The Jupiter Plague

“Yes. People can catch it now from one another, it doesn’t need the dogs and birds any more. I can see them at the Emergency Council as soon as they hear about this, reaching for their bombs. Just as sure as eggs is eggs they are going to wipe out this plague spot and the few odd million people that happen to be in it at the time, which will probably include you and me.”

He stood and tightened his belt.

“We’re going to crack that rocket ship ‘Pericles’ open, boy. That’s the only hope we have in hell.”

11

General Burke checked the points off on his fingers as he made them.

“First,” he said, pushing up his thumb, “we need a military operation, which I trust you will allow me to organize. A small, light force will be the best, I’ll lead it myself…”

“You shouldn’t get personally involved in this,” Sam said.

“Horse apples! I’m responsible for this show and I’ll be just as guilty giving the orders from the front line as I will be from the rear. Plus the fact that I’m getting too desk bound and I’m hard pressed these days to find any reasons at all to get into the shield. So that’s set. Second, we need a medical man along since it’s medical intelligence that we’re after, which will be you. Thirdly, there must be someone who knows something about spaceships, the ‘Pericles’ in particular, who can get us into it and show us around, and there is a natural choice for that job.”

“Stanley Yasumura?”

“Correct. He flew in from California as soon as the ”Pericles’ landed and has been bugging everyone since then — myself included — to be allowed to enter the ship. He was one of the principal designers of the ‘Pericles’ and seems to feel personally responsible for what has happened. I think he’ll come with us, but I’ll talk to him first and sound him out before I give him any details.“

“You can’t use the phone, you’ll be overheard, cut off.”

“We in the military are not without resources, boy. I’ll send Haber up to Yasumura’s hotel with a command transceiver, one of the new ones fitted with a scrambler and wavelength wobbler, they can’t be jammed or eavesdropped. I can handle this part of the operation — will you need any medical kit?”

“No, nothing that I can think of.”

“Good. Then your assignment now is to get some sleep so you’ll be ready for tonight.”

“We can’t wait until then!” As he spoke Sam saw Nita’s face clearly, sick, silent, unmoving. In the rush of events he had pushed the memory away: it returned with doubled impact now. She was dying minute by minute and there was no time to waste.

“We have to wait, Sam, because, aside from the fact that you look like you’ve been on a ten-day drunk and have given up sleeping as a bad habit, what we have to do can only be done after dark. We can’t just walk up to the spacer and climb in.

It’s surrounded by city police who have orders to shoot anyone crossing the wire. Then there is the covering plate and the air lock to go through — and how much chance do you think we would have in daylight? Plus the fact that it will take awhile to set this operation up. So here’s what you do; go into the next room where I have a cot that I use when the work keeps me here. Just take a rest; don’t sleep if you don’t want to, and you will be able to hear everything that goes on in here. You’re going to be no good to us if you’re pooped even before the operation begins.“

Sam could find no holes in the arguments and the sight of the cot reminded him just how tired he was.

“I’ll lie down,” he said, “rest a bit. But I don’t want to sleep.”

Someone had put a blanket over him and through the closed door to the adjoining office came a mumble of voices. Sam jerked awake, sitting up: the room was almost dark and the sky outside the rain-streaked window was murky and gray. He hadn’t wanted to sleep but was glad now that he had — it was going to be a long night. When he opened the door the officers around the desk looked up; General Burke put down a blueprint and turned around in his chair.

“You’re just in time, Sam, I was going to wake you. We’re in the final stages now and it will be dark enough to leave in about an hour. Have you met Dr. Yasumura?”

The circle of soldiers opened up and the small, globular form of the Nisei engineer bounced out, dressed in oversized Army fatigues.

“Hi, Sam, I heard a lot about you.” He- took Sam’s hand and pumped it enthusiastically. “I’ve been trying to see you ever since I got into town, but you were never available.”

“None of the calls reached me, Doctor Yas—”

“Stanley, the name’s Stanley, you’re the doctor around here, Sam. The general has been telling me about the plot to keep us all apart. He sent an armed guard and a fancy radio to my hotel, then got on it and explained what has been happening— I signed on for the duration. His boys had this uniform for me — wrong size naturally — and even an ID card, so I had no trouble getting here. Now you have to tell me, when you were in the air lock did you—”