Tau Ceti Read Online Free PDF

are bactericidal, but not horribly toxic and they burn to water and CO 2 .” Donsaii mused.
    Norris said, “Well, they’re both kinda toxic at high concentrations.”
    Ell shrugged “No toxic exhaust at least. Great idea!” she smiled broadly at him, “ Already glad to have you aboard.” She looked around at her little group, “Remember, we can’t use port supplied fuel cells to power the stuff on board the rocket either. We don’t want to leak bacteria through those ports either. I’m figuring that we have to keep the fuel cell here and send sterilized wire through a hot interface into tiny ports in the rocket. The wires can supply the power for the camera, PGR chips and ports. Maybe we should start supplying power through wires to all our ports, even here on Earth?”
    Eyebrows rose over that idea, though Norris didn’t really understand the issue. They went back to discussing how to assemble a sterile rocket. Or a sterilizable rocket anyway. Then what instruments to put on the first rocket to descend to the surface of TC3? Norris suggested instruments to measure gravity, atmospheric composition and a DNA detection instrument.
    “DNA? Surely alien life will use a different molecule for encoding genetic data?”
    Norris shrugged, “One theory is that DNA in bacterial spores or viral capsids could have spread all around the universe on stellar winds and by explosions of supernova e . Such DNA could have re-evolv ed life on each new world.” He raised his eyebrows, “We have no idea if this theory is true, but now we can find out.”
     
    Eventually , his world view sorely shaken, Norris left D5R with video of TC3 and a number of samples of asteroid 2019 UB40.
    As Ell walked Norris out, Emma smiled up at Roger. “I thought you explained things very nicely to Norris.”
    “You did?” Roger said, trying to remember what he’d explained well. “Thanks.” He looked momentarily at Emma. She’d done something interesting with her hair. It looked like a curly tangle, but he suspected a purposeful tangle. Anyway it looked good. “Hey, you know it’s a lot of fun working with you. Too bad you weren’t in Johnson’s lab with us back at NCSU.”
    Emma wrinkled her nose at him, “Nope, I could never have worked with Johnson!” She tilted her head. “Maybe it would have been OK if you’d been assigned to the Sponchesi lab…”
    Roger grinned at her, “Nah, I never get the easy way out.” He winked.
     
    ***
    Dex thought that Syrdian was nothing like the wonderful, competent dalin h i e’d always pictured when admiring himr from afar. Hie seemed to be waiting for Dex to do everything. To be fair Syrdian was injured, but it was only hies wing. The selfless and wonderful Syrdian hie’d always imagined would have pitched in to help with hies perfectly functional hands. Dex examined the verge for infrared, then beat into the air and flew close to it puffing to take the scent of the air there. It smelled safe . Hie landed by a dead tree and quickly picked up some deadwood, one branch of which had a cluster of dead leaves. A few beats took him r back to Syrdian and the t alor. Hie cleared the grass off an area and shredded some of the dry leaves. Hie pulled out hi e s flint and striker and struck a few sparks that started the shredded leaves burning. Dex laid a few dry sticks on the leaves and then a couple of larger branches. Once the fire was burning h i e flew back to cut some straight green stick s. Soon h i e had some pieces of talor speared on a stick and suspended over the fire. During the entire time Syrdian watched with interest as if hie’d never seen anything cooked in hies life. Hasn’t h i e ever even watched while food is being prepared back at the cave? Dex wondered. Why isn’t hie helping?! Is it just that hie d oesn’t want to sully himrself by helping a “ low status ” like me?
    When Dex took the meat off the fire and cut off pieces for Syrdian and him r self h i e could see that h i