"We can chain him to Anti," suggested Jordan. "That will keep him out
of trouble."
"Like leading a poodle on a leash? Nope," said Anti indignantly. "A
girl has to have some privacy."
"Don't wince, Cameron," objected Docchi. "She really was a girl once,
an attractive one."
"We can put him in a spacesuit and lock his hands behind his back,"
said Jordan. "Something like an ancient straitjacket."
Cameron laughed.
"No, that's inhuman," said Docchi.
Jordan juggled the toaster. "I can weld with this. Let's put him in a
cabin and weld the door closed. We can cut a slot to shove food in. A
very narrow slot."
"Excellent. I think you have the solution. That is, unless Dr. Cameron
will reconsider his decision."
Cameron shrugged. "They'll pick you up in a day or less anyway. I
suppose I'm not compromising myself by agreeing to your terms."
"Good."
"A doctor's word is as good as his oath," observed Anti. "Hippocratic
or hypocritic."
"Now, Anti, don't be cynical. Doctors have an economic sense as well
as the next person," said Docchi gravely. He turned to Cameron. "You
see, after Anti grew too massive for her skeletal structure, doctors
reasoned she'd be most comfortable in the absence of gravity. That was
in the early days, before successful ship gravital units were
developed. They put her on an interplanetary ship and kept
transferring her before each landing.
"But that grew troublesome and--expensive. They devised a new
treatment; the asteroid and the tank of acid. Not being aquatic by
nature, Anti resented the change. She still does."
"I knew nothing about that," Cameron pointed out defensively.
"It was before your time." Docchi frowned at the doctor. "Tell me, why
did you laugh when Jordan mentioned a spacesuit?"
Cameron grinned. "That was my project while you were busy with the
robot."
"To do what? Jordan--"
But Jordan was already on his way. He was gone for some time.
"Well?" asked Docchi on his return. It really wasn't necessary;
Jordan's gloomy face told the story.
"Cut to ribbons."
"All of them?"
"Every one. Beyond repair."
"What's the excitement about?" rumbled Anti. "We don't need spacesuits
unless something happens to the ship and we have to go outside."
"Exactly, Anti. How do you suppose we go about replacing the defective
tubes? From the outside, of course. By destroying the spacesuits,
Cameron made sure we can't."
Anti opened her mouth with surprise and closed it in anger. She
glowered at the doctor.
"We're still in the asteroid zone," said Cameron. "In itself, that's
not dangerous. Without power to avoid stray rocks, it is. I advise you
to contact the Medicouncil. They'll send a ship to pick us up and tow
us in."
"No, thanks. I don't like Handicap Haven as well as you do," Anti said
brusquely. She turned to Docchi. "Maybe I'm stupid for asking, but
exactly what is it that's deadly about being out in space without a
spacesuit?"
"Cold. Lack of air pressure. Lack of oxygen."
"Is that all? Nothing else?"