Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (193 page)

In the swamp
below the lake Tab called the floater in soon after dark on the
first night. He took it as close as he thought advisable to the
labs to see what the new sensors would show. It wasn't very much,
really, but was quite a bit, at the same time. The repulsion was
very mild. It was nonspecific and nondirected, but it was also
rather unlikely that whatever was causing the phenomenon was aware
he was about. He merely felt somewhat repelled by the area in
general and was prone to find interest in odd things, random plants
and was curious about whatever was away from the direction of the
labs.

The curiosity
would jump from subject to subject. No line of thought held for
more than a few minutes. To concentrate on any specific thing
quickly resulted in a loss of interest in that thing.

He went back to
the swamp before dawn, not having realized he was taking nearly so
much time in the study. Maybe his time sense was distorted. He
hadn't been aware of the passage of time in either the new part of
his mind or the regular part so he would have to guard against that
kind of a "back door" attack on his psyche. It was time enough for
him to be able to form a guard that would automatically shut off
the new circuits when his regular mind was being affected by the
force. He then could look back to see what was happening all along
through the automatic recording his mind made of all events around
and including him. It was a dampening effect of sorts on one level.
It merely suppressed his emotions and his senses, making him
slowmoving and lethargic. It was a very real slowing of time to
him.

It was also
impossible, but the bumblestinger was too large and too heavy to
fly – theoretically. That didn't seem to bother the
bumblestinger.

It was also
impossible to use the dimensional interface, yet he had used the
transmat many times and thought nothing of it.

So it was as
simple as that. The thing, whatever it may be, distorted reality.
If it could so affect a machine it could wreak havoc with an
organic mind. The real test would come very shortly now. Tab was
going to row out into the lake and toward the creek where the lab
was located. The long distance scanners wouldn't be avoided as they
were before. If whatever was causing the influence could detect
anyone approaching it might have a very powerful method of defense.
Let's see what effects we'll find with THAT one!

* *

Kit stayed
around A Port with the Klaft for a couple more days. T6 had
received the plans as TR had and modified Kit in the way TR changed
Tab. The Klaft seemed to be waiting expectantly for something to
happen, but there wasn't much of a hint as to what it could be.
They seemed to want to confide in Kit about something, but couldn't
quite bring themselves to actually do so. They seemed to genuinely
like him as he truly liked them.

Kit told T6
they seemed to be afraid of something, which was logical. They had
created a monster of some sort. Kit was sure of that. Something had
gone terribly wrong and it was out of control. It was all too
possibly controlling them at this distance and that said a lot.

One morning a
small ship came to the port, landed close to Givzoo's ship and sent
over a small sealed crate. T6 sent two minifloaters to learn as
much as they could without taking any chance of being detected,
then the other ship was gone. Zantoo came over to invite Kit to
their ship.

"I've been
waiting for a few records and supplies," Givzoo said after they
were all seated around the table. "They have arrived. I have
instruc ... I would like to invite you to see our research facility
here. I'm sure you will find it isn't most intriguing. I'm sure you
won't wish to waste your time ... uh, that you will not find it a
waste of your time. You will want to join us in this horrible ...
this wonderful project."

Givzoo was
sweating except for the fact that reptiles don't sweat. He looked
as if he were in pain.

"I understand,"
Kit replied pointedly. "I'll be most happy to come with you. I'm
certainly curious about this project."

Zantoo was
shaking all over as he tried to say something, but he stopped and
stared at the floor.

"I see. It
can't hear what I’m saying, can it?" Kit asked suddenly.

Givzoo shook
his head the least bit. There was a hopeful look in his eyes.

"It can only
direct what you say and do? It can't really know what anyone else
is doing around you?" Kit asked.

Again, there
was the minimal shake of the head.

"I figured
something other than you was in charge," Kit said. "Your
reputation's known everywhere. The Klaft simply don't interfere
with emerging cultures and they don't ever act in a secretive
manner. You have been acting totally out of character since I first
met you. I think maybe I can resist it if it's some kind of psy
power. I've withstood a lot from an Acnian and you know how even
the emperor uses those T-hypnotics sometimes."

Givzoo really
looked hopeful now.

"Was it some
kind of experiment that went wrong?" Kit asked.

There was a
small shake of the head, then a nod.

"I see. Yes and
no," Kit said. "An experiment that attracted the attention of the
wrong kind of being, then?"

Again, yes and
no. Zantoo slowly held up his arms and ran the three-fingered hands
together, interlacing the fingers, then laid the hands in his
lap.

"An experiment
where the wrong kind of being merged with it?" Kit asked.

The almost
imperceptible nod. It still didn't make any sense or tell him much,
but he knew the Klaft weren't really involved. Not voluntarily,
they weren't. That relieved him immensely. He liked the Klaft.

"Well, I'll be
most happy to accompany you to your research facility," Kit said
brightly. "I'll go to my ship to get some things. Is there anything
special I might need?"

"Just the
normal things for a trip into the forest," Givzoo answered. "It
sometimes gets very cool at night so take some protective ...
clothing."

"Very well,"
Kit replied. "How long shall it be before we leave?"

"We'll leave in
our skimmer craft in an hour or so," Zantoo said. "It shouldn't
take more than two hours to get there with a full load. Northeast
at a hundred twenty five kilometers per hour."

They were
telling him as much as they dared. He was aware from that attempt
they could think independently and could use subtle trickery.

He went to T6,
where he was informed of what Tab found at the swamp about the way
the psy force worked so he was able to modify in automatic
protective devices. He reported what he had found so TR could
inform Tab that the being, whatever it was, could be tricked. It
had control only of specific areas.

"I think that
it's trying to expand its areas of influence," he reported. "Our
little quake may have been at a very opportune time to screw that
up – we can hope. We have to find the nature of whatever it is.
None of the specialties of these people give me a hint, really.
Trace what they were doing on Tesfort. I think more and more that
is a critical part of this. I wish I could figure HOW!"

He spent a few
minutes making some plans, but they would more than likely prove
useless. It was a thing that would have to be played to the lay of
the board, as the expression went among players of Stars and
Comets. Events would have to control actions instead of vice
versa.

When the time
was right Kit closed T6, sealed it and went to Givzoo's ship. They
went together to the warehouse where Tab left the glassware,
settled as comfortably as one can in a badly overloaded skimmer
craft and were off for the labs. They didn't hold much conversation
on the way. It was obvious Givzoo and Zantoo hadn't dared to tell
Volich and Nortich of the talk they held an hour earlier.

The circuits
for detecting and reading the psy force came into play not far from
the labs when Kit felt the repulsion. He made a face and complained
about the dull trip, which would be expected of him. He jumped from
subject to subject and acted overly tired.

"You can rest
at the labs," Givzoo promised. "We have some very nice quarters. We
haven't used them much for quite awhile because of the nature of
our research. When we started getting certain results we didn't ...
need those extra people about so the four of us who were the ones
working closely on the project and were the ones who were first
aware of the results sent the others away. Research is so much
safer that way, don't you think?"

Before Kit
could reply, Zantoo said, "The closer we are to the actual research
the more EVERYONE understands EVERYTHING that's going on, you see.
We felt it was best that few were close enough to the research to
give our results away yet. Far too much would be lost from any
PREMATURE knowledge of what we have been attempting to accomplish.
It won't be long now if things continue as they've been going
before EVERYONE ON GRANDISH will know of our VICTORY over these
things!"

There was that
little extra stress on certain words that told Kit what the real
message was.

As they
approached closer to the thing it could understand more and more of
what all of them were thinking – even himself. The thing wasn't
mature yet, but when it was it would be able to control everyone
and everything on this planet. It wanted what amounted to a
military victory over the world.

"Do you think
the technology you're developing here on Grandish can be exported
to aid OTHER WORLDS?" Kit asked.

"Yes. That is
most definitely the plan," Givzoo answered seriously. "There seems
to be so much INSANITY in the galaxy. What's happening here could
end that INSANITY for the entire empire. Maybe even more.

"I understand
the emperor is doing research on a way to go to other galaxies.
Perhaps we can offer SANITY of this kind to the entire
universe.

"There it is!
We'll be there in one minute."

So the thing
was insane and wanted to control the entire universe. It sounded
like someone had come up with the spirit of the entire extinct
Immin race!

Kit let his
reactions to the force on one level influence his actions to a
great extent. Givzoo was watching him closely as he allowed himself
to be led, seemingly in a hypnotic trance, toward the office area
and behind it to the comfortable quarters there. There was an air
of hopelessness about Givzoo and Nortich as they led him to a cot.
He laid down as instructed and winked at Givzoo, who almost let out
a whoop.

Nortich
exclaimed there was someone else in the next bunk. Kit slowly
turned his head to see Tab laying there staring glassily at the
ceiling.

Course of Action

Tab decided on
a course of action, made a report to the floater and headed back
into the lake in Lope's skiff. He now knew how to handle the psy
influence and how to use his mind to protect himself against the
power at the same time on their separate circuits. He knew how to
"sit back" to view what was happening on the new circuits so could
permit his body to seemingly be controlled by that section of his
mind until or unless some danger became apparent, when he would
take complete control of himself again.

The influence
was the same as before so far as the slight feelings of repulsion
and lack of concentration were concerned, but he paddled the boat
closer and closer to the stream. He was aware when he attracted the
attention of whatever it was because of a feeling of suddenly being
closely observed. The repulsion stopped as he approached the mouth
of the creek to be replaced with a strong sense of curiosity about
that particular place. He rowed on into the creek and to the branch
up which the lab was located where his psy sensitive circuits saw
all kinds of the most fascinating things – that were actually very
ordinary. It led him straight to the path he and Kit had discovered
earlier.

He beached the
skiff carelessly then proceeded along the little lane to the office
entrance. There was an extreme feeling of amazement at the least
small thing he noticed along with a steadily increasing excitement.
His psy sensitive circuits were overwhelmed by blinding curiosity
as to what may be behind that fantastically exciting door. There
was the lock on the door, but it fell open as he approached.

Uh-oh! That
meant at least a small telekinesis, which meant a tremendous
danger! If a few of his own circuits were to open like that lock he
would be effectively dead.

He went inside,
closing the door behind himself and hearing the lock snap to
outside.

Maybe whatever
it was must have intimate knowledge to use the telekinetic power on
an object. He hoped so. He was in the monster's own lair now. If
whatever it was knew the place intimately, but didn't know anything
except his mental reactions to its orders he could possibly
accomplish something. If it knew how he was acting beyond the
control he was in trouble.

He suddenly
felt a great need for rest. There were those unbelievably
comfortable bunks right there so he laid on one of them, staring at
the ceiling. He shut off all control from the psy circuits so he
could observe what was happening without being influenced directly
by it.

Nothing
happened except the psy part was put to sleep. Tab waited for more
than three hours to see if some other form of attack would begin –
maybe a mental conditioning or brainwashing or something on that
order – but nothing occurred. He was about to abandon waiting to
move around the place to see if whatever was here was somehow
watching him when there were sounds from outside. He remained
motionless, staring at the ceiling.

The Klaft came
in leading Kit. They put him on the next bunk, showing great
concern. They had a depressed air of absolute hopelessness about
them, but Givzoo suddenly made an explosive little bark, said
everything here was perfect, really perfect, then hurriedly led the
others out. When Tab heard the lock snap on the outer door he
carefully and very slowly extended a direct comlead to Kit, plugged
in and discovered what his friend was doing. They traded all the
information they had, then waited to see if there would be some
kind of combined influence directed at them, but it didn't come so
after almost another hour Tab stood slowly to wander into the front
office. He couldn't detect sensors anywhere inside of the place so
went back to signal for Kit to join him. There were sound receivers
in each room, but the robots could move in complete silence. They
wouldn't be heard.