A Fish Story
Fish Story
By Elton Gahr
Ruth slammed the newspaper on Cedric's desk and said "How the heck did the newspapers get this before me?"
“You’d have covered it up. Someone had to make sure the people found out."
"I would have studied it! One frozen fish two weeks after the probe returned requires research." Ruth said.
"One fish in ice from Europa. How many do you need? There's life on Europa. We can't hide proof of life on another planet." Cedric said.
"The President gave a speech today he announced a manned mission. A trillion dollar trip! A trillion dollars we should spent on schools!" Ruth said, her face turned red, her eyes bulged, and the vein throbbing on her forehead.
"We’ll to win the Nobel peace prize." Cedric said and ran his finger over the newsprint photo of the perfectly formed fish which looked more alien than in the laboratory.
Ruth stood up strait her hands no longer touching his desk and the red disappeared from her face as she smiled and said "They’ll probably have us on every TV show in the country. We’ll be celebrities."
Cedric looked down for a moment at the black and white picture and said "I can't handle being in public. I'd rather you take the credit, like you did with the other stuff. You go on the shows. I'll working on the fish. Someone has to get a skin sample."
Ruth looked at the picture for e few seconds then she said "If that’s what you want then that's what we’ll do." then walked out of the room. Without looking up Cedric crumpled the paper with the hand that had been resting on it.
#
The news anchor droned on about half a dozen subjects but like everyone else on the planet Cedric was only interested in the shuttle which circled the moon of Europa. He was pleased with the entire situation, most importantly that he had such a small connection to the fish which had prompted the mission.
The mission had been useful. There had been scientific discoveries and countries working together like never before but all that would disappear when the shuttle landed.
He could hardly believe that in three years no one had bothered to check his findings on the fish's DNA. They would soon. The shuttle would land today and find nothing. Not just no fish, but no life at all. They would then check the DNA findings and see Ruth’s name. She would be crucified.
Cedric reread the letter he had written and addressed to Ruth. It reminded her of the ideas she had stolen and pawned off as her own on the back of the newspaper she had dropped on his desk three years ago. It explained in the most cryptic language Cedric could devise how he had gotten even with her with a small rubber fish.
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