Read Online Bill 5 - on the Planet of Zombie Vampires by Harry Harrison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harry Harrison
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It's not my fault, either, knucklehead.”
“Watch out who you call knucklehead, knucklehead. I've got half a mind to —”
“Wait!” cried Bill. “Hold it! There's something just ahead.”
“I knew it,” moaned Tootsie. “Monsters! The creeping unknown!”
“You got a death wish, Tootsie,” said Rambette. “Give it to us straight, Bill. Can we kill it?”
“I doubt it,” he said. “It looks like a door. Pretty substantial one, too.”
“Perhaps you should open it,” said Caine.
Bill felt for the latch and leaned against the metal surface. It opened slowly and reluctantly, hinges creaking. Bill carefully stuck his head inside and looked around.
“What do you see?” asked Tootsie.
“Nothing,” said Bill. “It's pitch dark in there.”
“How about I toss in a flare?” asked Bruiser. “I just love all that noise and fire.”
“That's probably not called for yet,” said Bill, stepping inside. “There must be a better way.”
“Bowb!” growled Bruiser. “I don't ever get to have any fun.”
“I would suggest we turn on the lights,” said Caine. “Illumination would be to our advantage.”
“And where would you suggest we find the lights?” Bill snapped sarcastically, getting a little tired of Caine's know-it-all attitude. “I can't see a thing.”
“Light switches are usually located beside the door,” said Caine. “It is the logical position for them.”
Bill found the light switch immediately and when he clicked it on they saw that they were in what was apparently an anteroom to the main part of the station. A dozen spacesuits hung on a rack, and miscellaneous equipment was stacked against the walls. Several closed doors led off in different directions.
“Anybody home?” called Tootsie. Her voice echoed off the walls and died.
“This is spooky,” said Larry or Moe. “Deserted. Why would they leave their suits?”
“I don't like this place one bit,” said Moe or Larry. “Let's go back to the ship.”
The dog came slinking out of the docking tube, his fur bristling. He walked over to Bill, smelling like compost and growling.
“Over here,” called Caine. “Through this door. I've found the crew.”
“Thank goodness,” said Bill as relief flowed over him. “What do they say?”
“Not much,” replied Caine. “They're all dead.”
CHAPTER 7
“I've deciphered the message beacon,” radioed Curly from the ship. “I've sorted out the code. It definitely says KEEP AWAY.”
“Thanks heaps,” said Bill, following Caine into what must have once been a command center of sorts. “I suggest that you get down here soonest — and bring the prisoners with you. They might be able to figure out what is happening here.” Passing the buck of responsibility in true military tradition.
A thin layer of dust covered everything in sight. Including the three men, shrunken and mummified, who sat in swivel chairs in front of a lifeless console.
“What do you think?” asked Bill.
“It appears that they are no longer functional biological units,” observed Caine. “What we have here is three croaked people, unless, of course, we have something else.”
“Like what, for instance?”
“Like something incredible from far beyond the outer limits of human knowledge,” said Caine. “We may be going where no man has gone before.”
“Gross-out!” cried Tootsie. “What we have here is gross-out! I am going to faint...” She did, but everyone ignored her.
“These guys is all dried out,” said Bruiser. “Look!”
He touched one of the mummified bodies with his axe handle. It immediately collapsed into a pile of dust and dry bones.
“Now you've gone and done it,” Rambette said. “That's just what we need: a mummy's curse following us around.”
“Technically speaking,” Caine lectured, “a curse of that type can have no effect on a person unless they believe the curse will work. I myself am not a believer.”
“I don't know what to believe,” moaned
“Watch out who you call knucklehead, knucklehead. I've got half a mind to —”
“Wait!” cried Bill. “Hold it! There's something just ahead.”
“I knew it,” moaned Tootsie. “Monsters! The creeping unknown!”
“You got a death wish, Tootsie,” said Rambette. “Give it to us straight, Bill. Can we kill it?”
“I doubt it,” he said. “It looks like a door. Pretty substantial one, too.”
“Perhaps you should open it,” said Caine.
Bill felt for the latch and leaned against the metal surface. It opened slowly and reluctantly, hinges creaking. Bill carefully stuck his head inside and looked around.
“What do you see?” asked Tootsie.
“Nothing,” said Bill. “It's pitch dark in there.”
“How about I toss in a flare?” asked Bruiser. “I just love all that noise and fire.”
“That's probably not called for yet,” said Bill, stepping inside. “There must be a better way.”
“Bowb!” growled Bruiser. “I don't ever get to have any fun.”
“I would suggest we turn on the lights,” said Caine. “Illumination would be to our advantage.”
“And where would you suggest we find the lights?” Bill snapped sarcastically, getting a little tired of Caine's know-it-all attitude. “I can't see a thing.”
“Light switches are usually located beside the door,” said Caine. “It is the logical position for them.”
Bill found the light switch immediately and when he clicked it on they saw that they were in what was apparently an anteroom to the main part of the station. A dozen spacesuits hung on a rack, and miscellaneous equipment was stacked against the walls. Several closed doors led off in different directions.
“Anybody home?” called Tootsie. Her voice echoed off the walls and died.
“This is spooky,” said Larry or Moe. “Deserted. Why would they leave their suits?”
“I don't like this place one bit,” said Moe or Larry. “Let's go back to the ship.”
The dog came slinking out of the docking tube, his fur bristling. He walked over to Bill, smelling like compost and growling.
“Over here,” called Caine. “Through this door. I've found the crew.”
“Thank goodness,” said Bill as relief flowed over him. “What do they say?”
“Not much,” replied Caine. “They're all dead.”
CHAPTER 7
“I've deciphered the message beacon,” radioed Curly from the ship. “I've sorted out the code. It definitely says KEEP AWAY.”
“Thanks heaps,” said Bill, following Caine into what must have once been a command center of sorts. “I suggest that you get down here soonest — and bring the prisoners with you. They might be able to figure out what is happening here.” Passing the buck of responsibility in true military tradition.
A thin layer of dust covered everything in sight. Including the three men, shrunken and mummified, who sat in swivel chairs in front of a lifeless console.
“What do you think?” asked Bill.
“It appears that they are no longer functional biological units,” observed Caine. “What we have here is three croaked people, unless, of course, we have something else.”
“Like what, for instance?”
“Like something incredible from far beyond the outer limits of human knowledge,” said Caine. “We may be going where no man has gone before.”
“Gross-out!” cried Tootsie. “What we have here is gross-out! I am going to faint...” She did, but everyone ignored her.
“These guys is all dried out,” said Bruiser. “Look!”
He touched one of the mummified bodies with his axe handle. It immediately collapsed into a pile of dust and dry bones.
“Now you've gone and done it,” Rambette said. “That's just what we need: a mummy's curse following us around.”
“Technically speaking,” Caine lectured, “a curse of that type can have no effect on a person unless they believe the curse will work. I myself am not a believer.”
“I don't know what to believe,” moaned
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