“There are feelings of intense discomfort, friend Conway,” the empath said,
trembling violently. “Also of confusion, disappointment, and rejection. There
is background emotion, a combination of anxiety and curiosity, which is probably
regarding their present surroundings.”
Because he could think of nothing to say, Conway moved to a position directly
between the forward and rear interfaces of the two CRLTs. He did not consider
the position dangerous because, if Prilicla’s emotional readings were correct,
they were unlikely to come together. He began examining the two interfaces, both
visually and with his x-ray scanner, and taking measurements. A few minutes
later Murchison joined him, and
Prilicla dropped to hover cautiously a few meters above the area.
“Even with unaided vision you can see that the two interfaces are not
compatible,” Conway said worriedly. “There are three areas which cannot be made
to join without surgical intervention. But I am reluctant to start cutting
without having a clearer idea of how to proceed. 1 wish I could obtain the
consent and cooperation of the patients.”
“That might be difficult,” Colonel Okaussie said. “But I could have my men try
to—”
“Lift them on tractor beams and force another contact,” Conway finished for him.
“I need one more attempted joining, at least, with vision recorders catching it
in close-up from the anterior, posterior, and lateral aspects. I also need
Prilicla to monitor their emotional radiation closely during the attempt so that
we will know which particular areas give the most discomfort and are,
therefore, most in need of surgical attention. During surgery, instead of using
an anesthetic, we can return them into hibernation. Yes, Doctor?”
“Have you considered, friend Conway—” began Prilicla, but Conway cut it short.
“Little friend,” he said, “I know of old your roundabout manner of expressing
disagreement as well as your feelings regarding the causing of unnecessary
discomfort to patients, and you know that I share those feelings. But much as I
dislike causing pain, in this case it is necessary.”
“Doctor Con way,” Colonel Okaussie said, with an impatient edge to his tone, “a
few moments ago I had been about to suggest that since the beings are fully
conscious, intelligent, and their visual range is similar to our own, we should
be able to obtain their cooperation by explaining the situation to them
graphically. I think it is worth a try.”
“It most certainly is,” Conway said. He caught Fletcher’s eye and muttered, “Now
why didn’t I think of that?”
Descartes’s commanding officer smiled and said, “I’ll have a projection screen
set up as quickly as possible, Doctor.” Conway began assembling the instruments
he would need while Murchison and Naydrad took over the job of measuring the
interfaces and Prilicla hovered above them radiating reassurance to the
patients.
It was a large screen, set between the angle of the*ceiling and the aft wall of
the hold so that the dorsally mounted eyes of both CRLTs would be able to view
it without distortion. Descartes’s officers were specialists in e-t
communications and the presentation was short, simple, and very much to the
point. The opening sequence was familiar since it was part of the material the
Fleet Commander had used during his recent briefing to Conway. It showed a
diagrammatic reconstruction of the CRLTs great, coillike interstellar transport
complete with central stem, coil supporting structure, thrusters, and guidance
system moving slowly against a starry backdrop. Suddenly a large meteor appeared
at the edge of the screen, heading directly’ for the coilship. It struck, moving
along the inside of the coil and carrying away the thrusters, guidance system,
and all of the central supporting structure for the continuous spiral of
hibernation compartments. The impact shook the coil apart, and the individual
hibernation cylinders, because of the vessel’s rotation, went flying off in all
directions like shrapnel from a slow-motion explosion.
Because of the greater rigidity of the structure aft, the shock in this area was
much more severe and the casualties among the hibernating CRLTs were heavy; the
cylinders whose occupants had not survived were shown in red. Then there was a
two-minute shot of the scene as it actually was, with Vespasian, Claudius and
Descartes with a shoal of smaller vessels busy reassembling the coil followed by