Part 34 (1/2)

”I'm sorry if I interrupted you. I didn't mean to intrude . . .”

”No, that's all right, Doc,” said Lindholm. ”This concerns you as well. Seems there's an abandoned alien city not far from where we've parked.”

”Fascinating,” said Williams. ”I do hope we're going to explore it.”

”Great,” muttered Corbie. ”Another b.l.o.o.d.y hero.”

Williams ignored him and concentrated his charm on Lindholm and the esper. ”What do you make of our new home, my friends?”

”A little on the desolate side,” said Lindholm. ”I've seen livelier cemeteries.”

”It's not very attractive, I'll admit,” said Williams calmly. ”But I wouldn't write it off just yet. There may be hidden virtues. Geology isn't my strong suit, but if I've read the signs correctly, the s.h.i.+p's computers just might find these soil samples very interesting.”

He patted the satchel he was carrying. Corbie looked at him with new interest.

”Are you saying there might be something here worth digging for? Gold, precious stones; things like that?”

”That sort of thing, yes,” said Williams. ”I think a few test drillings might well turn up something to our mutual advantage.”

”Jewels are fine,” said Lindholm. ”But you can't eat them. For a long time to come, our only interest in the soil is going to be how well it supports our crops. The s.h.i.+p's rations will run out in a few months, and that's if we're careful. After that, we're on our own. Presumably there are plants and animals here somewhere that will prove safe to eat, but we'll always need our own crops to supply us with vitamins and trace elements. First things first, Doctor.”

”You've been studying up on this,” said Corbie.

”I thought one of us should,” said Lindholm.

”I shouldn't worry too much about the crops,” said Williams. ”The volcanoes might look rather dramatic, but they help to produce good soil. All that pumice stone is full of phosphates, lime, and potash. Just add the right nitrates, and food should come leaping up out of the ground in no time.”

”Unfortunately, there are complications,” said DeChance. ”Have you come across any signs of life yet, Doctor?”

”No,” said Williams. ”Is that significant?”

”Wouldn't surprise me,” said Corbie darkly.

”Don't mind him,” said Lindholm. ”He thinks they're all hiding from him. And if I was an alien getting my first glimpse of Corbie, I'd think about hiding too.”

”I'm surprised the Captain hasn't joined us yet,” said Williams casually. ”I thought he'd be eager to set about taking in his new territory. Thatis what military types like to do, after all. Or do we have a Captain who doesn't like to get his hands dirty?”

”He seems solid enough,” said Lindholm, frowning.

”And he can take all the time he likes about coming out, as far as I'm concerned,” said Corbie. ”It's nice and peaceful out here without him. Who needs some officer type yelling orders? That's one of the few good things about being in a h.e.l.l Squad; no more dumb rules and regulations.”

”The Captain's in charge of the Squad,” said Williams. ”He still gives the orders.”

”Yeah, but that's different,” said Corbie. ”What I'm talking about is no more having to salute, no more surprise inspections; no standing guard in the rain because your boots aren't s.h.i.+ny enough, or slaving all day over make-work designed to keep the lower orders busy. I've had a bellyful of that in my time. And besides . . . just suppose I did decide I wasn't going to obey an order; what could Hunter do about it?

There aren't any Guards or Military Police here to back him up. There's just him . . .”

”Wrong,” said Investigator Krystel.

They all looked round quickly, to discover Krystel and Captain Hunter standing just outside the open airlock. Corbie couldn't help noticing they both had hands resting near their disrupters. He smiled uneasily, and stood very still.

”The Captain is in command here,” said Krystel. ”You do as he says, or I'll hurt you, marine. We're still citizens of the Empire, with all the responsibilities that entails.”

”Oh sure,” said Corbie quickly. ”Anything you say, Investigator.”

”I gather some of you are interested in mineral rights,” said Hunter. ”Jewels, precious metals, and the like. If I were you, I should bear in mind that very few colonists ever strike it rich. They're too busy working every hour G.o.d sends just to keep their heads above water. No, people; it's much more likely you'll get yourself killed doing something stupid, because you were daydreaming about gold mines instead of keeping your mind on the job. For the time being, just concentrate on keeping yourself and the rest of the Squad alive. Now then, since you've all had a nice little rest, I think it's time for a spot of healthy exercise. Some fifteen miles from here is a deserted alien city. We're going to go and take a look at it. On foot, with full field kit and standard backpacks. We start in thirty minutes.”

”On foot?” said Williams. ”Why not fly there in the pinnace? There's more than enough power in the batteries.”

”That's right, there is,” said Hunter. ”And that's where it's staying, until we have an emergency that justifies using it. I'm certainly not wasting it on a joy ride. Besides, I think it's better that we take our time approaching the city. This world is still new to us; if we're going to make mistakes, let's make them where it doesn't matter. Oh, and people, keep your eyes open and your heads down. This is a reconnaissance mission, not an attack force.”

”But what about the pinnace itself?” asked Williams. ”Is it wise to just go off and leave it unguarded?

Anything could happen to it while we were gone. And if anything were to happen to the equipment stored on board . . .”

”Dr. Williams,” said Hunter pleasantly, ”that's enough. I'm the Captain; I don't have to explain myself to you. And I don't take kindly to having my orders questioned all the time. You must learn to trust me, Doctor, and obey my orders implicitly. Because if you don't, I'll let the Investigator have you. The pinnace will be perfectly safe in our absence. Isn't that right, Investigator?”

”Right,” said Krystel indistinctly, relighting her cigar. She puffed at it a few times to make sure she'd got it just the way she wanted, then fixed Williams with a cold stare.

”We'll activate the force screen before we go, and the computers will be on battle readiness until we return. All told, the s.h.i.+p will probably be safer than we will.”

”You got that right,” said Corbie. ”If we're going up against aliens, I want hazard pay.”

”Technically speaking, we shouldn't really call them aliens,” said Dr. Williams. ”This is their world, after all. If anyone's alien here, it's us.”

The Investigator chuckled quietly. ”Wrong, Doctor. Aliens are aliens, no matter where you find them.”

”And the only good alien is a dead alien,” said Corbie. ”Right, Investigator?”

Krystel smiled. ”Right, marine.”

”How can you justify that?” said DeChance heatedly. ”Everything that lives has some common ground.

We share the same thoughts, the same feelings, the same hopes and needs. . . .”

”You ever met an alien?” asked Krystel.

”No, but . . .”

”Not many have.” Krystel drew on her cigar, blew a perfect smoke ring, and stared at it for a long moment. ”Alien isn't just a noun, esper; it's an adjective. Alien; as in strange, different, inhuman.

Unnatural. There's no room for the alien inside the Empire, and this planet's been a part of the Empire from the moment an Imperial s.h.i.+p discovered it. That's Empire law.”

”It doesn't have to be that way here,” said Lindholm slowly. ”If we could contact the aliens peacefully, make some kind of alliance . . .”

”The Empire would find out eventually,” said Hunter. ”And then they'd put a stop to it.”