《Rim Wet Paint 》作者： - A. Bertram Chandler【EPUB】

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WET PAINT IN ALL probability youve never heard of Kinsolving—most people and that includes themajority of spacemen have not. Its one of the Rim Worlds which means that its well off thebeaten track even for the Commissions Epsilon Class tramps. Its an Earth-type planet but notsufficiently similar to Earth to make it attractive to colonists. The gravity is a little tooheavy and the air is a little too thin and a little too rich in carbon dioxide. Its sun is hotenough but not very bright and its light is so blue as to convey the impression ofchilliness. Then of course there is that aching emptiness of the night sky for six months ofthe year without even a moon to take the curse off it. Kinsolving then is just a name in the Survey Commissions files—just a name and a few linesof relevant data. Discovered and charted by Commodore Pearson of the Survey Ship Magellannamed after his second-in-command. Survey team left on planet taken off after the usual twoyears of exploration and research. Colony established complete with machinery and necessaryflora and fauna. After ten years colony removed at its own request and transferred toClarency q.v. quotWhat do you know about Kinsolvingquot Warburton asked me. Warburton is my immediate superior andis the Director of the Survey Commissions little publicized Department of Investigation.Boiled down to essentials his job is to read reports—reports written by captains of Surveyships by masters of the Interstellar Transport Commissions vessels and now and again by themasters of ships owned by those few alien races that meet us on equal terms on a technologicallevel. Sometimes he finds something of interest in these reports—and when he does he sends aninvestigatory team which in its turn makes out its own report. What happens next is up to thehigh brass. quotWhat do you know about Kinsolvingquot he asked again. quotRear Admiral Retiredquot I said. quotUsefulbut undistinguished