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My right eye runs it. Every alien costume that it sees is identified by species and put on a list. I'm making
a count. A census. I got curious about which aliens are popular, and which ones aren't.
 Okay, she said.
He explained,  My eye didn't find any listing for that creature in the normal files. So immediately, it shot a
warning at me. Timmons and I were talking. I didn't react. So the program started searching through
fictional aliens, in case. And again, no candidates. Which is when this feeling came over me, and I
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downloaded and twitched open a second list of known aliens.
In the distance, a happy voice cried out,  I've got you, haddysaur. In my mouth, I've got you!
The adults shivered for a moment.
Tasha asked,  What second list?
 Remember how the Smilers sent us a list of aliens and their locations? Well, the Andromedans went
several steps farther. They sent us, and whoever else is in the path of that beam, the essential texts of
every message they've ever received from slightly more than ten thousand species of intelligent life.
Mostly from inside their own galaxy, but not always. He let those words drop, and then added,  In three
hours, we increased our list of extraterrestrial lifeforms nearly tenfold.
Tasha shivered, then said,  And they're all classified, right?
 The daddy-longlegs belongs in that list. That secret pool. He shook his head, adding,  Coincidence? It
could be argued that some kid built a critter that just happened to resemble an obscure species. But I
checked. That machine was identical to the real thing in every tiny facet, and every major one, too.
Tasha said nothing for a moment, pretending to listen to their sons wrestling in the next room. Then she
prodded Jack, saying,  Nobody but you can get into that file, can they?
 We have wonderful safeguards, he promised.  The Committee has first look at new technologies, and
we've got the best encryption tools and quantum computers that can be built today.
 But why come up to you with a machine that practicallytells you ?
 I don't know, he replied.  Or I can think of too many reasons, maybe. My paranoia meter is off the
scale here.
Now Tasha looked at the floor, her expression stern but composed. She was thinking hard about
everything that had sent her husband into his paranoid spiral.
 I'm going to invite Timmons to come along with us. Jack spoke quietly, waiting for his wife to argue for
caution, or anger, or some other useful tactic. That's what he wanted here. Tasha's clear-headed advice.
But when she didn't respond, he said,  I could leave you and the boys behind. I could make an excuse
and talk to Timmons alone 
 No, she blurted.  I want to be there.
He wasn't entirely sorry to hear it.
 And I don't want to leave the boys down here, alone.
 We're as safe up there as anywhere, he allowed.
 Could you...?
 What? Could I what?
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 Nothing, she said.  If Timmons wants to talk to you, we'll make him talk to both of us. Won't we?
 Hopefully. Then he said again,  What did you want to ask me?
 I was just wondering, Tasha continued.  Since you're talking in your sleep, and since I'm lying awake
in the dark ... why don't you whisper something more about what else these faraway Andromedans have
given us...?
* * *
 I thought your speech went quite well.
 Thank you.
 You came across as honest and very reasonable, Timmons continued, pleased to be giving Jack a
sterling review.  The speech itself was politically shrewd, yet substantial at its heart. You sang justified
praises for your work, but then you dwelled on the Committee's mistakes, too. Which I'm sure helped
dispel the cliché of bloodless bureaucrats ruling from ivory towers.
 Speaking of towers, Jack mentioned, trying to change subjects.  Engage the C-setting in your eyes,
and you'll get a rather different perspective.
 Oh, goodness. Yes.
The new setting linked them with telemetry from outside. Using that data, their eyes wove an image, and
the walls of the giant freight elevator seemed to vanish. For an instant, they could see the skyhook's
diamond shell streaking past. And then the shell evaporated too, leaving the two men inside sitting in the
open. They could still see each other, and Jack kept glancing at Tasha and the boys. But it felt as if there
was nothing but stars and vacuum around them, and they could see themselves accelerating out into
space at an astonishing pace.
Quietly, almost reverently, Timmons said,  This is wonderful.
Jack agreed.
 How many times have you actually been here? his guest inquired.  Up in space, I mean.
 Before today, six times, Jack allowed.  Touring the security posts, mostly. Plus a little shakedown
cruise on one of the first torchships. He let himself laugh, adding,  We could have reached Mars in less
than a week. And I was tempted. Believe me. But instead, we just did a flyby of the moon and came
home again.
 I am jealous, Timmons confessed.
Jack shrugged, saying nothing.
The cargo pad was huge and virtually empty, its blister of air contained by an invisible gossamer dome. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]