Island Worlds Read Online Free PDF

run for paragraphs or pages."
    Murdo rose from his seat and stood beside Carstairs. "Thank you, Mr. Carstairs. Are there any questions or comments at this time?"
    "Crap," said a voice from the back of the theater. Thor looked around and grinned. He knew that voice.
    "Robert, how did you get in here?" McNaughton was raging beneath his unflappable exterior.
    "I walked. You didn't really think you could keep me out, did you, Murdo? Who installed all your security gear?"
    "National Fortressystems," Murdo said.
    "And who owns thirty percent of National Fortressystems?" Bob asked.
    "Hmm, I see what you mean. Well, since you insist, you might as well have your say."
    "Yes, I'd be glad to hear what you have to say, Mr—Ciano, is it?" Carstairs seemed genuinely interested, not belligerent. Bob rose from his seat and walked down the aisle, lurching slightly. In one hand he held a huge brandy snifter.
    As he passed Thor, Bob winked and whispered: "Just keep your mouth shut, kid."
    He mounted the platform. "Mr. Carstairs, you've implied that the current deplorable state of the planet is the result of the expansion of humanity into space, much of that expansion pioneered by the direct ancestors of people in this very room."
    "I don't blame our space efforts alone," Carstairs said. "I do say that it has been an important aggravation of other problems and a truly significant drain on our resources. Very limited resources, I might add."
    "We'll let that stand. I'm here to tell you that, not only have our space colonies, settlements and exploratory expeditions not been a drain on this planet, they have repaid many times their initial investment. I say further that not only have those enterprises not contributed to the collapse of world order, they're all that have kept this planet from going straight to hell decades ago!" There was a lot of chatter from the audience.
    "Robert," Murdo said, "why don't you sit down?"
    "No, Mr. McNaughton," Carstairs said, "let him continue."
    "Let's have a metaphor," Bob said. "I used to be a slick man with a metaphor, back in my teaching days." He put his brandy snifter on the podium, freeing his hands for gesticulation. "Our situation here on this planet is like that of a ship sinking, only it's sinking very slowly. As the food and water run low, the ship keeps getting low in the water." His hands made settling motions.
    "Now, way off in the distance, but just visible, is an island. But, there's only one boat and getting to the island is a dangerous journey, with lots of rocks and tricky currents. However, a few brave souls man the boat and make it to the island. They report back that the island has water and you can grow food there, but it's going to take a lot of work. Go to it, say the people on the ship. A few of the bravest and most enterprising make trips out to the island. Sometimes the boat overturns and people are drowned, but there's always a few volunteers for each trip. Now there's no way that you can get everyone off the ship and to the island in that one little boat. But the fact is that most of those who could go don't want to. They prefer their luxury cabins. Even a sinking ship is more comfortable than an island, until the water comes in under the door.
    "As the food and water stocks keep getting lower, the people on the boat keep demanding more from the island. They keep raising quotas on the people on the island even as the ship passengers are falling out and fighting among themselves. And that ship is sinking all the time."
    One of the Third Worlders stood up in the audience. "Are you saying that the people of Earth are practicing imperialist exploitation against the space colonists?"
    Bob thought for a moment. "Well, I wouldn't have put it that way, but I guess you're right."
    "A very pretty metaphor, Mr. Ciano," said Carstairs, "but I've noticed that metaphors are seldom accurate."
    "This one isn't really accurate," Bob admitted, "because unlike a real ship the one we're on is getting