question. In order, to make accidental operation impossible for non-Nidian
digits, the tunnel controls *ere in the form of six recessed buttons, which had
to be Depressed in a certain sequence. MacEwan would have to use -.stylus or
something similar to operate them because his Earthly fingers were too thick. He
listened carefully, signaled that he understood, then returned to the
casualties.
Grawlya-Ki had heard MacEwan’s half of the shouted con-versation and had found
two lengths of metal. It was using one
of them to attack the console when he arrived. The metal was a strong-enough
alloy, but lacked the necessary weight and inertia. The metal bounced or skidded
off the cover every time they swung at it, without leaving a mark.
Damn the Nidians and their superhard plastics! MacEwan raged. He tried to lever
off the cover, but the join was almost invisible and the fastenings were flush
with the console pedestal. He swore and tried again.
The Orligian did not speak because it was coughing all the time now, and the
chlorine was affecting its eyes so badly that more often than not its blows
missed the console altogether. MacEwan was beginning to feel an impairment in
his own air supply, as if the tank were nearly empty and he was sucking at air
which was not there, instead drawing in the contaminated air of the lounge
through the edges of his mask.
Around them the casualties were still moving, but jerkily, as if they were
struggling in the final stages of asphyxiation. The movements were not helping
their injuries. Only the two Hudlars were motionless; their six tentacular limbs
supported them just a few inches above the floor. MacEwan raised the metal bar
high, stood on his toes, and brought it down-as hard as he could.
He grunted in pain as the shock jarred his arms from wrist to shoulders and the
bar slipped out of his hands. He swore again and looked around helplessly.
The Colonel was watching him through his glass-walled office. Through the inner
wall of the lounge MacEwan could see the cameras of the Nidian TV networks
watching him, listening and recording every word and cough and groan of those
inside. Beyond the outer wall, now that the dust had settled and most of the
intervening draperies had been pulled down, he could see the crews of the heavy
Nidian towing vehicles watching him. He had only to signal to the Colonel and
the emergency team would drag out the damaged transporter and medics would be
attending the casualties within a few minutes.
But how would the fllensans as a species react to that? They were highly
advanced technologically, occupying scores of colony worlds which they had had
to adapt to their environmental needs, and, despite being the most widely
traveled race in the
Federation, they were a virtually unknown quantity because their worlds were so
dangerous and unpleasant that few , indeed, were the visitors they received.
Would they hold Nidia responsible for the accident and the deaths of their
people? Or the worlds of the other warm-blooded, oxygen breathers whose people
had survived at the expense of the Illensans?
And if everybody dithered and remained undecided until all but the Illensans had
died, how would the world governments of Kelgia, Traltha, Melf, Orligia, and
Earth react?
They would probably not gang up on Illensa, nor would the war start over this
incident — not officially. But the seeds would have been planted no matter which
races were saved or sacrificed, or even if all of them died. It would start,
not because anyone wanted it, but because of a highly improbable accident with a
number of contributing factors most of which could have been avoided.
Even the sudden collapse of the Nidian driver at the controls of the transporter
could have been avoided by keeping closer medical checks .on the ground staff.
It had been sheer bad luck that the incident had happened when it did, and then
the too rigidly designed safety system had done the rest. But most of the deaths
would occur, MacEwan thought angrily, because of ignorance and fear — everyone
was too frightened and over-polite to have asked the offworlders for a few basic