Page 120 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Fasting the Plastiphage

“Ohhh,” groaned Lugo, feeling his body gingerly. “I ache all over. I
never should have gotten so close to that monster. So it’s really you,
Captain Kaga. I thought I was dreaming.”
“You’ll be okay, but the Plastiphage is very ill. Were you able to get
any readings on your equipment before it attacked you?”
“I don’t know. Where is it all? He located the instruments, heaped
in a corner of the room. “Play back the functionalyzer data using a
Z24 magnifilter. I think I was able to get a good fix on it.”
Captain Kaga switched on the device, made the adjustment, and
watched the display of biometric parameters flash across the tiny
screen. Then he turned to Lugo. “Have you got a sample of any of the
plastic objects manufactured here?”
“No,” said Lugo. “They are very scarce nowadays. But I do have a
spectrographic readout over there.” He pointed to a strip of paper
peeping out from under the pile of equipment. Kaga extricated it and
studied it carefully.
“Well,” he finally said, “it looks like the Plastiphage has had its last
meal on this planet. Look at this enzyme structure: not at all suited for
breaking down the polymers in plastikons. Over a period of time the
undigested elements built up to a dangerous level in this creature’s
tissues. These five organs here seem to correspond to a liver; they are
distended and appear to be on the verge of bursting. The
hydrocarbons the Plastiphage was engineered to feed on differ enough
from the stuff the Hierotechs manufacture to make it impossible for
the poor animal to stay here.”
“What did you say?” gasped Lugo. “Engineered? By who? For
what?”
Captain Kaga summarized the tale told by the Plastiphage, and
finished by saying, ‘‘so, we’re all in a bind: the priests, the Plastiphage,
and us. Let’s see if we can devise a way to get out of this mess.”
Lieutenant Lugo moaned, rolled over, and said, “You figure it out,
Captain Kaga. My head hurts too much to think.”
Kaga sat down and pondered the variables for several minutes.
Then he stood up, made sure Lugo was comfortable, and walked out
of the room, back to the sanctum sanctorum where the Plastiphage
sat, attended by the Hierotechs of Burdleim. The High Priest
approached him. All hostility was gone from his manner; only anxiety
remained. Kaga turned on the Languex.
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