Latest / Mr. Spaceship / 01 - Mr. Spaceship by Philip K. Dick

Transcript

01 - Mr. Spaceship by Philip K. Dick · Mr. Spaceship

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Mister Spaceship. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are with the public domain. For more
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: by phil Schinebeer Mister Spaceship by Philip K. Dick. Section one.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: The Interstellar War reaches a stalemate. Kramer leaned back. You
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: can see the situation. How can we deal with a
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: factor like this, the perfect variable, perfect predictions should still
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: be possible. A living thing still acts from necessity the
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: same as inanimate material, but the cause effect chain is
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: more subtle. They are more factors to be considered. The
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: difference is quantitative. I think the reaction of the living
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: organism parallels natural causation, but with greater complexity. Gross and
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: Kramer looked up at the board plates suspended on the wall,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: still dripping the images hardening into place. Kramer traced the
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: line with his pencil. See that it's a pseudo podium.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: They're alive and so far a weapon we can't beat.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: No mechanical system can't compete with that simple or intricate.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: We'll have to scrap the Johnson control and find something else. Meanwhile,
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: the war continues as it is stalemate, checkmate. They can't
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: get to us, and we can't get through their living minefield.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Kramer nodded. It's a perfect defense for them, but there
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: still might be one answer. What's that? Wait a minute.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Kramer turned to his rocket expert, sitting with the charts
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: and files the heavy cruiser that returned this week. It
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: didn't actually touch, did it. It came close, but there
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: was no contact. Correct, The expert nodded. The mine was
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: twenty miles off. The cruiser was in space drive, moving
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: directly toward Proxima Large Strait using the Johnson control. Of course,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: it had deflected a quarter of an hour earlier, for
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: reasons unknown. Later it resumed its course. That was when
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: they got it. It shifted, Kramer said, but not enough.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: The mine was coming along after it, trailing it. It's
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: the same old story. But I wonder about the contact.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: Here's our theory, the expert said. We keep looking for
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: a contact, a trigger in the pseudopodium, but more likely
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: we're witnessing a psychological phenomena, a decision without any physical correlative.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: We're watching for something that isn't there. The mine decides
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: to blow up, it sees our ship approaches and then
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: decides thanks. Kramer turned to Gross, Well, that confirms what
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: I'm saying. How can a ship guided by automatic relays
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: escape a mind that decides to explode the whole theory
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: of mind penetration is that you must avoid tripping the trigger.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: But here the trigger is a state of mind in
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: a complicated, developed life form. The belt is fifty thousand
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: miles deep. Gross added, it solves another problem for them,
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: repair and maintenance. The damn things reproduce fill up the
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: spaces by spawning into them. I wonder what they feed on.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: Probably the remains of our first line. The big cruisers
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: must be a delicacy. It's a game of width between
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: a living creature and a ship piloted by automatic relays.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: The ship always loses. Kramer opened a folder. I'll tell
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: you what I suggest, go on, Gross said, I've already
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: heard ten solutions today. What's yours mine is very simple.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: These creatures are superior to any mechanical system, but only
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: because they are alive all a most any other life
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: form could compete with them, any higher life form if
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: they oks can put out living minds to protect their planets.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: We ought to be able to harness some of our
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: own life forms in a similar way. Let's make use
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: of the same weapon ourselves. Which life form do you
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: propose to use? I think the human brain is the
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: most agile of known living forms. Do you know of
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: any better? But no human being can withstand out space travel.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: A human pilot would be dead of heart failure long
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: before the ship got anywhere near Proxima. But we don't
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: need the whole body, Gramer said, we only need the brain.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: What the problem is to find a person of high
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: intelligence who would contribute in the same manner that eyes
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: and arms are volunteered, But a brain. Technically it could
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: be done. Brains have been transferred several times when body
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: destruction made it necessary, of course, to a spaceship to
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: a heavy outspace cruiser instead of an artificial body. That's new.
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: The room was silent. It's quite an idea, Gross said slowly,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: his heavy, square face twisted. But even supposing it might work,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: the big question is whose brain? It was all very confusing.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: The reasons for the war, the nature of the enemy.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: The Yukane had been contacted by one of the outlying
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: planets of Proximus and Tauron At the approach of the
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: Terran ship, a host of dark, slim pencils had lifted
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: abruptly and shot off into the distance. The first real
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: encounter came between three of the Yuck pencils and a
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: single exploration ship from Terror. No Terrans survived after that,
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: it was all out war, with no holes boared. Both
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: sides feverishly constructed defense rings around their systems. Of the two,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: the yukone belt was the better. The ring around Proxima
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: was a living ring, superior to anything Terror could throw
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: against it. The standard equipment by which Terran ships were
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: guided in out space, the Johnson Control, was not adequate.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: Something more was needed. Automatic relays were not good enough,
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: not good at all, Kramer thought to himself as he
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: stood looking down the hillside at the work going on
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: below him. A warm wind blew along the hill, rustling
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: the weeds and grass at the bottom in the valley,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: the mechanics had almost finished. The last elements of the
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: reflex system had been removed from the ship and crated up.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: All that was needed now was the new corps, the
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: new central key that would take the place of the
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: mechanical system. A human brain, the brain of an intelligent,
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: wary human being. But would the human being part with it?
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: That was the problem. Kramer turned to People were approaching
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: him along the road, a man and a woman. The
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: man was Gross, expressionless, heavy set, walking with dignity. The
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: woman was He stared in surprise and growing annoyance. It
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: was Dolores, his wife. Since they'd separated, he had seen
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: little lover her. Gramer Gross said, look who I ran into.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Come back down with us. We're going into town. Hello,
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: phil Delora said, well, aren't you glad to see me?
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: He nodded, how have you been? You're looking fine? She
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: was still pretty and slender in her uniform, the blue
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: gray of Internal Security Gross's organization. Thanks, she smiled. You
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: seem to be doing all right too. Commander Gross tells
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: me that you're responsible for this project, operation head as
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: they call it. Whose head have you decided on? That's
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: the problem. Kramer lit a cigarette. This ship is to
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: be equipped with a human brain instead of the Johnson system.
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: We've constructed special draining bass for the brain, electronic relays
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: to catch the impulses and magnify them, a continual feeding
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: duct that supplies the living cells with everything they need.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: But we still haven't got the brain itself. Gross finished.
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: They began to walk back toward the care. If we
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: can get that, we'll be ready for the tests. Will
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: the brain remain alive? Delaurus asked, is it actually going
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: to live as part of the ship. It will be alive,
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: but not conscious. Very little life is actually conscious. Animals, trees,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: insects are quick in their responses, but they aren't conscious.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: In this process of ours, the individual personality, the ego
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: will cease. We only need the responsibility, nothing more. The
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: Loris shuddered, How terrible. In time of war, everything must
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: be tried, Kramer said, absently. If one life sacrificed will
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: end the war, it's worth it. This ship might get
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: through a couple more like it, and there wouldn't be
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: any more war. They got into the car. As they
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: drove down the road, Gros said, have you thought of
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: anyone yet? Kramer shook his head. That's out of my line.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: What do you mean. I'm an engineer, it's not my department,
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: but all this was your idea. My work ends there.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: Grose was staring at him oddly. Kramer shifted uneasily. Then,
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: who is supposed to do it? Gros said, I could
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: have my organization prepare examinations of various kinds to determine
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: fitness that kind of thing. Listen, phil the Lauris said
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: suddenly what She turned toward him. I have an idea.
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: Do you remember that professor we had in college? Michael
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: Thomas Kramer nodded, I wonder if he's still alive? To
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Lauris frowned. If he is, he must be awfully old. Why,
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: Dolores Gross asked, Perhaps an old person who didn't have
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: much time left, but whose mind was still clear and sharp.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Professor Thomas Kramer rubbed his jaw. He certainly was a
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: wise old duck. But could he still be alive? He
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: must have been seventy. Then we could find that out.
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: Grosse said, I could make a routine check. What do
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: you think de Laura said, if any human mind could
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: outwit those creatures? I don't like the idea, Kramer said,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: it is mind. An image had appeared, the image of
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: an old man sitting behind a desk, his bright, gentle
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: eyes moving about the classroom. The old man leaning forward,
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: A thin hand raised. Keep him out of this, Kramer said,
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: what's wrong? Gros looked at him curiously, it's because I
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: suggested it to Laura said no. Kramer shook his head.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: It's not that I didn't expect anything like this. Somebody
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: I knew, a man I studied under. I remember him
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: very clearly. He was a very distinct personality. Good Gross said.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: He sounds fine. We can't do it. We're asking his death.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: This is war, Gross said, and war doesn't wait on
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: the needs of the individual. You said that yourself. Surely
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: he'll volunteer. We can keep it on that basis. He
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: may already be dead, Dolors murmured, we'll find that out,
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: Gross said, speeding up the car. They drove the rest
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: of the way in silence. For a long time. The
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: two of them stood studying the small woodhouse, overgrown with ivy,
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: set back on the lot behind an enormous oak. The
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: little town was silent and sleepy. Once in a while
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: a car moved slowly along the distant highway, but that
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: was all. This is the place, Gros said to Kramer.
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: He folded his arms, quite a quaint little house. Kramer
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: said nothing. The two security agents behind them were expressionless.
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: Grose started toward the gate. Let's go. According to the check,
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: he's still alive but very sick. It's mind is agile. However,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: that seems to be certain. It's said he doesn't leave
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: the house. A woman takes care of his needs. He's
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: very frail. They went down the stone walk and up
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: onto the porch. Grose rang the bell. They waited. After
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: a time, they heard slow footsteps. The door opened. An
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: elderly woman in a shapeless wrapper studied them impassively. Security
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: Grose said, showing his card, we wish to see Professor Thomas.
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: Why government business. He glanced at Kramer. Kramer stepped forward.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: I was a pupil of the professor's, he said, I'm
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: sure he won't mind seeing this. The woman hesitated uncertainly.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: Grose stepped into the doorway. All right, mother, this is
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: we can't stand out here. The two security agents followed him,
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: and Kramer came reluctantly behind, closing the door. Grose stalked
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: down the hall until he came to an open door.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: He stopped. Looking in. Kramer could see the white corner
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: of a bed, a wooden post, and the edge of
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: a dresser. He joined Gross. In the dark room, a
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: withered old man lay propped up on endless pillows, At
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: first it seemed as if he were asleep. There was
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: no motion or sign of life. But after a time
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: Kramer saw with a faint shock that the old man
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: was watching them intently, his eyes fixed on them, unmoving, unwinking.
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: Professor Thomas Gros said, I'm Commander Gross of Security. This
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: man with me is perhaps known to you. The faded
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: eyes fixed on Kramer. I know him, Philip Kramer. You've
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: grown heavier, boy. The voice was feeble, the rustle of
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: dry ashes. Is it true you're married now? Yes? I
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: married Dolores French, You remember her. Kramer came toward the bed,
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: but we're separated. It didn't work out very well our careers.
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: What we came here about? Professor Gros began, but Kramer
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: cut him off with an impatient wave, let me talk.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Can't you and your men get out of here long
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: enough to let me talk to him? Gross swallowed, all right, Cramer.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: He nodded to the two men. The three of them
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: left the room, going out into the hall and closing
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: the door after them. The old man in the bed
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: watched Kramer silently. I don't think much of him, he said,
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: at last, I've seen his type before. What's he want? Nothing?
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: He just came along. Can I sit down? Kramer found
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: a stiff upright chair beside the bed. If I'm bothering you, no,
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: I'm glad to see you again, Philip after so long.
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry your marriage didn't work out. How have you
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: been I've been very ill. I'm afraid that my moment
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: on the world stages all most ended. The ancient eyes
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: studied the younger man reflectively. You look as if you've
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: been doing well like everyone else. I thought highly of.
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: You've gone to the top of this society. Kramer smiled.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Then he became serious and Professor, there's a project we're
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: working on that I want to talk to you about.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: It's the first ray of hope we've had in this
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: whole war. If it works, we may be able to
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: crack the Yuck defenses get some ships into their system.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: If we can do that, the war might be brought
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: to an end. Go on, tell me about it if
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: you wish. It's a long shot, this project. It may
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: not work at all, but we have to give it
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: a try. It's obvious that you came here because of it.
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Professor Thomas murmured, I'm becoming curious and go on. After
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Kramer finished, the old man lay back in his bed
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: without speaking. At last, he sighed, I understand a human
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: mind taken out of a human body. He sat up
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: a little, looking at Kramer. I suppose you're thinking of me.
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: Gramer said nothing. End of Section one.