They do look drunk, don't they, Varian?
Drunk? Perhaps. It could, Varian thought, account for the way they were handling each other. Alcohol was a mild aphrodisiac for some species. She'd never heard that it affected the heavy-worlders that way. She was wondering if she ought to speak to them when suddenly, as if moved by a spontaneous signal, the heavy-worlders left the dome.
"It's good to see some who can recognize their limitations?" said Lunzie. I will take their tacit advice, and remove temptation."
Varian protested that she'd only had one serving: Kai had had two. Lunzie gave her a splash more and then strode out of the dome. Gaber half-followed her, but a curt remark stopped him at the door. Scowling, the cartographer came back to Varian and Kai.
The evening's only started, he said in an aggrieved tone. Why did she have to remove the drink?
She's worried about its potency. Varian studied the pale greenish liquid in her beaker with marked suspicion. It sure made an impression on the heavy-worlders.
Gaber snorted. No need to deprive us because they have soft heads in spite of their heavy muscles.
Kai and Varian exchanged glances because Gaber was slurring some of his words whether he was oblivious to the fact or not. He took a careful sip, closing his eyes to concentrate on an appreciation of the taste. First decent thing on this planet, he said. Only thing that doesn't smell. And Lunzie makes off with it. Not fair. Just not fair.
We've a heavy day tomorrow, Gaber.
Did you tell her to ration us? Gaber was quite willing to transfer his irritation from Lunzie to Kai and Varian.
No. She's the dietician and the physician, Gaber. This stuff is apparently not up to standard. There could be adverse reactions to it and tomorrow . . .
I know, I know, and Gaber waved his hand irritably to cut off Kai's sentence. We've a big day tomorrow. Just as well we have something like this to sustain us when we're . . . Now he abruptly concluded his sentence, glancing apprehensively at Kai who affected not to notice. It does have a funny taste to it. He hurried off.
"Sustain us when . . . what, Kai?" asked Varian, concerned."
Gaber came up with the ass-headed notion that we've been planted.
Planted? Varian suppressed the words behind her hand and then let her laughter loose. I doubt it. Not on a planet as rich in the transuranics as this one. No way. Those ores are too badly needed. And it isn't as if they'd landed heavy equipment for us to do any sort of mining. Certainly not transuranic refining. Gaber's the original gloom guy. He can't ever look on the bright side of things.
I laughed at him, too, Varian, only . . .
"Co-leader Kai," Varian glowered at him sternly, of course you did. It's stupid, silly and I only wish that the other reports had been picked up from the satellite so I didn't have any doubts." She gave Kai a frantic look, then shook her head. "No, it won't wash. We're not planted. But, if we don't hear from EV, I wouldn't trust Gaber not to spread that rumour." She looked at her empty beaker. "Damn Lunzie! Just when I need a drop more."
I thought we'd decided not to worry about EV.
I'm not. Just grousing. I like that junk! It's got a certain curious jolt to it.
Probably a nutritional additive, said Kai, remembering Bannard's complaint.
Varian burst out laughing. Trust Lunzie for that. Our health is her first concern.
Dimenon, his arm possessively about Margit, came strolling over to them. He couldn't have had more to drink than anyone else, since Lunzie had kept control of the pitcher, but his face was flushed and he was decidedly merry. He informed Kai that he insisted that the pitchblende mine be named after Margit. She was equally insistent that they share the triumph, as was customary, and the two fell to good-natured bickering, each calling for support from special friends in the team until everyone was involved in discussion.
Gaber was not the only one annoyed by Lunzie's precipitous departure with the drink, and Kai was surprised to hear a good deal of veiled complaints about the heavy-worlders. It caught him unawares as he'd been more sensitive to friction between the geological teams.
The next morning, he had additional cause for thought about the heavy-worlders for they were not operating in their usual stolid dependable fashion: they moved sluggishly, awkwardly, looked tired and were almost sullenly quiet
They couldn't have got hung over in two half-beakers? Varian murmured to Kai as she, too, noticed the glum manner of her team. And their quarters were dark early. They ought to have got enough sleep.
If they got to sleep . . . Kai replied grinning.
Varian dropped her jaw in surprise and then she giggled.
I tend to forget they must have a sex drive. It's a weird cycle, compulsive in the rut, so to speak, on their own planet. Generally, they don't when they're on a mission.
There isn't a law against it for them, is there?
No, it's just they don't . . . She seemed to find it mystifying. Well, they'll sweat it out on those slopes this morning? she added, looking at the foothills that folded higher and higher until the overthrust mountains dominated the skyline. They were standing at the base of the saddle ridge of pitch-blende, looking down the fold limb. The brown lustrous vein was visible where dirt had been blown clear. This is a fantastic deposit, Kai. And so is its location. Why one of the big mining ships can just squat right down and crunch up all of it without moving again. She had emphasized her words by rolling her r's, and gesturing graphically with her fingers in claw-like attitudes.
I didn't realize you'd worked with a geology team before.
Galorm was explored for its minerals, not its wildlife, Kai. Admittedly the wildlife made the beamlines but we xenobs were just along to catalogue another variation of Life.
Do you ever mind?
What? Being second? She shrugged and smiled to reassure him. No, Kai. Energy is a lot more important than wildlife.
Life, and he paused to stress the inclusiveness of the word, is far more important than any inanimate object . . . he gestured to the pitchblende.
Which just happens to be essential to sustain life on other planets, and in space. We have to sustain, protect and investigate. I'm here to inspect the life that exists on Ireta, and you're here to insure that life elsewhere can continue on its grand and glorious scale. Don't fret on my account, Kai. The experience I gain here may just one day put me where I really want to be . . .
Which is . . . Kai was also trying to see what Paskutti and Tardma were doing with a seismograph.
"Planetary preserver. Now," she went on, noticing his diverted attention, I'd better enhance the reputation needed to be one by studying those fliers of yours. I can survey this area first."
They both caught in their breaths as Tardma faltered, struggled to regain her balance and the backpack of delicate instrumentation which she was bringing up the far slope.
What the fardles did Lunzie put in that joy juice of hers to queer them up so?
It's Ireta that's doing it to them! The drink didn't affect us that way. I'm off now, Kai. I've only to gather the youngsters.
I'll need the big sled back here, you know.
Yes, by sundown! Shout if you need it sooner, she said, gesturing to her wrist comunit.
Bonnard was disappointed to be dragged away before the first seismic shot but, when Dimenon told him it would take several hours to set up, he went willingly with Varian.
Terilla had been enchanted by unusual flowering vines and, carefully wearing her thick gloves, had gathered different types which she had placed in the bags Divisti had given her for the purpose. Cleiti, who tended to be Bannard's aide and assistant, regarded the younger girl's activity with supercilious disdain. Varian shooed them all towards the big sled and told them to settle in and belt up. She was checking the flight board when she was struck by the sled's elapsed hours of use. Surely she hadn't put twelve hours flight time on it yesterday? Even subtracting the two hours needed to reach these foothills, she couldn't have racked up more than six hours the day before. That left a huge whack unaccounted for and made the sled due for a recharge and servicing.