The Project Gutenberg EBook of Growing Up On Big Muddy, by Charles V. de Vet
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license
Title: Growing Up On Big Muddy
Author: Charles V. de Vet
Release Date: March 8, 2016 [EBook #51398]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY ***
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Well, naturally Kaiser would transmit baby
talk messages to his mother ship! He was--
GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY
By CHARLES V. DE VET
Illustrated by TURPIN
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Galaxy Science Fiction July 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Kaiser stared at the tape in his hand for a long uncomprehending
minute. How long had the stuff been coming through in this inane baby
talk? And why hadn't he noticed it before? Why had he had to read this
last communication a third time before he recognized anything unusual
about it?
He went over the words again, as though maybe this time they'd read as
they should.
OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS
BETTER, LET USNS KNOW.
SS II
Kaiser let himself ease back in the pilot chair and rolled the tape
thoughtfully between his fingers. Overhead and to each side, large
drops of rain thudded softly against the transparent walls of the scout
ship and dripped wearily from the bottom ledge to the ground.
"Damn this climate!" Kaiser muttered irrelevantly. "Doesn't it ever do
anything here except rain?"
His attention returned to the matter at hand. Why the baby talk? And
why was his memory so hazy? How long had he been here? What had he been
doing during that time?
Listlessly he reached for the towel at his elbow and wiped the moisture
from his face and bare shoulders. The air conditioning had gone out
when the scout ship cracked up. He'd have to repair the scout or he
was stuck here for good. He remembered now that he had gone over the
job very carefully and thoroughly, and had found it too big to handle
alone--or without better equipment, at least. Yet there was little or
no chance of his being able to find either here.
Calmly, deliberately, Kaiser collected his thoughts, his memories, and
brought them out where he could look at them:
The mother ship, _Soscites II_, had been on the last leg of its
planet-mapping tour. It had dropped Kaiser in the one remaining scout
ship--the other seven had all been lost one way or another during the
exploring of new worlds--and set itself into a giant orbit about this
planet that Kaiser had named Big Muddy.
The _Soscites II_ had to maintain its constant speed; it had no means
of slowing, except to stop, and no way to start again once it did stop.
Its limited range of maneuverability made it necessary to set up an
orbit that would take it approximately one month, Earth time, to circle
a pinpointed planet. And now its fuel was low.
Kaiser had that one month to repair his scout or be stranded here
forever.
That was all he could remember. Nothing of what he had been doing
recently.
A small shiver passed through his body as he glanced once again at the
tape in his hand. Baby talk....
* * * * *
One thing he could find out: how long this had been going on. He
turned to the communicator and unhooked the paper receptacle on its
bottom. It held about a yard and a half of tape, probably his last
several messages--both those sent and those received. He pulled it out
impatiently and began reading.
The first was from himself:
YOUR SUGGESTIONS NO HELP. HOW AM I GOING TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO SCOUT
WITHOUT PROPER EQUIPMENT? AND WHERE DO I GET IT? DO YOU THINK I
FOUND A TOOL SHOP DOWN HERE? FOR GOD'S SAKE, COME UP WITH SOMETHING
BETTER.
VISITED SEAL-PEOPLE AGAIN TODAY. STILL HAVE THEIR STINK IN MY NOSE.
FOUND HUTS ALONG RIVER BANK, SO I GUESS THEY DON'T LIVE IN WATER.
BUT THEY DO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME THERE. NO, I HAVE NO WAY OF
ESTIMATING THEIR INTELLIGENCE. I WOULD JUDGE IT AVERAGES NO HIGHER
THAN SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HUMAN. THEY DEFINITELY DO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER.
WILL TRY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM, BUT YOU GET TO WORK FAST ON
HOW I REPAIR SCOUT.
SWELLING IN ARM WORSE AND AM DEVELOPING A FEVER. TEMPERATURE 102.7
AN HOUR AGO.
SMOKY
The ship must have answered immediately, for the return message time
was six hours later than his own, the minimum interval necessary for
two-way exchange.
DOING OUR BEST, SMOKY. YOUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM, AS WE SEE IT, IS TO
KEEP WELL. WE FED ALL THE INFORMATION YOU GAVE US INTO SAM, BUT YOU
DIDN'T HAVE MUCH EXCEPT THE STING IN YOUR ARM. AS EXPECTED, ALL
THAT CAME OUT WAS "DATA INSUFFICIENT." TRY TO GIVE US MORE. ALSO
DETAIL ALL SYMPTOMS SINCE YOUR LAST REPORT. IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE
DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AT THIS END. GOOD LUCK.
SS II
Sam, Kaiser knew, was the ship's mechanical diagnostician. His report
followed:
ARM SWOLLEN. UNABLE TO KEEP DOWN FOOD LAST TWELVE HOURS. ABOUT TWO
HOURS AGO, ENTIRE BODY TURNED LIVID RED. BRIEF PERIODS OF
BLANKNESS. THINGS KEEP COMING AND GOING. SICK AS HELL. HURRY.
SMOKY
The ship's next message read:
INFECTION QUITE DEFINITE. BUT SOMETHING STRANGE THERE. GIVE US
ANYTHING MORE YOU HAVE.
SS II
His own reply perplexed Kaiser:
LAST LETTER FUNNY. I NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY IS OO SENDING GARBLE TALK?
DID USNS MAKE UP SECRET MESSAGES?
SMOKY
The expedition, apparently, was as puzzled as he:
WHAT'S THE MATTER, SMOKY? THAT LAST MESSAGE WAS IN PLAIN TERRAN. NO
REASON WHY YOU COULDN'T READ IT. AND WHY THE BABY TALK? IF YOU'RE
SPOOFING, STOP. GIVE US MORE SYMPTOMS. HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW?
SS II
The baby talk was worse on Kaiser's next:
TWAZY. WHAT FOR OO TENDING TWAZY LETTERS? FINK UM CAN WEAD TWAZY
LETTERS? SKIN ALL YELLOW NOW. COLD. COLD. CO
The ship's following communication was three hours late. It was the
last on the tape--the one Kaiser had read earlier. Apparently they
decided to humor him.
OO IS SICK, SMOKY. DO TO BEDDY-BY. KEEP UM WARM. WHEN UM FEELS
BETTER, LET USNS KNOW.
SS II
That was not much help. All it told him was that he had been sick.
He felt better now, outside of a muscular weariness, as though
convalescing from a long illness. He put the back of his hand to his
forehead. Cool. No fever anyway.
He glanced at the clock-calendar on the instrument board and back at
the date and time on the tape where he'd started his baby talk. Twenty
hours. He hadn't been out of his head too long. He began punching the
communicator keys while he nibbled at a biscuit.
SEEM TO BE FULLY RECOVERED. FEELING FINE. ANYTHING NEW FROM SAM?
AND HOW ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO SCOUT? GIVE ME ANYTHING YOU HAVE ON
EITHER OR BOTH.
SMOKY
Kaiser felt suddenly weary. He lay on the scout's bunk and tried
to sleep. Soon he was in that phantasm land between sleep and
wakefulness--he knew he was not sleeping, yet he did dream.
It was the same dream he had had many times before. In it, he was back
home again, the home he had joined the space service to escape. He had
realized soon after his marriage that his wife, Helene, did not love
him. She had married him for the security his pay check provided. And
though it soon became evident that she, too, regretted her bargain,
she would not divorce him. Instead, she had her revenge on him by
persistent nagging, by letting herself grow fat and querulous, and by
caring for their house only in a slovenly way.
Her crippled brother had moved in with them the day they were married.
His mind was as crippled as his body and he took an unhealthy delight
in helping his sister torment Kaiser.
* * * * *
Kaiser came wide awake in a cold sweat. The clock showed that only an
hour had passed since he had sent his last message to the ship. Still
five more long hours to wait. He rose and wiped the sweat from his neck
and shoulders and restlessly paced the small corridor of the scout.
After a few minutes, he stopped pacing and peered out into the gloom of
Big Muddy. The rain seemed to have eased off some. Not much more than a
heavy drizzle now.
Kaiser reached impulsively for the slicker he had thrown over a chest
against one wall and put it on, then a pair of hip-high plastic boots
and a plastic hat. He opened the door. The scout had come to rest with
a slight tilt when it crashed, and Kaiser had to sit down and roll
over onto his stomach to ease himself to the ground.
The weather outside was normal for Big Muddy: wet, humid, and warm.
Kaiser sank to his ankles in soft mud before his feet reached solid
ground. He half walked and half slid to the rear of the scout. Beside
the ship, the "octopus" was busily at work. Tentacles and antennae,
extending from the yard-high box of its body, tested and recorded
temperature, atmosphere, soil, and all other pertinent planetary
conditions. The octopus was connected to the ship's communicator and
all its findings were being transmitted to the mother ship for study.
Kaiser observed that it was working well and turned toward a wide,
sluggish river, perhaps two hundred yards from the scout. Once there,
he headed upstream. He could hear the pipings, and now and then a
higher whistling, of the seal-people before he reached a bend and saw
them. As usual, most were swimming in the river.
One old fellow, whose chocolate-brown fur showed a heavy intermixture
of gray, was sitting on the bank of the river just at the bend. Perhaps
a lookout. He pulled himself to his feet as he spied Kaiser and his
toothless, hard-gummed mouth opened and emitted a long whistle that
might have been a greeting--or a warning to the others that a stranger
approached.
The native stood perhaps five feet tall, with the heavy, blubbery
body of a seal, and short, thick arms. Membranes connected the arms
to his body from shoulder-pits to mid-biceps. The arms ended in
three-fingered, thumbless hands. His legs also were short and thick,
with footpads that splayed out at forty-five-degree angles. They gave
his legs the appearance of a split tail. About him hung a rank-fish
smell that made Kaiser's stomach squirm.
The old fellow sounded a cheerful chirp as Kaiser came near. Feeling
slightly ineffectual, Kaiser raised both hands and held them palm
forward. The other chirped again and Kaiser went on toward the main
group.
* * * * *
They had stopped their play and eating as Kaiser approached and now
most of them swam in to shore and stood in the water, staring and
piping. They varied in size from small seal-pups to full-grown adults.
Some chewed on bunches of water weed, which they manipulated with their
lips and drew into their mouths.
They had mammalian characteristics, Kaiser had noted before, so it
was not difficult to distinguish the females from the males. The
proportion was roughly fifty-fifty.
Several of the bolder males climbed up beside Kaiser and began pawing
his plastic clothing. Kaiser stood still and tried to keep his
breathing shallow, for their odor was almost more than he could bear.
One native smeared Kaiser's face with an exploring paw and Kaiser
gagged and pushed him roughly away. He was bound by regulations to
display no hostility to newly discovered natives, but he couldn't take
much more of this.
A young female splashed water on two young males who stood near and
they turned with shrill pipings and chased her into the water. The
entire group seemed to lose interest in Kaiser and joined in the chase,
or went back to other diversions of their own. Kaiser's inspectors
followed.
They were a mindless lot, Kaiser observed. The river supplied them with
an easy existence, with food and living space, and apparently they had
few natural enemies.
Kaiser walked away, following the long slow bend of the river, and
came to a collection of perhaps two hundred dwellings built in three
haphazard rows along the river bank. He took time to study their
construction more closely this time.
They were all round domes, little more than the height of a man, built
of blocks that appeared to be mud, packed with river weed and sand. How
they were able to dry these to give them the necessary solidity, Kaiser
did not know. He had found no signs that they knew how to use fire, and
all apparent evidence was against their having it. They then had to
have sunlight. Maybe it rained less during certain seasons.
The domes' construction was based on a series of four arches built in a
circle. When the base covering the periphery had been laid, four others
were built on and between them, and continued in successive tiers until
the top was reached. Each tier thus furnished support for the next
above. No other framework was needed. The final tier formed the roof.
They made sound shelters, but Kaiser had peered into several and found
them dark and dank--and as smelly as the natives themselves.
The few loungers in the village paid little attention to Kaiser and
he wandered through the irregular streets until he became bored and
returned to the scout.
The _Soscites II_ sent little that helped during the next twelve hours
and Kaiser occupied his time trying again to repair the damage to the
scout.
The job appeared maddeningly simply. As the scout had glided in for
a soft landing, its metal bottom had ridden a concealed rock and bent
inward. The bent metal had carried up with it the tube supplying the
fuel pump and flattened it against the motor casing.
* * * * *
Opening the tube again would not have been difficult, but first it had
to be freed from under the ship. Kaiser had tried forcing the sheet
metal back into place with a small crowbar--the best leverage he had on
hand--but it resisted his best efforts. He still could think of no way
to do the job, simple as it was, though he gave his concentration to it
the rest of the day.
That evening, Kaiser received information from the _Soscites II_ that
was at least definite:
SET YOURSELF FOR A SHOCK, SMOKY. SAM FINALLY CAME THROUGH. YOU
WON'T LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR. AT LEAST NOT AT FIRST. BUT IT COULD BE
WORSE. YOU HAVE BEEN INVADED BY A SYMBIOTE--SIMILAR TO THE TYPE
FOUND ON THE SAND WORLD, BARTEL-BLEETHERS. GIVE US A FEW MORE HOURS
TO WORK WITH SAM AND WE'LL GET YOU ALL THE PARTICULARS HE CAN GIVE
US. HANG ON NOW!
SOSCITES II
Kaiser's reply was short and succinct:
WHAT THE HELL?
SMOKY
_Soscites II's_ next communication followed within twenty minutes and
was signed by the ship's doctor:
JUST A FEW WORDS, SMOKY, IN CASE YOU'RE WORRIED. I THOUGHT I'D GET
THIS OFF WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM SAM.
REMEMBER THAT A SYMBIOTE IS NOT A PARASITE. IT WILL NOT HARM YOU,
EXCEPT INADVERTENTLY. YOUR WELFARE IS AS ESSENTIAL TO IT AS TO YOU.
ALMOST CERTAINLY, IF YOU DIE, IT WILL DIE WITH YOU. ANY TROUBLE
YOU'VE HAD SO FAR WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE SYMBIOTE'S DIFFICULTY
IN ADJUSTING ITSELF TO ITS NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN A WAY, I ENVY YOU.
MORE LATER, WHEN WE FINISH WITH SAM.
J. G. ZARWELL
Kaiser did not answer. The news was so startling, so unforeseen, that
his mind refused to accept the actuality. He lay on the scout's bunk
and stared at the ceiling without conscious attention, and with very
little clear thought, for several hours--until the next communication
came in:
WELL, THIS IS WHAT SAM HAS TO SAY, SMOKY. SYMBIOTE AMICABLE AND
APPARENTLY SWIFTLY ADAPTABLE. YOUR CHANGING COLOR, DIFFICULTY IN
EATING AND EVEN BABY TALK WERE THE RESULT OF ITS EFFORTS TO GIVE
YOU WHAT IT BELIEVED YOU NEEDED OR WANTED.
CHANGING COLOR: PROTECTIVE CAMOUFLAGE. TROUBLE KEEPING FOOD DOWN:
IT KEPT YOUR STOMACH EMPTY BECAUSE IT SENSED YOU WERE IN TROUBLE
AND MIGHT HAVE NEED FOR SHARP REFLEXES, WITH NO EXCESS WEIGHT TO
CARRY. THE BABY TALK WE AREN'T TOO CERTAIN ABOUT, BUT OUR BEST
CONCLUSION IS THAT WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, YOU WERE MOST HAPPY. IT
WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU BACK THAT HAPPY STATE OF MIND. OBVIOUSLY IT
QUICKLY RECOGNIZED THE MISTAKES IT MADE AND CORRECTED THEM.
SAM CAME UP WITH A FEW MORE IDEAS, BUT WE WANT TO WORK ON THEM A
BIT BEFORE WE SEND THEM THROUGH. SLEEP ON THIS.
SS II
* * * * *
Kaiser could imagine that most of the crew were not too concerned about
the trouble he was in. He was not the gregarious type and had no close
friends on board. He had hoped to find the solitude he liked best in
space, but he had been disappointed. True, there were fewer people
here, but he was brought into such intimate contact with them that he
would have been more contented living in a crowded city.
His naturally unsociable nature was more irksome to the crew because
he was more intelligent and efficient than they were. He did his work
well and painstakingly and was seldom in error. They would have liked
him better had he been more prone to mistakes. He was certain that they
respected him, but they did not like him. And he returned the dislike.
The suggestion that he get some sleep might not be a bad idea. He
hadn't slept in over eighteen hours, Kaiser realized--and fell
instantly asleep.
The communicator had a message waiting for him when he awoke:
SAM COULDN'T HELP US MUCH ON THIS PART, BUT AFTER RESEARCH AND MUCH
DISCUSSION, WE ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING TWO CONCLUSIONS.
FIRST, PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF SYMBIOTE IS EITHER THAT OF A VERY THIN
LIQUID OR, MORE PROBABLY, A VIRUS FORM WITH SWIFT PROPAGATION
CHARACTERISTIC. IT UNDOUBTEDLY LIVES IN YOUR BLOOD STREAM AND
PERMEATES YOUR SYSTEM.
SECOND, IT SEEMED TO US, AS IT MUST HAVE TO YOU, THAT THE SYMBIOTE
COULD ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU WANTED BY READING YOUR MIND. HOWEVER, WE
BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY NOW. WE THINK THAT IT HAS SUCH CLOSE CONTACT
WITH YOUR GLANDS AND THEIR SECRETIONS, WHICH STIMULATE EMOTION,
THAT IT CAN GAUGE YOUR FEELINGS EVEN MORE ACCURATELY THAN YOU
YOURSELF CAN. THUS IT CAN JUDGE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES QUITE
ACCURATELY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU TEST OUR THEORY. THERE ARE DOZENS OF
WAYS. IF YOU ARE STUMPED AND NEED SUGGESTIONS, JUST LET US KNOW.
WE AWAIT WORD FROM YOU WITH GREAT INTEREST.
SS II
By now, Kaiser had accepted what had happened to him. His distress and
anxiety were gone and he was impatient to do what he could to establish
better contact with his uninvited tenant. With eager anticipation, he
set to thinking how it could be done. After a few minutes, an idea
occurred to him.
Taking a small scalpel from a medical kit, he made a shallow cut in
his arm, just deep enough to bleed freely. He knew that the pain would
supply the necessary glandular reaction. The cut bled a few slow
drops--and as Kaiser watched, a shiny film formed and the bleeding
stopped.
That checked pretty well with the ship's theory.
Perhaps the symbiote had made his senses more acute. He tried closing
his eyes and fingering several objects in the room. It seemed to him
that he could determine the texture of each better than before, but
the test was inconclusive. Walking to the rear of the scout, he tried
reading the printed words on the instrument panel. Each letter stood
out sharp and clear!
Kaiser wondered if he might not make an immediate, practical use of the
symbiote's apparent desire to help him. Concentrating on the discomfort
of the high humidity and exaggerating his own displeasure with it, he
waited. The result surprised and pleased him.
The temperature within the scout cabin seemed to lower, the moisture
on his body vanished, and he was more comfortable than he had yet been
here.
As a double check, he looked at the ship's thermometer. Temperature
102, humidity 113--just about the same as it had been on earlier
readings.
* * * * *
During the next twenty-four hours, Kaiser and the mother ship exchanged
messages at regular six-hour intervals. In between, he worked at
repairing the damaged scout. He had no more success than before.
He tired easily and lay on the cot often to rest. Each time he seemed
to drop off to sleep immediately--and awake at the exact times he
had decided on beforehand. At first, despite the lack of success in
straightening the bent metal of the scout bottom, there had been a
subdued exhilaration in reporting each new discovery concerning the
symbiote, but as time passed, his enthusiasm ebbed. His one really
important problem was how to repair the scout and he was fast becoming
discouraged.
At last Kaiser could bear the futility of his efforts no longer. He
sent out a terse message to the _Soscites II_:
TAKING SHORT TRIP TO ANOTHER LOCATION ON RIVER. HOPE TO FIND MORE
INTELLIGENT NATIVES. COULD BE THAT THE SETTLEMENT I FOUND HERE IS
ANALOGOUS TO TRIBE OF MONKEYS ON EARTH. I KNOW THE CHANCE IS SMALL,
BUT WHAT HAVE I TO LOSE? I CAN'T FIX SCOUT WITHOUT BETTER TOOLS,
AND IF MY GUESS IS RIGHT, I MAY BE ABLE TO GET EQUIPMENT. EXPECT TO
RETURN IN TEN OR TWELVE HOURS. PLEASE KEEP CONTACT WITH SCOUT.
SMOKY
Kaiser packed a mudsled with tent, portable generator and guard wires,
a spare sidearm and ammunition, and food for two days. He had noticed
that a range of high hills, which caused the bend in the river at
the native settlement, seemed to continue its long curve, and he
wondered if the hills might not turn the river in the shape of a giant
horseshoe. He intended to find out.
Wrapping his equipment in a plastic tarp, Kaiser eased it out the
doorway and tied it on the sled. He hooked a towline to a harness on
his shoulders and began his journey--in the opposite direction from the
first native settlement.
He walked for more than seven hours before he found that his surmise
had been correct. And a second cluster of huts, and seal-people in the
river, greeted his sight. He received a further pleasant surprise. This
group was decidedly more advanced than the first!
They were little different in actual physical appearance; the change
was mainly noticeable in their actions and demeanor. And their odor was
more subdued, less repugnant.
By signs, Kaiser indicated that he came in peace, and they seemed to
understand. A thick-bodied male went solemnly to the river bank and
called to a second, who dived and brought up a mouthful of weed. The
first male took the weed and brought it to Kaiser. This was obviously a
gesture of friendship.
The weed had a white starchy core and looked edible. Kaiser cleaned
part of it with his handkerchief, bit and chewed it.
The weed had a slight iron taste, but was not unpalatable. He swallowed
the mouthful and tried another. He ate most of what had been given him
and waited with some trepidation for a reaction.
* * * * *
As dusk fell, Kaiser set up his tent a few hundred yards back from the
native settlement. All apprehension about how his stomach would react
to the river weed had left him. Apparently it could be assimilated by
his digestive system. Lying on his air mattress, he felt thoroughly at
peace with this world.
Once, just before dropping off to sleep, he heard the snuffling noise
of some large animal outside his tent and picked up a pistol, just in
case. However, the first jolt of the guard-wire charge discouraged the
beast and Kaiser heard it shuffle away, making puzzled mewing sounds as
it went.
The next morning, Kaiser left off all his clothes except a pair of
shorts and went swimming in the river. The seal-people were already in
the water when he arrived and were very friendly.
That friendliness nearly resulted in disaster. The natives crowded
around as he swam--they maneuvered with an otter-like proficiency--and
often nudged him with their bodies when they came too close. He had
difficulty keeping afloat and soon turned and started back. As he
neared the river edge, a playful female grabbed him by the ankle and
pulled him under.
Kaiser tried to break her hold, but she evidently thought he was
clowning and wrapped her warm furred arms around him and held him
helpless. They sank deeper.
When his breath threatened to burst from his lungs in a stream of
bubbles, and he still could not free himself, Kaiser brought his knee
up into her stomach and her grip loosened abruptly. He reached the
surface, choking and coughing, and swam blindly toward shore until his
feet hit the river bottom.
As he stood on the bank, getting his breath, the natives were quiet and
seemed to be looking at him reproachfully. He stood for a time, trying
to think of a way to explain the necessity of what he had done, but
there was none. He shrugged helplessly.
There was no longer anything to be gained by staying here--if they
had the tools he needed, he had no way of finding out or asking for
them--and he packed and started back to the scout.
Kaiser's good spirits returned on his return journey. He had enjoyed
the relief from the tedium of spending day after day in the scout, and
now he enjoyed the exercise of pulling the mudsled. Above the waist,
he wore only the harness and the large, soft drops of rain against his
bare skin were pleasant to feel.
When he reached the scout, Kaiser began to unload the sled. The
tarpaulin caught on the edge of a runner and he gave it a tug to free
it. To his amazement, the heavy sled turned completely over, spilling
the equipment to the ground.
Perplexed, Kaiser stooped and began replacing the spilled articles in
the tarp. They felt exceptionally light. He paused again, and suddenly
his eyes widened.
* * * * *
Moving quickly to the door of the scout, he shoved his equipment
through and crawled in behind it. He did not consult the communicator,
as he customarily did on entering, but went directly to the warped
place on the floor and picked up the crowbar he had laid there.
Inserting the bar between the metal of the scout bottom and the engine
casing, he lifted. Nothing happened. He rested a minute and tried
again, this time concentrating on his desire to raise the bar. The
metal beneath yielded slightly--but he felt the palms of his hands
bruise against the lever.
Only after he dropped the bar did he realize the force he had exerted.
His hands ached and tingled. His strength must have been increased
tremendously. With his plastic coat wrapped around the lever, he tried
again. The metal of the scout bottom gave slowly--until the fuel pump
hung free!
Kaiser did not repair the tube immediately. He let the solution
rest in his hands, like a package to be opened, the pleasure of its
anticipation to be enjoyed as much as the final act.
He transmitted the news of what he had been able to do and sat down to
read the two messages waiting for him.
The first was quite routine:
REPORTS FROM THE OCTOPUS INDICATE THAT BIG MUDDY UNDERGOES RADICAL
WEATHER-CYCLE CHANGES DURING SPRING AND FALL SEASONS, FROM EXTREME
MOISTURE TO EXTREME ARIDITY. AT HEIGHT OF DRY SEASON, PLANET MUST
BE COMPLETELY DEVOID OF SURFACE LIQUID.
TO SURVIVE THESE UNUSUAL EXTREMES, SEAL-PEOPLE WOULD NEED EXTREME
ADAPTABILITY. THIS VERIFIES OUR EARLIER GUESS THAT NATIVES HAVE
SYMBIOSIS WITH THE SAME VIRUS FORM THAT INVADED YOU. WITH
SYMBIOTES' AID, SUCH RADICAL PHYSICAL CHANGE COULD BE POSSIBLE.
WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED.
GIVE US ANY NEW INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ON NATIVES.
SS II
The second report was not so routine. Kaiser thought he detected a note
of uneasiness in it.
SUGGEST YOU DEVOTE ALL TIME AND EFFORT TO REPAIR OF SCOUT.
INFORMATION ON SEAL-PEOPLE ADEQUATE FOR OUR PURPOSES.
SS II
Kaiser did not answer either communication. His earlier report had
covered all that he had learned lately. He lay on his cot and went to
sleep.
In the morning, another message was waiting:
VERY PLEASED TO HEAR OF PROGRESS ON REPAIR OF SCOUT. COMPLETE AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND RETURN HERE IMMEDIATELY.
SS II
* * * * *
Kaiser wondered about the abrupt recall. Could the _Soscites II_ be
experiencing some difficulty? He shrugged the thought aside. If they
were, they would have told him. The last notes had had more than just a
suggestion of urgency--there appeared to be a deliberate concealing of
information.
Strangely, the messages indicated need for haste did not prod Kaiser.
He knew now that the job could be done, perhaps in a few hours' time.
And the _Soscites II_ would not complete its orbit of the planet for
two weeks yet.
Without putting on more than the shirt and trousers he had grown used
to wearing, Kaiser went outside and wandered listlessly about the
vicinity of the ship for several hours. When he became hungry, he went
back inside.
Another message came in as he finished eating. This one was from the
captain himself:
WHY HAVE WE RECEIVED NO VERIFICATION OF LAST INSTRUCTIONS? REPAIR
SCOUT IMMEDIATELY AND RETURN WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. THIS IS AN
ORDER!
H. A. HESSE, CAPT.
Kaiser pushed the last of his meal--which he had been eating with his
fingers--into his mouth, crumpled the tape, wiped the grease from his
hands with it and dropped it to the floor.
He pondered mildly, as he packed his equipment, why he was disregarding
the captain's message. For some reason, it seemed too trivial for
serious consideration. He placated his slightly uneasy conscience only
to the extent of packing the communicator in with his other equipment.
It was a self-contained unit and he'd be able to receive messages from
the ship on his trip.
* * * * *
The tracks of his earlier journey had been erased by the soft rain, and
when Kaiser reached the river, he found that he had not returned to
the village he had visited the day before. However, there were other
seal-people here.
And they were almost human!
The resemblance was still not so much in their physical makeup--that
was little changed from the first he had found--as in their obviously
greater intelligence.
This was mainly noticeable in their facile expressions as they talked.
Kaiser was even certain that he read smiles on their faces when he
slipped on a particularly slick mud patch as he hurried toward them.
Where the members of the first tribes had all looked almost exactly
alike, these had very marked individual characteristics. Also, these
had no odor--only a mild, rather pleasing scent. When they came to meet
him, Kaiser could detect distinct syllabism in their pipings.
Most of the natives returned to the river after the first ten minutes
of curious inspection, but two stayed behind as Kaiser set up his tent.
One was a female.
They made small noises while he went about his work. After a time, he
understood that they were trying to give names to his paraphernalia. He
tried saying "tent" and "wire" and "tarp" as he handled each object,
but their piping voices could not repeat the words. Kaiser amused
himself by trying to imitate their sounds for the articles. He was
fairly successful. He was certain that he could soon learn enough to
carry on a limited conversation.
The male became bored after a time and left, but the girl stayed until
Kaiser finished. She motioned to him then to follow. When they reached
the river bank, he saw that she wanted him to go into the water.
* * * * *
Before he had time to decide, Kaiser heard the small bell of the
communicator from the tent behind him. He stood undecided for a moment,
then returned and read the message on the tape:
STILL ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WORD FROM YOU.
IN MEANTIME, GIVE VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO FOLLOWING.
WE KNOW THAT THE SYMBIOTES MUST BE ABLE TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGES IN
THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SEAL-PEOPLE. THERE IS EVERY PROBABILITY THAT
YOURS WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THE SAME TO YOU--TO BETTER FIT YOUR BODY
TO ITS PRESENT ENVIRONMENT.
THE DANGER, WHICH WE HESITATED TO MENTION UNTIL NOW--WHEN YOU HAVE
FORCED US BY YOUR OBSTINATE SILENCE--IS THAT IT CAN ALTER YOUR
MIND ALSO. YOUR REPORT ON SECOND TRIBE OF SEAL-PEOPLE STRONGLY
INDICATES THAT THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING. THEY WERE PROBABLY NOT
MORE INTELLIGENT AND HUMANLIKE THAN THE OTHERS. ON THE CONTRARY,
YOU ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE THEM.
DANGER ACUTE. RETURN IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: IMMEDIATELY!
SS II
Kaiser picked up a large rock and slowly, methodically pounded the
communicator into a flattened jumble of metal and loose parts.
When he finished, he returned to the waiting girl on the river bank.
She pointed at his plastic trousers and made laughing sounds in her
throat. Kaiser returned the laugh and stripped off the trousers. They
ran, still laughing, into the water.
Already the long pink hair that had been growing on his body during the
past week was beginning to turn brown at the roots.
End of Project Gutenberg's Growing Up On Big Muddy, by Charles V. de Vet
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GROWING UP ON BIG MUDDY ***
***** This file should be named 51398.txt or 51398.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/3/9/51398/
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
http://gutenberg.org/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
[email protected]. Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at http://pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit http://pglaf.org
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
http://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
