The Board Master answered, ‘Really all over. The original experiment, as such, is over. The distortions created by Realo’s visit will easily be large enough to make the pla,ns we are studying here a dead language. And besides – Murry is right. If they have interstellar travel, they’re dangerous.’
Realo was shouting, ‘But you’re not going to destroy them. You can’t destroy them. They haven’t hurt anyone.’
There was no answer, and he raved on, ‘I’m going back. I’ll warn them. They’ll be prepared. I’ll warn them.’
He was backing toward the door, his thin, white hair bristling, his red- rimmed eyes bulging.
The Board Master did not move to stop him when he dashed out. ‘Let him go. It was his lifetime. I don’t care any more.’
Theor Realo smashed toward the robot world at an acceleration that was half choking him.
Somewhere ahead was the dustspeck of an isolated world with artificial imitations of humanity struggling along in an experiment that had died. Struggling blindly toward a new goal of interstellar travel that was to be their death sentence.
He was heading toward that world, toward the same city in which he had been ‘studied’ the first time. He remembered it well. Its name was the first words of their language he had learned.
New York!
Blind Alley
Only once in Galactic History was an intelligent race of non-Humans discovered—
‘Essays on History,’ by Ligum Vier
From: Bureau for the Outer Provinces
To: Loodun Antyok, Chief Public Administrator, A-8
Subject: Civilian Supervisor of Cepheus 18, Administrative Position as.
References:
(a) Act of Council 2515, of the year 971 of the Galactic Empire, entitled, ‘Appointment of Officials of the Administrative Service, Methods for, Revision of.’
(b) Imperial Directive, Ja 2374, dated 243/975 G.E.
1. By authorization of reference (a), you are hereby appointed to the subject position. The authority of said position as Civilian Supervisor of Cepheus 18 will extend over non-Human subjects of the Emperor living upon the planet under the terms of autonomy set forth in reference (b).
2. The duties of the subject position shall comprise the general supervision of all non-Human internal affairs, co-ordination of authorized government investigating and reporting committees, and the preparation of semiannual reports on all phases of non-Human affairs.
C. Morily, Chief, BuOuProv,
12/977 G.E.
Loodun Antyok had listened carefully, and now he shook his round head mildly, ‘Friend, I’d like to help you, but you’ve grabbed the wrong dog by the ears. You’d better take this up with the Bureau.’
Tomor Zammo flung himself back into his chair, rubbed his beak of a nose fiercely, thought better of whatever he was going to say, and answered quietly, ‘Logical, but not practical. I can’t make a trip to Trantor now. You’re the Bureau’s representative on Cepheus 18. Are you entirely helpless?’
‘Well, even as Civilian Supervisor, I’ve got to work within the limits of Bureau policy.’
‘Good,’ Zammo cried, ‘then, tell me what Bureau policy is. I head a scientific investigating committee, under direct Imperial authorization with, supposedly, the widest powers; yet at every angle in the road I am pulled up short by the civilian authorities with only the parrot shriek of ‘Bureau policy’ to justify themselves. What is Bureau policy? I haven’t received a decent definition yet.’
Antyok’s gaze was level and unruffled. He said, ‘As I see it – and this is not official, so you can’t hold me to it – Bureau policy consists in treating the non-Humans as decently as possible.’
‘Then, what authority have they—’
‘Ssh! No use raising your voice. As a matter of fact, His Imperial Majesty is a humanitarian and a disciple of the philosophy of Aurelion. I can tell you quietly that it is pretty well-known that it is the Emperor himself who first suggested that this world be established. You can bet that Bureau policy will stick pretty close to Imperial notions. And you can bet that I can’t paddle my way against that sort of current.’
‘Well, m’boy,’ the physiologist’s fleshy eyelids quivered, ‘if you take that sort of attitude, you’re going to lose your job. No, I won’t have you kicked out. That’s not what I mean at all. Your job will just fade out from under you, because nothing is going to be accomplished here!’
‘Really? Why?’ Antyok was short, pink, and pudgy, and his plump-cheeked face usually found it difficult to put on display any expression other than one of bland and cheerful politeness-but it looked grave now.
‘You haven’t been here long. I have.’ Zammo scowled. ‘Mind if I smoke?’ The cigar in his hand was gnarled and strong and was puffed to life carelessly.
He continued roughly, ‘There’s no place here for humanitarianism, administrator. You’re treating non-Humans as if they were Humans, and it won’t work. In fact, I don’t like the word ‘non-Human.’ They’re animals.’
‘They’re intelligent,’ interjected Antyok, softly.
‘Well, intelligent animals, then. I presume the two terms are not mutually exclusive. Alien intelligences mingling in the same space won’t work, anyway.’
‘Do you propose killing them off?’
‘Galaxy, no!’ He gestured with his cigar. ‘I propose we look upon them as objects for study, and only that. We could learn a good deal from these animals if we were allowed to. Knowledge, I might point out, that would be used for the immediate benefit of the human race. There’s humanity for you. There’s the good of the masses, if it’s this spineless cult of Aurelion that interests you.’’
‘What, for instance, do you refer to?’
‘To take the most obvious – You have heard of their chemistry, I take it?’
‘Yes,’ Antyok admitted. ‘I have leafed through most of the reports on the non-Humans published in the last ten years. I expect to go through more.’’
‘Hmp. Well – Then, all I need say is that their chemical therapy is extremely thorough. For instance, I have witnessed personally the healing of a broken bone-what passes for a broken bone with them, I mean – by the use of a pill. The bone was whole in fifteen minutes. Naturally, none of their drugs are any earthly use on Humans. Most would kill quickly. But if we found out how they worked on the non-Humans – on the animals—’
‘Yes, yes. I see the significance.’
‘Oh, you do. Come, that’s gratifying. A second point is that these animals communicate in an unknown manner.’
‘Telepathy!’
The scientist’s mouth twisted, as he ground out, ‘Telepathy! Telepathy! Telepathy! Might as well say by witch brew. Nobody knows anything about telepathy except its name. What is the mechanism of telepathy? What is the physiology and the physics of it? I would like to find out, but I can’t. Bureau policy, if I listen to you, forbids.’
Antyok’s little mouth pursed itself. ‘But – Pardon me, doctor, but I don’t follow you. How are you prevented? Surely the Civil Administration has made no attempt to hamper scientific investigation of these non-Humans. I cannot speak for my predecessor entirely, of course, but I myself—’
‘No direct interference has occurred. I don’t speak of that. But by the Galaxy, administrator, we’re hampered by the spirit of the entire set-up. You’re making us deal with humans. You allow them their own leader and internal autonomy. You pamper them and give them what Aurelion’s philosophy would call ‘rights.’ I can’t deal with their leader.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because he refuses to allow me a free hand. He refuses to allow experiments on any subject without the subject’s own consent. The two or three volunteers we get are not too bright. It’s an impossible arrangement.’
Antyok shrugged helplessly.
