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diff --git a/29632.txt b/29632.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e221f58 --- /dev/null +++ b/29632.txt @@ -0,0 +1,953 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Competition, by James Causey + +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 + + +Title: Competition + +Author: James Causey + +Illustrator: Stone + +Release Date: August 7, 2009 [EBook #29632] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPETITION *** + + + + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +COMPETITION + +By JAMES CAUSEY + + + _They would learn what caused + the murderous disease--if it + was the last thing they did!_ + + +GRETA + +_January 18, Earth Time_ + +I wish Max would treat me like a _woman_. + +An hour ago, at dinner, John Armitage proposed a toast, especially for +my benefit. He loves to play the gallant. Big man, silver mane, very +blue eyes, a porcelain smile. The head of WSC, the perfect example of +the politician-scientist. + +"To the colony," he announced, raising his glass. "May Epsilon love them +and keep them. May it only be transmittal trouble." + +"Amen," Max said. + +We drank. Taylor Bishop put down his glass precisely. Bishop is a gray +little man with a diffident voice that belies his reputation as the best +biochemist in the system. "Has Farragut hinted otherwise?" he asked +mildly. + +Armitage frowned. "It would be scarcely prudent for Senator Farragut to +alarm the populace with disaster rumors." + +Bishop looked at him out of his pale eyes. "Besides, it's an election +year." + +The silence was suddenly ugly. + +Then Armitage chuckled. "All right," he said. "So the Senator wants to +be a national hero. The fact still remains that Epsilon had better be +habitable or Pan-Asia will scream we're hogging it. They want war +anyway. Within a month--boom." + + * * * * * + +For a moment, I was afraid he was going to make a speech about Earth's +suffocating billions, the screaming tension of the cold war, and the +sacred necessity of Our Mission. If he had, I'd have gotten the weeping +shrieks. Some responsibilities are too great to think about. But instead +he winked at me. For the first time, I began to realize why Armitage was +the Director of the Scientists' World Council. + +"Hypothesis, Greta," he said. "Epsilon is probably a paradise. Why +should the test colony let the rest of the world in on it? They're being +selfish." + +I giggled. We relaxed. + +After supper, Armitage played chess with Bishop while I followed Max +into the control room. + +"Soon?" I said. + +"Planetfall in eighteen hours, Doctor." He said it stiffly, busying +himself at the controls. Max is a small dark man with angry eyes and the +saddest mouth I've ever seen. He is also a fine pilot and magnificent +bacteriologist. I wanted to slap him. I hate these professional British +types that think a female biochemist is some sort of freak. + +"Honestly," I said. "What do you think?" + +"Disease," he said bitterly. "For the first six months they reported on +schedule, remember? A fine clean planet, no dominant life-forms, perfect +for immigration; unique, one world in a billion. Abruptly they stopped +sending. You figure it." + +I thought about it. + +"I read your thematic on Venusian viruses," he said abruptly. "Good +show. You should be an asset to us, Doctor." + +"Thanks!" I snapped. I was so furious that I inadvertently looked into +the cabin viewplate. + +Bishop had warned me. It takes years of deep-space time to enable a +person to stare at the naked Universe without screaming. + +It got me. The crystal thunder of the stars, that horrible hungry +blackness. I remember I was sort of crying and fighting, then Max had me +by the shoulders, holding me gently. He was murmuring and stroking my +hair. After a time, I stopped whimpering. + +[Illustration: Illustrated by STONE] + +"Thanks," I whispered. + +"You'd better get some sleep, Greta," he said. + +I turned in. + +I think I'm falling in love. + + * * * * * + +_January 19_ + +Today we made planetfall. It took Max a few hours to home in on the test +colony ship. He finally found it, on the shore of an inland sea that +gleamed like wrinkled blue satin. For a time we cruised in widening +spirals, trying to detect some signs of life. There was nothing. + +We finally landed. Max and Armitage donned spacesuits and went toward +the colony ship. They came back in a few hours, very pale. + +"They're dead." Armitage's voice cracked as he came out of the airlock. +"All of them." + +"Skeletons," Max said. + +"How?" Bishop said. + +Armitage's hands were shaking as he poured a drink. "Looks like civil +war." + +"But there were a hundred of them," I whispered. "They were +_dedicated_--" + +"I wonder," Bishop said thoughtfully. "White and brown and yellow. +Russian and British and French and German and Chinese and Spanish. They +were chosen for technical background rather than emotional stability." + +"Rot!" Armitage said like drums beating. "It's some alien bug, some +toxin. We've got to isolate it, find an antibody." + +He went to work. + + * * * * * + +_January 22_ + +I'm scared. + +It's taken three days to finalize the atmospheric tests. Oxygen, +nitrogen, helium, with trace gases. Those trace gases are stinkers. +Bishop discovered a new inert gas, heavier than Xenon. He's excited. I'm +currently checking stuff that looks like residual organic, and am not +too happy about it. Still, this atmosphere seems pure. + +Armitage is chafing. + +"It's in the flora," he insisted today. "Something, perhaps, that they +ate." He stood with a strained tautness, staring feverishly at the +chronometer. "Senator Farragut's due to make contact soon. What'll I +tell him?" + +"That we're working on it," Bishop said dryly. "That the four best +scientists in the Galaxy are working toward the solution." + +"That's good," Armitage said seriously. "But they'll worry. You _are_ +making progress?" + +I wanted to wrap a pestle around his neck. + +We were all in the control room an hour later. Armitage practically +stood at attention while Farragut's voice boomed from the transmitter. + +It was very emetic. The Senator said the entire hemisphere was waiting +for us to announce the planet was safe for immigration. He said the +stars were a challenge to Man. He spoke fearfully of the Coming World +Crisis. Epsilon was Man's last chance for survival. Armitage assured him +our progress was satisfactory, that within a few days we would have +something tangible to report. The Senator said we were heroes. + +Finally it was over. Max yawned. "Wonder how many voters start field +work at once." + +Armitage frowned. "It's not funny, Cizon. Not funny at all. Inasmuch as +we've checked out the atmosphere, I suggest we start field work at +once." + +Taylor blinked. "We're still testing a few residual--" + +"I happen to be nominal leader of this party." Armitage stood very tall, +very determined. "Obviously the atmosphere is pure. Let's make some +progress!" + + * * * * * + +_February 2_ + +This is progress? + +For the past ten days, we've worked the clock around. Quantitative +analysis, soil, water, flora, fauna, cellular, microscopic. Nothing. Max +has discovered a few lethal alkaloids in some greenish tree fungus, but +I doubt if the colony were indiscriminate fungus eaters. Bishop has +found a few new unicellular types, but nothing dangerous. There's one +tentacled thing that reminds me of a frightened rotifer. Max named it +_Armitagium_. Armitage is pleased. + +Perhaps the fate of the hundred colonists will remain one of those +forever unsolved mysteries, like the fate of the _Mary Celeste_ or the +starship _Prometheus_. + +This planet's _clean_. + + * * * * * + +_February 4_ + +Today Max and I went specimen-hunting. + +It must be autumn on Epsilon. Everywhere the trees are a riot of scarlet +and ocher, the scrubby bushes are shedding their leaves. Once we came +upon a field of thistlelike plants with spiny seed-pods that opened as +we watched, the purple spores drifting afield in an eddy of tinted mist. +Max said it reminded him of Scotland. He kissed me. + +On the way back to the ship we saw two skeletons. Each had its fingers +tightly locked about the other's throat. + + * * * * * + +_February 20_ + +We have, to date, analyzed nine hundred types of plant life for toxin +content. Bishop has tested innumerable spores and bacteria. Our slide +file is immense and still growing. Max has captured several insects. +There is one tiny yellow bush-spider with a killing bite, but the +species seem to be rare. Bishop has isolated a mold bacterium that could +cause a high fever, but its propagation rate is far too low to enable it +to last long in the bloodstream. + +The most dangerous animal seems to be a two-foot-tall arthropod. They're +rare and peaceable. Bishop vivisected one yesterday and found nothing +alarming. + +Last night I dreamed about the first expedition. I dreamed they all +committed suicide because Epsilon was too good for them. + +This is ridiculous! + +We're working in a sort of quiet madness getting no closer to the +solution. + +Armitage talked to Senator Farragut yesterday and hinted darkly that the +first ship's hydroponics system went haywire and that an improper +carbohydrate imbalance killed the colony. Pretty thin. Farragut's +getting impatient. Bishop looks haggard. Max looks grim. + + * * * * * + +_February 23_ + +Our quantitative tests are slowing down. We play a rubber of bridge each +night before retiring. Last night I trumped Max's ace and he snarled at +me. We had a fight. This morning I found a bouquet of purple +spore-thistles at my cabin door. Max is sweet. + +This afternoon, by mutual consent, we all knocked off work and played +bridge. Bishop noticed the thistle bouquet in a vase over the +chronometer. He objected. + +"They're harmless," Max said. "Besides, they smell nice." + +I can hardly wait for tomorrow's rubber. Our work is important, but one +does need relaxation. + + * * * * * + +_February 25_ + +Armitage is cheating. + +Yesterday he failed to score one of my overtricks. We argued bitterly +about it. Taylor, of course, sided with him. Three hands later, Armitage +got the bid in hearts. "One hundred and fifty honors," he announced. + +"That's a lie," I said. + +"It was only a hundred," he grinned. "But thank you, Greta. Now I shan't +try the queen finesse." + +No wonder they've won the last three evenings! Max is furious with them +both. + + * * * * * + +_February 28_ + +We played all day. Max and I kept losing. I always knew Armitage was a +pompous toad, but I never realized he was _slimy_. + +This afternoon it was game all, and Armitage overcalled my diamond +opener with three spades. Bishop took him to four and I doubled, +counting on my ace-king of hearts and diamonds. + +I led out my diamond ace and Armitage trumped from his hand. Bishop laid +down his dummy. He had clubs and spades solid, with doubleton heart and +diamonds. + +"None?" Max asked Armitage dangerously. + +Armitage tittered. I wanted to scratch his eyes out. He drew trump +immediately and set up clubs on board, dumping the heart losers from his +hand, and finally sluffing--_two diamonds_. + +"Made seven," he said complacently, "less two for the diamond renege +makes five, one overtrick doubled. We were vulnerable, so it's game and +rubber." + +I gasped. "You reneged deliberately!" + +"Certainly. Doubleton in hearts and diamonds in my hand. If you get in, +I'm down one. As it was, I made an overtrick. The only penalty for a +renege is two tricks. The rule book does not differentiate between +deliberate and accidental reneges. Sorry." + +I stared at his florid throat, at his jugular. I could feel my mouth +twitching. + +On the next hand I was dummy. I excused myself and went into the lab. I +found a scalpel. I came up quietly behind Armitage and Bishop saw what I +was going to do and shouted and I was not nearly fast enough. Armitage +ducked and Bishop tackled me. + +"Thanks, dear," Max said thoughtfully, looking at the cards scattered on +the floor. "We would have been set one trick. Club finesse fails." + +"She's crazy!" Armitage's mouth worked. "The strain's too much for her!" + +I cried. I apologized hysterically. After a while, I convinced them I +was all right. Max gave me a sedative. We did not play any more bridge. +Over supper I kept staring at Armitage's throat. + +After eating, I went for a long walk. When I got back to the ship, +everyone was sleeping. + + * * * * * + +_March 1_ + +Bishop found Armitage this morning, in his cabin. He came out, very +pale, staring at me. + +"You bitch," he said. "Ear to ear. Now what'll I do for a partner?" + +"You can't prove it," I said. + +"We'll have to confine her to quarters," Max said wearily. "I'll tell +Farragut." + +"And let him know the expedition is failing?" + +Max sighed. "You're right. We'll tell them Armitage had an accident." + +I said seriously, "It was obviously suicide. His mind snapped." + +"Oh, God," Max said. + +They buried Armitage this afternoon. From my cabin, I watched them dig +the grave. + +Cheaters never prosper. + + * * * * * + +_March 2_ + +Max talked with Senator Farragut this morning. He said Armitage had died +a hero's death. Farragut sounds worried. The Pan-Asians have withdrawn +their embassy from Imperial Africa. Tension is mounting on the home +front. Immigration _must_ start this week. Max was very reassuring. +"Just a few final tests, Senator. We want to make sure." + +We puttered in our laboratories all afternoon. Bishop seemed bored. +After dinner he suggested three-handed bridge and Max said he knew a +better game, a friendly game his grandmother had taught him--hearts. + + * * * * * + +_March 5_ + +It's a plot! + +All day long Bishop and Max have managed to give me the queen of spades. +It's deliberate, of course. Three times I've tried for the moon and +Bishop has held out one damned little heart at the end. Once Max was +slightly ahead on points and Bishop demanded to see the score. I thought +for a moment they would come to blows, but Bishop apologized. + +"It's just that I hate to lose," he said. + +"Quite," Max said. + +When we finally turned in, Bishop was ahead on points. + +Too far ahead. + + * * * * * + +_March 6_ + +I suppose it's Bishop's laugh. It has a peculiar horselike stridency +that makes me want to tear out his throat. Twice today I've broken down +and cried when he made a jackpot. + +I'm not going to cry any more. + +Supper was the usual, beef-yeast and vita-ale. I remember setting +Bishop's plate in front of him, and the way his pale eyes gleamed +between mouthfuls. "Three thousand points ahead," he gloated. "You'll +never catch me now. Never, never!" + +That was when he gripped his throat and began writhing on the floor. + +Max felt his pulse. He stared at me. + +"Very nice," he said. "Quick. Did you use a derivative of that green +fungus?" + +I said nothing. Max's nostrils were white and pinched. "Must I make an +autopsy?" + +"Why bother?" I said. "It's obviously heart failure." + +"Yes, why bother?" he said. He looked tired. "Stay in your cabin, +Greta. I'll bring your meals." + +"I don't trust you." + +His laughter had a touch of madness. + + * * * * * + +_March 10_ + +Max unlocked my cabin door this morning. He looked drawn. "Listen," he +said. "I've checked my respiration, pulse, saliva, temperature. All +normal." + +"So?" + +"Come here," he said. I followed him into the lab. He indicated a +microscope. His eyes were bright. + +"Well?" + +"A drop of my blood," he said. "Look." + +I squinted into the microscope. I saw purple discs. Oddly, they did not +attack the red blood cells. There was no fission, no mitosis. The +leucocytes, strangely enough, let them alone. + +My hands were shaking as I took a sterile slide and pricked my finger. I +put the slide under the microscope. I adjusted the lens and stared. + +Purple discs, swimming in my bloodstream. Thriving. Minding their own +business. + +"Me, too," I said. + +"They're inert," Max said hoarsely. "They don't affect metabolism, cause +fever, or interfere with the body chemistry in any way. Do they remind +you of anything?" + +I thought about it. Then I went to the slide file that was marked +_flora--negative_. + +"Right," Max said. "The purple thistle. Spores! The atmosphere is +clogged with them. Greta, my sweet, we're infected." + +"I feel fine," I said. + +All day long we ran tests. Negative tests. We seem to be disgustingly +healthy. "Symbiosis," Max said finally. "Live and let live. Apparently +we're hosts." + +Only one thing disturbs me. + +Most symbiotes _do_ something for their host. Something to enhance the +host's survival potential. + +We played chess this evening. I won. Max is furious. He's such a poor +sport. + + * * * * * + +_March 11_ + +Max talked with Senator Farragut this morning. He gave Epsilon a clean +bill of health and the Senator thanked God. "The first starship will +leave tonight," the Senator said. "Right on schedule, with ten thousand +colonists aboard. You're world heroes!" + +Max and I played chess the rest of the day. Max won consistently. He +utilizes a fianchetto that is utterly impregnable. If he wins tomorrow, +I shall have to kill him. + + * * * * * + +MAX + +_March 13_ + +It was, of course, necessary for me to destroy Armitage and Bishop. They +won far too often. But I am sorry about Greta. Yet I had to strangle +her. + +If she hadn't started that infernal queen's pawn opening it would have +been different. She beat me six times running, and on the last game I +pulled a superb orang-outang, but it was too late. She saw mate in four +and gave me that serpent smirk I know so well. + +How could I have ever been in love with her? + + * * * * * + +_March 14_ + +Frightfully boring to be alone. I have a thought. Chess. Right hand +against left. White and black. Jolly good. + + * * * * * + +_March 16_ + +I haven't much time. + +Left was black this morning and I beat him, four out of five. We're in +the lab now. He's watching me scribble this. His thumb and forefinger +are twitching in fury. He looks like some great white spider about to +spring. + +He sees the scalpel, by the microscope. Now his fingers are inching +toward it. Treacherous beast. I'm stronger. If he tries to amputate ... + + --JAMES CAUSEY + + + + +Transcriber's Note: + + This etext was produced from _Galaxy Science Fiction_ May 1955. + Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. + copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and + typographical errors have been corrected without note. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Competition, by James Causey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMPETITION *** + +***** This file should be named 29632.txt or 29632.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/6/3/29632/ + +Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://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. 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