human
Hoskins!
gpt
Captain Anderson! Cut it! Very softly, he said,
human
Leave him alone. He's doing what he has to do.
gpt
Is he, now? Damn it, he's still under orders!
human
Got something for him to do?
gpt
I guess not. But I'd like to know he'd take an order when I have one.
human
Leave him alone until you have an order. Hoskins is a very steady head, skipper. But just now he's on the outside edge. Don't push.
gpt
Okay, he said.
human
This thing is developing into a duel between you and those ... those colleagues of yours out there. I guess the least we ... I ... can do is not to fight you while you're fighting them.
gpt
You're choosing up sides the wrong way. They're fighting us, all right. We're only fighting ourselves. I don't mean each other; I mean each of us is fighting himself. We've got to stop doing that, skipper.
human
Who has, at the best of times?
gpt
Drug addicts ... Catatonics ... illusionaries ... and saints. I guess it's up to us to add to the category.
human
How about dead people?
gpt
Ives! How long have you been awake?
human
Who hit me with what?
gpt
You apparently decided the bulkhead was a paper hoop and tried to dive through it,
human
Oooh.... Ives held his head for a moment and then peered between his fingers at the darkness.
gpt
I remember, he said in a strained whisper. He looked around him, saw the engineer huddled against his chessboard.
human
What's he doing?
gpt
Hey, Hoskins!
human
He's not talking just now. He's ... all right, Ives. Leave him alone. At the moment, I'm more interested in you. How do you feel?
gpt
Me, I feel great. Hungry, though. What's for chow?
human
Nick doesn't want us to eat just now.
gpt
Thanks,
human
He's the doctor, said Ives good-naturedly.
gpt
But don't put it off too long, huh? This furnace needs stoking.
human
Well, this is encouraging,
gpt
It certainly is, said the Captain.
human
Maybe the breaking point is just the point of impact. After that the rebound, hm?
gpt
Breaking means breaking. Sometimes things just don't break.
human
Got to pass,
gpt
Ha! Anderson's voice was exultant.
human
Here comes another one!
gpt
How sure are you of that? asked the doctor. To Johnny, he called,
human
Hiya, John?
gpt
I got to pass, said Johnny worriedly. He swung his feet to the deck.
human
You see, he said earnestly,
gpt
When one variable varies directly as another, two pairs of their corresponding values are in proportion. He looked up.
human
That's supposed to be the keystone of all vector analysis, the man says, and you don't get to be a pilot without vector analysis. And it makes no sense to me. What am I going to do?
gpt
Get some shuteye, said Paresi immediately.
human
You've been studying too hard. It'll make more sense to you in the morning.
gpt
Now that was a real educational remark, Martin, old chap, he said. He lay down and stretched luxuriously.
human
Who the hell is Martin? Ives demanded.
gpt
Martin who?
human
Shh. Probably his roommate in pre-pilot school.
gpt
You mean he's back in school?
human
Doesn't it figure? said Paresi sadly.
gpt
I told you that this situation is intolerable to him. If he can't escape in space, he'll escape in time. He hasn't the imagination to go forward, so he goes backward.
human
What in God's name was that?
gpt
I didn't see anything,
human
What was it?
gpt
A mouse.
human
Nonsense.
gpt
I can't stand things that scuttle and slither and crawl, said Ives. His voice was suddenly womanish.
human
Don't let anything like that in here!
gpt
Snap out of it, Ives, said Paresi coldly.
human
There isn't so much as a microbe on this ship that I haven't inventoried. Don't sit there like little Miss Muffet.
gpt
I know what I saw, said Ives. He rose suddenly, turned to the black wall, and bellowed,
human
Damn you, send something I can fight!