John Maddox Roberts - Space Angel by John Maddox Roberts Page B
Authors: John Maddox Roberts
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Is that a valid possibility, Nancy?"
"Not as far as I know. If Sergei is right about the age, then it predates any alien artifact ever found by a tremendous span." Kelly noted that the usually taciturn Communications officer was talking more today than she had since he had joined the ship. He decided that the sphere must be making her nervous.
"But, how could something like this end up imbedded in a mass of diamond?" the skipper asked. "According to Sergei, even the diamond shouldn't have been there. What do you think, Ham?"
"Well, Gertie, we've seen some strange things in our years in space, but this is one of the best. An enigma literally inside, an enigma. I feel we'll get nothing more out of it until we reach Earth. We have no research facilities other than what we've already tried. We'll just have to leave it to the scientists at the XT Phenomena lab."
That evening, there was a great deal of casual visiting and discussing throughout the ship. Everyone was edgy about the strange thing they had found. Kelly was in Bert's cabin, allegedly receiving instruction in space law, but doing nothing of the sort. He liked to visit the old spacer's cabin because it was a museum devoted to Bert's long life in space. He had models of every ship he had served on and souvenirs of every planet he had landed on. Bert felt that his collection was far more interesting than keeping a diary.
Kelly was relaxing on the deck, lying back with teddy sitting on his stomach. Teddy's stubby-fingered hands were dismantling a ship model, carefully lining the pieces up on Kelly's chest. Bert never scolded teddy lor taking such liberties. Neither did anybody else' Kelly had learned that the Narcissan Teddybear was the only creature in known space to have developed lovability as a survival mechanism.
I don't know about you, Kelly, but I feel we erred in bringing that sphere aboard. It's in violation
natural law, and I long ago made a vow never to space with violations of natural law. It gives me a feeling of uneasiness, as when someone aboard ship mentions a certain four-legged animal that oinks and makes bacon. I'm not superstitious, you understand, but it simply isn't done."
Bert, do you really think that thing's an alien artifact?"
"Why fabricate a thing and bury it in diamond? It smacks of vulgar ostentation. True, it would last lunger that way than by doing almost anything else, but what kind of people would have ambitions to perpetuate a work for untold billions of years?"
"Actually," Torwald's voice came from the hatchway, "that's what I came to ask you." Torwald entered, followed by Achmed, and Torwald picked up Teddy, whereupon the pseudobear began unbuttoning his tunic collar. "Why aren't you studying, kid?"
"We were talking about that thing we found." Kelly was on the defensive. "It seemed more important."
"It is, but that's not why you weren't studying. You were just goofing off, as usual. Let's hear your thoughts, Bert—about the ball,,I mean."
"Well, as I see it, Torwald, it could be one of three things', an artifact, a natural object, or an entity."
Achmed started suddenly. "Explain that last one, please. You mean, it could be a sentient being?"
"Possibly. As such, it could still be a natural object or an artifact. Remember, intelligent guidance makes a mockery of even our limited knowledge of natural order."
Achmed nodded. "True, Bert, but the fact remains that that thing went into the diamond stratum eons ago."
"So? Stars have been forming and spawning planets for untold millennia. Those planets have been producing intelligent life for a like period. Is it to be wondered at that one of them produced an indestructible object? Or that a life form that is immortal, or nearly so, has evolved? You know that we've all hoped to stumble onto that secret. Sometimes I think that the main reason our species broke into space was to find the secret of immortality."
"I thought we were just going where the money was, Bert."
"You are a
"Not as far as I know. If Sergei is right about the age, then it predates any alien artifact ever found by a tremendous span." Kelly noted that the usually taciturn Communications officer was talking more today than she had since he had joined the ship. He decided that the sphere must be making her nervous.
"But, how could something like this end up imbedded in a mass of diamond?" the skipper asked. "According to Sergei, even the diamond shouldn't have been there. What do you think, Ham?"
"Well, Gertie, we've seen some strange things in our years in space, but this is one of the best. An enigma literally inside, an enigma. I feel we'll get nothing more out of it until we reach Earth. We have no research facilities other than what we've already tried. We'll just have to leave it to the scientists at the XT Phenomena lab."
That evening, there was a great deal of casual visiting and discussing throughout the ship. Everyone was edgy about the strange thing they had found. Kelly was in Bert's cabin, allegedly receiving instruction in space law, but doing nothing of the sort. He liked to visit the old spacer's cabin because it was a museum devoted to Bert's long life in space. He had models of every ship he had served on and souvenirs of every planet he had landed on. Bert felt that his collection was far more interesting than keeping a diary.
Kelly was relaxing on the deck, lying back with teddy sitting on his stomach. Teddy's stubby-fingered hands were dismantling a ship model, carefully lining the pieces up on Kelly's chest. Bert never scolded teddy lor taking such liberties. Neither did anybody else' Kelly had learned that the Narcissan Teddybear was the only creature in known space to have developed lovability as a survival mechanism.
I don't know about you, Kelly, but I feel we erred in bringing that sphere aboard. It's in violation
natural law, and I long ago made a vow never to space with violations of natural law. It gives me a feeling of uneasiness, as when someone aboard ship mentions a certain four-legged animal that oinks and makes bacon. I'm not superstitious, you understand, but it simply isn't done."
Bert, do you really think that thing's an alien artifact?"
"Why fabricate a thing and bury it in diamond? It smacks of vulgar ostentation. True, it would last lunger that way than by doing almost anything else, but what kind of people would have ambitions to perpetuate a work for untold billions of years?"
"Actually," Torwald's voice came from the hatchway, "that's what I came to ask you." Torwald entered, followed by Achmed, and Torwald picked up Teddy, whereupon the pseudobear began unbuttoning his tunic collar. "Why aren't you studying, kid?"
"We were talking about that thing we found." Kelly was on the defensive. "It seemed more important."
"It is, but that's not why you weren't studying. You were just goofing off, as usual. Let's hear your thoughts, Bert—about the ball,,I mean."
"Well, as I see it, Torwald, it could be one of three things', an artifact, a natural object, or an entity."
Achmed started suddenly. "Explain that last one, please. You mean, it could be a sentient being?"
"Possibly. As such, it could still be a natural object or an artifact. Remember, intelligent guidance makes a mockery of even our limited knowledge of natural order."
Achmed nodded. "True, Bert, but the fact remains that that thing went into the diamond stratum eons ago."
"So? Stars have been forming and spawning planets for untold millennia. Those planets have been producing intelligent life for a like period. Is it to be wondered at that one of them produced an indestructible object? Or that a life form that is immortal, or nearly so, has evolved? You know that we've all hoped to stumble onto that secret. Sometimes I think that the main reason our species broke into space was to find the secret of immortality."
"I thought we were just going where the money was, Bert."
"You are a
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