Fred Hoyle - The Black Cloud

“Surely there can’t be any possible doubt? I’ll put the more selfish reason first. We can probably avoid the danger of being wiped out, because the Cloud isn’t likely to be wholly outraged if we warn it. But in spite of what Parkinson has been saying I still believe that I would do the same thing even if this motive didn’t exist. Although it sounds queer and the word doesn’t express what I really mean, I believe that it’s the humane thing to do. But to be practical, this seems to me something that we ought to decide by agreement, or if we don’t agree, then by a majority vote. We could probably talk about it for hours, but I imagine we’ve all been milling it over in our minds during the last hour. Suppose we take a snap vote just for the hell of it. Leicester?”

“I’m on.”

“Alexandrov?”

“Warn bastard. Will get throats cut all same.”

“Marlowe?”

“Agreed.”

“McNeil?”

“Yes.”

“Parkinson?”

“Agreed.”

“As a matter of interest, Parkinson, and in spite of a little more Chekhov, will you tell us why you agree? From the first day we met until this morning I got the impression that we were looking at each other from different sides of the fence.”

“We were, because I had a job to do, and I did it as loyally as I could. Today, as I see it, I was released from that old loyalty, which was overwritten by a larger, deeper loyalty. Perhaps I’m opening the way for the charge of starry-eyed idealist myself, but I happen to agree with all you said and implied about our duty to the human species. And I agree with what you said about the humane course of action.”

“So it’s agreed that we call up the Cloud and acquaint it with the existence of these rockets?”

“Ought we to consult some of the others, do you think?’ Marlowe asked.

Kingsley answered:

“It may sound very dictator-like to say no, Geoff, but I would be against any widening of this discussion. For one thing I believe that if we consulted everybody and a contrary decision was reached I would not accept it — there’s the dictator for you all right. But there’s also the point that Alexis mentioned, that we could only too easily end by getting our throats cut. So far, we’ve flouted all the recognized authorities, but we’ve done it in a half humorous fashion. Any attempt to charge us with some legal offence would surely be laughed out of court. But this business is a very different kettle of fish. If we pass what I might call military information to the Cloud we’re taking an obviously grave responsibility, and I’m against too many people being called on to share that responsibility. I wouldn’t like Ann to have any part in it, for instance.”

“What do you think, Parkinson?’ asked Marlowe.

“I agree with Kingsley. Remember that in point of fact we have no power at all. There’s really nothing to stop the police coming and arresting us when they please. It is of course true that the Cloud might wish to support us, especially after this episode. But then again it might not, perhaps it may cease communication with the Earth altogether. We run the risk of being left with nothing but our bluff. As bluff goes it’s an extremely good one and it’s not surprising that it’s been swallowed so far. But we can’t go on bluffing for the rest of our lives. Furthermore, even if we can enlist the Cloud as ally, there’s still a vital flaw in our position. It sounds all very well to say “I can wipe out the continent of America”, but you know perfectly well that you never would. So in any case we’re reduced to bluffing.”

This view had a somewhat chilling influence on the company.

“Then it’s pretty obvious that we must keep this business of warning the Cloud as secret as we can. Obviously it oughtn’t to go outside this meeting,” remarked Leicester.

“Secrecy isn’t as easy as you imagine.”

“What d’you mean?”

“You’re forgetting the information given me by London. It will be taken for granted in London that we’re going to inform the Cloud. That’s all right so long as the bluff holds, but if it doesn’t …”

“Then if it’s taken for granted, let’s get on with it. We might as well commit the crime if we’re certain to receive the punishment,” remarked McNeil.

“Yes, let’s get on with it. We’ve done enough talking,” said Kingsley. “Harry, you’d better prepare a recorded explanation of the whole affair. Then keep broadcasting it continuously. You needn’t have any fear of it being picked up by anybody but the Cloud.”

“Well, Chris, I’d sooner you did the recording. You’re better at talking than I am.”

“Oh, all right. Let’s get started.”

After fifteen hours of transmission a reply was received from the Cloud. Kingsley was sought out by Leicester.

“It wants to know why we’ve allowed this to happen. It’s not pleased about it.”

Kingsley went along to the transmitting lab, picked up a microphone, and dictated the following reply:

“This attack has nothing to do with us. I should have thought my previous message would have made that clear. You are aware of the essential facts concerning the organization of human society, that it is split into a number of self-governing communities, that no one group controls the activities of the others. You cannot therefore suppose that your arrival in the solar system is viewed by other groups in the same way that we view it. It might interest you to know that in sending our warning we are gravely risking our own safety, and perhaps even our lives.”

“Jesu! You don’t have to make it worse, do you, Chris? You’re not going to improve his temper with that sort of talk.”

“I don’t see why not. In any case if we’re in for reprisals we might as well have the luxury of some plain speaking.”

Marlowe and Parkinson came in.

“You’ll be glad to know that Chris has just been chalking the Cloud off,” Leicester remarked.

“My God, does he have to wade in with the Ajax-treatment?”

Parkinson gave Marlowe a long glance.

“You know in a way this is remarkably like some of the ideas of the Greeks. They thought of Jupiter as travelling in a black cloud and hurling thunderbolts. Really that’s pretty much what we’ve got.”

“It is a bit odd, isn’t it? As long as it doesn’t end in a Greek tragedy for us.”

The tragedy was nearer than anyone supposed, however.

The reply to Kingsley came in:

“Message and arguments acknowledged. From what you say it is presumed that these rockets have not been launched from near your part of the Earth. Unless I hear from you to the contrary during the next few minutes I shall act on the decision I have reached. It may interest you to hear that I have decided to reverse the motions of the rockets relative to the Earth. In each case the direction of motion will be inverted, but the speed will be kept unchanged. This will be done at times when each rocket has been in flight for an exact number of days. Lastly, when this has been done, some slight perturbation will be added to the motions.”

When the Cloud had finished, Kingsley let out a thin whistle.

“My God, what a decision,” whispered Marlowe.

“Sorry. I don’t understand,” admitted Parkinson.

“Well, the reversing of the directions of motion means that the rockets will go back along their paths — all this relative to the Earth, you noticed.”

“You mean they’ll hit the Earth!”

“Of course, but that isn’t the end of it. If they’re turned round after an exact number of days, they’ll take an exact number of days to re-traverse their paths, so when they hit the Earth they’ll hit the exact points they started out from.”

“Why is that precisely?”