The Space Voyage of the Beagle

Prologue de :fernando savater

Coeurl merodeaba sin pausa. La noche oscura, sin luna, casi sin estrellas, se resista ante el alba rojiza y lgubre que se arrastraba por la izquierda. Era una luz vaga que no daba ninguna sensacin de calor. Poco a poco, esa luz fue mostrando un paisaje de pesadilla. Alrededor de Coeurl cobraron forma unas piedras negras, melladas, y una llanura negra y sin vida. Por encima del horizonte grotesco miraba un sol rojo plido. Unos dedos de luz hurgaban entre las sombras. y an no haba rastros de la familia de criaturas de id que llevaba siguiendo casi cien das. Finalmente se detuvo, enfriado por la realidad. Sus enormes patas delanteras se sacudieron con un movimiento que arque cada afilada garra. Los gruesos tentculos que le salan de los hombros ondularon, tensos. Torci la voluminosa cabeza de gato a un lado ya otro, mientras los zarcillos parecidos a pelos que formaban cada oreja vibraron frenticamente, probando cada brisa, cada latido en el ter. No hubo respuesta. No senta ningn cosquilleo en el complejo sistema nervioso. No haba ningn indicio de la presencia de las criaturas de id, su nica fuente de alimento en ese planeta desolado. Desesperado, Coeurl se agazap, una enorme figura felina recortada contra la lnea dbil y rojiza del horizonte, como un deforme grabado de un tigre negro en un mundo sombro. Lo que ms lo mortificaba era que haba perdido el contacto con ellas. Tena un equipo sensorial que normalmente poda detectar id orgnico a kilmetros de distancia. Admita que l ya no era normal. Su repentina imposibilidad de mantener aquel contacto indicaba una crisis fsica. Era la enfermedad mortal de la que haba odo hablar. Siete veces en el ltimo siglo haba encontrado coeurls demasiado dbiles para moverse, con los cuerpos normalmente inmortales consumidos y

condenados por la falta de alimento. Entonces, con avidez, les haba aplastado los cuerpos entregados y les haba sacado todo el id que an los mantena con vida. Coeurl se estremeci de entusiasmo recordando esas comidas. Entonces lanz un gruido audible, un sonido desafiante que vibr en el aire y son y reson entre las piedras mientras le recorra los nervios de la espalda. Era una expresin instintiva de su voluntad de vivir. Y de repente se puso tieso. Por encima del lejano horizonte vio un punto diminuto que brillaba. El punto se acerc. Creci rpidamente y fue una enorme pelota de metal que se transform en una nave gigantesca y redonda. El inmenso globo, brillante como plata bruida, pas silbando por encima de Coeurl, reduciendo la velocidad de manera visible. Se alej sobre unas negras colinas que haba por la derecha, flot casi inmvil durante un segundo y despus descendi perdindose de vista. Coeurl sali disparado de su asustada inmovilidad. Con velocidad felina, baj corriendo entre las piedras. En sus ojos redondos y negros arda un deseo desesperado. Los zarcillos de las orejas, a pesar de la falta de energas, vibraron recibiendo un mensaje de id en tales cantidades que las punzadas de hambre hicieron que le doliera el cuerpo. El sol distante, ahora tirando a rosa, estaba alto en el cielo prpura y negro cuando Coeurl se arrastro saliendo de entre unas piedras y mir desde las sombras las ruinas de la ciudad que se extenda all abajo. La nave plateada, a pesar de su tamao, pareca pequea ante la enorme extensin de la ciudad desmoronada y desierta. Pero alrededor de la nave haba una sensacin de vida contenida, una inactividad dinmica que, despus de un rato, empez a destacarse, dominando el primer plano. La nave descansaba en una cuna hecha por su propio peso en la llanura rocosa y resistente que empezaba bruscamente en las afueras de la metrpoli muerta. Coeurl observ a los dos seres bpedos que haban salido del interior de la nave. Andaban cerca del pie de una escalera mecnica que haban hecho descender desde una abertura brillantemente iluminada a unos treinta metros por encima del suelo. La necesidad perentoria engros la garganta de Coeurl. El impulso de salir corriendo y aplastar a esas criaturas de aspecto endeble le oscureca el cerebro. Unos jirones de recuerdo detuvieron ese impulso cuando todava no era ms que electricidad corrindole por los msculos. Era un recuerdo del pasado distante de su propia raza, de mquinas que podan destruir, de energas ms potentes que todas las fuerzas de su propio cuerpo. El recuerdo enveneno los depsitos de su fortaleza. Tuvo tiempo de ver que los seres llevaban algo puesto encima de sus cuerpos verdaderos, un material brillante y transparente que reluca y destellaba bajo los rayos del sol. La astucia permiti a Coeurl entender la presencia de aquellas criaturas. Aquello, razon por primera vez, era una expedicin cientfica que vena de otra estrella. Los cientficos investigaran y no destruiran. Los cientficos se abstendran de matarlo si no los atacaba. Los cientficos, a su manera, eran tontos. Envalentonado por el hambre, sali del escondite. Vio que las criaturas advertan su presencia. Se volvan hacia l y miraban. Las tres que estaban ms cerca de l regresaron despacio hacia grupos ms grandes. Un individuo, el ms pequeo de su grupo, sac una barra opaca de metal de una funda que llevaba en el costado del cuerpo y la sostuvo con tranquilidad en una mano. Ese acto alarm a Coeurl, que sin embargo sigui corriendo. Era demasiado tarde para volver. Elliott Grosvenor se qued donde estaba, detrs de todo, cerca de la escalera. Se estaba acostumbrando a quedarse en segundo plano. Como nico nexialista a bordo del Beagle Espacial, durante meses haba sido ignorado por especialistas que no entendan bien qu era un nexialista ya los que tampoco les importaba demasiado. Grosvenor tena planes para rectificar eso. Hasta el momento no se haba presentado la oportunidad. El comunicador que llevaba en la cabeza del traje espacial se activ de repente. Por l se oy la suave risa de un hombre que dijo: - Yo, personalmente, no me voy a arriesgar con algo tan grande. Grosvenor reconoci la voz de Gregory Kent, director del departamento de qumica. Hombre de poca estatura, Kent tena gran personalidad. En la nave contaba con numerosos amigos y partidarios, y ya haba anunciado su candidatura a director de la expedicin para las siguientes elecciones. De todos los hombres que estaban ante el monstruo que se iba acercando, Kent era el nico que haba sacado un arma. Ahora acariciaba el largo y delgado instrumento de metalita. Se oy otra voz. El tono era ms grave y ms relajado. Grosvenor reconoci que era la voz de Hal Morton, director de la expedicin. - sa es una de las razones por la que est en este viaje - dijo Morton -. Porque deja

muy pocas cosas libradas al azar. Era un comentario amistoso. Pasaba por alto el hecho de que Kent ya se haba definido como el adversario de Morton para la direccin. Eso, por supuesto, quiz no era ms que una muestra de virtuosismo poltico para hacer creer a los oyentes ms ingenuos que Morton no senta ninguna animadversin hacia su rival. Grosvenor no dudaba de que el director era capaz de esas sutilezas. La imagen que tena de Morton era la de un hombre sagaz, razonablemente honesto y muy inteligente, que manejaba la mayora de las situaciones con automtica habilidad. Grosvenor vio que Morton se adelantaba, colocndose un poco por delante de los dems. Su cuerpo fuerte se destacaba, enfundado en el traje transparente de metalita. Desde aquella posicin, el director mir cmo se acercaba la bestia felina por la llanura de piedras negras. Los comentarios de otros jefes de departamento golpetearon en las orejas de Grosvenor a travs del comunicador. - No me gustara nada encontrarme con esa criatura en un callejn una noche oscura. - No diga tonteras. Es obvio que se trata de un ser inteligente. Quiz un miembro de la raza dominante. - Su desarrollo fsico - dijo una voz que Grosvenor identific como perteneciente a Siedel, el psiclogo - sugiere una adaptacin de tipo animal a su medio ambiente. Por otra parte, venir hacia nosotros como lo est haciendo no es el acto de un animal sino de un ser inteligente que sabe de nuestra inteligencia. Ustedes pueden advertir lo agarrotados que son sus movimientos. Eso denota cautela y conciencia de nuestras armas. Me gustara observar bien las terminaciones de esos tentculos de los hombros. Si consisten en apndices, manos o ventosas, podemos empezar a suponer que desciende de los habitantes de esta ciudad. - Hizo una pausa -. Sera muy til establecer comunicacin con l. Pero a simple vista yo dira que ha degenerado hasta un estado primitivo. Coeurl se detuvo cuando an estaba a tres metros de los seres ms cercanos. La necesidad de id amenazaba con abrumarlo. Su cerebro flot hasta el feroz filo del caos, donde le cost un terrible esfuerzo detenerse. Senta como si tuviera el cuerpo baado por un lquido fundido. La visin era cada vez ms borrosa. La mayora de los hombres se acercaron. Coeurl vio que lo estaban examinando con franca curiosidad. Movan los labios dentro de los cascos transparentes que llevaban puestos. Su forma de intercomunicacin - supona que era eso lo que senta - le llegaba en una frecuencia que estaba dentro de su capacidad de recepcin. Los mensajes eran ininteligibles. En un esfuerzo por parecer amistoso, transmiti su nombre desde los zarcillos de las orejas, sealndose al mismo tiempo con un tentculo. Una voz que Grosvenor no reconoci dijo arrastrando las palabras: - Morton, cuando movi esos pelos o una especie de esttica en mi radio. Cree usted que...? El uso por parte de Morton del nombre de quien haba hablado, lo identific. Gourlay, jefe de comunicaciones. Grosvenor, que estaba grabando la conversacin, se alegr. La llegada de la bestia quiz le permitira obtener grabaciones de todos los hombres importantes que iban abordo de la nave. Era algo que trataba de hacer desde el principio. - Ah - dijo Siedel, el psiclogo -, los tentculos terminan en ventosas. Si el sistema nervioso es suficientemente complejo podra, con la necesaria capacitacin, manejar cualquier mquina. - Creo que lo ms conveniente es que entremos en la nave y comamos - dijo el director Morton -. Despus nos pondremos a trabajar. Quiero que se haga un estudio sobre el desarrollo cientfico de esta raza, sobre todo qu fue lo que la destruy. En la Tierra, al principio, antes de que hubiese una civilizacin galctica, las diversas culturas alcanzaban la cima y despus se desmoronaban. Del polvo siempre brotaba una nueva. Por qu no sucedi lo mismo aqu? A cada departamento se le asignar un campo especial de investigacin. - Y el gatito? - dijo alguien -. Me parece que quiere venir con nosotros. Morton se ri entre dientes.

Ingles Coeurl wandered without pause. The dark night, moonless, almost starless, resisted dawn to dark red and crawling on the left. It was a dim light that gave no warmth. Slowly, the light was showing a landscape of nightmare. Coeurl took shape around a black stone, jagged, and a plain

black and lifeless. Above the horizon looked grotesque pale red sun. Fingers of light poking through the shadows. and still no trace of the family of creatures by id that was followed almost a hundred days. Finally he stopped, cooled by reality. Its huge forelegs a movement that shook with every sharp claws raised. The thick tentacles came out of the shoulders rippled, tense. He twisted his large head of a cat side to side, while the hair-like tendrils that formed each ear vibrated frantically trying every breeze, every beat in the ether. There was no response. I felt no tingling in the complex nervous system. Not was no indication of the presence of the creatures go, their only source of food the desolate planet. Desperate, Coeurl crouched, a huge figure feline weak line silhouetted against the horizon and reddish, like a carving of a tiger deformed black in a dark world. What else was mortified that he had lost touch with them. He had a normal sensory equipment could detect organic id miles away. He admitted that he was no longer normal. His sudden inability maintain that contact indicated a physical crisis. It was the deadly disease which had heard. Seven times in the last century had found too coeurls weak to move, their bodies usually consumed and immortal condemned by the lack of food. So eagerly, had crushed the bodies delivered and had taken all the id still kept alive. Coeurl shivered with excitement remembering those meals. Then released a audible growl, challenging sound vibrated in the air and rang and rang among the stones as he walked through the nerves in the back. It was an instinctive expression of his will to live. And suddenly stiffened. Above the distant horizon he saw a tiny spot shone. The point is approached. It grew rapidly and was a huge metal ball transformed into a gigantic ship around. The huge balloon, bright as silver polished, whizzed over Coeurl, slowing visibly. He left on a black hills had the right, floated almost motionless for a second and then dropped out of sight. Coeurl shot from his startled immobility. With feline speed, ran down. between the stones. In his eyes round and black burned a desperate desire. the earrings from the ears, despite the lack of energy, getting a message vibrated id in such quantities that the hunger pangs did it hurt the body. The distant sun, now pinkish, was high in the sky purple and black when Coeurl crawled out from between some rocks and watched from the shadows the ruins of extending the city down there. The silver ship, despite its size, it seemed dwarfed by the vastness of the city crumbling and deserted. but around the ship was a sense of life contained, dynamic inactivity after a while, began to stand out, dominating the foreground. The ship rested on a cradle made by its own weight in the plains and rugged rocky beginning sharply in the outskirts of the metropolis dead. Coeurl watched the two legged creatures who had come from inside the ship. They walked near the foot of an escalator that had brought down from a brightly lit opening about thirty feet above the ground. The urgent need Coeurl throat swelled. The urge to run and crush the weak-looking creatures you darkened the brain. Some shreds of memory that momentum stopped when it was still not more than electricity running through the muscles. It was a memory of the distant past of his own race of machines that could destroy most powerful energy all forces of his own body. The memory poisoned the deposits of its strength. He time to see that people had something over their bodies as true, a bright and transparent material glittered and sparkled in the rays of the sun. Cunning Coeurl allowed to understand the presence of these creatures. That, he argued for the first time, it was a scientific expedition that came from another star. Scientists investigate and

not destroy. Scientists would refrain from killing if not attacked. Scientists their way, they were fools. Emboldened by hunger, came out of hiding. He saw the creatures warned his presence. They turned to him and watched. The three that were more near it returned slowly to larger groups. An individual, the smallest of their group, pulled out a metal bar an opaque cover that was on the side of said body and smoothly in one hand. That act Coeurl alarmed that without But he ran. It was too late to return. Elliott Grosvenor remained where he was, after all, near the staircase. He was accustomed to stay in the background. As the only nexialista Space aboard the Beagle, for months had been ignored by scholars who did not understand well what was a nexialista and they do not care much. Grosvenor had plans to rectify this. To far not been presented the opportunity. The community that bears the spacesuit head suddenly went off. For he heard the soft laugh of a man said: - I personally am not going to risk something so big. Grosvenor recognized the voice of Gregory Kent, director of the chemistry department. Short man, Kent had a great personality. The ship had many friends and supporters, and had already announced his candidacy for director of the expedition to the next election. Of all the men who were at the monster was approaching, Kent was the only one who had pulled a gun. now stroking his long, thin instrument metalite. There was another voice. The tone was more serious and more relaxed. Grosvenor was recognized that voice of Hal Morton, director of the expedition. - That's one reason why you are on this journey - Morton said -. because it leaves very little to chance. It was a friendly comment. Overlooking the fact that Kent had already been defined Morton as the opponent for direction. That, of course, perhaps no more than a sample of political virtuosity to mislead the gullible listeners Morton felt no animosity towards his rival. Grosvenor no doubt that the director was able to these subtleties. The image I had of Morton was a man clever, reasonably honest and very intelligent, who handled most of the situations with an automatic skill. Grosvenor Morton saw the front, set a little ahead of the other. His strong body stood out, dressed in the costume metalite transparent. From that position, the director watched feline beast approached by plain black stones. The comments from other department heads pounding in the ears Grosvenor through the communicator. - I'd hate to meet that creature in a dark alley. - Do not be silly. It is obvious that an intelligent being. Perhaps a member of the dominant race. - Their physical - Grosvenor said a voice identified as belonging to Siedel, the psychologist - suggests an animal-like adaptation to their environment. On the other hand, coming towards us as it is doing is not the act of an animal but a intelligent being who knows of our intelligence. You may notice the stiff her movements. That indicates caution and awareness of our arms. Me like to see either the ends of these tentacles of the shoulders. If they consist appendages, hands, or windy, we can begin to assume that descends from the inhabitants of this city. - He paused -. It would be very useful to communicate with him. But at first glance I would say has degenerated into a primitive state. Coeurl stopped when he was still ten feet away from loved ones. The id need threatened to overwhelm him. Your brain floated to the fierce edge of chaos, which cost him a terrible effort to stop. I felt as if his body washed by a molten liquid. The vision was becoming blurred. Most of the men approached. Coeurl saw that they were discussing with

frank curiosity. Lips moved in transparent helmets worn positions. His way intercom - supposed that was what I felt - I got at a frequency that was within their capacity to receive. The messages were unintelligible. In an effort to appear friendly, aired its name from the earrings from the ears, pointing at the same time with a tentacle. A voice that did not recognize Grosvenor drawled: - Morton, when I heard that hair moved a kind of static on my radio. Do you that ...? The use by Morton who had spoken name, identified him. Gourlay, Head of Communications. Grosvenor, who was recording the conversation, he rejoiced. the arrival of the beast might allow him to get recordings of all men important were aboard the ship. It was something that was done from the beginning. - Ah - said Siedel, the psychologist - the tentacles end in suction cups. If the system nerve is sufficiently complex could, with the necessary training to handle any machine. - I think it is best to get into the ship and eat - said the director Morton -. Then we get to work. I want you to do a study on the scientific development of this breed, especially what was what destroyed it. On Earth, the beginning, before there was a galactic civilization, diverse cultures reached the top and then crumble. Dust always spring a new one. Why not The same thing happened here? Each department is assigned a special field research. - And the kitten? - Someone said -. I think he wants to come with us. Morton chuckled.