Free A Simple Truth by Albert Ball

there's something the matter with him."
    The doctor went in and carried out a brief check .  Dag was a little more animated now and failed to see the point of this visit although he couldn't speak for long without laughing.
    Presently the doctor looked sternly at Geoff and said angrily "Something the matter with him is there?  Oh yes there's something the matter with him all right and you know very well what it is, he's drunk."
    Geoff's astonishment was so obvious that the doctor calmed down a little.  Maybe this wasn't a lark after all.
    "You two have been drinking ?" he queried.
    "We haven't been drinking at all ," said Geoff quietly , as though he wished the explanation was that simple.
    "Perhaps you had better explain then ," said the doctor sitting down in readiness for a long story.
    "It's that music, the alien music ," began Geoff.  "It struck me as odd how the world has gone overboard about it.  Everyone is affected, normal business seems to have been suspended, and what's more disturbing is that no one seems to care."
    "Yes but surely that's to be expected ," interrupted the doctor, "a contact from an alien race is a pretty remarkable thing."
    "Yes but I was surprised none the less.  Anyway when this latest transmission was received I recorded about ten minutes of it while wearing earplugs and then went over to one of the labs to analyse it."
    Geoff's voice had been rising steadily during his story and the doctor decided he needed to calm down.
    "Hold on ," he said rising from his seat and taking hold of Geoff's arm.  "You're working yourself up into a state.  Sit down, relax, and tell me slowly."  Geoff sat down.  The doctor found a glass and poured out some water. 
    "Drink this ," he ordered.
    At that moment Sergio poked his head round the door.  "Everything OK?  I heard the call, no one hurt I hope?  Good grief ! Dag you look terrible . "
    "Everything's fine now ," reassured the doctor as he gently but firmly eased him out of the door.  "Leave it to me Sergio."
    "Now Geoff, go on."
    "Well, to cut a long story short there were some very low amplitude, high frequency sound pulses in the original transmission.  These formed a regular pattern but well below the conscious threshold of human hearing when the rest of the music was at normal volume.  The aliens presumably don't know precisely our audible range so this wasn't too significant in itself.  Anyway I separated all this low amplitude stuff out and recorded it separately.  I then played Dag the music without it and then with, and his reactions were quite different.  He was perceptibly more tranquil the second time.  Then I played just the low amplitude part but amplified to increase the effect if any.  I suppose I didn't really expect to see any effect."
    He looked a little shame- faced as he confessed his stupidity.  "You can see the result".
    The doctor went over to Dag and looked into his eyes.  "How do you feel ?" he enquired gently.
    "I feel peculiar," Dag replied, "as if I'm in zero gee, and my skin is tingling."
    His speech was much better, still slow, but coherent, and the blank look had gone from his eyes.
    "I'm sorry Dag ," said Geoff with feeling.  "It was stupid to amplify the signals in that way, God knows what I've done to you."
    "He'll be fine ," said the doctor confidently, "he's just been desensitised.  It's a similar effect to that induced by alcohol, drugs or anaesthetics.  And don't feel bad about it ; what you have uncovered is something vitally important.  These aliens are hypnotising most of the human race.  It's only the fact that we've been out of contact with Procyon that's allowed us to escape.  Would we have resisted playing that compulsive music at every opportunity?  I doubt it."
    Dag rose from his seat and walked somewhat unsteadily over to the wash cubicle.  He wiped his face and neck with a damp cloth.
    "I think I'm OK now ," he said, and sounded much more like his normal self.
    "We'd better get a