“Can’t you handle your own men?”
“Within reason.”
“Well, what really bothers them? This is a new planet and we’re being cautious. Can’t they understand that?”
“Two weeks and still cautious. They think we’re hiding something. And we are. You know that. Besides, surface leave is necessary. Crew’s got to have it. Even if it’s just on a bare rock a mile across. Gets them out of the ship. Away from the routine. Can’t deny them that.”
“Give me till tomorrow,” said Cimon, contemptuously.
The scientists gathered in the observatory the next day.
Cimon said, “Vernadsky tells me the data on air is still negative, and Rodriguez has discovered no airborne pathogenic organism of any type.”
There was a general air of dubiety over the last statement. Novee said, “The settlement died of disease. I’ll swear to that.”
“Maybe so,” said Rodriguez at once, “but can you explain how? It’s impossible. I tell you that and I tell you. See here. Almost all Earth-type planets give birth to life and that life is always protein in nature and always either cellular or virus in organization. But that’s all. There the resemblance ends.
“You laymen think it’s all the same; Earth or any planet. Germs are germs and viruses are viruses. I tell you, you don’t understand the infinite possibilities for variation in the protein molecule. Even on Earth, every species has its own diseases. Some may spread over several species but there isn’t one single pathogenic life form of any type on Earth that can attack all other species.