Children of Tomorrow (13 page)

As it was, it spread generously across half the width and height of the interior . . . Across the screen there rippled tiny particles of light. They came in patterns and waves, but these did not move in a single direction — this was no modified TV screen with a one-way scanning system. Up, down, sideways, diagonally, simultaneously left and right - that was the movement ... But they were patterns, nonetheless.

The scientist’s voice went on, ‘The screen
could
show a picture. However, at the moment we are reflecting random energy forma from the region of space beyond Pluto’s orbit approximately 4,000 million miles, or six light-hours, away. It is the area where our scouting vessel was destroyed the other day. And, of course, normally that distance is too great for us to detect radio waves, or TV, or other organised energies, unless they have been modified specifically for, and aimed at, our receivers. Which,’ he concluded briskly, ‘we may speculate would not be part of the intent of an alien group, if such a group is, in fact, maneuvering out there.’ Lane’s face had a thoughtful expression on it, as he listened to the explanation. Desmond Reid nodded a few times. Both men remained seated - and it was Reid who now spoke. He indicated the room, and his gesture also seemed to include the entire machine, and he said, ‘When did all this get organised, and why? I must admit I was surprised when we came out, and you guided me in here.’

Lane was apologetic. 'I couldn’t explain in front of the others.
¹
‘It’s all right,’ Reid reassured him. ‘I’m not complaining. But I can’t see it being a real protection. If Spaceport is vulnerable from’ - he glanced up at the ceiling - ‘from out there somewhere, it
’
s hard to imagine that some truck standing outside your vulnerable house would be any protection in an emergency.’

The younger man’s stem face relaxed into a faint smile. 1 see you’ve got the same wrong idea of what protection consists of, as all these other people. To someone who joins the fleet, there comes a gradual, horrified realisation that one can spend an entire lifetime doing routine maintenance and routine cruising. Meanwhile, our existence makes people
-feel
safer. Even those of us who are aboard units of the fleet
feel
more secure because they exist. Yet, what happened when we met the enemy out there. They attacked. Three of our units, which were unfortunately closest to the point of contact, were destroyed in those first few seconds. The rest of us, on my orders, withdrew. This meant that the fleet as a whole remained out of their range. Since we didn’t wish to fight, we tried communication. There was no reply. Next we sent units forward to discharge their atomic torpedoes at the enemy - only they were not loaded. We merely wanted to see if we could penetrate their defenses. The torpedoes could not get near their big ships, but several of the smaller ones were hit. Our conclusions were that the large enemy ships carried equipment that could put out energy that would confuse the target-locating devices on the torpedoes, but that the smaller vessels did not carry such defensive equipment. It gave us a picture of their limitations, and so we felt better. Tonight, when I sleep with the knowledge that this armored tank is sitting outside my house with its antennae pointed up in the direction of the enemy, I shall feel better, also.’

‘Yes, but - ’ protested Reid, ‘if the enemy is really watching, it will warn him that you are suspicious. And it will certainly cause talk in the neighborhood.’

“Wel-l-ll,’ acknowledged Lane, and his smile was suddenly grimmer, ‘I should tell you that I have kept the real information to the last. You may recall that you accompanied me home on my first night back?’

The older man sighed. ‘I remember it only too well. You were in a very determined mood in connection with Susan. I’ve been intending to ask you how that came out.’

Lane said curtly, “We’!! discuss Susan some other time. What was interesting was what happened in connection with you
and
me the next morning.’

Reid blinked in his astonishment. ‘Me?’ he said.

‘Both of us came to the Space Control, and both of us stepped in to the Identification booth - you did, didn’t you?’

“Yes, of course,’ the other man acknowledged. ‘After more than twenty years, I’ve often though it was unnecessary. But I did it each day just as if nobody had ever seen me before.’

‘Good,’ said Lane. ‘You will be fascinated to know that on that first morning after my return the computer of course accepted our identity, but reported your and my face, neck and hands - our visible skin - emitted energy of a wavelength hitherto not associated with a human being. Nobody really thought too much about that, but the next morning only I emitted that energy and not you. Again, this morning, my skin - but not yours - gave off this energy. Today, accordingly, these facts were brought to my attention, and - ’

The older man was staring at him, shocked. ‘John, are you serious? Are you implying that somebody is watching your house?’

Lane shrugged. ‘That’s what it seems to add up to, doesn’t it. Because the only time that you came over was that first night. Apparently, the intensity fades in about twenty hours, Now, there’s one thing - ’

He was interrupted.
'Gentlemen, look
!
It was the scientist, in a hushed voice.
‘A picture!’

Lane was fast in his response. His head twisted-leftward. And so, he actually saw the picture for the few seconds that it showed, His impression was of an unhuman face visible against a background of the interior of a highly mechanised room. Tall, gleam-
’
ing panels of metal. Dials, knobs, plates, screens -

Then it was gone.

Lane spoke quickly, 'Can the computer reconstruct that as a still picture?’

The scientist did not reply - verbally. His hand slapped a lever up above his head. There was a grating sound, then a lurch. The heavy machine came to a grinding stop. A long pause. And it began to back up. Once more it came to a stop. The man busied himself anxiously with dials and switches on the panel in front of him.

While this was progressing, Lane turned to his companion.
‘
Did you see that?’

It developed that Reid had been too slow. He had observed a brightness out of the comer of one eye. He was willing to take Lane’s word for what it had been. When he had listened silently to the description, he was very disturbed. ‘You may have had your first look, then, at the enemy?’ he said.

Before Lane could reply, the physicist spoke. 'I thought/ he said, ‘we’d better not get too far away from where that came through, since we lost it so quickly - which is a puzzle. Losing it, I mean.’

'What’s puzzling about it?’ Lane asked swiftly.

Before the man at the panel could more than give them another glance from those sharp, probing gray eyes of his, two younger men emerged from a corridor behind him. Presumably, they had responded to some signal, for they silently sat down in little chairs that folded out from the same control panel. Their superior made a hand gesture at Lane, which seemed to say, 'Wait!
¹
Whereupon, he and his assistants concentrated their attention on the instrument board in front of them.

Lane and Reid watched them briefly. Then Reid said, You indicated there was one other thing in connection with the energy emitted by your skin and mine.’

Lane nodded. ‘Naturally/ he said, “we immediately checked with all the computers in Spaceport - that is, those that monitor the identifying of personnel in the offices, the maintenance, manufacturing, crew, and other facilities involving approximately one million employees and staff officers.’ A grim smile tightened his lips. ‘It seems that one other person has
every morning
emitted this same energy. He is a mechanic in a minor maintenance plant. His name is Len Jaeger.’

The expression on Reid’s face was one of bafflement It scans an unrelated phenomenon, I presume you checked up on this man, Jaeger.’

‘Naturally,’ was the reply. The commander’s firm lips tightened. The lode on his face and in his eyes was suddenly sardonic. ‘You asked about Susan a few minutes ago. Believe it or not, there’s a connection between Susan and Jaeger.’

The older man gave his friend a quick, searching look. And then he shook his head sadly. ‘There’s satisfaction in your voice, John, which I deplore. In a deadly situation like this, you should not be getting personal pleasure out of a coincidence.’

‘You call it a coincidence if you will,’ said the younger man, and there was an edge of anger in his tone, “but just listen to this: Jaeger and his family moved recently into Spaceport. Because his occupation is relatively innocuous and unclassified, we don’t have a big dossier on him and on his family. There’s a wife and a teenage son. But - now get this - the son has since his arrival become e member of the Red Cat outfit, of which Susan - as yo
u well know - is still a member!

‘Well, then,’ said Reid, and he sounded relieved, ‘then every-' thing is explained. If we reason backwards from you - ’ He left the sentence hanging, made a dismissing gesture as if no more need be said.

John Lane bit his lip. He was visibly irritated. 'Not so fast,’ he admonished. ‘I don’t follow your reasoning.’

Reid was calm. ‘The only time I associate with you, I emit the energy. You emit it all the time. Ergo, as a result of Susan being - what was the word you used? -
still
in the Red Cat outfit, Jaeger has been close to you each day without you knowing it . . . Naturally, you wouldn’t recognise a - ’ He broke off. ‘What is his occupation?’

“He’s a machinist,’ said Lane with a scowl. But his eyes showed thoughtfulness, and he was clearly trying to evaluate his companion’s analysis. ‘It’s hard to imagine,’ he said slowly. ‘He lives half a mile from me. What would he be doing near me early morning or late evening, which is the only time I’m either home or en route from or to?’

‘Well,’ said the older man.
W
hat does the record show about when he emitted the energy? Did it begin the same time as you and me?’

The younger man’s face had a disgusted look on it, abrupdy. ‘If I had built Spaceport - ’ he began, impatiently.

‘What’s the problem?’ asked his companion, quickly..

‘Jaeger works in nonclassified shops,’ was the reply, ‘The computers in such shops are simpler. They
could
be connected with more sophisticated systems, but they weren’t until the day after you and I showed a positive reaction. At that point, Security automatically put a watch on the whole city. Naturally, they had no idea what the problem was, and they still don’t. But,’ he spread his hands, and grimaced unhappily, ‘that’s when they spotted him.’ His eyes narrowed. He nodded decisively, ‘I shall have Jaeger brought to my office tomorrow morning.’

Desmond Reid had a faraway look in his eyes. ‘Let’s consider that settled, then,’ he said. ‘Now, about Susan. John, your use of the words “still a member” bothers me. So, I’m assuming that though the surface appearance is clear enough, you’re working against her at some depth.’

Lane was calm. ‘I don’t care for your language,’ he said, ‘but it’s true. I’ve set currents in motion.’ He brought his teeth together with a click. ‘ A person like myself,’ he continued, ‘doesn’t have to deal directly with the simple minds of teenagers. Knowledge of human nature is the key to sucess, where reason cannot prevail.’ ‘I think I get the picture,’ said the older man sadly. He became grave. ‘I gather you’re not concerned about damage to Susan.

‘Susan,’ was the cool reply, ‘has already been damaged by the outfits. All I can do is conduct a salvage operation, and hope for the best.’ He shook his head, and made an effort at a comradely smile. “Listen, Dez, Estelle and you and the others who stayed home here have been too close to this problem. First of all, there
is no problem.
But you’ve been whittled away at by the weaklings, and you’ve sold truth and propriety without even noticing it - ’

He was interrupted. ‘There is no problem?’ his friend echoed. Tou can’t be serious. The absence for ten years of a husband and father creates a problem, and when it is multiplied in that the absence involves tens of thousands of men, it becomes a very severe problem indeed.’

Lane’s smile was cynical again. ‘Dez, I also faced the no-sex situation, just as Estelle did here. Ten years, Dez, But I didn’t groan or weaken. I saw the reality. I didn’t blame the Space Authority, because - fact is - I chose this life. Perhaps I chose it before I thought clearly. Young people tend to be like that. But the government spent fifty thousand dollars on my basic education, and then an equal amount on the advanced stuff. So, now I’m one of the people they count on. And diey
can
count on me. I shall do my best, regardless of the self-denial involved. So what do I find when I get back here? People have gotten soft about the kids. Instead of looking for a solution that would
toughen their spirits, they catered to their alienation. Accordingly, it’s taken for granted that these youngsters will scurry back to the outside world, and in their place will come unsuspecting suckers who will then go through the same cycle with their kids. That’s wrong. I will not be a party to a faulty solution.’

‘What has this got to do with the difficulties that you are causing Susan?’