Trouble on Sun-side

Jansen came to Mercury to find one man, and that seemed an easy enough task; the hitch was that as a hunter he was also being hunted!
Jansen began to sweat as soon as he left the spaceship. The bloated, swollen sun hovering near the horizon here in twilight zone was dazzling even through his protective goggles. Jansen knew he would have to get used to it: Mercury's twilight zone, like it or not, would be his home for the indefinite future.
Stowing his gear in the barracks while sweat streamed from his body, Jansen realized for the first time that his luggage had been examined aboard the spaceship. That was bad; it could mean anything; it certainly meant trouble.
I have to hurry , Jansen thought. In a day or so, they're liable to haul me in for questioning.
Still time for me to go out and join the work force? Jansen asked the barracks orderly as the old man came shuffling by.
Eager, ain't you, mister. They'll get along without you till tomorrow, you can bet.
Well, can I go take a look, then?
The old man studied him with surprise. Apparently gold-bricking and not eager-beavering was the order of the day here. What's your rating? the orderly asked.
Twelve.
Well, nobody would push you around, I guess, admitted the barracks orderly with grudging respect. Why don't you see the town, though? Town's all right. Don't go out to the bogs unless you have to.
Bogs , thought Jansen. Bogs on Mercury's sun-side. He still couldn't get over it.
Jansen changed into a skin-tight white insulsuit and went outside. The insulsuit covered him almost like an additional layer of skin: he wore trousers and a shirt over it. Without the insulsuit, exposure this close to Mercury's sun-side would be impossible for more than a few moments.

S. M. Tenneshaw
О книге

Язык

Английский

Год издания

2021-07-05

Темы

Science fiction; Short stories; Adventure stories; Mercury (Planet) -- Fiction

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