White, James – Sector General 05 – Sector General

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