Third World Read Online Free PDF Page A

er…cities.” He cleared his throat
and explained. “There are a lot of officials from outside, recent
immigrants, temporary workers. Not everyone in town is a
local.”
    The city was at least used for shore
leave. They had some familiarity with it. The hinterland was
another story. Newton wondered most about Jackson. At his age, his
rank seemed very low, as if he had hit a dead end for one reason or
another. That was the truth about the service. There were only so
many desirable positions available, and in peacetime manpower
withered away as the brightest people sought a better life in the
civilian world. So why had Jackson stayed?
    But Jackson had hit the nail right on
the head. Walter was extremely intelligent, but was known to hate
the service. He looked like he was looking forward to the duty,
unlike one or two others, at least initially. They were putting a
better face on it now. Control over one’s demeanor was a necessary
trait in even the most junior officers in the close-knit community
that was the ship. Catching deserters wasn’t exactly what they had
signed up for. Ship-board duties had their own routine, and it was
a comforting one, even a lazy one at times. Faber was right—it
really was a different kind of a life, but one easily gotten used
to.
    “ That, is very difficult to
say. The traders say they are pretty business-savvy and harvesting
the local commodities is back-breaking work. It’s all done with the
simplest of tools and implements. The communities are very small
and tightly-knit. The old timers still remember their home world,
and some of them are probably better educated than you or I. We’d
better remember that. This is not the time to be patronizing them.
Hopefully we can avoid, ah…cultural pitfalls.”
    Life was simple, brutal, and short on
Third World, with its limited nutrition and medical
care.
    It was amazing how fast a new culture
would spring up. The company had brought in twenty or thirty loads
of colonists, setting them down here or there as per some initial
study and planning. A lot of promises had been made, and then the
company was affected by a downward turn of the economy. Much of the
heavier equipment and tools never made it to the planet’s surface,
being sold elsewhere in the name of liquidity. The government and
the company were consulting and working on the
difficulties.
    Again the nods. There were
limits to what power and authority could do. The Empire claimed
that it governed on goodwill and tried to achieve it, in all
honesty. In all honesty, it failed as often as it succeeded. It’s
not like the Empire didn’t care about its social mission, but funds were always
tight and priorities higher elsewhere.
    “ All right. Let’s go over
this list and see who’s who—and who’s what.” Shapiro was rewarded
with a few grins and chuckles.
    The enlisted men’s files were at least
entertaining. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. His team
would be what he made of it.
    He’d read all the books.
     
    ***
     
    The troops filed aboard the shuttle
craft and stowed all loose equipment.
    Newton surveyed the lines of people
strapping in on each side of the passenger bay but said nothing.
They muttered amongst themselves and that was okay. He clapped
Faber on the shoulder, as Faber was staying back there and Newton
made his way to the copilot’s seat. That one blazon on Newton’s
shoulder made all the difference.
    Strapping himself in, he and the Ensign
began going over the long checklist before launch.
    Back in the passenger bay, Faber looked
at the long line of eager young faces sitting across from him and
stifled a laugh.
    “ Don’t worry, be
happy.”
    One or two looked over at him and gave
him a thumbs-up or a nod. A couple looked just plain scared. Their
names were on their tunics and he ran through them in his
mind.
    Benson hadn’t even been off
the ship before, not since being assigned to Hermes after graduating technical
school.
    He just looked young and