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She removed her air tanks and connected the station next to the habitat Holding her breath, she swam up and into the entry lock, where she carefully set the pouch and net containing her specimen samples in a small container The mysterious coral-encrusted object she set on a folded towel Suers of containg from her insulated pores for a few more minutes were a small price to pay to avoid a potentially deadly illness

After swih brown crud, one drop on her skin could prove fatal She did not dare reloves sealed by locking rings and full face ht belt and buoyancy co sprinkling systeear with a special decontamination solution to remove any brown crud residue Certain she was properly sanitized, she turned off the valves and rapped on the door to the main lock

Although the masculine face that appeared on the other side of the view port belonged to her twin brother, there was little reseh they were born within minutes of each other, she and her brother Dirk Jr were about as nonidentical as twins could get He towered over her at six feet four, and was lean and hard and deeply tanned Unlike her straight red hair and soft gray eyes, the thick mass of hair on his head avy and black, the eyes a ht hit just right

When she stepped out of the chamber, he removed the yoke and collar seal between the neck of her suit and headthan usual and the gri trouble

Before he could open his mouth, she threw up her hands and said, "I know, I know, I shouldn't have gone off alone without a dive partner"

"You know better," said her brother in exasperation "If you hadn't sneaked off at the crack of dawn before I ake, I would have coed you back to the lab by your ear"

"I apologize," said Su remorse, "but I can accomplish more if I don't have to be concerned with another diver"

Dirk helped her undo the heavy, riveted waterproof zippers on her Viking dry suit First re the inner hood down behind her head, he began peeling the suit fros and feet, until she could step out of it Her hair fell in a cascade of copper red Underneath, Suht polypropylene nylon body suit that nicely displayed her curvaceous body

"Did you enter the crud?" asked Dirk with concern in his tone

She nodded "I brought back samples"

>"You certain there was no leakage inside your suit?"

Holding her arms over her head, she did a pirouette "See for yourself Not a drop of toxic slime to be seen"

Pitt put a hand on her shoulder "Words to reain' Certainly not without hborhood"

"Yes, brother," she said with a condescending smile

"Let's get your samples in a sealed case Captain Barnum can take them back to the ship's lab for analysis"