Aliens Alien Harvest - By Robert Sheckley Page 0,28

me to hold until the new captain arrives."

"They had no right to relieve me of command," Hoban said.

"Are you sure of that, sir?"

"Of course I'm sure, and I am taking over the ship again pending a formal hearing."

"Perhaps you have that right, sir. I wouldn't know. But meantime there is a legal decision against you, and to the best of my knowledge that has not been rescinded."

Hoban looked confused. Stan put in, "We are going to appeal that ruling. A higher court can be counted on to reverse the decision."

"I sincerely hope so, sir. But in the meantime - "

"In the meantime," Hoban interrupted, showing a firmness that Stan had not been sure he possessed, "things return to where they were before. I will retain command of this ship until the higher court rules."

"Unfortunately, sir, I am bound by the lower court's decree."

"Your first loyalty," Hoban said, "is to me."

Gill looked doubtful. "That is not how my orders read, sir."

"Hang your orders!" Hoban cried. "I am giving you a direct command."

Gill looked puzzled, worried. "My orders are to fire on you or anyone else who tries to board this ship."

"I don't believe you'll do that, Gill." Hoban started to walk toward the entry leading to the interior of the ship.

"Guards!" Gill called sharply. "Switch to killing mode."

There was a double click as the guards switched their pulse rifles to killing mode.

Hoban smiled with a confidence he didn't feel and walked toward the entry.

Gill cried, "Stop!"

Stan and Julie fell into step beside Hoban, who continued to advance.

Gill stared at them. There was something like despair on his face. He said, "I must do what I must."

"And what is that, Gill?" Stan asked him.

Gill said, "Guards!"

The guards snapped to attention.

"Meet your new commander."

The guards saluted Hoban, who returned the salute.

"Now turn off your weapons" - another double click - "and attend to the incoming crew. They should be arriving any minute. Then you are dismissed."

"Yes, sir!" Both guards saluted, turned on their heels, and marched off.

"Welcome aboard, Commander," Gill said.

"Thank you, Gill," Hoban said. "I knew I could count on your loyalty."

"It's my conditioning that turned things your way, sir," Gill said. "I could not fire on you, nor ask the guards to do so. After our many tours of duty together, you and I have developed too many bonds. But I still think what you are doing is illegal."

"I know you feel that way," Hoban said. "You may leave when the guards return to Earth, and no hard feelings." He held out his hand.

Gill looked at it for a moment, then shook it. "If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to come along."

"But why, if you think this is illegal?"

"I don't care if it's illegal or not," Gill said. "I was just stating a fact. Since I couldn't fire on you, my conditioning in favor of government authority is canceled.

I'm your man again, Captain, if you'll have me."

"It's likely to be dangerous," Hoban said.

"That is a matter of indifference to me."

"Then I'll be pleased to have you, Mr. Gill." Captain Hoban smiled.

"If you two are finished waltzing," Julie said sarcastically, "do you think we could get on with it?"

They accompanied Gill into the ship and to the control room.

Julie said to Gill, "How did you know what decision to make?"

"I didn't know," Gill muttered. "Androids don't have to make decisions. We just follow our conditioning." "Lucky androids," Julie said.

"Gill, we're having some baggage lifted up from the space station," Stan put in. "With it there will be a large packing case. Please see that it is handled gently."

"Yes, sir."

"When they arrive, get the crew bundled down in hypersleep. And get all the tourists off this ship. I want us ready to depart an hour after the crew is aboard and bedded down."

Gill looked at Captain Hoban.

The captain nodded. "Accept his orders as if they were mine."

The volunteers for the voyage of the Dolomite marched in single file under the watchful eyes of armed guards. They left the olive drab prison lander and marched into the short connecting tube that led into the ship proper. As soon as they were aboard, they all burst into a cheer. The guards gave them hard looks, but put away their weapons and returned to the lander, accompanied by the two guards from the Dolomite. Their job was to see that the prisoners got aboard the ship; once aboard, they were no longer prisoners, though not quite free men, either. The arrangement was that they'd report