This was better to think about. It was easier to follow routine, giving
orders about equipment and planning.
"We go out in twos. John, you and I first. We'll stay by the ship and
move fast if we spot anything. Paul, you and Carl exit in ten minutes
on signal."
"What about Karen," Paul asked.
"Dr. Thiesen stays in the ship," I answered. "John, break out the
ammunition. We'll lower the scout car if everything looks all right."
"I'm going too," Karen cried. She doubled her small hands into fists.
"You stay here. That's an order. I'm responsible for the safety of this
ship. We don't know what's out there."
"Responsible to whom?" she said angrily.
"Every man on this ship."
"You just ordered them to go out."
"Look, they have work to do."
"I won't stay here alone."
"I can lock you in a storeroom if I have to."
Karen turned away blindly and started to cry. The room was suddenly
filled with tension.
"Karen, stop that crying," I said.
"I'm not," she said, but she couldn't stop the flood of hysteria that
shook her. I turned her around and slapped her face.
"I'm sorry I had to do that," I said humbly. Her wide eyes didn't
believe me.
"Aren't you taking your job rather big," Paul said tensely.
"I didn't enjoy doing that, Paul. I think you know that."
"Karen is part of this crew. Why single her out for rough treatment?"
John rubbed his hands together and moved to my side. "Dave knows what
he's doing," he said gruffly.
"Forget it, John. Don't make me pull rank, Paul. You may be out of
military jurisdiction but I'm still in charge of this mission. If I
thought you were responsible for bringing her...."
"Don't threaten me, Captain," he said. They were all specialists in
their respective fields, enjoying a loose immunity from the routine of
the base. Here they were even more independent and my job was to get
them here, nothing more.
"Don't argue because of me," Karen said abruptly. "Go out and claim
your blue world in the name of science."
"Thank you," I said. "We'll be back for you."
* * * * *
John's bulk was a comforting presence. We stood on the rim of the
scorched circle of thick vegetation watching the unbroken monotony of
the bluish growth. Nothing moved except the bushes as the wind skipped
across the flowery tops of the plants.
"I've never seen anything like this," John said.
"I don't think there is anything like this," I breathed. It was hard
to believe the color and delicate structure of the landscape was not a
setting, painted with bright blues and greens, daubed with light and
darks of all colors where clusters of flowering plants shone in the
sunlight.
"It's good, very good," he said.
"Yes. I think fairy tales were written for a view like this. It's a
pity we won't get back to tell about it."
John frowned and rested the rifle on the ground. "She was better in the
ship. You heard her talk about the base."
"But she doesn't remember what we need. I'm afraid it's useless," I
said glumly.
He scuffed up scorched earth with his foot. "Then why are we going
ahead with all these plans?"
"To keep from thinking about the other, I guess. I know what you've all
been thinking. So have I. I even thought we might stay here and hope
someone else would try in our lifetime. That's out. There are four men
and one girl."
"Then what will you do?"
"I don't know yet, John. I haven't thought about it because it isn't
good."
"There's nothing moving yet, sir," John said. "You remembered when you
had to. We can wait until she thinks of how to operate the suspension."
"The longer we wait the more chance of another kind of trouble."
"Karen?"
"Yes. Or you or me, Paul or Carl. Anyone of us can start trouble."
"Sure. It's tough having her around all right," he said. "I always
thought she was a cool number, all study and no play. It's different
when you can't help seeing that kind of beauty."
I moved around the area restlessly, not watching the landscape as much
as I had. "You in love with her, John?"
"I suppose I am. Not in the way you are," he said. He was studying the
black ground intently, not looking up at me.
"How do you know?"
"I knew back at the base. You showed it in your eyes every time she was
around."
"Everybody looked when she came into a room," I said.
"That isn't the same either." He stood up, grinning at me. "This
climate is bad for us. It's got us talking like school children."
I signaled the others and we went back in to get equipment. The
power-crane swung the tank-like scout car down, and we spent busy
minutes loading it with the testing facilities we would take with us.
I didn't share Paul's enthusiasm as he fidgeted to get started. The
sun was down near the top of the mountain range when we roared up the
valley for our first look past the forest.
We rode for several miles up a winding valley, heading for higher
ground. We kept looking back at the silver ship until it slipped out
of our view. Carl sang an old Viking ballad as the tracks of the car
dwindled out behind us. The blue was changing into deep purple hues
in the shadow of the mountains, an incredible, breathtaking shade of
color that made me feel like singing too. We stopped on a high rise
of ground and got out. Paul and Carl worked in a circle, setting the
portable equipment down, taking samples of the plants and soil. John
and I sat on the top of the armored car, watching the alien landscape
for movement.