Chapter 18

Chavez had been a thorn in Igwanda's side for most of the voyage. He'd never worked with the sergeant before, but had been given a strong recommendation back on Earth that this was the most able second-in-command available.

The reality, however, had proved otherwise. Chavez' manner toward the colonel was brusque and sometimes even verged on insubordination. To the troopers he was alternately harsh and inattentive, and also played obvious favorites. His sexual interest in the attractive van Damm was evident, though never overtly inappropriate (in part, no doubt, because she offered no encouragement); he also seemed quite solicitous of the only other physically prepossessing female trooper, Dolores Dzenda; and he treated the rest of the troopers, including the less attractive Nikita O'Hara, the third female in the task force, with general disdain. Few of the soldiers appeared to like him and Igwanda was heartily sick of him.

But the colonel had noticed that his sergeant did have two noteworthy talents: he was unexpectedly observant, and he showed an equally unexpected talent for distilling his observations down to cogent and informative reports. He should really be a desk jockey somewhere, the colo­nel once observed to himself; he is misused in the field. It was both for that reason and to keep the man out of his hair during the final preparations for the landing that Igwanda assigned him to review all Centerville scans, both the Argo's and the few hours of their own direct observation, and prepare a summary of such behavior patterns as could be discerned.

"Colonel, it's kind of weird," Chavez began. "More like a boot camp or something than a real community."

Igwanda waited.

"First thing is, they all seem to be the same sex. If it were Earth I'd say male, here who knows? But they all look just about exactly the same."

"Not definitive, Sergeant; I saw no obvious differences within the hunting pack, yet Dr. Heisinger reports they are of two sexes."

"Well, OK, maybe you have to be one to know one," Chavez said. "Or the females have seasons or something. Anyhow, second thing is that there don't seem to be any young. Not a one, not that I can spot, then or now."

"Possible sequestration in nurseries, though the lack of outdoor activity seems curious. Good observation, Sergeant."

"Thanks." Igwanda's practice was to encourage informality among his subordinates, though he did expect the occasional "sir" that was so rarely forthcoming from Chavez. Even so, he thought, he carries it far, and I allow it to irritate me excessively. I expect it is because I truly do not like the man. He said nothing.

"OK, next, they all wear the same clothes, like it was a uniform. All black, all cut about the same. Seems to have lots of pockets, some of the scans show them pulling out all kinds of shit. Maybe that's why they wear them."

"Another useful observation," said Igwanda. Dislike him or not, encouragement cannot hurt, went his unspoken thought.

"What really got me was that they're all business outdoors," Chavez continued. "They're outside, they're working. No play, no church or anything like religious observance, no games, no days off, nothing but work. Seem almost like prison labor gangs back home, except there aren't any guards. Really weird, huh?"