There was an air of tension in the stark room. Vinn felt as if he should be doing something, that time was running out.
"I'd like for you to explain that last statement," Vinn said. "Just how did those who made you restore the balance?"
"You have seen," the lovely woman said with a slight smile, and into Vinn's mind sprang the images of the dead worlds spinning their way through eternal emptiness.
On the hand holding his rifle, Iain's knuckles went white. "Vinn," he said, "I think it's time we started looking for an exit."
"Not yet," the Watcher said. "It has not been decided." The extension rose. "Now you will come with me."
"Not just yet," Vinn said. "Why did the Creators destroy those planets we call the Dead Worlds?"
"To restore the balance in that segment of the galaxy," the Watcher said.
"Men like us lived on those worlds?" Vinn asked.
"Yes."
"You have accused us of being insensitive, of doing damage to worlds, of depriving other species of the right to fulfill their purpose. How can you justify the slaughter of billions of people?"
"When you administer a drug to cure yourself of an infectious illness you destroy billions of units of life to restore the equilibrium within your own personal system," the Watcher said.
"If you think that comparing mankind to a virus is original," Pete said angrily, "you're crazy."
"It was, I felt, an analogy you could understand."
"We may understand more than you give us credit for," Pete said.
"Vinn, let's go," Iain said nervously.
"Not just yet," Pete said.
"Come," said the extension, moving toward the door to the chamber.
Vinn followed the extension into a long corridor. He tensed, and his hand was on the butt of his weapon. Iain bumped into him, lifted his saffer rifle. Dozens of silent, still, metallic, anthropoid forms stood with their backs against the walls.
"They are not animated," the Watcher said.
The extension led the way to a low-slung, open-topped vehicle with multiple seats, took her place at the front and motioned for the others to join her. When everyone was seated the vehicle moved silently and swiftly, passed through a circular port that closed behind them. They were in one of the infinitely long, narrow rooms that had been shown to them. Soft light glowed through the transparent domes of the containers arrayed along the walls.
"The Sleepers," Vinn said.
The silent vehicle flashed past hundreds, thousands of the containers, but the seats were so low that Vinn could not see into the domes. The vehicle turned and sped past the arched openings to other container-filled rooms. A door opened. The vehicle stopped just inside. One wall of the large room was covered with screens, instruments, dials. At the base of the wall a console ran full length with what appeared to be work stations at intervals. Although there was no sound other than those made by themselves, there was a feeling in the air somewhat like standing next to the housing of a blink generator when it was fully charged. Placed in rows were mechanical and electronic constructions, most of them with a seat attached.
"The Creators were very much like us," Vinn said to the extension of the Watcher.
"Of course. It is the pattern of evolution."
"And you, the Watcher," Vinn said, waving his hand toward the far wall, "you are here."
"Because an accident might cause some damage," the extensions said,
"you will relinquish your weapons."
"Not a chance," Iain said.
A door opened and one of the metallic, animated extensions entered the room. Iain tried to raise his rifle, but his arms were paralyzed. Pete was also helpless.
Vinn felt the intrusion of the Watcher into his mind. He fought against it, and with a great effort managed to put his hand on the butt of his hand saffer and lift it from its holster. That was the limit of his ability.
"The animated extension will take your weapons," the Watcher said.
"No," Sarah said. She moved quickly, jerked the saffer from Vinn's hand, pointed it at the advancing robot. The heat of the blast warmed her face as the extension halted, a huge hole blasted into its middle.
Sarah turned, trained the saffer on the female. "We will keep our weapons."
"If you had missed the animated extension, great damage would have been done," the female said.
Sarah aimed the weapon at the control wall. "Get out of our minds or I'll blast every instrument on that wall."
"All right," Pete said, lifting his rifle. Iain turned a full circle, rifle at the ready.
"Perhaps you are responsible enough to be allowed to keep your weapons," the Watcher said.
For the first time the Watcher was unable to form a conclusion. That the woman was able to resist control was not logical. Only the Creators were strong enough to resist once initial penetration had been accomplished. One thing was certain. It had been a mistake to take those who had come to the Center. The one called Vinn had, quite surprisingly, recognized the control panel for what it was, and even while the Watcher ran the question through its center again and again Vinn was examining the keyboards, guessing at the function of switches, and coming very close.
The Watcher had the ability to learn, but over the eons of time since the beginning some of the Watcher's perceptiveness had eroded. Perhaps that was why there was indecision, although the Watcher could not knowguilt nor the fear of failure. When there was a thing to be done, it was done. The Creators were, of course, infallible. What they had intended to be would be. Everything they had predicted had come to pass. They had known that the process of creation was a universal constant, that sooner or later others would be in their image and that, once again, the balance would be affected. The Creators had erred only in their estimation of the amount of time that would be required for the selfish ones to evolve again and in not foreseeing that, so quickly, at least some of those who would come would have reached the Creators' own state of development. If, indeed, that last were true, the Watcher's task was simple. The Sleepers would have to be awakened. But it was necessary to be absolutely sure before taking that irrevocable step.
It was obvious to all that the Watcher was speaking directly to Sarah.
"You, too, have responsibilities."
"That is not to be defined by you," Sarah said heatedly.
"Ah, but you are wrong. Only I can do so."
Sarah felt dizzy, fought it off, knowing that the Watcher was trying, once more, to control her. She thought of home, and her children, and the images of their faces burned away the feeling of infringement. She waved the saffer warningly.
"So be it," the Watcher said. "It is time. You have made the decision, Sarah. You and you alone."
"I don't know what you are talking about," she said.
"They will be awakened," the Watcher said, "but first we must determine whether or not you are worthy of knowing them."
The extension moved to stand beside an installation consisting of a comfortable chair and a framework of metal from which hung an appliance very much like an old-fashioned hair dryer. "I think, Sarah, that you would be of the most interest. Will you sit down, please?"
"No," Sarah said.
"You refuse to cooperate?"
"We are not subjects for experimentation," Pete said.
"Then the decision as to your worth must be made without complete data. I will have to decide based on the information I have."
Pete raised his saffer, pointed it at the control wall. "I don't think you could stop me before I pulled the trigger," he said.