What interested Lesbee in the suggestion was that he had in his pocket a three-stage remote control for precisely such electronically amplified thought pulses. Unfortunately, the control was for the lifeboat. It probably would be advisable to tune the control to the ship also. It was a problem he had thought of earlier, and now Browne had opened the way for an easy solution.
He held his voice steady as he said, 'Captain, let me program those landing analogs while you prepare the film-communication project. That way we can be ready for him, no matter what.'
Browne seemed to be completely trusting, for he agreed at once. A film projector was mounted, at Browne's direction, on solid connections at one end of the room. The projectionist and Third Officer Mindel – who had come in with him – strapped themselves into adjoining chairs attached to the projector.
While this was going on, Lesbee called various technical personnel. Only one technician protested. 'But, John,' he said, 'that way we have a dual control – with the lifeboat control having pre-emption over the ship. It's against all principles of flight guidance to subordinate steady state mechanisms to gadgets. I-it's unusual.'
It was unusual. But he was fighting for his life. And it was the lifeboat control that was in his pocket where he could reach it quickly; and so he said adamantly, 'Do you want to talk to Captain Browne? Do you want his O.K.?'
'No, no.' The technician's doubts seemed to subside. 'I heard you being named joint captain. You're the boss. It shall be done.'
Lesbee put down the closed-circuit phone into which he had been talking, and turned. It was then he saw that the film was ready to roll, and that Browne had his fingers on the controls of the tractor beam. The older man stared at him questioningly.
'Shall I go ahead?' he asked.
At this penultimate moment, Lesbee had a qualm.
Almost immediately he realized that the only alternative to what Browne planned was that he reveal his own secret knowledge.
He hesitated, torn by doubts. Then: 'Will you turn that off?' He indicated the intercom.
Browne said to the audience, 'We'll bring you in again in a minute, good people.' He broke the connection and gazed questioningly at Lesbee.
Whereupon Lesbee said in a low voice, 'Captain, I should inform you that I brought the Karn aboard in the hope of using him against you.'
'Well, that is a frank and open admission,' the officer said softly.
'I mention this,' said Lesbee, 'because if you had similar ulterior motives, we should clear the air completely before proceeding with the attempt at communication.'
A blossom of color spread from Browne's neck over his face. At last he said slowly, 'I don't know how I can convince you, but I had no schemes.'
Lesbee gazed at Browne's open countenance, and suddenly he realized that the officer was sincere. Browne had accepted the compromise. The solution of a joint captaincy was agreeable to him.
Sitting there, Lesbee experienced a mixture of joy and doubt. He could not wholly overcome his fear of Browne's motives. On the other hand, it did seem as if communication worked. You could tell your truth and get a hearing – if it made sense.
It seemed to him that he had to believe that his truth made sense. He was offering Browne peace aboard the ship. Peace at a price, of course; but still peace. And in this severe emergency Browne recognized the entire validity of the solution.
So it was now evident to Lesbee.
Without further hesitation he told Browne that the creatures who had boarded the lifeboat were robots – not alive at all.
Browne was nodding thoughtfully. Finally he said: 'But I don't see how this could be utilized to take over the ship.'
Lesbee explained that this robot had a built-in self-destruct system, designed in such a way that, when it was activated, it could be pointed so that it would also destroy anything in the path of the blast.
'That,' said Lesbee, 'is why I had him on his back when I brought him in here. I could have had him tilted and pointing at you. Naturally, I made sure that this did not happen until you had indicated what you intended to do. One of my precautions would enable us to catch this creature's thoughts without -'
As he was speaking, he slipped his hand into his pocket, intending to show the older man the tiny remote control by which – when it was off – they would be able to read Dzing's thoughts without removing him from the cage.
He stopped short in his explanation because an ugly expression had come suddenly into Browne's face.
The big man glanced at Third Officer Mindel. 'Well, Dan,' he said, 'do you think that's it?'
Lesbee noticed with shock that Mindel was wearing a sound-amplifying device in one ear. He must have overheard every word that Browne and he had spoken to each other.
Mindel nodded. 'Yes, Captain,' he said. 'I very definitely think he has now told us what we wanted to find out.'
Lesbee grew aware that Browne had released himself from his safety belt and was stepping away from his seat. The officer turned and, standing very straight, said in a formal tone:
'Technician Lesbee, we have heard your admission of gross dereliction of duty, conspiracy to overthrow the lawful government of this ship, scheme to utilize alien creatures to destroy human beings, and confession of other unspeakable crimes. In this extremely dangerous situation, summary execution without formal trial is justified. I therefore sentence you to death and order Third Officer Mindel to -'
He faltered, and came to a stop.
16
Two things had been happening as he talked. Lesbee squeezed the 'off' switch of the cage control, an entirely automatic gesture, convulsive, a spasmodic movement, result of his dismay. It was a mindless action. So far as he knew consciously, freeing Dzing's thoughts had no useful possibility for him. His only real hope – as he realized almost immediately – was to get his other hand into his remaining coat pocket and with it manipulate the remote-control landing device, the secret of which he had so naively revealed to Browne.
The second thing that happened was that Dzing, released from mental control, telepathed:
'Free again – and this time of course permanently! I have just now activated by remote control the relays that will in a few moments start the engines of this ship, and I have naturally reset the mechanism for controlling the rate of acceleration-'
The robot's thoughts must have impinged progressively on Browne, for it was at that point that the officer paused uncertainly.
Dzing continued: 'As I have rectified the field-control system, the atomic drive will now be able to achieve velocities close to that of light. I have also synchronized the artificial gravity so that there will be a considerable gap between that and the acceleration. They have neglected to take any real precautions against capture by this means -'
Lesbee reached over, tripped on the speaker system, and yelled into the microphone: 'All stations prepare for emergency acceleration! Grab anything!'
To Browne, he shouted: 'Get to your seat – quick!'
His actions and words were automatic responses to danger. Only after he had spoken did it occur to him that he had no interest in the survival of Captain Browne. And that, in fact, the only reason the man was in danger was because he had stepped away from his safety belt so that Mindel's blaster would kill Lesbee without damaging Browne.
Browne evidently understood his danger. He started toward the control chair from which he had released himself moments before. His reaching hands were still a foot or more from it when the impact of acceleration stopped him instantly and flung him backward to the floor. Still going back, he pressed the palms of his hands and his rubber shoes hard against the floor. That probably saved him from a head injury, for his tremendous effort brought him to a sitting position. And so he slid into the rear wall with his back. It was cushioned to protect human beings; it reacted like rubber, bouncing him several times.