"It's my trouble and, if it blows up in my face, it's my grief."
Again there came that shake of the head. "No, Wanniston, you cannot
shake yourself loose like that. You are not alone. I failed my
superiors when I told you the tale of Andy Tremaine. I thought that
the knowledge of what had happened to another who tried the same thing
would deter you. Remember?"
"Yes, I remember. I asked you why it wouldn't be possible to energize
the human brain so that it could use the whole thing instead of the
usual ten percent. You countered with the yarn about Tremaine."
"Time alone will fill the brain, John. No machine will do it properly.
It is forced."
"So?"
"John, you have been using a modification of Tremaine's gadget on
yourself. I can only say that you are ambitious to the foolhardy stage.
No good will come of it."
"Where is the danger? I care nothing for sterility. I only hope to
become as intelligent as you are."
"If that were all," smiled Gerd, "I would look the other way. But
again--I could not. For I am responsible for every Terran in the eyes
of my superiors. I must try to protect even those who attempt mental
suicide. Along that line lies oblivion, Wanniston."
"You do all right," snapped the financier.
"I," smiled Gerd Lel Rayne, "was ... born to this. I used nothing to
enhance my ... native intellect."
"What's wrong with it, though? I can do without progeny."
"Civilization can not."
"Civilization will know nothing--"
"They will find out. I regret that I tried to dissuade you. In showing
you the error of continuing this line of research, I gave you the hint
that opened the corridor to you. That was a mistake.
"Be that as it may," continued Gerd, "I must now try to show you more
of the future. You are slowly gaining in power, Wanniston, and you will
eventually become the most hated man on Terra."
"A shame, I'm sure," snorted Wanniston.
"That attitude will cause you grief," admonished Gerd Lel Rayne. "You
should use power wisely, not use it in sharpering your associates out
of their rights."
"I've never cheated--"
"Not legally. But is it right for a man to set up traps? Is it good and
moral for one of your present mental ability to figure the tertiary
causes and effects and apply them to time limits? Not only do you make
profit, Wanniston, but you set up your contracts so that you inevitably
get forfeit-money as well. You think deeper and plan better--"
"And to the winner goes the spoils," laughed Wanniston. "I should lower
myself to their level for the sake of helping them? Not I, Gerd Lel
Rayne. I am your equal, and you know it."
"I know it. Yet I am not overly avaricious. I am comfortable, doing my
job as best I can. I am unique, perhaps, but I do that which I am best
fitted for, and I am helping civilization."
Wanniston smiled. "Tremaine wanted galactic power for Terra. Tremaine
wanted the ultimate for mankind. He was a complete altruist, I believe.
He wanted to raise the whole world to your level."
"An admirable idea, lacking in certain phases of which he could know
nothing. Certain phases, Wanniston, of which you are equally ignorant!"
"I shall find out. I shall, if necessary, surpass you, Gerd."
"Quite possible," smiled the emissary. "Quite possible. The capacity of
the brain is almost limitless. My race uses more than yours, Wanniston.
Eventually we will fill ours more and more as the centuries pass. But
remember that we are as much on the way up as your race is. No one
should move too fast."
"Why?"
"Because, that way leads to--oblivion."
"Again, why?"
"Nature has her safeguards. She knows the dangers of becoming too wise
too soon. Therefore she causes sterility. Strange thing, Wanniston,
but there is absolutely no way in which to energize the brain without
it. One must permit evolution to take its course. One must hope that
his song will have greater native intelligence. Look, Wanniston.
Your father, when a boy, played with toys of a technical nature not
even known ten centuries before. You as a boy scorned making your
construction toy operate as a prime mover, with anything so archaic as
an atomic converter. You demanded the prime, the ultimate; the Solar
Phoenix in miniature. Nowadays, the kids insist upon using miniature
directive-generators.
"Directive power," continued Gerd, "is the daily work. Years ago it
took men most of their lives to study it, today the kids play with it
in toys. Tomorrow--perhaps one of your race will discover interstellar
power--Galactic Power--and your sons and grandsons will demand minute
galactic generators to run their gadgets. Ten centuries ago, children
were toying with electricity--today they are playing with directives.
That, Wanniston, is wisdom gained in the proper way."
"And what should I do?"
"Instead of using your power to gain the world, you might use that
intellect to better mankind." Gerd stretched and stood up. "But you
will not," he finished. "Your type will not."
"No, I will not."
Gerd led Wanniston to the door, and courteously showed him out. "I hope
to see you again," he said honestly. Wanniston nodded; the financier
understood. Despite a difference in attitude between the emissary and
himself, he knew that having another with an equal intelligence was
desirable. Wanniston did not require it, but the emissary was a friend
to all, an extrovert, and required friendship.
Wanniston would return. Gerd Lel Rayne was covering something. There
was more to Gerd Lel Rayne than met the eye, and he knew it. He
understood, with Gerd, all that Gerd said regarding help for Terra in
scientific matters. Rayne could advise, could occasionally point out
minor errors or make suggestions, but could not openly state facts.
Well, Wanniston wanted to know the secret. He'd be back.
* * * * *
Gaya Lel Rayne entered the room and caught her husband's mental
distress, slight as it was. She came over beside him and added to
the impact of her presence with him the powerful attraction of her.
Gerd put a hand on her shoulder and they flowed together momentarily.
Powerful were their minds, and powerful was the feeling between them;
no Terran could have entertained a bitter thought within several
hundred feet of their embrace.
"What is it, Gerd?" she asked.
"Wanniston."
"Still trying?"
"Succeeded."
"Dangerous." It was a statement, not a question.
"Yes--and no," replied Gerd. "He will not willingly pass on his illegal
knowledge. Terra would skin him alive if they knew that he was
extracting their resources by foul means. Wanniston, on the other hand,
knows that he could drag the temple down over all of Terra by merely
announcing the machine."
"But isn't sterility enough of a deterrent?" asked Gaya.
"I don't know. Look, Gaya. Those who cared nothing for the future would
indulge in mental energizing. They would outstrip those who cared
for the future; those with the proper attitude would become slaves,
practically. Within a century, every worthwhile thing would be in the
hands of those who cared nothing for progeny."
"There is a saving factor," objected Gaya. "The new ones would come
from the ranks of those who cared--"
"Of course," laughed Gerd. "But the optimistic philosophy of the Terran
would die. One could take his choice. Either he has children or he fits
in with those who have forsaken the future."
Gerd dropped his glance and worried visibly for a moment. "It is a
gloomy philosophy, Gaya. Slavery or sterility. No future either way.
Depressive philosophy--which would lead to planetary suicide."
"Couldn't one have children first and try the machine afterwards?"
asked Gaya brightly.
"Uh-huh--but why? Those who wait will be behind those who did not. Of
course there will be a place for all, just as there is now. I fear
that the race would die out anyway, Gaya. The machine can not be
circumvented; its effects may not be counteracted once it is used.
Schoolboys and schoolgirls would try it once, throwing away their
futures with the youthful willingness to take chances. They would stand
above the others in their classes--until their fellows tried it. Forbid
it? Like sin, Gaya, you can legislate against it but you can not make
it unpopular. Ban it and you will have its effects smuggled in to the
youth of Terra--who will try it if only because their folks forbid it.
They will see the effects. They will see their parents in slavery....
Slavery, Gaya, entered into willingly--for the children themselves!"
He faced Gaya with a powerful gesture. "The children will see it. They
will decide that slavery is no compensation for parenthood. Why waste
time? Why sit in slavery for years while you indulge in the duty of
bearing children, and then go to take up the job of making a financial
start? No, once this is released, Terra may die."
"Destroy him--and his machine."
Gerd shook his head. "That I can no longer do," he said sadly. "He is
our equal now. Tomorrow he will be our superiors, by a minute bit. Yet
today he is powerful enough of mind to tell by my actions that I intend
to destroy him. I can not--for once I try, I will lose, the Galactic
Ones will lose, and Terra will lose. I can call for no help from Terra.
I can ask the field representative when he arrives. I might even call
for help--"
"It would be justified," said Gaya, earnestly.
"I have done nothing yet. I should try--"
"Try what?"
"I don't know."