"It's all right," Zen said. For an instant, as conflicting ideas competed for expression in him, he wondered who he was and why he was here. Then he remembered what had happened. Well established reaction patterns took over and he stepped into position in front of the scope. Inside the back end of the truck, a transformer hummed. Although he could not feel it, he knew that a powerful stream of radiation was passing through his body and that a count was being made of the radioactivity he had absorbed. The lieutenant studied his meters, then looked up at Zen.
"You're all right, sir." He seemed puzzled.
"Not hot, eh?"
"No, sir, you're not. Frankly, I don't understand it. Oh, you've got a little exposure, but nothing serious."
"I was in one of the old mines when the blast went off," Zen explained.
"Then that accounts for it. You were lucky as hell, sir. Next."
Catching Nedra's arm, Zen swung her in front of the scope. The experience with higher levels of consciousness had been forced out of his mind, and he was all intelligence officer.
"But I'm all right! I mean, there's nothing wrong. Are you out of your mind again?"
"Yes," Zen said. "But I've got the rank to make my decisions stick whether I'm out of my mind or not. Lieutenant, check this woman. This is an order!" Zen snapped out the words with all the precision and authority of a drill-field sergeant training recruits.
"Yes, sir," the startled medical officer said.