ve been a one-man scout. He was dead and his
craft was blasted and torn--obviously from some sort of weapons' fire. His
scout was obviously a military craft, highly equipped with what could only
be weapons, most of them so damaged our engineers haven't been able to
figure them out. To the extent they have been able to reconstruct them,
they're scared silly. No, there's no two ways about it, our little rabbit
sized intelligence down in the vault was killed in an interplanetary
conflict. And sooner or later, Ronny, man in his explosion into the stars
is going to run into either or both of the opponents in that conflict."

Ronny Bronston slumped back into his chair, his brain running out a dozen
leads at once.

Metaxa and Jakes remained quiet, looking at him speculatively.

Ronny said slowly, "Then the purpose of Section G is to push the member
planets of UP along the fastest path of progress, to get them ready for
the eventual, inevitable meeting."

"Not just Section G," Metaxa growled, "but all of the United Planets
organization, although most of the rank and file don't even know our basic
purpose. Section G? We do the dirty work, and are proud to do it, by every
method we can devise."

Ronny leaned forward. "But look," he said. "Why not simply inform all
member planets of this common danger? They'd all unite in the effort to
meet the common potential foe. Anything standing in the way would be
brushed aside."

Metaxa shook his head wearily. "Would they? Is a common danger enough for
man to change his institutions, particularly those pertaining to property,
power and religion? History doesn't show it. Delve back into early times
and you'll recall, for an example, that in man's early discovery of
nuclear weapons he almost destroyed himself. Three or four different
socio-economic systems co-existed at that time and all would have
preferred destruction rather than changes in their social forms."

Jakes said, in an unwonted quiet tone, "No, until someone comes up with a
better answer it looks as though Section G is going to have to continue
the job of advancing man's institutions, in spite of himself."

The commissioner made it clearer. "It's not as though we deal with all our
member planets. It isn't necessary. But you see, Ronny, the best colonists
are usually made up of the, well, crackpot element. Those who are
satisfied, stay at home. America, for instance, was settled by the
adventurers, the malcontents, the non