The Mote In God's Eye

"You're really sure the escaped miniatures are alive? The voice was hearty, tinged with New Scot accent. Rod looked across to Dr. Blevins, a colonial veterinarian drafted into the expedition. "My own miniature is dying Captain. Nothing I can do about it. Internal poisoning, glandular deterioration-the symptoms seem to be similar to old age."

Blaine shook his head slowly. "I wish I could think so Doc, but there are too many Brownie stories in this ship. Before this meeting I talked to some of the other chiefs and it's the same on the lower decks. Nobody wanted report it because first, we'd think they were crazy, and second, the Brownies were too useful to risk losing. No for all of Gu

There was a long silence. "What harm are they doing anyway?" Horvath asked. "I'd think some Brownies would be an asset, Captain."

"Hah." That didn't need comment in Rod's opinion. "Harm or good, immediately after this meeting we will sterilize this ship. Sinclair, have you arranged to evacuate hangar deck?"

"Aye, Captain."

"Then do it. Open it to space, and see all the compartments in there are opened to space. I want that hangar deck dead. Commander Cargill, see that the essential watch crew are in battle armor. Alone in their battle armor, Number One. The rest of you give some thought to whatever equipment you have that can't stand hard vacuum. When hangar deck's done, Kelley's Marines will help you get that into hangar deck; then we depressurize the rest of the ship. We're going to put an end to Brownies once and for all."

"But"-"Hey, that's silly"-"My cultures will die"- "Goddamn regular Navy bastards are always"-"Can he do that?"-"Aye aye, Captain"-"What the hell does he think he's-"

"Te

"Captain, do you really have to be so vicious about it?" Sally asked.

He shrugged. "I think they're cute too. So what? If I don't order it done, the Admiral will anyway. Now, are we all agreed that the miniatures aren't spies?"

"Not deliberate ones," Re

"No."

"The big Motie took Miss Fowler's pocket computer apart. And put it back together again. It works."

"Uh." Rod made a sour face. "But that was the big brown Motie."

"Which can talk to the little Moties. It made the miniatures give Mr. Bury his watch back," Re

"I've got the crew alerted, Captain," Cargill reported. He was standing by the wardroom intercom. "I didn't tell anyone anything. The crew thinks it's a drill."

"Good thinking, Jack. Seriously, everyone, what's the objection to killing off these vermin? The big Motie did the same thing, and if, as you say, they're only animals, there must be plenty more of them. We won't be upsetting the big Moties one whit. Will we?"

"Well, no-oo," said Sally. "But-"

Rod shook his head decisively. "There are plenty of reasons for killing them, and I haven't heard any for keeping them around. We can take that as settled, then."

Horvath shook his head. "But it's all so drastic, Captain. Just what do we think we're protecting?"

"The Alderson Drive, directly. Indirectly, the whole Empire, but mainly the Drive," Cargill said seriously "And don't ask me why I think the Empire needs protecting from Moties. I don't know, but-I think it does."

"You won't save the Drive. They've already got that,' Re

"What?!" Rod demanded. "How?"

"Who's the bloody traitor?" Sinclair demanded. "Name the scum!"

"Whoa! Hold it! Stop already!" Re

"It's nice to be the center of attention-" Re

"You might have come from anywhere," said Re

Re

"Yes. You appeared precisely in the..." Re

"Say on." Re

"We will call him Crazy Eddie, if you like. He is a... he is like me, sometimes, and he is a Brown, an idiot savant tinker, sometimes. Always he does the wrong things for excellent reasons. He does the same things over and over, and they always bring disaster, and he never learns."

There were small sounds of whispering in MacArthur's wardroom. Re

Re

There was considerable laughter in the wardroom. Re

"There is the Crazy Eddie Drive. It makes ships vanish."

"Great."

"Theoretically, it should be an instantaneous drive, a key to throw the universe wide open. In practice it makes ships vanish forever. The drive has been discovered and built and tested many times, and always it makes ships vanish forever with everyone aboard, but only if you use it right, mind. The ship must be in just the right place, a place difficult to locate exactly, with the machinery doing just what the theoreticians postulate it must, or nothing will happen at all."

Both Re

"You got it."

"And what does that make us?"

The alien parted its lips in a smile disturbingly shark like, disturbingly human... Re

There was a long silence, then Sinclair spoke. "Well, that's plain enough, is it not? They ken the Alderson Drive but not the Langston Field."

"Why do you say that, Commander Sinclair?" Horvath asked. Everyone tried to explain it to him at once, but the Chief Engineer's burr easily carried through the babble.

"Yon beasties' ships vanish, but only at the correct place, aye? So they ken the Drive. But they never see the ships back home, because they coom into normal space in yon red star. ‘Tis plain as a pikestaff."

"Oh." Horvath nodded sadly. "With nothing to protect them. After all, it is the inside of a star, isn't it?"

Sally shuddered. "And your Motie said they'd tried it often." She shuddered again. Then: "But, Mr. Re