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| 3001 The final Odissey |
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Страница 60 из 91 exactly what they were. Those membranes weren`t petals -- they were fins, or their equivalent. This was the free-swimming larval stage of the creature. Probably it spends much of its life rooted on the sea-bed, then sends these mobile offspring in search of new territory. Just like the corals of Earth`s oceans. I knelt down to get a closer look at one of the little creatures. The beautiful colours were fading now, to a drab brown. Some of the petal-fins had snapped off, becoming brittle shards as they froze. But it was still moving feebly, and as I approached it tried to avoid me. I wondered how it sensed my presence. Then I noticed that the stamens -- as I`d called them --all carried bright blue dots at their tips. They looked like tiny star sapphires -- or the blue eyes along the mantle of a scallop -- aware of light, but unable to form true images. As I watched, the vivid blue faded, the gems became dull, ordinary stones... Dr Floyd -- or anyone else who is listening -- I haven`t much more time; my life-support system alarm has just sounded. But I`ve almost finished. I knew then what I had to do. The cable to that thousand-watt lamp was hanging almost to the ground. I gave it a few tugs, and the light went out in a shower of sparks. I wondered whether it was too late. For a few minutes nothing happened. So I walked over to the wall of tangled branches around me -- and kicked it. Slowly, the creature started to unweave itself, and to retreat back to the Canal. I followed it all the way back to the water, encouraging it with more kicks when it slowed down, feeling the fragments of ice crunching all the time beneath my boots... As it neared the Canal, it seemed to gain strength and energy, as if it knew it was approaching its natural home. I wondered if it would survive, to bud again. It disappeared through the surface, leaving a few last dead larvae on the alien land. The exposed free water bubbled for a few minutes until a scab of protective ice sealed it from the vacuum above. Then I walked back to the ship to see if there was anything to salvage -- I don`t want to talk about that. I`ve only two requests to make, Doctor. When the taxonomists classify this creature , I hope they`ll name it after me. And -- when the next ship comes home -- ask them to take our bones back to China. I`ll lose power in a few minutes -- wish I knew whether anyone was receiving me. Anyway, I`ll repeat this message as long as I can... This is Professor Chang on Europa, reporting the destruction of the spaceship Tsien. We landed beside the Grand Canal and set up our pumps at the edge of the ice -- 28 The Little Dawn MISS PRINGLE RECORD Here comes the Sun! Strange -- how quickly it seems to rise, on this slowly turning world! Of course, of course -- the disc`s so small that the whole of it pops above the horizon in no time... Not that it makes much difference to the light -- if you weren`t looking in that direction, you`d never notice that there was another sun in the sky. But I hope the Europs have noticed. Usually it takes them less than five minutes to start coming ashore after the Little Dawn. Wonder if they already know I`m here, and are scared... No -- could be the other way round. Perhaps they`re inquisitive -- even anxious to see what strange visitor has come to Tsienville... I rather hope so... Here they come! Hope your spysats are watching -- Falcon`s cameras recording... How slowly they move! I`m afraid it`s going to be very boring trying to communicate with them... even if they want to talk to me... Rather like the thing that overturned Tsien, but much smaller... They remind me of little trees, walking on half a dozen slender trunks. And with hundreds of branches, dividing into twigs, which divide again... and again. |
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