attempting to
clear the trouble, the captain called again, saying that the request was
false, and asking why I had turned the radiators on. I told him that the
controls were jammed, and he instructed me to make repairs and set up
re-absorption.
I discovered a short between the automatic trigger and the ship's
secondary communication antenna. After clearing this, I found trouble in
the control section of the condensation driver. The automatic trigger
had become fused, and the control paths were shorted to full-drive
throughout. The sub-assemblies were replaced and trouble cleared by
0300. I then set up re-absorption as ordered.
Danaeo Melran
Eq Tech 3/c
STATEMENT
I, Franz Jaeger, am Resident Guardsman at Station Fourteen, Planet
3-G3-9/4871.
I have been assigned to my station for eight planetary years for survey
and observation duty. During the past five years, I have employed Elwar
Forell, the son of a local peasant, to keep the living quarters clean
and to do general work about the station. I have never discussed the
possibilities of extra-planetary civilization with him, and I have been
careful to exclude him from knowledge of my technical equipment, which I
have kept in a secure room in accordance with regulations. I have
presented myself to him, as well as to all the villagers in my area, as
a scholar, tired of city life, and desirous of a quiet existence.
There has been a drought in part of my area for the entire season. We
have suffered from one forest fire and there is a strong possibility of
others. Crops are doing very badly, and the peasants have been
complaining bitterly. This is not an unheard-of situation, but it has
caused considerable discomfort and worry, since there is a very definite
threat of famine. There have been numerous attempts to obtain rain by
occult means, and I have been personally approached on the matter. For
some time, the villagers in the immediate area of the station have
regarded me as a sorcerer, and I have been asked to cast a spell to
cause rain.
I had considered a request for light condensation, but had hesitated to
make such a request, since I felt that rain closely following the
villagers' petition to me would confirm their supernatural beliefs,
which I have attempted to discourage.
At 261.0223, I was on a routine tour of my area. I received a call from
the cruiser _Myloren_, Capt
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