Dinosaurus Planet Survivors
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Dinosaur Planet #2
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Dinosaurus Planet Survivors». Краткое содержание книги:
“I’d have to check scale,” Kai said, disclaiming their fulsome compliments, “and, of course, we don’t know how the polar region or the southern tip have changed with tectonic action…”
“Are you in there?” A harsh shout at the veil entrance distracted them.
“It’s Lunzie,” Varian cried, looking hastily about her for a spot to place her burdens.
“Come on, you three,” the medic called, “this bunch isn’t too steady on their feet yet. Kai, operate this damned veil.”
In the excitement of welcoming Trizein, Margit, and Dimenon, Kai was relieved that Lunzie had no time to notice his hands, which he kept at his sides. Then Varian called him to help her unload the rest of her harvest while the newly-awakened were made comfortable in the dome.
“If you’ll just hold your arms out, Kai…” Varian stared down at the hand he obediently held upward for a load. She started to touch his scored fingers and then stopped, staring at his face. “That does it, Kai. We contact someone who can remedy this. Even a freighter will have medical files on its computer.”
“Varian, if the Ryxi-”
“I’ve an override to protect my own species first, Kai.” She exhaled, part in exasperation, part in anger until her eyes, avoiding his, fell on the map, its mountain mounds and the Rift outlined in the last of the westerly light. “And that’s a contribution, too!”
She finished loading his extended arms, grinning conspiratorially at him as she artistically draped bean pod leaves over his hands and then gave him an affectionate shove back to the dome.
Trizein provided an almost continuous monologue on the types, probable evolutionary steps, habit, temperament, and breeding methods of all the creatures he had seen on his way from the giff cave to theirs. According to Dimenon’s amused aside, the chemist had nearly driven Lunzie to fury by his insistence that they divert the journey to follow this or that species until he had had a close enough look. He had also appropriated some of the pulp sheets Lunzie had extruded for Kai, insisting that his work would be far more important in the eyes of the FSP than any merely prodigious amount of transuranic elements. “Why, the discovery of those beasts would settle for once and all an argument that had exercised centuries of paleontologists, biologists, and xenobiologists-the possibility of convergent biology, of similar life-forms evolving from cellular stews on different planets. He added, complete with wild gestures, that its happening with a third-generation sun was utterly improbable, incredible, and unlikely-as any zoologist of the lowest rating would tell you.
Trizein continued in this vein, occasionally stopping to admire one of his many sketches, apologizing for its rudeness and correcting a line or contour, until Lunzie announced that everyone had better eat something, then shoved Trizein’s bowl under his nose.
The man’s enthusiasm was so infectious that even Kai found himself smiling at the man’s joy.
“We’ll go out again, tomorrow, Trizein,” Varian said, her voice bubbling with good humor. “I’ve the Rift grasses. Lunzie, do you need to synthesize-”
“More paper at the rate Trizein’s using it up,” the medic said with a sniff, but she’d a twinkle in her eye as well.
“Lunzie what did the heavyworlders do for vitamin C if it’s so necessary to our diet?” asked Triv.
“This is a huge continent. If there is one such area of carotene-rich grass to supply these ancient beasties of Trizein’s, undoubtedly there’s another. Divisti would have known about the need for vitamin C or they’d all be without hair and teeth-which I gather they weren’t.” Lunzie shot a glance at Varian.
“Portegin ought to go with you, Lunzie, and dismantle the beacon mast.” Varian had everyone’s stunned attention. “I’ve given the matter considerable thought and, if, as you suggested, the Ryxi have employed human mercenary ships and crew, that’s who’d be sent to answer any call from us. I don’t feel we can achieve enough without proper equipment. The heavyworlders got what they wanted, and I refuse to see us deprived of more than time.”
“More than time?” Dimenon demanded with considerable agitation.
“That’s all so far,” Margit said blandly. “The beacon does register our finds to our credit, doesn’t it, Kai?” When Kai nodded, she went on, “So, our claims are valid-”
“Until the colony ship settles,” Lunzie said. Her tenacity to that theme was beginning to puzzle Kai. She turned to Varian then and said, “I doubt that a Ryxi would answer a call from here. What’s his feather-” and she wound her hand in the air as a memory aid, looking at Kai.
“Vrl,” he supplied coldly.
“That Vrl’s probably still alive. I doubt he cares.”
“Ryxi have a long life span on low-gravity planets,” Varian said, “but it’s a chance we’ve got to risk. It’s worth far more in terms of the supplies we must have to achieve our original objectives.” She turned to Lunzie. “Tomorrow, Rianav and the helmsman from Cruiser 218-ZD-43 will make a second run to the plateau,” and she inclined her head significantly. “We’ll jam their beacon and then get a message off to the Ryxi.”
“If a freighter is in,” Kai added, “give them a course that’ll fly past the mutineers’ camp. That’ll make them think twice about calling in their colony ship.”
“Will there be someone to take me out tomorrow?” Trizein asked plaintively.
“I will,” Triv replied.
“Then we can get on with surveying?” Margit asked hopefully.
“You’d better!” Kai said.
“I could stay in as coordinator, Kai,” Lunzie said.
“Appreciated, Lunzie, but I’ve got to compose a message for the Ryxi…”
Varian’s unrepentant grin, reminding him of previous occasions when he’d been left to communicate with the Ryxi, lifted Kai’s spirits.
It was very early in the morning when Rianav roused her helmsman for an early start on their mission. A hearty stew was simmering in the hearth pot when the medic awoke. Although Rianav knew that nothing could have penetrated the force screen that surrounded the dome, it made her uneasy that no watch had been kept on what was, after all, a hostile planet. Still, the medic could close the screen after they had left. Which she did, with a silent wave of good luck as they departed in the two-man sled.
The gloom of cloudy night surrounded them and Rianav was glad they had flown the course before and had some knowledge of the terrain. She kept the sled at a respectable altitude. The telltagger’s infrequent spouting was the only noise to break the silence as they sped northeast.
They were an hour into their journey when the telltagger rattled hysterically.
“Krims! What was that?” Portegin demanded.
“Something awful big, Lieutenant!”
“There’s nothing airborne that big on this planet…”
“I hope!”
“Heat register’s too high, anyhow.” Rianav hauled the sled to starboard, her quick action preventing a collision. A massive object streaked across their previous line of flight. They could follow the bright yellow-white exhausts as the vessel flashed by on their Portside.
“What under the seven suns was that?” Portegin asked, craning his neck to follow its course.
“A medium-light space vessel to judge by the propulsion configuration.”
“From the heavies’ camp?” Portegin’s voice rang with understandable concern.
“I doubt it, helmsman. It came from due east, not northeast.”
“Scouts?”