microbes to clean my own homeworld of our pollution?"
"Yeah?" the woman asked suspiciously. "And how much will you sell it to them for?"
The words burned like fire in his mind, but summoning some secret hidden inner strength, he heroically said them anyway. "I...I shall not sell it."
"You? Do something for free? Ha!" Zane snorted.
The fresh lake air wafted over him and the alien happily filled his lung. Ah! "Doctor, there are some things even more important than...." Immediately, his throat constricted. No, he couldn't say it. What the hell, he'd give the Y.U.M. to his government as a charitably donation to lower his taxes. Ah, much better. To his race 'free' was the only four-letter word not used in polite company.
"Well, you have been instrumental in helping us complete the project," Bentley murmured. "So, yes, agreed. But no blackmarket reselling."
"Never!" the alien cried in horror. His honor was on the line here. Besides, there were witnesses, and a verbal contract was always as good as the police force which backed it up with guns.
Finished making a report to his superiors, Officer Zane released his collar button and smiled at the dirty group on the shore. "Tactical support groups from the local police, UP military and InterPlanPol will be here in six minutes. Even the president of Mars and his dog are coming. "
"This," he added unnecessarily, "is big!"
Bentley nodded. "Excellent. Thank you, officer."
"No problem, ma'am." Walking to the edge of the lake, Erik Kaye swabbed the toe of his boot in the water. Instantly the leather was washed clean and the polished removed. "And just consider what other criminal delights we will find at the bottom of the Hudson River in Newer York, the Thames River in England, the Rhine of Germany, or the sea of Japan?" Running a hand through his matted hair, the big officer smiled. "How much critical evidence in capital cases are we going to reclaim. And how much of this will be linked to organized crime?"
"Yes, indeed," Kaye said, swinging microphone and HoverCam to face the police officer. "Exactly how many unsolved crimes are about to become solved? How many murder raps cleared, innocent prisoners set free, and drug lords sent to jail? What is your professional opinion, sergeant?"
The Titan officer grinned. "I think the warden at the United Planets penitentiary better dust off 'Sparky' the electric chair, because it's gonna get mighty busy real soon."
Finally understanding, Rocky pursed his forehead. Criminals had been disposing of evidence in the polluted water? Hmm, damn clever actually. "No wonder somebody tried so hard to stop us. Hell, every criminal organization probably wanted us dead."
Gleefully happy, Alice Bentley agreed. Although not designed for it, Y.U.M. was in the process of removing more than one type of human pollution.
"Ha-ha, we win!" she laughed, arms akimbo.
***
The next day on Earth, a growing crowd of people waved and cheered on the Hudson River shoreline, a bold few even dove into the fantastically pure expanse of water filing the mouth of the river. Where sparkling waves lapped at the banks, trash was no longer visible, graffiti gone from rocks, wood pillions and ancient concrete embankments appeared new and strong. Even the ever-present, pungent cheese smell was thinning from the air. More than a few onlookers started hacking and choking at the invasion of oxygen to their weathered lungs. Immediately, their neighbors began selling cough drops.
Then arcing the horizon came dozens of horribly beweaponed United Planets Leviathan-class hovertanks. Maneuvering over the clear water, hatches slid open on the sides, and out dove hundreds of soldiers in armored spacesuits, which functioned perfectly well as diving suits. And had much better TV reception. Each trooper was carrying a very large wicker basket that was empty for the moment.
Meanwhile, in countless luxurious penthouses across Manhattan, groups of well-dressed gangsters started packing for
"Yeah?" the woman asked suspiciously. "And how much will you sell it to them for?"
The words burned like fire in his mind, but summoning some secret hidden inner strength, he heroically said them anyway. "I...I shall not sell it."
"You? Do something for free? Ha!" Zane snorted.
The fresh lake air wafted over him and the alien happily filled his lung. Ah! "Doctor, there are some things even more important than...." Immediately, his throat constricted. No, he couldn't say it. What the hell, he'd give the Y.U.M. to his government as a charitably donation to lower his taxes. Ah, much better. To his race 'free' was the only four-letter word not used in polite company.
"Well, you have been instrumental in helping us complete the project," Bentley murmured. "So, yes, agreed. But no blackmarket reselling."
"Never!" the alien cried in horror. His honor was on the line here. Besides, there were witnesses, and a verbal contract was always as good as the police force which backed it up with guns.
Finished making a report to his superiors, Officer Zane released his collar button and smiled at the dirty group on the shore. "Tactical support groups from the local police, UP military and InterPlanPol will be here in six minutes. Even the president of Mars and his dog are coming. "
"This," he added unnecessarily, "is big!"
Bentley nodded. "Excellent. Thank you, officer."
"No problem, ma'am." Walking to the edge of the lake, Erik Kaye swabbed the toe of his boot in the water. Instantly the leather was washed clean and the polished removed. "And just consider what other criminal delights we will find at the bottom of the Hudson River in Newer York, the Thames River in England, the Rhine of Germany, or the sea of Japan?" Running a hand through his matted hair, the big officer smiled. "How much critical evidence in capital cases are we going to reclaim. And how much of this will be linked to organized crime?"
"Yes, indeed," Kaye said, swinging microphone and HoverCam to face the police officer. "Exactly how many unsolved crimes are about to become solved? How many murder raps cleared, innocent prisoners set free, and drug lords sent to jail? What is your professional opinion, sergeant?"
The Titan officer grinned. "I think the warden at the United Planets penitentiary better dust off 'Sparky' the electric chair, because it's gonna get mighty busy real soon."
Finally understanding, Rocky pursed his forehead. Criminals had been disposing of evidence in the polluted water? Hmm, damn clever actually. "No wonder somebody tried so hard to stop us. Hell, every criminal organization probably wanted us dead."
Gleefully happy, Alice Bentley agreed. Although not designed for it, Y.U.M. was in the process of removing more than one type of human pollution.
"Ha-ha, we win!" she laughed, arms akimbo.
***
The next day on Earth, a growing crowd of people waved and cheered on the Hudson River shoreline, a bold few even dove into the fantastically pure expanse of water filing the mouth of the river. Where sparkling waves lapped at the banks, trash was no longer visible, graffiti gone from rocks, wood pillions and ancient concrete embankments appeared new and strong. Even the ever-present, pungent cheese smell was thinning from the air. More than a few onlookers started hacking and choking at the invasion of oxygen to their weathered lungs. Immediately, their neighbors began selling cough drops.
Then arcing the horizon came dozens of horribly beweaponed United Planets Leviathan-class hovertanks. Maneuvering over the clear water, hatches slid open on the sides, and out dove hundreds of soldiers in armored spacesuits, which functioned perfectly well as diving suits. And had much better TV reception. Each trooper was carrying a very large wicker basket that was empty for the moment.
Meanwhile, in countless luxurious penthouses across Manhattan, groups of well-dressed gangsters started packing for
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