Imperial Earth

“What is it?” he asked. “A piece of sculpture?”

“Pick it up-but be careful not to drop it.”

Despite this warning, that was very nearly what he did. The egg was not particularly heavy, but it seemed alive-even squirming in his hand, though it showed no sign of any visible movement. However, when he looked at it more carefully, he could see faint opalescent bands flowing over the surface and momentarily blurring the mirror finish. They looked very much like waves of heat, yet there was no sensation of warmth.

“Cup it in both hands,” Calindy instructed him, “and close your eyes.”

Duncan obeyed, despite an almost irresistible impulse to see what was really happening to the extraordinary object he held. He felt completely disoriented, because it seemed that the sense of touch-the most reliable of all man’s messengers from the external universe-was betraying him.

For the very texture of the egg was constantly changing. It no longer felt like metal; unbelievably, it was furry. He might have been fondling some small woolly animal-a kitten, perhaps…. But only for

seconds. The egg shivered, became 262 hard and rough-it was made of sandpaper, coarse enough to grate the skin … the sandpaper became satin, so smooth and silky that he wanted to caress it. There was barely time to obey the impulse when … the egg was liquefying and becoming gelatinous. It seemed about to ooze through his fingers, and Duncan had to force himself not to drop it in disgust. Only the knowledge that this could not really be happening gave him strength to control the reflex … . it was made of wood; there was no doubt of that, for he could even feel the grain … . before it dissolved into myriads of separate bristles, each so sharp and distinct that he could feel them prickling his skin…. And there were sensations that he could not even name, some delightful, most neutral, but some so unpleasant that he could scarcely control his revulsion. At last, when within his cupped palms Duncan felt the unique, the incomparable touch of human skin, curiosity and amazement got the better of him. He opened his hands; the silver egg was completely unchanged, though now it felt as if it were carved from soap.

“What in heaven’s name is it?” he cried.

“It’s a tacto id You haven’t heard of them?”

“No.”

“Fascinating, isn’t it? It does to the sense of touch what a kaleidoscope does to vision. No, don’t ask me how it works-something to do with controlled electrical stimulation.”

“What’s it used for?”

Must everything have -a -purpose? It’s just a toy’a novelty. But I had a very good reason for showing it to YOU.”

“Oh, I know. “The latest from Earth.”

Calindy gave a wistful smile; she recognized that old ~arch phrase. It brought back vividly to both of them those days together on Titan, a lifetime ago.

“Duncan,” she said, so quietly that he could barely hear the words, “do you think it was all my fault?” They were now sittin igy two meters

apart on the divan, and he had to twist his body to face her. The woman he saw now was no longer the selfassured executive and impresario he had met on the Titanic, but an unhappy and uncertain girl. He wondered how long the mood of contrition would last, but for the moment it was genuine enough.

“How can I answer that?” he replied. “I’m still completely in the dark. I don’t know what Karl was doing on Earth, or why he came here.”

This was only partially true; Karl’s Minisec had begun to reveal its secrets. But Duncan was not yet prepared to discuss those with anybody, least of an with Calindy.

She looked at him with an air of faint surprise and answered: “Do you mean to say that he never told you-in fifteen years?”

“Told me what?” said Duncan.

“What happened on that last night aboard Mentor.”

“No,” replied Duncan, with painful slowness. “He never talked about it.”

After all these years, that betrayal was still a bitter memory. He knew now, of course, that it was absurd for two young adults like Karl and

Calindy, obsessed by their own grief, to have given any thought to the feelings of the boy who adored them both. He could not blame them now; but in his heart he had never forgiven them.

“So you didn’t know that we used a joy machine.”

“Oh, no!”

“I’m afraid so. It wasn’t my idea. Karl insisted, and I didn’t know any better. But at least I had sense enough not to use it myself. Well, only at very low power … “They were illegal even in those days. How did one get aboard Mentor?”

“There were a lot of things on Mentor that no one ever knew about.”

“I’m sure of that. What happened?”

Calindy got to her feet again and began to pace nervously to and fro. She avoided Duncan’s eyes as she continued.

“I don’t like to think about it. Even now, it frightens me, and I can understand why people get hopelessly addicted. I’m sure your fingers

have never 264 touched anything as-well, I suppose -palpable is the only word-as that tacto id The joy machine is just the same; it makes real life seem pale and thin-and Karl, remember, used it at full power. I told him not to, but he laughed. He was confident that he could handle it …… Yes, thought Duncan, that would be just like Karl. Though he had never seen an emotion amplifier, one was kept under proper supervision at the Oasis

Central Hospital. It was a very valuable psychiatric tool, but when the simple, portable versions quickly christened “joy machines” had become available around the mid century they had spread like a plague over the inhabited worlds. No one would ever know how many immature young minds had been ruined by them. “Brain burning” had been a disease of the sixties, until the epidemic had run its course, leaving behind it hundreds of emotional husks. Karl had been lucky to escape…. But, of course, he had not escaped. So this was the truth about his “breakdown,” and the explanation of his changed personality. Duncan began to feel a cold anger toward Calindy. He did not believe her protestation of i

“I think I see the picture,” continued Duncan, so harshly that Calindy looked at him with sudden surprise. “But tell me the rest-what happened then?”

“Karl used to send me long, crazy speeches sealed special delivery. He said he would never be able to love anyone else. I told him not to be foolish, but to forget me as quickly as he could, since we’d never be able to meet again. What else could I have said? I didn’t realize how

absolutely useless that ad265 vice was-like telling a man to stop breathing. I was ashamed to ask, and only discovered years later what a joy machine does to the brain.

“You see, Duncan, he was telling the literal truth when he said he could never love anyone else. When they reinforce the pleasure circuits, joy machines create a permanent, almost unbreakable pattern of desires. The psychologists call it electro-imprinting. I believe that there are techniques to modify it now, but there weren’t fifteen years ago, even on

Earth. And certainly not on Titan.

“After a while, I stopped answering; there was nothing I could say. But I still heard from Karl several times a year. He swore that sooner or later, he would get to Earth and see me again. I didn’t take him seriOusly.tg

Perhaps not, thought Duncan; but I am sure you weren’t wholly displeased.