The biologist stood up. "What are you going to do about it?"
"Build another warehouse, two-foot-thick fused dirt floors, monolithic construction. Transfer all perishables to it."
Marin nodded. That would do it. It would take time, of course, and power, all they could draw out of the recently set up atomic generator. All other construction would have to be suspended. No wonder Hafner was disturbed.
"Why not build more cats?" Marin suggested.
The executive smiled nastily. "You weren't here when we opened the doors. The warehouse was swarming with rats. How many robot cats would we need—five, fifteen? I don't know. Anyway the engineer tells me we have enough parts to build three more cats. The one lying there can't be salvaged."
It didn't take an engineer to see that, thought Marin.
Hafner continued, "If we need more, we'll have to rob the computer in the spaceship. I refuse to permit that."
Obviously he would. The spaceship was the only link with Earth until the next expedition brought more colonists. No exec in his right mind would permit the ship to be crippled.
But why had Hafner called him back? Merely to keep him informed of the situation?