out with their dreams, their schemes, their far-out ideas.In a few centuries they've populated their new planet, and often do verywell indeed. But often not and a nudge, a push, from Section G can startthem up another rung or so of the ladder of social evolution. Most of themdon't want the push. Few cultures, if any, realize they are mortal; likeHitler's Reich, they expect to last at least a thousand years. They resistany change--even change for the better."
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Ronny's defenses were crumbling, but he threw one last punch. "How do youknow the changes you make are for the better?"
Metaxa shrugged heavy shoulders. "It's sometimes difficult to decide, butwe aim for changes that will mean an increased scientific progress, a moreadvanced industrial technology, more and better education, the opening ofopportunity for every member of the culture to exert himself to the fullof his abilities. The last is particularly important. Too many cultures,even those that think of themselves as particularly advanced, suppress theindividual by one means or another."
Ronny was still mentally reeling with the magnitude of it all. "But howcan you account for the fact that these alien intelligences haven'talready come in contact with us?"
Metaxa shrugged again. "The Solar System, our sun, is way out in asparsely populated spiral arm of our galaxy. Undoubtedly, these others arefurther in toward the center. We have no way of knowing how far away theyare, or how many sun systems they dominate, or even how many other empiresof intelligent life forms there are. All we know is that there are otherintelligences in the galaxy, that they are near enough like us to live onthe same type planets. The more opportunity man has to develop before theinitial contact takes place, the stronger bargaining position, or militaryposition, as the case may be, he'll be in."
Sid Jakes summed up the Tommy Paine business for Ronny's sake. "We needcapable agents badly, but we need dedicated and efficient ones. We can'tafford anything less. So when we come upon potential Section G operativeswe send them out with a trusted Tog to get a picture of these UnitedPlanets of ours. It's the quickest method of indoctrination we've hitupon; the agent literally teaches himself by observation andparticipation. Usually, it takes four or five stops, on this planet andthat, before the probationary agent begins sympathizing with the effortsof this elusive Tommy Paine. Especially since every Section G agent heruns into, including the Tog, of course, fills him full of stories ofTommy Paine's activities.
"You were one of the quickest to stumble on the true nature of our SectionG. After calling at only three planets you saw that we ourselves are TommyPaine."
"But ... but what's the end?" Ronny said plaintively. "You say our job isadvancing man, even in spite of himself when it comes to that. We start atthe bottom of the evolutionary ladder in a condition of savagery, clancommunism in government, simple animism in religion, and slowly weprogress through barbarism to civilization, through paganism to the higherethical codes, through chattel slavery and then feudalism and beyond. Whatis the final end, the Ultima Thule?"
Metaxa was shaking his head again. He poured himself another drink,offered the bottle this time to the others. "We don't know," he saidwearily, "perhaps there is none. Perhaps there is always another rung onthis evolutionary ladder." He punched at his order box and said, "Irene,have them do up a silver badge for Ronny."
Ronny Bronston took a deep breath and reached for the brown bottle."Well," he said. "I suppose I'm ready to ask for my first assignment." Hethought for a moment. "By the way, if there's any way to swing it, Iwouldn't mind working with Supervisor Lee Chang Chu."
THE END
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