The Mind Spider and Other Stories Read Online Free PDF Page B

mention it outside these chambers) the antigravity harness is not such a specialist’s item. The Average man can rather easily learn to operate one. In other words it is today technologically possible for us to put three billion humans in the air, flying like birds.
    "But three billion humans in the air would add up to confusion, anarchy, an unimaginable aerial traffic jam. Hence— restriction and an emphasis on the dangers and extreme difficulties of using the harness. The freedom to swim through the air can’t be given outright, it must be doled out gradually. The same applies to all freedoms—the freedom to love, the freedom to know the world, even the freedom to know yourself—especially your more explosive drives. Don’t get me wrong now—such freedoms are fine if the person is conditioned for them.” He smiled with frank pride. “That’s our big job, you know: conditioning people for freedom. Using conditioning-for-freedom techniques we ended juvenile delinquency and beat the Beat Generation. We—”
    "Yes, you beat them all right!” Dave breaking in again suddenly, sounded raspingly angry. "You got all the impulses such movements expressed so well battened down, so well repressed and decontaminated, that now they’re coming out as aberration, deep neurosis, mania. People are conforming and adjusting so well, they’re such carbon copies of each other, that now they’re even all starting to flip at the same time. They were over-protected mentally and emotionally. They were shielded from the truth as if it were radio-active— and maybe in its way it is, because it can start chain reactions. They were treated like halfwits and that’s what we’re getting. Age of Tranquility! It’s the Age of Psychosis! It’s an open secret that the government and its Committee for Public Sanity have been doctoring the figures on mental disease for years. They’re fifty, a hundred percent greater than the published ones—no one knows how much. What’s this mysterious Report K we keep hearing about? Which of us hasn’t had friends and family members flipping lately? Any one can see the overcrowding at asylums, the bankruptcy of hypnotherapy. This is the year of the big payoff for generations of hysterical optimism, reassurance psychology and plain soft-soaping. It’s the DTs after decades of soothing-syrup addiction!”
    “That’s enough, Dave!" Diskrow shouted. “You’re fired! You no longer speak for IU. Get out!”
    “Mr. Diskrow!” Wisant’s voice was stem. “I must point out to you that you’re interfering with free inquiry, not to mention individuality. What your young colleague has to say interests me more and more. Pray continue, Mr. Cruxon.” He smiled like a big fat cat.
    Dave answered smile with glare. “What’s the use?” he said harshly. "The Monster Program’s dead. You got me to cut its throat and now you’d like me to finish severing the neck, but what I did or didn’t do doesn’t matter a bit—you were planning to kill the Monster Program in any case. You don’t want to do anything to stop the march of depersonalization. You like depersonalized people. As long as they’re tranquil and manageable, you don’t care—it’s even okay by you if you have to keep ’em in flip-factories and put the tranquility in with a needle. Government by the three Big Cs of Commission, Committee and Conference! There’s a fourth C, the biggest, and that’s the one you stand for—government by Censorship! So long everybody, I hope you’re happy when your wives and kids start flipping—when you start flipping. I’m getting out.” Wisant waited until Dave got his thumb on the door, then he called, “One moment, Mr. Cruxon!" Dave held still though he did not turn around. “Miss Sturges,” Wisant continued, “would you please give this to Mr. Cruxon?” He handed her the small folded sheet of pink paper from his breast pocket. Dave shoved it in his pocket and went out.
    “A purely personal