We will end up with a kingdom of super-perfect robots that have replaced humans, led by geniuses-a negligible amount of people still considered proper. Robots would actually displace people by their own hands. This is the logically consistent conclusion of the principle of
classifying people as propers and inadequates, and this conclusion is obviously vicious.
"Daneya: The Victims of Progress"
Part I
ZRYYR
1
The hyperexpress "Ark" was approaching the planetary system of Earth-2. Remembering the long flight to the real Earth from there, almost ending with the death of not only the little brother, Kid, but also the rest, Lal was ready for anything. But everything was great-as in the first flight of Parents and that Lal, whose proud name he now wore: the way out of the transfer was much closer than the previous time. And it was already seen: soon he would be there-on his planet. Where he appeared in the world and remembered everything to the last detail. For which he yearned for all these years.
Marc, who was sitting next to him, was sick of the fact that his father, staring at the hologram of the trajectory of the ship, did not continue to tell him about Earth-2: he was silent for too long. Uncle Lee, who was along with them in the control room, was for some reason, too. But he was so eager to listen to them. Then he felt less how badly he missed Erky But Erky's parents, Uncle Milan and Aunt Rita, did not fly along with them: well, that"s why Erky, too. But they took him: enlisted as a macrocosm cadet. And they gave him a uniform with the sign of the macrocosm-the six-pointed star.
And he first woke up after the hypertransfer, he noted time on the ship"s watch: he reported to the dad, whom he helped get out of the chamber and reach the sauna. He reported after his dad to Uncle Lee, the chief navigator-astronaut: Uncle Lee was older than his dad-he woke up after the transfer after him. And for his actions, then, by a general vote, they were awarded with a rainbow ribbon of distinction.
There were also older children on Earth, but only the had no parents at all: neither father nor mother. And grandfather and grandmother, too. It"s oddly somehow: he would not like that. And still that was oddly: that his mom was older than his granny. But this was nothing: Erky was also his brother and a grandson of his grandfather and granny, although Erky"s parents were not their children. Adults had much confused.
Taking advantage of the fact that his dad finally turned to him, he asked:
"Daddy, will you take me to a plaster hall in a distant cave?"
"I will. But if you go immediately to your mother now: it's time for you to sleep. Follow the order, the macrocosm cadet Marc," and the son having saluted ran out of the wheelhouse.
And only then Lee turn to Lal:
"I did not want to return to this in the presence of Marc."
"You're right, my elder brother: he, even if he understood than nothing, he could remember something and then tell someone."
"Well, yes. Moreover, these are just assumptions."
"Besides, which there are not enough. Based almost exclusively on the works of old science fiction, which, except you, too few people read. Space pirates, Star Wars-but in reality there were no contacts with other civilizations, and therefore no these pirates and wars.
"But it was somewhere in this part of the universe that you entered the first contact. With whom: what do we know about them? I prefer to always assume the worst option: it justifies itself. Therefore, I admit that That may turn out to be something like what existed on Earth: what Yorg defended and still defends. A terrible personality: the enemy of everything, to what one whose name you were named in honor of called opportunely."
"And your personal enemy. It is not without reason: your mother was afraid for you for a long time."
"Who has crippled her. But enough about him: it is more important for us now not to forget what existed."
"It will cease to be soon: it is clear."
"I'm not sure about that. Yorg continues to resist: although it is going our offensive, without a continuous struggle against him and his supporters, a complete victory will not be achieved. Otherwise, why your parents and my ones do not fly along with us?"
"I cannot disagree with you, my elder brother: you understand the situation better than I do-you have seen a lot of terrible things that I do not even know about. But more specifically: what are your negative assumptions about the contact that we entered?
"First: the stories with your cruisers-they threatened you with starvation, serious restriction of communication with the express. Was it by accident-or intentionally?"
"Um . . ."
"The second one can also be suspicious. When the signals arrived, which were found by the establishment of the Contact: do you remember?"
"Yes, rather! At first three hours before the transfer: my father responded by repeating the incoming signal-nineteen prime numbers. Although this took a lot of energy."
"So: and then?"
"At the very verge of the start of the transfer, and we all decided not only to accept, but also to respond to the incoming signals: regardless of any energy consumption. It was the first contact establishment! And to last signal, which we considered as the Message of Those, we sent a respond-also by the activating of the hyperapparatus-the Message of Earthly Humanity."
"And how was the transfer going afterwards?"
"Two hours after having passed of the calculated start point. And we came out with almost a three-sigma deviation from the calculated point. There was a huge consumption of energy, and the demand for it increased dramatically. As a result, all of us, except my father, were immersed in suspended animation, from which, when something happened to the suspended animation chamber ,chamber, and my father hurriedly led us out, our dear, beloved Kid did not come out. And we hardly survived: you saved us literally at the last moment."
"The Epistle of Those has not yet been read. And . . ."
"?"
". . . it is possible that there cannot be, in general, read. Does not it really represent an extremely compact sum of meaningless random signs?"
"Do you suspect this?"
"Exactly. And another: was it not their intention to force you to make a huge waste of energy and significantly pass the calculated point of the start of the transfer. So that later you are further from the Earth than you should have, because of the wild deficit of the necessary energy. In order that . . ."
"So that we die of hunger, thirst and cold? What for?"
"This is what we need to understand. But in any case, it is necessary to prepare for the most probable dangers. Let's think: let's try to understand them."
"How? There is nothing to catch on."
"We will try one of the methods that we used when we had almost no information: a dispute. They said for good reason that truth was bearing in the dispute. So, we will argue with each other: the evidence of one will cause the other's response, and so we will be able to find out something. And then continue the dispute with a larger number of people."
Quite quickly, such a dispute had led to the conclusion that the danger could most likely be the desire of some other highly developed civilization to master a planet that was fit for life: because its own planet had become or was becoming for some reason unsuitable for it. Because of that, it was possible that the nuclear catastrophe occurred as a result of a global war or a risky scientific experiment. Or a natural process that occurred with the luminary of the planet or with it. Well, the space pirates and Star Wars were only literary and cinematic entertainments for too long a time: now considered that seriously was simply ridiculous.
The subsequent involving in their discussions the remaining migrants had not added anything. The question was only asked what exactly they had in the case of someone's, even the most unlikely, hostile actions: would they not be unarmed even in those variants of a situation that somehow could be assumed without supposing unforeseeable absolutely ones?
A thorough analysis of defensive capabilities showed that no: they would not. Starting from the existence of the simplest devices, like the personal firearms of every fighter, soldier, in the latest wars on Earth: hand-held laser emitters for punching holes in rocks. Robots with similar emitters, but of quite significantly more power. Those were light weapons.
Then the medium weapons: rockets with charges of considerable explosive force to repel meteorite attacks. Not only for the express, but for the rest: cruisers, frigates, and launches.
Well, what could we say about the most formidable: the power of the hyperapparatus? And what"s more, the incredibly giant express, made of the strongest metal, was being activated an almost invulnerable object for presupposed for now means of attack.
It filled with confidence. Yes, and almost no one believed in such a danger; the probability of such a thing seemed to be vanishingly small: so . . .
"Well, that"s it: the question has been solved, my elder brother?"
"I"m not sure! We do not know the main thing: what cannot be foreseen-the most terrible."
"How can we know? After all, it's impossible."
"Still, something can suddenly come to mind, if you continue to think about it." His nature-of a space rescuer, the habit of which was always alert, there"s no getting away from. But then how many times such came to the help!
But Lal preferred to think about something else-about how they started after landing on the planet to build on it and to settle in the right order brought animals, birds, fishes, insects, and others. Dad and Mom, when they arrive, would not recognize the planet.
Marc, who heard the mention of space pirates, asked Lee to show some old-old movies about them. They were still flat, but, none the less, interesting-only all their weapons seemed ridiculously primitive and miserable. But their adventures, battles-their intrepidity, dexterity, resourcefulness: exactly what once made Lee himself at the same age want to be like them and then choose the dangerous profession of a space rescuer. And Marc, watching the movies with wide eyes, imagined himself also the same: invincible, with brilliance emerging from any dangerous situations.
But daddy somehow did not understand such things. And Uncle Lee was now also not interested in that. Yes: if Erky would be here along with him!
And again, everything happened exactly as before the very first landing on the planet on which he was born.
They carried out continuous beam sounding to determine the exact coordinates of the hyperexpress. The radiation went to the luminary of the Earth-2, and, reflected, came back. Knowing the frequency of the radiation sent and returned and finding the speed of the ship using the Doppler effect , the distance to the star was determined from the time of passage of the signal back and forth. Signals were sent frequently to start in time the maneuver of the transition from the radial direction to the star to the elliptical orbit around it, which, like at their Solar System, would be located beyond the orbit of the last planet of the system.
The maneuver began long before they reached the system, with the ship approaching the target orbit along a slightly curved, smooth trajectory. It consumed very little power, since this tactic required only half the power of the brake engines. The passengers almost did not feel the inertia.
The star burned brighter and brighter as they flew toward it, standing out sharply among the others. The final braking lasted long enough. Only one engine was still going, and it continuously reduced its power. It seemed to not have an end, as peripheral planets necessitated tangible adjustments in the approach trajectory and schedule.
They entered the orbit on the "birthday" of Lal Senior according to the main board clock. The brake engine shut off, and in three hours the rocket scouts headed to each planet. The main one that went to Earth-2 had to land several autonomous reconnaissance robots on the planet.
Now they just had to wait for information-no less than two weeks. When it arrived, the first group of migrants would fly to the planet on a large cruiser-for the last reconnaissance before the general landing.
Everything happened again, literally like then-when Father, Mom and that Lal came.
2
Lee foresaw unexpectedness not to no purpose. The main scout brought back, along with the robots that it landed, also some box: Lal confirmed that when flying away, they did not leave it there.
But on it with the usual letters of the earthly script it was written: "If you are the ones who left their records on this planet, you will understand the further. We deciphered your records and, using them, downloaded translators to communicate with you, but do not consider them complete. Replenish them with the located inside the box helmets, which will read the words of your language stored in your brains: ten persons for ten sent translators. If you are not the one, but you can decipher our letter, do the same: we can communicate. Then send back half of the translators and the agreement to establish contact. Inside the detailed message. We hope for mutual understanding. "
What no one expected: even, probably, Lee. He admitted it mentally but believed no more than others that someone else would be on the planet.
Only Marc rejoiced immediately: the sudden news promised such adventures, which it was difficult to dream about.
"And what, Uncle Lee: they cannot be space pirates?" he asked. Lee smiled: the boy, after watching the movies about them, could not wait to start feats.
But in fact, really: who were they-other else aliens here? Future friends with whom earthlings would exchange knowledge was an old hope? Or enemies, which for some reason would have to defend from? Or neither one nor the other, but something quite different? And how to behave, was still unknown.
The last question provoked a heated discussion by all. In practical terms, it was reduced to the first step: how to open the box sent without risking security? Whether the express cannot be injured at the same time: on this attention was focused those who did not find Li's fears unreasonable.
And he offered to open the box not on the express, but in the launch at a safe distance from him. This operation he would carry out with the help of remote control of the robot from the express.
On the express, everyone looked at the screens. They breathed a sigh of relief when nothing really happened. Now it was already possible, perhaps, to decide: to agree to establish a contact.
Moreover, the image of Those in the enclosed message also did not arouse suspicion: there were no external differences from earthlings. Striking similarity in everything-except a rather dull expression of their faces. However, with that, where they came to Earth-2 from, it was necessary to understand: their names of the constellation and the star, in whose system their planet was located, were completely incomprehensible, despite the schemes.
Alexander, the "grandson of Marc", nevertheless made another test, not letting Lee to do it: he went there and, wearing a helmet, began to load one of the ten devices that were inside the box. And only after the signal "Loaded" lighted up, returned with them to the express.
With the same reconnaissance rocket, they sent half of the filled translators to Earth-2 together with a message of consent to contact. After the arrival of the response message about its receipt, they could be waited for in forty-five planetary days. The ship's landing site was around the cave where their records were left.
They began to load additionally the cruiser with an unusual load: manual laser emitters and robots with them, the significantly increased number of missiles repelling meteorite attacks. And not only: the team of those flying on it was carefully assembled.
"Well, my elder brother: are you satisfied-have you got your way? Do you still believe in the possibility of bad? After all, only you are alone."
"Let us to have them there: in order not to become necessary."
. . . Lee insisted that the cruiser would remain in orbit: the launch would only bring three people to the planet. At the same time, Lal rejected his next warning: he, who headed the fleet of the earthlings, should remain on the cruiser. Because it was he who was born on this planet, whose image was in the record left in the cave, should appear before new aliens-none other. But Lee would remain on the cruiser for the commander: on this-again-Alexander managed to insist, having achieved that just he along with Kong would accompany Lal.
3
Conbr stared hard at the sky: the ship of those who first visited the planet Zryyr and, as they reported in their record, saturate its atmosphere with oxygen, could appear at any moment. They had flown again in larger numbers to populate it constantly. And this arose fears about the continued presence here of them themselves-the newcomers from Gardrar.
They were few here: separate proposals of two or three Wisests in addition to populate another planet were not supported by the other decemvirs. And the Utmostwise himself, Rorv.
The planet was used only as an intermediate base for ultra-long flights through the space of more than four dimensions. The first such ship, discovering this planet-almost the same as Gardrar, consumed slightly less than half of the fuel and accumulated energy in the batteries: it was, therefore, to fly back. But they found here not only an atmosphere that could be breathed with, but also efficient power stations for recharging batteries. Also, plantations of edible plants, such delicious after canned and synthetic food. In general, an unexpected gift: the opportunity to refuel and fly even further!
Judging by their record, they sought to establish contact with other civilizations in the universe. But . . . But were they ready to share with other aliens the planet, which, no doubt, consider their own? Would not require that the gadrarians leave it? Willy-nilly we had to take precautionary measures, to recall something from the long-ago history, when wars between still existing countries occurred.
To meet the earthlings, as they called themselves in the record, so they would only be three: he, the second senior here after him, Pogr, and journalist Lim. The rest would be out of sight: where there would be concentrated tunneling robots equipped with laser emitters and repelling rockets used in space during the passage of meteoritic clusters.
If negotiations with the earthlings, which he himself conducts, leaded to a conflict, Pogr would give the necessary orders to launch the attack first. It was unlikely that the earthlings would be able to prevail: their level was lower than the Gardrar level-the relative primitivism of the designs of both the power stations and the oxygenizer, by which they have transformed the atmosphere of the planet, was enough.
And Lim . . . Well, what did it matter to Lim: there was no special need for him-he just asked for it? He could not wait to see these extraordinary earthlings, you see: it"s too noticeably by the way he breathes excitedly, by the brilliance of his eyes, by the smile from time to time. To whom was it generally necessary: to smile? After all, he was not a child who smiled incomprehensibly why. Not at all: he's adult long since, a doctor-just not doing what's necessary.
He wrote a lot of articles and books, devoted to the topic, not necessary now for no one-the history of ancient society. He set with quite unexpected conclusions against himself certainly too many, including almost the entire Wisest Decemvirate. Therefore, he found himself here, on Zryyr.
And his strange nickname, extracted from his full name Lardimfr: it did not even have the necessary worthy firmness, as is customary. It's not what he got from Cjonobatyrd. Or Pogr-extracted from Pydrbonguyrtz.
It seemed that these thoughts for just a moment distracted Conbr: he threw up his head, only when he heard Lim's sudden cry:
"The earthlings!"
Three winged ships rushed in the sky-one of them began to come down.
The ship was small: probably, there were few arrivals on it. But until the dust blown up by the jets from the engines when they landed settled, no one left it.
Conbr did not move from his place, waiting for the appearance of the earthlings; Pogr followed his example. Only Lim, not waiting for them, dashed off with his six-legged platform to the ship of earthlings. It was necessary therefore to follow him, so that the earthlings would not take the first to approach them for the chief representative of Gardrar on Zryyr.
There were three who descended from the ship: when they saw Lim approaching, they went to meet them. But Lim was far ahead of both superiors, and when they approached the earthlings, he and they already welcomed each other. Smiling, that Lim was supposed to do never at all: they should behave so that those felt immediately the power of who met them. But he did not understand this-he folded his palms up before his chest, copying the earthlings, then put his right hand to it and opened his mouth to introduce himself. Conbr managed to push Lim away-putting his hand on his forehead in greeting, as usual on Gardrar, and retaining the proper, serious and impenetrable expression on his face, introduced himself first:
"Cjonobatyrd, the leader of the inhabitants of Gardrar on this planet, which we call Zryyr. Greetings, earthlings!"
And one of them answered at once:
"We also welcome you, brothers in reason! My name is Lal-I'm the first who was born on this planet," and he held out his hand. The gesture was incomprehensible-but he was smiling, and Conbr assumed that this was another sign of greeting: he held out his own one. And that grabbed her for some reason and. . . No, he just shook-it's also not clear why. Just in case Conbr had to shake his hand.
And the earthman, not releasing his hand, said solemnly:
"Today is a great day, which the humanity of our planet has been waiting for: finally, a meeting of two civilizations took place. We believe that we will be friends and exchange knowledge. Allow me, senior, to present you the image of our planet," and he extended to Conbr a ball with images of some continents. "Earth," guessed Conbr. "All right: so far everything is calm."
He calmed down more and more as they spoke: there was nothing, even provoking remotely rejection. It seemed that they would manage to come to an agreement: the leader of the earthlings, Larld-if he correctly heard his nickname, said first about the desire to do without conflicts. And whether they needed really a lot here: there was only a hundred of them. Of course, except the primitives: the experimental ones, mainly. After all, what for here was more, when modern super robots were able to do almost everything, but the share of reople remains the most complex, heuristic, side of intellectual work?
So, there was enough space for both, if to proceed from the lack of desire to colonize this planet by ourselves. From which it followed an absence of the necessity to prevent the having come earthlings from landing on it, to master it and populate the brought animals. Probably, it would be even beneficial for the gardrarians themselves.
All right, but he had not to hurry. Would not be revealed any more-unknown or incomprehensible yet-circumstances that could lead to undesirable consequences?
Of course, it was necessary to immediately notify the Wise Decemvirate: especially since his powers were clearly not enough for an independent solution of such an extremely complex and responsible issue. To send a message from the hyperstructural communication apparatus on the satellite outside the planetary system. Although it would require a huge amount of energy, it would almost immediately reach the apparatus of the same satellite there, near their planetary system, and then it would be relayed to the Gardrar in the usual way.
4
Groy, the Second Wisest, notified the senior, life members of the Decemvirate, that an emergency meeting should be urgently held. Because of the special importance not being in touch but by gathering in the office of the Utmostwise Rorv. He, of course, would doze as usual, but the younger five wise men still had to believe that he and no one else conducted such meetings, after which they were informed of his "opinion". It was a formality-but it could not be otherwise.
The Utmostwise began to nod before they sat down: each one did strictly at his place marked with a number. Groy looked at the others with a stern gaze-he preferred to collect rather than consult through radio communication-and reported the extremely important hypergram from Zryyr: about the arrival of the earthlings and the request for the Wise Decemvirate"s opinion in the matter of building relationships with them.
"You know, honorable colleagues, that on Zryyr they first appeared before us. They have carried out oxygenation of its atmosphere and planted with forests of their trees-obviously for its subsequent settling, after what they flew away to their planet for those who will live on Zryyr permanently. So, their appearance again is not unexpected.
"That the level of their knowledge was lower than ours, although not strikingly-otherwise they could not move in hyperspace-we knew already this earlier. So, it is possible, if we deem it necessary, the esteemed Conbr will be able to prevent their landing on Zryyr: so that we be able to populate it ourselves. Which we have an indubitable right of: we are a higher civilization, which will have nothing to take from the earthlings. But does this have a practical sense?
"Before proceeding to discuss the problem that has arisen, I suggest you listen to the message of the esteemed Conbr:
"Our fears about the possibility of a conflict, which we were properly prepared for, have seemed unfounded during the meeting with them. The leader of those who came to meet us, Larld, welcomed us with signs of his peace. Almost immediately, he announced about the unwillingness of the conflict with us. He did not cause any suspicions with his behavior and words: he has not raised yet the issue of carrying out an immediate landing of those who arrived here.
"One circumstance gave me grounds to understand that in addition to the lower level of scientific and technological development, the social one lags also far behind ours: it is like what existed for us incredibly long ago. When, at his request, I accompanied him to a cave where the previous aliens left the radio beacon from Earth, he took me to the far end of it, where there were halls with stalactites, stalagmites and columns: there were many white gypsum crystals, like flowers and branches. He broke off one-I asked why. He replied: "I promised my son to give this one."
"What meant a "son" was not clear: in our dictionaries there was no corresponding word. But after they flew to a big ship, the respected Lim served me with his knowledge of ancient history, explaining that a "son" was his immediate descendant.
"The similar existed for us incredibly long ago: children were born in the existing then social cells, families, composed by a reope and a reopine-from their connection. Not as it is now-by insemination of an ovule with sperm in a test tube followed by implantation of a zygote into the uterus of a special primitive, when a strictly correct selection of the material is carried out and the time of the creatively working people for bearing the fruit is saved."
"And then there"s a number of other things that are not essential for our discussion. Therefore, I now express my thoughts, and then each of you: in the proper order.
"I did not consider it before and do not think now that we should populate the planet Zryyr: because I do not see the point. The communication through hyperspace requires such energy costs that it cannot be frequent enough. Therefore, what then? The impossibility of our effective management of this planet: it will inevitably become independent of ours and, it is possible, that-without our wise leadership-and different. In my opinion, it is too likely, it may turn out that instead of one monolithic civilization we will get two similar only ones."
This suit obviously none of his colleagues: he did not doubt this. Even the Utmostwise Rorv, who had still heard something through his drowsiness, muttered something unintelligible.
"I return to the earthlings. I do not see any danger that they, but we, will settle in Zryyr. Let them settle there, turn it into a kind of such as our Gardrar and, probably, their Earth-extremely convenient for settling. In the case, not very likely, if, after all, we need to populate it ourselves, we will get Zryyr in a better form than now, and they will have to leave. Our level is higher: we will be able to cope with them."
"If they did not by that time equal us with our help really," the next number remarked biliously: an opportunity arose. He, like all the rest, hated Groy. But he was also afraid of him: that's why, together with the rest, he interfered with attempts to declare the inability of the Utmostwise due to his incurable brain disease. But against the three Life-longs with numbers bigger than his, Groy was helpless.
"So, we'll have to foresee something for an emergency," Gray retorted. "We will think certainly something. After all, they will have only to borrow from us, but we will what? Absolutely nothing: sure!
"So far, I've said everything. What will say you?"
"Could not some earthlings have any biological value for us? I mean, as donors for transplantation: maybe it will be more profitable than growing stem cells," the Third asked a question.
"The obvious absurdity: our and their paths of development have been too different. And we still do not need a conflict with them," the Number Four, a reopine, cut him short, seeing in the question of the Third the opportunity to wrangle with him.
Only the Fifth number chose to behave quietly this time-did not say anything. And Groy suggested:
"If there is nothing to add, then let's vote. So: unanimously. Oh, Utmostwise, do you affirm our decision?"
"Eh?"
"Do you?"
"Well, yes."
. . . The response hypergram received by Konbr provided him with the power to allow the earthlings to start landing on Zryyr at any time convenient for them. It had allowed him to assist them in order to establish relations of cooperation.
5
Unexpected help, kindly offered by the Head of the Gardrarians, played an invaluable role in accelerating the settlement. Their robots, building the same as on Earth skeletons going up toward the sky with innumerable living blocks, coped, unlike terrestrial, with lightning speed. Acting firstly in accordance with the programs of the earthlings, they quickly changed the technology of housing construction and of much more. The same thing, also when treating the soil and planting grain, vegetables, deciduous trees and bushes: including fruit ones.
But there was also the fact that the earthlings were engaged exclusively themselves: brought in animals, birds, fishes, and insects. Which must first be populated on Earth-2: the rest of them would arrive with the following settlers.
But did have the gardrarians any animals, Marc asked first. It turned out, they had. A miracle of genetics, incomprehensibly connecting a fat body on four fast legs with a long neck ending with a turtle-like head. A small herd, including adults and cubs, was placed on a territory of one of the forests enclosed with a high metal fence, feeding on pine needles. However, they weren"t, by the terrestrial means domestic animals, because of that they were kept behind a solid fence.
Conbr said that they were rapidly increasing their weight, and, in addition, their meat was delicious enough. Because only they were brought here to provide protein. Would not the venerable Lard want to taste the meat of such animals? And he shouted something: the robot inside the fence drove to it one large, apparently, male and, killing him in an incomprehensible way, threw it over it.
When they returned home, the meat was cooked yet. However, before trying it, Lal sent a piece to the laboratory for analysis: it showed the absence of substances harmful to the body of earthlings and even a very small amount of cholesterol. Therefore, they tried it.
It turned out delicious, but terribly hard: suitable only for the gardrarians, biting their food with their sharp staples instead of teeth-chewing it, like birds, with pebbles in muscular stomachs.
It was felt, after all, that, giving the earthlings tangible assistance, the gardrarians looked down on them. But soon those turned up who could somehow sway their arrogance.
Surprisingly everyone, the first of these was Marc. Communication with the gardrarians went on through translation blocks: neither the earthlings nor the gardrarians did not interpret each other's pronunciation. And only the ears of young Marc were able to do this: he was the only one able to understand the Gardrar's speech with its overwhelming abundance of consonants. Soon and talk, too: first with Lim, very interested in everything that distinguished the relationships of the earthlings from the Gardrar"s ones. Then with Conbr: amazed that the earthly teenager was able to do what not only the adult earthlings could, but even the gardrarians, he immediately started respect him.
Then Lee, who took part in the rescue flight to the satellite observatory of the gardrarians: he demonstrated the ability to withstand incredible overloads. He managed to arrive with a load of batteries much earlier than the sent gardrarian and to fix a meteorite hole in the hull. The gardrarian corrected then the orbit.
"Is it yours, of the earthlings, inborn endurance, dear Leerlkh?" he asked.
"No: it's professional-only space rescuers can, but even then not all of them. It requires a long training: on a special system and with the necessary physical quality.
"This is my system: for her I was awarded the degree of doctor, scientist. Unfortunately, it is accessible to a very few. But I have been able to teach some people."
"Can you teach us, too?"
Lee only shook his head: the gardrarians, one and all, struck with some malice. He showed his biceps and asked:
"Why do you all have such weak muscles?"
"But why we need different ones? Power-any-robots can have. The main thing is the brain, not the muscles. Do you not agree?"
"Yes: the main thing is the brain, of course. But to have good muscles is also useful. And, in general, physical health only contributes to mental activity. That's why we do a lot of physical exercises and sports."
"I did see it! But we do not need it: you waste time that can be used for work. Health can be supported by receiving the necessary remedies."
"But, if it is necessary for a forced flight, when it is necessary to hurry up to manage to save someone?"
"A rocket without people will fly-with a super robot, that thanks to a connection with Zryyr will transfer everything necessary there and carry out commands from there, if he cannot do everything without them."
"But after all, none robot can do everything that a person does. What to do then?"
"The rarest case: a superobot can literally everything."
"But in this rare case a person will die: to sacrifice him?"
"May be so. But is your opinion different?"
"Of course: human being"s life is the greatest value."
Lee had to tell him what the space rescuers did. When something happened in the Cosmos-someone died and managed to give the signal "SOS!", they flew to rescue. They always had to hurry to be in time, and they flew, overcoming huge gravitational forces, inaccessible to ordinary astronauts. And often they had to do something that seemed impossible.
"And you were like that?"
"I was. Even the rescuer No.1, and then No.2."
"Has someone bypassed you?"
"My student Guy."
"Was it a pity?"
"Why, a pity? I"m proud of him: a disciple has-no, is obliged-to surpass his teacher. And by that time, I was no longer the same: after having saved people, I was severely injured."
"Because of someone ?!" It was clear from the expression on the face of the gardrarian that he did not understand this.
6
They, these earthlings, had, in general, so much everything ridiculous. In many ways, just like children. They wasted so much time on something that had nothing to do with work. What were many of their activities?
Feasts, for example-gatherings to eat together, sing and move to music, as they called their sets of modulated sounds. What for? To eat was necessary when hungry, but for conversation, for which there was also no need to assemble-the use of tele-communication was no worse. And singing and moving to music, dancing, were nothing but the games of children of quite an early age.
And the theater is obviously incomprehensible, quite: who could be interested in other people's stories that made up the entire meaning of what was being presented-also often with the same music, singing and dancing. Despite all attempts to understand the necessity of what was being shown there, even sitting the performance out, there remained only the impression of utter senselessness of wasted time.
And the stadium with its physical competitions: another nonsense. Compete in the other thing-in scientific success. Only! The modern man does not need inflated muscles: he was none animal or robot.
These half-children believed that in this way they rested. It's silly: rest consisted of changing occupations-switching to familiarity themselves with the results of others working in close fields. The full one-of a dead sound sleep. And not of such an unjustified pastime.
About their atavistic way of their own reproduction had already been reported to the Wisest Decemvirate. But even those who did not form permanent couples, called families, did not use specially trained attractive outwardly primitives of both sexes to satisfy their libido . And it was obviously not suppressed by earthlings artificially, as almost all wise people did.
Therefore, their sexual life was much more active. And probably, the dances at their banquets were not quite meaningless: they stimulated a mutual desire. When the fingers were weaved during them, as it was explained, they silently agreed on the forthcoming having sex. Like those primitives that were used for sex, they took care of the attractiveness of their appearance, not felt too shy to bare themselves.
Such the behavior seemed something animal: which was unacceptable for the gardrarians. The bodies should be completely covered with dense clothing, indistinguishably hiding who was under it-a reope or a reopine. There was no coition between the wises, and therefore nobody cared how attractive his or her appearance for sexual partners, primitives and primitivines. And none reopine, wise, had bulging breasts, like primitivines and earthly women: since time immemorial, not feeding children, they became the less, the more deserving,-optimally almost completely flat.
All this, of course, was primarily of interest to a rather strange Lim. Almost the only connoisseur of the history of distant antiquity, he found the resemblance of the behavior of the earthlings to the existed on Gardrar then too fast. Probably, he was collecting material for his next book. And that's why he much more than other gardrarians-maybe even more than it should-communicated with earthlings.
A humanist-a historian and philosopher, Lim was doomed to long solitude in the world of naturalists and mathematicians only. Those who were able to understand what was outside the scope of their sciences were too rare. Just what he discovered, comparing different historical epochs on Gardrar: the beginning of the slowing down of scientific progress.
The reason for this was that Lim saw in the apparent regress of the relationship between those who, after all the rejections, made up an insignificantly upper layer of reople, the wise, scientific geniuses who headed a huge number of super-perfect robots and primitives. Yes, scientists did possess genius abilities, but their main goal was not common scientific achievements, but only their own ones.
It vanished when everyone was pleased not only with his own successes. Envy of the one who achieved greater ones in his researches prevailed so much that attempts at plagiarism ceased to be a rarity. Because only they, their own successes, gave what was valued most: glory-and with it the prestige and advantage in using supercomputers and technical means. Above all, to feel superior to others.
Under these conditions, the management of the Wisests, who formed the Decemvirate, replaced the former democracy. Even the most global decisions had already been taken without involving general discussion and voting. Then half of the Wisests became lifelong-irremovable. But the second half of them managed the most important thing-the reproduction of reople.
But it did not be so always. Lim knew this even from that little that he learned at the very beginning of his occupying himself with history: the social one including. And he went deeper, studying documents of antiquity, preserved in the Central Archive.
Discovered things shocked him: the reople of the previous times were obviously happier than his contemporaries. They did not refuse for the sake of scientific work what brought them joy, including physical one. He himself became one of the few who had stopped to use the drugs that weakened the libido.
What he wrote at that time, however, provoked the displeasure not only of many reople who categorically disagreed with him, but also of the Wisest Decemvirate himself. And he preferred to accept their recommendation to go the next flight of a hyperexpress to Zryyr. To stay away from them, to engage freely in a detailed study of ancient documents, using the full copy of the Central Archive that was there.
To a considerable extent, the interest in what was related to those arriving on this planet before the Gardrarians promoted this: who made it suitable for life and flew away for those would settle it. This was mentioned in the records left by them. The Message of the Earthly Mankind was also left. But there were a lot of incomprehensible things in the transcripts. To him-less than to others: thanks to his knowledge of the ancient history of Gardrar, he alone found similarities in both civilizations. He hoped to find out even more just at Zryyr, where everything that the departed earthlings had found was located.
They came back much sooner than he expected.
The idea created by him about them according to their records-as those who preserved the precious things in their lives that the gardrarians had once-gave birth to the dream of meeting them someday. What he learned and understood did not arouse his fears: they were not capable of anything bad.
He persuaded the venerable Conbr, along with his deputy, the highly esteemed Pogr, to let him meet the earthlings with them. An irresistible impulse forced him, contrary to the fact that just Conbr was the first to greet them, to get ahead of him. He recognized immediately the earthling walking towards him first: a little changed Lal, whose image, together with the image of his parents and sister, had once been left by them on the Second Earth, as they called Zryyr. They both walked forward and smiled at each other. Conbr prevented him from calling himself first, but all the same: he joined the earthling in Contact.
Yes, he communicated with the earthlings much more than the other gadrarians. Because everything that those saw in the earthy behavior as children's ridiculous, turned out to exist on Gardrar a long time ago: it made people happier than now with the joys of only scientific successes. And so, he could really communicate with them-not with the gardrarians, although he himself was a reope: the reople lost the need for real, direct communication.
He was surprised at himself: why he, just only, was so good with those belonging to another civilization-and even, it seemed, quite to a different time? Why was there such his feeling? Unclear! Like miracle: completely inexplicable!
How well he feels at their banquets-large gatherings not to enjoy so much delicious food, as to communicate joyfully. And how nice was to move, too, in a general dance! And to sing-but with his staples instead of teeth it resulted worse.
Their theatrical performances were amazing: him, the historian and philosopher, they gave no less in terms of cognition of the mankind of the Earth than what those told, with whom he communicated most closely: the first native of Zryyr Larld, Leerlkh, Alexander, the most capable young Marc, with whom he communicated without a block-interpreter. When looking at the scene, you imbued reluctantly with the feelings of characters; it staggered the actors" performance-especially of the incredibly beautiful Rlayrad, Marc's mother. She, as many said, was on Earth the greatest actress.
It was much more difficult to perceive music, which at first seemed to be an incomprehensible set of modulated sounds. But one night he woke up and heard a melody that sounded in his head, performed by Marcd on a wooden box with stringed strings, a violin: since then he could already feel deeply the music of not only the earthlings, but also the ancient gardrarian one that had been as much incomprehensible as that music.
Then the understanding of the beauty of paintings painted by hand came: both terrestrial and ancient ones. Hence-to the understanding of the desire of the earthlings to decorate their homes, make beautiful clothes and even equipment. To the beauty of flowers and plants, landscapes of the planet, sunrises and sunsets of the luminary, moon nights. He accompanied repeatedly Marcd in the depths of the cave to admire the plaster miracles.
Later he understood the meaning of sports competitions; appreciated the enjoyment of the acuteness of the exciting moments of competition: the beauty of strength, agility and speed. That, however, was not available to him-a puny one, like all the Gardrarians: considering muscular strength unnecessary.
All these occupations of the earthlings did not seem to him alone unjustified pastime, an idle waste of time. It was they that gave them the best rest, maintained efficiency, freshness of consciousness-aroused imagination.
Another side of the earthlings" life seemed attractive to him: what was related to reproduction-the birth of children in families by genetic mothers themselves. As a matter of fact, such a complete family, in which it was possible to see the relationship between parents and their child, was so far only one: Larld with Layrlad and their son Marcd, born on Earth. But there were already a lot of family women with increasing stomachs and breasts: pregnant ones.
Besides the unusual attitude of parents towards Marcd and his one towards them, the attitude of his parents and all other family partners, spouses, to each other were touching also. It's enough to see how Larld was looking at her Layrlad, and she was at him.
But all the same existed on Gardrar before, when, to increase the intensity of work turned out to be capable of more complex mental work, they began to use of incapable women for bearing children. And then the family disappeared, the sexual life gained complete freedom, no longer connected with mutual feelings-only with a momentary desire. Especially, that they began to use for this purpose the most attractive incapable reople, primitivines and primitives.
So, the warmth of the attitude between those who were intimate physically disappeared. Moreover, it, the physical intimacy of the wise reople did not exist anymore really: for this solely primitives attractive sexually were used. And what was more, their number was small: the vast majority of the wises, having handed over at a young age in the gene pool their spermatozoa and ovules, preferred to reduce medically their libido as a rudimentary need.