‘An organism?’ Wu remained polite.
‘A single organism, and Marlene calls it by the name of the planet, since they are so intimately related.’
Wu said, ‘Are you serious? How do you know about this organism?’
‘Chiefly through Marlene.’
‘Through the young woman,’ said Wu, ‘who may be - a hysteric?’
Genarr lifted a finger. ‘Do not say anything seriously against her. I'm not sure that Erythro - the organism - has a sense of humor. We know chiefly through Marlene - not entirely. When Saltade Leverett stood up to leave, he was knocked down. When you half-rose a while ago, perhaps also to leave, you were clearly uncomfortable. Those are the reactions of Erythro. It protects Marlene by acting directly on our minds. In the early days of our existence on this world, it inadvertently caused a small epidemic of mental disease that we called the Erythro Plague. I'm afraid that, if it wishes, it can produce irrecoverable mental damage; and, if it wishes, it can kill. Please do not test this.’
Fisher said, ‘You mean it is not Marlene who-’
‘No, Crile. Marlene has certain abilities, but they don't extend to the point of doing harm. It is Erythro that is dangerous.’
‘How do we stop it from being dangerous?’ asked Fisher.
‘By listening politely to Marlene, to begin with. Then, too, let me be the one to talk with her. Erythro, at least, knows me. And believe me when I say that I want to save Earth. I have no desire to bring about the death of billions.’
He turned to Marlene. ‘You understand, Marlene, don't you, that Earth is in danger? Your mother showed you that the close approach of Nemesis might destroy Earth.’
‘I know that, Uncle Siever,’ said Marlene in an agonized voice, ‘but Erythro belongs to itself.’
‘It might want to share, Marlene. It allows the Dome to remain here on the planet. We don't seem to disturb it.’
‘But there are less than a thousand people in the Dome and they stay in the Dome. Erythro doesn't mind the Dome because that means it can study human minds.’
‘It can study human minds all the more when Earth-men come here.’
‘Eight billion of them?’
‘No, not all eight billion. They'll come here to settle down temporarily and then go off somewhere. At any one time, there'll only be a fraction of the population here.’
‘It will be millions. I'm sure it will be. You can't squeeze them all into a dome and supply them with food and water and all they'll need. You'll have to spread them out on Erythro and terraform it. Erythro couldn't survive it. It would have to protect itself.’
‘Are you sure of that?’
‘It would have to. Wouldn't you?’
‘It would mean the death of billions.’
‘I can't help that.’ She pressed her lips together, then said, ‘There's a different way.’
Leverett said gruffly, ‘What's the girl talking about? What different way?’
Marlene glanced briefly in Leverett's direction, then turned to Genarr. ‘I don't know. Erythro knows. At least - at least it says that the knowledge is here, but it can't explain.’
Genarr held up both arms to stop what might have been a flurry of questions. ‘Let me talk.’
Then he said very quietly, ‘Marlene, be calm. If you're worried about Erythro, that is useless. You know it can protect itself against anything. Tell me what you mean when you say Erythro can't explain.’
Marlene was breathless and gasping. ‘Erythro knows the knowledge is here, but it doesn't have human experience, human science, human ways of thinking. It doesn't understand.’
‘The knowledge is in the minds present here?’
‘Yes, Uncle Siever.’
‘Can't it probe the minds?’
‘It would hurt them. It can probe my mind without hurting it.’
‘I should hope so,’ said Genarr, ‘but do you have the knowledge?’
‘No, of course not. But it can use my mind as a probe for the others here. Yours. My father's. All.’
‘Is that safe?’
‘Erythro thinks it is, but - oh, Uncle Siever, I'm afraid.’
‘Surely this is madness,’ whispered Wu, and Genarr quickly put a finger to his lips.
Fisher was on his feet. ‘Marlene, you mustn't-’
Genarr waved him back furiously. ‘There's nothing you can do, Crile. There are billions of human beings at risk - we keep on saying it over and over again - and the organism must be allowed to do what it can. Marlene.’
Marlene's eyes had turned upward. She seemed to be in a trance. ‘Uncle Siever,’ she whispered. ‘Hold me.’
Half-stumbling, half-falling, she moved toward Genarr, who seized her and held her tightly. ‘Marlene- Relax- It will be all right-’ He sat down carefully in his chair, still holding her rigid body.
It was like a silent explosion of light that obliterated the world. Nothing existed beyond itself.
Genarr was not even conscious of being Genarr. The self did not exist either. Only a luminous interconnecting fog of great complexity existed, one that was expanding and separating into threads that took on the same great complexity even as they separated.
A whirling and a receding and then an expansion as it approached again. On and on, hypnotically, like something that had always existed and would always exist, without end.
Falling endlessly into an opening that widened as it approached without ever getting wider. Continuing change without alteration. Little puffs unfolding into new complexity.
On and on. No sound. No sensation. Not even vision. A consciousness of something that had the properties of light without being light. It was the mind becoming aware of itself.
And then, painfully - if there had been such a thing as pain in the Universe - and with a sob - if there had been such a thing as a sound in the Universe - it began to dim and turn and spin, faster and faster, into a point of light that flashed and was gone.
93The Universe was obtrusive in its existence.
Wu stretched and said, ‘Did anyone else experience that?’
Fisher nodded.
Leverett said, ‘Well, I'm a believer. If it's madness, we're all mad together.’
But Genarr was still holding Marlene, bending over her painfully. She was breathing raggedly.
‘Marlene. Marlene.’
Fisher had struggled to his feet. ‘Is she all right?’
‘I can't say,’ muttered Genarr. ‘She's alive, but that's not enough.’
Her eyes opened. She was staring at Genarr, her eyes empty, unfocused.
‘Marlene,’ whispered Genarr in despair.
‘Uncle Siever,’ whispered Marlene in return.
Genarr let himself breathe. At least she had recognized him.
‘Don't move,’ he said. ‘Wait till it's over.’
‘It is over. I'm so glad it's over.’
‘But are you all right?’
She paused, then said, ‘Yes, I feel all right, Erythro says I'm all right.’
Wu said, ‘Did you find this hidden knowledge we're supposed to have?’
‘Yes, Dr Wu. I did.’ She passed a hand over her damp brow. ‘It was you, actually, who had it.’
‘I?’ said Wu vehemently. ‘What was it?’
‘I don't understand it,’ said Marlene. ‘You will, maybe, if I describe it.’
‘Describe what?’
‘Something that's gravity pushing things away instead of pulling them toward.’
‘Gravitational repulsion, yes,’ said Wu. ‘It's part of superluminal flight.’ He drew a deep breath and his body straightened. ‘It's a discovery I made.’
‘Well then,’ said Marlene, ‘if you pass close by Nemesis in superluminal flight, there's gravitational repulsion. The faster you move, the more the repulsion.’
‘Yes, the ship would be pushed away.’
‘Wouldn't Nemesis be pushed in the opposite direction?’
‘Yes, in inverse ratio of mass, but Nemesis' move would be immeasurably small.’
‘But what if it were repeated over and over for hundreds of years?’