Foundation's Edge

4.

The ship landed in a quiet, almost feathery manner, without a moment of jarring, without one anomalous gravitational effect. They stepped out, one by one: first Bliss, then Pelorat, and finally Trevize.

The weather was comparable to early summer at Terminus City. There was a mild breeze and with what seemed to be a late-morning sun shining brightly down from a mottled sky. The ground was green underfoot and in one direction there were the serried rows of trees that bespoke an orchard, while in the other there was the distant line of seashore.

There was the low hum of what might have been insect life, a flash of bird—or some small flying creature—above and to one side, and the clack- clack of what might have been some farm instrument.

Pelorat was the first to speak and he mentioned nothing he either saw or heard. Instead, he drew in his breath raspingly and said, “Ah, it smells good, like fresh-made applesauce.”

Trevize said, “That’s probably an apple orchard we’re looking at and, for all we know, they’re making applesauce.”

“On your ship, on the other hand,” said Bliss, “it smelled like— Well, it smelled terrible.”

“You didn’t complain when you were on it,” growled Trevize.

“I had to be polite. I was a guest on your ship.”

“What’s wrong with staying polite?”

“I’m on my own world now. You’re the guest. You be polite.”

Pelorat said, “She’s probably right about the smell, Golan. Is there any way of airing out the ship?”

“Yes,” said Trevize with a snap. “It can be done—if this little creature can assure us that the ship will not be disturbed. She has already shown us she can exert unusual power over the ship.”

Bliss drew herself up to her full height. “I’m not exactly little and if leaving your ship alone is what it takes to get it cleaned up, I assure you leaving it alone will be a pleasure.”

“And then we can be taken to whoever it is that you speak of as Gaia?” said Trevize.

Bliss looked amused. “I don’t know if you’re going to believe this, Trev. I’m Gaia.”

Trevize stared. He had often heard the phrase, “collect one’s thoughts” used metaphorically. For the first time in his life, he felt as though he were engaged in the process literally. Finally he said, “You?”

“Yes. And the ground. And those trees. And that rabbit over there in the grass. And the man you can see through the trees. The whole planet and everything on it is Gaia. We’re all individuals—we’re all separate organisms—but we all share an overall consciousness. The inanimate planet does so least of all, the various forms of life to a varying degree, and human beings most of all—but we all share.”

Pelorat said, “I think, Trevize, that she means Gaia is some sort of group consciousness.”

Trevize nodded. “I gathered that. —In that case, Bliss, who runs this world?”

Bliss said, “It runs itself. Those trees grow in rank and file of their own accord. They multiply only to the extent that is needed to replace those that for any reason die. Human beings harvest the apples that are needed; other animals, including insects, eat their share—and only their share.”

“The insects know what their share is, do they?” said Trevize.

“Yes, they do—in a way. It rains when it is necessary and occasionally it rains rather hard when that is necessary—and occasionally there’s a siege of dry weather when that is necessary.”

“And the rain knows what to do, does it?”

“Yes, it does,” said Bliss very seriously. “In your own body, don’t all the different cells know what to do? When to grow and when to stop growing? When to form certain substances and when not to—and when they form them, just how much to form, neither more nor less? Each cell is, to a certain extent, an independent chemical factory, but all draw from a common fund of raw materials brought to it by a common transportation system, all deliver wastes into common channels, and all contribute to an overall group consciousness.”

Pelorat said with a certain enthusiasm. “But that’s remarkable. You are saying that the planet is a superorganism and that you are a cell of that superorganism.”

“I’m making an analogy, not an identity. We are the analog of cells, but we are not identical with cells—do you understand?”

“In what way,” said Trevize, “are you not cells?”

“We are ourselves made up of cells and have a group consciousness, as far as cells are concerned. This group consciousness, this consciousness of an individual organism—a human being, in my case—”

“With a body men die for.”

“Exactly. My consciousness is far advanced beyond that of any individual cell—incredibly far advanced. The fact that we, in turn, are part of a still greater group consciousness on a higher level does not reduce us to the level of cells. I remain a human being—but above us is a group consciousness as far beyond my grasp as my consciousness is beyond that of one of the muscle cells of my biceps.”

Trevize said, “Surely someone ordered our ship to be taken.”

“No, not someone! Gaia ordered it. All of us ordered it.”

“The trees and the ground, too, Bliss?”

“They contributed very little, but they contributed. Look, if a musician writes a symphony, do you ask which particular cell in his body ordered the symphony written and supervised its construction?”

Pelorat said, “And, I take it, the group mind, so to speak, of the group consciousness is much stronger than an individual mind, just as a muscle is much stronger than an individual muscle cell. Consequently Gaia can capture our ship at a distance by controlling our computer, even though no individual mind on the planet could have done so.”

“You understand perfectly, Pel,” said Bliss.

“And I understand it, too,” said Trevize. “It is not that hard to understand. But what do you want of us? We have not come to attack you. We have come seeking information. Why have you seized us?”

“To talk to you.”

“You might have talked to us on the ship.”

Bliss shook her head gravely, “I am not the one to do it.”

“Aren’t you part of the group mind?”

“Yes, but I cannot fly like a bird, buzz like an insect, or grow as tall as a tree. I do what it is best for me to do and it is not best that I give you the information—though the knowledge could easily be assigned to me.”

“Who decided not to assign it to you?”

“We all did.”

“Who will give us the information?”

“Dom.”

“And who is Dom?”

“Well,” said Bliss. “His full name is Endomandiovizamarondeyaso—and so on. Different people call him different syllables at different times, but I know him as Dom and I think you two will use that syllable as well. He probably has a larger share of Gaia than anyone on the planet and he lives on this island. He asked to see you and it was allowed.”

“Who allowed it?” asked Trevize—and answered himself at once, “Yes, I know; you all did.”

Bliss nodded.

Pelorat said, “When will we be seeing Dom, Bliss?”

“Right away. If you follow me, I’ll take you to him now, Pel. And you, too, of course, Trev.”

“And will you leave, then?” asked Pelorat.

“You don’t want me to, Pel?”

“Actually, no.”