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organism here, one that can assume many different shapes and forms."
"These horrors come in all sizes," said Rambette. "As near as I can see,
they tend to lean more toward do large and larger. They all give me the
creeps, except when they were little and cute."
"The aliens must be viewed as an opportunity to advance the body of mankind's
knowledge," Caine said.
"Each stage of development is fascinating in its own right and should be
studied down to its last molecule."
"You'd feel differently if you were sitting on an alien's plate," said
Tootsie.
"I rather doubt that," said Caine dryly, measuring the carcass with a
yardstick and taking notes in a small book. "I am an objective observer at all
times."
"I observe you're getting alien gunk all over that yardstick," said Rambette.
"And some of it is dripping on your shoe."
"I shall be famous," said Caine. "This will make a wonderful research paper.
I'll be published in all the best journals. As a botanist I faced a long and
boring future, but the future's not what it used to be anymore. Everything has
changed. As a researcher specializing in disgusting aliens, I'll be known
across the universe. I'll be the number one expert. I'll 
hey!
 who stole my fur and feathers? They were right here a little while ago."
"Maybe they walked away," said Tootsie.
"This is no time for levity," snapped Caine. "This is serious business. We
must compare the chemical makeup of the different stages from which we have
samples. Where are the scrapings I took from Bill's foot? Has everything
disappeared?"
"Maybe you're turning into an absentminded professor," suggested Rambette.
"Everybody help me, look around," ordered Caine. "I must find my samples."
Reluctantly, the crew started opening drawers and peering behind potted plants
and bags of fertilizer.
Only Uhuru refused to join in the hunt, saying he wasn't going to have
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anything to do with the horrifying aliens, science or no science.
"Lose something?" asked Captain Blight as he walked into the room with Mr.
Christianson.
"My samples," said Caine. "I must find them."
"Oh, that old junk? I threw it all on the compost pile."
"You what?"
"My plants have to live, too," Blight said haughtily. "We can't let the okra
die just because we're busy fighting aliens."
"Those were valuable scientific specimens," snapped Caine.
"They're compost now," Christianson observed. "We just finished turning the
pile."
"My career is in tatters," Caine whined. "We must get more samples. Everybody
go back to sleep. I'll keep watch and try to catch an alien when it comes to
feed."
"Do I look like bait?" Rambette asked angrily.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ha...%20The%20Planet%20of%20Zombie%2
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Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Zombie Vampires
"I'm never sleeping again," moaned Tootsie.
"Bill and me gonna get Slasher," said Bruiser. "When I sleep is gonna be wit
da axe at side in bed."
"Getting Slasher back is a good idea," Caine said quickly. "And while you're
down there in the cavern, why don't you sniff a pod or two. I wasn't finished
with the fur and feathers."
"I ain't sniffing no pods or nothin'!" roared Bruiser. "Bill, he can maybe do
dat."
"If you want pods, get them yourself," Bill snapped. "I'm officially retiring
from the pod-gathering business as of right now."
"I vote for getting the ship out of here as soon as possible, if not sooner,"
said Uhuru. "I've got a list of stuff we need from the station. While you're
down there dodging aliens and facing certain death, you might as well pick up
a few things for me."
"Do I detect a slight reluctance on your part to leave the ship, Uhuru?" asked
Rambette. "It couldn't be that you're turning coward on us?"
"Not me," said Uhuru. "I simply thought it would be a more efficient use of
our resources if I stayed here and supervised repairs while you all did the
gathering. Someone has to be in charge, you know. Otherwise we won't get
anything done."
"Watch out for that mantle of responsibility stuff," said Blight. "Once you
put it on, it's hard to drop it."
"I'll take that chance," sniffed Uhuru.
"Who elected you to be boss of the repair operation, anyway?" asked Tootsie.
"I don't remember casting my ballot. Curly and Bill both know this ship better
than you do."
"We can draw straws," said Uhuru hopefully. "I just happen to have some
plastic tubing that would do."
"Forget your straws," said Rambette. "What we need to do first is  "
"Curly!" cried two of the clones as they charged into the room. "An alien took
Curly!"
CHAPTER 12
"Calm down, if you can," Caine advised the extremely agitated clones. "What
did he look like?"
"Curly? He looks just like Moe and me, only a whole lot uglier. You know what
Curly looks like."
"No. The alien. What did the alien look like?"
"The usual. All hairy, bumpy, ugly. Lots of teeth. A funny tail."
"How big was it?"
"Bigger than Curly. Uglier, too."
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"It's still growing," said Caine. "I do wish you would give me a more detailed
description. I can hardly write ' funny tail' in my journal."
"Listen, bowb, we've got to get Curly back," snapped Bill. "Curly first,
research later."
"That's right," said Tootsie. "We can't let the aliens eat Curly or suck all
the life force out of him and turn him into a mummy." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]