Space 1999 #9 - Rogue Planet by E.C. Tubb

Author:E.C. Tubb [Tubb, E.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 671807102
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1976-09-08T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Tony Ellman staggered and almost fell, regaining his balance with a tremendous effort, uneasily aware of the jagged rocks at his feet, the danger of smashing his face-plate, of dying in the airless void.

‘Tony?’ Nyat Cheng’s voice, concerned as it came from the radio. ‘You all right?’

‘Fine.’

‘You sure?’

‘Sure I’m sure!’ Anger edged his reply. Why the hell couldn’t Cheng mind his own business? The day he needed mothering would be the day. ‘I’m fine,’ he said again. ‘Now let’s quit worrying about me and get on with the job. Right?’

‘Maybe you should report back in?’

‘No!’

‘I think you should.’ The overseer’s voice held determination. ‘Get back to the bug, Tony, and take it easy. That’s an order.’

‘You know what you can do with it?’

‘Now you listen—’

‘No! You listen! This is an emergency job, right? It needs to be done and fast—that’s what emergency means. Now you stick to your job and let me get on with mine.’ He added grimly, ‘I mean it, Nyat. Come near me and I’ll brain you, and that goes for anyone else who thinks I’m getting past it.’

A challenge and a stupid one—why had he given it? Would he really fight if anyone came close? Only an idiot would attempt to struggle outside on the Lunar plain, when too many little things could cause a ruptured suit and burst lungs. But why the hell couldn’t they leave him alone?

He sighed, rising to straighten his back, conscious of the ache, the drag of weary muscles. Damn the hospital and the doctors—he hadn’t felt right since they’d done that series of tests on him after Sam died. And that was another thing. Sam shouldn’t have died. They should have looked after him. Sam had been one of the best. He missed him.

Irritably Ellman shook his head. What was the matter with him? Sam was dead—so what? Everyone had to die and some had the luck to go early and others had to wait. What you lost one way you made up in another. Die young and you dodged the aches and pains of growing old, the failing of natural attributes, the growing inadequacy. Die old and you gained the extra joys of youth.

Why was he thinking about dying when work waited to be done?

Turning, he looked around. Nyat Cheng was way over towards the base. Apparently he’d given up and was saving further argument until they had finished their stint. A couple of others were in view, both hard at work. Ellman aimed his drill, leaned on it, tripped the mechanism. Chips of rock flew from beneath the point, deepening the hole from which he’d removed the scanner. It was oddly eroded, the lens scarred, the metal surround looking as if it had been abraded with something like an emery-blast. The replacement would be set deeper with a new, wide-angle lens, fitted with a removable cover of transparent plastic.

Setting aside the drill, Ellman crouched, fighting a sudden giddiness. He was an electronics man and a good one. Testing his work was a waste of time.

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