Space For Hire (Seven For Space) by William F Nolan Page B

Minnie's pretty lights.
    That's nice to hear, Sam. I'm going to send you back topside where you'll be gainfully employed. Won't that be nice?
    Very nice. That will be very nice, Minnie. It is very nice of you to help me.
    It is my duty and my pleasure to help anyone in the System who is entrusted to me. You are a very nice man.
    That's nice , I said.
    And Minnie sent me topside.
    * * *
     
    I don't remember much of what happened after that until I got to Pluto. My new job on Pluto was helping the work robots find Zubu eggs.
    "Look," said a large freckled scaly creature, speaking to me during my first workperiod, "I'm a Zubu and I've got a lot of problems. First of all, I don't know whether I'm a fish or whether I'm a bird — and I'm not sure what sex I am. That's for openers."
    "Yes," I said. "I'm listening."
    "Well, I think I'm both male and female which would explain the fact that I never seem to have any fun with other Zubus. That is to say, I seem to impregnate myself and fertilize my own eggs."
    "Please continue," I urged.
    "Fine. Next, I go to one heck of a lot of trouble hiding these eggs of mine. There's a lot of work and time involved."
    "I'm sure there is," I said.
    "Not to mention intensive thought and exacting location selection. No sooner do I finally hide the last of my eggs than you people come along and go around digging them up. It's downright depressing. Believe me, it just adds to my basic insecurity and sexual maladjustment."
    "I don't know what to tell you," I said to the freckled fishbird, or birdfish. "I just work here."
    "It's no good talking to a work robot." The creature whistled sadly. "They're round and shiny and have metal heads and lack sensitivity to Zubu problems. The minute I saw you I said to myself: he's different. I could see right away that you were not round and shiny and metal-headed. I figured I could really talk to you about my situation."
    "That's very true," I told him. "I shall certainly be happy to discuss any situation with you. So long as I am allowed to do my job of uncovering Zubu eggs."
    The creature looked nettled. "But that is just the thing," he said. "I want you to stop uncovering Zubu eggs."
    "Oh, goodness me, I could never do that," I declared. "I must not let the Big Mouse down. He's depending on me to do a good job."
    "I thought all you egg-grabbers worked for Ronfoster Kane, the Robot King?"
    "They do," I said, pointing to the stooped and laboring work robots."But I was sent here by the Big Mouse. He found a productive job for me and introduced me to a full and productive life. I am now helping feed the great masses of the System."
    "And do you know what you are feeding them?" queried the disturbed creature. "I'll tell you what you are feeding them. You are feeding them my freckled eggs!"
    I shook my head sadly. "Frankly, and in all honesty, I don't see any solution to your problem. It seems that you are supposed to hide your eggs and we are supposed to find them. That's the pattern here on Pluto and you can't alter the pattern."
    "It's awfully depressing," said the freckled creature. He stood on one thin leg, then on the other. "Sometimes I feel like never hiding another egg."
    "I can certainly sympathize with your plight," I told him. "Yet you have your cosmic purpose and I have my cosmic purpose. It is not up to us to question the established order. My goodness, if everyone questioned everything we'd have no order at all."
    "At least it's been good talking to you about it," the sad creature said, ruffling its scales. "Maybe I'm some kind of rebel. I could cause trouble for myself. I shouldn't go around questioning things."
    "You really shouldn't," I agreed. "It can only lead to grief and unhappiness."
    "Thanks," said the birdfish. "I'm certain I'll straighten up. I get in moods. But I'm basically not a troublemaker."
    "I'm sure you're not," I said.
    He waddled off, muttering dolefully to himself.
    I discovered two more freckled Zubu eggs and added them to my