point." Halter paused. "What did _you_ do,Captain, while the others were working on their various projects?"
Captain McClelland scowled at Halter for a long moment. "Why do youwant to know that?"
"Your crew members became lost in some work they loved. They told meabout it with a certain amount of enthusiasm. You haven't told me whatyou did. I'd like to know--for the records."
"I watched them, Colonel. I watched them and dreamed of the time whenI could take them and the ship back out into space under her ownpower. I love space and I love this ship. I love knowing she's underpower and shooting out to the stars. There's nothing more for me."
"What else did you do besides watch them?"
"I activated the machinery that moved my bunk close to the controls. Ipracticed taking the ship through maneuvers. I kept the controls inperfect working order so I'd be ready to take off again someday."
"If we repaired the ship so you could take off, the first shock ofrocket thrust would kill you all."
"We're willing to take that chance."
Colonel Halter looked around the half circle of old faces. "And allyour long years of work would be for nothing. Each of you, exceptCaptain McClelland, has made a contribution to Earth and Man. You'reneeded here, not in the emptiness of space."
He saw the eyes of the five watching him intently; saw a tiny flickerof surprise and interest on their faces.
"You're destroying Earth," said the captain, his voice rising, "withyour wars and your quarrels. We've all of us found peace. We're goingto keep it."
* * * * *
Halter ignored the captain and looked at the five.
"There are many of _us_ on Earth, who are fighting a war withoutblood, to save mankind. We've made progress. We've worked outagreements among the warring nations to do their fighting on thebarren planets where there aren't any native inhabitants, sononcombatants on Earth won't be killed and so the Earth won't be laidwaste. That was the fighting you saw while you were coming in.
"This is just _one_ example. And there're a lot of us contributingideas and effort. If all of us who're working for Earth were to leaveit and go out into space, the ones who have to fight wars would makethe Earth as barren as the Moon. This is our place in the Universe andit's got to be saved."
"We've adjusted to the control room of this ship and to each other,"said McClelland flatly. "Our work's done."
"Let's put it like this, Captain. Maybe _your_ work's done. Maybe_you're_ not interested in what happens to Earth." Halter turned tothe others. "But what _you've_ done adds up to a search for answershere on Earth. Poetry. Design of a flawless spaceship. A psychologicaltheory. A perfect diet. Novels about Man pushing out and out intospace. All this indicates a deep concern for the health of humanityand its success."
"We're not concerned," retorted the captain, "with the health orsuccess of humanity."
Halter sharply examined the other faces. He saw a flicker of sadnessin one, anger in another, uncertainty, fear, joy.
He said, "For seventy-five years, you obey your captain. You listen towhat he says. And everything is a command. Yet in yourselves you feela drive to carry out your ideas, your creations, to their logicalends. Which means, will they work when they're applied to Man? Willpeople read the novels? Will they catch the meaning of the poetry?Will the spaceships really work as they're supposed to? Will thepsychological theory really promote cooperation? Is there supremehealth in this marvelous diet?"
He gave them a moment to think and then continued. "But if youcontinue to follow the commands of the captain, you'll be dead beforeyou're out of the Earth's atmosphere. You'll never know. Maybe Manwill prove that your great works are only dreams.... But I thinkthere's a great need in you to know, one way or the other."
* * * * *
There was a faint stirring among them, like that of ancient machinesbeing activated after years of lying dormant. They glanced at eachother. They fidgeted. Trouble twisted their faces.
"Colonel Halter," said the captain, "I'm warning you. My thumb is onthe button. I'll release the gas. Do we get the repairs and the fuelto take off from Earth, or don't we?"
Colonel Halter leaned grimly toward the captain. "You've spent fiftyyears with one idea--to stay out in space forever. You've made noeffort to create or do one single constructive act. I'll tell youwhether or not you get the fuel and the repairs--_after_ I hear whatsomeone in your crew has to say."
Silence hung tensely between the control room of the ship and ColonelHalter's office on Earth. The captain was glaring now at Halter. Atear showed in the corner of each of Dr. Anna Mueller's old eyes.Lieutenant Brady was gripping the arms of his chair. Daniel Carlyle'seyes were closed and his head shook slightly, as though from palsy.There was a faint, enigmatic smile on Caroline Gordon's face. Thecords on Crowley's neck stood out through the tan and wrinkledwrapping-paper skin.
_By God,_ thought Halter, _they're all sane except the captain. Andthey've got to do it. They've got to come out on their own steam ordie in that control room._
"I'm waiting," he said. "Is your work going to die and you with it?"
"We'll leave all the records," said the captain, his thumb poised overthe button on the arm of his chair. "That's enough."
Halter ignored him. "Each of you can help. You've only done part ofthe work." He stood and struck the desk with the flat of his hand."Damn it, say something, one of you!"
Still the silence and the flickering looks all around.
Halter heard a sob. He saw Dr. Anna Mueller's head drop forward andher shoulders tremble. The others were staring at her, as if she hadsuddenly materialized among them, like a ghost.
Then her voice, through the trembling and the faint crying:"I've--I've got to know."
The captain got creakily to his feet. "Dr. Mueller! Do you want me touse the gun again?"
She raised her face to his. There was pain in it. "I've--got work todo. There's so--little time."
"That's right. On this ship. You're part of the crew. There'll beplenty of work once we get out in space again."
"I've got to see if my theory's right."
"Colonel Halter," said the captain, "this is insubordination. Mutiny."
* * * * *
He raised the gun tremblingly, pointed the black muzzle at Dr.Mueller, sighted along the barrel.
"Wait," said Halter. "You're right."
Captain McClelland hesitated.
"It's quite plain," went on Halter, "that Dr. Mueller is alone amongyou. She wants to come out and go on with her work. The rest of youwant the closed-in uterine warmth and peace of this room you'reexisting in. You can't face the possibility of failure. So I'm afraidshe'll have to be sacrificed. After all, you do need a full crew tomove the ship--even if you are all dead a few seconds after blastoff."He paused, looking intently at Brady, Crowley, Carlyle, Gordon, wherethey sat in the half circle, staring back at him. "So--"
Lieutenant Brady struggled up from his chair.
"I've got twenty-five years of life. I've some ships to design."
"That goes for me, too," said Crowley, the rocketman. "Will anybodywant to read my novels?"
Astrogator Carlyle leaned forward. "There are many more poems to bewritten."
"Give me a soundproof laboratory," said Caroline Gordon. "I'll addanother fifty years to all your lives."
"I'm afraid it is mutiny, Captain," said Halter.
The captain started toward his chair, his hand reaching for the buttonon its arm.
Lieutenant Brady stumbled forward, blocking his way.
Halter could only watch, thinking, _It's up to them. They've got to doit now!_
He saw the captain draw his shock gun; saw light flare at its muzzle;saw Lieutenant Brady crumple like a collapsing skeleton.
Crowley reached forward, grasping McClelland's shoulder. The gun swungtoward him. A stream of light squirted into his middle. Crowley fellforward, pulling the captain down with him. T
he three other oldsterswere above the three black figures sprawled on the floor, like tangledpuppets. They hesitated a moment, then fell upon the ones below them,black arms and legs twitching about now like the legs of dyingspiders, struggling weakly.
A flash of light exploded beneath these twisting black reeds andstreaks of it shot out all through the waving black cluster.
The next moment, they settled
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