"Captain James, your presence on Pad 73." "Urgent." "Captain James, your presence required." "Urgent." "Pad 73, for immediate launch." "Launch 392." "Captain James, your presence required." "Urgent." "Is that you, Benson?" "How you doing?" "So you blew the mental test?" ""Potentially unstable"." "Huh!" "I'd have been unstable, too, getting Saturn 3." "Huh!" "Saturn 3..." "You're not going to appeal?" "It's been tried before." "Hey, Benz, what are you doing?" "!" "Wait a minute!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "No, B..." "Quick, stop!" "Benz!" "Hold it!" "Launch 392." "Captain James for Saturn 3 launch minus 5." "Launch 392." "Commit minus 3." "Launch to Control." "Group on board." "Commit minus 250." "Status red and counting." "You remain clear." "Let's go." "Minus 030." "Have a pleasant trip, Captain." "Minus 20." "Minus 15." "Minus 10 and counting..." "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one..." "You are entering the field of Saturn 3 Experimental Food Research Station." "Landers should adopt vectors 3-9 to the polar elliptic, 2-4 to the equator." "You are entering the field of Saturn 3 Experimental Food Research Station." " Any urgent unloads?" " It can wait." " I'll take that." " No." "Is that all right in here?" "Yes." "Here's where we've been for the last three years." " Captain." " Major." "This is my partner." "Take a look around." "We'll lock up." "You're quite an event in our lives." "I guess you don't get many drop-ins." "Hardly ever, especially not from Earth." " Hmm..." " Captain." " What condo do you come from?" " Terminal 5." "Oh, I know 5." "Where?" "Far side of the East Billions." "Where were you?" "I spent a couple of terms in Billion Park." "They've cleaned it out now." "It's a dead cell." "Dead?" "I didn't know that." " It's been a while." "This way." " I see by your scan" " you've never been to Earth." " No, I haven't." "Saturn 3..." "When they want to give the Solar System an enema, it's where they stick the tube." "We've heard that one." "I expected to go the lab." "We thought we'd have a welcoming drink first." " How's Earth, Captain?" " You get the bulletins." "You're supposed to scan and acknowledge." "We do acknowledge." "But we don't always scan." "No." " Earth is hungry." " That's why we're here." "Your research is behind schedule." "We're doing all we can." " You need help." " You're the help?" " No taction contact." " You mean don't touch?" "Correct." "What's in there?" "I have to report in." " You can't." " We're in eclipse." "Oh, yes." "No external contact while we're shadow-locked." " You know that." " Of course." " How long will it last?" " 22 days." " I need some rest." " Show the captain his quarters." "Major." "Can I get you anything?" "Some herbal?" " I'll just take some blues." " Blues?" "Blues." "Blue dreamers." "Sleeping pills?" "You've never heard of blues?" "You lead a shut life here." "I choose to be here." "Here..." "In case you choose to try one." " One thing I envy him." " What's that?" "He's breathed." "We lead a shut life here." "It must be something to go outside and breathe." "When I was last there, if you breathed, the pollution count would rust your tubes!" "What do you think of the captain?" " He's funny." " Funny?" "I must have missed his best lines." " Adam?" " Hmm?" "What are blues?" "Blues?" " Blue dreamers." " Where did you get that?" "From him." "He had no business giving you this." "What do they do?" "When they send someone out alone, they give them these to stop them going static." "Did you ever take one?" " Blue dreamers?" " Did you?" "Years ago." " What was it like?" " Huh?" "You heard me." "Interesting." "Let's try one... together." " Maybe." " Come on." "Please." "After he goes." "How long will he be here?" "No longer than I can help." "Do your best to make him feel at home, huh?" " Sally." " Shut in the lab." "I'll get her." "Alex!" "There you are." "No!" "No taction contact." "Come here, Sally." "Sally?" "Sally, where are you?" "Come on." "Sally?" " It has a name?" " Of course she has a name." " You never had a dog?" " A few times." "Didn't they ever have names?" " Just something to eat." " Give her to me." "Don't." "It's time for bed, Captain." "Yes, you have a great body." "May I use it?" " I'm with the major." " For his personal use only?" "Yes." "That's penally unsocial on Earth, you know that?" "Well, it's not here." "Enjoy your blues." "Hey!" "Problems?" "Come on." "Come into my quarters." "We'll discuss your problem." "Looks like he's building his own place." "He's not travelling light." "Maybe I should help him." "Why?" "He's here to help us." "He's so strange." "That's a lot of stuff." "How long are you staying?" "Till I'm done." "What have you got for us?" "It's the best." "The latest robot." " We've got three." " They're not much help." "This one's different." "Different, huh?" "It's the first of the Demi-God series." "Alex?" "Where'd you get that name?" "It's what the major calls me." "I know why you deny me hospitality." "You have the run of the place." "I mean you." "Your body is beautiful." "I'd like to use it." "I'm not interested." "On Earth, we use our bodies for pleasure." "No, thanks." "You're afraid of me, aren't you?" "I'm not afraid of anyone." "You're afraid he'll be jealous." "He will be jealous." "He's frightened of new ways." "He's obsolete." "He's prob..." "Lights." "Pure brain tissue." "Human?" "This is an unborn." "It hasn't a thing on its mind... yet." "Then it has to be programmed." "It takes a human 20 years..." " I'll need four weeks." " Four weeks?" "Once it's together," " it will take over..." " Take over?" "With help." " Then what?" " One of you will be obsolete." "We can apply for remission together, can't we?" "We have to find a way to stay together." "The truth is, I'm close to abort time." "I hoped they'd forgotten us." "They never seem to forget." "Obsolete..." "Alex!" "I've got it." "We flush the captain and his friend into space." "You wouldn't do that." "Why?" "People are flushed all over the solar system." " No one cares!" " It's a horrible idea." "It's a great idea." " Blue dreamers?" " Mm-hmm." "Now?" "Why not?" "I don't feel anything." "You always want instantaneous satisfaction." "Do you miss it?" "Maybe it's different now." "Yeah, maybe it's worse." "That pill's getting to you." "No..." "I think you ought to go to Earth." "What?" "You said I'd hate it." "Find out for yourself you hate it." "I don't want to go." "Yes, you do." " I just want to have been." " So have been." " And leave you?" " It'll happen sooner or later." "Quiet, please." "You're blocking him." "Meet Hector." "Adam." "Give it an instruction." "Ask something." " Hector?" " Yes." "Hector, hand the flask to the major." "Abort!" "Glad you didn't ask him to shake hands." "Wheel and peditate." "Obviously, there's some fine tuning to do." "Begin." " I thought you had me." " You have me." " Good evening, Captain." " Good evening." "Can he play?" "Yes." "I play." "He plays." "I'd like to see that." "Hector." "All right." "How would you like to make a small wager, Hector?" "He doesn't like to be laughed at." "Can't you program a sense of humour?" "That's not a priority." "You can't program a sense of humour." " Anything I have, he can have." " He'll definitely have one." " Who's white?" " You be, Hector." "How does he learn?" "Direct input." "He sits him in front of a blackboard." "I said direct input." "How do you work that?" "Brain to brain." "A brain drain?" "You mean he draws from your brain?" "Yes." "When I want him to." "But how?" "Radio contact." "Where do you make the connection?" "Hector." "What were you thinking?" "Exchange and simplify." "And you can control what you think?" " Yes." " I wish I could." "I teach him as much as I choose." "You haven't taught him enough." "Sacrifice." "That's one thing you can't teach him, Captain." "Sacrifice." "Checkmate." "Now, whatever he thinks goes straight into that robot." "Doesn't that scare you?" "Not really." "The captain's been carefully selected." "He's trained." " To control his thoughts." " Of course." "How do you work that?" "Is it the box?" "You can hear me, right?" "But you can't talk." "Who knows what's in the captain's brain?" "Who knows what goes on in anybody's head?" "Alex, would you say I was a man who could control his thoughts?" "I think so." "Stand up... please." "Now take that off very slow..." "No, go on." "Now I'm gonna think about nothing... but hydroponics." "Hydroponics..." "Hydroponics..." "Hydroponics... hydroponics..." "Hydroponics!" "Who devised this system?" "There are sources for food present." "And cities..." " What happened?" " My eye." "Something's in my eye." " Get Adam." " Let me look." "It's a live chip." "Sit down." " Get Adam." " Please." "Hector." " No!" " Relax." " Trust him, Alex." " No!" "Don't." "Please don't." " Don't let him touch me." " Be still." "It could spread." "Steady." " No!" " Steady." "No!" "Please don't..." "Ready, Hector?" "Keep the eye still!" "All right, Hector." "She's ready... now." " Hold your head still." " No..." "Oh..." "That's better." "That's much better." "Thank you." "I have something for you." "Earth dreams." "No." "You'll feel like you're there." "A 3-D inner experience." "No, thank you." "You're worried you'll like it." "You'll never know until you try." "I'm today." "He's yesterday." "Don't you like me?" "Don't you?" "Turn off the video scans." "There." "What's wrong with you today?" "Today?" "I'm not today." "I'm yesterday." "You've been listening to our cuckoo." " He's not so cuckoo." " You can tell the time by him." "What is it?" "Nearly out of charge?" "I wish you would talk." "You know you can." "Why won't you talk?" "What have I done wrong?" "Blank that." "That's not what I meant." "That was an improper thought leakage." "What have I done wrong?" "Don't get smart." "Are you aware of Alex?" "What do you think?" "What do you know?" "Don't get ideas above your station, Hector." "I said blank that." "Now blank it." "Now reply as ordered." "Am I a killer?" "Is that the truth?" "Is that the truth?" "You're malfunctioning." "Answer." "Now, tell me." "Can you talk or are you malfunctioning?" "Sally!" "Sally!" "Sally!" "Sally!" "Sally?" "Sally?" "Sally?" "Sally, come on." "Come on, Sally." "Sally?" "Sally?" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Adam!" "No!" "Hector, put her down." "Let her go." "Conform!" "Hector." "He'll do what you say." "Alex, you ask him." "Hector, please put me down." "W-w-why did you bring him here." "Did you teach him to kill?" "No." "It's you." "He wants you." "We both do." "He's learned too much." " Alex!" " Adam!" "Major!" "What happened?" "Major!" "Help me!" "Major!" "Let the robot have him." "Help!" "Help me, please, Major!" "Don't leave me!" " Please!" "Don't leave me!" " I can't do it." "How long will the doors hold?" "How strong is Hector?" "Come on." "Go through your drills, Captain." "What's emergency procedure?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" "!" "If we weren't in eclipse, we could call Central." "If we were chickens, we could lay eggs." "We're shadow-locked." "What do we do?" "Sit and watch for three days?" "He's getting low on charge." "He's about to recharge." "Let him." " You can't..." " Oh, yes, we can." "Alex?" "We'll overload him." "I'll give him a headache he won't forget." "Track it." "Track it." "Can't see..." "I can't see it." "Now." "He's out." "You'll have no more trouble from him." "Or from you." "As soon as we declipse," "I'm reporting your incompetent handling of this experiment." "You call me incompetent?" "You said he'd function." " You told me..." " On your say so." " You said you could handle him!" " You put him together!" "It's moving!" "Hold him down." "Quick, get his brain out!" "Hold onto his arm!" "Dismantle it." "Piece by piece." "Then crate it, and take him and your ideas back with you." "What you can't stand, you run from." "Like you ran from Earth." "That's right." "To get away from people like you." "To set up your own little universe?" "To help feed yours." "And Alex, were you thinking of her?" "Captain, you flunked." "You want to kill me?" "You want to kill me?" "Go ahead..." "Go ahead." "Kill me." "Kill me!" "If you think you can." "Did you know the original Hector came to a tragic end?" "He was slain by Achilles, his body dragged around the walls of Troy." "You want the girl?" "Sure, sure." "You want the girl." "You think she's beautiful, too, don't you?" "You know the captain's crazy?" "He really is crazy." "The robot scared me more." "If the robot can kill, the captain can kill." "I thought I could kill." "I'm just not update enough for murder." "I wish I was." "Are you sure he's taking it apart?" "Either he takes it apart or it takes him apart." "Captain, how are things progressing?" "I have completed dismantling." "I'm glad that's over." "It's my fault." "I should never have let him stay." "In a week or two, we'll have forgotten it ever happened." " Will we?" " Of course we will." "I'm leaving." "I told you never to barge in here." " I'm taking her with me." " What?" "You are crazy." "Come along, Alex." "I'm taking command." "You're inadequate... in every area." "Captain, for the last time..." "Doesn't it disgust you to be used by an old man?" "Can't you..." "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "It's me." "Why did you stop me?" "You're coming with me." "The first thing to do is see Earth." "Adam, how can we get to the captain's ship?" "We gotta be quick." "Let's try." " Now?" " Come on." "It's no use." "We can't lose him." "Alex?" "Alex?" "Adam!" "Shh!" "Get back!" "Run for it!" "Where is he?" "I don't know." "He just vanished." "He's in the communications room." "He's tracking us." "Come in, Hector." "Come on." "Come on in." " Can you fly it?" " No trouble." "It'll be locked into automatic return." "We just light up and sit back." "Now we know something." "He doesn't want to kill us." "Whatever he wants us for, it's not for that." "It's hopeless." "You'll get your trip to Earth." "I promise." "The captain!" "He's alive?" "Yes, I'm alive." "Captain, what happened?" "Hector and I have come to an arrangement." "Where is the robot?" "Hector is with me." "Come this way, please." "How strange that it ends like this." "How will it end, Captain?" "You and I will come to an arrangement." "This way, please." "This way." "Hurry along, please." "Hurry along, please." "I'm here." "I'm alive." "I haven't died." "I'm taking over." "Good morning, Adam." "I trust you slept well?" "What are you doing to me?" "Your programme for the day is very simple." "Where's Alex?" "First, you will restore the damage to the laboratory." "What are you putting in my head?" "Put in?" "Put in?" "I'm not putting anything in." "That comes later." "I'm taking it out." "Where's Alex?" "What have you done to her?" "Have you done the same thing to her?" "Good morning, Alex." "I hope you slept well." "Your programme for the day is simple." "After repairing the lab..." " Where's Adam?" "I'm happy to report he's cooperating fully." "Where is he?" "What's going on?" "We're coming out of eclipse." "Excuse me for one moment." "Wait!" "This is Survey 19." "Come in, Saturn 3." "Hello, this is 19." "Come in, Major." "Survey 19, this is the major." "Saturn 3 here." "This is the major." "Receiving you, Survey." "We have audio but no picture." "Are you in difficulty?" "Just a temporary video inconvenience." "Everything's A-OK." "We wanted to make our routine contact." "Everything's normal here." "You can expect increased output on our hydroponics shortly." "How's our space girl?" "She's wonderful." "In fact, she's perfect." "Is she nearby?" "Put her on." "Hello?" "Survey 19, can you hear me?" "Hello, survey 19." "No!" "No!" "It's not me!" "That Hector unit, is it working out?" "He's responding well to this challenge." "Would you like a word with the captain?" "That won't be necessary." "That's all, then." "Talk to you in six months." "Bye, now." "Now we can proceed." "First, make your way to the lab to continue our work." "After repairing all damage, we shall continue with our search and analysis procedures." "I'm sure you will find them profitable and, for the most part, painless." "This way, please." "Come along." "I don't want to force you." "You could very quickly become hungry... hot, cold or even breathless." "Now, this way, please." "Adam!" "When I heard your voice, I thought I was going mad." "Oh, Alex." "Hurry along, please." " Go on in there." " Without you?" " I need a minute." " What'll happen to us?" "Don't worry." "Hurry along!" "Go on." "Ah, there you are." "And how beautiful." "Come in, Alex." "Come in." "Stop it, Hector." "Hector." "I never liked that name." "Did you know Hector was slain by Achilles, his body dragged around the walls of Troy?" "No." "I never liked Hector." "We can do better." "How about Adam?" "Stop using his voice." "Forgive me." "Is this better?" "Or this, perhaps?" "Stop it!" "Stop using us." "Well, you see my difficulty." "I'm you," "I'm Adam and the other one." "I'm everyone." "Conversation is an art." "I do it to perfection." "There you are." "Don't be late again, Adam." "Major." "You will call me major." "I am in command here." "You will do as I say." "Both of you." "Stay where you are!" "It's time we programmed your brain to be a bit more productive." "Captain...?" "Yes, that's who you really are." "I'm not the captain, I'm your superior." " Adam, please..." " I told you to keep away!" "Don't do that!" "You must learn to obey." " It's not your fault, Hector." " Turn around." " It's not James' fault." " Turn around!" "It's everybody's fault." "No, No!" "This is..." "Hello, there." "This is your captain speaking." "I trust you're enjoying the ongoing flight situation." "We hope you're going to fly World Spaceways again and again." "Duty-free goods will be closing shortly." "Right now, I suggest you walk to the ports to get ready for a swell view of Mother Earth coming up."