“Bartlett?”
“Sir?”
“What about your department?”
It dawned on me that we were the key department-us freaks. When we fell out of touch, he had to turn back. I was tempted to say that we had all gone deaf, but I knew I couldn’t get away with it. So I stalled.
“As you pointed out, sir, we are in touch with Earth.”
“Very well.” His eyes turned toward Dr. Pandit.
“Just a moment, Captain,” I insisted. “There’s more to it.”
“Eh? State it.”
“Well, this next jump is about thirty years, isn’t it? Greenwich I mean.”
“Of that order. Somewhat less.”
“ ‘Of that order.’ There are three special communicators left, myself, Unc-I mean Mr. McNeil-and Mei-Ling Travers. I think you ought to count Unc out.”
“Why?”
“Because he has his original telepartner and she is now as old as he is. Do you think Unc will live another thirty years?”
“But it won’t be thirty years for him-oh, sorry! I see your point. She would be well past a hundred if she lived at all. Possibly senile.”
“Probably, sir. Or more likely dead.”
“Very well, we won t count McNeil. That leaves two of you. Plenty for essential communication.
“I doubt it, sir. Mei-Ling is a poor bet. She has only a secondary linkage and her partner is over thirty, with no children. Based on other telepairs, I would say that it is most unlikely that they will stay in rapport through another peak … not a thirty-year one.”
“That still leaves yourself.”
I thought suddenly that if I had the guts to jump over the side, they could all go home. But it was just a thought; when I die, it won’t be suicide. “My own case isn’t much better, sir. My telepartner is about-” I had to stop and count up, then the answer did not seem right. “-is about nineteen, sir. No kids. No chance of kids before we peak… and I couldn’t link in with a brand-new baby anyhow. She’ll be fiftyish when we come out. So far as I know, there hasn’t been a case in the whole fleet of bridging that long a period out of rapport.”
He waited several moments before be answered. “Have you any reason to believe that it is impossible?”
“Well… no, sir. But it is extremely unlikely.”
“Hmm … do you consider yourself an authority in theory of telepathy?”
“Huh? No, sir. I am just a telepath, that’s all.”
“I think he is probably right,” put in Dr. Pandit, “are you an authority, Doctor?”
“Me, sir? As you know, my specialty is exotic pathology. But-”
“In that case, we will consult authorities Earthside. Perhaps they can suggest some way to improve our chances. Very probably, under the circumstances, the Foundation will again authorize use of drugs to reduce the possibility that our special communicators might fall out of touch during peak. Or something.”
I thought of telling him that Vicky wasn’t going to risk dangerous habit-forming drugs. Then I thought better of it. Pat had-and Vicky might.
“That is all, gentlemen. We will boost at noon tomorrow. Uh, one more thing … One of you implied that morale is not too high in the ship. That is correct and I am perhaps more aware of it than you are. But morale will shake down to normal and we will best be able to forget the losses we have suffered if we all get quickly back to work. I want only to add that you all, as senior officers of this ship, have most to do with morale by setting an example. I am sure that you will.” He stood up.
I don’t know how news travels in a ship but by the time I got down to the mess room everybody knew that we were boosting tomorrow … and not for home. It was buzz-buzz and yammer all over. I ducked out because I didn’t want to discuss it; my thoughts were mixed. I thought the Captain was insisting on one more jump from which he couldn’t possibly report his results, if any-and with a nice fat chance that none of us would ever get home. On the other hand I admired the firm way he faced us up to our obligations and brushed aside panic. He had guts.