Science fiction; Short stories; Space ships -- Fiction
PRESIDENT WOULD LIKE ESTIMATE OF WHEN DOOR WILL BE OPENED. YOU
SURE YOU CAN HANDLE? EMPHASIZE THAT POLITICAL SITUATION NOW
GETTING TOUCHY. REPEAT TOUCHY. R'THAGNA BAR CALLING ON PRESIDENT
TODAY TO MAKE DEMAND THAT SEED BE PLANTED ON TIME. SURE YOU
DON'T NEED MORE HELP?
CMD GENERAL
CMD GENERAL
NO HELP NEEDED. MAKING PROGRESS, ASSURE PRESIDENT. TODAY FOUND
OUT METAL IN MECHANISM IS VERY HARD. IN CONSTANT RADIO TOUCH
WITH FROMER. PASSENGER IMPATIENT BUT QUIETER. SLEEPS MORE NOW.
THIS SIGNIFICANT? QUEMOS DEVELOPING THEORY OF MECHANISM. SAYS
WILL TAKE TIME TO WORK OUT. HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE? WHEN MUST
SEED BE PLANTED?
BULLARD
SEC. HDQ.
BULLARD, COM. RLY.
43.4SC
MUST HAVE ESTIMATE WHEN DOOR OPENS. THIS AN ORDER. AMBASSADOR
THREATENING WAR. CAN'T GIVE DEADLINE OF SEED PLANTING TIME SINCE
SUBJECT VERY TABOO. OUR BIOLOGISTS SAY R'THAGNA BAR SLEEPY
SIGNIFICANT. MAY BE PRELUDE TO SEEDING TIME. TELL ABOUT QUEMOS
THEORY IN NEXT COMMUNICATION. WILL EVALUATE HERE. NICE TO KNOW
METAL IS HARD. KEEP UP GOOD WORK. PRESSURE HERE TO SEND YOU
HELP. PRESIDENT SAYS WHOLE FEDERATION PRAYING FOR DOOR TO BE
FIXED. SAYS TO HURRY UP.
CMD GENERAL
CMD GENERAL
NO ESTIMATE POSSIBLE. QUEMOS THEORY ALMOST COMPLETE. STATES THAT
MECHANISM BUILT ON PRINCIPLE OF WORM GEAR. REPEAT. WORM GEAR.
TODAY INSTRUCTED FROMER'S CREW TO JIGGLE MOVING PARTS OF
MECHANISM AT RANDOM. PARTS WOULD NOT JIGGLE. FROMER STATES THAT
R'THAGNA BAR SLEEPS ALL TIME AND COLOR CHANGES TO BLUE AND RED
ON STOMACH. THIS SIGNIFICANT?
BULLARD
SEC HDQ
BULLARD, COM. RLY
43.4SC
IMPORTANT YOU AMPLIFY LAST MESSAGE. RED AND BLUE ON STOMACH? WHY
R'THAGNA BAR UNDRESSED? INVESTIGATE! PRESIDENT ORDERS HELP
SENT. HELP ON WAY. REPEAT. WHY R'THAGNA BAR UNDRESSED?
CMD GENERAL
CMD GENERAL
FROMER ADVISES TELL YOU SHIPS PHYSICIAN HAS PUT R'THAGNA BAR IN
REFRIGERATOR.
QUEMOS
SEC HDQ
QUEMOS. COM. RLY.
43.4SC.
TAKE OUT OF REFRIGERATOR! THIS AN ORDER! WHY UNDRESSED?
CMD GENERAL
CMD GENERAL
BULLARD MAKING MODEL OF MY DRAWINGS. READY SOON. R'THAGNA BAR
OUT OF REFRIGERATOR AS REQUESTED BUT SHIPS PHYSICIAN VERY ANGRY
AND WANTS TO PUT BACK IN. COLOR ON STOMACH PINK AND YELLOW WITH
BLUE SQUARES. THIS SIGNIFICANT?
QUEMOS
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