Free Scuzzworms by Ella Mack Page A

little attention.  He had worked for corporations his entire professional life.  Imelda wondered how good he really was.  Corporations never allowed their best researchers to attract attention.  Their competitors might get interested.
    Camille was glaring in Kellogg’s direction.  “We’ve been able to survey only the large specimens in the few areas where we have flyby data, Kellogg.  I’m sure predators exist on Iago IV.”
    Post was grinning.  Imelda’s knuckles whitened.  Those *% dimples.  “I’m simply surprised there aren’t obvious predators among the large species that we can see.  Makes you wonder if the plant-things they are munching are superior energy sources to meat.”
    Camille laughed.  “A predator on this planet wouldn’t need teeth or claws to catch prey anyway.  Look at that thingamawhatsit there.  It shouldn’t even be alive.”
    Imelda glanced towards Camille’s screen where an incredibly ridiculous animal was hobbling about, apparently trying to catch the foodgrass.  The view was shaky as the aircraft flashed by at low altitude, but the camera got a tantalizingly good close-up.  It had five legs in a roughly radial distribution, and its mouthparts swayed awkwardly at the end of a short central neck.  Its chances for a meal didn’t look good.  As it shrank into the distance, it swayed and fell, then tottered upright again.   
    “Must be a mutant,” said Kellogg.
    “In that case, there’s a lot of mutants down there,” answered Camille.  “I haven’t seen any more of those things, but there’s other creatures almost as weird.”
    Imelda continued to review her report, enlarging the database as the three of them chattered on.  She was slightly disapproving of the open talk.  The only way that any researcher could earn fame or fortune was through original observation.  For all that they knew, Imelda could be spying on them, using the info for her own research papers or feeding the information to undeserving others.  Their lack of secrecy showed their youth and ignorance of the research process.
    “Blast it, when are we going to start groundbase?”  Post shot a glance at Imelda.  “We need real specimens to work with, not videos.  At this point all we can do is guess about those creatures down there.  We don’t even know if that green stuff they’re eating is chlorophyll-based or just slimed from Imelda’s worms.”  Most invertebrates were small, unlikely to be seen from an aircraft.  Post was getting extremely impatient.
    “Who says they’re my worms?” asked Imelda.
    “Scuzzy worms for scuzzy people,” answered Kellogg, grinning.
    “Hush, Kellogg!” Camille said sharply.  “I’m sorry Dr. Imelda, but some of us were talking.  Post said that it was strange for worms to congregate like that just to be eaten.  He thought they might be baby scuzzhogs.”
    Imelda glanced at Post with raised eyebrows.  “Very good, Dr. Post.  You just stole about two pages out of my paper.  I had already considered the possibility that they were being gobbled up to hide in the mouth for safety.  But, if you would care to review the video in detail with me...?”
    Post shook his head vigorously.  “No, thanks.”
    “It looks as though some of the worms break in half as the scuzzhog bites down.  If she is their mom, she is a very careless one.”  She shrugged.  “At this point we have no proof that they are anything more than stupid food, maybe lured by some sort of attractant, or perhaps being gobbled up while nesting together.  If I were you, I’d keep my ideas to myself.  The worms are your property, in any case.”
    Post stared back at her coolly, obviously angered by her faintly derogatory tone.  “Mine?”
    Imelda turned back to her workstation.  “I didn’t see any skeletons stuck between Borg’s teeth.  They look pretty invertebrate to me. Borg was found in your geographic region.  Who’s to say the worms aren’t the grub forms