Jordan hefted his weapon. "Looks like we've got another hunt on our
hands. This time a nice normal doctor."
"Keep it handy," said Docchi, glancing at the toaster. "But be careful
how you use it. One homicide and we can forget what we came for. I
think he'll be ready to surrender. The ship's temporarily disabled;
he'll consider that damage enough."
* * * * *
Jordan found the doctor in the forward section of the ship. Cameron
knew better than to argue with a toaster. In a matter of minutes he
was in the control room.
"Now that you've got me, what are you going to do with me?" he asked.
Docchi swiveled away from the instrument panel. "I don't expect active
cooperation, of course, but I like to think you'll give your word not
to hinder us hereafter."
Cameron glared. "I promise nothing of the kind."
"We can chain him to Anti," suggested Jordan. "That will keep him out
of trouble."
"Like leading a poodle on a leash? Nope," said Anti indignantly. "A
girl has to have some privacy."
"Don't wince, Cameron," objected Docchi. "She really was a girl once,
an attractive one."
"We can put him in a spacesuit and lock his hands behind his back,"
said Jordan. "Something like an ancient straitjacket."
Cameron laughed.
"No, that's inhuman," said Docchi.
Jordan juggled the toaster. "I can weld with this. Let's put him in a
cabin and weld the door closed. We can cut a slot to shove food in. A
very narrow slot."
"Excellent. I think you have the solution. That is, unless Dr. Cameron
will reconsider his decision."
Cameron shrugged. "They'll pick you up in a day or less anyway. I
suppose I'm not compromising myself by agreeing to your terms."
"Good."
"A doctor's word is as good as his oath," observed Anti. "Hippocratic
or hypocritic."
"Now, Anti, don't be cynical. Doctors have an economic sense as well
as the next person," said Docchi gravely. He turned to Cameron. "You
see, after Anti grew too massive for her skeletal structure, doctors
reasoned she'd be most comfortable in the absence of gravity. That was
in the early days, before successful ship gravital units were
developed. They put her on an interplanetary ship and kept
transferring her before each landing.
"But that grew troublesome and--expensive. They devised a new
treatment; the asteroid and the tank of acid. Not being aquatic by
nature, Anti resented the change. She still does."
"I knew nothing about that," Cameron pointed out defensively.
"It was before your time." Docchi frowned at the doctor. "Tell me, why
did you laugh when Jordan mentioned a spacesuit?"
Cameron grinned. "That was my project while you were busy with the
robot."
"To do what? Jordan--"
But Jordan was already on his way. He was gone for some time.
"Well?" asked Docchi on his return. It really wasn't necessary;
Jordan's gloomy face told the story.
"Cut to ribbons."
"All of them?"
"Every one. Beyond repair."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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