neither does the crew member chained to the control couch, who nevertheless
continues to struggle violently against restraints that it could so easily
remove. It is all very puzzling, but I think we must now discard the theory that
any of these people were, prisoners under restraint.”
They were all watching her closely as she went on. “But what is affecting them?
What is it that leaves a crew member normally a responsible, highly trained
individual capable of guiding a starship, in such a state that it cannot
unfasten its couch restraints? What has rendered the other crew members
incapable of opening their own dormitory doors or finding food for themselves?
Why has their behavior degenerated to that of unthinking animals? Could
contaminated food, or the absence of specific foods, have caused this? And
before you left me, the Senior Physician suggested that an organism might have
invaded the brain tissues. Is it possible that—”
“If you will stop asking questions, Technician,” Mur-chison broke in crossly,
“I’ll have a chance to answer some of them. No, the food supply is plentiful and
contains nothing toxic to this life-form. I have analyzed and identified several
varieties carried on the ship, so you will be able to feed them when you go
back. As for the brain tissues, there are no indications of damage, circulatory
impairment, infection, or any pathological abnormality.
“I found trace quantities of a complex chemical structure that, in the
metabolism of this life-form, would act as a powerful tranquilizer. The residual
material suggests that a massive dose was absorbed perhaps three or four days
ago, and the effect has since worn off. A large sup-ply of this tranquilizer was
found in one of the cadaver’s harness pouches. So it seems that the crew members
tranquilized themselves before confining themselves to the control couch and
their dormitories.”
There was a long silence that was broken by Khone, who was holding up its
offspring where the scrawny little entity could see all the strange creatures on
the other side of its transparent panel. Cha Thrat wondered if the Gogleskan was
already trying to weaken the young one’s conditioning, even at the tender age of
two days.
Impersonally it said, “It is hoped that the time of more intelligent and
experienced healers will not be wasted by this interruption, but on Goglesk it
is accepted that in certain circumstances, and against their will, otherwise
intelligent and civilized beings will behave like vicious and destructive
animals. Perhaps the entities on the other vessel have a similar problem, and
must take strong and repeated doses of medication to keep their animal natures
under control so that they can live civilized lives, and make progress, and
build starships.
“Perhaps they are starved,” Khone ended, “not of food but of their civilizing
drug.”
“A neat idea,” Murchison said warmly, then matching the Gogleskan’s impersonal
tone it went on. “Admiration is felt for the originality of the healer’s
thinking but, regrettably, the medication concerned would not increase awareness
and the ability to mentate, it would decrease it to the point where continuous
use would cause these people to spend their entire lives in a state of
semi-consciousness.”
“Perhaps,” Cha Thrat joined in, “the state of semi-consciousness is pleasant and
desirable. It shames me to admit it, but on Sommaradva there are people who
deliberately affect and often damage their minds with sub-stances for the purely
temporary pleasure they give the user…”
“Sommaradva’s shame,” Naydrad said angrily, “is shared by many worlds in the
Federation.”
“… And when these harmful substances are withdrawn suddenly from habitual
users,” she went on, “their behavior becomes irrational and violent and similar,
in many respects, to that of the FGHJs on the other ship.”
Murchison was shaking its head. “Sorry, no again. I cannot be absolutely certain
because we are dealing with the metabolism of a completely new life-form here,
but I would say that the traces found in the cadaver’s brain was a simple
tranquilizer that deadens rather than heightens awareness, and is almost
certainly nonaddic-tive. Had this not been so I would have suggested using it as
an anesthetic.
“And before you ask,” the Pathologist went on, “progress with the anesthetic is