Dinosaurus Planet Survivors
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Dinosaur Planet #2
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Dinosaurus Planet Survivors». Краткое содержание книги:
“If you say so.”
“I do.” Fordeliton gripped Kai’s shoulder in a firm but understanding grasp. “Now, what else can we do for you?”
Just then the forcescreen came on and a cheer went up from the survivors as well as the volunteers from the Zaid-Dayan.
“Now we can get back to the business interrupted forty-three years ago.”
“Once the domes are up,” Ford amended. Kai nodded agreement.
This time, Trizein elected to have a dome instead of quarters in the shuttle. He also volunteered to supervise the three youngsters so one of the larger units was erected, providing him with a large working area and four small sleeping sections. Dimenon and Margit elected to return to their secondary camp. Portegin, Aulia in tow, settled on a site for their dome. Triv took a single, as did Kai. Then a place for the largest dome, meeting room cum mess hall was chosen. As the supply of domes had been generous, two more were placed, one for Varian and another for such visitors as might care to stay over. As Kai once again surveyed the natural amphitheater, its forcescreen spitting as it demolished unwary insects, he could not fail to notice that none of the newly erected domes had been sighted where those of the first encampment had been. An understandable phenomenon.
Among the volunteers were two stewards from the Zaid-Dayan and they supplied a midday meal utilizing some of the Iretan fruits and greens.
“Surprised me, it did,” the man said, “considering how this planet stinks. Wouldn’t have thought anything would taste halfway edible: And it does!”
“I think we can’t taste right, is what I think,” the second caterer said, “with all that smell messing up our tasters and smellers.”
“Just goes to show, doesn’t it,” Margit allowed, “that neither looks nor smells is everything. So, Kai, shall Dim and I get back to our bailiwick?”
An ear-piercing whistle interrupted any answer Kai would have made. As he glanced upwards, thinking the globe was alerting them, he saw Ford depressing a knob on his wrist comunit. A momentary flash of disappointment crossed the officer’s face but was quickly erased. He turned to Kai with a rueful smile, nodding to his men who had been alerted by the noise.
“I’m sorry, Kai, that’s recall. We’ve been on yellow alert since we landed. It’s now red.” He rose to his feet, making a broad sweeping gesture with his arm. “All right, now, crew. Recall.”
Disappointed mutters and groans could be heard but the crew members moved quickly toward the door.
“Don’t like to eat and run. Me mammy said it was bad manners,” the older caterer said, grinning apologetically at the disarray in the catering area.
“We’ll save ’em for you to come back to,” Margit called in a good-natured taunt as she followed the crew out.
“If I can, I’ll let you know what’s up,” Fordeliton said as Kai jogged with him to the pinnace. “I don’t think you need worry about anything with the globe up there.”
“Good luck,” was all Kai could think to say.
Triv opened the veil of the forcescreen to permit the sleds and pinnace to exit, then closed it and walked purposefully back to Kai.
“Does their emergency mean we’re stuck in here?”
“Ford didn’t mention any restrictions on us.”
“Then shall we indeed pick up where we left off?”
“Portegin, is the new core screen working?”
Portegin raised his eyebrows, a knowing expression on his face. “It is indeed and a very interesting tale to tell us.”
“How so?” Kai asked as they all climbed the rise to the shuttle.
“You’ll see,” Portegin replied confidently. His meaning was as plain as the blips lighting the screen in the shuttle’s main cabin. Where once the duality of core lights had confused the geologists, only single clear lights formed a network.
“The Thek have recovered all the old cores?”
“That’s what it looks like. Did they eat ’em, d’you think, Kai?”
Portegin asked. “Dimenon thinks they do.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them,” Triv said.
“How long have the faint cores been gone from the screen?”
“There were still fifty or more yesterday when I was setting the screen up and testing it,” Portegin replied. “I didn’t have it on today until we’d finished setting the domes up. I had a look at it just before they rang the chow gong. There were only a few left,” Portegin indicated the edges of the screen, “and now, not an unblessed one of ’em. They must eat ’em. Cores will register through anything.”
“Except a Thek,” Margit said.
Triv smiled. “Cores should register even through the silicon of a Thek.”
“Then they did eat ’em.” Portegin would not be dissuaded from that opinion. “And digested every last morsel.”
Kai looked at the screen for a long moment, not seeing its display. “We’re here. We have equipment again. We still haven’t finished our original mission. It’s better to be busy than sit around idly speculating on what we can’t change and better not interfere with. Margit and Dimenon, you two get back to your camp and continue the survey. At least we don’t have outside interference to upset Portegin’s screen. Triv, what’s your option?”
“I’d like to strike north, past the last point we surveyed. There’s quite a volcanic chain north and east that might be very interesting geologically.”
“Good. Will you take Bonnard along as your partner?”
“Be delighted.”
“Lunzie,” Kai turned to the medic, “have you plans for the rest of the day?”
She shook her head.
“Would you pilot Trizein?”
“You’ll be base manager? That’s perhaps a good idea.”
“I rather thought you’d approve.” He grinned at her.
“Well, you look a shade better, but I wouldn’t like to see you overextend yourself without a damned good reason.” She strode out of the shuttle.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
With a great deal of good-natured bustle and confusion the teams departed on their diverse errands.
“In case you’ve wondered, Kai,” Lunzie found time to tell him quietly, “Dupaynil and I had a few interesting words with Cruss by com.” A mirthless smile crossed her lips. “Dupaynil has assumed a Paskutti-Tardma grandson identity and I opted for Bakkun-Berru. Cruss’s present objective is to smuggle a few of his people off the transport and onto this world. He hints at great connections and substantial rewards for cooperation. Dupaynil is playing coy and I’m plainly suspicious. I’ll keep you informed.”
The prospect of heavyworlders enjoying even the most tenuous occupancy on Ireta was unsettling to Kai. He had never been a vindictive person, being basically fair-minded and tolerant but he found himself contemplating Cruss’s subversive tactics with an emotion bordering on fury. He wished he had gone with Dupaynil to bait the trap but his anger would have betrayed him. He also took a profound pleasure in the knowledge that Cruss was incriminating himself further.
Kai tried to tell himself that such negative emotions were undisciplined and he should purge them from his system. Then he realized, and laughed at the realization, that, however unsociable hatred was, it stirred the blood as well as the imagination. He was certain that he had felt his fingertips that morning when he had applied the salve. More likely the progress was due to the efficacy of the new medication, rather than regeneration due to indignant wrath. He flexed his fingers inside the skin-gloves, which he could not yet feel against his skin. In one sense that was to the good, for he could use his hands in normal fashion.