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13 - Blind Spot · Space Odyssey Sci-Fi Anthology

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Blind Spot by Bascom Jones Junior, from Galaxy Science Fiction,
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  Speaker 1: February nineteen fifty five. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Dale Grothman. Everyone supported the Martian program until it struck home.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Blind Spot by Bascom Jones Junior. John Stark, Director of
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  Speaker 1: the Department of Interplanetary Relations for Mars Settlement. I re
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  Speaker 1: read the final paragraph of the note, which he had
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  Speaker 1: found on his desk upon returning from lunch earlier in
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  Speaker 1: the day. His eyes flickered rapidly over the moist smeared
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  Speaker 1: Martian scroll, ignoring the bitterness directed at him in the
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  Speaker 1: first paragraph. He was vaguely troubled by the last sentences,
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  Speaker 1: but he hadn't been able to pin the feeling down.
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  Speaker 1: Our civilization predates that of Earth by millions of years.
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  Speaker 1: We are an advanced, peaceful race. Yet since Earth's first
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  Speaker 1: rocket landed here thirteen years ago, we have been looked
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  Speaker 1: upon as freaks and contemptuously called bug men behind our backs.
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  Speaker 1: This is our planet. We gave you of our far
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  Speaker 1: advanced knowledge and science, freely so that Earth would be
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  Speaker 1: a better place. We asked nothing in return, but we
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  Speaker 1: were rewarded by having forced upon us foreign ideas of government, religion,
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  Speaker 1: and behavior. Our protests have been silenced by an armed
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  Speaker 1: police and punitive system we've never before needed. Some day
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  Speaker 1: you will awaken to this injustice. On that day in
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  Speaker 1: your life, you have my sympathy and pity. Stark knew
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  Speaker 1: that the Settlement's investigation slab could readily determine the identity
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  Speaker 1: of the martian who had written the note, but he
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  Speaker 1: hesitated to send it over. Under the new system, such
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  Speaker 1: trouble makers were banished to the slave labor details of
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  Speaker 1: the precious Earth minds to the north. Crumbling the note
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  Speaker 1: in sudden decision, Stark dropped it into the office incendiary tube.
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  Speaker 1: The morning VIZ report had shown that there were more
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  Speaker 1: than seventeen thousand workers at the mines, only five had
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  Speaker 1: been Earthlings. Let the armed police system find the martian
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  Speaker 1: through their own channels. It wasn't his job. A glance
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  Speaker 1: at the solar clock in the far wall reminds him
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  Speaker 1: that there was still time for one more interview before
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  Speaker 1: the last bell, so he impatiently signaled his secretary to
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  Speaker 1: send in the waiting couple. Ordinarily, he liked his work
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  Speaker 1: and time meant little to him. He had jumped from
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  Speaker 1: interpreter to director in the ten years since the department
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  Speaker 1: had been created. But this day was different. Stark was
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  Speaker 1: to announce his engagement at the Chief's dinner party that evening,
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  Speaker 1: and time had seemed to drag since his lunch with Carol.
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  Speaker 1: When the door opened, he rose and nodded to the plump,
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  Speaker 1: freckle faced girl who entered. The girl topped five feet
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  Speaker 1: by one or two inches, but she was no taller
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  Speaker 1: than the Martian man who followed her at the prescribed
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  Speaker 1: four feet. After the girl had seated herself, Stark and
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  Speaker 1: the Martians sat down, Stark opened the folder which his
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  Speaker 1: secretary had placed on his desk earlier. Your names are
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  Speaker 1: Ruth and Ralph Gallat, and you want permission to move
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  Speaker 1: into Housing Perimeter D. It was merely a formality, since
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  Speaker 1: the information was in the folder. When the girl nodded,
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  Speaker 1: Stark placed a small check mark in the space beside
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  Speaker 1: her name. Then he turned to the martian. A large,
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  Speaker 1: single red eye deep in the martian's smooth green forehead
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  Speaker 1: and above the two brown ones blinked once before he answered.
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  Speaker 1: He spoke deliberately, as is required of all Martians under
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  Speaker 1: the new system. I have taken the name of one
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  Speaker 1: of the early earthlings to write and pronounce. The large
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  Speaker 1: red eye blinked again. My wife would like to move
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  Speaker 1: into housing Perimeter D by regulations. I respect her wish.
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  Speaker 1: Stark placed a check mark by the martian's name. He
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  Speaker 1: wiped the smudge of ink off his hand and said,
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  Speaker 1: you both know, of course, that Perimeter D is reserved
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  Speaker 1: for couples who have intermarried and are about to have offspring.
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  Speaker 1: The girl and the martian nodded, and the girl passed
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  Speaker 1: Stark a medical report. Stark looked over the report and
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  Speaker 1: then made a notation on a small pink slip. He said,
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  Speaker 1: this permit certifies that you are eligible to move from
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  Speaker 1: Perimeter E to housing Perimeter D. It also certifies that
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  Speaker 1: your husband has no record as a troublemaker. Stark looked
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  Speaker 1: at the girl. You understand that you may visit your
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  Speaker 1: friends in Perimeter E, but by law, they will not
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  Speaker 1: be allowed to enter Perimeter D to visit you. And
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  Speaker 1: of course, the new law clearly states that neither of
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  Speaker 1: you may v visit Earthlings in housing Perimeter A B
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  Speaker 1: or C. The girl looked down at her hands. Her
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  Speaker 1: voice was almost inaudible. My husband and I are familiar
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  Speaker 1: with the advantages and disadvantages listed under the section pertaining
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  Speaker 1: to innermarriage in the new law. Mister Stark, thank you.
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  Speaker 1: Stark rose as they left for a brief moment. He
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  Speaker 1: thought he had detected a sense of rebellion in their attitude,
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  Speaker 1: but that was not possible. The new law provided equality
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  Speaker 1: for all, and his department had been created to iron
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  Speaker 1: out relationships between the two races, except complaints originated by
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  Speaker 1: troublemakers for the purpose of weakening the new system. In
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  Speaker 1: such cases, investigations had stepped in and the Martian or
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  Speaker 1: Earthling troublemaker had been sent to the rare earth minds.
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  Speaker 1: The reddish light filtered in through the quartz and lead
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  Speaker 1: wall of his office showed that it was almost time
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  Speaker 1: for last bell. On the street below, shoppers were streaming
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  Speaker 1: out of the stores on their way to the various
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  Speaker 1: housing perimeters. Earthlings were climbing into their speedy little jet
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  Speaker 1: cars for the short trip to the recently modernized inner perimeters.
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  Speaker 1: Martians were waiting for the slower auto buses. The traffic
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  Speaker 1: problem had been solved under the new system by restricting
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  Speaker 1: the use of the Martian built jet cars. Two persons
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  Speaker 1: living in the inner perimeters as Stark watched, a black
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  Speaker 1: jetcar impatiently hurtled out of the line of traffic, howled
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  Speaker 1: through a crowd of Martians waiting for an autobus, and
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  Speaker 1: skidded to a stop at the curb in front of
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  Speaker 1: the building. A tall girl got out. The red evening
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  Speaker 1: glow reflected from her golden hair and made her breathing
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  Speaker 1: globe almost amber Mayo. Martians and Earthlings alike turned to
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  Speaker 1: Stare in appreciation as she pushed her way through the
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  Speaker 1: crowd to the building's compressor lock. Carol was that kind
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  Speaker 1: of girl. Almost at the exact moment that Carol opened
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  Speaker 1: the door into Stark's office, the yellow vizcreen of the
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  Speaker 1: vocal box on Stark's desk flashed on brilliantly, and the
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  Speaker 1: Chief's booming voice filled the office. The light from the
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  Speaker 1: screen picked up the highlights on the furniture and gave
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  Speaker 1: a sallow green cast to Stark's features. Carol stepped back
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  Speaker 1: into the doorway to stay out of range of the
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  Speaker 1: two way unit. Stark the automatic tuner on the box
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  Speaker 1: connected to bring the Chief's image to wire sharp focus. Yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: about the dinner tonight, just checking to make sure you're
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  Speaker 1: planning to be there. We want a full turnout. An
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  Speaker 1: inspection team has come up from Earth and we have
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  Speaker 1: two visiting dignitaries from Venus. Stark nodded and waited for
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  Speaker 1: the Chief to say something else, but the vizcreen blanked out.
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  Speaker 1: Carol said, that was Dad, wasn't it. Stark felt very
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  Speaker 1: depressed suddenly. Haven't you told him yet? No, he's been
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  Speaker 1: tied up with all those inspectors all afternoon, and you
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  Speaker 1: know how Dad is, Johnny. There's a right and a
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  Speaker 1: wrong time to tell him things. Right now, he's only
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  Speaker 1: interested in hearing about Earth. But we're supposed to announce
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  Speaker 1: our engagement tonight at dinner. He shook his head. We
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  Speaker 1: can't go on forever with just a few stolen moments
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  Speaker 1: here and there, eating an occasional lunch or third meal
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  Speaker 1: together in little out of the way places. Carol laughed,
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  Speaker 1: the youthful swell of her breasts again, the soft spun
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  Speaker 1: glass material of her blouse. Don't worry so, Johnny, I'm
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  Speaker 1: a big girl now. This is my eighteenth birthday. Dad's
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  Speaker 1: bark is much worse than his bite. I'll tell him
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  Speaker 1: about us on the way home. She moved closer to
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  Speaker 1: him until he could feel the warmth of her body.
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  Speaker 1: He could see the warm, damp indentation where her breathing
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  Speaker 1: globe had rested against her shoulders and chest. She asked, teasingly,
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  Speaker 1: what did you get me for my birthday, Johnny? Something
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  Speaker 1: real nice? What did you want? Johnny asked her gently,
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  Speaker 1: and suddenly she wasn't teasing any more. She put her
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  Speaker 1: arms around him. Dad and my brothers would say, I'm crazy,
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  Speaker 1: But all I want, Johnny is you just you. You
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  Speaker 1: know that Stark had picked out her birthday present, but
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  Speaker 1: he wanted it to be a surprise for that night.
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  Speaker 1: He said, I already saw one of your presents, a
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  Speaker 1: black jet car. How did you know that? I saw
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  Speaker 1: you drive up in it a few minutes ago, Carol giggled.
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  Speaker 1: Dad gave that to me. Did you see me plow
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  Speaker 1: through that crowd waiting for the autobus? Did your brother
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  Speaker 1: send you anything? She nodded. Three new outfits from Earth.
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  Speaker 1: They were on the same liner that brought the inspection
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  Speaker 1: team to the settlement this morning. Oh yes, and the
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  Speaker 1: captain of the liner brought me this. She showed him
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  Speaker 1: the tiny pin she wore attached to her collar. The
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  Speaker 1: pin itself was a carefully wrought but cruel caricature of
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  Speaker 1: an awkward bug like creature. A small ruby set in
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  Speaker 1: the center of its face served as its eye. Stark frowned, Carol,
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  Speaker 1: you shouldn't be wearing that. He reached up and unpinned it.
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  Speaker 1: That's the sort of thing our department is fighting. But
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  Speaker 1: the captain said it was the latest rage back on Earth.
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  Speaker 1: They even make toys like it. I'm sure they're not
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  Speaker 1: designed to to poke fun at anyone. Stark started to
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  Speaker 1: say something, but the last bell interrupted him. He said,
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  Speaker 1: if you're going to take your father home and tell
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  Speaker 1: him about us before dinner, you'd better hurry. I'll come earlier.
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  Speaker 1: Carol kissed him and said goodbye. She left the pin
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  Speaker 1: on Stark's desk and was smiling at him as she
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  Speaker 1: closed the door. After waiting until the first rush of
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  Speaker 1: workers had gone and the building was quiet, Stark caught
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  Speaker 1: the elevator down. The overhead lights in the compressor lock
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  Speaker 1: were reflected in the twin rows of breathing globes. Hinted
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  Speaker 1: ones had to be used by Martians in the building,
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  Speaker 1: and the clear ones were used by Earthmen when they
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  Speaker 1: were outside. In the Martian atmosphere, Stark stopped in at
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  Speaker 1: a little open shop down one of the many side streets.
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  Speaker 1: The sign said closed, but he rang the bell until
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  Speaker 1: a little dried up Martian appeared. Thus, goorekeeper handed him
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  Speaker 1: a small box. Stark opened it and examined the ring,
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  Speaker 1: Carrol's birthday present. The single large diamond set in the
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  Speaker 1: thin precious metal band dated back to an all but
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  Speaker 1: forgotten custom practiced on Earth. Stark thought the engagement ring
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  Speaker 1: would please Carol, though. Standing in the compressor lock at
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  Speaker 1: the Chief's home later, Stark rubbed the diamond against the
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  Speaker 1: sleeve of his tunic. He fumbled with his breathing globe,
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  Speaker 1: and then pushed the button that activated the door. The
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  Speaker 1: teleguard beyond the opening door scanned him rapidly. As he
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  Speaker 1: stepped forward. A red light above the teleguard flashed on
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  Speaker 1: and the door began to close again. Stark threw all
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  Speaker 1: his strength against the door and squeezed through into the house.
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  Speaker 1: Throughout the house, Stark could hear the alarm bell. A
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  Speaker 1: taped voice activated by the teleguard said, do not enter,
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  Speaker 1: Do not enter. He found Carol and the Chief in
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  Speaker 1: the library alone, nearly purple with rage. The Chief drew
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  Speaker 1: himself up to his full six feet. The Chief bellowed, Stark,
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  Speaker 1: are you crazy? The growing feeling of sickness spread through Stark.
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  Speaker 1: Who do you think you are? The Chief yelled, get
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  Speaker 1: back to your office and consider yourself under our rest
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  Speaker 1: as a troublemaker. Give you people an inch and you
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  Speaker 1: try to walk away with everything. Why I wouldn't let
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  Speaker 1: you touch my daughter if you were the last living
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  Speaker 1: being in the universe. Carol didn't look up. She stood
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  Speaker 1: through it all silently, without moving. Stark knew now where
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  Speaker 1: his blind spot had been. He turned and left them.
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  Speaker 1: Back at his office, he waited for the police. Stark
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  Speaker 1: stared down at his reflection in the polished top of
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  Speaker 1: the desk. A yellow, moist film of sweat covered his face.
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  Speaker 1: The red eye said in his forehead blinked. But the
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  Speaker 1: pain visible just beyond the surface of that eye was
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  Speaker 1: not over Carol or himself. The pain was for what
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  Speaker 1: he was seeing for the first time. Now the End
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  Speaker 1: of blind Spot by Bascombe Jones, Junior at