"arcrel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Townsend George)
Relic
RELIC
George Townsend
Jorge Watson concentrated his gaze on the small blob of light that showed on the scanner. His old,
weather-beaten face was lined with the stresses and strains of thirty years of space travel and exploration.
The other two members of the crew had given up trying to hide the strain weeks before; Watson was just
showing the first symptoms.
"Prepare to go into orbit, Nos," he said, adjusting the focus control of the viewer.
"It's been six months now, sir," Nos replied. "Isn't it about time we gave up the pretence?"
"Pretence, Nos?" Watson murmured. "What pretence?"
"The pretence of carrying on with this mission, sir. It's been six months since we lost contact with the
homing beam from Pluto. We might just as well accept that we shall never be able to return to our own
Solar System. Something has happened to the warp beam. This is one of the few times that I've wished I
had accepted the programming and become one of the Mechanika. At least then I'd live long enough to get
back home travelling through normal space."
Watson smiled wearily. "You wouldn't be living," he corrected. "The Mechanika don't live - they exist!
They're androids, stagnant and stale. We are the ones who are living. Those of us who refused the treatment
are the ones exploring and discovering. Sometimes we're right - sometimes we're wrong, but we're always
moving forward. The Mechanika may control things back on Earth at the moment but history moves in
cycles. Our turn will come again."
"Do you think the Mechanika destroyed the warp beam? Perhaps they feared us."
Watson shook his head. "I doubt it. It's not logical and the Mechanika are strong on logic if nothing
else. Don't forget, they sent us out here to survey new worlds."
Lan, the third crew member, chipped in: "Yes, so here we are in system GR653, out of touch with the
transmitter on Pluto. That means we've got to find an alternative habitable world, not just because it's on
the mission schedule but because we need a home should contact not be restored with the Solar System."
"Well, the first two planets are useless," Nos stated. "Too hot and volcanic. The fourth planet is as far
from this sun, relatively speaking, as the asteroid belt in our own Solar System. It's a waste of time
continuing with exploration of the outer planets; they're going to get colder as we move further from the
sun. Lan and myself are of the opinion that we should return to the third planet. Continued exploration is
all very well, but it's using up our power cells. Okay, they have a long life, but they won't last forever. It's
beginning to look as though we shall be stuck in this system for the rest of our lives and if that's the case
we're going to need all the power that we've got."
"We don't know yet what the surface of the fourth planet is like," the Captain reminded him. "I agree
that the third planet was habitable, but only just. I don't intend to spend the rest of my life fighting for mere
existence, with the nagging doubt lingering in my mind that the fourth planet may have been better than we
imagined." He paused. "It's not as if there are twenty or more planets in this system - there are only seven.
If it turns out that the fourth planet is unsatisfactory then I will concede that there is little purpose in
surveying the outer three, particularly since their orbits are so erratic that conditions there are likely to be
worse than on Pluto."
"Very well," Nos conceded. "You are the Captain." Watson smiled sardonically. "Besides, I don't think
that the Mechanika would approve if we curtailed our mission simply to ensure our personal safety."
Nos returned the Captain's grin and prepared to go into orbit around the fourth planet.
As they circled the new world the ship's detection computers scanned the surface with electronic eyes
and feelers.
The atmosphere was much the same as had been detected on the third planet. In fact, with the
exception of the temperature, which was somewhat lower on the fourth world, conditions seemed very
similar to the third planet. The life detectors had not flickered once in their steady search for organic
materials, and the viewers showed little but bare rock, weathered by the years. This was an old world, old
and deserted.
The survey of the planet was on the verge of completion when Lan turned to the Captain with a puzzled
frown on his face.
"What's the matter?" Watson asked.
"I'm picking up a strange reading," Lan replied. "At first I thought it was instrument malfunction, but
I've checked and everything is in order."
"Well, what exactly is it?"
"I've got a reading all right, but even on maximum power it's only coming through as a faint trace. At
that power we should be able to read individual bacteria quite clearly."
"I find that a little hard to believe," Watson muttered. "These instruments we have are the finest there
are. It's impossible that anything could emanate such a faint life force; that type of instrument has even
detected silicon-based life, such as that of Nurev 2. I'm sorry, Lan, but you'll have to check the instruments
again. There must be a fault somewhere."
Lan ran a careful check of his control console. "All instruments are functional and operative," he stated
flatly.
Watson thought for a few minutes, then came to a decision. "Complete the last fraction of the survey,"
he ordered. He turned to Nos. "Lock on to that reading and prepare to land near it. We seem to have come
across something out of the ordinary."
"I hope we don't regret it, having come this far," Nos remarked, locking the guidance computer onto the
life source beam.
The Captain smiled grimly at Nos' pessimism, then frowned as his thoughts returned to the strange
reading that they had picked up. Whatever it was, it could not be alive in the way that was generally
understood. Even silicon-based rock creatures should be easily identifiable from the scanners at this range.
It was obviously something unknown that the instrumentation had not been designed to interpret.
Lan finally announced that the survey was complete and that, apart from the single reading, the results
were totally negative. Watson hesitated for a second before giving the order to land. He didn't like things
that weren't easily understood and he certainly had something here that was in that category.
The ship cut into the planet's atmosphere and swept down across the rocky, barren surface. The air,
although breathable, contained a little too much sulphur to be pleasant and, as the ship's computer selected
a suitable landing place, Watson and Nos donned their space suits.
"Full battle dress, Nos," Watson ordered, strapping a blaster cannon around his waist. "We have no idea
what it is that we picked up on our scanner, so we want to be prepared for every eventuality."
"Our weapons may be useless, Captain," pointed out Nos. "Let's face it, that reading proved that there
are things in existence beyond the scope of our knowledge."
"Nevertheless, we must prepare as best we can," Watson insisted.
The two men, satisfied that they were equipped to the best of their ability, moved towards the air-lock.
"Don't forget, Lan," the Captain reminded, "that the safety of this ship and the data so far obtained is worth
more than our lives."
"Considering the slim chance that exists of our ever seeing the Earth again," Nos said, "I consider that
statement to be more the result of your training by the Mechanika than one made from human common
sense."
"Humans aren't logical, Nos," the Captain said with a grin. "And that's something that was an integral
part of the Mechanika's training."
Nos scowled. "Sometimes, Captain," he said, "I wonder if you are aware of the gravity of this
situation."
"There's nothing to be gained by unnecessary worrying," Watson retorted, unsure of whether or not his
voice carried the necessary conviction. He activated the control and stepped through the opening airlock
door as the ship settled onto the planet's surface with a barely perceptible jolt.
"We have visual contact," Lan advised the two men. They turned for a last look at the external screen.
"Nothing there," Nos muttered. "There must be a fault."
"The readings indicate that the life source is buried just beneath the surface," Lan explained.
"Then we will need excavating equipment later," the Captain decided. "Have it ready, Lan. First,
however, we will make some close range personal observations."
Nos joined the Captain in the airlock chamber and the door slid to noiselessly behind them. A few
seconds later the outer door opened with a vague hiss of equalising pressure, leaving them staring at the
planet's rocky surface. Watson hastily clambered down the ladder. As his foot made contact with the
planet's surface he abruptly recoiled, scrambling back onto the bottom rung. Before Nos could enquire as to
the reason for this action he heard the Captain's voice addressing Lan over the radio:
"Surface report! Immediate vicinity of the ship."
"What exactly do you require, Captain?" Lan asked. "A chemical breakdown?"
"I want to know why you didn't tell us that the surface wasn't solid! It's like quicksand."
"That's impossible," Lan retorted. "Our probes indicated that the surface of the planet is solid rock, with
a preponderance of sulphurous compounds. It is quite solid. This is borne out by the fact that the ship is
resting normally on the surface without any subsidence of the landing gear."
"The ship must be resting on a rocky outcrop," the Captain said sharply. "I quite distinctly felt my foot
sinking into the surface as I stepped off the ladder."
"My report covers not only the immediate vicinity of the ship but a radius well out past the area where
we detected the life impulses. I have run a check of the instrumentation and everything is in perfect
working order."
"I hope that you're not suggesting that I'm losing my mind," Watson said, becoming rapidly annoyed.
He thought for a moment. "Well," he said at length, "I shall try again." He stepped back down the ladder
and placed one foot on the ground. He withdrew it, then returned it to the planet's surface gingerly. He
remained thus for a few seconds, then, grasping the ladder tightly with both hands, put his other foot onto
the surface. Slowly he released his grip on the ladder altogether. "Most peculiar," he said slowly.
"Well, Captain," Lan's voice crackled over the radio, "are you satisfied that it is solid?"
"I have come across a very strange phenomenon," the Captain said to Nos, ignoring Lan's comment.
"Although the surface is solid enough to support my weight without my leaving any noticeable footprints, it
gives me the sensory impression of being only semi-solid. If I closed my eyes, I feel sure that I would think
I was sinking into a quagmire."
Nos cautiously advanced down the ladder and stepped onto the surface. After a few moments
experimentation, he admitted the same sensation.
"Guide us, Lan," the Captain ordered. "Our hand sensors are not powerful enough to pick up the life
force."
"Bearing of -34.Z5-75.ZZ for one hundred and ten meters. You'll be right on top of it then."
The two men walked cautiously across the planet's surface, still beset by the same strange sensation of
sinking. Their journey was uneventful, however, and, guided by Lan, they soon reached the exact location
of the life source. The Captain bent down and scraped at the soil with his glove. Apart from a minute layer
of dust there was nothing soft enough for him to make an impression upon. The two men made a brief
visual survey of the area without discovering anything of interest.
"Activate the excavating equipment, Lan," Watson ordered. A few seconds later a hatch opened in the
base of the spacecraft and a moving ramp slid down and connected with the planet's surface. Two machines
trundled down the ramp, under the remote guidance of Lan in the control room. They rumbled across the
rocks towards the two men who waited at the site of the life source.
"Although the surface of the planet is quite firm enough to support both ourselves and the ship," Lan
said, "the excavating machines should have no difficulty penetrating it."
Watson acknowledged the remark with a grunt, feeling that Lan was trying to be sarcastic. Since they
had lost contact with the Pluto beam Lan seemed to have passed beyond the pessimistic frame of mind that
Watson was at present experiencing and gone on into a strange, bitter mood. But, thought Watson to
himself, he had more important things to worry about at the moment than the states of mind of his fellow
crew members.
The huge machine halted and Watson and Nos stepped back as a giant grab swung towards the ground.
"You may commence excavation, Lan," stated the Captain icily, noticing that Lan had not waited for
the order. "And take it carefully," he added. "If there is something down there we don't want it mangled up
in a metal grab."
"Of course not," Lan retorted. "I have had some experience in this sort of work, you know."
The claw hung poised, just above the ground, as its sensors probed the nature of the terrain to be
excavated. "All clear for the first ten feet," Lan announced, "but there's something at twelve."
There followed a few seconds inactivity. "What are you waiting for?" Watson rapped. "Dig to twelve
feet."
"I was waiting for your order, sir," Lan replied coldly. "Just a few seconds ago you ..."
"Very well, Lan," Watson interrupted wearily, "you may take it as said."
The claws dug into the ground, lifting out huge chunks and depositing them nearby. Having dug to ten
feet the machine turned on its axis so that a smaller claw could excavate the last two feet. Watson moved
dangerously close to the side of the pit in order to peer down. There was nothing to be seen as the small
claw gently scraped the earth away.
"Nothing yet," he muttered to himself.
"Another six inches, Captain," Lan's voice informed him.
"Thank you," Watson grunted. Lan's interruptions were beginning to annoy him.
His annoyance vanished as the claw withdrew from the hole. "You should be able to see it now," Lan
announced from the ship.
Watson realised that Lan was right. There was something down there. "Spotlight!" he ordered. A beam
of light stabbed out from the excavator, flooding the hole with brilliance. "It's a huge egg," the Captain
gasped. "It's enormous."
"Readings show signs of artificial structures once having occupied this area," Lan announced. "Bits of
the foundations are still buried at depths of up to thirty feet."
"A relic of a lost civilisation," Nos suggested, breaking the silence. "An egg that never hatched, but
survived somehow when everything else perished."
"Yes," Watson breathed excitedly, "and it has the seed of life still dormant within it, or it would never
have shown up on the life detectors."
"It was, however, an extremely low reading," Nos reminded him, "I think the chances of our being able
to hatch it are too remote even to be considered."
"Even ignoring the more fanciful possibilities," Watson interrupted, "we have equipment aboard that
can explore its chemical and biological make-up and its atomic structure. We will be able to build up an
idea of its form, its life and civilisation ..."
"I feel that you are getting a little carried away, sir," Lan's voice came through. "Although our
equipment is extremely advanced compared to that carried on other exploratory vessels, I hardly think that
it can tell us that much. Admittedly, there is equipment in existence that could do so, but it is back on Earth
and, as you know ..."
"Thank you, Lan," Watson said, cutting him short. "Your comments have been noted. Perhaps you
would now like to take the egg aboard in order that we may subject it to our meagre investigations."
Lan made no reply, but two feelers snaked out from the excavator and wound themselves around the
egg. They tightened, but the egg remained in its original position. "It's not moving," Lan gasped, obviously
shaken.
"Report!" Watson rapped.
"All mechanisms working correctly," Lan responded. "I suggest that the egg is too heavy to be raised by
the equipment that we are currently using."
"What is the weight capacity of the feeler arms?" Watson demanded.
"One thousand tons," Lan muttered. "That's the suggested maximum, but it'll lift up to fifteen hundred
if you strain it."
"And there's nothing holding the egg down?"
"No," Lan said slowly. "Probes show it to be free of all surrounding substances."
"Magnetic field?"
"No."
"Force field?"
"No. There is nothing holding it there except itself."
"Explain your remark, please."
"I think that it's made of collapsed matter."
"Why didn't you mention this before?"
"It's only a guess."
"What about all the tests you ran?"
"All the tests have given negative results. It's not responding to anything."
"Use the large grabs," Watson ordered. "But take it easy. This is a major scientific discovery."
Watson watched as the large lifting arms descended into the hole and fastened around the egg. If Lan
was right and the egg was collapsed matter it would be the first such material ever discovered outside the
heart of white dwarf and neutron stars. But ... why hadn't it sunk straight to the centre of the planet?
Collapsed matter should sink through rock like a stone through water. Did its presence in some way
account for the sponginess of the surface? Some weird gravitational effect? The jaws strained and the egg
moved slowly, inch by inch.
"Sir," Lan shouted from the ship. "The dial indicating the weight being raised has shot off the top end
of the scale!"
"Be more precise, Lan," ordered the Captain, noting that a trace of panic had entered the crewman's
voice. "What sort of a weight would that suggest?"
"God knows," muttered Lan. "In excess of a hundred thousand tons." There was a short pause. "I shall
have to release it, Captain," he added, as the egg was raised clear of the hole. "The machine can't take the
strain."
The egg, a dull blackish colour, several feet long, was lowered back to the ground. As it touched,
Watson and Nos blinked, unable to believe their eyes. The egg was sinking back into the ground - into solid
rock.
There followed a muffled scream from Lan, drowned in a violent burst of static. "Come in, Lan," the
Captain shouted as the hiss became deafening. There was no reply. "Come on, Nos," he ordered. "Back to
the ship at full speed." He flipped off his radio and the deafening crackle was replaced by blessed silence.
They returned to the ship's control room to find Lan slumped back in his seat. As they removed their
helmets they became immediately aware of an acrid burning smell in the room.
"What's happened?" Watson gasped.
"Here," Nos pointed. "The life detector has blown. It appears to have overloaded.
"But that's incredible," Watson muttered. There s nothing on this planet except us and that egg."
"Nevertheless, sir, that is what has happened."
Watson regained his composure. "We'll soon get to the bottom of this," he said. He made his way to the
computer bank and punched in a request for a re-run of the previous few minutes' recordings on the life
detector. As he studied the data that streamed out in response he let out a low whistle. He turned to Nos
who was running a medical check on Lan.
"Superficial burns and bruising only, sir," he reported. "No permanent injury."
Watson nodded. "I think that his injuries are consistent with those that would be sustained when in the
vicinity of an instrument that blew up," he said. "I should imagine that he was getting an interesting
reading. He must have been looking down into it at the moment it overloaded."
Nos frowned. "Sir?"
"As you know," Watson explained, "we turned the life detectors up to maximum reception in order to
be able to register the feeble impulses from that 'egg' out there." He paused for effect. "Just before the
machine blew, it picked up a reading more consistent with a planet teeming with life, like Earth for
example, than with this husk of a dead world. There was no mechanical fault in the instrument,'' he added.
"That's rather disturbing," Nos said.
"Yes," agreed Watson. "The burst of energy coincided with the 'egg' burrowing back into the ground."
He put his hands to the sides of his head. "I feel very tired, Nos. I don't want to do anything else until I'm
one hundred per cent alert. You'd better wake me if anything else happens out there, but, otherwise, look
after Lan and fill him in on what's happened."
Nos frowned as Watson left the room. It was most unlike the Captain to stop and rest in the middle of a
vital mission. He had always been more the type to drive himself into the ground with overwork.
When Watson finally returned to the control room Lan had recovered and, apart from being slightly
dazed, was back to normal.
"I trust you had a good rest," he said acidly. Watson, however, looked worse than he had before he
retired; his face lined and his eyes bleary.
He ignored Lan's remark. "We must get that 'egg' aboard ship," he muttered.
"That's going to be a little hard," Lan retorted. "Surely, we'll encounter the same problems that we did
last time. Assuming that we are able to lift it, it seems to like burrowing back into the ground." He
scratched his head. "Once we put it down it will simply vanish again. I don't think that there can be much
doubt that it's alive."
Nos nodded. "I think that, in the circumstances, we might do best to leave well enough alone. I
therefore recommend an immediate return to the third planet."
Watson's face twisted slightly as if he were undergoing an internal struggle. "Do I detect a note of
rebellion?" he enquired.
"No," Nos said quickly. "You are the Captain. The final decision rests with you."
Watson nodded. "Good. We shall expend whatever energy is necessary to bring that 'egg' aboard. I must
retire again; I'm not feeling too well. I shall leave things in your capable hands." So saying, he turned and
walked unsteadily from the room.
Lan stared after him. "I think that the Captain is breaking up under the strain. We should relieve him of
his command. Our task is not only futile, it could prove highly dangerous."
"Whilst I agree with you in principle," Nos mused, "I think that we should have another attempt at
bringing that thing aboard ship. If we find it impossible, and the Captain remains obdurate we may have to
reassess the situation."
"Very well," Lan conceded. He turned back to the controls and activated the excavator. The grabs were
soon closing around the 'egg' again. Lan almost lost control as he gaped at the gauges in horrified
bewilderment.
"What's up?" Nos asked urgently, seeing his expression. "According to the 'load' gauge, the egg has lost
all its weight. Not only that, but the grab's lifting it without any power being applied."
"Anti-gravity?" Nos mumbled. He looked at the repaired life detector, which had been readjusted. It
was giving a very high life reading.
"It's come alive again," Lan cursed. He opened the grab's jaws in panic as the machine began to trundle
towards the ship of its own volition. Although the jaws were open the egg remained in place as though
stuck with some alien super-glue. Lan jiggled wildly with the control panel which appeared to have
jammed. He backed away from it, wild-eyed. "What's going on?" he shouted.
"Our task," Nos stated, very slowly as if testing each word before speaking it, "is to explore new worlds
and make contact with alien races." He smiled. "I wonder what the Mechanika would say if they knew that
we had come into contact with something that is obviously our superior and theirs too!"
"Destroy it," Lan muttered. He moved for the blaster control.
"No," ordered Nos, who had regained his composure. "If we try to harm it, it might retaliate. And who
can say what form retaliation might take with something like that."
"Then what do you suggest?" Lan spat contemptuously.
"I think the next move is up to the 'egg'. I think it's going to come aboard."
As if on cue, the controls showed that the hold was being drained of air in order that it might be
opened. Lan sunk into a seat, as if in a trance, watching as the outer lock opened and the excavator moved
inside, complete with the egg. Nos switched on the interior hold scanner and they saw the machine deposit
the 'egg' on the floor where it seemed content to remain.
Watson reappeared in the control room, trembling. His voice was little more than a whisper. "It is
done," he croaked. It was a statement rather than a question.
Nos nodded. "It's in the cargo hold."
"I must go and see it," Watson muttered. He seemed impervious to Lan's startled gaze. "A joyous time
..." he muttered, as he left the control room.
"I knew he was mad!' Lan raved. "It's too late now. Too late ..." His voice faded away.
Nos looked at him. "What do you suggest?"
All the anger seemed to have drained out of Lan as he shrugged his shoulders dejectedly. 'I don't know.
It's too late."
Nos nodded. "Whatever it is, it seems to have jammed the controls. We only have a few auxiliaries still
functional."
"Then the next move is up to the 'egg," Lan mumbled.
"Yes. I think that we would be foolish to try and disturb it. We shall just have to wait, and watch." He
turned his attention to the viewer showing the cargo hold, where Watson had arrived. The Captain sat
motionless on the hold floor staring at the 'egg' with unblinking eyes.
It was several hours before Watson stirred. He got up and left the hold, reappearing shortly afterwards
in the ship's control room. He seemed even more haggard than before. His hands shook and he moved
slowly as if drained of life force.
"I was sitting there looking at it," he murmured, "and the side suddenly became smooth and reflective. I
could see my face in it, staring back at me. Yes, it's all over now." His voice held an infinite sadness.
"Sir!" Nos called out, as Watson turned to leave again. "Wait! What are we to do? What are your
orders?"
"You will receive your orders soon," Watson said. "Soon. Until then, just wait."
Nos grabbed the Captain's arm as he staggered from the room again, but was brushed aside. Lan was
staring blankly at the wall. "I think the end of all this is near," he said, forcing a nervous smile.
This time it was only a few minutes before Watson returned, now calm and serene. He smiled at the
others, somehow radiating confidence, telling them in unspoken words that everything would be all right.
"Sir," Nos reported. "The interior hold scanner has malfunctioned. We have lost visual contact with the
'egg'."
"Don't worry," Watson assured him. "It's no longer important. We are taking off immediately. Here are
the co-ordinates for the guidance computer." He handed Nos a slip of paper, which the crewman fed into
the navigation computer.
"Lift off as soon as feasible," Watson ordered. Within a few minutes the ship was speeding upwards,
away from the strange fourth planet. It was then that Lan looked at Watson, a strange expression on his
face.
"Excuse me, sir," he said, "but I have the computer plots of the new course that you ordered
programmed. I assumed they were for the third planet, but we're heading out into deep space. Those co-
ordinates that you gave Nos will never take us within a billion miles of any known planet and it will take us
years to reach even the nearest star with no beam to guide us."
"Yes, Lan, you are right," a voice said from the doorway. Lan and Nos swivelled in their seats to see
Watson at the door.
"What ... but you're ..." Lan rambled incoherently.
"We have lost," the Captain said simply. "That 'egg' took control of my mind, in order to build a
duplicate of my body. Why me I don't know. Perhaps I was more ... susceptible to it. There were a whole
race of them, stranded on that planet. Billions of energy beings, all condensed into that super-heavy 'egg'. It
was a sort of hibernation, while they were waiting. God only knows how long that was. That replica of me
is what was in the 'egg' - now liberated." Although his voice trembled, Watson seemed as calm as his
duplicate. He smiled at the replica.
The replica seemed to be glowing now with a perceptible aura. The shimmering radiance reached out
from it and touched the crew members.
"But where are we going?" Lan asked. He, too, was smiling now as was Nos. Gentle smiles of men at
peace with themselves at last.
"We're going home, Lan," Watson replied.
"Home?"
"Yes," the replica replied softly and its glow now encompassed the entire control room. "It's been a
long time, but we're going home at last." It's calm voice dispelled all further doubt from Lan's mind.
GO TO THE STORY ARCHIVE
|
Relic
RELIC
George Townsend
Jorge Watson concentrated his gaze on the small blob of light that showed on the scanner. His old,
weather-beaten face was lined with the stresses and strains of thirty years of space travel and exploration.
The other two members of the crew had given up trying to hide the strain weeks before; Watson was just
showing the first symptoms.
"Prepare to go into orbit, Nos," he said, adjusting the focus control of the viewer.
"It's been six months now, sir," Nos replied. "Isn't it about time we gave up the pretence?"
"Pretence, Nos?" Watson murmured. "What pretence?"
"The pretence of carrying on with this mission, sir. It's been six months since we lost contact with the
homing beam from Pluto. We might just as well accept that we shall never be able to return to our own
Solar System. Something has happened to the warp beam. This is one of the few times that I've wished I
had accepted the programming and become one of the Mechanika. At least then I'd live long enough to get
back home travelling through normal space."
Watson smiled wearily. "You wouldn't be living," he corrected. "The Mechanika don't live - they exist!
They're androids, stagnant and stale. We are the ones who are living. Those of us who refused the treatment
are the ones exploring and discovering. Sometimes we're right - sometimes we're wrong, but we're always
moving forward. The Mechanika may control things back on Earth at the moment but history moves in
cycles. Our turn will come again."
"Do you think the Mechanika destroyed the warp beam? Perhaps they feared us."
Watson shook his head. "I doubt it. It's not logical and the Mechanika are strong on logic if nothing
else. Don't forget, they sent us out here to survey new worlds."
Lan, the third crew member, chipped in: "Yes, so here we are in system GR653, out of touch with the
transmitter on Pluto. That means we've got to find an alternative habitable world, not just because it's on
the mission schedule but because we need a home should contact not be restored with the Solar System."
"Well, the first two planets are useless," Nos stated. "Too hot and volcanic. The fourth planet is as far
from this sun, relatively speaking, as the asteroid belt in our own Solar System. It's a waste of time
continuing with exploration of the outer planets; they're going to get colder as we move further from the
sun. Lan and myself are of the opinion that we should return to the third planet. Continued exploration is
all very well, but it's using up our power cells. Okay, they have a long life, but they won't last forever. It's
beginning to look as though we shall be stuck in this system for the rest of our lives and if that's the case
we're going to need all the power that we've got."
"We don't know yet what the surface of the fourth planet is like," the Captain reminded him. "I agree
that the third planet was habitable, but only just. I don't intend to spend the rest of my life fighting for mere
existence, with the nagging doubt lingering in my mind that the fourth planet may have been better than we
imagined." He paused. "It's not as if there are twenty or more planets in this system - there are only seven.
If it turns out that the fourth planet is unsatisfactory then I will concede that there is little purpose in
surveying the outer three, particularly since their orbits are so erratic that conditions there are likely to be
worse than on Pluto."
"Very well," Nos conceded. "You are the Captain." Watson smiled sardonically. "Besides, I don't think
that the Mechanika would approve if we curtailed our mission simply to ensure our personal safety."
Nos returned the Captain's grin and prepared to go into orbit around the fourth planet.
As they circled the new world the ship's detection computers scanned the surface with electronic eyes
and feelers.
The atmosphere was much the same as had been detected on the third planet. In fact, with the
exception of the temperature, which was somewhat lower on the fourth world, conditions seemed very
similar to the third planet. The life detectors had not flickered once in their steady search for organic
materials, and the viewers showed little but bare rock, weathered by the years. This was an old world, old
and deserted.
The survey of the planet was on the verge of completion when Lan turned to the Captain with a puzzled
frown on his face.
"What's the matter?" Watson asked.
"I'm picking up a strange reading," Lan replied. "At first I thought it was instrument malfunction, but
I've checked and everything is in order."
"Well, what exactly is it?"
"I've got a reading all right, but even on maximum power it's only coming through as a faint trace. At
that power we should be able to read individual bacteria quite clearly."
"I find that a little hard to believe," Watson muttered. "These instruments we have are the finest there
are. It's impossible that anything could emanate such a faint life force; that type of instrument has even
detected silicon-based life, such as that of Nurev 2. I'm sorry, Lan, but you'll have to check the instruments
again. There must be a fault somewhere."
Lan ran a careful check of his control console. "All instruments are functional and operative," he stated
flatly.
Watson thought for a few minutes, then came to a decision. "Complete the last fraction of the survey,"
he ordered. He turned to Nos. "Lock on to that reading and prepare to land near it. We seem to have come
across something out of the ordinary."
"I hope we don't regret it, having come this far," Nos remarked, locking the guidance computer onto the
life source beam.
The Captain smiled grimly at Nos' pessimism, then frowned as his thoughts returned to the strange
reading that they had picked up. Whatever it was, it could not be alive in the way that was generally
understood. Even silicon-based rock creatures should be easily identifiable from the scanners at this range.
It was obviously something unknown that the instrumentation had not been designed to interpret.
Lan finally announced that the survey was complete and that, apart from the single reading, the results
were totally negative. Watson hesitated for a second before giving the order to land. He didn't like things
that weren't easily understood and he certainly had something here that was in that category.
The ship cut into the planet's atmosphere and swept down across the rocky, barren surface. The air,
although breathable, contained a little too much sulphur to be pleasant and, as the ship's computer selected
a suitable landing place, Watson and Nos donned their space suits.
"Full battle dress, Nos," Watson ordered, strapping a blaster cannon around his waist. "We have no idea
what it is that we picked up on our scanner, so we want to be prepared for every eventuality."
"Our weapons may be useless, Captain," pointed out Nos. "Let's face it, that reading proved that there
are things in existence beyond the scope of our knowledge."
"Nevertheless, we must prepare as best we can," Watson insisted.
The two men, satisfied that they were equipped to the best of their ability, moved towards the air-lock.
"Don't forget, Lan," the Captain reminded, "that the safety of this ship and the data so far obtained is worth
more than our lives."
"Considering the slim chance that exists of our ever seeing the Earth again," Nos said, "I consider that
statement to be more the result of your training by the Mechanika than one made from human common
sense."
"Humans aren't logical, Nos," the Captain said with a grin. "And that's something that was an integral
part of the Mechanika's training."
Nos scowled. "Sometimes, Captain," he said, "I wonder if you are aware of the gravity of this
situation."
"There's nothing to be gained by unnecessary worrying," Watson retorted, unsure of whether or not his
voice carried the necessary conviction. He activated the control and stepped through the opening airlock
door as the ship settled onto the planet's surface with a barely perceptible jolt.
"We have visual contact," Lan advised the two men. They turned for a last look at the external screen.
"Nothing there," Nos muttered. "There must be a fault."
"The readings indicate that the life source is buried just beneath the surface," Lan explained.
"Then we will need excavating equipment later," the Captain decided. "Have it ready, Lan. First,
however, we will make some close range personal observations."
Nos joined the Captain in the airlock chamber and the door slid to noiselessly behind them. A few
seconds later the outer door opened with a vague hiss of equalising pressure, leaving them staring at the
planet's rocky surface. Watson hastily clambered down the ladder. As his foot made contact with the
planet's surface he abruptly recoiled, scrambling back onto the bottom rung. Before Nos could enquire as to
the reason for this action he heard the Captain's voice addressing Lan over the radio:
"Surface report! Immediate vicinity of the ship."
"What exactly do you require, Captain?" Lan asked. "A chemical breakdown?"
"I want to know why you didn't tell us that the surface wasn't solid! It's like quicksand."
"That's impossible," Lan retorted. "Our probes indicated that the surface of the planet is solid rock, with
a preponderance of sulphurous compounds. It is quite solid. This is borne out by the fact that the ship is
resting normally on the surface without any subsidence of the landing gear."
"The ship must be resting on a rocky outcrop," the Captain said sharply. "I quite distinctly felt my foot
sinking into the surface as I stepped off the ladder."
"My report covers not only the immediate vicinity of the ship but a radius well out past the area where
we detected the life impulses. I have run a check of the instrumentation and everything is in perfect
working order."
"I hope that you're not suggesting that I'm losing my mind," Watson said, becoming rapidly annoyed.
He thought for a moment. "Well," he said at length, "I shall try again." He stepped back down the ladder
and placed one foot on the ground. He withdrew it, then returned it to the planet's surface gingerly. He
remained thus for a few seconds, then, grasping the ladder tightly with both hands, put his other foot onto
the surface. Slowly he released his grip on the ladder altogether. "Most peculiar," he said slowly.
"Well, Captain," Lan's voice crackled over the radio, "are you satisfied that it is solid?"
"I have come across a very strange phenomenon," the Captain said to Nos, ignoring Lan's comment.
"Although the surface is solid enough to support my weight without my leaving any noticeable footprints, it
gives me the sensory impression of being only semi-solid. If I closed my eyes, I feel sure that I would think
I was sinking into a quagmire."
Nos cautiously advanced down the ladder and stepped onto the surface. After a few moments
experimentation, he admitted the same sensation.
"Guide us, Lan," the Captain ordered. "Our hand sensors are not powerful enough to pick up the life
force."
"Bearing of -34.Z5-75.ZZ for one hundred and ten meters. You'll be right on top of it then."
The two men walked cautiously across the planet's surface, still beset by the same strange sensation of
sinking. Their journey was uneventful, however, and, guided by Lan, they soon reached the exact location
of the life source. The Captain bent down and scraped at the soil with his glove. Apart from a minute layer
of dust there was nothing soft enough for him to make an impression upon. The two men made a brief
visual survey of the area without discovering anything of interest.
"Activate the excavating equipment, Lan," Watson ordered. A few seconds later a hatch opened in the
base of the spacecraft and a moving ramp slid down and connected with the planet's surface. Two machines
trundled down the ramp, under the remote guidance of Lan in the control room. They rumbled across the
rocks towards the two men who waited at the site of the life source.
"Although the surface of the planet is quite firm enough to support both ourselves and the ship," Lan
said, "the excavating machines should have no difficulty penetrating it."
Watson acknowledged the remark with a grunt, feeling that Lan was trying to be sarcastic. Since they
had lost contact with the Pluto beam Lan seemed to have passed beyond the pessimistic frame of mind that
Watson was at present experiencing and gone on into a strange, bitter mood. But, thought Watson to
himself, he had more important things to worry about at the moment than the states of mind of his fellow
crew members.
The huge machine halted and Watson and Nos stepped back as a giant grab swung towards the ground.
"You may commence excavation, Lan," stated the Captain icily, noticing that Lan had not waited for
the order. "And take it carefully," he added. "If there is something down there we don't want it mangled up
in a metal grab."
"Of course not," Lan retorted. "I have had some experience in this sort of work, you know."
The claw hung poised, just above the ground, as its sensors probed the nature of the terrain to be
excavated. "All clear for the first ten feet," Lan announced, "but there's something at twelve."
There followed a few seconds inactivity. "What are you waiting for?" Watson rapped. "Dig to twelve
feet."
"I was waiting for your order, sir," Lan replied coldly. "Just a few seconds ago you ..."
"Very well, Lan," Watson interrupted wearily, "you may take it as said."
The claws dug into the ground, lifting out huge chunks and depositing them nearby. Having dug to ten
feet the machine turned on its axis so that a smaller claw could excavate the last two feet. Watson moved
dangerously close to the side of the pit in order to peer down. There was nothing to be seen as the small
claw gently scraped the earth away.
"Nothing yet," he muttered to himself.
"Another six inches, Captain," Lan's voice informed him.
"Thank you," Watson grunted. Lan's interruptions were beginning to annoy him.
His annoyance vanished as the claw withdrew from the hole. "You should be able to see it now," Lan
announced from the ship.
Watson realised that Lan was right. There was something down there. "Spotlight!" he ordered. A beam
of light stabbed out from the excavator, flooding the hole with brilliance. "It's a huge egg," the Captain
gasped. "It's enormous."
"Readings show signs of artificial structures once having occupied this area," Lan announced. "Bits of
the foundations are still buried at depths of up to thirty feet."
"A relic of a lost civilisation," Nos suggested, breaking the silence. "An egg that never hatched, but
survived somehow when everything else perished."
"Yes," Watson breathed excitedly, "and it has the seed of life still dormant within it, or it would never
have shown up on the life detectors."
"It was, however, an extremely low reading," Nos reminded him, "I think the chances of our being able
to hatch it are too remote even to be considered."
"Even ignoring the more fanciful possibilities," Watson interrupted, "we have equipment aboard that
can explore its chemical and biological make-up and its atomic structure. We will be able to build up an
idea of its form, its life and civilisation ..."
"I feel that you are getting a little carried away, sir," Lan's voice came through. "Although our
equipment is extremely advanced compared to that carried on other exploratory vessels, I hardly think that
it can tell us that much. Admittedly, there is equipment in existence that could do so, but it is back on Earth
and, as you know ..."
"Thank you, Lan," Watson said, cutting him short. "Your comments have been noted. Perhaps you
would now like to take the egg aboard in order that we may subject it to our meagre investigations."
Lan made no reply, but two feelers snaked out from the excavator and wound themselves around the
egg. They tightened, but the egg remained in its original position. "It's not moving," Lan gasped, obviously
shaken.
"Report!" Watson rapped.
"All mechanisms working correctly," Lan responded. "I suggest that the egg is too heavy to be raised by
the equipment that we are currently using."
"What is the weight capacity of the feeler arms?" Watson demanded.
"One thousand tons," Lan muttered. "That's the suggested maximum, but it'll lift up to fifteen hundred
if you strain it."
"And there's nothing holding the egg down?"
"No," Lan said slowly. "Probes show it to be free of all surrounding substances."
"Magnetic field?"
"No."
"Force field?"
"No. There is nothing holding it there except itself."
"Explain your remark, please."
"I think that it's made of collapsed matter."
"Why didn't you mention this before?"
"It's only a guess."
"What about all the tests you ran?"
"All the tests have given negative results. It's not responding to anything."
"Use the large grabs," Watson ordered. "But take it easy. This is a major scientific discovery."
Watson watched as the large lifting arms descended into the hole and fastened around the egg. If Lan
was right and the egg was collapsed matter it would be the first such material ever discovered outside the
heart of white dwarf and neutron stars. But ... why hadn't it sunk straight to the centre of the planet?
Collapsed matter should sink through rock like a stone through water. Did its presence in some way
account for the sponginess of the surface? Some weird gravitational effect? The jaws strained and the egg
moved slowly, inch by inch.
"Sir," Lan shouted from the ship. "The dial indicating the weight being raised has shot off the top end
of the scale!"
"Be more precise, Lan," ordered the Captain, noting that a trace of panic had entered the crewman's
voice. "What sort of a weight would that suggest?"
"God knows," muttered Lan. "In excess of a hundred thousand tons." There was a short pause. "I shall
have to release it, Captain," he added, as the egg was raised clear of the hole. "The machine can't take the
strain."
The egg, a dull blackish colour, several feet long, was lowered back to the ground. As it touched,
Watson and Nos blinked, unable to believe their eyes. The egg was sinking back into the ground - into solid
rock.
There followed a muffled scream from Lan, drowned in a violent burst of static. "Come in, Lan," the
Captain shouted as the hiss became deafening. There was no reply. "Come on, Nos," he ordered. "Back to
the ship at full speed." He flipped off his radio and the deafening crackle was replaced by blessed silence.
They returned to the ship's control room to find Lan slumped back in his seat. As they removed their
helmets they became immediately aware of an acrid burning smell in the room.
"What's happened?" Watson gasped.
"Here," Nos pointed. "The life detector has blown. It appears to have overloaded.
"But that's incredible," Watson muttered. There s nothing on this planet except us and that egg."
"Nevertheless, sir, that is what has happened."
Watson regained his composure. "We'll soon get to the bottom of this," he said. He made his way to the
computer bank and punched in a request for a re-run of the previous few minutes' recordings on the life
detector. As he studied the data that streamed out in response he let out a low whistle. He turned to Nos
who was running a medical check on Lan.
"Superficial burns and bruising only, sir," he reported. "No permanent injury."
Watson nodded. "I think that his injuries are consistent with those that would be sustained when in the
vicinity of an instrument that blew up," he said. "I should imagine that he was getting an interesting
reading. He must have been looking down into it at the moment it overloaded."
Nos frowned. "Sir?"
"As you know," Watson explained, "we turned the life detectors up to maximum reception in order to
be able to register the feeble impulses from that 'egg' out there." He paused for effect. "Just before the
machine blew, it picked up a reading more consistent with a planet teeming with life, like Earth for
example, than with this husk of a dead world. There was no mechanical fault in the instrument,'' he added.
"That's rather disturbing," Nos said.
"Yes," agreed Watson. "The burst of energy coincided with the 'egg' burrowing back into the ground."
He put his hands to the sides of his head. "I feel very tired, Nos. I don't want to do anything else until I'm
one hundred per cent alert. You'd better wake me if anything else happens out there, but, otherwise, look
after Lan and fill him in on what's happened."
Nos frowned as Watson left the room. It was most unlike the Captain to stop and rest in the middle of a
vital mission. He had always been more the type to drive himself into the ground with overwork.
When Watson finally returned to the control room Lan had recovered and, apart from being slightly
dazed, was back to normal.
"I trust you had a good rest," he said acidly. Watson, however, looked worse than he had before he
retired; his face lined and his eyes bleary.
He ignored Lan's remark. "We must get that 'egg' aboard ship," he muttered.
"That's going to be a little hard," Lan retorted. "Surely, we'll encounter the same problems that we did
last time. Assuming that we are able to lift it, it seems to like burrowing back into the ground." He
scratched his head. "Once we put it down it will simply vanish again. I don't think that there can be much
doubt that it's alive."
Nos nodded. "I think that, in the circumstances, we might do best to leave well enough alone. I
therefore recommend an immediate return to the third planet."
Watson's face twisted slightly as if he were undergoing an internal struggle. "Do I detect a note of
rebellion?" he enquired.
"No," Nos said quickly. "You are the Captain. The final decision rests with you."
Watson nodded. "Good. We shall expend whatever energy is necessary to bring that 'egg' aboard. I must
retire again; I'm not feeling too well. I shall leave things in your capable hands." So saying, he turned and
walked unsteadily from the room.
Lan stared after him. "I think that the Captain is breaking up under the strain. We should relieve him of
his command. Our task is not only futile, it could prove highly dangerous."
"Whilst I agree with you in principle," Nos mused, "I think that we should have another attempt at
bringing that thing aboard ship. If we find it impossible, and the Captain remains obdurate we may have to
reassess the situation."
"Very well," Lan conceded. He turned back to the controls and activated the excavator. The grabs were
soon closing around the 'egg' again. Lan almost lost control as he gaped at the gauges in horrified
bewilderment.
"What's up?" Nos asked urgently, seeing his expression. "According to the 'load' gauge, the egg has lost
all its weight. Not only that, but the grab's lifting it without any power being applied."
"Anti-gravity?" Nos mumbled. He looked at the repaired life detector, which had been readjusted. It
was giving a very high life reading.
"It's come alive again," Lan cursed. He opened the grab's jaws in panic as the machine began to trundle
towards the ship of its own volition. Although the jaws were open the egg remained in place as though
stuck with some alien super-glue. Lan jiggled wildly with the control panel which appeared to have
jammed. He backed away from it, wild-eyed. "What's going on?" he shouted.
"Our task," Nos stated, very slowly as if testing each word before speaking it, "is to explore new worlds
and make contact with alien races." He smiled. "I wonder what the Mechanika would say if they knew that
we had come into contact with something that is obviously our superior and theirs too!"
"Destroy it," Lan muttered. He moved for the blaster control.
"No," ordered Nos, who had regained his composure. "If we try to harm it, it might retaliate. And who
can say what form retaliation might take with something like that."
"Then what do you suggest?" Lan spat contemptuously.
"I think the next move is up to the 'egg'. I think it's going to come aboard."
As if on cue, the controls showed that the hold was being drained of air in order that it might be
opened. Lan sunk into a seat, as if in a trance, watching as the outer lock opened and the excavator moved
inside, complete with the egg. Nos switched on the interior hold scanner and they saw the machine deposit
the 'egg' on the floor where it seemed content to remain.
Watson reappeared in the control room, trembling. His voice was little more than a whisper. "It is
done," he croaked. It was a statement rather than a question.
Nos nodded. "It's in the cargo hold."
"I must go and see it," Watson muttered. He seemed impervious to Lan's startled gaze. "A joyous time
..." he muttered, as he left the control room.
"I knew he was mad!' Lan raved. "It's too late now. Too late ..." His voice faded away.
Nos looked at him. "What do you suggest?"
All the anger seemed to have drained out of Lan as he shrugged his shoulders dejectedly. 'I don't know.
It's too late."
Nos nodded. "Whatever it is, it seems to have jammed the controls. We only have a few auxiliaries still
functional."
"Then the next move is up to the 'egg," Lan mumbled.
"Yes. I think that we would be foolish to try and disturb it. We shall just have to wait, and watch." He
turned his attention to the viewer showing the cargo hold, where Watson had arrived. The Captain sat
motionless on the hold floor staring at the 'egg' with unblinking eyes.
It was several hours before Watson stirred. He got up and left the hold, reappearing shortly afterwards
in the ship's control room. He seemed even more haggard than before. His hands shook and he moved
slowly as if drained of life force.
"I was sitting there looking at it," he murmured, "and the side suddenly became smooth and reflective. I
could see my face in it, staring back at me. Yes, it's all over now." His voice held an infinite sadness.
"Sir!" Nos called out, as Watson turned to leave again. "Wait! What are we to do? What are your
orders?"
"You will receive your orders soon," Watson said. "Soon. Until then, just wait."
Nos grabbed the Captain's arm as he staggered from the room again, but was brushed aside. Lan was
staring blankly at the wall. "I think the end of all this is near," he said, forcing a nervous smile.
This time it was only a few minutes before Watson returned, now calm and serene. He smiled at the
others, somehow radiating confidence, telling them in unspoken words that everything would be all right.
"Sir," Nos reported. "The interior hold scanner has malfunctioned. We have lost visual contact with the
'egg'."
"Don't worry," Watson assured him. "It's no longer important. We are taking off immediately. Here are
the co-ordinates for the guidance computer." He handed Nos a slip of paper, which the crewman fed into
the navigation computer.
"Lift off as soon as feasible," Watson ordered. Within a few minutes the ship was speeding upwards,
away from the strange fourth planet. It was then that Lan looked at Watson, a strange expression on his
face.
"Excuse me, sir," he said, "but I have the computer plots of the new course that you ordered
programmed. I assumed they were for the third planet, but we're heading out into deep space. Those co-
ordinates that you gave Nos will never take us within a billion miles of any known planet and it will take us
years to reach even the nearest star with no beam to guide us."
"Yes, Lan, you are right," a voice said from the doorway. Lan and Nos swivelled in their seats to see
Watson at the door.
"What ... but you're ..." Lan rambled incoherently.
"We have lost," the Captain said simply. "That 'egg' took control of my mind, in order to build a
duplicate of my body. Why me I don't know. Perhaps I was more ... susceptible to it. There were a whole
race of them, stranded on that planet. Billions of energy beings, all condensed into that super-heavy 'egg'. It
was a sort of hibernation, while they were waiting. God only knows how long that was. That replica of me
is what was in the 'egg' - now liberated." Although his voice trembled, Watson seemed as calm as his
duplicate. He smiled at the replica.
The replica seemed to be glowing now with a perceptible aura. The shimmering radiance reached out
from it and touched the crew members.
"But where are we going?" Lan asked. He, too, was smiling now as was Nos. Gentle smiles of men at
peace with themselves at last.
"We're going home, Lan," Watson replied.
"Home?"
"Yes," the replica replied softly and its glow now encompassed the entire control room. "It's been a
long time, but we're going home at last." It's calm voice dispelled all further doubt from Lan's mind.
GO TO THE STORY ARCHIVE
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