Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction May 1963. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
ONENESS
At that, you know the power to enforce
the Golden Rule wouldmake a terrible weapon!
by JAMES H. SCHMITZ
ILLUSTRATED BY LEO SUMMERS
enesee felt excitement surge like a living tide about him as he camewith the other directors into the vast Tribunal Hall. Sixty years ago,inexcusable carelessness had deprived Earth of its first chance toobtain a true interstellar drive. Now, within a few hours, Earth, ormore specifically, the upper echelons of that great politicalorganization called the Machine which had controlled the affairs ofEarth for the past century and a half, should learn enough of thesecrets of the drive to insure that it would soon be in theirpossession.
Menesee entered his box between those of Directors Cornelius andOjeda, immediately to the right of the Spokesman's Platform and withan excellent view of the prisoner. When Administrator Bradshaw andSpokesman Dorn had taken their places on the platform, Menesee seatedhimself, drawing the transcript of the day's proceedings towards him.However, instead of glancing over it at once, he spent some seconds ina study of the prisoner.
The fellow appeared to be still young. He was a magnificent physicalspecimen, tall and strongly muscled, easily surpassing in this respectany of the hard-trained directors present. His face showed alertintelligence, giving no indication of the fact that for two of thethree days since his capture he had been drugged and subject toconstant hypnotic suggestion. He had given his name as Rainbolt,acknowledged freely that he was a member of the group of malcontentdeserters known in the records of the Machine as the Mars Convicts,but described himself as being a "missionary of Oneness" whose purposewas to bring the benefits of some of the principles of "Oneness" toEarth. He had refused to state whether he had any understanding of thestardrive by the use of which the Mars Convicts had made their massescape from the penal settlements of the Fourth Planet sixty yearsbefore, though the drive obviously had been employed in bringing himout of the depths of interstellar space to the Solar System and Earth.At the moment, while the significance of the bank of tortureinstruments on his right could hardly have escaped him, his expressionwas serious but not detectably concerned.
"Here is an interesting point!" Director Ojeda's voice said onMenesee's right.
Menesee glanced over at him. Ojeda was tapping the transcript with afinger.
"This Rainbolt," he said, "hasn't slept since he was captured! Hestates, furthermore, that he has never slept since he became anadult—"
Menesee frowned slightly, failing to see any great significance in thefact. That the fellow belonged to some curious cult which haddeveloped among the Mars Convicts following their flight from theSolar System was already known. Earth's science had methods ofinducing permanent sleeplessness but knew, too, that in most instancesthe condition eventually gave rise to very serious side effects whichmore than offset any advantages to be gained from it.
He picked up his transcript, indicating that he did not wish to bedrawn into conversation. His eyes scanned quickly over the pages. Mostof it was information he already had. Rainbolt's ship had beendetected four days earlier, probing the out