life-support equipment was sent from Sector General or from the ship’s home
planet to assist it. But there had been instances, far more than was generally
realized, when the disasters involved beings unknown to the Federation in
urgent need of help, help which the would-be rescuers were powerless to give.
Only when the rescue ship concerned had the capability of extending its
hyperspace envelope to include the distressed vessel, or the survivors could be
extricated safely and a suitable environment provided for them within the
Federation ship, could they be transported to Sector General for treatment. The
result was that many hitherto unknown life-forms, entities of high intelligence
and advanced technology, were lost except as interesting specimens for
dissection and study.
But an answer to this problem had been sought and, hopefully, found.
“It was decided to build and equip a very special ambulance ship,” Conway
continued, “which would give priority to answering distress signals whose
positions did not agree with the flight plans filed by Federation vessels. The
First Contact people consider Rhabwar to be the near-perfect answer in that we
involve ourselves only with star^traveling species, beings who are expecting to
encounter new and to them alien life-forms and who, should they get into
trouble, would not be expected to display serious xenophobic reactions when we
try to help them. Another reason why the cultural contact people prefer meeting
star travelers to planetbound species is that they can never be sure whether
they are helping or hindering the newly discovered culture’s natural
development, giving them a technological leg up or a crushing inferiority
complex.
“Anyway,” Conway said, smiling as he pointed at Nelson’s main display where the
newly arrived scoutships covered the screen, “now you know that it is Rhabwar
which has the rank and not any member of its crew.”
Nelson was looking only slightly less impressed, but before
he could speak the voices of two scoutship commanders reporting to Rhabwar
sounded in quick succession. Both vessels had emerged from hyperspace close to
sections of alien space station and were already returning to the rendezvous
point with them in tow on long-focus tractor beams. In both cases the sections
gave sensor indications of life on board.
“The news isn’t all good, however,” Nelson said, pointing at his main display
where an enlarged picture of the section toward which they were heading filled
the screen. “That one has taken a beating and I don’t see how the occupant could
have survived.”
Conway nodded, and as the wrecked section turned slowly to present an end view,
Murchison added, “Obviously it didn’t.”
The, alien cylinder had been dented and punctured by multiple collisions with
some of the structural members which had furnished the supporting framework of
the original space station and which was still drifting nearby. Amid the loose
tangle of debris was one of the section’s circular endplates, and from the open
end of .the compartment the body of its occupant protruded like an enormous,
dessicated caterpillar.
“Can you relay ihis picture to RhabwarT Conway asked.
“If I can get a word in edgewise,” Nelson replied, glancing at his speaker,
which was carrying a continuous, muted conversation between, Fletcher and the
scoutships.
Murchison had been staring intently at the screen. She said suddenly, “It would
be a waste of time examining that cadaver out here. Can you put a tractor on it,
Captain, and take us back to RhabwarT
“We’ll need to bring back the wreck for study as well,” Conway said. “The
life-support and suspended animation systems will give us important information
on the being’s physiology and—”
“Excuse me, Doctor,” Nelson said. For several seconds the voices from Rhabwar
and the scoutships had been silent and the Captain had seized the chance to send
a message of his own. He went on, “Tyrell here. Will you accept a visual relay,
Rhabwarl Doctor Conway thinks it’s important.”
“Go ahead, Tyrell” Fletcher’s voice said. “All other traffic wait out.”
There was a long silence while Rhabwar’s Captain studied
ii I C
the image of the slowly rotating wreck and the attached cadaver, long enough
,for it to make three complete revolutions, then Fletcher spoke. The tone and
words were so uncharacteristic that they scarcely recognized his voice. “I’m a