“A not entirely comforting theory, friend Fletcher,” said Prilicla. “It infers that there are other species, or perhaps other members of their own species, who wanted to attack it. Why? Do they consider it a threat of some kind, or their prey? Either way, they were able to inflict heat and blast damage. Remember, offensive weapons were used against this vessel.”
“I know,” said the captain. It continued pulling itself along the netting for a moment before it added, “But I’m beginning to wonder about that, too.”
It did not elaborate although its emotional radiation was characteristic of a mind engaged in intense cerebration. Dodds reported finding another large hatch, presumably used for loading fuel or cargo, close to the stern thrusters, then it rejoined them while they were still halfway along the central walkway and heading forward. There it was that a robot crew member—perhaps the same one, Prilicla suggested quietly, or maybe it was the only one—emerged from a side walkway and began pulling itself rapidly along the netting to meet them. It stopped about five meters from the captain, who was in the lead, and spread itself out starfish-fashion with its six hands gripping strands of the netting and barring their path towards the control section.
“The last time this happened, Doctor,” Fletcher said, “you were alone, you gave it a gentle push, and it moved back. Presumably the action was not meant as an obstruction so much as a warning to move carefully. Do you agree? I’ll try a very gentle push, with my feet. In case it tries to shock me, my boots have thicker insulation.”
The captain moved close, spread out its hands to grasp the netting on both sides to stabilize itself, then very slowly and carefully brought its feet forward to stop a few inches from the center of the robot’s body. Its push was gentle to the point of imperceptibility.
There was no response. It pushed a little harder, then with steadily increasing pressure, but the robot only clung more tightly to the netting without moving back an inch.
“Friend Fletcher,” said Prilicla, “move back a little and let me past.”
Without speaking but radiating puzzlement and impatience, the other did so and flattened itself against the netting while Prilicla’ s pressure globe squeezed past. A few seconds later he touched the robot’s body gently. Immediately it released its grip on the netting and moved back slowly towards Control. Prilicla likewise, but as soon as Fletcher and Dodds began to follow him it barred the way again. The meaning of its action was plain.
“Why will it allow you past and not us?” said the captain “Does it think Earth-humans are stronger and more of a physical threat to it than a Cinrusskin? It’s right, of course. But I’ve made no threatening moves towards it or … I don’t understand this.”
“Maybe it doesn’t like you, sir,” said Dodds, laughing nervously, “because your feet’s too big.”
Fletcher ignored its lieutenant’s insubordination as well as the anxiety that had caused it, and said, “With respect, I don’t intend to wait here doing nothing while you and your robot friend socialize. Dodds and I will follow you to the next intersection, then we’ll try to find other walkways that will take us around to the control section. Earlier you suggested that our metal friend might be the only surviving crew member. If you’re right, then it can’t bar our movements and stay with you at the same time. Keep your communicator channel open at all times, Doctor, and have fun.”
The robot hesitated in obvious indecision when the two officers turned into a side walkway, although Prilicla could not detect the emotional radiation that should have accompanied it at such short range. But its movements were communicating feelings—someone or something else’s feelings—in a subtle form of body language that he could read. There was a tenuous wisp of emotional radiation in the area, much too faint to be readable, and he was now quite sure that this robot was a highly sophisticated construct of limited intelligence which was little more than the hands and eyes of an entity who, for reasons still to be discovered, could not move.