Arthur K. Barnes

“ But beneath his good humor there was a warning note of seriousness.
“Yes, sir,” said Barrows, still trying.
“Amazing how versatile these bacterial colonies are, particularly in these latitudes.”
As he spoke, a culture sailed up on the dying wings of the breeze and smacked right across the nameplate of the Ark. It was a nasty, gummy mess. Strike rayed it viciously.
“Not so amazing. Back on Earth bacteria multiply rapidly as sin. They have great adaptability; they have motility; they release acids and virulent toxins. ”

“ But what gets me is what they do when they want a Jovian or a Venusian monster for one of their cheap melodramas.
“You know what they do? Their overpaid bio-chemists get busy and manufacture a creation with no more life or soul than a robot. Press a button and he swipes the heroine; press another and he eats the villain. And Nine Planets Pictures has the colossal nerve to foist these things off on the public as the genuine article! It’s false, Tommy! It’s not right! They’re fakers!”
“But what magnificent fakers,” murmured Strike, softly so Gerry wouldn’t hear. ”

“ Failure to cooperate fully jeopardizes the lives of your companions and courts disaster.
Similar Carlyleisms were placed in strategic spots all over the ship, in the control rooms, crew’s quarters, and even the washrooms, sentiments designed to inculcate strict obedience and complete submergence of all personalities to that of Gerry Carlyle. Strike had always felt that while they were essential to insure smooth work and a minimum of accidents with a party strange to the planet, they were never meant to apply to Tommy Strike, who knew Venus as only a veteran Venusian trader can know it. ”