by Keith Laumer
power they wanted.
"We can give them what they want, no sweat, Captain," he said after halfan hour's talk. "They want DC; 100 volt, 50 amp will do."
"Ask them to describe themselves," I directed. I was beginning to get anidea.
Mannion sent, got his reply. "They're molluscoid, Captain," he said. Helooked shocked. "They weigh about two tons each."
"Ask them what they eat," I said.
I turned to Joyce as Mannion worked over the message. "Get Kramer uphere, on the double," I said.
* * * * *
Kramer came in five minutes later, looking drawn and rumpled. He staredat me sullenly.
"I'm releasing you from arrest temporarily on your own parole, Major," Isaid. "I want you to study the reply to our last transmission, and tellme what you can about it."
"Why me?" Kramer said. "I don't know what's going on." I didn't answerhim.
There was a long tense half hour wait before Mannion copied out thereply that came in a stuttering nasal. He handed it to me.
As I had hoped, the message, after a preliminary recital of theindifference of the Mancji to biological processes of ingestion, reciteda list of standard biochemical symbols.
"Can we eat this stuff?" I asked Kramer, handing him the sheet.
He studied it, and some of his accustomed swagger began to return. "Idon't know what the flowery phrases are all about, but the symbols referto common proteins, lipins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and biomins," hesaid. "What is this, a game?"
"All right, Mannion," I said. I was trying to hold back the excitement."Ask them if they have fresh sources of these substances aboard."
The reply was quick; they did.
"Tell them we will exchange electric power for a supply of these foods.Tell them we want samples of half a dozen of the natural substances."
Again Mannion coded and sent, received and translated, sent again.
"They agree, Captain," he said at last. "They want us to fire a powerlead out about a mile; they'll come in close and shoot us a specimencase with a flare on it. Then we can each check the other'smerchandise."
"All right," I said. "We can use a ground-service cable; rig a pilotlight on it, and kick it out, as soon as they get in close."
"We'll have to splice a couple of extra lengths to it," Mannion said.
"Go to it, Mannion," I said. "And send two of your men out to make thepick-up." This wasn't a communications job, but I wanted a reliable manhandling it.
I returned to the bridge and keyed for Bourdon, directed him to arm twoof his penetration missiles, lock them onto the stranger, and switchover to my control. With the firing key in my hand, I stood at thetelevideo screen and watched for any signs of treachery. The ship movedin, came to rest filling the screen.
Mannion's men reported out. I saw the red dot of our power lead moveaway, then a yellow point glowed on the side of the vast iodine-coloredwall looming across the screen.
Nothing else emerged from the alien ship. The red pilot drifted acrossthe face of the sphere. Mannion reported six thousand feet of cable outbefore the pilot disappeared abruptly.
"Captain," Mannion reported, "they're drawing power."
"O.K.," I said. "Let them have a sample, then shut down."
I waited, watching carefully, until Mannion reported the cannisterinside.
"Kramer," I said. "Run me a fast check on the samples in thatcontainer."
Kramer was recovering his swagger. "You'll have to be a little morespecific," he said. "Just what kind of analysis do you have in mind? Doyou want a full...."
"I just want to know one thing, Kramer," I said. "Can we assimilatethese substances, yes or no. If you don't feel like co-operating, I'llhave you lashed to your bunk, and injected with them. You claim you're amedical officer; let's see you act like one." I turned my back to him.
Mannion called. "They say the juice we fed them was 'amusing,' Captain.I guess that means it's O.K."
"I'll let you know in a few minutes how their samples pan out," I said.
* * * * *
Kramer took half an hour before reporting back. "I ran a simple checksuch as I normally use in a routine mess inspection," he began. Hecouldn't help trying to take the center of the stage to go into his WiseDoctor and Helpless Patient routine.
"Yes or no," I said.
"Yes, we can assimilate most of it," he said angrily. "There were sixsamples. Two were gelatinous substances, non-nutritive. Three werevegetable-like, bulky and fibrous, one with a high iodine content; theother was a very normal meaty specimen."
"Which should we take?" I said. "Remember your teeth when you answer."
"The high protein, the meaty one," he said. "Marked '6'."
I keyed for Mannion. "Tell them that in return for 1,000 KWH we require3,000 kilos of sample six," I said.
Mannion reported back. "They agreed in a hurry, Captain. They seem tofeel pretty good about the deal. They want to chat, now that they've gota bargain. I'm still taping a long tirade."
"Good," I said. "Better get ready to send about six men with anauxiliary pusher to bring home the bacon. You can start feeding them thejuice again."
I turned to Kramer. He was staring at the video image. "Report yourselfback to arrest in quarters, Kramer," I said. "I'll take your servicestoday into account at your court-martial."
Kramer looked up, with a nasty grin. "I don't know what kind of talkingoysters you're trafficking with, but I'd laugh like hell if theyvaporized your precious tub as soon as they're through with you." Hewalked out.
Mannion called in again from ComSection. "Here's their last, Captain,"he said. "They say we're lucky they had a good supply of this proteinaboard. It's one of their most amusing foods. It's a creature theydiscovered in the wild state and it's very rare. The wild ones have diedout, and only their domesticated herds exist."
"O.K., we're lucky," I said. "It better be good or we'll step up theamperage and burn their batteries for them."
"Here's more," Mannion said. "They say it will take a few hours toprepare the cargo. They want us to be amused."
I didn't like the delay, but it would take us about 10 hours to deliverthe juice to them at the trickle rate they wanted. Since the sample wasO.K., I was assuming the rest would be too. We settled down to wait.
I left Clay in charge on the bridge and made a tour of the ship. Themeeting with the alien had apparently driven the mood of mutiny into thebackground. The men were quiet and busy. I went to my cabin and sleptfor a few hours.
* * * * *
I was awakened by a call from Clay telling me that the alien hadreleased his cargo for us. Mannion's crew was out making the pick-up.Before they had maneuvered the bulky cylinder to the cargo hatch, thealien released our power lead.
I called Kramer and told him to meet the incoming crew and open andinspect the cargo. If it was the same as the sample, I thought, we hadmade a terrific trade. Discipline would recover if the men felt we stillhad our luck.
Then Mannion called again. "Captain," he said excitedly, "I think theremay be trouble coming. Will you come down, sir?"
"I'll go to the bridge, Mannion," I said. "Keep talking."
I tuned my speaker down low and listened to Mannion as I ran for thelift.
"They tell us to watch for a little display of Mancji power. They ranout some kind of antenna. I'm getting a loud static at the top of myshort wave receptivity."
I ran the lift up and as I stepped onto the bridge I said, "Clay, standby to fire."
As soon as the pick-up crew was reported in, I keyed course correctionsto curve us off sharply from the alien. I didn't know what he had, but Iliked the idea of putting space between us. My P-Missiles were stillarmed and locked.
Mannion called, "Captain, they say our fright is amusing, and quitejustified."
I watched the televideo screen for the first sign of an attack. Suddenlythe entire screen went white, then blanked. Miller, who had been
at thescanner searching over the alien ship at close range, reeled out of hisseat, clutching at his eyes. "My God, I'm blinded," he shouted.
Mannion called, "Captain, my receivers blew. I think every tube in theshack exploded!"
I jumped to the direct viewer. The alien hung there, turning away fromus in a leisurely curve. There was no sign of whatever had blown us offthe air. I held my key, but didn't press it. I told Clay to take