Fiction - Frederick Brown: "It's not the end yet"

  FREDERICK BROWN
  It's not over yet

  Greenish light in a metal cube
ominously throbbed, and meptbehho-pale
the skin of the creature sitting at the control panel,
seemed to be flaring up.  Single eye
this creature located in the middle
forehead, closely watched the family
dials.  This is what he has been busy with since
the ship's launch from Xandor. The race to which
belonged to Kar 388, did not know sleep. Not
She also knew pity.  To make sure
it was enough to look at the sharp
facial features.
  Arrows on the fourth and seventh
the dials showed that the cube was stuck in
space above your target. Kar gave in
forward and touched the lever with my upper right hand
stabilizer. Then he stood up and stretched.
  Turning to his comrade, such
just like himself, Kar said:
  - So, the first stage of our journey -
star Z-5689.   This star has nine
planets, but only the third is inhabited.
I hope we find strong slaves here.
  Lal 163, who travels all the time
sat motionless, stood up and also
stretched.
  “You always have to hope,” he said.
- With luck, we will return to Xandor in
eagle of glory, and our fleet will go here
for the slaves.  But let's not rush.
If everything works out the first time, it's
there will be some kind of miracle.   Most likely
it will be necessary to examine at least a thousand of these
planets...“So we’ll examine thousands,” said
Kar, shrugging. - Lunaki is almost here
completely extinct, and if we don't find
race capable of replacing them, we cannot
exploit our mines more. - He
sat down at the remote control again and turned on the zoom
monitor.
  - We are above the unlit side
planets,” he said, looking at the screen. -
Lots of clouds, visibility is difficult.
I switch to manual control.
  He pressed a few buttons.
  - Look, Lal, there are rows of lights. Some kind of
city! This planet is indeed inhabited.
  Lal sat down in front of the console and also
looked at the screen.
  “We have nothing to fear,” he remarked. -
There are no traces of security around the city
fields.  Scientific knowledge of these creatures must
to be in its infancy.  If we
attack, we can destroy this city
in one gulp.
  “That’s right,” Kar agreed. - Just don't
forget that the purpose of our mission is not
destruction.  At least for now. Now
we need some samples.  If they
turn out to be suitable, our fleet will be taken out
from here there are as many slaves as
will be needed.   Only then will it be possible
destroy. And we, my dear, will not destroy
city, but the entire planet, because civilization,
which inhabits it, develops.  Who
knows if its inhabitants will one day decide
take revenge...
  “Okay, okay,” said Lal, checking
potentiometer.  - I'll turn on the megafield, andwe
We will become invisible.  Unless these creatures
can see in ultraviolet... what
unlikely in such and such sun.
  The cube began to descend, the light emanating from
him, from green to purple, and then
and went out completely. The ship stopped quietly and
Kar turned on the hatch mechanism.
  He climbed out, Lal following him.
  “Look,” said Kar, two bipeds
creatures. Two hands, two eyes... Similar to
Lunakov, just a little less. Just
two samples we need.
  He raised his lower left hand - three
her fingers held a whip made of woven
copper wires - and this whip
touched first one, and then the second
creatures.  There were no outbreaks, however
the creatures froze like two statues.
  “They are not heavy,” Lal noted. - I
I'll take them to the ship, and research
We'll spend it in space.
  -  You are right. Two copies are enough for us
that's enough.  Moreover, one is a male, and
the second is a female.
  A minute later, the cube rose into the air. How
only the ship was outside
atmosphere, Kar turned on the stabilizer and
approached Lalu;  he has already started studying
prisoners.
  “These are mammals,” said Lal. -
Five fingers, hands suitable for the most
fine work.  Of course they have for us
The importance is not only of the hands, but also of the intellect.
  Kar took two pairs of helmets from the locker.
Lal put one helmet on his head,
the second - onthe head of a creature that
studied.  Kar did the same with the other
captive.
  A few minutes later they are disappointed
looked at each other.
  “Seven points lower,” said Kar. -
There is nothing to even think about teaching them the simplest
operations at our mines. They won't understand
even basic orders.  At its best
in case they will be suitable for our
museum...
  - So what? Shall we destroy the planet?
  - I don't think it's worth it. In a million years
if our race still exists
by that time, the natives will develop
enough to work in our
mines.  There's nothing you can do, you have to
search in another star system, on
other planets...

  The secretary of the Miloki Star editorial office sat
above the strip layout, underlining the column
city news.  Jenkins, meter page,
showed him the empty seat at the end
pages.
  - I have a hole in the eighth column, -
he said, - about ten lines
title.  And there are two pieces of information you need
size.
  The secretary glanced at them.
  - One is about the farmers' congress, and the second is about
incident at the zoo. Better put o
farmers. Who cares, who knows where
two monkeys gone missing?..