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diff --git a/32284.txt b/32284.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..961fac8 --- /dev/null +++ b/32284.txt @@ -0,0 +1,994 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Hitch Hikers, by Vernon L. McCain + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Hitch Hikers + +Author: Vernon L. McCain + +Release Date: May 7, 2010 [EBook #32284] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HITCH HIKERS *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, David Wilson and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + | | + | Transcriber's note: | + | | + | This story was published in _If: Worlds of Science Fiction_, | + | November 1954. Extensive research did not uncover any | + | evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was | + | renewed. | + | | + +--------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + +_Illustrated by Kelly Freas_ + + + + +The Hitch Hikers + + _The Rell, a great and ancient Martian race, faced extinction when + all moisture was swept from their planet. Then, one day, a lone + visitor--a strange, two-legged creature composed mostly of + water--landed on Mars..._ + +BY VERNON L. MC CAIN + + +The dehydration of the planet had taken centuries in all. The Rell had +still been a great race when the process started. Construction of the +canals was a prodigious feat but not a truly remarkable one. But what +use are even canals when there is nothing to fill them? + +What cosmic influences might have caused the disaster baffled even the +group-mind of the Rell. Through the eons the atmosphere had drifted into +space; and with it went the life-giving moisture. Originally a liquid +paradise, the planet was now a dry, hostile husk. + +The large groups of Rell had been the first to suffer. But in time even +the tiny villages containing mere quadrillions of the submicroscopic +entities had found too little moisture left to satisfy their thirst and +the journey ever southward toward the pole had commenced. + +The new life was bitter and difficult and as their resources were +depleted so also did their numbers diminish. + +[Illustration] + +Huddled at their last retreat the Rell watched the ever smaller ice cap +annually diminish and lived with the knowledge they faced extinction. A +mere thousand years more would see even this trifling remainder gone. + +Oh, you might say there was hope ... of a sort. There might be Rell in +the northern hemisphere. The canals girdled the globe and a similar ice +cap could well exist at the opposite pole. Rell perhaps survived there +also. + +But this was scant comfort. The fate of the Rell in the South was +sealed. What hope of any brighter future for those in the North? And if +they survived a few hundred thousand years longer ... or if they had +perished a similar period earlier, what actual difference did it make? + +There was no one more aware of this gloomy future than Raeillo/ee13. + +In the old days a single unit of the group-mind of the Rell would have +possessed but a single function and exercised this function perhaps a +dozen times during his life. But due to the inexorable shrinkage only +the most important problems now could command mind-action and each unit +had been forced to forsake specialization for multi-purpose endeavors. + +Thus Raeillo/ee13 and his mate Raellu//2 were two of the five thousand +units whose task was to multiply in any group-mind action involving +mathematical prediction. Naturally Raeillo/ee13 and Raellu//2 did not +waste their abilities in mundane problems not involving prediction. Nor +did they divide, add, or subtract. That was assigned to other units just +as several million of the upper groups had the task of sorting and +interpreting their results. Raeillo/ee13 and Raellu//2 multiplied only. +And it must be admitted they did it very well. It is a pity the Rell +could not have multiplied physically as easily as Raeillo/ee13 and +Raellu//2 multiplied mentally. + +With the exception of an occasional comet or meteor the Rell were seldom +diverted by anything of a physical nature. The ice cap was their sole +concern. + +But one afternoon a rare physical phenomenon was reported by a bank of +observer Rell. + +"In the sky's northwest portion," an excited injunction came through. +"Observe that patch of flaming red!" + +More observer Rell were quickly focused on the novel sight and further +data was rapidly fed into the interpretive bank. + +The Rell were justifiably proud of their interpreters. With the race +shrinkage it had proved impossible to properly train new interpreters. +So, not without a great deal of sacrifice, the old interpreters, dating +back to when the canals still flowed with water, had been kept alive. + +They were incredibly ancient but there was no doubt as to their ability. +It was a truism among the Rell that the interpretive banks arrived at +their conclusions faster than any other group and that these conclusions +could be checked to hundreds of decimal places without finding +inaccuracy. + +So it was no surprise to have the interpretive bank respond almost +instantly, "It is quite odd but the flame appears to be of artificial +origin." + +"Artificial!" came the rough and questing probe of the speculative bank. +"But how could Rell possibly be out there?" + +"Who mentioned Rell?" was the interpretive bank's smug answer. They were +not utterly averse to demonstrating their superior mental abilities on +occasion. + +The speculative bank replied, "Artificial implies intelligence, and +intelligence means Rell..." + +"Does it?" the interpretive bank interrupted. The speculative bank +waited but the interpretive bank failed to enlarge on the provocative +query. + +The Rell had found certain disadvantages accrued to abnormal +prolongation of life and thus were not unused to the interpretive bank's +occasional tendency to talk in riddles. + +"Perhaps not," the speculative bank replied after a quick check with the +logical formulae held in reserve by the historical bank. "It is +theoretically possible that Rell-like individuals might have developed +elsewhere, and perhaps even have developed intelligence, although, +according to the historical bank, such an idea has never before been +subjected to consideration. But what is the flame doing?" they +continued, a trifle resentful at having been left to do work properly in +the interpretive bank's province. + +The observation and interpretive banks once more came into play, +studying the situation for several minutes. "The flame appears to be the +exhaust of a fairly crude vessel," the interpretive bank finally +reported, "propelled by ignition of some gaseous mixture." + +"Is it moving?" + +"Quite rapidly." + +"Where is it going?" + +This called into play the prophecy division of the mind and Raeillo/ee13 +and Raellu//2, who had been merely interested onlookers before, +hurriedly meshed themselves with the other forty nine hundred odd of +their fellows. (It was impossible to say at any given time just how many +there were in their computer section, as several births and deaths had +occurred among the group since beginning the current observations. These +would be suspended for the next several moments, however, as there was a +strict prohibition against anyone being born, dying, or otherwise +engaging in extraneous activity while their particular bank was either +alerted or in action.) + +Raeillo/ee13 and Raellu//2 felt the group discipline take hold much more +firmly than the free-and-easy mesh which each unit enjoyed with the +complete group-mind during periods of leisure. + +With a speed that would have been dizzying and incomprehensible to any +individual unit, the observing banks relayed huge masses of extraneous +data to the interpretive bank. They strained out the salient facts and +in turn passed these to the computing:prediction section. Here they were +routed to the groups who would deal with them. Raeillo/ee13 and Raellu//2 +found their own talents pressed into service a dozen or more times in +the space of the minute and a half it took the computing:prediction and +interpretive banks to arrive at the answer. + +"It's aimed here," the interpretive bank reported. + +"Here!" a jumble of incoherent and anarchistic thoughts resounded from +many shocked and temporarily out-of-mesh units. + +"Order!" came a sharp command from the elite corp of three thousand +disciplinary units. + +As stillness settled back over the group-mind the speculative bank once +more came in. "By here ... do you mean _right_ here?" + +"Approximately," replied the interpretive bank with what would have +sounded suspiciously like a chuckle in a human reply. "According to +calculations the craft should land within half a mile of our present +location." + +"Let's go there then and wait for it!" That thought from the now seldom +used reservation of impulse. + +The speculative bank murmured, "I wonder if there would be any danger. +How hot is that exhaust?" + +Calculations were rapidly made and the answer arrived at. The Rell +prudently decided to remain where they were for the present. + + * * * * * + +Captain Leonard Brown, USAF, hunched over the instruments in the cramped +control cabin which, being the only available space in the ship, doubled +as living quarters. A larger man would have found the arrangement +impossible. Brown, being 5' 2" and weighing 105 pounds found it merely +intolerable. + +At the moment he was temporarily able to forget his discomfort, however. +The many tiny dials and indicators told a story all their own to Brown's +trained vision. + +"Just another half hour," he whispered to himself. "Just thirty more +minutes and I'll land. It may be just a dead planet but I'll still be +the first." + +There really wasn't a great deal for Brown to do. The ship was +self-guided. The Air Force had trusted robot mechanisms more than human +reactions. + +Thus Brown's entire active contribution to the flight consisted in +watching the dials (which recorded everything so even watching them was +unnecessary) and in pressing the button which would cause the ship to +start its return journey. + +Of course the scientists could have constructed another mechanism to +press the button and made it a completely robot ship. But despite their +frailties and imperfections, human beings have certain advantages. +Humans can talk. Machines may see and detect far more than their human +creators but all they can do is record. They can neither interpret nor +satisfactorily describe. + +Brown was present not only to report a human's reactions to the first +Mars flight; he was also along to see that which the machines might +miss. + +"We've never satisfactorily defined life," one of his instructors had +told Brown shortly after he started the three grueling years of training +which had been necessary, "so we can't very well build a foolproof +machine for detecting it. That's why we've left room for 105 pounds of +dead weight." + +"Meaning me?" + +"Meaning you." + +"And I'm your foolproof machine for detecting life?" + +"Let's say you're the closest we can come to it at present. We're +banking everything on this first trip. It'll be at least eighteen +months later before we can get a second ship into space. So it's up to +you to get everything you can ... some evidence of life, preferably +animal, if possible. With public support it'll be a hell of a lot easier +squeezing appropriations out of Congress for the next ship and to get +public support we need the biggest possible play in the newspapers. If +anything is newsworthy on Mars it should be evidence of life ... even +plant life." + +So here he was, 105 pounds of concentrated knowledge and anticipation, +itching with the desire for action and also from more basic causes +having to do with two months confinement in a small space with a minimum +of water. + +"Life is most probable at the poles," the instructor had said. "You +won't be able to stay long so we'll try to set you down right at the +South Pole. You won't have room to bring back specimens. So keep your +eyes open and absorb everything you see. Don't forget anything. What you +bring back in your mind weighs nothing." + + +"It's just sitting there," the observing banks reported, "and the red +flame has gone out." + +"Is it safe now?" enquired the speculative bank. + +"In what way?" + +"Is it safe to go near that thing?" + +"It's very huge," ventured the observing banks unasked. There was a stir +of activity which encompassed practically all except the most simple +units and which lasted for perhaps five minutes while the speculative +bank's last question was processed. + +Finally the interpretive bank reluctantly admitted, "We can't arrive at +a positive answer. Too many unknown elements are present. We don't know +for sure what caused the flame, when it might start again, or what, if +anything, is inside." + +"But you said it was a work of intelligence. Doesn't that mean Rell +would be inside?" + +"Not necessarily. They could have constructed the thing to operate +itself." + +It was just then that the observing banks reported, "It's opening." + +The speculative bank quickly responded, "This is an emergency. We must +be able to observe from close up. We'll have to approach it." + +"The entire mind?" enquired the disciplinary corps. + +The speculative bank hesitated. "No, we'll need to split up. One-fifth +of us will go, the rest remain here. It's a short distance and we'll +still be able to continue in complete contact." + +Those who were to go were quickly sorted out and Raeillo/ee13 was quite +thrilled to find he and Raellu//2 were included in the scouting party. + +The group set off briskly toward their objective but had moved hardly +one hundred yards when a vertigo seemed to overtake them. Raeillo/ee13 +found himself swimming helplessly in a vortex of darkness and isolation, +blanked off from not only the group-mind and his bank but also from +Raellu//2. Frantically he grasped for some sort of stasis, but +dependence on the group-mind was too ingrained and he was unable to stir +his long-dormant powers of sight and education. + +Then the isolation cleared to be replaced by a brief impression of chaos +with perhaps a tinge of alienness. Another instant of vertigo followed +and then everything was normal once more as the comfortable familiar +mesh took hold. + +"What was that?" Even the speculative bank sounded frightened. + +"Sorry." The usually silent meshing bank sounded abashed. "We weren't +prepared for that. Some sort of thought wave is issuing from the opening +and it disrupted the group mesh till we were able to take it into +calculation and rebuild the mesh around it." + +"Thought wave? Then there _are_ Rell in that thing." + +"Do not compute before the mesh is set," the interpretive bank +cautioned. "The presence of Rell, while extremely probable, is not yet +entirely certain." + +Without waiting for a suggestion from elsewhere the disciplinary group +ordered the entire mind forward. + +Perhaps, in time of stress, dormant qualities tend to emerge, +Raeillo/ee13 mused. Certainly everyone, himself included, appeared to be +exercising speculative qualities. Not that specialization isn't a +marvelous blessing, he hastily added, in case the disciplinary corps +might be scanning his bank. But the disciplinary corps itself was as +fascinated by the phenomenon ahead as Raeillo/ee13. + +Emerging from the infinitely huge upright thing was a mobile being, also +infinitely huge. Not that they were the same size. The mobile one was +small enough to fit easily through the opening in the lower portion of +the larger. But beyond a certain point words lose meaning and infinitely +huge was the closest measurement the tiny Rell could find for either the +upright pointed thing or the knobby one which had emerged and was +quickly identified as the source of the disrupting thought patterns. + + * * * * * + +Leonard Brown was enjoying himself thoroughly. The inside of a space +suit can scarcely be termed comfortable but at least you can move around +in it and Brown was making the most of this sensation after two months +cramped in his tiny cell. He was, in fact, comporting himself much as a +three-year-old might have done after a similar release. + +But before long he settled down to the serious business of observing and +mentally recording everything in sight. + +There were none of the mysterious 'canals' in view, which was +disappointing; one piece of glamour the publicity boys would necessarily +forego until the next trip. The ice cap itself, if such it could be +called, was almost equally disappointing. On Earth it would have been +dismissed as a mere frost patch, if this section was typical. For a +radius of many yards the ground was blasted bare by the action of the +exhaust and nowhere in sight did there appear to be more than the +flimsiest covering of white over the brown sandy soil. + +"Not even lichens," muttered Brown in disgust. + +But disgust cannot long stand against the magic of a fresh new planet +and Brown continued his avid, though barren, search until hunger forced +his return to the ship. He had been able to detect no life and was +completely unaware of his close proximity to the planet's dominant +species. It had been considered neither practical nor particularly +desirable to build a microscope into the space suit. Simplicity and the +least possible weight had been the watchwords here as with everything +designed to go aboard the ship. + +In any case, a microscope would have done Brown little good in trying to +detect the submicroscopic beings of the Rell. + + +The Rell, who had somewhat lost their fear of Brown, hastily retreated +when they saw him returning to the still awesome ship. + +"But are you _sure_ he's _completely_ self-powered?" the speculative +bank queried. "No Rell inside him at all?" + +"There are many Rell-like beings in various parts of him," replied the +interpretive bank. "Some help digest his food, others are predators, and +still others their enemies. But most are too big and clumsy to have +developed intelligence, and even the small ones appear completely +mindless." + +"But where do the thought waves come from? We all felt them." + +"It's hard to accept but we are almost forced to conclude they are +emanating from the mobile unit itself, or rather from the living part +within the cocoon." + +"You're positive they aren't the product of some of the Rell-beings +inside?" + +"Almost positive. The mesh insists not. In fact, it claims this is an +un-Rell like type of intelligence, though that appears to be a +contradiction in terms. The thought pattern is completely outside our +experience. In fact, it is so alien we haven't broken it down yet to the +meaning behind it." + +"But if the Rell inside are too large to have developed intelligence, +how could this gigantic monster in which they live have done so?" + +"We cannot yet say. Remember, the theory that intelligence cannot +develop in creatures above a certain size is unproven, even though never +before challenged. We've watched other races die through failure to +adapt to change so apparently it is true of Rell-like creatures on this +world. But who can say about organisms on another world or of the +unprecedented size of this one? Completely different physical laws may +apply." + +It was later that afternoon after the Rell had spent much time observing +Brown while Brown was busy observing the landscape that the interpretive +bank made the triumphant announcement, "We have it! We've broken the +thought waves down to their meanings and know what he's thinking. What +would you like to know first?" + +"Check and see if there are any Rell inside the other thing or on his +home world. They might have constructed him." + +"Apparently there are none, or at least no intelligent Rell, on his +world. We can't guide his mind but the memory bank recorded all the +thoughts we've received and some time ago he was thinking of something +he termed 'vermin'. Apparently these are sometimes Rell-like creatures, +although far larger. He regards them as a great nuisance, but mindless. +The big thing, by the way, he calls a 'ship' and it is utterly lifeless. +We needn't fear the flame until this creature leaves." + +"What about him? What is he like?" + +"That's the most exciting part! He thought of his bodily needs once and +we glimpsed a concept dealing with his physical construction. It's +incredible! His body is composed almost entirely of water ... there's +enough water in him alone to prolong the life of the Rell many ages. +Further, the air in his 'ship' is heavily impregnated with moisture and +he even has reserve supplies of water for his needs." + + +At this, not only Raeillo/ee13, but all except perhaps the most +responsible units felt a shiver of primitive longing and perhaps even +greed. Not for millennia had there been such a plentitude of water so +close! + +"Then can't we appropriate at least part of it?" asked the speculative +bank. + +"Unfortunately both the 'man', as he calls himself, and his 'ship' are +sealed so tightly that we could not penetrate either. Worse yet, almost +half his time here is already gone. We don't quite understand his +purpose here. His thoughts seem to say he is searching for Rell for some +unfathomable reason yet he seems to know nothing of the Rell and cannot +even detect us." + + * * * * * + +It was the next day when the time was almost all gone that the two big +discoveries were made. During a routine check, the mesh came across a +thought of the man's return and a visualization of his home world. It +was so startling that the interpretive bank was recalled from its effort +to try to devise a means through the spacesuit and set at the new +problem. + +A hasty check of the man's subconscious thoughts revealed the big news. +"Do you know," the interpretive bank announced, "not only does this +being's home world have a moist atmosphere like that in his ship but two +thirds of the surface of his world is _liquid water_!" + +Even the speculative bank was silent for a full two seconds after this +news. Then a hasty impulse was sent to the disciplinary corps and the +entire mind called into action. An extreme emergency upon which the fate +of the race hinged called for the utmost effort by even the humblest +members of the group. + +The Rell worked diligently and many blind alleys were explored, but it +was not for some time that anyone thought of enquiring of the +not-too-bright feeding bank how they were managing to keep the mind +operating at considerably more than normal power with no frost within +feeding distance. + +"We're taking moisture from the air," was the answer. + +"Where is the moisture coming from?" the interpretive bank was asked. + +The answer didn't take long. Rapid measurements supplied it. "Some of it +is vaporized frost but that wouldn't be enough for our needs. The only +other possibility is that moisture must be seeping away from either the +man or his ship despite his sureness that they were both airtight and +our own investigations which confirmed it." + +They had maintained a cautious distance from the ship for the most part +despite the interpretive bank's assurance of no immediate danger. But +now they swarmed over both it and the spacesuit determined to detect the +leak. + +They found none. + +And now the man was returning to his ship. + +"This is the last time," the mesh warned. It was now or never. + +For a second there was conflict over control of the circuits to the +disciplinary corps which carried with it command of the organism during +the emergency. The speculative bank customarily assumed this +responsibility, but a slight schism had developed between it and the +interpretive bank. The latter's greater age and skill came into play and +victory was quickly won. + +From the disciplinary corps came the order, "Stay close to the 'man'." + +The interpretive bank explained, "He breathes the air so he'll have to +get to it some way." + +The defeated speculative bank maintained a sulky silence. + +Thus it was that the entire mind of the Rell rode into the interior of +the ship through the airlock while clustered around Brown. + +The Rell had grasped that the man lived and traveled inside his ship and +the necessity for it to be airtight. But so desperate were the two +races' needs that the necessity for an airlock and the consequent slight +seepage each time it was used had not occurred to even the interpretive +bank. + +Inside, many Rell, suddenly intoxicated by the heady moisture-laden air, +commenced uniting with each other then splitting away, each such union +resulting in another unit of Rell, naturally. The interpretive bank +again seized control. + +"Stop it! Stop it this instant!" it snapped. "Reproduction must be kept +to the former minimum for now. That is a firm order." + +Reluctantly the process was halted. The interpretive bank explained, "It +would not take long for us to use up the entire supply of water if we +indulged in uncontrolled reproduction. That might endanger the whole +trip." + +"What do we do now?" the speculative bank finally asked. + +"There is no way of knowing positively whether the man uses this same +atmosphere until he returns to his world or not. For our own safety it +would seem best, since Rell-like creatures already inhabit him, that we +join them. If any place is safe it will be his interior. And there is +plenty of moisture within to sustain us. But we must be good parasites," +the interpretive bank warned. "Remember, no undue reproduction no matter +how many quarts of moisture seem to be going to waste inside this 'man'. +He may need it himself and if he does not survive the ship might not +complete its trip." + +Brown was just emerging from his space suit so the Rell chose his +closest available body opening and flowed as a group into his mouth and +nostrils. + +"Ahchoo!" sneezed Brown, violently evicting half the Rell. + +They re-entered a bit more cautiously in order not to irritate the +sensitive membrane again. + +"Dammit," said Brown, "don't tell me I've caught a cold clear out here +on Mars. Hope I didn't pick up any Martian germs." + +But he needn't have worried. By the time he reached Earth he was far +less germ-ridden, even if considerably more itchy on the exterior, than +when he'd left. The Rell were good at self defense and a surprising +number of mindless but voracious creatures in Brown's interior had been +eliminated. + +Brown dreaded having to give the news he carried but he needn't have. He +was a conquering hero. + +So much fuss was made over the first flight to Mars that Congress +promptly voted twice the appropriation for the second ship that the Air +Force had requested, despite strong opposition from the Navy and +headlines which read: + + NO LIFE ON MARS + +Actually, as it happened, the headlines were one hundred percent +correct, but they neglected to mention, chiefly because the headline +writers didn't know it, that there were now two races of intelligent +life on Earth. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Hitch Hikers, by Vernon L. 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