Free A Simple Truth by Albert Ball Page A

message to earth right away, this music is dangerous ," exclaimed Geoff suddenly.  "Heaven knows what effect continual exposure will have in the long term."
    "Is it deliberate do you think ?" a sked the doctor.
    "I don't know.  It's hard to see why they should transmit it deliberately.  In any case, we weren't aware of this effect ourselves so how could they be?  No, it must be accidental." 
    "I hope so, I really hope so ," said Dag unconvinced, "if it is deliberate I daren't guess what their intentions are."
    "Let's call an immediate meeting of all personnel ," suggested the doctor, "everyone should know about this.  Perhaps there's a better way than telling earth directly, let's see what the others think.  And we'd better get over to the control room to stop any more signals coming in."
    While they were still a few moments from the control room they could hear the strains of more music being received.  But this time the tranquillising effect was not felt.  What they now knew gave an insidious twist to the peaceful notes and the vision of an unsuspecting and vulnerable public sent a chill down each spine.
    Geoff was first into the control room.  He strode over the languid bodies towards the console.
    Jean Forsyth saw his movement and looked round, startled.  "What are you ... ? Geoff what are you doing ?" she demanded, her voice rising almost to a shout as realisation dawned of his intention.  Suddenly the room was silent.  The speakers were off.  People looked up in surprise , but Geoff ignored the protestations and switched on the loudhailer system.
    "Attention, all personnel report to the lecture theatre immediately."
    He switched off and looked straight at Jean.
    "These speakers stay off ," he instructed and strode out.
    Jean had no time to answer; she and the others just stared after him.  Gradually they began moving out as directed, curious and more than a little apprehensive of what this unprecedented development meant.  Jean was torn between indignity at Geoff's presumption in giving her orders and anxiety as to what lay behind his actions.  She decided to find out.
    Lecture theatre was just one function of the multipurpose room.  Most of the time it was a lounge, but sometimes it served as a night club or theatre, and at other times a conference room, chapel or general common room.  Geoff, Dag and the doctor quickly arranged a table on the platform at one end of the room and darkened the window to block the outside view.  No distractions were to intrude on this discussion.
    Everyone assembled in a remarkably short time.  Events were rare here and this was clearly important.  Several people in dressing gowns had climbed straight out of bed to attend.
    The doctor made a few brief opening remarks to set the scene.  He was a good speaker and had no difficulty in commanding the attention of his audience.  He quickly handed over to Geoff to explain what had happened in his own words.  During the story several gasps could be heard, and the colour drained from many a cheek.
    At the end of Geoff's off-the-cuff bulletin the doctor stood up again to emphasise the gravity of the situation.
    "It is likely that most of the civilised world is suffering from the effects of these subliminal pulses.  We feel sure that their inclusion is purely accidental; there is after all nothing to be gained from hypnotising us from over eleven light years away.  In any case, this pattern of sound was not known by us to induce this peculiar trancelike state so there is no way that our friends out there could know it.  The question is what to do about it.  Earth must be informed of course, but how?  Telling a drunken man that he is drunk does not always produce an agreeable or a logical response.  Also, is there any thing we might have overlooked or assumed wrongly?  We wish to throw open the discussion and then agree on a suitable action."
    The doctor sat down.
    People shuffled a bit and then a voice from somewhere