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  Dickson turned to look. "No I hadn't."

  "I believe he uses the shuttles to take his crew and the materials to the planet." Even as he spoke, a small shuttle disengaged from the side of the Amad Por and set course for the planet surface. They all watched as it made a slow descent.

  "That would mean that he doesn't have streaming technology. Going by his transmission patterns and his propulsion systems, I would guess he can travel near light but not at scale one," Pike said looking up. "That would also account for the shuttles. I guess he's not as superior as he thinks."

  Tosh listened intently as they spoke, but there were other things on her mind. "But that does not matter," she said finally. "He is homicidal. Levid has no problem with killing anything or anyone that gets in his way. Nor does he care a whit about anything he considers a lower species. Even now I sense him planning. I can sense outrage at his letting himself even invite us to his table. My guess is, now that he has stopped shooting at us, he will send someone over to steal the technology we have onboard.

  Dickson nodded. "I agree. You could see him visibly change when Chris mentioned the noninterference policy. I believe we should allow him to think that we are an inferior species for a while. Mister Sanderson,” he said turning around, “I want you and Mister Duvall to remain aboard and monitor his movements. I will make arrangements for you to be relieved in 6 hours. If he tries to board, use the shields and deflectors to move them away. If all else fails, use the engines to return to the Lexington. Keep an eye on him, but don't let him get aboard.”

  "Aye sir," Sanderson said. He would have to get Duvall from the craft's engineering section and let him know about his additional 'watch.'

  Dickson turned back to the others. "We can use the shuttle as a platform for communication and monitoring. If he can see us out here, apparently crippled, he may go about his business for a while. That will leave us free to investigate. Any comments?" he asked. There were none around the group. "Then let's get back to the ship," he said. He tapped the communications panel.

  "Dickson to Lexington."

  Thompson answered immediately. You could almost tell he was getting anxious about having his captain away for so long. "Lexington here captain."

  "Four to stream aboard, Number One"

  "Aye sir."

  The four streaming beams appeared within a second and the four were whisked from view.

  Chapter 3

  Getting Acquainted

  On the planet surface, Mike and Jo were walking through the wooded area that Mike had chosen. He was recording almost everything in view. Jo seemed to just walk along. Only occasionally would she open the sensor pack and look more closely at some object. It was obvious that she was not interested in this particular project at all.

  On his part, Mike could not understand people like her. He knew she was smart. On the rare occasion when they had worked together on a project, she had pulled more than her weight. But the people she hung around seemed so indifferent about everything but their own fun. It seemed such a waste to him. But he could understand some things. Jo was one of the prettiest students he had met. Her five foot ten inch frame seemed perfectly proportioned and very pleasant to look at. She was obviously very fit. But he was especially impressed when she smiled. Her face seemed to fill with joy with each smile even when her lips simply turned up at the ends. The dimples even enhanced it. And when she smiled further, even her brown eyes curled up at the ends. Her brown hair was cut in a medium shape not quite reaching her shoulders and framed her very appealing face. How could someone that looked that nice not be popular? Mike had noticed her from the very moment she first stepped into his classroom.

  Mike turned his mind back to his studies. It had never done him much good to try and figure out other people, and Jo seemed even more remote now. He noticed some of the readings on his sensor pack and took a closer look.

  For her part, Jo was taking the opportunity to just get some exercise. In her mind were the measures and notes of her music. She had always worked hard on her music as an outlet for her emotions and her dreams. When she saw the insects or the natural settings, they had induced a flourish of sweeping notes, which together, formed the inner thoughts of her mind. As she looked toward Mike, more notes appeared, but they were more somber. Guys like Mike were so different. Their minds dealt with numbers and mechanics. Facts and figures were their notes, and when they looked at their surroundings, she was sure they were thinking about what buildings they could put in their place. Her friends, she had found, didn't think much at all. She could blend in easily and she found that she could have a lot of influence with the group without having to sacrifice her own desires. It was too bad though. Mike was very good looking. At six feet, one inch, he had a distinct masculine look. She had often seen him in the ship's gym working out or running around the track. His muscles looked it. Blond wavy hair and blue eyes seemed to cap off his whole body, despite the glasses. But of all the people in her class, he had always been the most remote and the most studious. He was hard to figure out, and she had long before determined that people who weren't in "the group" were not worth dealing with.

  In the middle of her inner thoughts she heard Mike exclaim, "Wow! Look at this!" he motioned for her to come over and look at his sensor pack.

  Mike was excited about his find. That fits, she thought. He seems excited about most things. Didn't he ever get out in the world? she thought.

  "These trees are being poisoned by the acid contents of the atmosphere. See the ring thickness," he asked pointing to the sensor pack. "It's gotten worse over the last ten years."

  Tree rings, she thought. What about all the other things around here. She shrugged. "Yea, whatever," she muttered. Then she stopped and decided to probe further.

  "Tell me something. Do you get this excited over all the things you do?"

  Mike looked at her and lowered the sensor pack. "What do you mean?"

  "Well, for the past hour you have made four ‘wows,’ three ‘Oh my goshes,’ five ‘isn't that interestings,’ and about a dozen ‘come see this,” she complained.

  Mike's face dropped just a bit. The air was humid and his glasses were perched about halfway down his nose due to the perspiration.

  "I'm sorry," he said, adjusting his glasses and sitting down on a log. "I guess I do get carried away sometimes. I've always been interested in most anything. It's one of the reasons I had so much trouble deciding on a major," he said smiling slightly as he related his ideas. Mike realized most of his flaws and was very consciously trying to fit in. "If I was left alone, I would make a study of everything around me," he said looking around. He clearly had many interests.

  Jo propped one foot on the other end of the log. "Thought so," she said. "You almost never take time to go around with the rest of us. No wonder you always bust the curve."

  Mike felt a little hurt. He had always wanted to be a part of 'the group' but it had never worked out. "If you recall, I was never asked to join you," he said a little on the defensive. "Always thought you didn't want me around." He looked straight at her. "I heard the comments about my glasses and my work," he said. Then he straightened some. "Besides, you took statistics. Takes more than one to bust a curve," he said with a hint of a smile. Mike always seemed to at least try and keep a positive outlook.

  "Why don't you get rid of those glasses anyway? You'd look a lot better without them," Jo said, changing the subject slightly.

  Mike shrugged his shoulders. "Allergic to optlites. Nearly lost my eyesight to them when I was younger. It's this or living in a blur."

  For the first time Jo felt a pang of sorrow for Mike. She had never made fun of someone for something they couldn't help before. She had assumed that Mike was just a geek and wore them because he didn't have good sense. The revelation made her feel awkward.

  Jo tried to change the subject again. "OK, well then why not loosen up? You are about as stiff as this log. I don't think you have said one thing to me except hello since I've
been aboard. You eat alone and when you do come over, you don't say much," she said trying to make her guilty feelings his fault again.

  Mike smiled. It was the same story from every ship he had been on. "I know. What can I say? I'm kind of shy and don't make friends easy. The last really good friends were transferred away and I just haven't made many more."

  "And why's that?" she demanded.

  Mike was getting tired of her stance. He had always tried to be nice to people he met and often it just wasn't good enough. He was also tired of people trying to blame him for their problems. "Look," he said more forcefully, "If you had spent the last 11 years of your life aboard one space ship or another and watched people you know come and go, then maybe you would be the same way." he said. Mike then stood up and dusted off his pants. "You know, being smart isn't a whole lot of fun. My parents only talked about their research and the grand landing parties they went on, while I stayed aboard. I may have gotten to spend a grand total of two months off a ship in the last 10 years. I was even on the old Cowpens when she was lost a couple of years ago. The most time I got for a vacation then was when we went back to Earth and visited my grandparents. Big whoop. One whole week before we were sent back up to Star Base 6 on temporary assignment. Most of the people I become friends with are gone in a couple of years. Where do you think that leaves me?" he asked.

  Jo was surprised at this outburst. It was only then that she realized how badly Mike had been hurt over the years. True, life on a star cruiser was not the best, but usually people stayed in one place most of their career. Obviously this had not happened to Mike. Maybe he was just a little shy. But she had seen enough of her life of jumping from her parent's assignments to know that she didn't like it much either. If she hadn't been willing to fit in, no matter what, maybe she would have felt the same way. But she couldn't show weakness. Unfortunately when she opened her mouth, it came out sounding defensive, which in a way, it was.

  "Hey! Don't blame me! I didn't know," she shot back at him.

  Mike didn't want her angry with him. At least no more than she was already. He visibly relaxed and smiled a weak smile again. "I know it's not your fault. Where did you come from? Sigma 7?" he asked trying to change the subject a little.

  "Yes." She had calmed a bit too.

  Mike leaned against a tree. "Nice place from what I hear." Then his mind changed back to his own problem despite his efforts. "See your parents at least were stationed on some planet for periods of time. You've actually seen things up close," he said in a quiet tone. This was the most he had talked about himself to anyone. "I dream of the times I can feel the breath of wind or the warmth of a sun on my face," he said lifting his eyes skyward. Then he reached toward the tree and ran his hands along the bark. "To touch the side of a tree or smell the fragrance of wildflowers."

  This was a side of Mike she had never seen or even imagined before. "Oh man. A poet too?" she said in a slightly demeaning manor. "Well, we're about to graduate and you can do whatever you want to do. Are you planning some time off? Bet not. You look like the type that will go right to work and start writing research papers." Jo didn't really want to hear his problems any more. Besides, her friends wouldn't care either.

  Mike looked back her with a tired look. It was obvious that she didn't really care.

  "You think so huh," he said tiredly.

  "Yes, I think so. Tell me something Mike, if you could do anything right now, what would it be?"

  Mike was ready for another jab and he wasn't about to put up with it. He stood up straight. His blue eyes looked straight into her and his blond wavy hair glistened in the sun. "Well, Miss Know-it-all, if it was left to me, I'd go flying. I'd want to do it just like Orville and Wilbur did it centuries ago. Soar into the sky, free from land," he said gesturing in a swift movement from the ground into the air. "I'd like a break just as much as you and your friends would," he almost shouted. "But look at us. On a planet without even any birds. That's my luck," he said calming down again and looking toward the ground. "What's the quote? Prick me, do I not bleed?" he asked. "There are so many things I'd like to do with my life you cannot imagine. But sometimes I feel like things are controlling me more than me controlling them. You and the others seem to have more freedom," he said. "You tell me, what do you want to do with your life?"

  Jo had again been taken aback by Mike's revelations. This guy actually wanted to do some neat things. He really did have good ideas of things to do for fun. She suddenly realized that her outbursts were very self-centered. It caused her to reflect for a moment. She looked back at him and saw another man. Not the geek from before, but someone kind of like her.

  She looked back into those eyes and said, "Me? I love music. I could listen to it forever. I want to do something to express myself, give pleasure through my work. None of this science stuff for Mrs. Ramey's daughter," she smiled back.

  The smile Mike admired made him feel better. He returned it with his own. "You play the violin don't you?"

  "Yes and other strings. Very expressive instruments. The sounds they make are so soothing," she said wistfully. Then she walked a step towards him. "Mike, I guess I take some things for granted. Being out here and doing things back on the ship... It's hard for me to understand that other people don't like the things I do or have never gotten to enjoy life like I have," she said seriously. "You could," she advised warmly. "Just try and loosen up some," she said. Something caught her eye and she pointed to an insect climbing a flower just below the tree they were near. "Look," she said.

  Mike's eyes turned to follow her hand as she pointed. "Kind of like a caterpillar. Would be nice to see what it turned into," he said.

  Jo smiled at him. "See. We do agree on something."

  Mike could not believe what was happening. She was smiling at him and talking to him without putting him down. Her smile seemed genuine. He was slowly wishing this time would last much longer. But they had a ways to go and he wanted to see if there were other things they could find that they could agree on. "Well, I guess we better move on."

  She nodded and they both started walking slowly through the trees again. This time Mike's sensor pack was not opened as much.

  Chapter 4

  Discrepancies

  Aboard the Lexington, the captain had called all of his senior staff together. They were now seated around the briefing table in the conference room. Thompson was giving his readout of the planet's inequities.

  "So far, we have determined that there are several anomalies in their planetary social and industrial evolution. Industrialization of heavy industries is at the level of the 1940's on Earth, yet their electronics are already in the 1960's. All indications are that the use of electricity is no more than 20 years old. Most homes still use oil or gas for lighting. Home heat still comes from fireplaces or from heated water. Transportation is in the late 1800's for mass transport, but they also have automobiles, trucks and other mechanized transport. The evolution of the internal combustion engine is also in the 1940's, way ahead of normal development," he reported to the captain.

  Pike added his own observations. "One of my guys actually got to work with a mechanic," he related. "They are using higher compression ratios than they should and their gasoline is much more highly refined than we anticipated. The engines are built to closer tolerances than we figured. That shows a higher degree of machining capabilities. But one of my guys also got aboard one of their ships. He said they were powered by paddle wheels and triple expansion reciprocating steam. That's about where they should be in marine engineering," he said.

  Thompson picked up the report again. "Then there is their agricultural system. It’s straight out of the 1800's. Plantations and large farms produce most of the agricultural products and those are shipped by rail or steamboat to the major centers. Trucking is only now getting organized. But their highway network is only barely off of first base. Many people have gardens they tend for extra food. Social organization is not much better. There are two major n
ations in the Northern Hemisphere, Naceriam and Oreupe. Both are gearing up for a major conflict. There are a number of small countries in the Southern Hemisphere, but their advancement is near normal or in some places near barbaric. Governments down there are very oppressive and dictatorial. Social interaction is still based on small towns and local communities. Travel is almost nonexistent except for the very well off," he said.

  This time it was Dr. Nolan that had something to add. "On the medical side, they are still in the late 19th century on medical treatment. One doctor we visited was almost ready to amputate our crewman's leg for a simple infection, while another actually used bread and tree mold on it. It's almost frightening," he said. There had been other things like their methods of operating and amputation, but there was no use bringing up those horror stories.

  “There is one other thing that is interesting on the socialization of the planet,” Nolan added. “According to the books we were able to see, there has been no war on this planet within most recorded history.”

  Dickson sat up in his chair. Such things were rarely encountered in a civilization at this stage. There was always some conflict. “No conflict whatsoever?” he asked.

  “None,” he said definitively. “According to their history books, most of the countries have lived in relative peace all their lives. Only in the distant past has one nation ever risen up against another – and then it was on a small scale. This indicates a very stable and much more mature civilization than what we have ever encountered.”

  “I was able to verify this information,” Hadaie said. “Even television and radio programming do not depict violent acts, just accidental occurrences and situations.”