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life of a sentient being by wasting time on an experimental animal, even one
that the ship s crew consider as valuable as the FSOJ. Now, if we agree that
the FSOJ is nonsentient-
 We depressurize the ship, wait until Prilicla says the FSOJ is dead and cut
our way in to the surviving blind one as quickly as possible, the Captain
finished for him, then added,  Dammit, my headache s back.
 A suggestion, friend Fletcher, said Prilicla diffidently.  The blind one is
small and could probably negotiate the corridor cage without being
inconvenienced by the FSOJ training mechanisms. The emotional radiation from
both beings is increasing to the point where I would say that they are almost
fully recovered. One is radiating anger of the insensate, uncontrolled kind
while the other is feeling increasing frustration and is straining hard to do
something. And I, too, am having some cranial discomfort, friend Conway.
The contagious headache again! thought Conway. This is too much of a
coincidence...
Suddenly his mind was back in time and space to his early years in the
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hospital, when he was insufferably proud to be on the staff of a
multienvironment hospital even though at the time he was little more than a
medical messenger boy. But then he had been given the assignment of liaison
with one Doctor Arretapec, a VUXG who was teleportive, telekinetic and
telepathic, and who had received Federation funding for his project of
engendering intelligence in a race of non-sentient Saurians.
Arretapec had given Conway a headache in more ways than one.
He was only half-listening while the Captain was making the arrangements to
depressurize the other ship. His plan was, first, to reposition the portable
airlock above the survivors in case the blind one could not make its way along
the corridor when the FSOJ was dead and they had begun the slow job of cutting
a way in. But the sudden incredulity and anger in Fletcher s voice brought
Conway s mind back to present time with a rush.
..... And why can t you do it? the Captain was demanding.  Start moving that
lock at once. Haslam and I will be over to help you in a few minutes.
What s the matter with you, Chen?
 I don t feel well, said Lieutenant Chen from his position beside the blind
ones ship.  Can I be relieved, sir?
Before the Captain could reply, Conway said,  Ask him if he has a headache of
increasing severity, and is there a feeling of intense itching originating
deep inside his ears. When he confirms this, tell him that the discomfort will
diminish with distance from the blind ones ship.
A few seconds later Chen was on his way back to the Rhabwar, having confirmed
Conway s description of his symptoms. Fletcher asked helplessly,  What is
happening, Doctor?
 I should have been expecting it, Conway replied,  but it has been a long
time since I had the experience. And I should have remembered that beings who,
through physical damage or evolution, have been deprived of vital sensory
equipment are compensated for the loss. I think-no, I know. We are
experiencing telepathy.
The Captain shook his head firmly.  You re wrong, Doctor, he said.  There are
a few telephathic races in the Federation, but they tend to be philosophically
rather than technologically inclined, so we don t meet them very often. But
even I know that their ability to communicate telepathically is confined to
members of their own species. Their organic transmitter and receivers are
tuned to that one frequency, and other species, even other telepathic species,
cannot pick up the signals.
 Correct, said Conway.  Generally speaking, telepaths communicate only with
other telepaths. But there have been a few rare exceptions recorded where
non-telepaths have received their thoughts for a few seconds or minutes
duration only, and more often than not the experimenters suffered great
discomfort without making contact at all. The reason for their partial success
is, according to the e-t neurologists, that many species have a latent
telepathic faculty that became atrophied when they developed normal sensory
equipment. But when my single, very brief experience took place I had been
working closely with a very strong telepath on the same problem, seeing the
same images, discussing the same symptoms and sharing the same feelings about
our patient for days on end. We must have established a temporary bridge, and
for a few minutes the telepath s thoughts and feelings were able to cross it.
Prilicla was shaking violently.  If the sentient survivor is trying to
establish telepathic contact with us, friend Conway, it is trying very hard.
It is feeling extreme desperation. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]