Isaac Asimov - The Early Asimov. Volume 3

Antyok's gaze was level and unruffled. He said, "As I see it -and this is not official, so you can't hold me to it - Bureau policy consists in treating the non-Humans as decently as possible.'

'Then, what authority have they -'

'Ssh! No use raising your voice. As a matter of fact, His Imperial Majesty is a humanitarian and a disciple of the philosophy of Aurelion. I can tell you quietly that it is pretty well-known that it is the Emperor himself who first suggested that this world be established. You can bet that Bureau policy will stick pretty close to Imperial notions. And you can bet that I can't paddle my way against that sort of current.'

'Well, m'boy,' the physiologist's fleshy eyelids quivered, 'if you take that sort of attitude, you're going to lose your job. No, I won't have you kicked out. That's not what I mean at all. Your job will just fade out from under you, because nothing is going to be accomplished here!'

'Really? Why?' Antyok was short, pink, and pudgy, and his plump-cheeked face usually found it difficult to put on display any expression other than one of bland and cheerful politeness - but it looked grave now.

'You haven't been here long. I have.' Zammo scowled. 'Mind if I smoke?' The cigar in his hand was gnarled and strong and was puffed to life carelessly.

He continued roughly, 'There's no place here for humani-tarianism, administrator. You're treating non-Humans as if they were Humans, and it won't work. In fact, I don't like the word "non-Human." They're animals.'

'They're intelligent,' interjected Antyok, softly.

'Well, intelligent animals, then. I presume the two terms are not mutually exclusive. Alien intelligences mingling in the same space won't work, anyway.'

'Do you propose killing them off?'

'Galaxy, no!' He gestured with his cigar. 'I propose we look upon them as objects for study, and only that. We could learn a good deal from these animals if we were allowed to. Knowledge, I might point out, that would be used for the immediate benefit of the human race. There's humanity for you. There's the good of the masses, if it's this spineless cult of Aurelion that interests you.'

'What, for instance, do you refer to?'

'To take the most obvious - You have heard of their chemistry, I take it?'

'Yes,' Antyok admitted. 'I have leafed through most of the reports on the non-Humans published in the last ten years. I expect to go through more.'

'Hmp. Well- Then, all I need say is that their chemical therapy is extremely thorough. For instance, I have witnessed personally the healing of a broken bone - what passes for a broken bone with them, I mean - by the use of a pill. The bone was whole in fifteen minutes. Naturally, none of their drugs are any earthly use on Humans. Most would kill quickly. But if we found out how they worked on the non-Humans - on the animals-'

'Yes, yes. I see the significance.'

'Oh, you do. Come, that's gratifying. A second point is that these animals communicate hi an unknown manner.'

Telepathy!'

The scientist's mouth twisted, as he ground out, 'Telepathy! Telepathy! Telepathy! Might as well say by witch brew. Nobody knows anything about telepathy except its name. What is the mechanism of telepathy? What is the physiology and the physics of it? I would like to find out, but I can't. Bureau policy, if I listen to you, forbids.'

Antyok's little mouth pursed itself. 'But - Pardon me, doctor, but I don't follow you. How are you prevented? Surely the Civil Administration has made no attempt to hamper scientific investigation of these non-Humans. I cannot speak for my predecessor entirely, of course, but I myself -'

'No direct interference has occurred. I don't speak of that. But by the Galaxy, administrator, we're hampered by the spirit of the entire set-up. You're making us deal with humans. You allow them their own leader and internal autonomy. You pamper them and give them what Aurelion's philosophy would call "rights." I can't deal with their leader.'

'Why not?'

'Because he refuses to allow me a free hand. He refuses to allow experiments on any subject without the subject's own consent. The two or three volunteers we get are not too bright. It's an impossible arrangement.'

Antyok shrugged helplessly.

Zammo continued, 'In addition, it is obviously impossible to learn anything of value concerning the brains, physiology and chemistry of these animals without dissection, dietary experiments and drugs. You know, administrator, scientific investigation is a hard game. Humanity hasn't much place in it.'

Loodun Antyok tapped his chin with a doubtful finger, 'Must it be quite so-hard? These are harmless creatures, these non-Humans. Surely, dissection - Perhaps, if you were to approach them a bit differently - I have the idea that you antagonize them. Your attitude might be somewhat overbearing.'

'Overbearing! I am not one of these whining social psychologists who are all the fad these days. I don't believe you can solve a problem that requires dissection by approaching it with what is called the "correct personal attitude" in the cant of the times.'

'I'm sorry you think so. Sociopsychological training is required of all administrators above the grade of A-4.'

Zammo withdrew his cud of a cigar from his mouth and replaced it after a suitably contemptuous interval. 'Then you'd better use a bit of your technique on the Bureau. You know, I do have friends at the Imperial Court.'

'Well, now, I can't take the matter up with them, not baldly. Basic policy does not fall within my cognizance, and such things can only be initiated by the Bureau. But, you know, we might try an indirect approach on this.' He smiled faintly, 'Strategy.'

'What sort?'

Antyok pointed a sudden finger, while his other hand fell lightly on the rows of gray-bound reports upon the floor just next his chair, 'Now, look, I've gone through most of these. They're dull, but contain some facts. For instance, when was the last non-Human infant born on Cepheus 18?'

Zammo spent little time in consideration. 'Don't know. Don't care either.'

'But the Bureau would. There's never been a non-Human infant born on Cepheus 18 - not in the two years the world has been established. Do you know the reason?'

The physiologist shrugged, 'Too many possible factors. It would take study.'

'All right, then. Suppose you write a report -'

'Reports! I've written twenty.'

'Write another. Stress the unsolved problems. Tell them you must change your methods. Harp on the birth-rate problem. The Bureau doesn't dare ignore that. If the non-Humans die out, someone will have to answer to the Emperor. You see -'

Zammo stared, his eyes dark, 'That will swing it?'

'I've been working for the Bureau for twenty-seven years. I know its ways.'

'I'll think about it.' Zammo rose and stalked out of the office. The door slammed behind him.

It was later that Zammo said to a co-worker, 'He's a bureaucrat, in the first place. He won't abandon the orthodoxies of paper work and he won't risk sticking his neck out. He'll accomplish little by himself, yet maybe more than a little if we work through him.'

From: Administrative Headquarters, Cepheus 18

To: BuOuProv

Subject: Outer Province Project 2563, Part TT - Scientific Investigations of non-Humans of Cepheus 18, Co-ordination of,

References:

(a)…BuOuProv letr. Cep-N-CM/jg, 100132, dated 302/975 G.E.

(b)…AdHQ-Cephl8 letr. AA-LA/mn, dated 140/977 G.E. Enclosure:

1. SciGroup 10, Physical amp; Biochemical Division, Report, entitled, 'Physiologic Characteristics of non-Humans of Cepheus 18, Part XI,' dated 172/977 G.E.

1. Enclosure 1, included herewith, is forwarded for the in formation of the BuOuProv. It is to be noted that Section XII, paragraphs 1-16 of Encl. 1, concern possible changes in pre sent BuOuProv policy with regard to non-Humans with a view to facilitating physical and chemical investigations at present proceeding under authorization of reference (a)