A set of vitally important reports from Precol's Giant Planet Survey
Squad had been mislaid somewhere around Headquarters during yesterday's
conferences. She soothed down the G P Squad and instituted a check
search. A team of Hub ecologists, who had decided for themselves that
outworld booster shots weren't required on Manon, called in nervously
from a polar station to report that their hair was falling out. Trigger
tapped the "Manon Fever" button on her desk, and suggested toupees.
The ecologists were displeased. A medical emergency skip-boat zoomed out
of the dome to go to their rescue; and Trigger gave it its directions
while dialing for the medical checker who'd allowed the visitors to
avoid their shots. She had a brief chat with the young man, and left him
twitching as the G P Squad came back on to inquire whether the reports
had been found yet. Trigger began to get a comfortable feeling of being
back in the good old groove.
Then a message from the Medical Department popped out on her desk. It
was addressed to Commissioner Tate and stated that Brule Inger was now
able to speak again.
Trigger frowned, sighed, bit her lip and thought a moment. She dialed
for Doctor Leehaven. "Got your message," she said. "How's he doing?"
"All right," the old medic said.
"Has he said anything?"
"No. He's scared. If he could get up the courage, he'd ask for a
personnel lawyer."
"Yes, I imagine. Tell him this then--from the Commissioner; not from
me--there'll be no charges, but Precol expects his resignation, end of
the month."
"That on the level?" Doctor Leehaven demanded incredulously.
"Of course."
The doctor snorted. "You people are getting soft-headed! But I'll tell
him."
The morning went on. Trigger was suspiciously studying a traffic control
note stating that a Devagas missionary ship had checked in and berthed
at the spaceport when the G C Center's management called in to report,
with some nervousness, that the Center's much advertised
meteor-repellent roof had just flipped several dozen tons of falling
Moon Belt material into the spaceport area. Most of it, unfortunately,
had dropped around and upon a Devagas missionary ship.
"Not damaged, is it?" she asked.
The Center said no, but the Missionary Captain insisted on speaking to
the person in charge here. To whom should they refer him?
"Refer him to me," Trigger said expectantly. She switched on the vision
screen.
The Missionary Captain was a tall, gray-haired, gray-eyed, square-jawed
man in uniform. After confirming to his satisfaction that Trigger was
indeed in charge, he informed her in chilled tones that the Devagas
Union would hold her personally responsible for the unprovoked outrage
unless an apology was promptly forthcoming.
Trigger apologized promptly. He acknowledged with a curt nod.
"The ship will now require new spacepaint," he pointed out, unmollified.
Trigger nodded. "We'll send a work squad out immediately."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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