Part 73 (1/2)

Our old sarge he heads for the TeeBee TeeBee stoppin by cadre barracks only long enough to pack a couple parsimonious suitcases [suitcases? well, call em duffles ef you like to] for s.p.a.ce duty, grab a military gyrocar, fling him's stoppin by cadre barracks only long enough to pack a couple parsimonious suitcases [suitcases? well, call em duffles ef you like to] for s.p.a.ce duty, grab a military gyrocar, fling him's Bilbo Bilbo bags in, scuddle uccer tarmac to the bags in, scuddle uccer tarmac to the TeeBee TeeBee, cline upboard m finiz berth. s.p.a.cerine hammock's none 2 comphy, one must admit, but like rubbery jello, it'll do.

Sarge stoze gear, check sin, finezeez first man in from his section and disTeeBeez to wait for others. He paces tarmac, gazes back m up at the to wait for others. He paces tarmac, gazes back m up at the Theodore Bilbo Theodore Bilbo she's a fine figure of a s.h.i.+p. Tall, rounded shaft glisters in Alquane's pretty morning rays. Up at the top and instrument ring girds fuselage and atop that the conical command module replete with tippy-top cat's-iris command viewing station. Master ruby laser station there too, firing stream of hot singeing light to bathe foe when she's a fine figure of a s.h.i.+p. Tall, rounded shaft glisters in Alquane's pretty morning rays. Up at the top and instrument ring girds fuselage and atop that the conical command module replete with tippy-top cat's-iris command viewing station. Master ruby laser station there too, firing stream of hot singeing light to bathe foe when TeeBee's TeeBee's aroused. aroused.

Crew quarters in the shaft, gun modules in the skin, and down at ground level mounted to the base of the shaft two giant globular fuel modules glistering m gleaming in the warming rays of happy old Alquane light, their contents of supercold liquified compmatter bubbling over surplus through safely valves, it hisses and steams in the Alquane warmth looking like cl.u.s.ters and curlicues of angel's hair around the globular modules and the base of the old Theodore B Theodore B.

Finally sarge's squad trickle in. Nice boys, nice all, from fine ole pure-blooded surn fammies O yes. Sweet blond hand laserman from Echola, articifer's mate from Eutaw, couple pincer-axemen from c.o.xheath m Salitpa, glow-mortarman from Gasque and a sissant sarge outen Suggsville Center. A good crew all. That's important.

Our old sarge, he checked round summat, found altogether a fine bunch in that platoon of his except maybe one or two. Didn't like a zaprifle squad sarge alongside nohow. Fella name of Raff Slocomb. Knew him from cadre. Ba.s.serd wunt drink around, wunt wh.o.r.e around, mean mean SOB if you follow. Gotta watch for Slocomb. SOB if you follow. Gotta watch for Slocomb.

Not too sure of the platoon leader too. Bad situ that, a good leader, he got confidence in the next layer too. An the next leader (platoon sarge was an ok, thank you) bein a shavetail just outen OCS. One of our boys no less sarge ponders (very thinky today wouldn't you say?), and he didn't like to toe too much for me. Mmm. Now he's platoon shavetail. Shavetail Snarp. Oak hay, will get on somehow.

Our sarge he lines up his men m inspexem good. Then alla board upside the stars.h.i.+p Theodore Bilbo Theodore Bilbo. Everybody checked in, gear stowed, strapped down, ready for deeps.p.a.ce.

Supercold, superdense fuel flows from those big hairy b.a.l.l.s of the stars.h.i.+p Theodore Bilbo Theodore Bilbo into painboxes. Molecules are energized, atoms are squeezed, electrons are sheared from their primaries, crammed m jammed m slammed, whammed m bammed, shaped, sc.r.a.ped, raped, nuclei ripped apart, smashed into one another, forces whirling and driving madly, something becoming something else, something less, part of that something becoming nothing, energy produced, screams out propulsion tubes crying to the echoing deaf cosmos for relief, release, dying in an attenuating blaze of hyperenergized exhaust, thrusting the into painboxes. Molecules are energized, atoms are squeezed, electrons are sheared from their primaries, crammed m jammed m slammed, whammed m bammed, shaped, sc.r.a.ped, raped, nuclei ripped apart, smashed into one another, forces whirling and driving madly, something becoming something else, something less, part of that something becoming nothing, energy produced, screams out propulsion tubes crying to the echoing deaf cosmos for relief, release, dying in an attenuating blaze of hyperenergized exhaust, thrusting the Bilbo Bilbo away from N'Alabama into the dark vacuum that surrounds Alquane, thrusting, heaving, hurling her upwards. away from N'Alabama into the dark vacuum that surrounds Alquane, thrusting, heaving, hurling her upwards.

Theodore Bilbo heads outward, outward, driven along the planetary plane away from Alquane, shuddering, screaming as she goes. heads outward, outward, driven along the planetary plane away from Alquane, shuddering, screaming as she goes.

This is propulsion by agonized matter.

On O'Earth furgem Jewrabs rule the world. Descendants of the citizens of that long-ago Federated Republic of Israel and Jordan [”Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer, than to have your lox m eggs in Palestine,” er, it was a big tourist attraction, that] that grew into a Pan-Semitic Empire, that Neo-Shem that spread and conquered and took. Growing population, lebensraum lebensraum the Jewrabs echoed some forgotten hack politico of earlier times. the Jewrabs echoed some forgotten hack politico of earlier times.

Great powers to stop 'em? Who?

The former United States of, uhh, where was that? Well, anyway, they quarreled too much with the old CCCP. Almost blue us all all up. Happily the old Third Force powers woolen stand 4 that, disbanded them mothers back into independent units. Nation of Iowa, say, inn't rilly 2 scarifying. Nor, oh, Mountain Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast. up. Happily the old Third Force powers woolen stand 4 that, disbanded them mothers back into independent units. Nation of Iowa, say, inn't rilly 2 scarifying. Nor, oh, Mountain Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast.

Czecho you can bet slovakia sure breathed easlier. Also Iceland. Who's afraid of the big bad Georgians (Murrican or or Sophie's wet)? Bunchezza farmers both. Sophie's wet)? Bunchezza farmers both.

Rest easy for a while. Neo-cla.s.sical Cathay no problem; Innier too busy feeding starving millions for far'n ventures; j.a.pan's new motto ”Make money not enemies.” Alla little guys rested easy for a while. Then the furgem Jewrabs took over. O'Earth, ta-ta.

Nameanwhile, howzabout colony worlds? Agonized matter goes fast.

No, you don't dig, man. Like, fast fast.

Like, think of what fast means to you. Now pretend that means slow. NOW slow. NOW what's fast mean? Oak hay? Now, what's fast mean? Oak hay? Now, that's that's slow. slow. Now Now what's fast? You still there? Still following? Oak hay, now you have some idea of what's agonized matter driven s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps fast. what's fast? You still there? Still following? Oak hay, now you have some idea of what's agonized matter driven s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps fast.

So: colony worlds. Nation can't feed its people, can't pave its streets, can't school its kids, can't medicate its sickies, can't solve its problems...can always do the prestige things. Once upon a time, could have a jet airline. Once upon a time could have nukie-bombs. Now: everybody who's anybody, he got agonized matter driven s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. He got s.h.i.+ps, what's he got next? Right! He got worlds.

So we got: N'Afghanistan, N'Albania, N'Andorra, N'Argentina, N'Australia, N'Austria, N'Belgium, N'Bhutan, N'Bolivia, N'Brazil, N'Bulgaria, N'Burma...yuwanna be bored, read an atlas. Also, we got N'Alabama, N'Alaska, N'Arizona, N'Arkansas and 49 more.

Also we got worlds colonized by religious nuts, diet faddists, hobbyists, political fanatics, sado-m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.ts, alcoholics, lotus-eaters and a few hundred other kinds of loonies. we got worlds colonized by religious nuts, diet faddists, hobbyists, political fanatics, sado-m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.ts, alcoholics, lotus-eaters and a few hundred other kinds of loonies. Also Also we had a few worlds colonized by h.o.m.os.e.xuals of both types, but they didn't breed true in captivity and they died out. we had a few worlds colonized by h.o.m.os.e.xuals of both types, but they didn't breed true in captivity and they died out.

Also we got colony worlds carrying on the electromagnanimous traditions of their ancestors including their loyalties and their hatreds. we got colony worlds carrying on the electromagnanimous traditions of their ancestors including their loyalties and their hatreds.

And when the furgem Jewrabs finally take over poor O'Earth en its tirely, them colony worlds is left on their own. With With agonized matter driven fast s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. So N'Alabama hates N'Haiti? agonized matter driven fast s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps. So N'Alabama hates N'Haiti?

Our old sarge is on his way to war raght now!

5. Into the Exoneurobiology Section ” 'M. Goncourt, we cannot obtain the technical and fiscal support required to effectuate specified mission parameters!' Merde! Merde!” shouted Goncourt, pounding his fist on the grimy wooden desk top. ”n.o.body can get the support he needs, Trudeau! You know it and I know it. We're functioning in a bureaucracy and the trick is to do your job without the official backing you need. I I give you my support and I'm your chief. I don't want to hear that officialese double-talk. Let's save that for Antoine-Simone and the rest of the clods upstairs. Let's speak plainly to each other.” give you my support and I'm your chief. I don't want to hear that officialese double-talk. Let's save that for Antoine-Simone and the rest of the clods upstairs. Let's speak plainly to each other.”

Trudeau winced at Goncourt's outburst.

Goncourt said, ”Well?”

Trudeau said, ”I'm sorry, sir. I read and write so many tech reports that 'm afraid I'm beginning to talk like one. I take it you want it straight.”

Goncourt grunted an affirmative. ”I want a straight report on your specimen, and it had better be good. Manpower is breathing down Antoine-Simone's neck, and he has to produce on this boondoggle or he's in bad, bad trouble, eh? That means we we had better produce or we're had better produce or we're all all going to find out what the far side of La Gonave looks like.” going to find out what the far side of La Gonave looks like.”

Trudeau gestured with his brown hands to express his thoughts. ”The specimen seems to be operating properly. The control organism has been implanted in a fully thawed composite cadaver. Healing is taking place at an encouraging rate. I think I can get a response to aural stimuli now.”

Goncourt rose from behind his desk, took his subordinate by the arm and propelled him through the doorway of the office. ”Good! Let us see what wonder you have wrought, Trudeau. We may yet come out on top of this thing.”

The two officials pa.s.sed Goncourt's secretary, marched down drab corridors past frosted-gla.s.s lab windows and around corners. They paused before a door marked Exoneurobiology. Trudeau reached over and opened the door and they entered.

”Before viewing the specimen, M. Goncourt, I suggest that we view a film of the surgical procedures already followed.” Trudeau rolled a screen down one wall, flicked a switch and the screen began to flicker. On it appeared an operating theater and surgical team. A rolling pallet was brought into the room, a sheet-covered form lifted from it onto an operating table. Throughout the scene the viewing room remained silent. When the sheet was drawn back a cadaver was revealed. The left arm and shoulder and half of the chest were missing, a jagged outline indicating the place where the body had been ripped apart.

Now the camera cut to the doorway of the room, showing another cart. As it was wheeled into position the scene cut back to the overhead view. The body already on the table now showed a clean edge in place of the former rags of flesh marking the extent of its wounds. ”This is later, of course,” Trudeau said. ”The procedure takes several hours at present. That is one of the drawbacks that we hope to overcome with ma.s.s techniques.”

Goncourt reached into a pocket in his sagging jacket, drew out a small pipe and charged it. ”I want to see this fully,” he said. Trudeau struck a match for him. Through blue-gray clouds the image continued to change.

”The second cadaver has been prepared as you see,” said Trudeau. ”The skin is contoured to match the extent of the first cadaver, with sufficient overlap to promote rapid growth. Internal organs are undivided-each is taken fully from one subject or the other.” On the screen the two partial cadavers had been fitted together like parts of a jigsaw puzzle. Surgeons were adjusting bones, st.i.tching nerve and muscle connections, attaching blood vessels like plumbers matching water supplies. The camera cut, cut, indicating repeated time lapses.

Finally the obvious chief surgeon waved two a.s.sistants to the task of suturing the skin of the ma.s.sive pseudo-incision. After a few more minutes the screen became blank and Trudeau flicked on the room lights.

”Very well,” Goncourt said, ”a clever piece of surgery, a logical extension, however, of standard techniques.”

”But the difference,” Trudeau exclaimed, ”the difference is that we are not merely moving a particular organ from a donor to a patient. We are actually combining parts of two nonviable cadavers to produce a complete individual.”

”And he will live? He will function? Will this new patchwork man you have created be able to perform military duties? This is not an academic research grant, you know. We are supposed to contribute to the manpower problem, to the war effort.”

Trudeau stood and looked Goncourt in the face. Goncourt's eyes were fixed on the bowl of his small pipe, which had gone out and which he was trying to puff back into life.

Trudeau said, ”In the case of s.p.a.ce casualties, this surgery is insufficient. When they are wounded in battle, when they are mortally wounded, the wall of the s.h.i.+p and the protection of their s.p.a.ce suits both violated, the sudden vacuum and absolute cold produces a double effect.”

Trudeau looked again at Goncourt. He had got his pipe going again, was looking into his subordinate's face with apparent rapt attention. Trudeau went on: ”The sudden physiological effects are terrific. At zero-pressure the lungs are instantly exhausted. Vomiting and evacuation occur. The bladder empties. There is danger of damage to the eyes, ear drums, blood vessels, all pressure-sensitive organs.

”But simultaneously the body is plunged toward absolute zero. In vacuum there is of course no conduction cooling, but radiant dissipation occurs at a fantastic rate. Even before pressure damage occurs, the body is quick-frozen. That is how we can obtain cadavers in such good condition.”

Trudeau stopped speaking as Goncourt waved him to silence.

Goncourt said, ”All very well, but what of the central nervous system? Can the revived cadaver function?”

”Not independently. The shock of death does something to the individual-we do not fully understand it, although we have tried attaching graphic readout devices to various CNS points in subjects and obtained astonis.h.i.+ng results. They are apparently conscious of sensory input and probably capable of essentially normal mentation, but no voluntary functions take place.

”For this reason we have experimented with the creatures from NGC 7007. They seem to have evolved extremely complex and sensitive nervous systems, widely distributed generalized sensors, and yet to be without will or resistance. Also, they are small enough to be implanted at the base of the brain. They acclimate quickly, attaching filaments into the spinal column and brain. The bloodstream provides nourishment.

”Because these organisms are constructed as they are, they can be used as master controls for the subjects. By implanting one in a subject's skull, we can revive him and use him as a quasi-automaton for military' or industrial duty.”