"That's right. I think everything on this planet has immortality,"
Ekstrohm said. "I'm not exactly sure how. Maybe it has to do with the
low radiation. Every individual cell has a 'memory' of the whole
creature. But as we age that 'memory' becomes faulty, our cells 'forget'
how to reproduce themselves exactly. Here, that cell 'memory' never
fades. Bodies renew themselves indefinitely."
"But why hide it?" Nogol asked.
"This planetoid can just support so many creatures. They practice birth
control among themselves," the surveyor said. "The natives naturally
want to discourage colonization."
Ryan whistled. "Once we report this, every rich and powerful man in the
Federation will want to come here to live. There's not enough space to
go around. There will be wars over this little hunk of rock."
Nogol's hard, dark eyes were staring into space. "There's only one
sensible thing to do. We'll keep the world to ourselves."
"I don't like that kind of talk," Ryan growled.
"Ryan, this little ball of dirt isn't going to do the Federation as a
whole any good. But it can be of value to us. We can make ourselves
comfortable here. Later on, we can bring in some women. Any women we
want. Who wouldn't want to come here?"
Ryan began to argue, but Ekstrohm could see he was hooked. The man who
risked his life, the man who sought something new and different, the
explorer, was basically an unstable type removed from the mainstream of
civilization. Nothing was liable to change that.
By nightfall, Ryan and Ekstrohm had agreed.
"We'll have to keep a constant watch," Ryan was saying. "We'll have to
watch out for ExPe scouts looking for us. Or, after a few generations,
another ship may come to complete the mapping."
Nogol smiled. "We'll have to keep an eye on each other too, you know.
One of us may get to wanting more room for more women. Or to have
children, a normal biological urge. Death by violence isn't ruled out
here."
"I don't like that kind of talk," Ryan blustered.
Nogol smiled.
Ekstrohm thought of the others, of the sleepless, watchful nights ahead
of them. That was probably his trouble, all of his life. He didn't trust
people; he had to stay awake and keep an eye on everybody. Well, he
would be one ahead here.
Of course, it was wrong not to trust anybody, but Ekstrohm knew habit
patterns were hard to break.
Sleep is a habit.
* * * * *
Ryan and Nogol were jarred awake in the night by the spaceship blasting
off without them. They ran out and shook their tiny fists in fury at the
rising flame.
Operating a spaceship alone was no cinch but it could be done. Ekstrohm
would get back to the nearest Federation base and report the planetoid
without death. He didn't have absolute confidence in any government, no.
But he suspected the Federation could do more with the world than two
men like Ryan and Nogol.
Ekstrohm took his fingers off the punchboard and lay back on his couch.
He yawned.
Ryan and Nogol were slow, but in time they might have learned to do
without sleep, and to guard their treasure night and day.
Fortunately, Ekstrohm knew from long experience what the two others
didn't.
An eternity without sleep isn't worth the price.
--END
Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from _If: Worlds of Science Fiction_ July
1961. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note.