Chapter 34

"If you can know this, what is it that you will do with that knowing? Will it become that humans begin to think together as we do, as Ghotagatogulagunga?"

Meiersdottir had wandered into a discussion among Sviatoslavski and Singh and their two native companions just in time to hear one of the natives pose that question to the biologists. It seemed to baffle them both.

"Well, no, of course not," Sviatoslavski stammered. "That's not it at all. It's just that the knowledge could have many uses, many applications..." He trailed off uncertainly.

"What uses?" the native persisted. "And why you say 'of course not, ' as if we ask foolish question? Why is it that you will not use to think together?"

The biologist shook his head and turned to Meiersdottir. "Little help here, Amanda?" he importuned.

"Bring me up to speed," she told him.

It seemed that Singh, in particular, had been urging the natives to sit for brain scans, so that the humans could study the workings of their telepathic linkage. Dissection of the Edenite corpses that the natives willingly provided any time one of their number died had given them some insights, but they were still unable to narrow the telepathy down to even a single area of their brains, much less understand the full process. They were hoping that scans of living brains would give them further information.

"But they're questioning why we want to know so much," Singh complained. "I don't know how to explain it to them."

"Well, why do you?" she asked.

"Amanda, we're scientists, not engineers," protested Sviatoslavski. "We want to know because we want to know, not because we have some kind of infernal machine in mind. I mean, it's what we do, try to learn about things. Pure knowledge, just that. Maybe down the road somebody can build on what we discover, I have no idea, but that's not our province."

"Then why tell him 'of course not' when he asked would we use it to think together as they do?"

"Well, Amanda, now think about it," the biologist said in a patronizing tone. "Would you want to go for that? Give up being you and make yourself just one more cog in a linked-up mind meld? I know I damn sure wouldn't."

"Is that how you see it?"

"Well, sure," said Sviatoslavski. "I mean, look, they have no individuality. They don't even have individual names, for Chrissake. I call mine Arrie and Ram's is Avvie—that's short for Aristotle and Avicenna, they were kind of early pioneers of biology as a science."

"No, really?" she asked with a straight face.

"Yeah," he started to explain. "See, Aristotle, he kind of got the ball rolling along with folks like Galen, and then Avicenna, he was one of the early Islamic scientists back when the mideast was in its heyday during the Middle Ages..." He trailed off as she rolled her eyes conspicuously.

"Would you like to teach me how to suck eggs now, Cory?" she said gently.

He grinned. "Sorry, Amanda. Of course you know. But anyhow, that's my point. We made up names for 'em because they don't have names, they're not individuals, just all part of the same single being. Like, I don't know, a hand, or a kidney or like that. We call it a hand or a kidney but the hand and the kidney don't call themselves anything because they can't think independently. Isn't this about the same?"

"I don't know," she said. "But I do know how to find out." She turned to Sviatoslavski's native. "Arrie, is it?" The native nodded. "Arrie, do you understand what Cory just said?"

"Yes, Amanda."

"Well, is that how you see yourselves? Only as parts of some central being, your think-together, and not separate individuals? I mean, is Arrie, the one here before me, no different from Avvie there, or Joe, or Akakha or any of the others?"

"No, that is not true," the native said.

"Can you explain more?" she asked when he showed no inclination to proceed on his own.

"This is difficult," he told her. "Better it is that Joe speak to you about this."

Surprised, she nevertheless shot Sviatoslavski a satisfied look before turning to Joe, who was, as usual, by her side. "Why you, Joe?" she asked.

"Tell you long before, Amanda," he said. "All are different. Not have name not important, not make all same, only not have name because not need among us. We know always who is this one, who is that one. You singles have name because you not think together, must do all with speech, is that right?"

"Yes."

"We do only small with speech. Most is think-together. For that we not need name, is word only and words not important in our way. But all have different purpose. Hand is not kidney. Arrie, Avvie purpose to learn about living things. My purpose to meet with you, talk with you. What you ask closer to my purpose than to their purpose."

"So much for no individuality," she said to Sviatoslavski. She turned back to the alien. "Well, Joe, I think you've already answered part of my question. But is there more? I mean, can you explain further?"

"Is not easy," Joe told her. "You ask how think-together different from single. But you not think together and we not single. How can one know to speak to other of such things in way that can be understood?"

"Well, how about we start with what Cory said about you all being just different parts of the same central being. That, well, that you aren't really Joe, the one who stands here right now and speaks to me, that you're not this individual but only an extension of all the others together, the way my hand"—she held one up—"is just a part of my body and not a separate individual. Is that how you see it?"

"Small part is right, but only small," Joe replied. "We think you know that I, this one who stands before you and the one you call Joe, cannot talk to you alone, just this one. You have seen when you use mind-weapon, and when there was storm, one alone cannot think well."

"Yes, I know," she said encouragingly. "But I'm not sure it's the same for your mothers, is it?"

"Part so, part not so. Mothers remember always. Mothers can make nest-think alone, only mothers, you know this. But good think need many, need all. And in that way all are part of one, same as your hand part of body. Same as my hand part of my body, body of Joe."

She nodded. "But is there more to it?"

"My hand not think, even very small," the native continued. "Not same with me, with Joe. This one think, small but still think. This one know is this one, not that one or other one. Hand not know this. In that way each of us different, each..." He seemed at a loss for words.

"Each one is an individual?" she prompted.

"We think that is how you say it, but we do not think it is same for us as for singles. When you say 'individual' you mean all together, all parts of same one, is that right? Body, mind, all is one and that is all for you, is no more."