Unconquered Countries-Four Novellas

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Unconquered Countries-Four Novellas Page 5

by Geoff Ryman


  4625

  The Alien

  ?

  4628

  B

  He doesn’t understand

  I can answer.

  4632

  Control

  For the alien?

  I think we would prefer a less interpretative

  approach.

  4635

  B

  He is learning much more from us

  that we are from him.

  The concept of God.

  He learned it from us.

  Like his name.

  4640

  Control

  Dajja?

  What do you mean by God?

  4641

  B

  He was saying that he, me, you,

  all of us are God.

  4646

  Control

  That is an interpretation, yes.

  4649

  B

  He does not understand.

  You are asking the question

  in the wrong way!

  Please!

  Let me ask the question.

  4651

  Control

  Go ahead.

  4653

  B

  Dajja.

  You God?

  4655

  The Alien

  Me God

  You God

  All God together!

  4657

  B

  He says that he

  and me

  and even you

  are God…

  4665

  The Alien

  I am everything.

  4667

  B

  …and also, perhaps

  that he identifies himself

  with the universe.

  4676

  Control

  Thank you, B.

  I think we have a rough idea

  how now to proceed.

  4682

  B

  No verbs, please.

  He does not understand verbs.

  4686

  Control

  Dajja…

  4687

  The Alien

  Hello!

  4688

  Control

  Hello.

  Other Dajja?

  4692

  The Alien

  Oh yes!

  4693

  Control

  Where?

  4696

  The Alien

  Here.

  4698

  Control

  Here?

  4699

  B

  Control…

  7/4701

  Control

  Names?

  4703

  The Alien

  Me, Otherself, Nextself and Newvoice.

  4705

  B

  Control,

  he thinks that we are a part of him.

  Consider that we sound to him

  like thoughts inside his mind.

  4713

  Control

  But are there other aliens?

  Is he the only one?

  4717

  B

  I think it likely.

  4724

  Control

  We need something altogether

  more substantial.

  Dajja…

  4728

  The Alien

  Hello, Newvoice!

  4730

  Control

  Hello again.

  I have a simple puzzle for you.

  See picture?

  ⬯⬯

  4739

  B

  Control!

  4740

  Control

  Yes, B.

  4743

  B

  His concept of duality

  is different from ours.

  He can barely grasp the idea

  of a here and a there.

  He has no two.

  You are showing him two circles,

  but he will see only one

  set of shapes.

  4759

  Z

  This is Regimen procedure, Bee.

  4761

  B

  There is no point

  in testing him on our own terms

  for abilities we know he does not possess.

  4767

  Control

  We do not know it yet, B.

  Be fair to the creature.

  4772

  B

  Be fair!

  Mathematics is not intelligence itself!

  4775

  Control

  B, we will continue!

  See picture?

  ⬯

  4782

  The Alien

  Yes.

  4782

  Z

  Bee, you are behaving badly.

  4785

  B

  Zoe, don’t you see what they are doing?

  4784

  Control

  See other picture?

  ⬯

  4789

  The Alien

  Yes.

  4791

  Control

  Now see picture and other picture

  together.

  What does it look like?

  4796

  The Alien

  The same picture.

  4798

  B

  One times one equals one.

  7/4800

  Control

  Yes, but one added to one is two.

  And two added to two equals four.

  And without that basic ability

  I’m afraid our friend’s potential

  —and it is potential we are

  testing, B, not achievement—

  his potential is rather limited.

  But admittedly the question may

  have been unclear.

  We shall try again.

  4819

  B

  What gives us the right to test him?

  4820

  Control

  Dajja, see picture?

  ⬯⬯

  ⬯⬯

  4827

  The Alien

  Dulldots. Yes.

  4828

  B

  What gives us the right to test him?

  4829

  Control

  See other picture?

  ⬯⬯⬯⬯

  4835

  The Alien

  Yes. A row of otherselves.

  4838

  Control

  Can you change it to look like picture?

  4842

  B

  Please,

  please do not do this!

  4844

  The Alien

  Urgeplea!

  4846

  B

  Listen to him and learn how he thinks,

  He has no verbs!

  He has no interest in change!

  He has a view of time very different

  from ours.

  Your question is meaningless to him.

  4857

  Control

  You mean he also has no

  conception of time?

  4862

  B

  He thinks of other times as

  we would think of other places.

  4868

  Control

  Then he has no conception of

  conscious will.

  4873

  B

  He knows what he likes.

  4876

  The Alien

  Hello Newvoice!

  See picture?

  4879

  Control

  Yes, see picture.

  4882

  The Alien

  Wriggle!

  4884

  Control

  That is very nice, Dajja.

  4886

  The Alien

  4891

  Wriggle-wiggle

  Hah-hah!

  Otherselves! See picture!

  4894


  7/4901

  B

  That’s Daphne.

  4904

  Z

  When it was younger.

  4905

  The Alien

  4911

  B

  Some sort of disturbance.

  4914

  The Alien

  4921

  B

  That’s a flare!

  He’s showing us a flare!

  4926

  The Alien

  4934

  Z

  Daphne when it was much younger.

  4938

  Control

  How much younger?

  4941

  Z

  I do not know.

  Six million earthyears?

  Seven?

  4948

  The Alien

  4951

  Control

  It’s seven million years old!

  4954

  Z

  If it saw a flare like that, yes.

  4957

  Control

  Shit.

  4955

  The Alien

  Bangboom!

  Uproar!

  Uprise!

  Blastheat!

  Whitebright!

  4961

  Control

  We apologize, Angels.

  One of our riders forgot propriety.

  4967

  B

  No need, Control.

  4968

  The Alien

  Otherselves!

  Wiggles!

  4972

  B

  Quiescent prominence.

  4974

  The Alien

  4978

  Firerain-backflow

  4979

  Z

  Amendment, Control.

  4982

  Control

  Yes.

  4983

  Z

  Not just seven million.

  4986

  The Alien

  Stretchleap

  Tear-roar

  4995

  Control

  No?

  4999

  Z

  Not with this.

  9/5002

  The Alien

  Coolsurge

  Heatcrust

  5012

  Z

  It has seen an active, young sun.

  Control, it is at least

  two hundred million years old.

  Perhaps more.

  5021

  Control

  By all that is sacred!

  5024

  The Alien

  Wiggles!

  Wriggles!

  5025

  B

  Do you see?

  Do you see?

  Two hundred million years!

  He is older

  than all of Humankind!

  Do you see?

  5033

  Control

  We all see it, B.

  5034

  The Alien

  5039

  Settlestill

  5042

  B

  Dajja!

  5045

  The Alien

  5020

  Calm

  5055

  Control

  Dajja?

  5058

  The Alien

  Newvoice Griphold!

  5060

  Control

  The Wiggles, the…

  5061

  The Alien

  Wiggles!

  5063

  Control

  What did he call the flares?

  5065

  Z

  Bangbooms.

  5066

  The Alien

  Bangbooms!

  5068

  Control

  Yes, bangbooms.

  Bangbooms part of Dajja?

  5073

  B

  Yes, and he is part of them.

  We have been through all this!

  5078

  Control

  Silence, B!

  5079

  The Alien

  Angerscramble!

  5081

  Control

  Bangboom, Dajja.

  Can you control them?

  5088

  The Alien

  control?

  cant-roll?

  count-role?

  Tumbleword,

  Rollword!

  Otherself?

  5095

  B

  He doesn’t understand.

  It doesn’t translate.

  5099

  Control

  control

  use

  make use of

  make do what you want

  7/5107

  The Alien

  Griphold!

  5108

  B

  In the first place you’re using verbs…

  5110

  Control

  B!

  5111

  B

  Oh I hate this!

  5116

  Control

  Make Bangbooms stop?

  No Bangboom?

  5121

  The Alien

  No Bangboom?

  Me?

  Brokenboom?

  Why?

  Firelove, leapsong

  Otherself!

  5130

  B

  I’m here.

  5131

  The Alien

  Help.

  5133

  B

  I cannot.

  5135

  Control

  Fascinating,

  fascinating.

  Angels, we will want

  a reading of the animal.

  5142

  B

  What sort of reading?

  5145

  Control

  The usual sort.

  You will penetrate him

  and give us a count.

  5152

  B

  No.

  5153

  Control

  Is that a refusal?

  5154

  B

  Mingling is an act of love.

  5155

  Control

  We apologize, B.

  We do not wish to disrupt your

  relationship with Zoe.

  But these are special circumstances.

  5165

  B

  That is not what I meant!

  You do not understand!

  5168

  Z

  Control, I will do it.

  5169

  B

  Zoe!

  5170

  Control

  Please repeat Z.

  5172

  Z

  I will read him.

  5174

  B

  Zoe! You will give him over to them

  bound!

  5176

  Z

  Bound? That is nonsense!

  Bee, they must have information.

  5181

  Control

  B, you are hostile.

  Why?

  5184

  B

  Because I do not like you.

  5186

  Z

  Bee, break off!

  Control, this is not usual.

  5191

  B

  I have no trust in you.

  Everything you do and feel is tainted.

  5197

  Control

  Tainted? By what?

  5199

  B

  Fear.

  Selfishness.

  A need to overcome.

  7/5205

  Z

  Bee!

  5206

  Control

  What are we doing here that is selfish?

  5209

  Z

  He thinks you want

  to rid Daphne of the alien.

  5214

  B

  You
are trying to control.

  5217

  Control

  Of course!

  Control is necessary

  for the good of the universe.

  We are not conquerors.

  We are preservers.

  We are overwhelmed with wonder

  at the marvel that has been found.

  Is that so tainted?

  5233

  B

  It all depends,

  depends on what you do.

  What will you do?

  5240

  Control

  Find out what it is.

  5243

  B

  And when you have done that?

  5245

  Control

  We will determine what this means

  for the Daphne project.

  The Regimen states that no

  intelligent forms of life

  shall be displaced or destroyed

  by Humankind.

 

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