"The evidence includes empty air cans, your own fingerprints on
everything imaginable, a dulled can opener and the remnants of
can labels that have fallen into nooks and crannies of the ship.
The water-recovery device has been under constant operation and
examination will show about a year's accumulation of residual matter.
A scratch-mark calendar has been kept on the wall of the lifeship, and
daily it has been added to. That is important since the wall will show
more oxidation in the scratches made a year ago than the ones made
recently. The accumulators of the ship have been run down as if in
service while you were forcing the little ship into its orbit, and the
demand recorder shows how the drain was used. The lights in the ship
have been burned, and the deposits of fluorescent material in the tubes
have been used about the calculated number of hours. Books have been
nearly worn out from re-reading and they were used with fingerprint
gloves though they were studied by us. Instruments and gadgets are
strewn about the ship in profusion, indicating the attempts of an
intelligent man trying to kill time. Also you will find the initial
findings on the energy collector we used in conjunction with the
light-shield.
"Now, yourself. Into your body we will inject the hormones that occur
with fear and worry. You will not enjoy a bit of atmosphobia, but
believe us, it is necessary. You will have the appearance and attitude
of a man who has been in space alone for a year, and luckily for you,
you are a spaceman and inured to the rigors of space travel so that it
will not be necessary to really give you the works in order to make you
seem natural.
"As a final touch, both for our safety and yours, we will inject in
your body a substance far superior to your anti-lamine. This is not
destroyed by electrolysis, but only by a substance made from the
original base. This will protect you against any attempt to make you
talk. As long as it is your will, consciously or subconsciously, our
secret will be kept. Is there anything we may have overlooked?"
"One thing. The space tan."
"That you will get before you leave."
"Then that sounds like the works."
"It is. Guy Maynard, we wish you the best of luck. We are all sorry
that you must leave, but it is best that way. Sooner or later you would
become homesick for the things you knew on Terra. Ertene will not last
in your memory, we have been careful not to let you indulge in anything
that will leave memories either pleasant or unpleasant, and forgetting
is easy when the subject was uneventful. Farewell, Guy Maynard."
"Good-bye. And if you ever decide whether your way is at all
questionable, have someone look me up. I'll be around Sol."
Terokar laughed. "And if you find that Sol changes her way of living,
you may see if you can find us!"
Charalas smiled: "No need. They will not. This is farewell forever,
Guy. Good luck."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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