The Complete Serials

by Clifford D. Simak

  “Not a prayer,” he told her. “There’s this deep pool under the bridge and fast water at both ends of it.”

  “A boat, maybe?”

  “You could ask around,” the patrolman said. “Probably you could get across the pool in a boat. If you can find a boat.”

  “Up here,” said Chet, “everyone’s got a boat.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t try,” said the patrolman. “I’d have to check on my radio. Probably I’d be told not to let you go.”

  “Any other way to get around?”

  “Not on the roads. The roads are all closed.”

  “How about the people over across the river?”

  “There aren’t any people. That’s a primitive forest area over there. Miles of forest. No one lives there.”

  “Officer,” said Kathy, “could I have your name? Could I quote some of what you’ve told me?”

  Proudly, the officer gave his name. “But go easy on the quotes,” he said.

  7. WASHINGTON, D.C.

  Porter stood and watched the press corps enter the room. They seemed more subdued than usual and there were more of them than he had expected. After all, this was a late hour for a briefing.

  They filed in and took seats, quietly waiting.

  “I must beg your indulgence for the lateness of the hour,” he told them. “Perhaps we should have waited until tomorrow morning, but I thought some of you might want to know what we know. This, however, may not be a great deal more than you know.

  “Basically, we only know that an object fell out of the sky near the town of Lone Pine in northern Minnesota.

  The Pine River flows just north of the town and the object fell so that it bridged the river, one end of it on the near bank, the other on the far bank. Curiously enough, it fell on a bridge that spanned the river. The bridge was demolished and a car parked at the near end of it was crushed. No one, at the time, seems to have been in the car. Just before dark, the object moved across the river and, apparently, is still there.

  “I think there is one additional matter to report. Whether this ties up with the object that fell in Minnesota we don’t know, but tracking stations have discovered a previously unknown and rather large object in orbit about the Earth.”

  The New York Times asked, “Mr. Secretary, you say large. Can you tell us how large and describe the orbit?”

  “Mr. Smith,” said Porter, “no determination as to size has been made as yet. The best estimate is that it may measure some miles across. As to orbit, I think it is what is called a synchronous orbit. Its height is about twenty thousand miles and its speed such as to match the revolution of the Earth. At the moment, as I understand it, it is hanging somewhere over Iowa.”

  “Dave,” asked the Chicago Tribune, “you say the new object has been detected by tracking stations. Does that mean it has just now been discovered after achieving orbit, or was it seen earlier before it established orbit?”

  “My impression is that it was discovered, already in an established orbit, within just the last few hours.”

  “Would we be justified in speculating that it might be a mother ship from which came the object that fell at Lone Pine?”

  “That, I think,” said Porter, “must be up to you—whether you so speculate or not. At this early stage, I’m not engaging in that sort of speculation. Such speculation would imply that both the object in orbit and the one that fell in Minnesota is from some other area of space. This we don’t know as yet.”

  “From your preliminary estimate of the mass of the object in orbit, however, the size of it would seem to rule out it having been launched from Earth.”

  “Yes, I would think so, but, as I say, there is as yet no certainty.”

  The Washington Post asked, “You said that the Minnesota object moved. I think you said it fell so as to bridge a river. Then moved across the river.”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  “Can you tell us how it moved? How would you characterize its movement?”

  “Joe, you have me at a loss for words. I don’t know how it moved. That’s all the word we have—that it moved. I would assume that to mean it moved independently. You must realize that at the time it moved, there were present no qualified observers. All we have is what a number of townspeople said they saw.”

  “Can you give us any further detailed description of it—better than what we have so far? Better than the big black box description?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t. We have no new information on that point. So far as we know, no pictures have been taken of it. It fell late in the afternoon. Only a few hours later, darkness closed in.”

  Associated Press asked, “You continue to say you don’t know and I imagine no one really can know at this point—but from all that is known, the evidence seems to point strongly to the fact that it may represent an intelligence out of space. Would you have any comment?”

  “I’ll try to give you a fair answer,” said Porter, “and not fall back on my ‘I don’t know’ routine. The thing did fall on a roadway, so you could argue that it was able to pick a good landing spot. It has moved, apparently by itself, which might argue either that there is an intelligence on board or some sort of sensory-controlled machine. As you all know, when a man fired a rifle at it, it, in effect, fired back and the man was killed. This would argue a defense capability. These are points that most of you must have thought of yourself, that anyone might think of. But having said this much, summarized thus far, nothing more can be said. This is not sufficient evidence to justify any solid conclusions. We’ll have to wait and see. We need more evidence.”

  “You appear to be ruling out an Earth origin for the new object in orbit,” said NBC. “Could it be some sort of new experimental craft?”

  “I suppose, under the circumstances, that anything could be possible. I’m sorry if I seem to be ruling out anything at all. But our people assure me it is nothing of ours.”

  “Of someone else’s?”

  “I would doubt it.”

  “Then you’re saying it’s a space visitor.”

  “You said that, Carl. I didn’t.”

  “Could I intrude for a second time?” asked the New York Times. “Certainly, Mr. Smith.”

  “Could you outline for us what the government is doing? Has there been conversation with any other governments? I understand the Lone Pine area has been sealed off. Was that by federal order?”

  “So far as I know, there have been no conversations such as you mention. Later there may be, once we know more about the matter. The area was sealed off by the state. The governor has been in contact with the President, but we had nothing to do with securing the area. I assume that some of the federal agencies will be sending in observers, but so far I have not been advised of it.”

  “Thank you, sir,” said the New York Times.

  “But wouldn’t you agree,” asked the L.A. Times, “that if this object, or both of these objects, the one on the ground and the one in orbit, should turn out to be from outer space, that the matter then becomes a matter of international concern rather than simply national concern?”

  “I can’t presume to speak for the secretary of state,” said Porter, “but I would think there might be some logic to the form your question takes.”

  “Let us pursue this assumption a little further,” said the Kansas City Star. “If it should be established that the object that fell at Lone Pine is actually a spaceship from the stars, or at least from outside our solar system—assuming that this could be the case, then what would be the national attitude. Will any attempt be made to establish some contact, perhaps a limited conversation, with the intelligence that may be aboard it?”

  “Our thinking,” said Porter, “has not advanced that far. As yet there is no evidence . . .”

  “But, if in the next few days such evidence should come about, is there any indication of what our attitude might be then?”

  “If you are asking if we intend, willy-nilly, to blow any visitor
s out of the water, I don’t think so. This is not an expressed official attitude; it simply derives from my knowledge of how our government works. It is true that someone did take a shot at the object when it landed. But that was the action of an irresponsible citizen, overwrought, perhaps, by what he saw. I would hope that the rest of us may act as reasonable men.”

  “And how would you think a reasonable man should act?”

  “I think,” said Porter, “that a reasonable man might attempt to achieve some sort of reasonable communication. On a very limited basis, more than likely. But once that sort of limited communication was achieved, we could go on to something else. I think that you have forced me to over-extend myself. I have nothing on which I can base an official answer to such a question. The matter has not even been discussed. To my knowledge, at least.”

  “You realize, of course,” said ABC, “that if this should be the case—that here we have contact with another intelligence from somewhere in the galaxy—this might be the most significant event in all of human history?”

  “Personally, I do realize this,” said Porter. “Again, I am not reflecting official thinking. As I told you, the matter has not been extensively discussed. Our assessment of the situation has not advanced to that point.”

  “We appreciate that, Dave,” said ABC. “We’re only asking questions that must occur to many other people.”

  “Thank you,” Porter said.

  “To come to more practical matters,” said the Baltimore Sun. “Can you tell us what the administration’s next step might be.”

  “I imagine it might be observation. During the next twenty-four hours or so we’ll be putting in as many qualified observers as we can. Many of them will probably be scientists drawn from many parts of the country. Not only men who are associated with the government. Other than that, I would think we would be guided by events. I doubt if anyone can foretell what may happen next.”

  “Returning again to the new orbit in space,” said the Detroit News, “could it be possible that the large mass that has been sighted may be no more than a collection of space junk? We have a lot of stuff up there. Could it somehow have pulled together by some sort of mutual attraction?”

  “That’s a possible explanation,” said Porter. “I know nothing of physics. I can’t tell you if that would be possible. The question has not been raised. The space agency might have some thought on it.”

  “Could we send someone up to have a close look at it? Has that been considered?”

  “I doubt it has as yet been considered. It’s possible that one of the shuttles on the space station might be sent out. Certainly the capability to do so does exist. That is a matter of future consideration.”

  “If it should be established that we are being visited by someone from the galaxy,” said CBS, “would you have some comment on what might be the impact on us . . . on the human race? The realization that there is someone out there.”

  “The impact, undoubtedly, would be significant,” said Porter, “but I’m in no position to comment. A sociologist might have some answers for you.”

  “Mr. Secretary,” said the New York Times, “we thank you for seeing us at such a late hour. You, of course, will keep in touch.”

  “At all times, Mr. Smith,” said Porter, with professionalism and polish.

  He watched the press file out Marcia got up from her desk and came over to stand beside him.

  “I think it went rather well,” she said.

  “This time they weren’t out for blood,” said Porter. “This business may get political later, but so far it hasn’t. It’s too new to be political. Give the boys up on the Hill a few days and it will be.”

  He went to his desk and sat down, watching Marcia get ready to leave, and finally go.

  The place was quiet. Somewhere, some distance off, a phone was ringing and someone was walking, the footsteps sounding hollow in the distant corridor.

  He lifted the phone and dialed. Alice answered.

  “I thought you might call,” she said. “I was sitting by the phone. How did it go?”

  “Not bad. Didn’t chew me up.”

  “Poor Dave,” she said.

  “It’s all right. I asked for it. I take the money.”

  “You never asked for it.”

  “Well, maybe not, but I jumped at the chance to take the job.”

  “Any chance of you running out here. I’d have a drink waiting.”

  “Afraid not, Alice. I better stay where I can be reached. For a while at least.”

  “All right, then. Later. Wait a minute. Daddy is signalling frantically. He wants to talk to you.”

  “Put the senator on. I’m always glad of the opportunity to talk with him.”

  “Good night, dear. Here’s Daddy.”

  The senator’s voice boomed in his ear. “Dave, what’s going on down there? TV is full of it, but hell, they don’t know what’s going on. No one seems to know what’s going on. Is there anything to this business of our being visited?”

  “We don’t know anything more about it than the TV people do,” said Porter. “One new piece of news. Our trackers have picked up something new in orbit.”

  Swiftly he told the senator about the new object.

  The senator said, “Maybe there’s something to it, then. Not like the movies and the TV represent it in their silly shows. No little men so far.”

  “No little men,” said Porter. “We’ll have to get used to the idea that, if anyone is there, they might not be men.”

  “If there is anyone.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Us Americans jump to conclusions,” said the senator. “We have too much imagination and too little sense.”

  “So far, the country’s taken it well. No hysteria. No panic.”

  “As yet,” said the senator, “there’s nothing to be hysterical about. In just a little while, there’ll be wild stories. Damn fools starting rumors. One thing more, Dave.”

  “Yes?”

  “Is there talk of going international on this?”

  “I don’t quite understand.”

  “Are we about to call in other countries? Are we going to share this with them?”

  “I don’t read you, senator. There’s nothing to share as yet.”

  “But, good Christ, Dave, if there is! If we have aliens landing out in Minnesota, we should grab hold of them. Think of it, a new intelligence, a new technology.”

  “I see your point,” said Porter. “We, at least, have to have first shot at what we can learn from them,” said the senator. “What we could learn from them might turn everything around.”

  “Have you any idea of how difficult it might be to talk with an alien—if there are aliens in that thing that fell.”

  “Sure, I know that. I realize all that. But we have the world’s best scientists. We have the brains.”

  “It’s not been discussed here,” said Porter.

  “You’ll drop a word,” said the senator. “I’ll try to see the President myself, but if you could drop a word . . .”

  “Yes, I’ll drop a word,” said Porter. “But I don’t know how well it will be received.”

  “A word,” said the senator. “That’s all I ask. A word before your people down there go charging off in all directions. You want to talk with Alice again?.”

  “If she wishes.”

  Alice came back on the line and they talked for a short time and then hung up. Porter swung his chair around and saw that someone was standing in the doorway that led out to the corridor.

  “Hello, Jack,” he said. “How long have you been standing there? You should have come in and found yourself a seat.”

  “Just a few minutes,” said Jack Clark. Clark was the President’s military aide.

  “Senator Davenport was on the phone just a minute ago,” said Porter.

  “What’s his interest?”

  “Just curiosity,” said Porter. “Needed someone to talk with. There are a lot of people t
onight who are looking for someone to talk with. I suspect the country may be getting edgy. Nothing to worry about so far, but feeling a bit uncomfortable, doing a lot of wondering, maybe some soul searching.”

  “And with no evidence as yet that it’s any more than some harmless piece of junk falling out of space.”

  Porter shook his head. “Jack, I think it’s more than that. The damn thing moved.”

  “A machine, maybe.”

  “Could be,” said Porter, “but a machine is enough to frighten me.”

  Clark came into the room and sat down in a chair at the corner of the desk.

  “How’s the President?” asked Porter.

  “He went up to bed. I don’t imagine he’ll get much sleep. He’s upset about this. It’s the unknownness of it that gets to him. I guess that’s what has gotten to the most of us.”

  “Just now you said it might be no more than a machine. Why is it, Jack, that your are trying to deny it may be an intelligence?”

  “Damned if I know. I suppose you’re right: that was what I was doing. Somehow I cringe from the idea of an intelligence. There has been so much of a flap the past many years about the UFOs. Almost everyone by this time has made up their minds about them. Everyone, or almost everyone, has some preconceived notions about them.”

  “But this thing is no UFO, not in the popular sense. None of the characteristics associated with them. No flashing lights, no whining sounds, no spinning around.”

  “That’s beside the point,” said Clark. “If there’s some evidence the thing’s alive or has something alive inside of it, half the country will run screaming in terror, the other half will think the millennium has come. There’ll be only a few solid citizens who will take it in stride.”

  “If it turns out,” said Porter, “that an alien intelligence is involved, the federal government, especially the military, will have a lot of explaining to do. For years, charges have been made that the military has played cover-up with the UFOs.”

  “God,” said Clark, “don’t you think I’ve thought of that. It was the first thing I thought of when I heard about it.”

  “Tell me, true,” said Porter. “Has there been a cover-up?”