“Good thing we got here when we did.” Julie laughed. “They've done our work for us, Stan. We're rich!”
Stan grinned. “We'd better not start trying to spend it just yet. Norbert, have you completed your assessment of the damage yet?”
“Yes, Dr. Myakovsky.”
“Any problems?”
“I'm afraid that in the fight this unit here was destroyed.” Norbert indicated the interior suppressor gear, which was strewn around the cabin, most of it broken into fragments of crystal and plastic.
“Ah well,” Stan said, “Can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, as some famous man once remarked. Do you know who said that, Gill?”
“I'm afraid I don't,” Gill said.
“And here I thought you knew everything. Well, well…” Unexpectedly he began to giggle.
“Stan,” Julie said, “what's the matter?”
Stan pulled himself together. “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. I don't suppose you know who said that, either. Well, never mind. Of all the stuff you could have destroyed, Norbert, I'm afraid you picked the worst I think that's the interior equipment for the ultrasonic suppressor.”
“Are you certain?” Julie asked. “How can we know for sure?”
“There ought to be a serial number here somewhere.” Stan examined the bits of twisted metal. “Yes, as I thought. Now we need to go to the next step.”
“Is that difficult?” Julie asked.
“Easy enough … Norbert, give me a picture through one of the portholes.”
Outside, Stan could see a yellowish-brown haze with dark shapes moving through it. Half the aliens were up, the others were reviving swiftly. They moved sluggishly at first, then with increasing vigor, toward the harvester.
“Clear up the focus,” Stan snapped.
“Sorry, Doctor …” With the focus cleared, Stan could see the distinct dark alien shapes milling around outside the ship.
“Okay,” Stan said. “The suppressor is kaput and the aliens are awake. That's okay. Basically, our job is over. We've got the harvester. It was a little messy, but we got it. We need only pilot it up to the
The robot alien moved to the control panel. After a moment he said, “I'm afraid we've got trouble, Doctor.”
Stan could see for himself through Norbert's visual receptors. The battle inside the harvester had wrecked some of the controls.
“Oh, Stan,” Julie said, “can Norbert fly that thing out of there?”
“Sure, if conditions were right,” Stan said. “But I'm afraid it's not going to be as easy as that. The controls are all screwed up.”
“Can't he fix them?”
Stan shook his head. “Sure, given time, but we don't have much of that. First we're going to have to get into communication with the
“I haven't gotten him yet, sir,” Gill said. “Something serious seems to have happened to the
“That's just great,” Stan said. “I wish he'd call.”
“He will,” Gill affirmed. “I know Captain Hoban. He would make contacting us his first priority.”
“Well, it gives us a little time. A chance to do something I've long wanted to do.”
Julie looked at him. “Stan, what are you talking about?”
“I want to take a look inside that hive.” He looked hard at Gill, as if daring him to challenge him. Gill felt momentarily uncomfortable and glanced at Julie, who gave an almost imperceptible shrug. Gill reminded himself that it was difficult to assess the situation and impossible to pass judgment on humans.
“Just as you say, sir,” Gill said at last.
“Norbert, are you standing by?” Stan demanded. “I am, Dr. Myakovsky.”
“Okay. I take it all your systems are functioning properly?”
“All my readings are in the green,” Norbert reported.
“Is your suppressor working properly?”
Norbert checked. “It is, sir.”
“And Mac's?”
Norbert bent over the dog. “It is functioning correctly.”
“Then turn it off and open the harvester port.”
“Sir?”
“Norbert, are you having synapse failure? Didn't you hear me?”
“It is such an unusual order, Doctor, that I wanted to be certain I understood it correctly. When I turn off Mac's collar, that will render him visible to the aliens.”
“That's exactly what I had in mind,” Stan said. “We're going to make the aliens a little present of Mac.”
“Give him to the aliens?”
“That's right. You aren't going soft on me, are you, Norbert?”
“No, sir. But is it necessary?”
“Of course it is. They'll probably take Mac directly to the queen. They give the queen all the best stuff first, don't they?”
“I think so, sir. So it is reported in the literature.”
“That's right,” Stan said, with a laugh. “For a moment I forgot you weren't one yourself.”
Gill and Julie looked at each other. Gill frowned slightly and looked away. Julie pursed her lips. She didn't much like what was happening. But what the hell, it was no business of hers.
Stan explained. “Mac will represent food to them. A tasty little morsel fit for a king. Only in this case it's a queen. That's who they'll take Mac to. And you, my dear robotic friend, will follow them. Protected by your own suppressor, they won't even see you. Without suspecting a thing, they'll lead you through the labyrinth to the royal birthing chamber. Through your eyes I'll get the first pictures ever taken of the queen of this hive. I'll be doing a unique service to science. That's worth any number of little dogs like Mac. He's just a common mutt. But you, Norbert, are unique.”
Stan turned to face Julie and Gill. Light glinted off his glasses. His face was drawn. His voice, high and strained, rose as he asked, “Does anyone here have any objections?”
Gill looked away and didn't answer. Julie looked faintly annoyed as she said, “Give them Mac or a kennelful of mutts, it makes no difference to me. But would you mind telling me, just to satisfy my own curiosity, why are you doing this?”
“It's the only way I can be sure of getting Norbert into the hive quickly without him having to spend God knows how long looking for a way in. The outside of the nest is sealed against the weather, as you might have noticed. Did you check that out? The aliens must have a whole system of tunnels for getting in or out There must be a hundred miles of tunnel in something that big. This way I'll have Norbert lay down an electronic path.”
Gill said, “What purpose will that serve, Doctor?”
“Two at least,” Stan said. “First, with Norbert videotaping as he goes, we'll provide science with an invaluable record of life inside an alien hive. And second, we can come back here whenever we like to collect more jelly.”
“Now you're talking, Stan,” Julie said. “I knew you weren't just antidog.”
“Of course not. As a matter of fact, I'll have Norbert try to rescue Mac when they've reached the queen's chamber.”
“That might not be possible,” Gill said.
Stan shrugged. “Let's get going. Norbert, do it!”
