not in sequence. That is, the ones which were separated by the hibernation
compartments whose occupants died. We are now sure that the being is a group
entity whose individual members are independently intelligent and may be capable
of linking up naturally to their adjoining group members when the conditions are
right. This is the theory, sir, but it requires experimental verification.
“The entities who are out of sequence could pose serious problems,” Conway
concluded. “They will have to be removed from their hibernation compartments and
presented to each other so that I may determine the extent of the surgical work
involved in reassembling the group entity.”
“Sooner you than me, Doctor,” Dermod said with a brief grimace of sympathy. “But
what exactly do you need?”
He is like O’Mara, Conway thought, impatient with confused thinking. He said,
“I need two small ships to bring in the CRLT segments I shall specify and to
return them to their places in the coil. Also a large cargo hold which can
accommodate two of the hibernation cylinders joined end to end and the two
beings which will be withdrawn from them. The hold is to be fitted with
artificial gravity grids and nonmaterial restraints in case the conscious CRLTs
become confused and aggressive, and personnel to operate this equipment. I know
this will mean using the cargo lock and hold in one of the largest ships, but I
require only the hold; the vessel can go about its assigned duties.”
“Thank you,” the Fleet Commander said dryly, then paused while someone offscreen
spoke quietly to him. He went on, “You may use the forward hold in Descartes,
which will also provide the personnel and its two planetary landers for fetching
and carrying your CRLTs. Is there anything else?”
Conway shook his head. “Only an item of news, sir. The Federation archivists
think they have found the CRLTs home planet, although it is no longer habitable
due to major orbital changes and associated large-scale seismic disturbances.
The Department of Colonization has a new home for them in mind
and will give us the coordinates as soon as they are absolutely sure that the
environment and the CRLTs physiological classification are compatible. So we
have somewhere to take Humpty-Dumpty when we’ve put it together again.
“However,” Conway ended very seriously, “all the indications are that this was
not simply a colony ship which ran into trouble, but a planetary lifeboat
carrying the last surviving members of the race.”
Conway stared anxiously around the enormous interior of Descartes’s forward hold
and thought that if he had known there were going to be so many sightseers he
would have asked for a much larger operating theater. Fortunately one-of them
was the ship’s commanding officer, Colonel Okaussie, who kept the others from
getting in the way and ensured that the area of deck containing the two joined
hibernation cylinders was clear except for Murchison, Naydrad, Prilicla,
Fletcher, and Okaussie himself. Conway was sure of one thing: Whether the
initial CRLT link-up attempt was a success or a failure, there would be no
chance at all of keeping the result a secret.
He wet his lips and said quietly, “Uncouple the cylinders and move the joined
faces three meters apart. Bring the artificial gravity up to Earth-normal,
slowly, and the atmosphere to normal pressure and composition for the life-form.
You have the figures.”
The fabric of his lightweight spacesuit began to settle against Conway’s body
and there was mounting pressure against the soles of his feet as he watched the
facing ends of the two cylinders. Then abruptly the circular endplates jumped
out of their slots to clank onto the deck and come to rest like enormous,
spinning coins. The hibernation cylinders were now open at both ends, enabling
the two CRLTs to move toward or away from each other, or from one compartment to
the next.
“Neat!” Fletcher said. “When the coilship is spinning in its space-traveling
mode, centrifugal force holds the being against the outboard surface of the
cylinder, and when the spin ceases in the presence of real gravity and an
atmosphere the airtight seals drop away, the individual compartments are opened
to all of the others and the beastie, the complete group entity, that is, exits