New Earth Read Online Free PDF Page A

“It’s three minutes before ten A.M., ship time. If we start the physical exams immediately, we can get them finished before dinnertime.”
    Her announcement was greeted by moans and grumbles. But Jordan said, “Dr. Yamaguchi has the responsibility of checking our physical conditions. Let’s cooperate with her, please.”
    Yamaguchi made a stiff little bow to Jordan and said, with an almost impish grin, “Mr. Kell, you are first on my list.”
    Rank hath its privileges, Jordan repeated to himself.
    Yamaguchi was a stubby, chubby young Japanesephysician, a specialist in internal medicine. Her face was round, with a snub nose and eyes almost the color of bronze. Her hair was dull brown, chopped short in pageboy style. She was no beauty, yet she radiated intelligence and good humor, and she had the reputation of being an excellent diagnostician.
    Jordan followed her down the passageway to the ship’s small infirmary: little more than anexamination table, a desk bearing a trio of display screens, and diagnostic scanners built into two of the walls and the ceiling. There were a couple of cubicles with beds in the next compartment, he remembered. Sitting on the examination table, Jordan removed his belt and shoes.
    “Anything metal in your pockets?” Yamaguchi asked.
    Jordan pulled the phone from his shirt pocket and handed it tothe physician, who placed it on her desk. Funny, he thought. This instrument links me with the ship’s communications system, it’s a computer, a camera, a personal entertainment system, and a lot more, yet we still call it nothing more than a phone. The old name hangs on, despite all its varied functions.
    Yamaguchi instructed, “All right, just lie back and let the scanners go over you.”
    Jordanlooked up at the softly glowing light panels of the ceiling and listened to the soft hum of the machines behind them. He knew his body was being probed by X-rays, sculpted magnetic fields, positrons, and neutrinos. All in little more than the blink of an eye.
    “It’s a pretty soft life I’ve got,” Yamaguchi said as she sat at her desk, studying her readout screens. “The scanners do all the work,the computer makes the analysis, and I take the credit.”
    “We’re a healthy bunch,” Jordan said. “Youngish … well, no one past middle age, physically. All of us are healthy. Or at least we were when we went into cryosleep.”
    “Maybe too healthy,” Yamaguchi said.
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Four women, eight men. It could cause problems.”
    Jordan felt surprised. He hadn’t felt any interest in sex sinceMiriam died. And the others … “The psych team passed on the arrangement,” he said.
    “They won’t be stuck here for five years.”
    “Do you think there might be problems?”
    “Probably not with Dr. Meek; he’s accustomed to bachelorhood. I don’t know about you, though.”
    Jordan blinked with surprise. “I’ll be all right,” he said.
    “Sure you will,” she replied, with a mischievous grin. “Your brother seemsto have paired up with Rudaki, and Verishkova followed Thornberry around all through our training classes like a puppy dog.”
    “I didn’t realize,” Jordan admitted.
    “That leaves Hazzard, Zadar, de Falla, Longyear,” Yamaguchi ticked off on her fingers. “All young and physically fit. I’ll bet even I start to look good to them before very long.”
    “There’s Trish Wanamaker.”
    Yamaguchi nodded. “I canalways put saltpeter in the drinking water.”
    “Seriously?” Jordan gasped.
    She laughed. “We have much more effective medications. But I hope I won’t have to use them.”
    Jordan nodded, wondering what would happen if the need to calm down some of the men arose.
    Yamaguchi returned her attention to her display screens. “You can sit up now.”
    “Passed with flying colors?” Jordan asked as he bent downto reach for his shoes.
    “Almost,” Yamaguchi replied, peering at the readouts. She looked up at Jordan. “You’ve lost the