For everything there is a season.

That Strain Again

by Charles Sheffield

Dear Werner,
  I see what you meant about Vega IV. After the places I’ve been posted for the past three years, it’s Paradise. An atmosphere you can breathe, and people who seem like humans (only, dare I say it, nicer). What more could you ask for?

Did you know that their name for themselves translates as “The Ethical People”? It seems to apply a lot better than “The Wise People”—homo sapiens—ever fitted us. Maybe it’s the Garden of Eden, before the Fall. You know, just a little dull, all the days the same length, and no change in the weather. It takes some getting used to, but I’m adapting.

One other thing. Remember the way that Captain Kirwin described the Vegans’ reaction when he first landed here?

“They were surprised to see us, and they seemed to be both relieved and rejoicing at our arrival.” A lot of people have puzzled over Kirwin’s words—and today I found out why he sensed that reaction. The Vegans were relieved, and they were surprised, when we appeared. You see, they’d made an expedition to Earth themselves, just a few years ago.

Sorrel has been translating the diary of that expedition for us, and he gave it to me today. I’m enclosing part of it here. To make it easier to read, I have translated the times and places into terrestrial terms. Otherwise, it’s just as they wrote it.

***

_September 12th._ All arrived safely. The transmatter worked perfectly and has deposited us in an unpopulated forest area of the northern hemisphere. We will make no attempt to look for a native civilization until we have settled in. Gathor’s warning is being well-heeded. We are watching closely for evidence of infection from alien bacteria and micro-organisms. So far, no problem and we are all in good health.

_September 23rd_. All goes well. A beautiful and fertile planet this, but a strange one. Surface gravity is only fivesixths of ours and we all feel as strong as giants. This world is tilted on its axis, so days and nights are not all the same length. This has caused some confusion in our sleeping habits, but we are adjusting satisfactorily.

_October 8th_. Strange things are happening. The trees all around us look less healthy, with a strange blight spreading over their leaves. We thought at first that it was a trick of illumination when the sun is lower in the sky, but now we are sure it is real.

_October 20th._ We must return to Vega IV. Gathor was right, in an unexpected and terrible way. Alien microorganisms have not harmed us—but we have infected Earth. All around us the great blight spreads. Everywhere we look the Earth is dying. We are contagion and bear guilt for the murder of this world. Tomorrow we must transmit home.

—and they came home, Werner, back to Vega IV. Do you see what I mean about “The Ethical People”? I’ve looked up the climate records, and I find that fall in Vermont was exceptionally beautiful that year, all glorious reds and browns and yellows. It made me think. Somewhere out there we are going to run into a planet with as big a shock in store for us as our seasons were to the Vegans. Want to speculate? I just hope we can come out of it as well as they did . . .
  Jory