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of the hold so that the dorsally mounted eyes of both CRLTs would be able to
view it without distortion. Descartes's officers were specialists in e-t
communications and the presentation was short, simple, and very much to the
point. The opening sequence was familiar since it was part of the material the
Fleet Commander had used during his recent brief-ing to Conway. It showed a
diagrammatic reconstruction of the CRLTs great, coillike interstellar
transport complete with central stem, coil supporting structure, thrusters,
and guidance system moving slowly against a starry backdrop. Suddenly a large
meteor appeared at the edge of the screen, heading directly' for the coilship.
It struck, moving along the inside of the coil and carrying away the
thrusters, guidance system, and all of the central supporting structure for
the continuous spiral of hibernation compartments. The impact shook the coil
apart, and the individual hibernation cylinders, because of the vessel's
rotation, went flying off in all directions like shrapnel from a slow-motion
explosion.
Because of the greater rigidity of the structure aft, the shock in this area
was much more severe and the casualties among the hibernating CRLTs were
heavy; the cylinders whose oc-cupants had not survived were shown in red. Then
there was a two-minute shot of the scene as it actually was, with Ves-pasian,
Claudius and
Descartes with a shoal of smaller vessels busy reassembling the coil followed
by a longer sequence, displayed graphically, which showed a modified coilship
com-ing in to land on a fresh, green world with the two capital ships and
Descartes linked together so as to replace the missing support structure and
thrusters.
The presentation ended by showing the coilship with the missing segments
indicated in throbbing red, then with the red sections removed and the gaps
closed up to make a slightly shorter coil, and the final scene showed the
successful link-up of the first two CRLTs.
As a piece of visual communication it left very little room for
misunderstanding, and Conway did not need Prilicla's em-pathic faculty to tell
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him that the message had been under-
stood the two CRLTs were already moving cautiously toward each other.
"Recorders?" Conway said urgently.
"Running," Murchison said.
Conway held his breath as once again the two massive creatures attempted
fusion.
The movements of their stubby, caterpillarlike legs were barely perceptible
and their dorsal ap-pendages were tensely still, making them resemble two
enor-mous, alien logs being pushed together by the current of an invisible
river. When they were separated by about six inches, the forward face of the
rearmost creature had grown the pattern of bumps and fleshy projections which
they had seen during the first two link-ups, and the rear interface of its
companion had twitched itself into a pattern of fissures and a single deep
recess. Around the periphery of the interface four wide, tri-angular flaps of
muscle tipped with osseus material, features which had not appeared to be of
any importance when examined
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Sector%20General.txt on sleeping or dead CRLTs, had grown suddenly to nearly
four times their size in the unconscious state and opened out like fleshy,
horn-tipped petals. But with these two the interfaces did not correspond. They
touched, held contact for perhaps three seconds, then jerked apart.
Before Conway could comment, they were coming together again. This time the
forward creature remained still while the second twisted its forward interface
into a slightly different position to try again, but with the same result.
It was obvious that the contacts were intensely uncomfort-able, and the
resultant pain had triggered off the involuntary movement which had jerked
them apart. But the CRLTs were not giving up easily, although it appeared at
first as if they had. They withdrew until their bodies were again inside their
hibernation cylinders, then their stubby legs blurred into motion as they
drove themselves at each other seeking, it seemed, by sheer brute force and
bodily inertia to force a fusion. Conway winced as they came together with a
sound like a loud, multiple slap.
But to no avail. They broke contact to lie a few feet from each other with
their dorsal appendages twitching weakly and air hissing loudly as it rushed
in and out of their breathing orifices. Then slowly they began to move
together again.
."They are certainly trying," Murchison said softly.
"Friend Conway," Prilicla said, "the emotional radiation from both creatures
has become more complex. There is deep anxiety but not, I would say, personal
fear.
Also a feeling of understanding and great determination, with the
determination predominating. I would say that both entities fully understand
the situation and are desperately anxious to cooperate. But these unsuccessful
attempts at fusion are causing great pain, friend Conway."
It was characteristic of the little empath that it did not men-tion its own
pain, which was only fractionally less severe than that of the emoting CRLTs.
But the uncontrollable trembling of its pipestem legs and fragile eggshell of
a body spoke more eloquently than words.
"Put them to sleep again," Conway said.
There was silence while the hibernation medication was taking effect, broken
finally by Prilicla who said, "They are losing consciousness, but there is a
marked change in the emo-tional radiation. They are feeling both anxiety and
hope. I think they are expecting us to solve their problem, friend Conway."
They were all looking at him, but it was Naydrad, whose mobile, silvery fur
was registering its bafflement and concern, who put the question everyone else
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was too polite to ask.
"How?"
Conway did not reply at once. He was thinking that two highly intelligent
elder
CRLTs from the coilship's stern, fol-lowing their first abortive attempt at
fusion, would have realized that a link-up was impossible for them. But they
had made two further attempts one when the rearmost creature had tried to
twist itself and its interface into a new position, and again when it had
tried to achieve fusion by sheer brute force. He was beginning to wonder
whether the recent attempt at communi-cating with the aliens had been strictly
one way.
Until the Descartes linguists could be given the opportunity to learn the
CRLTs language, an accurate exchange of ideas was impos-sible. But it had
already been shown that pictures were very effective in putting across a
message, and they were all for-getting that actions, like pictures, often
spoke louder than words.
Recalling those three unsuccessful attempts at fusion. Con-way wondered if the
two CRLTs had in fact been trying to
demonstrate that the link-up was impossible for them without assistance, but
that by changing the positions and perhaps the dimensions of some of the
surface features on the interfaces and forcing things a little, then a join
might be achieved.
"Friend Conway," Prilicla announced, "is having feelings of optimism."
"Perhaps," Murchison said, "in his own good time, of course, he will explain
to us nonempaths the reason for his optimism."
Ignoring the sarcasm, Conway briefly outlined his recent thinking, although he
personally would have described his feel-ing as one of forlorn hope rather
than
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