Wine of the Gods 4: Explorers Read Free Page A

people."
    "More of the right people. Trust me, there are worse things than having to wait until a good team is available to explore your world."
    "Have a good flight, and say hi to Carol for me."
     
     
    Nelson Manrique grabbed Lon as soon as he stepped into the office. "Let's talk drill cores. And do you think a survey satellite would be a good idea?  I've been talking to a man with a mobile launcher that will fit through the gate." The new chief geologist was bouncing on his toes, ready to go.
    Lon shook his head. "There's no rush for a global survey Nelson. Let's get the cores drilled and in for analysis first. Then we'll know more about what we want. Starting with possibly moving the gate anchor."
    Nelson scowled. "I hate working without a map, with no idea of where I am on a world." Nelson was experienced, and damn good. Dallas had hired him away from a dead-end job on a mining world, more with the allure of new horizons than salary. Although that was involved as well.
    " I figure we'll need a six month survey on each of the three worlds. Get all the lab work back. Then contract for a satellite launcher to place several for each world we're still interested in."
    Nelson continued grumbling as he split off for his own office.
    Janice Berman sniffed. "What's he got to complain about? I'm supposed to report on the labor prospects. It'll be a short report. Zip. Zilch. Nada."
    " Fortunately." Lon smiled at her indignant expression. "The labor worlds involve tons of paperwork, and if there are minerals to be found, no one gives a toss for the inconvenient natives. I worked just one inhabited world, before hiring on at Dallas. A more soul destroying job can't be found anywhere. Trust me on this."
    She sniffed dubiously and stalked off.
    The Government wouldn't lease worlds that had developed technology above the early industrial level, but seemed quite happy to sell more primitive people's worlds out from under them. The more primitive the world, the harder the adjustment for the natives. The best worlds for recruiting grunt labor were in splits recent enough that the natives spoke a variety of English. In most cases, familiarity had lessened the problems. But at least one of the worst instances of an overbearing Earth abusing the weaker natives had happened on a English speaking world.
    There are no natives here. Relax.
    Lon shook himself out of his black mood and detoured for a cup of coffee.
    Three new worlds to explore. He sat down to start some new folders. Some people considered him a complete Luddite, keeping paper backups of everything. He had too much experience with power problems in the field to worry about their opinions.
    He stretched happily and flipped on his computer, pulled up a spread sheet. Personnel, disposable equipment, movable equipment, and the biggest expense of all, gate time. Three million for thirty seconds added up quickly. He looked back at Twelve-seventeen's forested rough terrain.
    "That one's going to be a bitch." The deep voice was familiar.
    Lon looked up, grinning. "I was hoping I'd hear from you. Interested in a camp manager's position? Your choice of three—although given my druthers I'll take you along with me from world to world."
    Ray was competent, well organized, fast, independent—everything a exploration manager could desire, taking care of everything needed to keep the cadre functioning.
    "That's why I'm here. Going to tackle the steep on e first?"
    "Yeah. We'll do some coring, then if it looks to be worth the effort, we'll build a road down off the mountain and move the anchor. I'd better give the first small party a month between gate times. If we finish early, we'll just camp and wait for the gate. Then a month later, Twelve fifty-three. Two gate times, a week apart should be about right for the first setup. Sixty seconds out and thirty to return the big trucks empty." Lon switched to the view of Twelve fifty-three. Rolling grasslands with ice capped peaks just showing to the