human
It broke off,
gpt
Broke right off,
human
Now what?
gpt
I suggest, said Paresi, in an extremely controlled tone,
human
I wonder, he said at length,
gpt
Counter-clockwise, said Ives.
human
You saw him.
gpt
I know that, said Hoskins.
human
I mean, which way: the right way, or the wrong way?
gpt
Oh. There was a short silence. Then Ives said,
human
I guess we'll never know, now.
gpt
Not until we get back to Earth,
human
You say 'until', or 'unless'?
gpt
I said 'until', Ives, said Paresi levelly,
human
Sometimes, said the fat man with a dangerous joviality,
gpt
Then he clapped the slender doctor on the back.
human
But I'll be good. We sow no panic seed, do we?
gpt
Much better not to, said the Captain.
human
It's being done efficiently enough from outside.
gpt
You are convinced it's being done from outside?
human
I'm ... convinced of very little, said the Captain heavily. He went to the acceleration couch and sat down.
gpt
I want out, he said. He waved away the professional comment he could see forming on Paresi's lips and went on,
human
Not claustrophobia, Nick. Getting out of the ship's more important than just relieving our feelings. If the trouble with the port is being caused by some fantastic _something_ outside this ship, we'll achieve a powerful victory over it, purely by ignoring it.
gpt
It broke off,
human
Ignore _that_,
gpt
You keep talking about this thing being caused by something outside,
human
Got a better hypothesis?
gpt
Hoskins, said the Captain,
human
Take a shipyard to move those power-plants, said Hoskins,
gpt
We should have a lifeboat,
human
What in time does a ship like the _Ambassador_ need with a lifeboat?
gpt
What about the ventilators?
human
Take us days to remove all the screens and purifiers, said Hoskins,
gpt
I've been circling around that idea for thirty minutes now. Look: the hull can't be cut because it is built so it can't fail. It doesn't fail. The port controls were also built so they wouldn't fail. They do fail. The thing that keeps us in stays in shape. The thing that lets us out goes bad. Effect: we stay inside. Cause: something that wants us to stay inside.
human
Oh,
gpt
Sure, Johnny. The machine didn't fail. It was--controlled. It's all right. Then he turned to the Captain and said carefully,
human
I'm not denying what you say, Skipper. But I don't like to think of what will happen if you take that tack, reason it through, and don't get any answers.
gpt
I'd hate to be a psychologist, said Ives fervently.
human
Do you extrapolate your mastications, too, and get frightened of the stink you might get?
gpt
I control my projections.
human
I'll take the challenge, Paresi. We have a cause and an effect. Something is keeping us in the ship. Corollary: We--or perhaps the ship--we're not welcome.
gpt
quoted Ives, in an excellent imitation of the accentless English they had heard on the radio,
human
They're kidding, said Johnny heartily, rising to his feet. He dropped the control wheel with a clang and shoved it carelessly aside with his foot.
gpt
Who ever says exactly what they mean anyhow? I see that conclusion the head-shrinker's afraid you'll get to, Skipper. If we can't leave the ship, the only other thing we can do is to leave the planet. That it?
human
That isn't what we came here for, Johnny.
gpt
Okay. Chew it up all you like, fellers. The only other choice is to sit here like bugs in a bottle until we die of old age. When you get tired of thinking that over, just let me know. I'll fly you out.
human
We can always depend on Johnny,
gpt
Not on me, said Johnny, and swatted the bulkhead.
human
On the ship. Nothing on any planet can stop this baby once I pour on the coal. She's just got too much muscles.
gpt
Well, Captain?
human
Take her up, said the Captain.
gpt
Put her in orbit at two hundred kilos. I'm not giving up this easily.
human
That's a take-off _and_ a landing, if I know the Old Man. Go to it, Jets.
gpt
Gentlemen, be seated.
human
I'll take mine lying down,
gpt
On automatics, said the Captain,
human
Fire away!
gpt
Fire away!