if I were to urge the creature to remain conscious until then, would the Cinrusskin empathic faculty be able to detect whether its emotional radiation was that of a highly intelligent and civilized being, or the kind of mental predator that seems to be scaring you out of your wits?”
Four levels down is just one deck above the boarding tube... began the Captain, but Prilicla cut it short.
I could detect the difference, friend Cha, it said, ifI was close enough to the life-form concerned. I'll meet you there directly.”
There was another howl of oscillation from her translator. When it faded Prilicla was saying Friend Fletcher, as the senior medical officer present it is my responsibility to make sure whether the life-form attached to Cha Thrat is the patient and not the disease. However, my species prides itself in being the most timid and cowardly in the Federation, and all possible precautions will be taken. Friend Cha, set the vision pickup to show if any of those life-forms try to leave the compartment and follow you. If any of them do, I shall return at once to Rhabwar and seal the boarding tube. Is that understood?”
Yes, Senior Physician, said Cha Thrat.
If anything suspicious occurs while I am with you, it went on, even if I am able to avoid capture and still appear to be my own self, friend Fletcher will seal the tube and put the quarantine procedure into immediate effect.
We need as much information on this life-form as you can give us, it ended. Please continue, friend Cha, we are recording. I'm leaving now.”
And I'm going with you, Murchison said firmly. If this is the ship's only survivor, one of a newly discovered intelligent species and possible future member of the Federation, Thorny will walk on me with all six of its feet if I let it die. Danalta and Naydrad can stay here in case we have need of special equipment and to watch the vision pickup. And in case the little beastie isn't as friendly as Cha Thrat insists it is, I'll add a heavy-duty cutting torch to my instruments so that I can protect your back. .
Thank you, friend Murchison, Prilicla said, but no.”
But yes, Senior Physician, the Pathologist replied. With respect, you have the rank but not the muscles : stop me.”
Impatiently Cha Thrat said, if you want to be able to detect any conscious emotional radiation, please hurry. The patient needs urgent attention...”
There was an immediate objection from Fletcher regarding her unjustified use of the word patient. She ignored it and, trying her best to describe the thoughts and images that had been placed with so much effort in her mind, went on to outline the case history of the survivor and the history of its species.
They came from a world that even the Sommaradvan, Gogleskan, and Earth-human components of her mind considered beautiful, a planet so bountiful that the larger species of fauna did not have to struggle for survival and did not, for that reason, develop intelligence. But from the earliest times, when all life was in the oceans, a species evolved capable of attaching itself to a variety of native life-forms. They formed a symbiotic partnership in which the host creature was directed to the best sources of food while the weak and relatively tiny parasite had the protection of its larger mount as well as the mobility that enabled it to seek out its own, less readily available food supply. By the time the host creatures left the oceans to become large and unintelligent land animals, the mutually profitable arrangement continued and the parasite had become very intelligent indeed.
The earliest recorded history told of vain attempts to nurture intelligence in many different species of host creature. The native, six-limbed FGHJ life-form with its ability to work in a wide variety of materials, when aparasite was directing its hands, was favored above all the others.
But more and more they had wished for mind-partners they could not control, beings who would argue and debate and contribute new ideas and viewpoints, rather than creatures who were little more than general-purpose, self-replenishing organic tools with the ability to see, hear, and manipulate to order.
With these tools they built great cities and manufacturing complexes and vessels that circumnavigated their world, flew in the atmosphere above it, and, ultimately crossed the terrible and wonderful emptiness between the stars. But the cities, like their starships, were functional and unbeautiful because they had been built by and for the comfort and use of beings without any appreciation of beauty, and whose animal needs were satisfied by food, warmth, and regular satisfaction of the urge to procreate. Like valuable tools they had to be properly maintained, and many of them were well loved with the affection that a civilized being feels for a faithful but nonintelligent pet.
But the parasites had their own special needs that in no respect resembled those of their hosts, whose animal habits and undirected behavior were highly repugnant to them. It was vital to their continued mental well-being that the masters escaped periodically from their hosts to lead their own lives—usually during the hours of darkness when the tools were no longer in use and could be quartered where they could not harm themselves. This they did in the small, quiet, private places, tiny areas of civilization and culture and beauty amid the ugliness of the cities, where their families nested and they were separated from the host creatures by everything but distance.
It had long been an accepted fact among them that nc creature or culture could avoid stagnation if it did not; outside its family or its tribe or, ultimately, its world. Ir their continuing search for other intelligent beings like or totally unlike themselves, many extrasolar planets had been discovered and small colonies established on them, but none of the indigenous life-forms possessed intelligence and had become just so many sets of other-species tools.
Because of an intense aversion to allowing themselves to be touched by the proxy hands of a nonintelligent creature, their medical science catered chiefly to the needs of their hosts and did not include surgery. The result was that when one of their own-planet tools contracted a disease that, to it, was mildly debilitating, the effect on the parasite was often lethal.
Cha Thrat paused for a moment and raised one of her upper hands to support the weight of the parasite. Sensation had returned to her neck and she felt that the creature's tendrils were loosening and pulling free. She could hear Prilicla and Murchison on the deck below.
That is what happened to their ship, she went on. The host FGHJs caught something that caused a mild, undulant fever, and recovered. The parasites, with this one exception, perished. But before they returned to their own quarters to die, they placed their now-undirected host creatures in places where food was available and they would not injure themselves, in the hope that help would reach the host creatures in time. The survivor, who seemed to have a partial resistance to the disease, rendered the vessel safe and accessible to rescuers, released the distress beacon, and returned to the ship's Nest to comfort its dying friends.
But the effort to do this work, Cha Thrat went on, talking directly to Prilicla and Murchison who were nowcoming up the ramp toward her, was too much for its host, an aging FGHJ of whom it was particularly fond, and the creature had a sudden cardiac malfunction and died inside the Nest, The distress signal was answered not by one of their own ships, but by Rhabwar she concluded, and the rest we know.”
Prilicla did not reply and Murchison moved to one side, keeping the thin tube of its cutting torch aimed at the back of Cha Thrat's neck. Nervously the Pathologist said, I'd need to check it with my scanner, of course, but I'd say physiological classification DTRC. It's very similar to the DTSB symbiotes some FGLIs wear for fine surgical work. In those cases it's the parasite who supplies the digits and the Tralthan the brains, although there are some OR nurses who would argue about that...”
It broke off as Cha Thrat said, I have been trying to relinquish control of my speech centers so that it would be able to talk to you directly through me, but it is much too weak and is only barely conscious, so I must be its voice. It already knows from my mind who you are, and it is Crelyarrel, of the third division of Trennchi, of the one hundred and seventh division of Yau, and of the four hundred and eighth subdivision of the great Villa of the Rhiim. I cannot properly describe its feelings in words, but there is joy at the knowledge that the Rhiim are not the only intelligent species in the Galaxy, sorrow that this wonderful knowledge will die with it, and apologies for anxiety it caused us by—”
I know what it is feeling, Prilicla said gently, and suddenly they were washed by a great, impalpable wave of sympathy, friendship, and reassurance. We are happy to meet you and learn of your people, friend Crel-yarrel, and we will not allow you to die. Let go now, little friend, and rest, you are in good hands.”
Still radiating its emotional support, it went on briskly. Put away that cutting torch, friend Murchison, and go with the patient and friend Cha to the Rhiim quarters. It will feel more comfortable there, and you have much work to do on its dead friends. Friend Fletcher, preparations will have to be made at the hospital to receive this new life-form. Be ready to send a long hypersignal to Thornnastor as soon as we have a clearer idea of the clinical picture. Friend Naydrad, stand by with the litter in case we need special equipment here, or for the transport of DTRC cadavers to Rhabwar for investigation—”
No! the Captain said.
Murchison spoke a few words of a kind not normally used by an Earth-human female, then went on. Captain, we have a patient here, in very serious condition, who is the sole survivor of a disease-stricken ship. You know as well as I that in this situation, you do exactly as Prilicla tells you.”
No, Fletcher repeated. In a quieter but no less firm voice it went on. I understand your feelings, Pathologist. But are they really yours? You still haven't convinced me that that thing is harmless. I'm remembering those crew members and, well, it might be pretending to be sick. It could be controlling, or at least influencing, the minds of all of you. The quarantine regulations remain in force. Until the Diagnostician-in-Charge of Pathology, or more likely the decontamination squad clears it, nothing or nobody leaves that ship.”
Cha Thrat was supporting Crelyarrel in three of her small, upper hands. The DTRC's body, now that she knew it for what it was, no longer looked or felt repug-nant to her. The control tendrils hung limply between her LF002digits and the color of its skin was lightening and beginning to resemble that of its dead friends in the Rhiim nest. Had it to die, too, she wondered sadly, because two different people held opposing viewpoints that they both knew to be right?Proving one of them wrong, especially when the being concerned was a ruler, would have serious personal repercussions, and she was beginning to wonder if she had always been as right as she thought she had been. Perhaps her life would have been happier if, on Sommar-adva and at Sector General, she had been more doubtful about some of her certainties.
Friend Fletcher, Prilicla said quietly. As an empath I am influenced by feelings of everyone around me. Now I accept that there are beings who, by word or deed or omission, can give outward expression to emotions that they do not feel. But it is impossible for an intelligent entity to produce false emotional radiation, to lie with its mind. Another empath would know this to be so, but as a nonempath you must take my word for it. The survivor cannot and will not harm anyone.”
The Captain was silent for a moment, then it said, I'm sorry, Senior Physician. I'm still not fully convinced that it is not speaking through you and controlling your minds, and I cannot risk letting it aboard this ship.”
In this situation there was no doubt about who was right or about what she must do, Cha Thrat thought, because a gentle little being like Prilicla might not be capable of doing it.
Doctor Danalta, she said, will you please go quickly to the boarding tube and take up a position andshape that will discourage any Monitor Corps officer from sealing, dismantling, or otherwise closing it to two-way traffic. Naturally, you should try not to hurt any such officer, and I doubt that lethal weapons will be deployed against you, for no other reason than that anything powerful enough to hurt you would seriously damage the hull, but if—”
Technician!”
Even though the Captain was on Rhatiwar's control deck and at extreme range for Prilicla's empathic faculty, the feeling of outrage accompanying the word was making the little Cinrusskin quiver in every limb. Then gradually the trembling subsided as Fletcher brought his anger under control.
Very well, Senior Physician, it said coldly. Against my expressed wishes and on your own responsibility, the boarding tube will remain open. You may move freely between there and the casualty deck, but the rest of this ship will be closed to your people and that;.. that thing you insist is a survivor. The matter of Cha Thrat's gross insubordination, with the strong possibility of a charge of incitement to mutiny, will be pursued later.”
Thank you, friend Fletcher, Prilicla said. Then, switching off its mike, it went on. And you, friend Cha. You have displayed great resourcefulness as well as insubordination. But I am afraid that, even when it is proved that you acted correctly, the Captain's present feelings toward you are of the kind that I have found to be not only unfriendly but extremely long-lasting.”
Murchison did not speak until they were in the Rhiim compartment, when it paused in its scanner examination of Crelyarrel to look at her. The expression and tone of voice, Cha Thrat knew from the Earth-human component of her mind, expressed puzzlement and sympathyas it said, How can one being get into so much trouble in such a short time? What got into you, ChaThrat?”
Prilicla trembled slightly but did not speak.
Cha Thrat's arrival for her appointment with the Chief Psychologist was punctual to the second, because she had been told that O'Mara considered being too early to be as wasteful of time as being too late. But on this occasion the impunctuality, although indirectly her fault, was on O'Mara's side. The Earth-human Braithwaite, who was the sole occupant of the large outer office, explained.
I'm sorry for the delay, Cha Thrat, it said, inclining its head toward O'Mara's door, but that meeting is running late. Senior Physician Cresk-Sar and, in order of seniority, Colonel Skempton, Major Fletcher, and Lieutenant Tim-mins are with him. The door is supposed to be soundproof, but sometimes I can hear them talking about you.”
It smiled sympathetically, pointed to the nearest of the three unoccupied console desks beside it, and said, Sit there, you should find that one fairly comfortable while we're waiting for the verdict. Try not to worry, Cha Thrat, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with my work.”
Cha Thrat said that she did not mind, and was sur-prised when the screen on the desk she was occupying lit up with Braithwaite's work. She did not know what the Earth-human was doing, but while she was trying to understand it the realization came that it was deliberately giving her something to occupy her mind other than the things they were probably saying about her in the next room.
As one of the wizard's principal assistants, Braith-waite was capable of working a few helpful spells of its own.
Since her return to the hospital, Cha Thrat had been relegated to a kind of administrative hyperspace. Maintenance Department wanted nothing to do with her, the Monitor Corps ruler she had so grievously offended on Rhabwar seemed to have forgotten her very existence, and the medical training people treated her with sympathy and great care, much as they would a patient who was not expected to be long among them.
Officially there was nothing for her to do, but unofficially she had never been busier in her whole life.
Diagnostician Conway had been very pleased with her work on Goglesk, and had asked her to visit Khone as often as possible because Cha Thrat and itself were the only people that the FOKT would allow within touching distance, although that situation was beginning to change for the better. With behind-the-scenes assistance from the Chief Psychologist and Prilicla, progress was being made toward breaking down the Gogleskan racial conditioning, and Ees-Tawn was working on a miniature distorter, permanently attached to the subject and triggered automatically during the first microseconds of a distress call, which would make it impossible for the wearer to initiate one of the suicidal joinings.
O'Mara had warned them that the final solution to the Gogleskan problem might take many generations, that Khone would never be completely comfortable at the close approach or touch of another person, regardless of species, but that its offspring was already giving indications of being quite happy among strangers.
Thornnastor and Murchison had been successful in isolating and finding a specific against the pathogen affecting Crelyarrel, although they had admitted to Cha Thrat that the principal reason for its survival on the Rhiim ship was its possession of a fair degree of natural resistance. Now the little symbote was going from strength to strength, and was beginning to concern itself about the health and comfort of the FGHJ host creatures. It wanted to know how soon new Rhiim parasites could be brought to Sector General to take charge of them.
Similar questions were being asked by the group of visiting Monitor Corps officers who seemed to be ignorant of, or perhaps disinterested in, her recent insubordination on Rhabwar. They were Cultural Contact specialists investigating the ship with a view to gaining as much information as possible about the species who had caused it to be built, including the location of their planet of origin, before making a formal approach to the Rhiim on behalf of the Federation. They badly wanted to talk to the survivor.
Crelyarrel was anxious to cooperate, but the problem was that its people communicated by a combination of touch and telepathy limited to their own species. It was not yet well enough to take full control of a host crew member and, until it was able to do so, the translation computer could not be programmed with the language used by their FGHJ hosts.
Even though it was now generally accepted that the parasitic Rhiim were a highly intelligent and cultured species, none of the hospital staff were particularly eager to surrender their bodies, however temporarily, to DTRCcontrol—and the feeling was mutual. The only person that Crelyarrel would agree to take over and speak through, with her permission,, of course, was Cha Thrat.
As a result of these unofficial demands on her time, there had been little of it left for Cha Thrat to worry about her own problems.
Until now.
The muffled sounds of conversation from the inner office had died away into inaudibility, which meant, she thought, that they were either speaking quietly to each other or not speaking at all. But she was wrong, the meeting was over.
Senior Physician Cresk-S;ar silently led the way out, its hairy features unreadable. It was followed by Colonel Skempton, who made an untranslatable sound, then Rhabwar's ruler, who neither looked nor spoke, and Lieutenant Timmins, who stared at her for a moment with one eye closed before leaving. She was rising from her seat to enter the inner office when O'Mara came out.
Sit where you are, this; won't take long, it said. You, too, Braithwaite. Soramaradvans don't mind having their problems discussed before concerned witnesses, and this one certaimly has a problem. Is that deformed bird-cage you're sitting on comfortable? The problem, it went on before she could reply, is that you are an oddly shaped peg who doesn't quite fit into any of our neat little holies. You are intelligent, able, strong-minded yet adaptablle, and have experienced, seemingly without any permanent ill effects, the levels of mental trauma and disorientation that would cause many beings severe psychological! damage. You are well regarded, even respected, by some very important people here, by many with no influence at all, and disliked by a few. The latter group, chiefly Monitor Corps personneland a few of the medical staff, feel very unsure of who or what you are, and who has the seniority, while working with you.
Sometimes, Cha Thrat said defensively, I'm not sure who or what I am myself. When I am thinking like a senior person I can't help behaving like a... She stopped herself before she said too much.
Like a Diagnostician, O'Mara said drily. Oh, don't worry, this department never reveals anyone's deep, dark, and, in your case, peculiar secrets. Prilicla, when it wasn't enthusing over your behavior immediately preceding and during Rhone's delivery and on the Rhiim ship, told me about the joining it feels you underwent on Goglesk. Being Prilicla, it is anxious to avoid any painful and embarrassing incidents between its friends Conway, Murchison, and yourself, and so are we.
But the fact remains, the Chief Psychologist went on, that you shared minds with Khone who, because of an earlier sharing with Conway, gave you much of the knowledge and experience of a Sector General Diagnostician as well as a Gogleskan healer. You also became deeply involved on the mental level with one of the Rhiim parasites, not to mention some earlier prying into the mind of your Chalder friend, AUGL-One Sixteen. I'm not surprised that there are times when you aren't quite sure who or what you are. Is there any doubt about that at present?”
No, she replied, you are talking only to Cha Thrat.”
Good, O'Mara said, because it is Cha Thrat's problematical future that we must now consider. Since the business on Rhabwar, when you were not only insubordinate but completely right, the option of a career in Maintenance, even though Timmins speaks highly ofyou, is closed, as is any hope you may have had of service as a ship's medic with the Monitor Corps. Shipboard discipline is often invisible, but it is there and it is strict, and no ship commander would risk taking on a doctor with a proven record of insubordination.
The Cultural Contact people you've been helping with the Rhiim parasite, it continued, are less discipline-oriented than the others, and they are impressed with you and are grateful enough to offer you a spot on your home planet, after the disciplinary dust has had a chance to settle, of course. What would you say to returning to Sommaradva?”
Cha Thrat made an untranslatable sound and O'Mara said drily, I see. But the medical and surgical options are also closed to you. In spite of the respect in which are held by many of the senior staff, nobody wants a know-it-all trainee nurse on their wards who is likely to say or do something that will suggest that its Charge Nurse or doctor on duty are, well, clinically incorrect. And while you have influence in high places, that also could disappear if the truth about your Gogleskan mind-swap became common knowledge.”
Cha Thrat was wondering if there was anything she could do or say that would halt the relentless closing down of her options, when Braithwaite looked up from its display.
Excuse me, sir, it said. But from my knowledge of the personalities involved, Conway, Rhone, and Prilicla are unlikely to discuss it among anyone but themselves, and Murchison, who is a very intelligent entity indeed, will do likewise when she realizes the truth or learns it from her life-mate. Her psych profile indicates the presence of a well-developed sense of humor, and it might well be that the thought of an other-species entity, andanother female at that, looking upon her with the same libidinous feelings as those of her life-mate, Conway, would be funnier than it was embarrassing. Naturally, I would not suggest that any of these misdirected feelings would be translated into action, but certain entertaining sexual fantasies could arise that would illuminate the whole area of interspecies—”
Braithwaite, O'Mara said quietly, it is talk like that which gives people the wrong impression about e-t psychologists.
As for you, Cha Thrat, it went on, I decided a long time ago that there was only one position here that suited your particular talents. Once again you will start as a trainee, at the bottom, and advancement will be slow because your chief is very hard to please. It is a difficult and often thankless job that will cause irritation to most people, but then you've become used to that. You will have a few compensations, like being able to poke your olfactory orifices into everyone else's business whenever you think it necessary. Do you accept?”
Suddenly Cha Thrat's pulse was clearly audible to her and she was finding it difficult to breathe. I—I don't understand, she said.
O'Mara took a deep breath, then exhaled through its nose and said, You do understand, Cha Thrat. Don't pretend to be stupid when you aren't.”
I do understand, she agreed, and I am most grateful. The delay was due to a combination of initial disbelief and consideration of the implications. You are saying that I am to learn the skills of nonmaterial healing, the casting of spells, and that 1 am to become a trainee wizard.”
Something like that, the Chief Psychologist said. It glanced at the display on her desk and added, I see thatIyou've already been exposed to the senior staff psych chart amendment procedure. It is routine, unexciting but very necessary work. Braithwaite has been trying to unload the job on someone for months.”
About the Authorjames white was bom in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and resides there, though he spent his early years in Canada. His first story was printed in 1953. He has since published well-received short stories, novellas, and novels, but he is best known for the Sector General series, which deals with the difficulties involved in running a hospital that caters to many radically different life-forms.