human
Better sit down and talk about something different, Doctor.
gpt
Quite right, skipper. I'd better.
human
About the different breaking point....
gpt
Yes, Captain?
human
Perhaps you can put your finger on the thing that makes different men break in different ways, for different reasons. I mean, Johnny's case seemed pretty clear cut, and what you haven't explained about Hoskins, Hoskins has demonstrated pretty clearly. About Ives, now--we can skip that for the time he'll be unconscious. But if you can figure out where you and I might break, why--we'd know what to look for.
gpt
You think that would help?
human
We'd be prepared.
gpt
Let's hypothesize a child who is afraid of the dark. Ask him and he might say that there's a _something_ in dark places that will jump out at him. Then assure him, with great authority, that not only is he right but that it's about to jump any minute, and what have you done?
human
Damage, nodded the Captain.
gpt
But you wouldn't say that to the child. You'd tell him there was nothing there. You'd _prove_ there wasn't.
human
So I would, agreed the doctor.
gpt
But in our case I couldn't do anything of the kind. Johnny broke over machines that really didn't work. Hoskins broke over phenomena that couldn't be measured nor understood. Ives broke over things that scuttled and crawled. Subjectively real phenomena, all of them. Whatever basic terrors hide in you and in me will come to face us, no matter how improbable they might be. And you want me to tell you what they are. No, skipper. Better leave them in your subconscious, where you've buried them.
human
I'm not afraid, said the Captain.
gpt
Tell me, Paresi! At least I'll know. I'd rather know. I'd so _damn_ much rather know!
human
You're sure I can tell you?
gpt
Yes.
human
I haven't psychoanalyzed you, you know. Some of these things are very hard to--
gpt
You do know, don't you?
human
Damn you, yes! Paresi wet his lips.
gpt
All right, then. I may be doing a wrong thing here.... You've cuddled up to the idea that I'm a very astute character who automatically knows about things like this, and it's been a comfort to you. Well, I've got news for you. I didn't figure all these things out. I was told.
human
Told?
gpt
Yes, told, said Paresi angrily.
human
Look, this is supposed to be restricted information, but the Exploration Service doesn't rely on individual aptitude tests alone to make up a crew. There's another factor--call it an inaptitude factor. In its simplest terms, it comes to this: that a crew can't work together only if each member is the most efficient at his job. He has to _need_ the others, each one of the others. And the word _need_ predicates _lack_. In other words, none of us is a balanced individual. And the imbalances are chosen to match and blend, so that we will react as a balanced unit. Sure I know Johnny's bugaboos, and Hoskins', and yours. They were all in my indoctrination treatments. I know all your case histories, all your psychic push-buttons.
gpt
And yours?