Rebels of the Red Planet Page 3

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  Maya's education was extensive, but it did not include the geneticsciences. She was able to follow Goat's explanations and his referencesto the charts he hung, one after another, on the wall of his study, butshe was able to follow them only in a general sense. The technicaldetails escaped her.

  Nuwell seemed to have a better grasp of the subject. He nodded his dark,curly head frequently, and occasionally asked a question or two.

  "Surgery is performed with a concentrated electron stream on the cellsof the early embryo," said Goat. "I call it surgery, but actually it isan alteration of the structure of certain specific genes which governthe characteristics I am attempting to change. Such changes would, ofcourse, then be transmitted on down to any progeny.

  "The earlier the embryo is caught, the easier and surer the surgery,because when it has divided into too many cells the very task of dealingwith each one separately makes the time requirement prohibitive, besidesmultiplying the chance for error. The Martians have a method of alteringthe physical structure and genetic composition of a full-grown adult,but this is far beyond the stage I've reached."

  "The Martians?" repeated Nuwell in astonishment. "You mean the Martiannatives? They're nothing but degenerated animals!"

  "You're wrong," replied Goat. "I know that's the general opinion, but Ihad considerable contact with them a good many years ago. Perhaps mostof them are little more than strange animals. No one really knows. Theylive simple, animal-like lives, holed up in desert caves, and they'rerarely communicative in any way. But I know from my own experience thatsome of them, at least, are still familiar with that ancient sciencethat they must have possessed when Earth was in an earlier stage of lifethan the human."

  "This ... child ... that brought us the wine is one of the products ofyour experiments?" asked Nuwell.

  "Yes. Petway's pretty representative of the children, I'm afraid. I'vebeen trying to determine what went wrong. It could be an inaccuracy indealing with the genetic structure itself, or a failure to followexactly the same pattern of change in moving from one cell to another inthe embryo. If I could only catch one at the single cell stage!

  "None of the children has turned out as well as my first twoexperiments, Brute and Adam. Both of them were born about twenty-fiveyears ago--terrestrial years, that is--and developed into normal, evensuperior physical specimens. Unfortunately, their mental development wasretarded. Adam was the brighter of the two, and Brute killed himtonight, shortly before your arrival."

  Maya shivered.

  "Somehow, it seems horrible to me, experimenting with human lives thisway," she said.

  "It's being done for a good cause, Maya," said Nuwell. "Dr. Hennessey'sobjective is to help man live better on Mars. After all, there isnothing nobler than the individual's sacrifice of himself for hisfellows, whether it's voluntary or involuntary."

  "But what about the mothers of these children?" asked Maya.

  "The big problem is to reach them as soon as possible after conception,"said Goat, misinterpreting her question. "We do this by magneticdetectors, which report instantly the conjunction of the positive andnegative. The surgery is performed, as quickly as possible, utilizingthe suspended animation technique which is being developed towardinterstellar travel."

  "I wasn't asking about the technical aspects," said Maya. "What I wantto know is, what sort of mothers will permit you to experiment this wayon their unborn children, especially seeing the results you've alreadyobtained?"

  Goat started to answer, but Nuwell forestalled him.

  "There are some things that are none of your business, darling," hesaid. "The terrestrial government sent you here on a specificassignment, and I don't think you should inquire into matters which areclassified as secret by the local government, which don't have anythingto do with that assignment. Now, Dr. Hennessey, just what sort ofsurvival qualities have you been able to develop in these experiments?"

  "There's no witchcraft involved," retorted Goat, with a sardonicgrimace.

  "I haven't accused you," said Nuwell quickly.

  "No, but I keep up with events, even out here, well enough to know thatyou're the Mars City government's chief nemesis where there's anysuspicion of extrasensory perception. I doubt that you chose to makethis trip yourself without reason, Mr. Eli."

  "It's merely a routine inspection," murmured Nuwell.

  Goat indicated one of his charts, showing a diagram of genes andchromosomes in different colors.

  "This is my original chart," he said. "I copied it from one belonging tothe Martians many years ago, and my genetic alteration of Brute and Adamwere based on it. But I must have miscopied it, or else the Martiansdidn't have the objective I thought they did in it, because I could findno alteration of genes affecting lung capacity or oxygen utilization. Myown subsequent charts, on which later experiments were based, arealterations of this."

  "But just what is your objective, and how well have you succeeded?"persisted Nuwell.

  "Ability to survive under Martian conditions."

  "I know. This is stated in all previous inspection reports. I wantsomething more specific."

  "Why, ability to survive in an almost oxygen-free atmosphere, of course.As well as can be determined, the Martians do this by deriving oxygenfrom surface solids and storing it in their humps under compression,very much like an oxygen tank.

  "I've succeeded to some degree with my children. All of them can go anhour or two without breathing. What I don't understand is that nocapacities like that were included in the genetic changes on Adam andBrute, and yet they've gradually developed an ability to do much better.Both of them were out on the desert the entire day today withoutoxygen."

  Nuwell was silent for a moment, tapping the tips of his fingerstogether, apparently in deep thought. Then he said:

  "Maya, I think we've reached the point where you had better retire toyour room and let us to talk privately. You can question Dr. Hennesseyin the morning about any attempts the rebels may have made to contacthim."

  Maya obeyed silently, rather glad to get away and think things overalone. When she had come to Mars as an agent of the Earth government, ithad not occurred to her that there would be areas of information fromwhich the local government would bar her. She recognized that such aprohibition was perfectly valid, but she was a little offended,nevertheless.

  Her room was a spacious one on the ground level, and boasted one ofUltra Vires' few large windows. Maya unpacked her bag, and gratefullystripped off her boots and socks, her tunic and baggy trousers. Inunderpants, she went into the small bathroom, washed cosmetics from herface and brushed down her thick, short hair.

  Donning her light sleeping garment, she sat down on the edge of her bed.She was very tired from the long drive and, almost without thinking, shedid not get up to turn out the light. She thought at it.

  The switch clicked and the light went out.

  She felt foolish and a little frightened. She had never told Nuwell ofthis sort of thing. Can a woman ask her witch-hunting lover: "Do youthink I'm a witch?"

  With almost total recall, as though she heard it spoken, she rememberedthe summation speech Nuwell had made the first time she had seen him inaction. He was prosecuting a man charged with conducting experimentssimilar to the historic and outlawed Rhine experiments of Earth.

  "_Gentlemen, we sit here in a public building and conduct certainnecessary human affairs in a dignified and orderly manner. We follow away of life we brought with us from distant Earth. Apparently, we are assafe here as we would be on Earth._

  _"I say 'apparently.' Sometimes we forget the thin barriers here thatprotect us against disaster, against extermination. A rent in thiscity's dome, a failure in our oxygen machinery, a clogging of ourpumping system by the ever-present sand, and most of us would die beforehelp could reach us from our nearest neighbors._

  _"We live here under certain restrictions that many of us do not like.Certainly, no one likes to be unable to step out under the open skywithout wearing a bu
lky marsuit and an oxygen tank. Certainly, no onelikes to be rationed on water and meat throughout the foreseeablefuture._

  _"But what we have to remember is that absolute discipline has alwaysbeen a requirement for those courageous souls in the vanguard of humanprogress._

  _"Witchcraft--the practice of extrasensory perception, if you prefer theterm--is forbidden on Mars because to practice it one must differ fromhis fellow men when the inexorable dangers of our frontier demand thatwe work together. To practice it, one must devote time and mental effortto untried things when our thin margin of safety makes concentrated andcombined effort necessary for survival. That is why witchcraft isforbidden on Mars._

  _"Let those who yet cling to the wistful liberalism of Earth label usconformists if they will. I say to you that until Mars is won forhumanity, we cannot afford the luxury of nonconformity._

  _"Gentlemen, I give you the prosecution's case."_

  Maya stared out the window. This whole side of Ultra Vires was dark,except for a rectangle of light cast from a window a little distanceaway--the window of Goat Hennessey's study. In this rectangle, the redsand of the desert lay clear and stark.

  Near the end of the rectangle lay an indistinct, crumpled, oblongfigure. Puzzled, Maya studied it. It looked like a body to her.

  * * * * *

  In the study, Nuwell gazed at the skinny doctor with angry brown eyes.

  "The bulletins sent to you, as well as other researchers, gave specificinstructions that research was to be directed toward human utilizationof certain foods now being developed," accused Nuwell.

  "I thought this was more important," replied Goat.

  "You thought! You're not on Earth, where scientists can get governmentgrants and go jaunting off on wild research projects of their own."

  "I still think this is more important," said Goat stubbornly. "I knowthat all of us are expected to co-operate and stick to tried andaccepted lines so we won't be wasting time and material. Perhaps I waswrong in not doing that initially. But now I've proved that this lineof research can be followed profitably, so its continuance now can't belooked on as a waste of time."

  "Scientists should leave political direction to more experienced men,"said Nuwell in an exasperated tone. "This is not merely a matter of timewaste, or nonconformity. The Mars Corporation operates our sole supplyline to Earth, Dr. Hennessey, and that supply line brings to man on Marsall the many things he needs to live here. The Earth-Mars run is anexpensive operation, and it's important that it remain economicallyfeasible for Marscorp to operate it.

  "No matter how altruistic you may be about it, you get man to the pointthat he doesn't depend on atmospheric oxygen here, and domes,pressurized houses and groundcars, oxygen equipment--a great many thingsare going to be unnecessary. But there'll still be a lot of other thingswe'll have to have from Earth. Don't you realize what a disaster itwould be if Marscorp decided to drop the only spaceship line to Earthbecause its cargo fell off to the point that it was economicallyunsound?"

  Goat looked at him with shrewd blue eyes.

  "I think I can jump to a conclusion," he remarked mildly. "Marscorp hassome sort of control over the 'foods' you're trying to make practicalfor human consumption in the approved experiments, doesn't it?"

  "Well, yes. Marscorp wants to make man gradually self-sufficient onMars, and I think it's legitimate that Marscorp derive some economicbenefits from its efforts in that direction."

  "I've wondered for some time just how close Marscorp and the governmentwere tied together," said Goat dryly. "Obviously, if I don't do as yousay, my supplies here will be cut off. So I have no choice but todiscontinue this work and turn my attention to the approved line."

  "That isn't quite adequate now," said Nuwell. "You're going to have toleave here and come to Mars City where you can do your research undersupervision. Your experimental humans here will be destroyed, ofcourse."

  "Destroyed?" There was an agonized note to Goat's voice. "All of them?How about the two mothers I have who haven't given birth yet?"

  "You'd destroy them anyhow, as you have the others, not long after thebirths. And that brings up another thing. When you get to Mars City,watch your tongue. You almost revealed to Miss Cara Nome that thegovernment has been kidnapping an expectant mother now and then for yourexperiments."

  "Years of work, gone to waste," mourned Goat somberly. "When must I dothis?"

  "As soon as possible. You'll be expected in Mars City within two weeks.Now, I'd like to see these experimental humans."

  A few moments later, they made their way together through a largedormitory in which all of Goat's charges were sleeping. Nuwell shudderedat the sight of the small, deformed bodies.

  "I don't worry that you could ever take any of these to Mars Cityundetected. But," he said, pointing to Brute, "that one looks too nearnormal. I want to see him destroyed before I leave."

  "Brute? But he's the most successful one I have left!"

  "Exactly. That's why I want to see him destroyed, tonight."

  Goat awoke Brute, and the monster man sleepily followed them back to thestudy.

  Goat picked up the huge knife, still stained with Adam's blood, andlooked Brute squarely in the face. Brute returned the gaze, nocomprehension in his dull blue eyes.

  "You think I can't kill you, Brute?" said Goat coldly. "I'll show you!"

  With a surgeon's precision, Goat plunged the sharp point between Brute'sribs and into the heart.

  _Shock swept over Brute's mind._

  _Father kills me!_

  _Reject! Reject!_

  _Father, all kindness, all hope, all wisdom and love, wants me no more.Father rejects me! Father kills me!_

  _Despair!_

  _Reject! Reject!_

  _Blackness swept fading through Brute's despairing brain._

  One agonized note of pleading in the pale-blue eyes, and they closed inacceptance. Brute swayed and fell forward, crashing to the floor,driving the knife into his chest to the hilt.

  Brute shuddered and rolled over on his back. He lay sprawled, arms flungout limply, the knife hilt protruding upward. He sighed, and hisbreathing stopped.

  Goat stared down at him. He picked up Brute's wrist and held it. Therewas no pulse.

  * * * * *

  Shortly after dawn, Maya awoke. Remembering what she had seen dimly thenight before, she went curiously to the window.

  There were two of them now. They were bodies, human bodies, naked andunquestionably dead. In the night, the dry, vampirish Martian air haddessicated them. They were skeletons, parchment skin stretched tightlyover the lifeless bones.

  Even as she stood and looked, a group of figures appeared on the horizonand came slowly nearer. They were Martians--monstrous creatures,huge-chested, humpbacked, with tremendously long, thin legs and arms,their big-eyed, big-eared heads mere excrescences in front of theirhumps.

  Trailing slowly through the desert toward Aurorae Sinus, they passednear the skeleton bodies. One of the Martians saw them. He boomedexcitedly at the others, loudly enough for Maya to hear through thedouble window.

  The Martians stopped and gathered around the bodies.

  What, she wondered, could interest them in two corpses? There was noguessing. Martian motives and thought processes were alien andincomprehensible, even to one who had lived among them and communicatedwith them as a child.

  One of the Martians picked up one of the corpses, and the whole groupmoved away toward the lowland, the Martian carrying the body easily withone long-fingered hand. Wisps of sandy dust trailed them as theydwindled and slowly vanished.

  The second body lay where they had left it. A gaping wound in its throatseemed to mock her.