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Read book online Β«Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds (ready to read books .TXT) πŸ“•Β».   Author   -   Mack Reynolds



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β€œIt also says you have some queer hobbies. Judo, small weapons target shooting, mountain climbing⁠—” He looked up from the reports. β€œWhy does anybody climb mountains?”

Ronny said, β€œNobody’s ever figured out.” That didn’t seem to be enough, especially since Ross Metaxa was staring at him, so he added, β€œPossibly we devotees keep doing it in hopes that someday somebody’ll find out.”

Ross Metaxa said sourly, β€œNot too much humor, please. You don’t act as though getting this position means much to you.”

Ronny said slowly, β€œI figured out some time ago that every young man on Earth yearns for a job that will send him shuttling from one planet to another. To achieve it they study, they sweat, they make all out efforts to meet and suck up to anybody they think might help. Finally, when and if they get an interview for one of the few openings, they spruce up in their best clothes, put on their best party manners, present themselves as the sincere, high I.Q., ambitious young men that they are⁠—and then flunk their chance. I decided I might as well be what I am.”

Ross Metaxa looked at him. β€œOK,” he said finally. β€œWe’ll give you a try.”

Ronny said blankly, β€œYou mean I’ve got the job?”

β€œThat’s right.”

β€œI’ll be damned.”

β€œProbably,” Metaxa said. He yawned. β€œDo you know what Section G handles?”

β€œWell no, but as for me, just so I get off Earth and see some of the galaxy.”

Metaxa had been sitting with his heels on his desk. Now he put them down and reached a hand into a drawer to emerge with a brown bottle and two glasses. β€œDo you drink?” he said.

β€œOf course.”

β€œEven during working hours?” Metaxa scowled.

β€œWhen occasion calls.”

β€œGood,” Metaxa said. He poured two drinks. β€œYou’ll get your fill of seeing the galaxy,” he said. β€œNot that there’s much to see. Man can settle only Earth-type planets and after you’ve seen a couple of hundred you’ve seen them all.”

Ronny sipped at his drink, then blinked reproachfully down into the glass.

Metaxa said, β€œGood, eh? A kind of tequila they make on Deneb Eight. Bunch of Mexicans settled there.”

β€œWhat,” said Ronny hoarsely, β€œdo they make it out of?”

β€œLord only knows,” Metaxa said. β€œTo get back to Section G. We’re Interplanetary Security. In short, Department Cloak and Dagger. Would you be willing to die for the United Planets, Bronston?”

That curve had come too fast. Ronny blinked again. β€œOnly in emergency,” he said. β€œWho’d want to kill me?”

Metaxa poured another drink. β€œMany of the people you’ll be working with,” he said.

β€œWell, why? What will I be doing?”

β€œYou’ll be representing United Planets,” Metaxa explained. β€œRepresenting United Planets in cases where the local situation is such that the folks you’re working among will be teed off at the organization.”

β€œWell, why are they members if they don’t like the U.P.?”

β€œThat’s a good question,” Metaxa said. He yawned. β€œI guess I’ll have to go into my speech.” He finished his drink. β€œNow, shut up till I give you some background. You’re probably full of a lot of nonsense you picked up in school.”

Ronny shut up. He’d expected more of an air of dedication in the Octagon and in such ethereal departments as that of Interplanetary Justice, however, he was in now and not adverse to picking up some sophistication beyond the ken of the Earthbound employees of U.P.

The other’s voice took on a far away, albeit bored tone. β€œIt seems that most of the times man gets a really big idea, he goes off half cocked. Just one example. Remember when the ancient Hellenes exploded into the Mediterranean? A score of different City-States began sending out colonies, which in turn sprouted colonies of their own. Take Syracuse, on Sicily. Hardly was she established than, bingo, she sent off colonists to Southern Italy, and they in turn to Southern France, Corsica, the Balearics. Greeks were exploding all over the place, largely without adequate plans, without rhyme or reason. Take Alexander. Roamed off all the way to India, founding cities and colonies of Greeks all along the way.”

The older man shifted in his chair. β€œYou wonder what I’m getting at, eh? Well, much the same thing is happening in man’s explosion into space, now that he has the ability to leave the solar system behind. Dashing off half cocked, in all directions, he’s flowing out over this section of the galaxy without plan, without rhyme or reason. I take that last back, he has reasons all right⁠—some of the screwiest. Religious reasons, racial reasons, idealistic reasons, political reasons, altruistic reasons and mercenary reasons.

β€œInadequate ships, manned by small numbers of inadequate people, setting out to find their own planets, to establish themselves on one of the numberless uninhabited worlds that offer themselves to colonization and exploitation.”

Ronny cleared his throat. β€œWell, isn’t that a good thing, sir?”

Ross Metaxa looked at him and grunted. β€œWhat difference does it make if it’s good or not? It’s happening. We’re spreading our race out over tens of hundreds of new worlds in the most haphazard fashion. As a result, we of United Planets now have a chaotic mishmash on our hands. How we manage to keep as many planets in the organization as we do, sometimes baffles me. I suppose most of them are afraid to drop out, conscious of the protection U.P. gives against each other.”

He picked up a report. β€œHere’s Monet, originally colonized by a bunch of painters, writers, musicians and such. They had dreams of starting a new race”⁠—Metaxa snortedβ β€”β€œwith everybody artists. They were all so impractical that they even managed to crash their ship on landing. For three hundred years they were uncontacted. What did they have in the way of government by that time? A military theocracy, something like the Aztecs of Pre-Conquest Mexico. A matriarchy, at that. And what’s their religion based on? That of ancient Phoenicia including plenty of human sacrifice to good old Moloch. What can United Planets do about it, now that they’ve become a member? Work away very delicately,

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