The shuttle hung over the skin of the landing-field for thirty seconds,
then dropped; a gantry crane shuffled out to support the ship, and
buttress-legs sprang from the sides of the hull. A steward's voice
said, "Passengers will please assemble at the airlock in single file."
They assembled. A green omnibus waited outside on the field, and the
fifty of them filed in. Harris found a seat by the window and stared
out across the broad field. A yellow sun was in the blue sky. The air
was cold; he shivered involuntarily and drew his cloak around him for
warmth.
"Cold?" asked the man who shared his seat with him.
"A bit."
"That's odd. Nice balmy spring day like this, you'd think everybody
would be enjoying the weather."
Harris grinned. "I've been on some pretty hot worlds the last ten
years. Anything under ninety degrees and I start shivering, now."
The other chuckled and said, "Must be near eighty in the shade today."
"I'll be accustomed to it again before long," Harris said. "Once an
Earthman, always an Earthman."
He made a mental note to carry out a trifling adjustment on his body
thermostat. His skin was lined with sub-miniaturized heating and
refrigerating units--just one of the useful modifications the surgeons
had given him.
Darruu's mean temperature was 120 degrees, on the scale used by the
Earthers. When it dropped to 80, Darruui cursed the cold. It was 80
now, and he was uncomfortably cold. He would have to stay that way
for most of the day, at least, until in a moment of privacy he could
make the necessary adjustments. Around him, the Earthers seemed to be
perspiring and feeling discomfort because of the heat.
The bus filled finally, and spurted across the field to a high domed
building of gleaming steel and green plastic. The driver said, "First
stop is customs. Have your papers ready."
Inside, Harris found his baggage already waiting for him at a
counter labelled HAM-HAT. There were two suitcases, both of them with
topological secret compartments. He surrendered his passport and, when
told to do so, pressed his thumb to the opener-plate. The suitcases
sprang open. The customs man poked through them perfunctorily, nodded,
said, "Anything to declare?"
"Nothing."
"Okay. Close 'em up."
Harris locked the suitcases again, and the customs official briefly
touched a tracer-stamp to them. It left no visible imprint, but the
photonic scanners at every door would be watching for the radiations,
and no one with an un-stamp could get through the electronic barriers.
"Next stop is Immigration, Major."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account