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but the readings would be clearer. So I have to assume that the machine itself is malfunctioning.”
    Kai barely attended to Gaber’s complaints. In his belly a coldness formed, a coldness that came from thinking about the Others. But, if it had been the Others who laid the faintly responding cores, then surely this planet would have been interdicted. One thing was positive in Kai’s mind: his teams had not set those other lights, nor duplicated work.
    “Most interesting, Gaber,” he replied with a show of an indifference he was far from feeling. “Obviously from an older survey. This planet’s been in EEC library for a long time, you know. And cores are virtually indestructible. See here, in the north, where the fainter cores leave off? That’s where the plate action has deformed the landmass into those new fold mountains.”
    “Why didn’t we have those old records. Of course, a prior survey would account for why we haven’t found anything more than traces of metal and mineral deposits here.” Gaber meant the continental shield. “But why, under a logical regime, no mention is made of a previous seismic history, I simply cannot understand.”
    “Oh, it is old, and probably got erased for modern programs. A computer does not have an infinite capacity for data storage.”
    Gaber snorted. “Scorching odd, I call it, to send down an expedition without the full facts at their disposal.”
    “Perhaps, but it’ll cut down on our time here; some of our work’s already done.”
    “Cut down on our time here?” Gaber gave a derisive laugh. “Not likely.”
    Kai turned slowly to stare at the man. “What maggot’s in your mind now, Gaber?”
    Gaber leaned forward, despite the fact the two men were alone in the dome. “We could have been . . .” he hesitated, “planted!”
    “Planted?” Kai let out a shout. “Planted? Just because the seismic shows old cores here?”
    “Wouldn’t be the first time the victims weren’t told.”
    “Gaber, we’ve got the third officer’s beloved and only off-spring with us. We’ll be picked up.”
    Gaber remained obdurate.
    “There’d be no point in planting us. Besides, what about the Ryxi and the Theks.”
    Gaber snorted scornfully. “The Theks don’t care how long they stay anywhere. They live practically forever, and the Ryxi were to plant anyhow, weren’t they? And it isn’t just those cores that convince me. I’ve thought so a long time—ever since I knew we had a xenobiologist and heavy-worlders with us.”
    “Gaber!” Kai spoke sharply enough to startle the older man, “you will not mention planting to me again, nor to anyone else in this expedition. That is an order!”
    “Yes, sir. I’m sure it is, sir.”
    “Further, if I find you without your belt one more time . . .”
    “Sir, it pokes me in the gut when I’m bending over the board,” Gaber said as he hurriedly began fastening on the force-screen belt.
    “Leave the belt slack, then, and turn the buckle to one side, but wear it! Now, bring your recorder and some fresh tapes. I want to recon those lakes Berru charted . . .”
    “That was only yesterday, and as I told you I am three days behind . . .”
    “All the more reason for us to check those lakes out personally. I’ve got to show some progress in my next report to EV on deposits. And . . .” Kai tapped out a code, waiting impatiently at the terminal for the print-out on the mysterious core sites, “we’ll do a ground check on a couple of these.”
    “Well, now, it’ll be good to get away from the board. I haven’t done any field work yet on this expedition,” said Gaber, pressing closed his jumpsuit fastenings. He reached for the recording unit and tape blanks which he distributed in leg pouches.
    His tone was so much brighter and less foreboding that Kai wondered if he’d been unfair to keep the man continually in the dome. Could that be why Gaber had come up with the astounding notion that they’d been planted? Too little