The Red Planet Read Online Free PDF Page B

wakes again--and that might be hours. Perhaps you’d better go back to the Discovery.”
    “But that would mean Frank virtually running this ship on his own,” Jet protested. “You can’t share his watches and stay with Whitaker at the same time.”
    “I can manage for a few hours anyway, sir,” said Frank, trying to be helpful.
    “No, I have a better idea,” said Jet. “Do you think we could move Whitaker over to the Discovery?” he asked, turning to me. “We could keep an eye on him then without upsetting the watch routine.”
    I was a little doubtful as to the wisdom of Jet’s suggestion, but Frank received it enthusiastically. “He doesn’t weigh anything, sir,” he reminded us eagerly. “It would only be a matter of towing him across.”
    “Rogers,” I said, “you almost sound as though you’d be glad to get rid of him.”
“Well . . . it’s not that, sir,” said Frank hesitantly.
    “Under the circumstances, Doc,” said Jet, “if we can move him I think we should.”
    “Very well,” I replied. “Give him an hour. If he doesn’t wake by then, I’ll consider it.”
    The hour passed slowly but at the end of it there was still no sign of life from Whitaker. He lay on his bunk, breathing a little heavily but otherwise not moving. Jet called up Mitch and told him to prepare to transfer to No 2. Once Mitch was outside the Discovery, Jet and I, carrying Whitaker between us, were hauled across and when we reached our own ship Mitch pushed off towards the freighter.
    Back in the flagship we removed Whitaker’s suit and laid him on Mitch’s bunk. We had hardly done this when the chief engineer called up from No 2 to say he was safely aboard. At that moment there was a moan from Whitaker id Jet hurried to my side.
    “He’s waking,” I told him. A second later Whitaker’s eyes opened. He looked around him in surprise and tried to sit up.
    “Here,” I said, “get this down. It’ll make you feel better.” But he refused the little flask I offered. “Where am I?” he asked quietly.
“You’re aboard the Discovery,” I told him. “How did I get here?”
    “Doc and I went over to your ship and brought you back,” said Jet.
“And what was I doing all that time?”
    “Sleeping,” I said. “At least, that’s what you appeared to be doing.”
    “Can’t a man sleep without he has to be hauled from one ship to another?” he asked almost angrily.
    “Now take it easy,” said Jet; “you fell asleep standing on your feet. That’s not natural.” “Under gravity-less conditions?”
    “What I mean is, you fell asleep in the middle of talking to me.”
    “Oh, yes;” Whitaker paused a moment as he cast his mind back. “I remember. Records had lost my dossier.”
    “I didn’t say so. I merely said that they wanted information about you.”
    “Do they still want it?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then get it over with.”
    “I’d rather you waited a bit, Jet,” I suggested; “at least until I’ve given him a thorough look over.”
    “Ask your questions, Captain Morgan,” said Whitaker flatly and apparently disinterested.
    “No,” said Jet, “you’ll stay where you are until Doc considers you’re fit to get up. Later I’ll have you transferred to another freighter.”
    “I’m not going back to Number Two?”
    “No.”
    “But Number Two is my ship. I must go back to it.”
    “I’m sorry, Whitaker, but under the circumstances that is impossible. You and Rogers don’t get along too well. One of you has to be moved.”
    “Then let it be Rogers. He’s the one who complains.”
    “Whitaker,” said Jet firmly, “if I decide to move you, you’ll move, is that clear?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Jet lowered his voice. “All right, Doc, he’s all yours. I’ll question him later.”
    “Sure, Jet,” I said.
    Whitaker ‘rested’, much against his will, for six hours. At the end of that time the only report I could give Jet was that he was fit and well again, physically at any rate. In