The Plague, Pestilence & Apocalypse MEGAPACK™

by Robert Reed

  “Initially, it was a lucky accident,” said Sam Atkins .

  “Very lucky,” said Fenwick, “if you were able to accidentally

  obtain a crystal of fifteen layers or so and have each layer even ap-

  proximately correct .”

  Sam smiled blandly. “Our first crystals were not so complex, you

  understand . Only three layers . We thought we were building tran-

  sistors, then . Later, our mathematics showed us the advantage of

  additional layers and gave us the dimensions .”

  The mathematics that Baker said a kid could poke holes in . Fen-

  wick didn’t know . He hadn’t checked the math .

  Where was the gimmick?

  In the afternoon they took him out for field tests again. A rise

  behind the barn was about a mile from a similar rise on Sam Atkins’

  place . They communicated across that distance in all the ways, in-

  cluding various kinds of codes, that Fenwick could think of to find

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  some evidence of hoax . Afterwards, they returned to the laboratory

  and sawed in two the crystals they had just used . Then they showed

  him the tests they had devised to determine the nature of the radia-

  tion between the crystals .

  He did not find the gimmick.

  By the end of the day Ellerbee seemed beat, as if he’d been un-

  der a heavy strain all day long . And then Fenwick realized that was

  actually the case . Ellerbee wanted desperately to have someone be-

  lieve in him, believe in his communication device . Not only had he

  used all the reasoning power at his command, he had been straining

  physically to induce Fenwick to believe .

  Through it all, however, Sam Atkins seemed to remain bland and

  utterly at ease, as if it made absolutely no difference to him, what-

  ever .

  “I guess we’ve just about shot our wad,” said Ellerbee . “That’s

  about all we’ve got to show you . If we haven’t convinced you by

  now that our communicator works, I don’t know how we can ac-

  complish it .”

  Had they convinced him? Fenwick asked himself . Did he believe

  what he had seen or didn’t he? He had been smug in front of Baker

  after the first demonstration, but now he wondered how much he had

  been covered by the same brush that had tarred Baker .

  It wasn’t easy for him to admit the possibility of nonelectromag-

  netic radiation from these strange crystals, radiation which could

  carry sight and sound from one point to another without any trans-

  ducers but the crystals themselves .

  “You have to step out of the world you’ve grown accustomed to,”

  said Sam Atkins very quietly . “This is what we have had to do . It’s

  not hard now to comprehend that telepathic forces of the mind can

  be directed by this means . This is a new pattern . Think of it as such .

  Don’t try to cram it into the old pattern . Then it’s easy .”

  A new pattern . That was the trouble, Fenwick thought . There

  couldn’t really be any new patterns, could there? There was only

  one basic pattern, in which all the phenomena of the universe fit.

  He readily admitted that very little was known about that pattern,

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  and many things believed true were false . But the Second Law of

  Thermodynamics . That had to be true—invariably true—didn’t it?

  If there was a hoax, Baker would have to find it.

  “I’ll be back with Dr . Baker in a couple of days,” Fenwick said .

  “After that, the one final evidence we’ll need will be to construct

  these crystals in our own laboratories, entirely on our own, based on

  your instructions .”

  Ellerbee nodded agreement. “That would suit us just fine.”

  “Hypnotism,” said Baker . “It sounds like some form of hyp-

  notism, and I don’t like that kind of thing . It could merit criminal

  prosecution .”

  “There’s no possible way I could have been hypnotized,” said

  Fenwick .

  “These crystals—obviously it has something to do with them .

  But I wonder what their game is, anyway? It’s hard to see where

  they can think they’re headed .”

  “I don’t know,” said Fenwick . “But you promised to show me the

  gimmick if I couldn’t find it in half a day. I spent a whole day out

  there without finding anything.”

  Baker slapped the desk in exasperation . “You’re not really going

  to make me go out there and look at this fool thing, are you? I know

  I made a crazy promise, but I was sure you could find where they

  were hoaxing you if you took one look at their setup . It’s probably

  so obvious you just stumbled right over it without even seeing it was

  there .”

  “Possibly . But you’re going to have to show me .”

  “John, look—”

  “Or, I might be willing to take that Clearwater research grant

  without any more questions on either side .”

  Baker thought of the repercussions that would occur in his own

  office, let alone outside it, if he ever approved such a grant. “All

  right,” he sighed . “You’ve got me over a barrel . I’ll drive my car . I

  may have to stop at some offices on the other side of town.”

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  “I might be going on, rather than coming back to town,” said Fen-

  wick . “I ought to have my car, too . Suppose I meet you out there?”

  “Good enough . Say one o’clock . I’m sure that will give us more

  time than we need .”

  Baker was prompt . He arrived with an air of let’s-get-this-over-

  as-quick-as-possible . He nodded perfunctorily as Ellerbee intro-

  duced his wife . He scarcely looked at Sam Atkins .

  “I hope you’ve got your demonstration all set up,” he said . He

  glanced at the darkening sky . “It looks like we might get some heavy

  rain this afternoon .”

  “We’re all ready,” said Ellerbee . “Sam will drive over to that

  little hill on his farm, and we’ll go out behind the barn .”

  On the knoll, Baker accepted the crystal cube without looking

  at it. Clenching it in his fist, he put his hand in his pocket. Fenwick

  guessed he was trying to avoid any direct view and thus avoid the

  possibility of hypnotic effects . This seemed pretty farfetched to Fen-

  wick .

  Through field glasses Sam Atkins was seen to get out of his car

  and walk to the top of the knoll . He stood a moment, then waved to

  signal his readiness .

  “Press the crystal in your hand,” Ellerbee said to Baker . “Direct

  your attention toward Sam Atkins .”

  Each of them had a cube of the same crystal . It was like a party

  line . Fenwick pressed his only slightly . He had learned it didn’t take

  much . He saw Baker hesitate, then purse his lips as if in utter dis-

  gust, and follow instructions .

  In a moment the image of Sam Atkins appeared before them .

  Regardless of their position, the image gave the illusion of standing

  about four feet in front of them .

  “Good afternoon, Dr . Baker,” Sam Atkins said .

  Fenwick though
t Baker was going to collapse .

  The director just stood for a moment, like a creature that had

  been pole-axed . Then his color began to deepen and he turned with

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  robot stiffness . “Did you men hear anything? Fenwick…did you

  hear…did you see?”

  “Sure,” said Fenwick, grinning broadly . “Sam Atkins said good

  afternoon to you . It would be polite if you answered him back .”

  The image of Sam Atkins was still before them . He, too, was

  grinning broadly . The grins infuriated Baker .

  “Mr . Atkins,” said Baker .

  “Yes, Dr . Baker,” said Sam Atkins .

  “If you hear me, wave your hands . I will observe you through the

  field glasses.”

  “The field glasses won’t be necessary.”

  Both the image before them, and the distant figure on the knoll

  were seen to wave arms and gyrate simultaneously . For good mea-

  sure, Sam Atkins turned a cartwheel .

  Baker seemed to have partly recovered . “There seems to be a

  very remarkable effect present here,” he said cautiously .

  “Dr . Baker,” Jim Ellerbee spoke earnestly, “I know you’re skepti-

  cal . You don’t think the crystals do what I say they do . Even though

  you see it with your own eyes you doubt that it is happening . I will

  do anything possible to test this device to your satisfaction . Name

  the test that will dispel your doubts and we will perform it!”

  “It’s not entirely a question of demonstration, Mr . Ellerbee,” said

  Baker . “There are the theoretical considerations as well . The math-

  ematics you have submitted in support of your claim are not, to put

  it mildly, sound .”

  “I know . Sam keeps telling me that . He says we need an entirely

  new math to handle it . Maybe we’ll get around to that . But the im-

  portant thing is that we’ve got a working device .”

  “Your mathematical basis must be sound!” Baker’s fervor re-

  turned . Fenwick felt a sudden surge of pity for the director .

  The demonstration was repeated a dozen times more . Fenwick

  went over on Sam Atkins’ hill . He and Baker conversed privately .

  “Do you see it yet?” Fenwick asked .

  “No, I’m afraid I don’t!” Baker was snappish . “This is one of the

  most devilish things I’ve ever come across!”

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  “You don’t think it’s working the way Jim and Sam say it is?”

  “Of course not . The thing is utterly impossible! I am convinced

  a hypnotic condition is involved, but I must admit I don’t see how .”

  “You may figure it out when you go through Ellerbee’s lab.”

  Baker was obviously shaken . He spoke in subdued tones as Eller-

  bee started the tour of the crystal lab again . Baker’s eyes took in

  everything . As the tour progressed he seemed to devour each new

  item with frenzied intensity . He inspected the crystals through a

  microscope . He checked the measurements of the thickness of the

  growing crystal layers .

  The rain began while they were in the crystal lab . It beat furiously

  on the roof of the laboratory building, but Baker seemed scarcely

  aware that it was taking place . His eyes sought out every minute

  feature of the building. Fenwick was sure he was finding nothing to

  confirm his belief that the communicator crystals were a hoax.

  Fenwick hadn’t realized it before, but he recognized now that it

  would be a terrific blow to Baker if he couldn’t prove the existence

  of a hoax .

  Proof that the communicator crystals were all they were sup-

  posed to be would be a direct frontal attack on the sacred Index . It

  would blast a hole in Baker’s conviction that nothing of value could

  come from the crackpot fringe . And, not least of all, it would require

  Baker to issue a research grant to Clearwater College .

  What else it might do to Baker, Fenwick could only guess, but he

  felt certain Bill Baker would never be the same man again .

  As it grew darker, Baker looked up from the microscope through

  which he had been peering . He glanced at the windows and the

  drenched countryside beyond . “It’s been raining,” he said .

  Mary Ellerbee had already anticipated that the visitors would

  be staying the night . She had the spare room ready for Baker and

  Fenwick before dinner . While they ate in the big farmhouse kitchen,

  Ellerbee explained . “It would be crazy to try to get down to the high-

  way tonight. The county’s been promising us a new road for five

  years, but you see what we’ve got . Even the oldest citizen wouldn’t

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  tackle it in weather like this, unless it was an emergency . You put up

  for the night with us . You’ll get home just as fast by leaving in the

  morning, after the storm clears . And it will be a lot more pleasant

  than spending the night stuck in the mud somewhere—or worse .”

  Baker seemed to accept the invitation as he ate without comment .

  To Fenwick he appeared stunned by the events of the day, by his in-

  ability to find a hoax in connection with the communicator crystals.

  It was only when Baker and Fenwick were alone in the upstairs

  bedroom that Baker seemed to stir out of his state of shock .

  “This is ridiculous, Fenwick!” he said . “I don’t know what I’m

  doing here . I can’t possibly stay in this place tonight . I’ve got people

  to see this evening, and appointments early in the morning .”

  “It’s coming down like cats and dogs again,” said Fenwick . “You

  saw the road coming in . It’s a hog wallow by now . Your chance of

  getting through would be almost zero .”

  “It’s a chance I have to take,” Baker insisted . He started for the

  door . “You don’t have to take it, of course .”

  “I’m not going to!” said Fenwick .

  “But I must!”

  Fenwick followed him downstairs, still trying to persuade him of

  the foolishness of driving back tonight . When Ellerbee heard of it

  he seemed appalled .

  “It’s impossible, Dr . Baker! I wouldn’t have suggested your not

  returning if there were any chance of getting through . I assure you

  there isn’t .”

  “Nevertheless I must try . Dr . Fenwick will remain, and I will

  come back tomorrow afternoon to complete our investigation . There

  are important things I must attend to before then, however .”

  Fenwick had the sudden feeling that Baker was in a flight of

  panic . His words had an aimless stream-of-consciousness quality

  that contrasted sharply with his usually precise speech . Fenwick was

  certain there was nothing sufficiently important that it demanded his

  attention on a night like this . He could have telephoned his family

  and had his wife cancel any appointments .

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  No, Fenwick thought, there was nothing Baker had to go to;

  rather, he was running from . He was running in panicky fear from

  his failure to pin down the hoax in the crystals . He was running,

  Fen
wick thought, from the fear that there might be no hoax .

  It seemed incredible that such an experience could trigger so

  strong a reaction . Yet Fenwick was aware that Baker’s attitude to-

  ward Ellerbee and his device was not merely one aspect of Baker’s

  character . His attitude in these things was his character .

  Fenwick dared not challenge Baker with these thoughts . He knew

  it would be like probing Baker’s flesh with a hot wire. There was

  nothing at all that he could do to stop Baker’s flight.

  Ellerbee insisted on loaning him a powerful flashlight and a

  hand lantern, which Baker ridiculed but accepted . It was only after

  Baker’s tail-light had disappeared in the thick mist that Fenwick

  remembered he still had the crystal cube in his coat pocket .

  “He’s bound to get stuck and spend the night on the road,” said

  Ellerbee. “He’ll be so upset he’ll never come back to finish his in-

  vestigation .”

  Fenwick suspected this was true . Baker would seal off every as-

  sociation and reminder of the communicator crystals as if they were

  some infection that would not heal . “There’s no use beating your

  brains out trying to get the NBSD to pay attention,” Fenwick told

  Ellerbee . “You’ve got a patent . Figure out some gadgety use and

  start selling the things . You’ll get all the attention you want .”

  “I wanted to do it in a dignified way,” said Ellerbee regretfully.

  You, too, Fenwick thought as he moved back up the stairs to the

  spare bedroom .

  Fenwick undressed and got into bed . He tried to read a book he

  had borrowed from Ellerbee, but it held no interest for him . He kept

  thinking about Baker . What produced a man like Baker? What made

  him tick, anyway?

  Fenwick had practically abandoned his earlier determination that

  something had to be done about Baker . There was really nothing that

  could be done about Baker, Bill Baker in particular—and the host

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  of assorted Bakers scattered throughout the world in positions of

  power and importance, in general .

  They stretched on and on, back through the pages of history and

  time . Jim Ellerbee understood the breed . He had quite rightly tagged

  Baker in addressing him as “Dear Urban .” Pope Urban, who perse-

  cuted the great Galileo, had certainly been one of them .

  It wasn’t that Baker was ignorant or stupid . He was neither . Fen-