beer toward the viewscreen. The Professor’s face was inset into a larger background image of the crater. As far as Alex could see nothing had changed about it.
“Mary was about to explain that spectacular sprint she performed.” The Professor’s eyes shifted as he looked at Alex and Mary on his own monitor.
“I’ve already explained,” she said quietly. “No harm was done.”
“That’s true,” admitted Baltadonis. “She did explain, Alex, and I have to say that her idea was ... interesting.” He chuckled. “And, as she said, no harm done. As far as I know.”
Alex sat back and looked at the screen. “What idea?”
“I wanted to see the thing again,” said Mary. “I guess it was impulsive. And I’m sorry about not following orders, Professor. I took a jog past it so I could see it up close. I got to see all I needed to. I figured I’d just confuse it and I’d get to see it. Everyone that’s been near the thing has been wearing protective suits.”
“Why naked?” Alex wasn’t smiling.
“I wasn’t naked,” Mary slapped Alex’s leg, but smiled cheerfully at the screen. “I mean, it’s never seen anything like me before. Right, Johnny?”
Alex chuckled. “That’s for sure.”
“Indeed.” Johnny looked bemused more than angry. “And did you see any change in the sphere? Did getting near close to it let you feel anything?” He looked around cautiously. “Please give me something here that will enlighten Stubbs, Mary.
He wasn’t pleased by your ... stunt, I think he called it.”
Mary nodded. “I had the impression that it had shrunk a bit,” she said. “If I had to guess I’d say it’s reduced in size maybe five or six percent. But the surface looked the same.”
“Five or six percent?” repeated Johnny. “That’s quite a lot.”
“Haven’t your instruments told you that, Professor?” asked Alex.
“I’ll have to check. I’ll get back to you.” Johnny’s image disappeared from the screen.
Alex put an arm around Mary and felt her instantly relax. “Maybe I’m a lunatic,” she said.
He kissed her and stroked her white hair. “Love it,” he said. “Love you.”
She looked up into his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
Alex blinked. “Sure. Or I wouldn’t have said it.”
Mary smiled. “You’re not angry?”
“Well, don’t make a habit of it. People will talk.” Alex kept a straight face as he stared into her eyes. “That was a joke.”
Mary pulled away from him slightly and regarded him skeptically. “You’re the lunatic,” she said. “Really. Didn’t it bother you?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “I don’t want to share you with anyone. Even the dolphins.”
Mary cocked her head. “You talked to the dolphins?” She frowned. “There’s a problem. What is it?”
Alex was used to Mary picking his mind. He smiled encouragingly. “They suggested you get a checkup. I don’t think they thought it was serious.”
Mary looked at the viewscreen. “I’m fine, Alex.”
“You threw up this morning, didn’t you?”
“So?”
“When have you ever thrown up in the morning?”
“Yesterday, but ...”
“Dingers, Mary. Just have the doctors take a look.”
“I don’t like doctors.”
Alex pulled Mary closer to him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He looked back at the screen.
“That sphere is the problem,” Mary said, sternly. “It would be good if we could get a handle on it.”
“A handle would help us haul it out of the cylinder, I suppose,” Alex said almost whimsically. “Isn’t it surprising that no one’s out there investigating it?”
“You can investigate me,” suggested Mary, grinning.
“I’m all sweaty, Mary.”
“Mmm, a salty snack,” she replied. “What a splendid idea.”
“Computer,” Alex said. “Are you monitoring our conversation?”
“ Now I am, Alex Rose ,” said the voice of the computer.
“Can you interpret the current speculation as to the origin of the
“Mary was about to explain that spectacular sprint she performed.” The Professor’s eyes shifted as he looked at Alex and Mary on his own monitor.
“I’ve already explained,” she said quietly. “No harm was done.”
“That’s true,” admitted Baltadonis. “She did explain, Alex, and I have to say that her idea was ... interesting.” He chuckled. “And, as she said, no harm done. As far as I know.”
Alex sat back and looked at the screen. “What idea?”
“I wanted to see the thing again,” said Mary. “I guess it was impulsive. And I’m sorry about not following orders, Professor. I took a jog past it so I could see it up close. I got to see all I needed to. I figured I’d just confuse it and I’d get to see it. Everyone that’s been near the thing has been wearing protective suits.”
“Why naked?” Alex wasn’t smiling.
“I wasn’t naked,” Mary slapped Alex’s leg, but smiled cheerfully at the screen. “I mean, it’s never seen anything like me before. Right, Johnny?”
Alex chuckled. “That’s for sure.”
“Indeed.” Johnny looked bemused more than angry. “And did you see any change in the sphere? Did getting near close to it let you feel anything?” He looked around cautiously. “Please give me something here that will enlighten Stubbs, Mary.
He wasn’t pleased by your ... stunt, I think he called it.”
Mary nodded. “I had the impression that it had shrunk a bit,” she said. “If I had to guess I’d say it’s reduced in size maybe five or six percent. But the surface looked the same.”
“Five or six percent?” repeated Johnny. “That’s quite a lot.”
“Haven’t your instruments told you that, Professor?” asked Alex.
“I’ll have to check. I’ll get back to you.” Johnny’s image disappeared from the screen.
Alex put an arm around Mary and felt her instantly relax. “Maybe I’m a lunatic,” she said.
He kissed her and stroked her white hair. “Love it,” he said. “Love you.”
She looked up into his eyes. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
Alex blinked. “Sure. Or I wouldn’t have said it.”
Mary smiled. “You’re not angry?”
“Well, don’t make a habit of it. People will talk.” Alex kept a straight face as he stared into her eyes. “That was a joke.”
Mary pulled away from him slightly and regarded him skeptically. “You’re the lunatic,” she said. “Really. Didn’t it bother you?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “I don’t want to share you with anyone. Even the dolphins.”
Mary cocked her head. “You talked to the dolphins?” She frowned. “There’s a problem. What is it?”
Alex was used to Mary picking his mind. He smiled encouragingly. “They suggested you get a checkup. I don’t think they thought it was serious.”
Mary looked at the viewscreen. “I’m fine, Alex.”
“You threw up this morning, didn’t you?”
“So?”
“When have you ever thrown up in the morning?”
“Yesterday, but ...”
“Dingers, Mary. Just have the doctors take a look.”
“I don’t like doctors.”
Alex pulled Mary closer to him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He looked back at the screen.
“That sphere is the problem,” Mary said, sternly. “It would be good if we could get a handle on it.”
“A handle would help us haul it out of the cylinder, I suppose,” Alex said almost whimsically. “Isn’t it surprising that no one’s out there investigating it?”
“You can investigate me,” suggested Mary, grinning.
“I’m all sweaty, Mary.”
“Mmm, a salty snack,” she replied. “What a splendid idea.”
“Computer,” Alex said. “Are you monitoring our conversation?”
“ Now I am, Alex Rose ,” said the voice of the computer.
“Can you interpret the current speculation as to the origin of the
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