The Passing of Ku Sui Part 8

Frigidly the Hawk asked: "You've destroyed the brains?"

"I have destroyed the brains." The Eurasian's voice was deep with a strange, unusual tone. "No matter: it was time. I am far, far ahead of that work, great though it was; it has destroyed itself with its inherent, irremediable fault. Yes, far ahead. Next time...." He appeared to lapse into profound and melancholy reflections; seemed to forget entirely the two men by him.

But the Hawk acted.

"We'll see," he said curtly. "Friday, watch the Doctor closely; this trick may be only the first." An intent, grim figure, he strode to the case of coordinated brains, pulled over the first of its two controlling switches, and stood silent while slowly the pulsings of light grew through the inner liquid and very slowly irradiated the five gray, naked mounds that were human brains. The light came to full, and Ca.r.s.e threw over the second switch. He said into the grille:

"I am Captain Ca.r.s.e. I wish to know if you are aware of what has just happened. Do you hear me, and did you feel anything a minute ago?"

Silence. Friday, close to the Eurasian and watchful, hung breathless, hoping that words might come from the grille in answer. But the silken figure he watched was there only in body; Dr. Ku's mind was in a far s.p.a.ce of his own.

Cold, unhuman words spoke out.

"_Yes, Captain Ca.r.s.e, I hear you. I felt the vibrations of the explosion that occurred a minute ago._"

"Hah!" grunted Friday, immediately relieved. "All bluff, suh! No damage to 'em at all!"

Ca.r.s.e asked quickly into the grille:

"You felt the explosion, but do you know what it meant?--what it did?"

Again a pause; and again the toneless voice:

"_A vital part of the machinery through which I live his been destroyed. I have left only some three hours of life._"

The Hawk returned to Ku Sui. "Is that true?" he snapped.

"Yes, Captain." The words made a whisper, gentle and melancholy, coming from afar. A man was turning back from the scanning of the long years of one phase of his life. "Three hours is all that is left to them.... But there was a fault inherent in such coordinated brains; it is just as well that they are going.... Ah, Ca.r.s.e. I am so far ahead of you ... but I tell you it is a painful thing to destroy so wonderful a work of my hands...."

Silence filled the laboratory. It was broken by the awful voice of the living dead.

"_I release you from your second promise, Captain Ca.r.s.e. No doubt what happened was beyond your control.... I will soon be dead.

Although there is still nourishment in my liquid, I grow weaker already. I am dying...._"

Harshly, the Hawk asked a final question into the grille:

"Within what time will you retain the vitality necessary to undergo the initial steps of the transplanting operations? Do you know?"

Dr. Ku raised his head at this, though he seemed only mildly interested in what the reply would be.

"_I think for two of the remaining three hours._"

"All right!" said Hawk Ca.r.s.e decisively. He threw off the case's switches. "Dr. Ku," he said, "you've only succeeded in accelerating things. Now for speed! Friday, we're taking this asteroid to Eliot Leithgow's laboratory. Go see that the port-lock doors are closed tight, then you and Wilson hurry back here! Fast! Run!"

CHAPTER VII

_To the Laboratory_

When the Negro returned, panting, with Ban Wilson, it was to discover Ca.r.s.e in the control room of the asteroid. He was studying the multifarious devices and instruments: and they, seeing his face so set in concentration, did not disturb him, but went over to where Dr. Ku Sui sat in a chair, and posted themselves behind it.

The apparatus in the control room resembled that of any modern s.p.a.ce-ship of its time, except that there were extra pieces of unguessed function. Directly in front of Ca.r.s.e was the directional s.p.a.ce-stick above its complicated mechanism: above his eyes was the wide six-part visi-screen, which in s.p.a.ce would record the whole "sphere" of the heavens: while to his right was the chief control board, a smooth black surface studded with squads of vari-colored b.u.t.tons and lights, These were the essentials, familiar to any ship navigator; but they were here awesome, for they controlled not the one or two hundred feet of an ordinary craft, but twenty miles of this s.p.a.ce-ship of rock.

"Yes ... yes...." Ca.r.s.e murmured presently out of his study, then turned and for the first time appeared to notice Friday and Ban. He gave orders.

"Eclipse, you see the radio over there? Get Master Leithgow on it for me--protected beam. Ban, you bind Dr. Ku Sui in that chair, please."

Wilson was surprised.

"Bind him? Isn't he going to run this thing?"

"No."

"_You're_ going to, Ca.r.s.e?"

"Yes. I don't quite trust Dr. Ku. The asteroid's controlled on the same principles as a s.p.a.ce-ship: I'll manage. Please hurry, Ban."

"Cap'n., suh! Already got the Master Scientist!" called Friday from the radio panel. The Hawk strode swiftly to it and clamped the individual receivers over his ears.

"M. S.?" he asked into the microphone. "You're there?"

"Yes. Ca.r.s.e? What's happened?"

"All's well, but I'm in a tremendous hurry: I've only got time, now, to tell you we're on the asteroid with Dr. Ku prisoner, and that I'm undertaking to transplant the coordinated brains into living human bodies.... What? Yes transplant them! Please, M. S.--not now: questions later. I'm calling primarily to learn whether you have any V-27 on hand?"

Eliot Leithgow, in his distant laboratory, paused before replying.

When his voice sounded in the receivers again, it was excited.

"I think I see, Ca.r.s.e! Good! Yes, I have a little--"

"We'll need a lot," the Hawk cut in tersely. "Will you instruct your a.s.sistants to begin preparing as much as they can in the next hour? Yes.

And your laboratory--clear it for the operations, and improvise five operating tables. Powerful lights, too, M. S. Yes--_yes_--right--all accessories. Have someone stand by your radio; I'll radio further details while we're on our way."

"Right, Ca.r.s.e. All understood."

The Hawk remembered something else. "Oh, yes, Eliot--is everything safe in your vicinity?"

"There's a small band of isuanacs foraging around somewhere in the neighborhood, but otherwise nothing. They're harmless--"

"But possibly observant," finished Ca.r.s.e. "All right--I'll clear them away before descending to the lab. Until later, Eliot."

Ca.r.s.e switched off the microphone and turned to catch Friday's shocked expression. Ca.r.s.e looked inquiringly at his dark satellite.