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.”
Chapter 18
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
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