To The Stars

“A different solution was needed for the developed, industrial economies. I will use Britain to demonstrate this, since you are familiar with what life here has become. You must cast your mind back to an earlier day when the form of government was democratic, regular elections were held, and the Houses of Parliament were not hereditary and powerless as they are now. Democracy, where all individuals are held to be equal, one man one vote to elect the rulers, is a luxury of the very rich. By that I mean very rich countries. Any decline in living standards and the national product can only mean a lessening of democracy. A simple example. An employed man with a regular income has a choice of dwelling, diet, recreation, what might be called lifestyle. An unemployed man on the dole must live where he is told, eat what he is given, and accommodate himself to an unchanging and unvarying, drab existence. Britain survived the disaster years — but paid a terrible price in personal freedom. There was no money to import food, so the country had to be self-sufficient agriculturally. This meant microscopic amounts of meat, only for the very rich, and a vegetarian diet for the rest. A meat-eating nation does not easily take to a change like this so the change had to be enforced. The ruling elite issued the orders and police and troops saw that they were carried out. This was the only alternative to chaos, famine, and death at the time, so it seemed reasonable. And it was reasonable given the circumstances. The only trouble was that when the emergency lifted and things were physically much better, the ruling elite liked the authority they had and did not want to relinquish it. A great thinker once wrote that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Once the hobnailed boot is firmly planted on the neck it will not be raised voluntarily.”

“What hobnailed boot?” Jan asked, puzzled.

“I do beg your pardon. A simile, very out of date, excuse the excess. I mean to say that recovery was gradual and the governments in power simply stayed in power. Populations gradually reduced and stabilized at a replacement level. The first generating satellites were built and beamed their energy down to Earth. Then came fusion power that assured abundant energy for all needs. Mutated plants supplied the chemicals formerly obtained from petroleum. Satellite colonies processed the raw materials of the moon and their manufactured products were brought to Earth. The discovery of a workable space drive sent ships out to explore and settle on the planets of the nearest stars. So there we have it, what we have today. An earthly paradise, even a heavenly paradise, where no man need fear war or famine. Where all are provided for and none need want.

“However there is one thing wrong with this picture of paradise. Absolute oligarchic rule has clamped down on the countries of Earth, extended to the satellite colonies, and beyond them to the planets. The rulers of each major country are in collusion with all of the other rulers assure that no hint of personal freedom be allowed the masses. Complete freedom at the top — your class, Bill, from your accent — and economic serfdom, slavery, for all below. With instant imprisonment or death for any bold enough to protest.”

“Is it really that bad?” Jan asked.

“It’s far worse than you can imagine,” Sara said. “And you will have to see for yourself. Until you are absolutely convinced that there is need for a change you will be a danger to yourself and others.”

“This orientation program has been carried out at my suggestion,” John said, unable to keep the pedantic pride from his voice. “It is one thing to read printed documents and hear spoken words. It is another to experience the realities of the world we live in. Only a brute would be unmoved. I will talk to you again after your descent into the inferno. I will let myself out, if I may.”

“He’s a funny little man,” Jan said after the outside door had closed.

“Funny and endearing and absolutely invaluable to us. A social theoretician with answers rather than questions.”

Jan pulled off the face-changer and wiped the perspiration from his face. “Obviously an academic, probably an historian.

“Don’t!” Sara said sharply. “Don’t theorize about him, even to yourself, or one day you may reveal him to those who shouldn’t know. Put the man from your thoughts and remember his words. Can you take off a few days from your work?”

“Any time, of course. I make my own hours. What do you want?”

“Tell them that you need a break and you want to go to the country, to see a friend, something like that, where it won’t be too easy to trace you.

“What about skiing? I usually go to Scotland once or twice a winter for cross country.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“Special kind of skis for going on the flat, not downhill. I carry a pack, camp out a bit, stay in inns and hotels, make my own way.