Page 126 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Reforming the World of Bolix

early days of this technique and the criminal uses of dead preserved
tissue; now the scanner could determine if the cells came from a living
organism, and the system was becoming widely accepted.
The screen went blank for a second, and then filled with the sketchy
image typical of deepspace transmission. With surprise Kaga
recognized the face of Lieutenant Lugo. Kaga hadn’t seen him in
years. Lugo looked older and, it seemed, rather worried. The image
began to speak.
“Captain Kaga,” began the ghostly voice of Lieutenant Lugo, “I’m
afraid I must be brief. I know that you need money; don’t wonder
how I found out, my sources must remain confidential. Since we last
met, I have been posted on many planets, but none as incredible as
this one: Bolix, in the Arachide Cluster. It should have been an easy
job, simply managing a drilling operation that had already been started
by the previous PKU representative. But things have taken a startling
turn for the worse, and now I’ve got a potentially explosive situation
on my hands. I need your help; maybe you can tell me what has to be
done.”
The image abruptly jumped, as if the recorder had been switched
off and then on again. Lugo continued: “Although I’d like to think
that you would help me out for old times’ sake, I have the authority to
obtain first class passage for you back to GHQ from Bolix, plus grant
you a modest bonus for extraordinary services. This is officially
unofficial, you understand, since you are on leave. A PKU courier ship
is waiting for you in Gornat Port. Please come quickly; delay could be
disastrous.”
The message ended, leaving Kaga staring at a blank screen. He
frowned, wondering what to do. “Don’t Lose Your Marbles!” was
almost finished. In a few days he would know if it were going to be a
hit; if so, he could sell the rights and leave Gornat IV in style. If not…
Perhaps he had misjudged the Gorns; there was a real possibility that
they would reject his game for exceeding the bounds of propriety.
Then he’d be right back where he started. And every passing day
would see more of his cells destroyed by cosmic radiation while he
crouched underground in his bunker, trying to come up with another
bright idea.
He finally decided to go to Bolix, figuring that he’d get back to
GHQ at PKU expense even if he couldn’t straighten out Lugo’s

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