The Sinners of Erspia

“Look at those idiots,” Klystar said quietly. With one of his four thin lank arms he pointed to the nearest pile of ruins on the horizon. It appeared to be the base of a tower, surrounded by tumbled stone. “For generations I-Klystar have been telling them to build a tower twenty miles high so that they can climb up it to heaven. It is manifestly impossible to build a tower that high with the materials available. On reaching a certain height it collapses and kills large numbers of the builders. Yet do they ever lose faith in me? Do they tell themselves that I-Klystar might be lying and perhaps am not even a god, as they think? No, they do not. They begin again. And simply because my personality is stronger than theirs."

Such cynicism appalled Laedo. But he was also puzzled. Why should the mighty Klystar, whose deeds were so awesome, come to resemble a corny Jehova?

At the same time there was something odd in the way the alien being referred to himself as ‘I-Klystar'. Or was it ‘I/Klystar'?

An inspired thought came to him. He blurted it out immediately.

“You're not Klystar at all, are you? What are you? A robot proxy? Or a biological one, perhaps?"

'Klystar’ paused, before he answered, his tone neutral and matter-of-fact. “You have acuity, for a member of an inferior race,” he congratulated. “No, I-Klystar am not a proxy. I am a relic. To be exact, I am Klystar's body. Klystar himself, that is to say his mind, or essence, is away journeying. Methods for moving material objects, such as those used by your starships, are not fast enough for his requirements.

He uses a technique which abstracts the individual from his corporeal form and expresses him as a pattern of consciousness and thought. This can be instantaneously transferred to an immense distance."

“How?"

“By a means known as Immediacy of Thought. It would be tiresome to explain."

“What happens at the other end?"

“A replacement body is needed as an instrument of action. Klystar forms one from available materials where this is possible. Or he may arrange for one to be constructed beforehand."

“How?"

“Again, it would be tiresome to explain."

“Isn't this a risky process? What if he can't get a body?"

“Then he is unable to return. You are right, there is a degree of uncertainty, but Klystar has no fear of destruction. Better to die than to desist from the search for knowledge. Besides, Klystar has lived for over a million years as you measure time, and he has learned to survive most accidental events."

Laedo thought over everything he had been told. “You say you are just a body, without Klystar's mind.

But you talk, walk about, appear to be a rational being."

“That is because Klystar's body has remanent intelligence of its own, just as yours does. Were it otherwise, Klystar and yourself would personally have to supervise bodily functions like digestion."

Laedo laughed. “Then you are no different from me! You are inferior too!"

“If you like, but that is exactly the point. Klystar's discarded integument still has more intelligence than does your entire species. In any case, I have been a part of Klystar. That makes a difference."

“And the religious cult you have in this crater? Is that your work?"

“It is my own little experiment in human gullibility."

“I thought so. To be frank, it lacks the grandeur of Klystar's set-ups. You probably didn't even need to use thought-beams. Human prophets aplenty have made people discard their reason, using nothing more than persuasion and charisma."

“I-Klystar am sure you are right. But what a pity your species is so amenable to these ploys."

Laedo changed the subject. “What happens when Klystar comes back? Will you be reunited with him?"

“No, this body is worn out. A new body will have to be prepared for Klystar's return."

“So what will happen to you?"

“Either Klystar will destroy me or I will simply be left to age and die."

“And when is he coming back?"

“He has been overdue for some time now. Perhaps he has found something of unusual interest, or perhaps he no longer wishes to review the results of his social experiments. There could be many reasons for his lateness."

“Where has he gone?"

“To another galaxy, I believe. I do not know which one."

Laedo was impressed. “Is he native to this galaxy?"

“His kind evolved on a planet of an intergalactic star. Most intelligent beings have a similar origin.

Galaxies are generally too young to have produced intelligent life."

Again Laedo paused for thought. “What if Klystar never comes back?"

“The experiments will continue until the suns run out of power. That will be in about three hundred years time."

“Why don't you act on your own initiative?” Laedo challenged. “You could bring this nonsense to an end now."

“You proposal does not make sense. I-Klystar am an aspect of Klystar. Klystar's wishes are law. Would your hand disobey you?"

'Klystar’ started back up the slope. Laedo hurried to keep up with him.