Fantastic Voyage I by Isaac Asimov

Author:Isaac Asimov [Asimov, Isaac]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-05-22T00:25:38.019000+00:00

"Only what," said Grant.

"I'm afraid this has torn it. We don't have enough air to complete the journey. If this were an orthodox submarine, I'd say we would have to surface to renew the air supply."

"But then what do we do now?" asked Coral

"Surface. It's all we can do. We've got to ask to be taken out right now or the ship becomes unmaneuverable in ten minutes and we strangle in five more."

He moved to the ladder. "I'll take over, Grant. You get to the transmitter and give them the news."

Grant said, "Wait. Do we have any reserve air?"

"That was it. All of it. All gone. In fact, when that air de-miniaturizes, it will be much larger in volume than Benes. It will kill him."

"No, it won't," said Michaels. "The miniaturised molecules of the air we've lost will pass right through the tissues and out into the open. Very little will be left in the body by

106: Fantastic Voyage

de-miniaturization time. Still, I'm afraid Owens is right. We can't go on."

"But wait," said Grant. "Why can't we surface?"

"I've just said . . ." began Owens, impatiently.

"I don't mean be taken out of here. I mean, really surface. There. Right there. We have blood corpuscles picking up oxygen in front of our eyes. Can't we do the same? There are only two thin membranes between ourselves and an ocean of air. Let's get it."

Cora said, "Grant's right."

"No, he isn't," said Owens. "What do you think we are? We're miniaturised, with lungs the size of a bacterial fragment. The air on the other side of those membranes is unminiaturized. Each oxygen molecule in that air is almost large enough to see, damn it. Do you think we can take them into our lungs."

Grant looked non-plussed. "But . . ."

"We can't wait, Grant. You'll have to get in touch with the control-room."

Grant said, "Not yet. Didn't you say this ship was originally meant for deep-sea research? What was it supposed to do underwater?"

"We were hoping to miniaturise underwater specimens for carriage to the surface and investigation at leisure."

"Well, then, you must have miniaturisation equipment on board. You didn't pull it out last night, did you?"

"Of course we have it. But only on a small scale."

"How large scale do we need it? If we lead air into the miniaturizer, we can reduce the size of the molecules and lead them into our air tanks."

"We don't have the time for that," put in Michaels.

"If time runs out, then we'll ask to be taken out. Until then, let's try. You've got a snorkel on board I suppose, Owens."

"Yes." Owens seemed completely confused at Grant's rapid and urgent sentences.

"And we can run such a snorkel through the capillary and lung walls without harming Benes, can't we?"

"At our size, I should certainly think so," said Duval.

"All right then, we run the snorkel from lung to ship's miniaturizer and lead a tube from miniaturizer to the airreserve chamber. Can you improvise that?"

Owens considered for a moment, seemed to catch fire at the prospect and said, "Yes, I think so.

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