said than done. Once it gets started, there are trillions of microscopic spores released into the air. Breathe it and you die. Let it land on your skin and you die."
"Surely our lifies will come up with a vaccine—or some way to kill it."
"It's currently ConFree's most important research project. They're throwing billions at this problem. No result so far."
"Have any System worlds been hit yet?"
"Not yet. But it may be only a matter of time."
"Well, if the stuff can't survive in the vac, and the life cycle is only…how long did you say…sixteen hours? How is it leaping from planet to planet?"
"Good question. We don't know."
"What are they going to do about Veronica 2?"
"Don't know that either. Nobody's ever evaced a planet of 300 million before."
"If I was on Veronica 2," Priestess said dreamily, "I'd be planning an off-world vacation about now."
"The same thought occurred to all 200 million inhabitants of Veronica 2, at about the same time. It's caused some problems for the transportation folks."
"Hey, DD, alert!" Ricochet, one of Valkyrie's amazons, was leaning out of Mams' squad bay. "Mams is having a wet top contest and Scrapper wants you to check her out!"
"It's a trick, DD!" Sweats said. "They just want to humiliate you again! Ignore the bitch!"
"He's busy!" Trigger shouted back. "He's cutting his toenails."
"Don't you go, DD! Maintain the honor of the squad!" Flash demanded.
"Scrapper said she'll let you peel off her top if you do it ree-al slow!" Ricochet added.
"It's a sleazy trick!" Trigger said. "Remember what happened last time!"
"He's weakening!" Tourist exclaimed. DD was getting up from the floor.
"No balls!' Psycho said. "She's teasing you, dummy! Don't fall for it!"
"I'm just going to the head," Doctor Doom said.
"Oh right! We believe you!"
"No squad solidarity! You deserve whatever grief they give you!"
"Don't expect us to bail you out!"
"Hey, Pits!" It was Ragdoll, peering out of Mams' squad bay. "You subs are all invited. We want some male input on who's going to be Miss Mams for this month."
"All right! Outta my way!"
"Stand back! I am the expert on this subject!" People dropped out of their bunks wildly, crashing down to the deck.
"Do you think they mean it?"
"Who cares? What's to lose?"
"Outta the way, DD!"
"Don't you dare get up!" Priestess threatened me.
"But don't you want to see the wet top contest?"
"No! I want to be alone with you."
"Oh. Hmm. Well—all right. I mean—I didn't want to go anyway."
"How often do we get a chance to be alone?"
"Ah—yes. I see what you mean."
"They're gone. And I'm still fully clothed. Can you explain that?"
"Uhh…because I haven't taken your clothes off yet?"
"That's it!" She stood up abruptly and began pulling her top over her head. Her lovely breasts popped out, bobbing back and forth in a tantalizing dance. The scars from her earlier xmax wounds were barely visible.
"Do I have to do it all myself?" she asked, dropping the top to the deck.
"Let me help," I said, fumbling with the catches on her shorts. She was so slender, so lovely—and those legs—Deadman! My hands trembled.
"But…what if…somebody comes back?" I whispered, glancing furtively at the entrance to Mams' squad bay while sliding Priestess's shorts down her long silken legs.
"They'll have to find somebody else! I'm not sharing you this time!"
***
"This is truly a historical moment," Snow Leopard said. "It may even prove to be a turning point in history—one of those moments that define the future." Dragon and Psycho and Priestess and I were in Snow Leopard's personal cube, watching a large d-screen on the bulkhead. Snow Leopard was captivated by the flickering colored images up on the screen. His pink eyes were alive, and a loose strand of white-blond hair hung ignored over his forehead. We sipped dox, at One's invitation, to watch the latest dispatch from Starcom.
"That's the O delegate. We don't know his designation, of course, but he's obviously the
"Surely our lifies will come up with a vaccine—or some way to kill it."
"It's currently ConFree's most important research project. They're throwing billions at this problem. No result so far."
"Have any System worlds been hit yet?"
"Not yet. But it may be only a matter of time."
"Well, if the stuff can't survive in the vac, and the life cycle is only…how long did you say…sixteen hours? How is it leaping from planet to planet?"
"Good question. We don't know."
"What are they going to do about Veronica 2?"
"Don't know that either. Nobody's ever evaced a planet of 300 million before."
"If I was on Veronica 2," Priestess said dreamily, "I'd be planning an off-world vacation about now."
"The same thought occurred to all 200 million inhabitants of Veronica 2, at about the same time. It's caused some problems for the transportation folks."
"Hey, DD, alert!" Ricochet, one of Valkyrie's amazons, was leaning out of Mams' squad bay. "Mams is having a wet top contest and Scrapper wants you to check her out!"
"It's a trick, DD!" Sweats said. "They just want to humiliate you again! Ignore the bitch!"
"He's busy!" Trigger shouted back. "He's cutting his toenails."
"Don't you go, DD! Maintain the honor of the squad!" Flash demanded.
"Scrapper said she'll let you peel off her top if you do it ree-al slow!" Ricochet added.
"It's a sleazy trick!" Trigger said. "Remember what happened last time!"
"He's weakening!" Tourist exclaimed. DD was getting up from the floor.
"No balls!' Psycho said. "She's teasing you, dummy! Don't fall for it!"
"I'm just going to the head," Doctor Doom said.
"Oh right! We believe you!"
"No squad solidarity! You deserve whatever grief they give you!"
"Don't expect us to bail you out!"
"Hey, Pits!" It was Ragdoll, peering out of Mams' squad bay. "You subs are all invited. We want some male input on who's going to be Miss Mams for this month."
"All right! Outta my way!"
"Stand back! I am the expert on this subject!" People dropped out of their bunks wildly, crashing down to the deck.
"Do you think they mean it?"
"Who cares? What's to lose?"
"Outta the way, DD!"
"Don't you dare get up!" Priestess threatened me.
"But don't you want to see the wet top contest?"
"No! I want to be alone with you."
"Oh. Hmm. Well—all right. I mean—I didn't want to go anyway."
"How often do we get a chance to be alone?"
"Ah—yes. I see what you mean."
"They're gone. And I'm still fully clothed. Can you explain that?"
"Uhh…because I haven't taken your clothes off yet?"
"That's it!" She stood up abruptly and began pulling her top over her head. Her lovely breasts popped out, bobbing back and forth in a tantalizing dance. The scars from her earlier xmax wounds were barely visible.
"Do I have to do it all myself?" she asked, dropping the top to the deck.
"Let me help," I said, fumbling with the catches on her shorts. She was so slender, so lovely—and those legs—Deadman! My hands trembled.
"But…what if…somebody comes back?" I whispered, glancing furtively at the entrance to Mams' squad bay while sliding Priestess's shorts down her long silken legs.
"They'll have to find somebody else! I'm not sharing you this time!"
***
"This is truly a historical moment," Snow Leopard said. "It may even prove to be a turning point in history—one of those moments that define the future." Dragon and Psycho and Priestess and I were in Snow Leopard's personal cube, watching a large d-screen on the bulkhead. Snow Leopard was captivated by the flickering colored images up on the screen. His pink eyes were alive, and a loose strand of white-blond hair hung ignored over his forehead. We sipped dox, at One's invitation, to watch the latest dispatch from Starcom.
"That's the O delegate. We don't know his designation, of course, but he's obviously the
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