Robert Moore Williams

“ The weird, invisible insect depopulated an entire planet. Now it was felling Thompson's crew as his ship hurtled toward the sun ... certain death for all, including the disease carrier. Forgotten in the panic was Buster, Thompson's wise cat. ”

“ In Thompson's lap Buster grumbled as if he had understood and did not like what had been said.
"What are we going to do?"
"How can we find out what's causing this disease?"
Two voices came. Then came Fortune's voice. "And even if we find out, what can we do about it? They couldn't do anything about it."
"The fact that the race back there couldn't stop the disease, doesn't mean we can't stop it. We're a different race with a different metabolism and a different body structure—"
"Kurkil had the same metabolism and the same body structure," Ross said. ”

“ Thompson said. With Kurkil following him he went hastily out of the building.
"What is it?"
"Come and see," Neff answered. Neff's face was gray. Fortune and Ross were silent.
The building in front of which they were standing had been a house once. The architecture resembled nothing they had ever seen on Earth but the purpose of the structure was obvious. Here somebody had lived. Thompson tried to imagine people living here, the husband coming home in the evening to the dinner prepared by the wife, kids running to meet him. His imagination failed. ”

“ The face of every man present brightened as he made the announcement. Sol Cluster! Home! The green world of Earth across the depths of space. In even the thought there was almost enough magic to wipe out the fear of what they'd seen back there on the deserted planet.
Less than an hour later, the drone of the drivers picked up as the ship, already set on course, began to accelerate in preparation for the jump into hyper-flight. Thompson was in his cabin making a final check of the machine-provided flight data. Buster was in his lap half-asleep. ”

“ With the spreading of the fumigants, spirits began to rise, but even then the signs of stress were still all too obvious. No one knew the incubation period of the virus. Hours only had been needed to bring Kurkil to his death. But days might pass before the virus developed in its next victim.
Months or even years might pass before they were absolutely sure they were free from any chance of infection.
By the time the ship reached Sol Cluster, and the automatic controls stopped its hyper-flight, they might all be dead.
If that happened, the ship's controls would automatically stop its flight. ”

“ Ross shrugged, a gesture eloquent with a lack of knowledge and of understanding. "War—"
"No wars were fought on this planet," Neff spoke quickly. "These cities show no evidence of conflict."
"Um," Thompson said. The four men were looking uneasily at him. They were waiting for him to make up his mind, to decide on a course of action.
Thompson did not like his own thinking. Something—the blood-brother of death—had been here on this planet, that much was certain. The evidence was everywhere.
"We will return to the ship," Thompson said. ”

“ Kurkil spoke suddenly. "We shouldn't have landed here."
Kurkil paused, then his voice came again, stronger now, and with overtones of fear in it. "There's death here." He slapped at his arm, stared around him.
"What happened?"
"Something bit me." He showed the back of his hand. A tiny puncture was visible.
"Some insect," Thompson said. The matter of an insect bite was of no concern. Kurkil, and every other member of this expedition, were disease-proof. Back in Sol Cluster vaccines and immunizing agents had been developed against every known or conceivable form of germ or virus. ”

“ In addition, they had been proofed against stress, against mounting neural pressure resulting from facing real or imaginary danger.
Barring space collision or an accident on a world they were exploring, nothing could happen to them. ”