their own feelings and those of the beings around them. The indications were
that the faculty had evolved to the stage where they had no conscious control
over the process.
“Think of the defensive weapon that makes,” Conway explained. The EGCL’s life
support and sensors had been transferred to the litter and it was ready to
leave. “If a predator tries to attack it, the anger and hunger it feels for its
victim together with the fear and pain, if the victim was hurt or wounded, would
be magnified, bounced back, and figuratively hit the attacker in the teeth. I
can only guess at the order of emotional amplification used. But the effect on
the predator, especially
if there were others in the vicinity whose feelings were also being amplified,
would be discouraging to say the least, also very confusing. It might have the
effect of having them attack each other.
“We already know the effect of a deeply unconscious EGCL on the patients and
staff three levels above and below this one,” Conway went on grimly. “Now
consciousness is returning and I don’t know what will happen, or how
far-reaching the effect will be. We have to get it away from here before the
hospital’s patients have their own as well as the EGCL’s pain magnified to an
unknown but major degree, and their medical attendants thrown into a steadily
accelerating state of disorder and panic because they, too, will receive the
reflected pain and—”
He broke off and tried to control his own growing panic, then he said harshly,
“We have to get it away from the hospital now, without further delays or
arguments.”
O’Mara’s face had lost its angry red coloration while Con-way had been talking,
until now it looked gray and bloodless. He said, “Don’t waste time talking,
Doctor. I shall accompany you. There will be no further delays or arguments.”
When- they reached Rhabwar’s Casualty Deck the EGCL was still not fully
conscious and Prilicla was again being seriously affected by the ambient
emotional radiation which was being amplified and bounced off their patient. The
discomfort diminished sharply with increasing distance from the hospital, the
empath told them, and the awakening EGCL was radiating only a relatively low
intensity of discomfort from the sites of the recent surgery—but Prilicla did
not have to tell them that because they could all feel it for themselves.
“I have been thinking about the problem of communicating with these people,”
O’Mara said thoughtfully. “If they are all high-powered transmitters and
reflectors of emotional radia-they may not be aware of what they are doing, only
that ave an automatic, nonmaterial defense against everything and everyone
wishing them harm. The job of establishing com-munications with them may not be
easy and is likely to be a
long-range affair, unless our basic premise is wrong and we—”
“My first idea,” Conway broke in, “was to put it in the lander with
remote-controlled medical servomechs. Then I
thought there should be one medic, a volunteer, in atten-dance—”
“I won’t ask who,” O’Mara said dryly, and smiled as Con-way’s embarrassment
bounced off the EGCL and hit them.
“—because if ever there was case demanding isolation,” Conway ended, “this is
it.”
The Chief Psychologist nodded. “What I had been about to say was that we may
have miscalculated. Certainly we could never treat EGCLs in hospital where the
patients surrounding them were in pain, even slight pain. But the situation here
in the ship isn’t too bad. I can feel pains in the equivalent sites to where the
EGCL is hurting, but nothing I can’t handle. And the rest of you are emoting
concern; for the patient, and this is not unpleasant even when magnified. It
seems that if you don’t think badly toward the patient, it can’t bounce anything
too unpleasant back at you. It’s surprising. 1 feel just the way I always do,
except more so.”
“But it is regaining consciousness,” Conway protested. “There should be an
intensification of—”
“There isn’t,” O’Mara cut in. “That is very obvious, Con-way. Could the reason
be because the patient is regaining consciousness? Think about it. Yes, Doctor,
we can all feel you feeling ‘Eureka!'”
“Of courser Conway said, and paused because his pleasure and excitement at