Yogi started by explaining that Lunette came into existence about a
hundred million years ago, a figure the geologists came up with by
measuring the radioactivity of the uranium here and comparing it with
that of uranium on Earth.
"But, in studying the radioactivity of the elements here," he said, "we
have discovered something else ... something that could change the
whole picture of things back on Earth. We found out about it, at least
a glimmer of it, almost as soon as we got up here, but we wanted to run
a whole slew of experiments before we let ourselves believe that it was
true.
"Say, Tuck, what's that bandage on your hand for?"
* * * * *
I was surprised at his sudden change of subject, but I told him how I
had burned my hand on the spotweld machine the night before.
"Does it hurt now?"
"Heck, it ain't nothing, Yogi. Let's get on with my physics lesson."
"Do me a favor, please. Take off the bandage."
He was real serious, so I unwound the bandage the nurse put on. There
was just a tiny white scar where the burn had been. It looked like I
had done it at least a couple of weeks ago!
Yogi and the Captain looked at each other and grinned like they were
real proud of something.
"That's part of the lesson, Tuck. Our big discovery is that the
increased radioactivity of the elements here on Lunette seems to have
a miraculous healing power on any infectious or communicable disease,
and on any injury to body tissues. Maybe you remember reading a little
about the strange effect that the Bikini tests had on some of the
animals used experimentally."