—In the long run, sure. We’ve got walkers in the ready equipment. Lord, were prepared for anything Earthside could anticipate. There’re even submersibles in storage, in case Isis was an all-ocean planet.
Bob appeared at Ted’s elbow and nodded vigorously.
—Walkers? Ah like that bettern sittin’ still.
—Ted, I should think it’s technically feasible to make a radio-reflecting blanket. One we could throw over a standard walker.
—What about it, Bob?
—Sure. You thinkin’ to calibrate them till they reflect the EMs’s own signals back?
—Dead on. But scatter their pulses to the side, the same way ordinary rocks do.
—Bettuh than hunckerin’ down, waitin’ for EMs to come strollin’ by.
—Perhaps program the blanket in some way, make its reflectivity change with time? That way the EMs won’t register a same-shaped object following them about.
—Mebbe possible. Have to look at the specs.
—Grand. I’ll pitch in whatever talents I have.
—Whoa there, Nigel. That’s Bob’s section. I can’t—
—Fine then. Bob, I’m on for the first go.
—Jess a minit now—
—My idea, lads. I should get some fraction of the action, as the slang puts it.
—I dunno about ground team. I mean, assumin’ the approach works. Dunno if you’re up to physical specs, Nigel.
—Undoubtedly. But most of those walkers are servo’d, true?
—Sure. Havta be. Can’t afford to put a big team on the ground. Ted’s Operations study showed—
—That’s okay, Bob, don’t need to bother Nigel about details.
—Must keep surveillance maximized, Ted. Your own study showed that.
—How’d you get to read that part? It isn’t due for release until—
—Mere rumor, I assure you.
—Huh. Sounds like we got a big leak somewhere, Bob. Okay, since you got the dope anyway—We’ll land enough guys to service the equipment, then have teams From here servo’d to the hardware. Saves logistical problems. Five-hour shifts.
—Good. But there’s bound to be dead time there. No one can take a lot of being tied into machines, not on that long a circuit, ship-to-surface. So peg up a short shift, occasional sods like me. We can stand watch, keep an eye for anything odd. Patrol duty.
—Well, I don’t know as I like—
—He’s got a point, Ted. Long’s he’s just standin’ watch, nothin’ special—
—Thanks very much, Bob, I do appreciate it.
—Hey, now, I didn’t say definite you could.
—Awfully good of you.
—Nigel, we’re out of the rum already and—
—It’s not rum, luv, it’s spidmeer.
—Hey, now—
—Well, anyway we’re out and if you could—
—Certainly. Brilliant interruption. You look as if you’re deplorably empty there, Bob, I’ll just nip in and get you—
—But hey
—No trouble really, Ted you ought to come have some of the—
—Hey—
TWO
Nigel stirs restlessly, itchy from the encasing probes and pickups attached to him. He is moored to this electroneural net and feels the cramped capsule only dimly.
He waits for Isis to unfurl into him. There— it begins. Throughout, he will be trapped in a suffocating machine’s clasp, but he is willing to set aside the unpleasant overtones of this in return for the experience it opens to him.
