Chapter 33

"Yes, it is a kind of hive-mind, as you said, some sort of collective intelligence," Igwan­da said to Heisinger. "I think perhaps more on the order of computer server and workstation, since the individuals do have some independent function. But that is distinctly lower level, judging from their behavior, primarily survival-oriented."

He was actually talking to everyone, since they were all assembled in the lander's communal compartment. As is common to people who have endured a traumatic experience, the scientists who had boarded early were compulsively re-living the events out loud to one another, each scarcely listening to the next as they focused on their own personal experiences. Igwanda had to loudly cut through the cacophony before he could reach Chavez—a feat that required Shaw's expertise with the equipment, since Igwanda insisted that the white noise be continuous­ly broadcast over the other frequency—to tell the sergeant to discontinue his preparations, that all were safe aboard the lander.

"But how? Sir?" had been Chavez' baffled response.

"Never mind that for now, Sergeant," Igwanda had said. "It is complicated, and we must be busy."

"You're returning immediately, of course."

"The lander will be lifting off shortly," was his purposely ambiguous response. He had his own plans. "In the meantime we are safe."

He had cut the communication off before his officious sergeant could say anything more. There were things to do, decisions to be made.

"There appears to have been some genetic mutation in this colony that gave them telepathic capabilities," Igwanda continued his discussion. "They share their thoughts directly through biologically based radio wave linkages."

"But how is that possible?" interrupted Shaw. "I mean, reading each other's thoughts—"

"Thought is electrical activity in the brain," said Heisinger. "That's how electroencephalograms, EEGs, work; they measure electrical discharge. With these there's apparently some form of integrated transmitting and receiving organ that amplifies the signals and disseminates them. As the colonel said, similar to a comput­er network."

"My deduction is that it is the females, whom we have never seen, who coordinate the entire process by acting in effect as network servers," said Igwanda. "That is why there appeared to be no sexual distinctions among those we saw, because all of them are of a single gender—which, because of their references to 'mothers, ' I believe to be male.

"This explains how they could learn Standard so rapidly, and why they all seemed to share the same knowledge of our language. Everything was being run through a central or collective information processing system, and so was common to all."

"It also explains why I couldn't pick up their language any better," interjected Lee. "I suppose they don't really use verbal language a lot, only as supplemental communication. They don't have to."

"And," Igwanda continued, acknowledging the linguist with a nod, "it explains the uncanny coordination of their maneuvers during both our and the Argo's attacks. Plus their willingness to take casualties, suggesting that their sense of individuality is subsumed in the collective. It was those things that led me to the conclusion I ultimately reached. I could also see no means of telepathic linkage other than electromagnetic transmissions, which we are now jamming.

"I might have deduced this long ago," he went on, looking pointedly at Shaw, "had I been aware that there was local radio frequency activity. However"—he held up a hand to forestall any interruption—"that blunder was partially rectified by Mr. Shaw's contribution of the correct frequency just in time to save us from my own equally egregious error."

Shaw, who had begun squirming with embarrassment, looked up in surprise. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"The final assault was the result of my own foolishness," the colonel explained. "I ignored their wounded because they seemed catatonic. The collective mind had no use for them as active combatants because of their wounds, and so ceased output to them other than, apparently, suppression of pain sensation. But it could still use them as information sources to overhear our counsels, and therefore kept the input channel open.

"As Dr. Lee pointed out, their understanding of Standard is considerably better than they had previously allowed us to believe. Even though the more technical aspects probably escaped them, I expect they got an idea from what I said that I was intending some interference with their linkage and immediately reacted with the all-out blitz that was so nearly successful. Well. She"—he nodded to van Damm's closed compartment where her body lay—"would not be consoled, but our collective mistakes did not at least cost us more."

Toshimura coughed. "Colonel," he started, "I can't begin—"

"Enough," said Igwanda, turning to him. "It is not necessary. I have called you fool both to your face and in speaking with others, but you are not. You are an idealist, you see things as you wish them to be and try to make your vision true. I am nothing like, I am if you will harshly cynical and suspicious, but even so I can recognize that if Earth were populated solely by such as I it would be a poorer place. We need our idealists as much as our realists."

While Toshimura gaped at him, the colonel turned away and continued briskly. "There is much else to discuss, but that can await more leisure. I told Sgt. Chavez the lander will be lifting off shortly, and so it must; we cannot risk it or those of you on board. I, however, will remain on this planet." There was a collective gasp.