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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
117
But
he
would
face
that
when
the
time
came.
Now
he
felt
the
vibration
cease,
and
he
knew
that
the
ship
had
left
the
surface
of
Omega.
He
was
aboard,
unobserved,
and
the
ship
was
on
its
way
to
Earth.
So
far,
everything
had
gone
according
to
plan.
For
the
next
few
hours,
Barrent
stayed
in
the
storage
room.
He
was
feeling
very
tired,
and
his
joints
had
begun
to
ache.
The
air
in
the
small
room
had
a
sour,
exhausted
smell.
Forcing
himself
to
his
feet,
Barrent
walked
to
the
air
vent
and
put
his
hand
over
it.
No
air
was
coming
through.
He
took
a
small
gauge
out
of
his
pocket.
The
oxygen
content
of
the
room
was
falling
rapidly.
Cautiously
he
opened
the
storeroom
door
and
peered
out.
Although
he
was
dressed
in
a
perfect
replica
of
guard's
uniform,
he
knew
he
couldn't
pass
among
men
who
knew
each
other
so
well.
He
had
to
stay
in
hiding.
And
he
had
to
have
air.
The
corridors
were
deserted.
He
passed
the
guard
assembly
room
and
heard
faint
murmurs
of
conversation
inside.
The
green
light
glowed
brightly
over
the
door.
Barrent
walked
on,
beginning
to
feel
the
first
signs
of
dizziness.
His
gauge
showed
him
that
the
oxygen
content
in
the
corridor
was
starting
to
fall.
The
Group
had
assumed
that
the
air
system
would
be
used
throughout
the
ship.
Now
Barrent
could
see
that,
with
only
guards
and
crew
aboard,
there
was
no
need
to
supply
air
for
the
entire
ship.
There
would
be
air
in
the
little
man-inhabited
islands
of
the
guardroom
and
the
crew's
section,
and
nowhere
else.
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