Part 8 (1/2)
(Cut to image of Ceres, zoom in for high-resolution shot of Ceres City and greenhouse system. Cut to diagram showing planetary distances, with multiple entry between Mars and Jupiter, then back to Ling.) ”There now seemed to be too many planets. As more and more asteroids were found, the theory grew that they were all fragments of a single planet. It was a speculation without hard evidence for a long time, until in 1972 the Canadian astronomer Ovenden provided the first solid proof. Using the rates of change in the orbits of the planets as his starting point, he was able to show they were all consistent with the disappearance from the Solar System of a body of planetary ma.s.s roughly sixteen million years ago. He was also able to estimate the ma.s.s as about ninety times the ma.s.s of the Earth. Loge was beginning to take on a definite shape.”
(Cut to image of Ovenden, then to artist's impression of the size and appearance of Loge, next to an image of Earth at the same scale.) ”The next part of the story came just a few years later, in 1975. Van Flandern in the United States of America integrated the orbits of long-period comets backward through time. He found that many of them had periods of about sixteen million years-and they had left from a particular region of the Solar System, between Mars and Jupiter. Parts of Loge were paying their first return visit, after a long absence.”
(Cut to animated view of cometary orbits, showing their intersection with a diagram of the system. Run animation backward, to show all orbits coming together at a single point between Mars and Jupiter.) ”This led to the first modern ideas of Loge: a large planet, a gas giant of ninety Earth ma.s.ses, almost the same size as Saturn. It disintegrated about sixteen million years ago in a cataclysm beyond our imagining. The explosion blew most of Loge out of the system forever. A few parts of the planetary core remain as the asteroids. Other fragments, from the outer crust of Loge, drop back into the Solar System from time to time as long-period comets.”
(Move in to close-up of Ling, head and shoulders.) ”That looked like the full story, until we were able to go out and take a close look at the long-period cometary fragments. We found that some of themare packed with transuranic elements. The mystery of Loge had returned, bigger than ever. Why should parts of Loge's outer crust, alone of all the Solar System, contain transuranic elements? Then- half-lives are less than twenty million years, in a system that is many billions of years old. They should have decayed long ago. Were they formed somehow in the explosion of Loge? If so, why are they found only in the outer crust, not in the asteroids that came from Loge's core? How were they formed? To all these questions, we still have no satisfactory answers.”
(Cut to image of Loge again, feed in beginning of fade-out music, at low volume.) ”One final and tantalizing fact. Sixteen million years is nothing; it is like yesterday on the cosmic scale. When Loge disintegrated there were already primates on the Earth. Did our early ancestors look into the sky one night and behold the fearful sight of Loge's explosion? Is it conceivable that another planet might suffer a similar fate?”
(Fade-out as image of Loge begins to swell, changes color, breaks asunder.
Final music crescendo for the ending.) ”It still puzzles me why Ling should be appointed to this investigation. He writes his own ticket, of course. Maybe he knew one of the dead Grabbers-he seemed to know everything there was to know about the Belt and the Belters.”
Green shook his head unhappily. ”I suppose I'll have to get in and meet the man and find out what he wants me to do now that he's here. I hope he's not going to try and demote me to being a messenger boy.”
Together, Green and Wolf walked back to Bey's office. Karl Ling did not look up as they entered. He was oblivious to his surroundings, deeply engrossed in his review of the autopsy records on the three dead crew members of the Jason.
Wolf's saturation techniques apparently didn't work on Ling. He became aware of them only when Wolf stepped in front of him and spoke.
”As soon as you want it, Mr. Ling, we are ready to give you a briefing on our findings. This is Park Green, who is representing the USF here at Form Control.”
Ling looked up briefly, then returned his attention to the medical records.
His glance had taken in the two other men for only a fraction of a second, but Bey had the feeling they had both been scanned and tucked away in memory.
”Very good,” said Ling, eyes still fixed on the output screen. ”For a start, why don't you answer the most basic question for me. The three dead men had clearly been involved in a form-change process. Where are the biofeedback machines located that were used on them?”
Wolf grimaced at Park Green. ”We don't have that answer for you yet, sir,” he replied. ”Though of course we recognize its importance, and we are working on it.”
Ling looked up again. This time, his gaze locked on to Wolf. For some reason, it seemed to have been the answer he was expecting, even hoping for.
”No answer yet, Mr. Wolf? I thought that might be the case. Would you perhaps like me to enlighten you?”
Bey stifled the sudden impulse to go over and choke Ling and managed a cool reply. ”If you can, certainly. I must say that it is hard for me to imagine that you could have reached a rational conclusion on such a brief inspection of our records.”
”I did not. I knew it before I left the Moon.” Ling smiled for the first time and stood up from his seat. ”You see, Mr. Wolf, I have no doubt that you and your fellow workers here in Form Control are proficient in your work. In fact, I took pains to verify your excellent reputation before I left the Moon. That is not the issue. The particular situation we have here requires something that by definition you and Mr. La.r.s.en do not have: the ability to think like a USF citizen. For example, if you were suddenly a millionaire because you had struck it rich out in the Belt, where on Earth would you choose to go for your entertainment? Remember, you may choose freely without thought of cost.”
”Probably to the Great Barrier Reef, in a gilled form.”
”Very good.” Karl Ling turned to Park Green. ”Now let me ask you the samequestion. You are a Belter, and suddenly a millionaire. Where on all of Earth would you want to go? What is the Belter's dream of a place for all the most exotic delights?”
Green rubbed thoughtfully at his chin. ”Why, I guess it would be Pleasure Dome. I've never been there, and I don't know what it offers, but that's the place we all hear about.”
”Right. And of course you haven't been there-neither has anybody else who is not extremely rich. Just the same, it's the USF idea of paradise, especially for people who live out in the Belt. Part of the reason you would want to go there would be to prove how rich you are.”
He went over to the large map display on the far wall and called out a South Polar projection.
”Now let's take this a little further. Look at the geography. The crew of the Jason landed at the North Australian s.p.a.ceport. That's within easy transport distance of the Australian Mattin Link entry point. One transfer gets them to New Zealand; a second one puts them at Cap City in Antarctica. Pleasure Dome, as I am sure that you know, Mr. Wolf, though Mr. Green may not, lies directly beneath Cap City in the Antarctic ice cap. Total travel time from the s.p.a.ceport: an hour or less.”
Park Green was nodding slowly in agreement. ”I guess so. I'm not used yet to the number of Link entry points that you have here on earth. I don't see where your a.n.a.lysis gets us, though. We need to find a place that has sophisticated form-change equipment. I saw the list of labs that Mr. Wolf has, and I'm sure that Cap City and Pleasure Dome weren't anywhere on it.”
Karl Ling smiled ironically. ”I feel sure they were not. You saw the legal list.” He turned to Bey, who realized what was coming and felt a steadily rising excitement. ”Pleasure Dome offers all pleasures, does it not, Mr. Wolf?
Even the most exotic. Would it not be logical to a.s.sume that a number of those recreations involve the use of form-change equipment?”
”It certainly would. That's rather a sore point with me, as a matter of fact.
We know that there are illegal form-changes going on there, to cater to some of the more debauched physical tastes. But we have orders to keep out of there. I must say, we usually have no trouble with them. They are very discreet, and since the last trouble, a few years ago, we've had a sort of informal truce with them. I would be surprised to find they have equipment complex enough to handle the Mariana changes, but I wouldn't rule it out.
There's plenty of money there, and they could get the equipment if they wanted it. You can probably guess how much power the managers of Pleasure Dome have when it comes to influence in high places. There are rumors about a number of Central Coordinators who go there fairly often.”
Ling touched the map controls, and a new image appeared on the display.
”Then this must be our next stop: Cap City, and Pleasure Dome. We still do not have the answer to the basic question: How did those three men become three dead monsters?
”Mr. Green, you should remain here and be available to answer inquiries from Earth and Moon authorities.”
Green could not resist a snort of disgust. His view of Ling's order showed clearly on his face.
”Please make travel arrangements for Mr. Wolf and myself,” went on Ling calmly. ”Take the highest-priority links and the fastest interchanges. Don't worry about finance, Mr. Wolf,” he said, seeing Bey's questioning look. ”That is not an issue. I can call on the complete financial resources of the USF if necessary to pursue this inquiry.”
”That wasn't why I was frowning, Mr. Ling. I was wondering why the Mariana Trench was chosen to dispose of the bodies. Can you explain that also?”
”I have a speculation,” said Ling, ”and I rather think it is the same one that you have. I even think I know what you are trying to gain by asking it, but that's another matter.”
There was a hint of humor deep in his tawny eyes. ”Let us indulge our imaginations. The crew of the Jason died in Pleasure Dome. The proprietors ofthat facility looked at their identifications and knew at once that they were all in trouble. They know that the USF looks after its own. They decided that they had to get the bodies off-Earth, and they took them to Australia through the Mattin Link. Unfortunately for their plans, they did not realize how tight the security regulations have become since the Purcell spores found their way in. There was no way to smuggle three bodies into s.p.a.ce, so that plan was dropped and they were obliged to improvise another one. Deep water looked attractive. One further transfer through the Link took them to the Marianas.
But hasty planning, and inadequate knowledge of the local geography, led to a botching of the disposal job. We know the rest.”
Ling looked questioningly at Bey. ”Plausible? It is, I admit, no more than a deductive argument, but I think it has a high probability of being right.
”Now, quickly, have preparations made and let us be on our way.”
Green hurried out, but Wolf lingered for a moment. During Ling's last exposition, he had been listening intently, studying the manner of the speaker. Ling raise his eyebrows as Wolf showed no sign of leaving.
”You have further business, Mr. Wolf? There is still a great deal of work to be done on the records, and little time to do it.”
”I want to make one comment,” said Bey. ”I've spent my life studying form-change, and I believe that I understand it pretty well. One man is my master in the theory, but when it comes to seeing through exterior changes I will match myself against anyone. I am sure that we have met before, Mr. Ling, and it was under very different circ.u.mstances. The problem we have here is an urgent one, and I want to tell you that I do not propose to do anything about my ideas. But I want you to know that I can tell the lion by his paw.”
Karl Ling's acid look seemed to soften briefly. There was a hint of a smile again on his lips.
”Mr. Wolf, I really have no idea what you are talking about, and I must get on with this biological work. Perhaps you would like to stay here and help me with it. I have a high regard for your insights. Let's get to work quickly. I want to be in Cap City four hours from now.”
After Bey Wolf and Karl Ling had left, Park Green and John La.r.s.en went off together for a stimulant and a sharing of their dissatisfaction. By the third round La.r.s.en had become morose and militant.
”Just our luck,” he said. ”Those two go off to sample Pleasure Dome, and they leave us here to handle the brainless bureaucrats. It's always the same; we get all the dog work, and those two get all the excitement.”