THE THOUGHT PROCESSES LEADING TO THE DECISION TO TRANSFER KEIDI UNDESIRABLES, PARTICULARLY THE ENTITY KNOWN AS FIRST FATHER, TO THE FEDERATION WORLD. DO YOU REQUIRE TIME TO CONSIDER YOUR ANSWER?
“No,” Martin said. Beth gripped his hand tightly but did not speak, so he went on quickly, “Investigations showed that the majority of the Keidi were not Undesirables, but were being prevented by physical and psychological coercion from presenting themselves for candidate examination at the induction centers. In the situation which developed it seemed inherently wrong that potential Citizens should suffer because of the power seeking Undesirables among them. The children of Undesirable parents were also potential Citizens, so the decision was taken to…”
THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND YOUR DECISION ARE KNOWN TO ME. WHY WERE BEINGS WHOSE UNDESIRABLE STATUS WAS NOT IN DOUBT TRANSFERRED TO THE FEDERATION WORLD?
Martin took a deep breath before continuing. “It seemed to me that I was continuing the Citizen selection process which preceded the Exodus. On Keida, had the planet not been rendered uninhabitable, the people would never have been free of the military rule of the Estate. The First, by insisting that those he had chosen to form his present and future military organization should stay together, made the isolation of the confirmed Undesirables a simple matter. The progress of both groups, potential Citizens and Undesirables, can be monitored more easily here than on Keida.
“It is my hope,” he went on, “that among the descendants of the First’s people an increasing number of Citizens will arise until, in time, the Undesirables among the Keidi will become extinct.”
IS YOUR ANSWER COMPLETE?
“Not quite,” Martin said. “It also seemed to me that Undesirables, regardless of their planet of origin, are analogous to a wasting disease which can ultimately bring about the death of many species. Federation Citizens are protected, isolated, from this disease. This is not necessarily a good thing because soon they will have no understanding of this cultural malady, and no defense should they encounter it when, in the distant future, our people emerge from this overprotected womb to go out among the other galaxies. So it occurred to me that our Citizens might be immunized against this disease by exposing them for short periods, inoculating them, with its dead or inactive germs, as is done during the vaccination process.
‘That is all,” he ended bitterly, “except that I consider it grossly unfair that a Contactor Three should be faced with such a damnable and unique dilemma, between the breaking of the First Rule and the saving of so many lives.”
YOUR DILEMMA WAS NOT UNIQUE.
Martin felt an angry surprise, and deep sympathy, for his predecessor or predecessors who had been caught in the same trap. He wondered what the sentence for such an offense had been, and knew that he would shortly find out.
NOTIFICATION OF CHANGE IN STATUS.
“Here it comes,” Martin said grimly. Beth’s grip on his hand tightened.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATE. NON-CITIZEN MJC/ 221 /5501 CONTACT SPECIALIST PROMOTED LEVEL TWO. ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOLLOW.
“Wha-the?…” Martin began incredulously. Beth was laughing and beating her fists against his chest, unmindful of his recently cracked ribs. Intense relief, he thought, was a very effective painkiller.
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENT. SITUATION SIMILAR TO THAT FOUND ON KEIDA WITHOUT THE COMPLICATIONS OF RADIATION POISONING, INSTABILITY OF PLANETARY CRUST, OR RESTRICTED OPERATIONAL TIME LIMIT. OBSERVE, EVALUATE, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING ACTIVITIES OF FIRST GENERATION UNDESIRABLES AND NON-CITIZENS WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO IMMINENT SO-CALLED HOLY WAR THREAT BY MAJORITY GROUP. WHO ARE ALSO PREDOMINANTLY UNDESIRABLE. AND INCREASING INFANT POPULATION. PRINCIPAL DIFFICULTY FORESEEN WILL BE EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT WITH SUBJECTS.
PROCEED AT ONCE TO FWC/139/92/G3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SPECIES PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA UNNECESSARY. YOUR NAME FOR THE PLANET IS EARTH.
