?Microscopic parasites. Carnivorous arthropods. They’re endemic to Fiorina. Fortunately they don’t find humans particularly tasty… except for the keratin in our hair. For some reason they don’t have the same appetite for fingernails. Wrong consistency, maybe. We just call ‘em lice, and to hell with scientific nomenclature.?

?Can’t you use some kind of spray, or prophylactic shampoo, something??Her eyes remained fixed on the razor.

?Oh, the Company tried that when they were starting up the mine, but these little suckers are tough. Anything’d have to be to make a success of it on this world. Turned out that anything strong enough to dent the parasites raised blisters on the skin. Bad enough on the scalp. Damn sight worse lower down. Shaving turned out to be a simpler, cheaper, and more efFective solution. Some of the guys hang on to a little hair out of spite and fight the bugs as best they can. Eyebrows, for example. You wouldn’t think anybody would give a damn about something as ephemeral as eyebrows. But dense hair, that’s out of the question. Try to live 31

31

with the lice and they’ll drive you crazy, crawling around, eating, itching-?

?All right, all right,?Ripley replied quickly. ?I get the picture.?

?I’ll give you an electric razor for downstairs. When you’re feeling better you can attend to that. The infirmary’s about the most sterile room in the installation, so you should be okay for a while, but the little buggers’ll find you eventually. They’re too small to screen out. Just shave and they won’t bother you.?She hesitated, thoughtful, then nodded understandingly.

?My name is Clemens. I’m the chief medical officer here at Fury 361.?

Her brows knitted. ?That doesn’t sound like a mine designation.?

?Mine’s what it used to be. Last of the worthwhile ore was dug out, refined, and shipped offworld some time ago. WeylandYutani had this huge facility cost that forced them to abandon, so to recoup a few credits they lease the operative part of it for a maximum-security prison. Everybody benefits. Society is separated from its most undesirable undesirables and the Company gets free caretakers. Everybody benefits, except those of us who are sent here.?He gestured with the injector. ?Do you mind? This is just sort of a stabilizer.?

She was feeling safe enough now to let him approach as she turned her attention to examining her surroundings. ?How did I get here??

?You crash-landed in an EEV. Nobody knows what happened to your mothership or what caused you to be ejected. If Harry Andrews-he’s the superintendent here-knows, he isn’t saying.

?Whatever catastrophe caused you to be ejected also 32