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diff --git a/30454.txt b/30454.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3074555 --- /dev/null +++ b/30454.txt @@ -0,0 +1,699 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Blind Spot, by Bascom Jones + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Blind Spot + +Author: Bascom Jones + +Illustrator: Kossin + +Release Date: November 11, 2009 [EBook #30454] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLIND SPOT *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + BLIND + SPOT + + By BASCOM JONES, JR. + + Illustrated by KOSSIN + + + _Everyone supported the Martian + program--until it struck home!_ + + +Johnny Stark, director of the department of Interplanetary Relations for +Mars' Settlement One, reread the final paragraph of the note which he +had found on his desk, upon returning from lunch earlier in the day. + +His eye flicked rapidly over the moistly smeared Martian scrawl, +ignoring the bitterness directed at him in the first paragraphs. He was +vaguely troubled by the last sentences. But he hadn't been able to pin +the feeling down. + + _... Our civilization predates that of Earth's by millions of years. + We are an advanced, peaceful race. Yet, since Earth's first rocket + landed here thirteen years ago, we have been looked upon as freaks + and contemptuously called 'bug-men' behind our backs! This is our + planet. We gave of our far-advanced knowledge and science freely, so + that Earth would be a better place. We asked nothing in return, but + we were rewarded by having forced upon us foreign ideas of + government, religion, and behavior. Our protests have been silenced + by an armed-police and punitive system we've never before needed. + Someday you will awaken to this injustice. On that day in your life, + you have my sympathy and pity!_ + +Stark knew that the Settlement's Investigations Lab could readily +determine the identity of the Martian who had written the note. But he +hesitated to send it over. Under the New System, such troublemakers were +banished to the slave-labor details of the precious-earth mines to the +North. + +Crumpling the note in sudden decision, Stark dropped it into the office +incendiary tube. The morning visi-report had shown that there were more +than 17,000 workers at the mines. Only five had been Earthlings. Let the +armed-police system find the Martian through their own channels. It +wasn't his job. + + * * * * * + +A glance at the solar clock on the far wall reminded him there was still +time for one more interview before the last bell, so he impatiently +signaled his secretary to send in the waiting couple. + +Ordinarily, he liked his work and time meant little to him. He had +jumped from interpreter to director in the ten years since the +department had been created. But this day was different. + +Stark was to announce his engagement at the Chief's monthly dinner party +that evening and time had seemed to drag since his lunch with Carol. + +When the door opened, he rose and nodded to the plump, freckle-faced +girl who entered. The girl topped five feet by one or two inches, but +she was no taller than the Martian man who followed her at the +prescribed four feet. + +After the girl had seated herself, Stark and the Martian sat down. Stark +opened the folder, which his secretary had placed on his desk earlier. + +"Your names are Ruth and Ralph Gilraut? And you want permission to move +into Housing Perimeter D?" It was merely a formality, since the +information was in the folder. + +When the girl nodded, Stark placed a small check mark in the space +beside her name. Then he turned to the Martian. + +The large, single red eye set deep in the Martian's smooth, green +forehead above the two brown ones blinked twice before he answered. + +He spoke deliberately. "As is required of all Martians under the New +System, I have taken the name of one of the early Earthlings to write +and pronounce." The large red eye blinked again. "My wife would like +to move into Housing Perimeter D. By regulation, I respect her wish." + +[Illustration] + +Stark placed a check mark by the Martian's name. He wiped the smudge of +ink off his hand and said, "You both know, of course, that Perimeter D +is reserved for couples who have intermarried and are about to have +offspring?" + +The girl and the Martian nodded, and the girl passed Stark a medical +report. Stark looked over the report and then made a notation on a small +pink slip. + +He said, "This permit certifies that you are eligible to move from +Perimeter E to Housing Perimeter D. It also certifies that your husband +has no record as a troublemaker." Stark looked at the girl. "You +understand that you may visit your friends in Perimeter E, but, by law, +they will not be allowed to enter Perimeter D to visit you. And, of +course, the new law clearly states that neither of you may visit +Earthlings in Housing Perimeter A, B or C." + +The girl looked down at her hands. Her voice was almost inaudible. "My +husband and I are familiar with the advantages and disadvantages listed +under the section pertaining to intermarriage in the new law, Mr. Stark. +Thank you." + + * * * * * + +Stark rose as they left. For a brief moment, he thought he had detected +a sense of rebellion in their attitude. But that was not possible. + +The new law provided equality for all. And his department had been +created to iron out relations between the two races--excepting +complaints originated by troublemakers for the purpose of weakening the +New System. In such cases, Investigations had stepped in and the Martian +or Earthling troublemaker had been sent to the rare-earth mines. + +The reddish light filtering in through the quartz and lead wall of his +office showed that it was almost time for the last bell. + +On the street below, shoppers were streaming out of the stores on their +way to the various housing perimeters. + +Earthlings were climbing into their speedy little jet cars for the short +trip to the recently modernized inner perimeters. Martians were waiting +for the slower auto buses. The traffic problem had been solved, under +the New System, by restricting the use of the Martian-built jet cars to +persons living in the inner perimeters. + +As Stark watched, a black jet car impatiently hurtled out of the line of +traffic, bowled through a crowd of Martians waiting for an auto bus, and +skidded to a stop at the curb in front of the building. + +A tall girl got out. The red evening glow reflecting from her golden +hair, made her breathing globe almost amber. Male Martians and +Earthlings alike turned to stare in appreciation as she pushed her way +through the crowd to the building's compressor lock. Carol was that kind +of girl. + + * * * * * + +Almost at the exact moment that Carol opened the door into Stark's +office, the yellow visi-screen of the vocal box upon Stark's desk +flashed on brilliantly and the Chief's booming voice filled the office. +The light from the screen picked up the highlights on the furniture and +gave a sallow, greenish cast to Stark's features. Carol stepped back +into the doorway to stay out of range of the two-way unit. + +"Stark!" The automatic tuner on the box corrected to bring the Chief's +image in wire-sharp focus. + +"Yes, sir?" + +"About the dinner tonight. Just checking to make sure you're planning to +be there. We want a full turnout. An inspection team has come up from +Earth and we have two visiting dignitaries from Venus." + +Stark nodded and waited for the Chief to say something else, but the +visi-screen blanked out. + +Carol said, "That was Dad, wasn't it?" + +Stark felt very depressed suddenly. "Haven't you told him yet?" + +"No. He's been tied up with those inspectors all afternoon. And you know +how Dad is, Johnny. There's a right and a wrong time to tell him things. +Right now, he's only interested in hearing about Earth." + +"But we're supposed to announce our engagement tonight at the dinner." +He shook his head. "We can't go on forever with just a few stolen +moments here and there, eating an occasional lunch or third meal +together in little out-of-the-way places." + +Carol laughed, the youthful swell of her breasts against the soft, +spun-glass material of her blouse. "Don't worry so, Johnny! I'm a big +girl now. This is my eighteenth birthday. Dad's bark is much worse than +his bite. I'll tell him about us on the way home." + +She moved closer to him, until he could feel the warmth of her body. He +could see the warm, damp indentation where her breathing globe had +rested against her shoulders and chest. + +She asked teasingly, "What did you get me for my birthday, Johnny? +Something real nice?" + +"What did you want?" Johnny asked her gently. + + * * * * * + +And suddenly she wasn't teasing any more. She put her arms around him. +"Dad and my brother would say I'm crazy. But all I want, Johnny, is you. +Just you! You know that." + +Stark had picked out her birthday present, but he wanted it to be a +surprise for that night. He said, "I already saw one of your presents. A +black jet car!" + +"How did you know that?" + +"I saw you drive up in it a few minutes ago." + +Carol giggled. "Dad gave it to me. Did you see me plow through that +crowd waiting for the auto bus?" + +"Did your brother send you anything?" + +She nodded. "Three new outfits from Earth. They were on the same liner +that brought the inspection team to the Settlement this morning. Oh, +yes, and the captain of the liner brought me this." + +She showed him the tiny pin she wore attached to her collar. The pin +itself was a carefully wrought but cruel caricature of an awkward +buglike creature. A small ruby set in the center of its face served as +its eye. + +Stark frowned. "Carol, you shouldn't be wearing that." He reached up and +unpinned it. "That's the sort of thing our department is fighting." + +"But the captain said it was the latest rage back on Earth. They're even +making toys like it. I'm sure they're not designed to ... to poke fun at +anyone." + +Stark started to say something, but the last bell interrupted him. He +said, "If you're going to take your father home and tell him about us +before the dinner, you'd better hurry. I'll come early." + +Carol kissed him and said good-by. She left the pin on Stark's desk and +was smiling at him as she closed the door. + + * * * * * + +After waiting until the first rush of workers had gone and the building +was quiet, Stark caught the elevator down. The overhead lights in the +compressor lock were reflected in the twin rows of breathing globes. The +green-tinted ones had to be used by Martians in the building, and the +clear ones were used by Earthmen when they were outside in the Martian +atmosphere. Stark stopped in at a little open shop down one of the many +side streets. The sign said "Closed," but he rang the bell until a +little, dried-up Martian appeared. + +The storekeeper handed him a small box. Stark opened it to examine the +ring--Carol's birthday present. The single, large diamond set in the +thin precious-metal band dated back to an all-but-forgotten custom +practiced on Earth. Stark thought the engagement ring would please +Carol, though. + +Standing in the compressor lock at the Chief's home later, Stark rubbed +the diamond against the sleeve of his tunic. He fumbled with his +breathing globe and then pushed the button that activated the door. The +tele-guard beyond the opening door scanned him rapidly. As he stepped +forward, a red light above the tele-guard flashed on and the door began +to close again. + +Stark threw all his strength against the door and squeezed through into +the house. + +Throughout the house, Stark could hear the alarm bell. A taped voice, +activated by the tele-guard, said, "Do not enter! Do not enter!" + +He found Carol and the Chief in the library alone. Nearly purple with +rage, the Chief drew himself up to his full six feet. + +The Chief bellowed, "Stark! Are you crazy?" + +The growing feeling of sickness spread through Stark. + +"Who do you think you are?" the Chief yelled. "Get back to your office +and consider yourself under arrest as a troublemaker. Give you people an +inch and you try to walk away with everything. Why, I wouldn't let you +touch my daughter if you were the last living being in the Universe!" + +Carol didn't look up. She stood through it all, silently, without +moving. Stark knew now where his blind spot had been. He turned and left +them. + + * * * * * + +Back at his office, he waited for the police. Stark stared down at his +reflection in the polished top of the desk. A yellow, moist film of +sweat covered his face. The red eye set in his forehead blinked. But the +pain visible just behind the surface of that eye was not over Carol or +himself. + +The pain was for what he was seeing for the first time ... now. + + --BASCOM JONES, JR. + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Galaxy Science Fiction_ February 1955. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Blind Spot, by Bascom Jones + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BLIND SPOT *** + +***** This file should be named 30454.txt or 30454.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/4/5/30454/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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