Null–A Three

CHAPTER 9

Now what?

He had seated himself in one of the comfortable chairs. He waited there, expecting the woman to appear any moment. But even if she did show, the question remained:

Where do we go from here?

Gosseyn Three was aware of the puffing of his own breathing; and several times in those first restless minutes there was the sound of his clothing rubbing against the soft, luxurious upholstery on which he sat. In between those perceptions—dead silence.

The reception room continued to feed back to him the timeless beauty and costliness of an apartment that had been decorated and furnished to satisfy the requirements of people accustomed to total wealth.

But, somehow, that merely accentuated his feeling of being an intruder, without any real knowledge of his surroundings.

… This is pretty ridiculous—he thought.

Incredibly, one of the mightiest events in the history of two galaxies had brought this giant battleship here to this area of the Milky Way galaxy from another island universe out there in space. And had apparently accomplished the feat at the speed of 20-decimal similarity.

The implications were not immediately analyzable. But surely this wasn’t all there was. The colossal meaning of such an Event in Space Time needed to be scientifically studied and understood.

… And with, at least, equal certainty, men like Breemeg and the Draydart, representative of the military people, were acting in some way, and not merely waiting.

Something, in short, was happening somewhere on this vast ship. At very least, keen minds must at this very moment be wondering what was occurring between a stranger named Gilbert Gosseyn, on the one hand, and the emperor and his mother, on the other.

Somebody would come to investigate before very long.

With that thought—of an investigating group on the way—it occurred to Gosseyn that the restriction he had imposed on himself in the throne room did not apply here… The personal offer the woman made to me makes it mandatory that, if there is trouble, I should be able to come here and help her and the boy—

So he stood up hastily. And quickly, then, he located a place on the floor in one corner, behind drawn-back draperies. And performed with his extra-brain the mental photographing process that would enable him at a later time to come here instantly by the 20-decimal similarity method.

Moments later, as he sat down, he grew aware that his Alter Ego was manifesting mental activity.

“I told the others what you just did—” the communication from Gosseyn Two was like his own thought, as before—“and they feel that they should join you, leaving me here to monitor things.”

In the transmitted thought the unstated part of the meaning, “the what you just did” was the sort of process minds did automatically. The reference was to his action of having his extra-brain “photograph” a portion of the floor.

“You mean… now?—” echoed Gosseyn Three’s answering thought.

“So—” Gosseyn Two’s brain was continuing—“why don’t we see if, between us, we can use your location there in that room where you are at this moment, and transmit them there, as you transmitted the young emperor’s body into that space capsule. First, Eldred Crang—”

The mention of his transmission of the boy’s body brought fleeting memories of other, distant photographed areas… still usable? he wondered—

There was a sound off to his left, and slightly behind him. Then, the thought: “Next, Leej.”

Gosseyn Three had turned. And so he saw, and at once recognized with his duplicate memory, that Eldred Crang was hastily stepping away from the draperies. As he did so, Leej was there, out of nowhere. She also moved rapidly aside, as Enro, and then the Prescotts, and finally Patricia Hardie Crang, also were, one after the other, in the room.

“But—” mentally, belatedly, objected Gosseyn Three. “Don’t you think we should first?—”

He stopped. A thought had come, awareness of the beginning of difference between himself and Gosseyn Two. Obviously, since his Alter Ego and he were at different locations, they had different problems. The concerns at one location did not communicate its full impact to the Gosseyn at the other location.

It was a thought with a significant implication:… In terms of experience we’re going in different directions, moment by moment. Soon, we will not be duplicates, one of the other—

No time to think about it now. There were too many things to do. Hastily, Gosseyn addressed the new arrivals: “The emperor’s mother will be here any moment. Please go in there—” he pointed to an alcove that led to a door that he had merely noticed earlier; he had no idea where it went. He finished, “Give me time to explain to the lady what—”

They were quick. Even the mighty Enro, ruler of the Greatest Empire, after a word or two from his sister in his own language, merely smiled cynically, and then followed the others out of Gosseyn’s line of vision.

If several moments passed after they had disappeared from sight, the passage of time was not recorded in Gosseyn Three’s awareness. It seemed as if the newcomers were still in the act of departing when, behind him, there was a click. And when he turned, the bedroom door was opening, and at once the emperor’s mother emerged.

Abruptly, it was evident why there had been a delay in her appearance. She had put on a filmy gown; and the overall effect was of bluish fluffiness. Before Gosseyn Three could really examine the new clothing, the woman said, “I’ve called Breemeg. He will take you back to your Palomar.”

It seemed to be a moment for rapid—not truth but—preparation for truth. Gosseyn said, “Madam, as no doubt has been reported to you, on awakening I found myself in mental communication with someone who looks exactly like me, who at this moment is approximately eighteen thousand light-years from here—”

The woman was nodding. Her manner and expression were serious, as she said with a small frown: “Everything that has happened, including the way of your arrival, has been very strange.”

Gosseyn continued earnestly, “It’s a long story. But there’s no personal threat in it to anyone. However, that communication with my Alter Ego occurred at a time when he had several important persons with him—important in this area of space; and they would like to come here and talk to you and to your military and scientific personnel.”

The woman said, “I’m sure it has to be possible. We are here in an isolated condition. One big ship, one hundred and seventy-eight thousand men, and one boy and one woman.”

She added anxiously, “It may be that it will become apparent to some of the bolder spirits aboard this warship that old rules and old loyalties no longer apply.” She broke off: “Tell me, in an emergency what exactly could these associates of yours do?”

It seemed to be the moment—if there ever could be one. The man braced himself, and said, “Your permission has been mentally overheard, and your authority accepted—and so here they are.”

With that, he gestured toward the alcove. And, though what he had said was a lie, it was surely better that she had now had some advance warning.

As it was, her eyes widened. And she took a single step backward. At which, somehow, his reassurance must have braced her. For she stood, then, silent, as the two women and four men walked into the room.

Something of the shock, nevertheless, remained. “Eighteen thousand light-years,” she whispered. “Instantly.” Gosseyn said, “How do you think your ship got here? From an even greater distance. And also instantly?”

All these moments he had been noticing that the frilly clothes were exactly what she should be wearing for a man whose memories seemed to have derived from earth. So now he spoke softly, “You’re very beautiful. You’ll be all right.”