equivalent to ours, or to the probs’ level of power control. Type II means they can harness the entire radiation output of their star. Type III would match the luminous energy of an entire galaxy. The designations have been theoretical — until recently. Presumably this message is intended for all macroscope-developing cultures within its range.”
“But — that’s deliberate contact between intelligent species! A magnificent breakthrough! Isn’t it?”
“Yes it is,” Brad agreed morosely. On the screen, the hulking mound of indolent probs continued its futile activity. “Right when we stand most in need of advice from a higher civilization. You can see why all the other functions of the macroscope have become incidental. Why should we make a tedious search of space, when we have been presented with a programmed text from a culture centuries ahead of us?”
Ivo kept his eyes on the screen. “The probs had the macroscope, and this program should have been around for at least five thousand years then. Why didn’t they use it? Or were they in the opposite direction, so it hadn’t reached them yet?”
“They received the program. So did the humanoids, we believe. That was part of the trouble.”
“You told me that they stopped using their macroscope, though. That strikes me as learning to read, then burning all your books. They should have used the alien instruction and benefited from it, as we should. The alternative — or are you saying that we’ll wash out if we have to take advice from an elder civilization?”
“No, we’re agreed here at the station that the benefits of a free education are worth the risks. Mankind isn’t likely to get flabby that way. For one thing, we’d be pursuing all other avenues of knowledge at the same time, on our own.”
“What’s stopping you then?”
“The Greek element.”
“The — ?”
“Bearing gifts; beware of.”
“You said the knowledge would not hurt us by itself — and what kind of payment could they demand, after fifteen thousand years?”
“The ultimate. They can destroy us.”
“Brad, I may be a hick, but—”
“Specifically, our best brains. We have already suffered casualties. That’s the crisis.”
Ivo finally turned away from the prob scene. “Same thing happen to them?”
“Yes. They never solved the problem.”
“What is it — a death-beam that still has punch after ten or fifteen thousand years? Talk about comic books—”
“Yes and no. Our safeguards prevent the relay of any physically dangerous transmission — the computer is interposed, remember — but they can’t protect our minds from dangerous information.”
“I should hope not! The day we have thought control—”
“Forget the straw men, Ivo. We
do
have drug-induced thought control, and have for years. But this — five of the true geniuses of Earth are imbeciles, because of the macroscope. Something came through — some type of information — that destroyed their minds.”
“You’re sure it wasn’t something internal? Overwork, nervous breakdown…?”
“We are sure. The EEG’s — I’d better explain that—”
“You simplified things for me with that pepped-up rocket you call Joseph. You simplified them again describing the macroscope. It’s like income-tax forms: I don’t think I can take another explanation.”
“All right, Ivo. I’ll leave the EEG’s out of it. Just take my word that though we haven’t performed any surgery, we know that this alien signal caused a mental degeneration involving physical damage to the brain. All this through concept alone. We know the hard way: there are certain thoughts an intelligent mind must not think.”
“But you don’t know the actual mechanism? Just that the beamed program — I mean, the radiated program — delivers stupefaction?”
“Roughly, yes. It is a progressive thing. You have to follow it step by step, like a lesson in calculus. Counting on fingers, arithmetic, general math,
“But — that’s deliberate contact between intelligent species! A magnificent breakthrough! Isn’t it?”
“Yes it is,” Brad agreed morosely. On the screen, the hulking mound of indolent probs continued its futile activity. “Right when we stand most in need of advice from a higher civilization. You can see why all the other functions of the macroscope have become incidental. Why should we make a tedious search of space, when we have been presented with a programmed text from a culture centuries ahead of us?”
Ivo kept his eyes on the screen. “The probs had the macroscope, and this program should have been around for at least five thousand years then. Why didn’t they use it? Or were they in the opposite direction, so it hadn’t reached them yet?”
“They received the program. So did the humanoids, we believe. That was part of the trouble.”
“You told me that they stopped using their macroscope, though. That strikes me as learning to read, then burning all your books. They should have used the alien instruction and benefited from it, as we should. The alternative — or are you saying that we’ll wash out if we have to take advice from an elder civilization?”
“No, we’re agreed here at the station that the benefits of a free education are worth the risks. Mankind isn’t likely to get flabby that way. For one thing, we’d be pursuing all other avenues of knowledge at the same time, on our own.”
“What’s stopping you then?”
“The Greek element.”
“The — ?”
“Bearing gifts; beware of.”
“You said the knowledge would not hurt us by itself — and what kind of payment could they demand, after fifteen thousand years?”
“The ultimate. They can destroy us.”
“Brad, I may be a hick, but—”
“Specifically, our best brains. We have already suffered casualties. That’s the crisis.”
Ivo finally turned away from the prob scene. “Same thing happen to them?”
“Yes. They never solved the problem.”
“What is it — a death-beam that still has punch after ten or fifteen thousand years? Talk about comic books—”
“Yes and no. Our safeguards prevent the relay of any physically dangerous transmission — the computer is interposed, remember — but they can’t protect our minds from dangerous information.”
“I should hope not! The day we have thought control—”
“Forget the straw men, Ivo. We
do
have drug-induced thought control, and have for years. But this — five of the true geniuses of Earth are imbeciles, because of the macroscope. Something came through — some type of information — that destroyed their minds.”
“You’re sure it wasn’t something internal? Overwork, nervous breakdown…?”
“We are sure. The EEG’s — I’d better explain that—”
“You simplified things for me with that pepped-up rocket you call Joseph. You simplified them again describing the macroscope. It’s like income-tax forms: I don’t think I can take another explanation.”
“All right, Ivo. I’ll leave the EEG’s out of it. Just take my word that though we haven’t performed any surgery, we know that this alien signal caused a mental degeneration involving physical damage to the brain. All this through concept alone. We know the hard way: there are certain thoughts an intelligent mind must not think.”
“But you don’t know the actual mechanism? Just that the beamed program — I mean, the radiated program — delivers stupefaction?”
“Roughly, yes. It is a progressive thing. You have to follow it step by step, like a lesson in calculus. Counting on fingers, arithmetic, general math,
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