Unwillingly to Earth (v1.0), page 18
I don’t know how long I just crouched there Enjoying it, but suddenly there is a lot of Shouting going on and I can hear my name: “Liz! Lizzie! Liz! Forgodsake, Liz!”
I try to get up but my legs don’t Feel like it, so I shout “Here!”
This leads to a lot of Trampling and noises as though some of the Huts are being broken down: more Shouts, which I answer; then the Back wall of the hut is suddenly smashed in and Doug is falling through the Hole.
He is so covered in Smuts I didn’t realize at first that he is bare to the waist; then I see red beads trickling down the Black smudges and realize he is covered in Scratches as well; I don’t think my mind is working too well because it does not occur to me to Question this phenomenon until later. Meanwhile Doug Lurches to his feet and takes two strides across the Hut floor and Hauls me into his arms.
I don’t know how long we remain at an Angle propping one another up and I can’t remember a word either of us said, which is probably just as well, but in the end Doug gets back to his Senses and pushes me through the hut door to face the Chief and the old lady and three or four others who are waiting outside.
There is some Handshaking and the old lady suddenly darts forwards and Kisses me, then we all go to look at the Cybercrane which is standing on its two front legs with the hind ones flat on the ground, and its jib bent backwards at an angle with what is left of the Shovel pointing straight up at the sky.
Some of the Shovel has melted and is hanging down in Blobs, and there is more Melting at several points on the Jib and a big hole where it joins the Body of the thing.
Something has happened so that everything around me seems to be wrapped in Invisible padding about two inches thick; it takes Time for ideas to get through; but I gradually realize everybody is waiting for me to Comment on the thing.
I say “How did you Stop it?” and then, “What made it Start?”
Doug says, “This is the man who stopped it; Second Engineer Emmanuel. He managed to short the power-pack through the thing’s brain, just in time.”
Second Engineer Emmanuel seems to have got rather Battered in the process, his arm is in a rough Sling and half his face is puffed up round a big patch of dried blood.
I feel around in the Padding to find out what I ought to be doing, and say, “Thank you very much.”
He shuffles his feet about and grins, showing a missing tooth on the Puffed side. Then the old lady pokes him and says something sharp, and he shuffles again and mutters “Is nothing, Miss Sir.” Doug has a grip on my Elbow which indicates something Not to be said right now, so I do not repeat the rest of my question.
There is a lot of talking in what I suppose is Dagomba language; it begins to seem to me as if it is going on for Ever, and then suddenly we are all walking back towards the floater. Then I see the Gate open and the In-Charge appears, shouting, “I told you they were thieves! I said they were all thieves!”
Things stop for just a heartbeat, before everybody starts for him at a Run and he disappears inside and the Gate slams shut.
Some kids have appeared from Nowhere, the way this lot do. One of them is carrying Doug’s tunic. He puts it on, wincing as it goes over his scratches, and I ask what he took it Off for.
“It got caught in the gate,” says Doug irritably.
So when I thought he was Posing he was just Stuck, maybe I ought to apologize.
When we return to the Hulk our colleagues are lounging in the Lounge, but our entrance causes them to sit up sharply and then Rise simultaneously to their feet.
I think the Cad is searching for an Epigram when Blazer Weigh exclaims “Foigodsake, what happened to you two?”
We stopped at Msilikatse and some of the children brought us water and towels and soap and a comb, and our clothes are Evercleans and all the Dirt has shaken off them long ago; but I can feel from inside that there is something wrong with my Face and the Padding stops me getting in touch with my Muscles so as to put it right.
Doug shoves me gently into a chair and drops into one himself and says “Give me five minutes’ peace and something to drink, and I’ll explain.”
Blazer goes over to the Dispenser. The Cad has just thought of a Remark when Doug says “Leave Lizzie alone. She’s getting over a shock. Just over an hour ago she was very nearly killed, and it was not the result of anything she did herself, so no smart remarks, please.”
The Dispenser has never produced anything but Reconstituted fruit juice since I first encountered it, and that’s what we get now. Doug drinks his slowly, puts down the glass, and says, “All right … You know that yard full of machinery we pass on the way to the Gate? The Custodian has programmed some of the machines to attack people who interfere with them.”
There is a blank silence; then Blazer Weigh says “Crap. Those things don’t have attack circuits. He can’t have done.”
Doug says, “They respond to objects and movements around the business end. They can move suddenly as well as slowly, over a long distance as well as a short one … I don’t know how he did it exactly; maybe they have some kind of burglar-alarm circuits and he managed to link those in to the ones that control movement. Anyway, he did it. The Second Engineer from Msilikatse was prowling round one of the machines and a cybercrane next to it started thrashing its jib around. He dodged it and hid, and the thing walked across the compound wall and saw Lizzie with a bunch of kids from Msilikatse and started chasing them. Lizzie broke away and got it to chase her among those burned huts. The Second Engineer managed to climb up on the chassis, somehow, and just before it smashed the hut she was hiding in he succeeded in shorting the auxiliary power cell. It blew with enough of a bang to fuse all the brain centers and knock the thing over backwards. ” So that’s what happened …
Blazer Weigh says “How the hell did he manage that?” “Never mind,” says Doug severely. “The point is, the old man’s paranoia is dangerous. He got it into his head that someone was going to try to steal the machines—” “It sounds as though he was right,” says the Astral Cad. “The man wanted to see if the power cells were removable. The Chief Engineer was perfectly willing to pay for the fuel he wanted, or any other usable power source; but he suspected the old brute wouldn’t let him, and he was right.”
“I don’t see what good the power cells could have been,” drawls the Cad. “They don’t run on bradynitro.”
“They could be used to re-charge storage batteries. I gather Msilikatse has a big stock—enough to run the Life Support system all the way home.”
“Oh,” says the Astral Cad thoughtfully.
I have a feeling I ought to Say something at this point, but the Padding is still getting in the way.
Maybe I make some sort of Noise, because Doug looks across at me.
“Lizzie, you look terrible. Why don’t you go to your cabin and sleep it off?”
I can’t even manage to Resent the suggestion; I just Go.
I don’t know how long I slept because I don’t know what time in the afternoon I went to sleep, but when I wake up it is Breakfast time, the Padding sensation has gone, and even that reconstituted Glop that the robo-kitchen turns out at this time of day smells attractive. I shower and dress in a hurry and join my Colleagues around the table.
Breakfast in the Hulk is never a Sparkling occasion, this morning it is extra Glum which I attribute to the events of Yesterday as described by Doug to the other two. I stoke up pretty quickly—one thing about Reconstituted food, you can swallow it fast—and inquire whether anyone else is going out to the Space Gate this morning.
This produces a sort of Tripartite explosion of toast crumbs, then for once it is Doug who finds the words first.
“Forgodsake, Lizzie! What’s the point of going there? What do you think you can do? or the rest of us, if it comes to that.”
Would you believe it, just for a moment I have completely forgotten what it is I have to do; I woke up remembering there was something, not what… However the Cad sticks his oar in before I have time to Reveal this.
“Speaking for myself, No. We have gathered every last available statistic that could conceivably have any value for future work, and—”
I say, “That’s It!”
Okay, I don’t really Blame them for thinking I have gone mad and anyway I have no Time to act insulted, I just go on “It’s a statistic that’s lethal, when you get down to it. Did you know Msilikatse has a Mesmeric Equalizer on board?”
They all have approximately the same Expression on their faces: however Don says “No,” Blazer says “Where?” and the Astral Cad says “What in the name of sanity is a Mesmeric Equalizer?”
Blazer Weigh says, “They were used quite a bit a couple of Centuries ago. Mostly in the Outer Reaches, of course. People in the Central Planets would never have stood for them … One of the main elements was an Enforcement Unit—on the same lines as the Concentration Unit in a Reading Machine, bu this one was concerned with manual labor. The other was the Equalizer. It worked out the effort required for a given job and then shared it out equally between the group who were to do it.”
The Astral Cad inquires wearily “What the hell for?” “Oh, it was designed to simplify industrial relations. The amount of work to be done could be agreed on at the start, and then performance could be enforced; but there were a lot of drawbacks.”
“I should damn well think so,” said Doug. “But what use would a thing like that be on Msilikatse?”
I say, “On my home planet it was used another way, once.”
How it got to Excenus 23: a bunch of young men from wealthy families decided to come and prove they could make their own Fortunes. One of them was always Fussing because he claimed he worked harder than anyone else, and imported an Equalizer to try and Even things. But the others refused to use it and soon after they decided to make do with the Fortunes they had inherited, and left the planet.
Then another bunch with no Fortunes found a rich seam three weeks before their Lease expired and were frantic to dig out as much as they could. The Equalizer was still where the others had left it and one of them had the bright idea of using it to increase their Work output by taking out the Governor circuit and setting it to enforce Maximum effort the whole time. For nearly a week they were Ladling the stuff out and then one of them fell down dead. No resuscitator nearer than 250 miles so he stayed that way.
I explain the Relevant part of this and Don says, “You think that’s what the people on Msilikatse have done?”
I say “I know it is. I saw the Control board.”
“What I don’t see,” drawls the Astral Cad, “is what Statistics have got to do with it.”
Slowly and carefully, I Explain.
“What the Equalizer does is to measure the Working Capacity of each member of the group, then take the Average. Or Mean. The Controls are set for a percentage of this, usually about 85. The Governor stops it going higher than 90% but if you disconnect that circuit it will go to 100% and that’s how the one on Msilikatse is set.”
“In other words,” says Doug, “the people whose capacity is a bit below the mean of the group are going to be forced to do More than they can.”
“Anybody can manage more than their normal capacity for a bit,” says the Blazer, whose liking for Machines seems to impel him to defend every Aspect of them.
I say “I know that. But forcing people beyond their normal limits is dangerous. Sooner or later they’re going too far and somebody will Die of it.”
I don’t quite know what I expect: not Shock and horror because they would see the punchline Coming, but I do expect something.
After a bit Doug says heavily, “I expect you’re right, Lizzie, but what do you think you can do?”
Well, obviously, go and Tell the people on Msilikatse that what they are doing is dangerous, and get them to set the dials back … I say “I suppose you think they won’t Listen.”
The Astral Cad straightens a trifle in his chair.
‘‘My dear, dear Liz. You’ve been studying Cultural Engineering for two years, and you can still think there’s any probability they will listen?”
This is Not the end of the argument but I finally wear them down. Blazer Weigh gives me a rundown on the controls of the Floater and I set off
There is no sign of militant Machines or the In-Charge or any other Enemy around Msilikatse-, only some children, who appear Pleased and excited to see me and run for the old lady, who for some reason Bows and starts thanking me. I eventually grasp that this is because I led the Cybercrane away from the children yesterday and she thinks this was somehow Heroic, which was not the case. I would have been no safer if I had run in among them.
I try to explain that I just ran towards the Huts because there was nowhere else to hide. But not very hard, because it occurs to me they may Listen more if they go on thinking like that. I ask to speak to Chief and am conducted to him, sitting on a folding chair alongside the main hatch. There are several people lying on Mats, two of them women.
Chief rises and bows to me and the children bring a chair. I explain very carefully why I have come and he Listens very carefully and says nothing for a long time. One of the people lying down calls something and a woman comes out and spreads a blanket over him.
Finally Chief says “You are good to be concerned. This thing I know. The power-wheel has been not used for many-many years, never in my time of voyage, but I was told by the Chief before me. But now we need power to leave this planet. ’ ’
I say “But you only need to set the dial back 5% and it will be safe enough!”
He says “Five percent means one day in twenty. To recharge the accumulators will take forty days. Five percent is two days. All days on this planet are danger for Msilikatse people.”
I cannot Argue with that.
I say “I wish I could get fuel for you. I wish I could help.”
He says “Already you are our friend.”
When I start to leave I am mobbed by the Children who take me to see the Old Lady, I want to say Goodbye to her anyway. We exchange a few rather Ceremonious words and I mention I would like to see the Second Engineer to thank him for saving my life yesterday; however I gather he has gone into the remains of the Town with two other men to look for some Wiring and stuff. I ask just how he put that Thing out of action yesterday; apparently she does not Hear but the children do and start to Giggle into their hands.
When I have said Goodbye they grab me and pretend to be showing me the new Plants being grown for the Hydroponics section. What they really want is to rub dirt on my Evercleans when I am not looking and watch it Fall off, seems some of them saw this yesterday and the others will not Believe until shown. I ask them how Second Engineer Emmanuel managed to blow up the Cybercrane and they giggle a lot more, finally the eldest girl whispers in my ear “Second Engineer break open the engine box and Piss inside!” and I say Goodbye in a positive Explosion of giggles, and drive away.
Damn lucky for me he thought of it, anyway.
* * *
I am halfway back to the Hulk when something on the control board comes to life with a sort of Pop and Blazer Weigh’s voice Yells at me “Lizzie! If you copy, say so!” I say “I copy, where’s the Volume control?”
“Never mind,” he yells back. “Take the next turning Right and then Left and then Report.”
I turn Right and then Left, which Heads me back towards the Gate, and say I have done so.
“Good. Now Right at the garden with the big pine tree and third Left after that.”
Now I am headed for the Hulk by a track parallel to the usual one.
“Okay. Look at the control board. See a switch colored green? When the moment comes, slam that down and jam the accelerator full on, understand?”
I say “Understood.”
“The Hulk’s under siege, we think.”
For a moment I take this to be more Instructions, then I realize what he said. I say “Does the Moment come when I contact the Besiegers?”
“Hope not. With any luck you’ll have dodged them. If you do see any just barge through and the anticrash field will shove them sideways. No, the moment comes when—”
At that instant I do see the Besiegers, or anyway three men with what look like Stunners; I shove the accelerator home and bang the Hooter and the floater Charges through them and a moment later Blazer yells ‘ ‘Now! ’ ’ and I throw the Green switch—the Accelerator is jammed on already— and something Snaps round the whole of my body leaving just a small opening for my Nose. There is a Swooping sensation and a Crash! and I get the impression of being Compressed into a container much too small for me, and then the goddamn Safety Cocoon shrinks back into the seat of the Floater and I can see where I am.
* * *
Which is inside somebody’s House after a Hurricane, furniture in Bits blown into the comers, pictures hanging askew …
The Camouflage room in the Hulk.
The Floater has come through the Main Hatch at full acceleration and Stopped with its nose three feet from the back wall and I can’t understand why I am not Dead.
Then Doug bursts through the door and states at the top of his voice that I am Not, not even stunned, not a scratch on me, I do not feel so sure of this myself but I suppose he would know.
I get out while he is babbling about Crash Cocoons and Energy Absorption Fields and Automatic Homing, and take a look at the Floater. The front end has been kind of Consolidated for about six inches which may or may not mean it will never Float again.
Then it occurs to me to ask Who the hell is besieging us, and Why.
“Come into the Control Room,” says Don.
I hadn’t realized this place was still Functioning at all, but Blazer and the Cad are inside bending over various installations and a series of screens are lit up, showing Trees and houses in various directions but nothing else I can make out.
The Cad says “The Enemy have gone to ground.”
