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diff --git a/59616.txt b/59616.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4f9d45f..0000000 --- a/59616.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,887 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Little Knowledge, by Russ Winterbotham - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Little Knowledge - -Author: Russ Winterbotham - -Release Date: May 26, 2019 [EBook #59616] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE *** - - - - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - a little knowledge - - BY RUSS WINTERBOTHAM - - _Earthmen were considered - stupid. But they knew something - that the alien didn't--and - about his own planet!_ - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Worlds of If Science Fiction, December 1956. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Even with modern conveniences, Caesar could never have staged such a -triumph, and in the face of world history-making, he wouldn't have -reason to. Olbu's visit to the earth was certainly a bigger deal for -the archives than anything Caesar ever did. - -"No one can say you aren't a good sport," commended Ralph Rodkey of -the Interstate Broadcasting Network. "You had plenty of reason to be -annoyed, especially when the mob tried to tear your clothes off. But, -the people meant no harm; they just adore you." - -Olbu had learned English overnight and mastered it. He hardly had an -accent: "I was a little disturbed, you might say." - -"Well, our people are hero worshippers," Rodkey explained. "And -you're certainly a hero, being the first man from off the Earth to -land on the Earth, you might say. And then too, given an opportunity -to celebrate, an Earthman will take full advantage of the slightest -excuse." - -"Rather barbaric," said Olbu. "But then this is a barbaric planet." - -"Uh? Oh, yes. Just joking, of course. Now we're about ready for -our telecast with Cecil Burroughs, the greatest commentator in the -business. You'll appear with one of our leading scientists." - -"I hope he can understand the things I shall talk about." - -"We may not know much about space flight, but we know a lot of things, -my boy," said Rodkey. - -"You say you don't travel in space as yet?" - -"No, and you're the first visitor from space we've had. You see, no -planets of this solar system are inhabited by intelligent forms of -life." - -"You can say that again," said Olbu. - -"With the exception of the Earth, of course." Rodkey laughed. "We were -very thrilled to have someone drop in on us." - -"How strange!" - -"In fact, many of our people figured that Man was unique. They thought -he couldn't exist anywhere but here." - -"It would be nice if such were the case," said Olbu. "But I'm afraid -the galaxy is not so fortunate. Many planets have men. Some are more -like men than others, if you understand what I mean. But they all have -his chief faults and good points." - -Rodkey had arranged for the interview in the Presidential suite of the -Claremont Hotel and in the next room electricians were busy setting up -the equipment. Presently the door opened and a man of about 50, clean -shaven and slightly bald, paused in the doorway. He looked at the -confusion for a moment, hesitated as if he were checking an impulse to -flee, then spotted Rodkey through the bedroom door. - -"Dr. Bruber!" exclaimed Rodkey. - -Dr. Alymir Bruber beamed, extended his hand and strode forward. - -He tripped over a cable, but caught himself on the doorframe with -nothing worse than a bumped shoulder. - -Rodkey pumped his hand enthusiastically. "It's been a long time, -Doctor!" he said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Remember, we met when -I interviewed you on the nervous electron factor of your diatomic -equivalent energy principle back in '96." - -"Oh," said Bruber. "Yes, I remember you well." He turned his head -toward Olbu. One glance would have convinced anyone that Olbu was from -space--or at least another planet. He had an unusually large head, -small neck, skinny arms and legs and a pot belly. Everyone knows that -people from other planets have all of these things. The only thing -wrong with Olbu was that his eyes were just like anyone's eyes, a -little slanted, perhaps, but not more so than the average oriental, and -of course Olbu had no feelers extending from his forehead. But those -things weren't absolutely necessary in a man who looked the part, as -Olbu did. - -"This must be our visitor!" Once more Dr. Bruber extended his hand and -this time he tripped over the rug, but Rodkey was handy to catch him. - -"My glasses," explained Dr. Bruber. "They're only bifocals, and I have -trouble adjusting to middle distances." - -"Olbu," said Rodkey, "allow me to present Dr. Bruber, the world's -greatest living scientist." - -Dr. Bruber laughed nervously and shook hands with Olbu. "I'm afraid Mr. -Rodkey is being extravagant. Actually I'm not the greatest. Only the -greatest in my field. I'm second greatest in three others though." - -"Dr. Bruber is too modest," said Rodkey. "There's practically nothing -that he doesn't know." - -"No one knows nothing," said Olbu. - -Dr. Bruber blinked as he tried to figure that one out. It doubtless -hinged on a lingual difference to start with and so he gave up. - -"Well, gentlemen," said Rodkey, "our broadcast will start in thirty -minutes. Perhaps we can go over briefly what topics we should talk -upon. You know we don't want to get into anything too deep for our -viewers to understand, yet we don't want to be _too_ trivial, you know. -Give them something interesting, I always say. Then if we have any time -left, we might touch on some topics that go a little beyond that." - -"Did you have a nice trip?" asked Dr. Bruber. - -"It was beastly," said Olbu. "Thirty-two light years of space and not -even an interesting meteor." - -"We're on the verge of making an interplanetary flight here on Earth," -Dr. Bruber said. "The trouble is, no one that wants a flight has any -money and those that have the money don't care about space flight." - -"You're probably better off all around," said Olbu. - -"Come now, gentlemen," said Rodkey. "We can do better than that. You -can cut loose with a few scientific terms now and then. It gives the -interview an authentic flavor. Ask Olbu his opinion of the quantum -jump, Dr. Bruber." - -Dr. Bruber turned toward the director and blinked through his heavy -glasses. "I'd rather ask our distinguished visitor why he came." - -"Yes, Dr. Bruber. Please do," said Olbu. - -"All right. Why did you come here?" - -"We wanted to decide whether to wipe out the solar system or not." - - * * * * * - -For a moment it was silent in the room, except for the sound of the -electricians outside the door. "Goddamit," said an electrician. "You -can't use that hookup on the Y-circuit. You'll cut out the monitors." - -Ralph Rodkey tiptoed to the bedroom door and closed it. - -"Surely you're joking," said Dr. Bruber. "Quite a sense of humor. -Ha-Ha." - -"No, I'm not. We discovered there was at least one habitable planet -here--and where there are habitable planets, there are likely to be -human beings. Human beings are dangerous." - -Rodkey cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. Far be it from me to interfere -in a scientific discussion like this, but if I were you I'd try another -tack. A large number of our viewers might not understand it." - -"You think it would be better, perhaps, if we killed them all without -warning?" Olbu said, turning toward the director. - -"Really, Mr. Olbu," said Rodkey. "You don't intend to blot us out, do -you?" - -"That decision is hardly mine to make," said Olbu. "I'll have to report -to my superiors. If you're dangerous, you'll have to be erased, and -there's nothing that can be done about it." - -"Excuse me a moment." Rodkey rose, went to the phone and ordered liquor -sent up to the room. He hung up the receiver. "I think it's best that -we make your stay here a pleasant one, Olbu." - -"If you intend to bribe me, I'm afraid you'll have no success," said -Olbu. "I was chosen because I am impeccable." - -"I'm quite sure of it," said Dr. Bruber. "And perhaps there is -something in your premise that not all human beings are desirable. I -should like to know how Earth is making out." - -Olbu shrugged his shoulders. "So far I've seen nothing worth saving," -he said. "You're a vain lot. You're trivial. You have no respect for -the dignity of Man. And your worst fault is ambition. I suppose you -have wars?" - -"Not for a long time. Two or three years anyhow," said Rodkey. - -"How long is a year? Ah yes, I forgot. It is the period of the planet -on its journey around the sun. And how long does that take? One year. -The usual nonsensical way you have of defining things. You don't even -know how to measure time." - -"How very interesting!" exclaimed Dr. Bruber. "Actually it never -occurred to me that there might be an absolute method of measuring -time. What is it?" - -"It's the Mpto. Forty-three and a third Mptos make an Anup, and twelve -million Anups make a Zorex. It's a lot simpler than seconds, minutes, -hours, days, weeks and so on." - -"Yes, I see," said Dr. Bruber. "But getting back to our topic. Just -what should we have that would make us worth saving?" - -"Stability," said Olbu. "Earthmen lack stability." - -"Don't you think you should talk more about your trip?" Rodkey asked. -"How did Saturn look when you passed it?" - -"Saturn wasn't in the right place to be seen at all," Dr. Bruber said. -"But you did see Pluto. How did it look?" - -"There was nothing about it and it looked awful," said Olbu. - -"I hate to be injecting my own personal ideas into this conversation," -said Rodkey, "because after all, I know nothing about science. But -don't you suppose it would please our viewers if we talked more about -space flight than about the destruction of the human race?" - -"You see," said Olbu to Dr. Bruber. "That's what I mean. No stability." - -"After all, the poor man doesn't want to lose his job," Bruber -explained. "I'd say that was a desire to be stable." - -"If he's going to be dead, which he will be when I get word from my -superiors, he'll lose his job whether he wants to or not," said Olbu. - -"I'll go along with a joke as well as anyone," said Rodkey, "but -gentlemen, we've only got twelve minutes till we go on the air. Now -let's cut out this nonsense about destroying Earth and talk about -something pleasant." - -"Certainly," said Dr. Bruber. "What planet did you come from?" - -"Xvik," said Olbu. "It's the fourth planet of a star you call GC1242." - -"Good old GC1242!" said Dr. Bruber. - -"Oh, you know that star?" - -"Yes, it's a minor variable loosely attached to Lyra." - -"There's nothing loose about my star," said Olbu. - -"I'm sure Dr. Bruber didn't mean it that way," said Rodkey hastily. He -looked nervously at Dr. Bruber. "Did you, doctor?" - -"That's one of the things I don't know," he said, wiping his glasses on -his handkerchief. "Tell me, Olbu, if you should decide we aren't worth -saving, how would you communicate with your superiors, considering -they're 32 light years away. Wouldn't it take 64 years--thirty-two -going and thirty-two coming--to get a message through?" - -"Oh, no! I communicate by instantaneous telepathy," said Olbu. "It's -much faster than energy forms of communication." - -"I wish you'd talk about something else," said Rodkey. "Only ten -minutes to go." - -Dr. Bruber disregarded the request. "I don't know why people on a -planet 32 light years away should consider Earth dangerous." - -"Oh, Earth isn't. It's only the people on it," said Olbu. - -"How do you know about the people?" - -"We have a method of enlarging telescopic photos to bring out every -detail. We know all about Man, we've watched you from the days when -your ancestors lived in caves." - -"Goodness! You know more about us than we know ourselves." - -"Why don't you tell our viewers about _that_!" exclaimed Rodkey. - -"Yes," went on Olbu, who also seemed to have forgotten the existence -of Rodkey, "we saw your ancestors fight with sticks and stones. We -saw them use spears, then gunpowder. Then we saw the atom bomb and the -Council decided to send me to see if anything could be salvaged." - -"But the bomb was 200 years ago," said Dr. Bruber. - -"Twelve Zorax," corrected Olbu. "I've been on the way here for twelve -Zorax--or if you will--thirty-two light years, two hundred time years." - -"Surely the atom bomb can't affect your existence when we don't even -have space flight," said Dr. Bruber. - -"My race has developed a type of logic that can look into the future," -said Olbu. "We know that certain patterns develop from past events. In -your case, you'll follow the Atom bomb with the Hydrogen bomb, and the -Hydrogen bomb with the Cobalt bomb--" - -"We have them both." - -"Ah! You see. Our logical foresight is infallible," said Olbu. -"Next you'll wipe out nations; when only one is left, you'll fight -neighboring planets. Since you haven't any inhabited near neighbors, -you'll have to invade Alpha Centauri. After that you'll battle with -other stars, until you've conquered the cluster, then the galaxy, -finally the universe. It's a very unstable state of affairs." - -Slowly Dr. Bruber nodded. "You're right. I never realized where science -was taking us. You have something ready to wipe us out with?" - -"Yes," said Olbu. "Just beyond the moon, circling the Earth and -the moon as a satellite, is a missile which I can bring here by -instantaneous telepathy, as soon as I have my orders from my superior." - -"I trust you'll postpone the fateful message until after our telecast?" - -Olbu smiled graciously. "A dying man is usually granted his last -request." - -"Gentlemen," said Rodkey, wiping his brow with a damp handkerchief, -"they're waiting for us in the next room. We're on in a minute." He -opened the door, allowed Olbu to pass through first, and then whispered -to Dr. Bruber. "I guess my job doesn't matter now. At least we'll scoop -the other networks on the end of the world." - -"Tish, tosh, old man," said Dr. Bruber. "Your job's safe and so is the -world. But if I should resort to murder in the next fifteen minutes, I -hope you'll testify in my behalf." - - * * * * * - -Dr. Bruber walked through the door, tripped over a cable and sprawled -in front of the television cameras. Rodkey helped him to his feet -and steered him to a seat to the left of the distinguished news -commentator, Cecil Burroughs. On the right of the commentator sat Olbu, -bobbing his huge head and smiling. - -Rodkey barely got out of camera range in time to give the signal. - - * * * * * - -Burroughs gave the commercial, which had nothing to do with -interplanetary flight, or anything else of interest. "NOW, ladies -and gentlemen," said Burroughs, "our two distinguished scientists -have a great deal to tell us about two widely separated points in the -universe." - -Dr. Bruber smiled into the camera. "Just before we went on the air, -Mr. Burroughs," he said, "Ambassador Olbu and I had an interesting -discussion about the merits of Earth. He contends that it is unstable--" - -"You are twisting my words around, doctor," interpolated Olbu. "I made -it clear that it was not the planet itself, but the people who are -objectionable." - -"The people spoil the planet?" - -"In a sense. The people are dangerous, the planet is not." - -"Would it be possible for a planet to spoil the people?" - -Olbu seemed to digest the words in his mind before he spoke: "That is -a rather weak effort to shift the blame from the shoulders of those -responsible for a sad state of affairs, doctor. You are trying to say -there is something in the air, or the water, that makes Earthmen what -they are." - -"No, I was hinting that there might be something wrong with _your_ -planet, Mr. Olbu." - -"Nonsense! Nothing is wrong with my planet. My people would not be -affected even if the air and water were bad. We, the children of Xvik, -are the highest expression of the human race." - -"It's easy to see that," said Dr. Bruber. "You were pointing out to -me that Earth's pattern of existence doesn't offer much hope for the -future." - -"That is right," said Olbu. "Earth's future is not much to look -forward to." - -"But the planet is worth saving?" - -"Definitely." - -"Yet the people are a part of the planet." - -"You should study logic, Dr. Bruber. You're trying to make me say -things that are not logical." - -"Okay, let's forget logic and look at what Earth is likely to do if it -follows its 'natural' trend. You say it will destroy itself." - -"If someone else doesn't do it first," said Olbu. "It will continue to -have wars till it exhausts all opportunities for it on the planet. Then -it will war in the skies, with other planets, with other stars, finally -with other galaxies. Man has a thirst for power, and that thirst is -never satisfied. On the other hand, knowledge leads to contentment. If -the Earth should seek knowledge, it would forget war." - -"Perhaps war is necessary for survival," suggested Dr. Bruber. - -"War is seldom fought for survival. It is a result of a struggle for -supremacy. And, might I ask, supremacy of what? After you've conquered -all the galaxies, what do you have?" - -"Olbu seems to have a point there," said Burroughs. "It is now time for -a brief message from our sponsor." - -The message had nothing to do with war, or knowledge. - -"Now, Olbu," began Burroughs, "we were talking about wars, knowledge, -power and survival. Do you have anything else to add?" - -"Only that Earth has brought this on itself," said Olbu. - -"I don't quite understand--" Cecil Burroughs wrinkled his massive brow. - -"What our distinguished visitor is trying to say," said Dr. Bruber, "is -that a planet is only as stable as its people. And a star system is -only as stable as its planets. Isn't that it, Ambassador?" - -"You have a round-about method of stating nothing at all," said Olbu. -"What I'm trying to tell you is that sometimes worlds must come to an -end." - -"Exactly," said Dr. Bruber. "I've made a study of GC1242 for many years -and I'm quite familiar with it. This star, as many scientists know, -became a super nova about fifteen years ago." - -"What?" Olbu's eyes grew less slanting and more round. - -"It was an unstable star," said Dr. Bruber. "The Earth, with all its -faults, is stable. It may be young, impulsive, inclined to play with -fire--atomic fire no less--but it will grow up some day." - -"My star, my planet--gone?" - -"You haven't been in contact with your home base since you arrived?" -Dr. Bruber asked. - -"I was not supposed to contact my base," said Olbu, "until--" He -stopped abruptly, and those with him were aware of the fact that he was -using his mental powers to call his superiors.--The lengthening silence -seemed to give proof to Bruber's words. - -"Since you have no world to go to," interrupted the Dr. gently, "I hope -you'll be our guest. Perhaps you can teach us something about space -flight and your mental powers." - -"Oh yes!" said Olbu eagerly. "And if I have by any chance cast -reflections on your planet...." - -"My dear Mr. Olbu, science has never suffered when scientists have -dealt frankly with problems at hand." - -"I'm afraid our time is up," put in Cecil Burroughs. "Thank you -gentlemen, and I hope our viewers will tune in again next week when -we will have two interesting personalities, Sam Katchum, who tames -rattlesnakes, and Joe Wattles, who stuffs cobras. Glad we could be -together." - -Ralph Rodkey shook Dr. Bruber's hand as he emerged from the broadcast -room. "You saved my life; you saved my job!" - -"Think nothing of it, Ralph. It was nothing I wouldn't have done for -myself." - -"But if you hadn't known about GC1242 becoming a super nova--" - -"You don't think the loss of GC1242 was accidental, do you?" - -"Good Lord, Bruber. I don't know anything about those things." - -"As our friend Olbu said, Man develops along certain patterns ... first -his own planet, then neighboring planets, then star systems." - -"You don't think--?" - -"I do, Rodkey. I do. Somebody else was just a little more advanced than -GC1242 and did to them what they wanted to do to us." - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Little Knowledge, by Russ Winterbotham - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE *** - -***** This file should be named 59616.txt or 59616.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/9/6/1/59616/ - -Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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