PERFECT ANSWER
By L. J. STECHER, JR.
Illustrated by DICK FRANCIS
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction June 1958.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Getting there may be half the fun ... but it
is also all of a society's chance of survival!
"As one god to another—let's go home," Jack Bates said.
Bill Farnum raised a space-gloved hand in negligent acknowledgment toa hastily kneeling native, and shook his head at Bates. "Let's tryDeneb—it's almost in line on the way back—and then we can call itquits."
"But I want to get back and start making some profit out of this. TheGalaxy is full of Homo sapiens. We've hit the jackpot first trip out.Let's hurry on home and cash in."
"We need more information. This is too much of a good thing—it doesn'tmake sense. I know there isn't much chance of finding anything out bystopping at one more solar system. But it won't delay us more than afew weeks, and it won't hurt to try."
"Yeah," said Bates. "But what's in it for us? And what if we find aninhabited planet? You know the chances are about two to one that wewill. That'll make thirteen we've found on this trip. Why risk badluck?"
"You're no more superstitious than I am," said Farnum. "You just wantto get back Earthside. I'll tell you what. We'll toss a coin for it."
Bates gestured futilely toward his coverall pocket, and thenremembered he was wearing a spacesuit as a precaution against possiblecontamination from the natives.
"And we'll use one of my coins this time," said Farnum, noticing theautomatic motion. "I want to have a chance."
The coin dropped in Farnum's favor, and their two-man scout ship hurleditself into space.
Farnum operated the compact computer, aligning the ship's velocityvector precisely while the stars could still be seen. Bates controlledthe engines, metering their ravenous demand for power just this side ofdestructive detonation, while the ship sucked energy from space—fromthe adjacent universe on the other side of Limbo. Finally the computerchimed, relays snicked, and the ship slid into the emptiness of Limboas the stars winked out.
With two trained men working as a team with the computer and theelaborate engine room controls, and with a certain amount of luck, theship would drop back into normal space a couple of weeks later, closebeside their target.
"Well, that's that," said Farnum, relaxing and wiping the perspirationoff his forehead. "We're back once again in the nothingness of nowhere.As I recall, it's your week for K.P. Where's the coffee?"
"Coming right up," said Bates. "But you won't like it. It's the last ofthe 'God-food' the Korite priests made for us."
Farnum shuddered. "Pour it out and make some fresh. With a skillet, youstink, but you're a thousand times better than Korites."
"Thanks," Bates said, getting busy. "It was the third place we stoppedthat they were such good cooks, wasn't it?"
"Nope. Our third stop was the Porandians. They tried to kill us—calledus 'Devil spawn from the stars.' You're thinking of the fourth stop;the Balanites."
Bates shrugged. "It's kind of hard to keep them all straight. Eitherthey fall on their knees and worship us, or they try to kill us withouteven asking questions. Maybe it's lucky they're all so primitive."
"It may be lucky, but it doesn't add up. More than half the stars we