D A Novel (George Right) - By George Right Page 0,122
again looked at the big screen. He remembered almost nothing of astronomy but did not doubt that signatures under the bright circlets were the names of stars. And still this map was unusual. The density of stars decreased from edges to the center, and in the center there was a large enough spot, with outlines similar to a butterfly. It had no sharp edges but, the closer to the center the more light there was. On the periphery of the spot there still were some stars, but the middle was absolutely empty. At first this spot seemed to Adam just a defect of the screen–quite explainable, considering the condition of everything on the ship–but then he decided that this"defect" has too regular structure. Then his attention was drawn away by some blinking in the left bottom corner. There rhythmically flashed on and off a red circlet with a caption "Gliese 581." Still more to the left and lower a yellow circlet gleamed, labeled "Sun."
"Does the name "Gliese 581" tell you anything?" Adam asked.
"No... I don't know. It seems to me, I can remember..."
"I think this is our destination. More precisely, was. But we flew by it a long ago and now are here," he pointed with a finger to the center of "butterfly."
"Have people really already learned to fly between stars? I don't remember anything about it".
"Nor I. But, seemingly, they have. We weren't abducted by aliens, it is obviously a human ship, judging at least by these signatures."
"Also what do you think has happened here?"
"I don't know. Some insanity. The devil only knows what could cause it, but it affected various crewmen differently. Some began to destroy equipment and to kill each other. Others killed themselves, and no less fanatically. The third sort were luckier. They only lost their memory."
"And the bandages?"
"Obviously, we were hurt in struggles with the first ones but nevertheless remained alive."
"I'm not talking about that. There should be still a fourth category. Who bound us up? Who helped us? If somebody from the crew remained alive and healthy, where are they? Why don't they try to repair the ship? Why have left us? I was even locked in the room."
"I don't think that anyone is still alive," Adam shook his head. "Anyway, anyone normal. Everything is too neglected here. Perhaps, someone has helped us, but later was killed. Or maybe, our memory loss was not instant, and we still had time to bind up each other. Now no more help is within reach."
"And why was I locked in?"
"To protect you from those who were still wandering outside." Adam shrugged his shoulders. "If it were done by me, then it is clear why I hadn't locked myself in. Probably, it could be done reliably only by breaking the lock, and I was afraid that I would not get out."
"All the same, what if one of the madmen is still alive?
"I don't know. Seems to me, there is nobody here except us, but nothing can be guaranteed. The ship is big."
"And what about clothes?"
"About clothes?" Adam didn't understand.
"Suppose we were undressed for rendering medical aid - though it's hard to understand why clothing was not left in our rooms, especially if it was done by ourselves. I suppose also that madmen tore off the clothes of their victims. But you said the ones who had undressed the pilots showed respect for their bodies."
"Well... I don't know. Perhaps, this madness did not overtake everyone simultaneously."
"And I am not sure at all that your hypothesis about insanity is right. And that all these deaths and destructions are made by human hands."
"By whose then? Are you trying to tell that we have an alien on board?" He grinned skeptically.
"Why not? We apparently have visited this Gliese. And have found there a lifeform–or it has found us."
"And a certain monster wanders till now in compartments and corridors?"
"If nobody could wrest it down–and it seems that indeed... And if it hasn't died by itself."
"No, wait. Okay, it is possible to explain some of the deaths this way–especially if this monster is sentient. An animal can hardly crucify a person on a wire. But these pilots have obviously committed suicide, and not in the most pleasant way!"
"We don't know," Eve objected. "The broken teeth and nails can be a result of struggle. And wounds too. That the shape of the bite marks are similar to human, proves nothing. We after all don't know what it looks like."