Genetic factors gen-
vvni i c
erally make for size differences among the adults of most species, so I cannot
assume that it is an adolescent or younger. Of one thing I am sure—Thornnastor
is going to enjoy itself with this one.”
“So are you,” Conway said.
She smiled tiredly and went on, “I don’t wish to give the impression that you
are not helping, Doctor. You are. But I had the distinct feeling back there that
the Captain was just being polite, and he wants to see you very urgently.”
Prilicla, who had been resting on the ceiling between trips outside to monitor
the emotional radiation of newly arrived survivors, made trilling and clicking
noises which translated as “For a nonempath, friend Murchison, your feeling was
re^ markably accurate.”
When Conway entered Control a few mintues later, both captains were present and
they looked relieved to see him. It was Nelson who spoke first.
“Doctor,” he said quickly, “I think this rescue mission is getting out of hand.
So far thirty-eight contacts have been made and the sensors report the presence
of life on all but two of them, and more cylinders are being reported every few
minutes. They are all uniform in size and the present indications are that there
are many more sections out there than would be necessary to complete one Wheel.”
“If, for technical or physiological reasons, the alien vessel had to have the
configuration of a Wheel,” Conway said thoughtfully, “then it could have been
built, as were some of our early space stations, in a series of concentric
circles, as wheels within wheels.”
Nelson shook his head. “The longitudinal curvature on all sections is identical.
Could there have been two Wheels, separate but identical vessels, which were in
collision?”
“I disagree with the collision theory,” Fletcher said, joining in for the first
time. “At least between two or more Wheels. There are far too many survivors and
undamaged sections for that. Their vessel seems to have fallen apart. I think
there was a high-velocity collision with a natural body, the shock of which
shook the hub and central support structure apart.”
Conway was trying to visualize the finished shape of this
alien jigsaw puzzle. He said, “But you still think there was more than one
Wheel?”
“Not exactly,” Fletcher replied. “Two of them mounted side by side, with a
different alien or set of aliens in each. Right now we don’t know whether we are
retrieving single aliens who have been surgically modified for travel or pieces
of much larger creatures, and we won’t know how many we are dealing with until
the scoutships begin bringing back heads and tails. I’m assuming that all of the
occupants were in suspended animation and their ship ran itself, accelerating
or decelerating along its vertical axis. If I’m right then the hub wreckage
should contain the remains of just one propulsion unit and one section which
contained the automatic navigation and sensor equipment.”
Conway nodded. “A neat theory, Captain. Is it possible to prove it?”
Fletcher smiled and said, “All of the pieces are out there, even though some of
them will be smashed into their component parts and difficult to identify, but
given time and the necessary assistance we could fit them together.”
“You mean reconstruct it?”
“Perhaps,” Fletcher replied in an oddly neutral tone. “But is it really any of
our business?”
Conway opened his mouth, intending to tell the other exactly what he thought of
a damn fool question like that, then closed it again when he saw the expressions
on both captains’ faces.
For the truth was that the situation which was developing here was no longer any
of their business. Rhabwar was an ambulance ship, designed and provisioned for
short-duration missions aimed at the rescue, emergency treatment, and transfer
to the hospital of survivors of accident or disease in space. But these
survivors did not require treatment or fast transport to the hospital. They had
been in suspended animation for a long time and would be capable of remaining in
that condition without harm for a long time to come. Reviving them and, more
important, relocating them on a suitable planet would be a major project.