Гарри Гаррисон - 50 in 50

"The city needs you, Velikrei, at the present time far more than it needs me. Let me help you, for I respect and admire your skill and your strength. My thoughts-rational powers are at your service now. Tell me what disturbs you."

"One comes from the forest with fargi. She will not enter the city, will not see the Eistaa. Asks if a Yilane of science is here. She knows your nanje. Orders me to bring you, not the Eistaa…"

The hunter could no longer talk, her mouth gaped wide as she shuddered. Akotolp touched all four thumbs to her arms in reassurance.

"You have done the correct thing. The Eistaa must not be disturbed in her labors. I will talk to this one who comes — then I will tell the Eistaa about the matter. The responsibility is now mine."

"You have decided.” Velikrei said, relief draining the tension from her knotted muscles. She was safely back in the chain of command, following orders. "I take you to her."

"Name?"

"Essokel."

"I do indeed know her as she knows me. This is very good — for all of us. Take me to her, quickly."

Akotolp recognized the tall form of the other scientist at once, waiting in the shelter of a large tree. She stepped forward when they approached, made motions of greeting. Velikrei stood hesitantly to one side, signed gratitude when she was dismissed, almost fled from sight. Only when she was gone did Akotolp speak.

"Welcome, Essokel, welcome to what little remains of our city."

"Of many cities," she answered grimly. "I was far inland when this thing happened, returning with fargi to my city. When I saw the destruction along the coast I halted them in the forest, went on alone." There was pain in her eyes now, the wound of memory. "Destroyed, gone, none survived. I came close to dying myself — but I did not. I have willed myself to forget the name of my city, strong-request you do not repeat it."

"You are welcome-magnified here. You are now a part of my city, our city. We were injured, we survive. With your aid we grow anew. You will mend our broken egg. We now have nothing other than the claws and teeth with which we emerged from the ocean."

"Then I can indeed be of service," Essokel said, drawing herself up, pride replacing death in her movements. "Mine was a long expedition to distant cities. My fargi carry everything we needed — that your, our, city needs."

"The fargi are here?"

"Close by and out of sight. I wished to talk with you and you alone."

"Not the Eistaa?"

"Not yet. There are matters of science that are for our knowledge alone. Are you strong, Akotolp?"

"I survived. I will survive. I am needed."

"Good. I must talk with you, share my knowledge and you must query it. For I have fear."

"Of what?"

"Of everything."

There were such overtones of despair and death when she said this that Akotolp cried aloud and recoiled. Then controlled herself and spoke with all the courage she could summon.

"You are no longer alone, my old friend, no longer surrounded by mindless fargi you cannot speak to. Unburden yourself, share your knowledge and thoughts. Fears shared are halved, for we will each carry part of the load now."

"You are a Yilane of great intelligence and strength, Akotolp. I will tell you what I have seen and reasoned. Then you will query me, perhaps even prove me wrong. It is as you say, a burden shared. First I need information for I only saw what happened from afar. You were here?"

"Indeed — and it is only by chance I can talk to you now for only one in five survived. It was night — and then it was day. A light that hurt my eyes before slowly fading away. Later there was an immense sound and the ground moved. Later still, as I thought it would happen, the ocean rose and enveloped us."

"You thought it would — why?"

"A chain of logic. An incident of great force occurred, the light of which we saw. The sound came much later — and the shock. A force at sea great enough to cause this would also move the ocean as well."

Essokel signed reinforced agreement. "I did not see or experience what you did — though I surmised as much from physical evidence. Important query: what do you think caused all this?"

"Profess lack of knowledge, lack of theory."

"Then listen to mine. Have you any interest in astronomy?"

Akotolp signed negative. "Biology fills all my time and needs."

"But you have looked at the night sky — seen various phenomena there. You have seen the lines of light that cross the darkness from time to time?"

"Assuredly. Though I have never heard an attempt at explanation."

"I have. Our atmosphere grows thinner as one goes higher; this has been proven by those who carried air pressure devices up mountains. If this is true, then logic dictates that if the pressure drop is contin-uouAthen at a certain height there is no more air."

"I know of this theory and am in agreement. That air ceases to be and beyond our atmosphere there is a nothingness."

"But matter exists in this nothingness. We see the moon and the stars. Now hold that thought and in parallel entertain another thought. A bird moves faster than a fish because it moves through a less dense medium. If something moves through a medium of no density it could have a speed beyond comprehension. So much so that if there are particles of matter moving through this emptiness, small particles, through the operation of the laws of dynamics they would exchange motion for temperature. And glow with light."

Akotolp closed her eyes, wrapped in intense thought. Opened them and signed agreement. "I cannot argue with facts revealed, extrapolation of idea. Seek relevance."

Essokel was grimly silent for a long heartbeat of time, then spoke quietly. "I suggest to you the possibility that a larger particle from above might strike our atmosphere. A particle the size of a boulder, a tree — perhaps a mountain. What would happen then?"

"Then," Akotolp said, slowly and carefully, "this mountain of speed would cause the air to glow fiercely. It would strike the ocean. If it were large enough, fast enough, heavy enough, it might even strike down through the water to hit the ground below. This immense shock would be felt through the ground, heard through the air for great distances. The mountains of water pushed aside would inundate the shore, this land. I am in awe of your wisdom and intellect."

"There is more to come. The clouds that have never parted once since that day, the clouds that rain down dirt, that are black with filth undoubtedly thrown up by the impact. How many days have they remained up there?"

"A great number. I have kept count."

"As have I. Now, one last fearful consideration. What if they remain there longer and longer? What if the warmth of the sun never bathes us again? What will happen to us then?"

Akotolp the biologist swayed in pain, almost lost consciousness at the terror of this thought. Recovered to find that Essokel was holding her, that she would have fallen without her friend's support.

"Death will be our lot. Without sunlight the green plants will not grow. When they die the creatures who eat them die. When they die— the Yilane die. Is this what is to happen?"

"I do not know, I fear for the worst. I have measured carefully. The air temperature is lower each day. We cannot live without heat, without sun."

"The clouds must part!" Akotolp cried aloud. "They must. Or…"

She did not finish the thought. There was no need. It was Essokel who finally broke the terrible silence.

"We will go to the city now. And tell the Eistaa. .?"

"Nothing. If these things we talk about come to be, then we are helpless, powerless. Instead of bringing them death you will now bring them happiness and pleasure. There will be warmth, shelter, food. If… what we discussed. . comes to pass, it will not need discussion. It will soon be obvious to the stupidest fargi."