Short Fiction by Mack Reynolds (ready to read books .TXT) π

Description
Dallas McCord βMackβ Reynolds was an American science fiction writer who authored almost two hundred short stories and novellas, was a staple in all the major science fiction and fantasy magazines and published dozens of science fiction novels. He began his writing career in the late 1940s. His fiction focused on exploring and challenging both the socioeconomic themes of the day and the implications of the Cold War that raged throughout his career. A thoughtful writer of speculative fiction, many of Mack Reynoldsβ predictions have come to pass, including the credit-card economy, remote warfare and a worldwide computer network. His thoughts about the outcomes of both the Soviet and western political and economic systems are still highly relevant.
This collection gathers stories that were published in Analog, Astounding Science Fiction, Amazing Stories and others. Ordered by date of first publication, they range from spy adventures to the ultimate expression of corporate warfare and from a very short 1000-word story to full-blown novellas.
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- Author: Mack Reynolds
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Metaxa yawned and reached into a desk drawer for his bottle. βThatβs right,β he said. βAnybody like a drink?β
Ronny ignored him. βIβm surprised I didnβt catch on even sooner,β he said. βOn New Delos Mouley Hassan, the local agent, knew the God-King was going to be assassinated. He brought in extra agents and even a detail of Space Forces guards for the emergency. He probably engineered the assassination himself.β
βNope,β Jakes said. βWe seldom go that far. Local rebels did the actual work, but, admittedly, we knew what they were planning. In fact, Iβve got a sneaking suspicion that Mouley Hassan provided them with the bomb. That ladβs a bit too dedicated.β
βBut why,β Ronny blurted. βThatβs deliberately interfering with internal affairs. If the word got out, every planet in U.P. would resign.β
βProbably no planet in the system that needed a change so badly,β Metaxa growled. βIf they were ever going to swing into real progress, that hierarchy of priests had to go.β He snorted. βAn immortal God-King, yet.β
Ronny pressed on. βThat was bad enough, but how about this planet Mother, where the colonists had attempted to return to nature and live in the manner man did in earliest times.β
βMost backward planet in the U.P.,β Metaxa said sourly. βThey just had to be roused.β
βAnd Kropotkin!β Ronny blurted. βDonβt you understand, those people were happy there. Their lives were simple, uncomplicated, and they had achieved a happiness thatβ ββ
Metaxa came to his feet. He scowled at Ronny Bronston and growled, βUnfortunately, the human race canβt take the time out for happiness. Come along, I want to show you something.β
He swung around the corner of his desk and made his way toward a ceiling-high bookcase.
Ronny stared after him, taken off guard, but Sid Jakes was grinning his amusement.
Ross Metaxa pushed a concealed button and the bookcase slid away to one side to reveal an elevator beyond.
βCome along,β Metaxa repeated over his shoulder. He entered the elevator, followed by Jakes.
There was nothing else to do. Ronny Bronston followed them, his face still flushed with the angered argument.
The elevator dropped, how far, Ronny had no idea. It stopped and they emerged into a plain, sparsely furnished vault. Against one wall was a boxlike affair that reminded Ronny of nothing so much as a deepfreeze.
For all practical purposes, thatβs what it was. Ross Metaxa led him over and they stared down into its glass-covered interior.
Ronnyβs eyes bugged. The box contained the partly charred body of an animal approximately the size of a rabbit. No, not an animal. It had obviously once been clothed, and its limbs were obviously those of a tool using life form.
Metaxa and Jakes were staring down at it solemnly, for once no inane grin on the supervisorβs face. And that of Ross Metaxa was more weary than ever.
Ronny said finally, βWhat is it?β But he knew.
βYou tell us,β Metaxa growled sourly.
βItβs an intelligent life form,β Ronny blurted. βWhy has it been kept secret?β
βLetβs go on back upstairs,β Metaxa sighed.
Back in his office he said, βNow I go into my speech. Shut up for a while.β He poured himself a drink, not offering one to the other two. βRonny,β he said, βman isnβt alone in the galaxy. Thereβs other intelligent life. Dangerously intelligent.β
In spite of himself Ronny reacted in amusement. βThat little creature down there? The size of a small monkey?β As soon as he said it, he realized the ridiculousness of his statement.
Metaxa grunted. βObviously, size means nothing. That little fellow down there was picked up by one of our Space Forces scouts over a century ago. How long heβd been drifting through space, we donβt know. Possibly only months, but possibly hundreds of centuries. But however long heβs proof that man is not alone in the galaxy. And we have no way of knowing when the expanding human race will come up against this other intelligenceβ βand whoever it was fighting.β
βBut,β Ronny protested, βyouβre assuming theyβre aggressive. Perhaps coming in contact with these aliens will be the best thing that ever happened to man. Possibly that little fellow down there is the most benevolent creature ever evolved.β
Metaxa looked at him strangely. βLetβs hope so,β he said. βHowever, when found he was in what must have been a one-man scout. He was dead and his craft was blasted and tornβ βobviously from some sort of weaponsβ fire. His scout was obviously a military craft, highly equipped with what could only be weapons, most of them so damaged our engineers havenβt been able to figure them out. To the extent they have been able to reconstruct them, theyβre scared silly. No, thereβs no two ways about it, our little rabbit sized intelligence down in the vault was killed in an interplanetary conflict. And sooner or later, Ronny, man in his explosion into the stars is going to run into either or both of the opponents in that conflict.β
Ronny Bronston slumped back into his chair, his brain running out a dozen leads at once.
Metaxa and Jakes remained quiet, looking at him speculatively.
Ronny said slowly, βThen the purpose of Section G is to push the member planets of U.P. along the fastest path of progress, to get them ready for the eventual, inevitable meeting.β
βNot just Section G,β Metaxa growled, βbut all of the United Planets organization, although most of the rank and file donβt even know our basic purpose. Section G? We do the dirty work, and are proud to do it, by every method we can devise.β
Ronny leaned forward. βBut look,β he said. βWhy not simply inform all member planets of this common danger? Theyβd all unite in the effort to meet the
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