Export or Die

By Bill McClimont

Global warming has largely wrecked the planet and population pressures are unsupportable. Government measures to tackle these problems are equally appalling. In the midst of all this, Frank Jervis earns his living selling power tools, off planet. A life which has been ordinary, in the sense of being mildly unusual but unnoticed, is about to change for the worse and the downright weird. Unusual becomes unique - and altogether too many people are going to start noticing him. It's a good job he likes cats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781447651970

Book preview

McClimont

First

Item 8; Plastone Tool Division – Implementation of closure programme as previously agreed.

A tall, young man rose confidently from his seat close to the head of the long dark boardroom table and commenced his report. Skilfully placed lights illuminated his face without dazzle, while the remainder of the board were left in anonymous shadow. The placing of the lights had been the responsibility of the young man himself and he had been careful that they flattered his rather soft good looks. Another function that La Neige fulfilled was to commit to memory all that was said and done. It was no coincidence and no nostalgic whim that the Main Board of Crossman Industries were convened in person. There would be no minutes and no official record. They could afford no doubts about security or the integrity of datalines. This was a very select gathering.

The rumours have been placed with Sources at levels 3 and 5. Random monitoring of internal calls indicates excellent penetration.

What did you use? Degas’ question was ostensibly cordial and, more importantly when dealing with the ‘Special Ops’ Director, it was safely answered. Stuart La Neige was confident that he had carried out his task to perfection. Smiling conspiratorially, he replied. At Level 3, the Specialists were given 'selective relocation as an economy measure' and the Politicals were given 'total withdrawal from export markets to eliminate marginally costed business'. Level 5’s were given a variety of non-viable nonsense: expansion, state takeover ....... sensational stuff for the herd."

Confine your wit to the washroom where such chatter is, no doubt appreciated. Reports before this board are for facts only.

The interruption from the Chair was as pleasantly spoken as that of the Special Ops Director but the rebuke was all the more harsh, for that. The reminder of his privileged status was not lost on him, either. Such status is fragile, and he had no affection for the life of communal washrooms and dormitory offices.

With this vision conjured for him, of a return to the herd he so despised, Stuart began to sweat slightly. He had bad news to impart and had hoped to make light of it. He hurried to acknowledge his error.

Understood. He paused. There is a minor complication.

If it is minor, deal with it!

Oh! How dearly he would love to do that, just to sit down now, to wriggle off this stupid hook of his own making, to slip back into the anonymous pool of darkness which would descent as he resumed his seat.

With respect, you required us to report on any potential difficulty in this area. I have a proposal for solution.....

Very well, report!

He took a moment to organise his thoughts more diplomatically. Select gathering or not, there were ears here, not privy to the innermost secrets. He would be treading a thin line. A Level 4, an Export Executive, is planning a sales trip. He has a considerable number of leads which appear very promising ... as one might expect. Under the circumstances, I feel it would be unwise to permit him to make those contacts. Ordinarily, I would simply have refused permission for the trip but the man has been rather talkative, both within his division and outside it, concerning the business he expects to gain. It would obviously be highly embarrassing to give him notice just before such a potentially lucrative trip or to refuse permission....

Your solution?

That was much better. If the Boss was willing to accept suggestions, he was relatively safe.

I propose that we permit him to depart but make him redundant, with immediate effect, as soon as he arrives.

Has he received the rumour? Degas again.

Probability 0.998. His immediate superior is a Source.

How will he react?

"He is logical and analytical, though he has a slight tendency to draw his conclusions from incomplete data. He will reach the conclusion, in this case, that we wish him to. Incidentally, since we will have to send an irrevocable draft for his accommodation, it is likely that he will decide to stay away for the full period of his planned trip, even after he gets the notice. This would delay his return until .... early January, by which time the problem will be on the point of resolution anyway."

Approved. Proceed on that basis. Item 9....

La Neige breathed a silent sigh of relief. The Boss was even more touchy than usual, today. Item 9 was a routine matter. He could safely relax and fade into the woodwork for a while.

Chair!

The Chair - ahh - recognises Director Johannsson. There was barely concealed irritation in the tone. La Neige turned to the old man on his left in utter amazement, although his face revealed no more than mild surprise and curiosity. Surely Stig knew how much the Boss hated time wasting?

Item 8 was closed. A decision had been taken on the only outstanding point. For that matter, it was a basic tenet of all Crossman boards that formalities of committee procedure were only invoked to make sense of heated discussion or for rare public consumption. The old fool seemed completely unaware of the threat in the Boss’s voice – or perhaps he just didn’t care anymore. Either way, he kept right on talking himself into trouble.

Chair, I would request further information and clarification on this matter. It seems to me that....

Director Johannsson, the voice was as silky as ever, "you are reminded that you are on this Board in a non-executive capacity. Your status, as ex-chief executive of a subsidiary company, does not give you the right to question the decisions of this Chair. In future it would save both time and trouble if you would refrain from speaking until your opinion is sought. We will then hang on your every word."

Johannsson turned an unhealthy shade of purple and seemed about to loose a thunderbolt as this upstart. His massive empire, built almost singled-handed over many years, had been snatched in a dawn raid on the market after only the briefest of defence campaigns; swallowed into the far smaller and more recent Crossman Industries at a single, rapacious gulp.. It seemed almost casual at the time and many financial pundits had commented at length on the uncharacteristic lack of skill which the old war horse had displayed.

La Neige showed no trace of the delight he felt as the blast faded and died, aborted in the realisation of its total futility. Finally defeated, Johannsson stood, bowed stiffly from the hip and strode swiftly from the room.

As the door closed, the Boss was absently dictating a Press Release.

The Chair and Board of Crossman Holdings regret to announce the untimely death of their colleague, Mr. Stig Johannsson. Mr. Johannsson was a highly respected member of the Crossman Board and will be sadly missed, especially since, in his time at Crossmans he had become a close personal friend of many with whom he worked. End. Degas; you will ensure that this is issued as soon as it is appropriate. Please take care of all the arrangements.

Acknowledged.

The Boss really was extraordinarily touchy today.

BUSINESS NEWS -----

STOCK QUOTATIONS OF TOURISM GIANT VATICAN INC WERE SUSPENDED BRIEFLY ON WORLD MARKETS TODAY AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF RECORD FIRST-HALF LOSSES.

CHAIR JOHN-PAUL VIII BLAMED THE SLUMP ON INCREASED MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS. IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE JOINT VENTURE AMUSEMENT COMPLEX AT LOURDES (SHARED WITH METRO-DISNEY) IS DOING WELL BUT MANY OF THE WHOLLY OWNED SITES HAVE REPORTED STEADILY FALLING ATTENDANCES AND MAY BE FORCED TO CLOSE ENTIRELY.

THERE IS WIDESPREAD FEELING AMONG THE INSTITUTIONS THAT A TAKEOVER BY CROSSMAN HOLDINGS MAY BE IMMINENT AND IT WAS THE DECLARATION BY CROSSMANS OF 7.5% STAKE WHICH STEADIED THE PANIC SELLING OF RECENT DAYS.

VATICAN CLOSELY PARALLELS THE PROFILE OF MANY COMPANIES WHO HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO PREDATORY CROSSMAN ACTION. THEY HAVE VAST ASSETS SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD BUT A TOPHEAVY MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND AN UNWILLINGNESS TO MOVE INTO MORE LUCRATIVE BUSINESS AREAS HAS MADE THEM APPEAR AN EXTREMELY UNATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT.

VATICAN WOULD, HOWEVER, NICELY COMPLEMENT CROSSMAN’S CURRENT HOLDING OF PAN-EGYPT TOURIST CORP., WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED TOO FAR OUTSIDE THEIR NORMAL TRADING SPHERE (AND THUS RIPE FOR DISPOSAL).

THE FINAL AND, PERHAPS, DECISIVE FACTOR IS THE RECENT SPATE OF ACTIVITY GENERALLY IN THE MARKETS. THIS HAS LEFT MOST OF THE MAJORS RATHER TIGHT IN THE POCKET, SO THE APPEARANCE OF A WHITE KNIGHT FIGURE IS UNLIKELY.

VATICAN ARE RIPE FOR TAKING AND A FEW SHARES BOUGHT NOW SHOULD YIELD HANDSOMELY IF CROSSMAN DOES STEP IN.

Second

Degas was of only medium height but he glowed with an inner charm that made him stand out in any gathering. His face was deeply tanned and creased with the open smile that he habitually wore. Even when dressed, his body drew admiring glances. On the beach, much sand was kicked in many faces to get close. If he was aware of the attention which he attracted, it did not show as he lay for a second day of sun worship on the immense low cone of the tourist centre in Tromso.

On the southern face, where he was enjoying the last of the short autumn daylight, there were relatively few people now. This area was only really busy at midsummer. Then, it was packed with process operators and service grades, intent on cultivating a tan during their five week mid-year break. Politicals or Specialists - those who could afford the expense, would repeat the process at end-year by flying down to Chile. The really daring might risk Stanley.

The capital of the Falklands was now one vast entertainment complex, boasting dozens of theme parks, hundreds of casinos and thousands of tax exiles. It was arguably the most exciting major city in the world (being the only one independent of Worldstate in Montreal.) It was certainly the most expensive and few Member states tolerated their employees going there.

At the time of the great continental treaties, when old Britain joined Europe and Argentina was taken over by Lambank, provision was made for a committee to investigate and adjudicate any outstanding territorial disputes, a billion Mark budget was voted and office space allocated.

It was not until 15 years later, after the continents had yielded their authority to Worldstate in turn, that it was realised that only one meeting of the committee had ever been held. According to the minutes of that meeting, a motion had been passed setting up a special fund to cover the Falklands question. This fund had been transferred to Stanley for ‘research’ and had been there ever since ..... along with all of the committee.

By the time this discovery was made, the two district councils were far too busy with the climactic changes and rising sea levels, brought about by the worsening Greenhouse Effect, to care much.

The Falklanders themselves encouraged the view that, if no-one could decide who actually held sovereignty over them, then certainly no-one was entitled to yield up that sovereignty to Worldstate. In the meantime, they paid no taxes and had exclusive use of the credit earned on their own activities. It was the nearest thing to true free enterprise left on Earth.

A philosophical curiosity which had exercised the minds of specialist academics since then was that, once the concept had been accepted of bankrupt Nations being taken over by so called 'Private Sector' Companies, those very Companies ceased to be in the Private Sector. Once shareholders, workers and customers were all one and the same, they became citizens of a state as centralised, as bureaucratic and as tail-chasing as the worst perversions of Marxism ever produced. Of course, a management buyout can be just as bloody as any old style Coup d'Etat....

In this new order, Administrators became, by definition, Politicians and the use of the word spread to those working in so-called 'Citizen Companies' - those lesser firms operating within the territory of their larger cousins. Calling office workers politicals was simply recognition of what the successful among them had known, since time immemorial - but it rather blew the cover of those who pretended not to play the game.

The effect on the Professional classes was slower but more profound. They were forced to specialise, almost from birth, becoming increasingly ignorant of any field but their own. At the highest levels, scientific progress was brought almost to a halt because nobody could see the significance of their work outside of their own ever-narrowing field.

Nothing really changed for the poor sods who get their hands dirty, of course. Whether you called them ordinary blokes or the free Proletariat or 'Service Grades' or 'Process Operators' still didn't matter. They still went on getting their hands dirty and occasionally enjoying themselves, against all odds.

The shadowed, north face of the Tromso Leisure Complex was an artificial ski slope, a last, determined vestige of the sport, in the face of global warming. The quality of any natural snow cover was poor and the club subscriptions extortionate but efficient marketing ensured it was always packed out. In these pleasureless days, all you needed to do was offer a link to tradition and people would come flocking.

On the third day of his package tour, Degas went into the hire shop there to obtain his climbing gear. The assistant in the shop was quite flustered by the smile he bestowed upon her and, checking that she would not be overheard, tentatively offered to show him how to use his equipment.

The approach was naive and unsubtle. Had a trooper heard her, she would have been called for retraining on the spot. Degas refused politely but then, seeming to change his mind at the last minute, suggested that she might advise him on local conditions. Would she care to talk over dinner? When he left her apartment, early the next morning, she was the last person to see him alive.

At the inquest, her name was entered as Ingrid Johannssonn. With many tears of self recrimination, she earned the sympathy of all the local journalists. They printed, verbatim and with relish, her agonised account of how the ill fated couple had sat naked in bed and cuddled, while poring over maps of the Jiekkevare, where his body had been found.

They took numerous photographs, as she showed them how well she kept in shape, by often climbing there herself, and thanked providence for sending them a story with such local interest, when they discovered that her family home was on the lower slopes of the Agjet; just across the Lyngenfjord from the spot where he died.

After this guilt-laden confession, no judge, no jury - nobody could doubt her for a moment, when she said that she had been unaware of his intention to hunt and did not know that he possessed a rifle.

The medical examiner reported the cause of death as a single gunshot from the deceased’s own rifle at extremely close range. Cleaning materials were found nearby. Verdict; Accidental death.

CRIME NEWS; LOTTERY UNDER THREAT

THE SECURITY FORCE RELEASED FIGURES TODAY SHOWING AN ENCOURAGING FALL IN THE NUMBER OF UNLICENSED PREGNANCIES REPORTED IN THE TWELVE MONTHS TO SEPTEMBER. DURING THE PERIOD, ONLY 12,347 CASES WERE RECORDED – A FALL OF 3.7% ON THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SOUTHERN AMERICA AND JAPAN WERE AGAIN CITED AS THE MAJOR OFFENDERS WITH 34% OF ILLICIT CONCEPTIONS OCCURING IN THOSE AREAS.

LESS ENCOURAGING WERE THE FIGURES ON AGREED TERMINATIONS. OF THE 12,347 OFFENCES, A MERE 4.420 WERE CORRECTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE OFFENDER AND AN UNPRECENDENTED 2,014 PROCEEDED TO TERM, THE REMAINDER BEING PERSUADED OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES BY OFFICERS OF THE COURTS.

SENTENCES VARIED FROM 200 DOLLAR FINES (PLUS MEDICAL AND LEGAL COSTS), FOR FIRST TIME OFFENDERS REQUESTING TERMINATION, TO ENFORCEMENT OF PERMANENT STERILISATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDERS, ON THOSE WHO ACTUALLY GAVE BIRTH. THREE CASES, WHERE THE OFFENDERS HAD PRIOR CONVICTIONS INVOLVING LIVE BIRTHS, BROUGHT SENTENCES OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT WITH RECOMMENDATION TO PROHIBIT PAROLE BEFORE THE MENOPAUSE. FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ARE SAID TO BE UNDER WAY INTO HOW THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD SUCCEEDED IN HAVING EARLIER STERILISATIONS REVERSED.

FORCE PLANNERS ESTIMATE THAT THE EFFECTS ON THE NUMBER OF LICENCES WHICH COULD BE ISSUED IN THE COMING YEAR WOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE. HOWEVER, PUBLICATION OF THE STATISTICS HAS REIGNITED DEBATE AS TO WHETHER INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS SHOULD RETAIN POLICY AND ENFORCEMENT ON POPULATION CONTROL. BOTH BOARDS OF WORLDSTATE ARE REPORTED TO BE DIVIDED ON WHETHER DEVOLUTION CAN ANY LONGER BE TOLERATED, WHERE CERTAIN DISTRICTS APPEAR UNABLE TO DELIVER EITHER 100% COVERAGE OF IMPLANTS OR CONSISTENT CRITERIA FOR LICENSING. AN INFLUENTIAL GROUP OF POPCON HAWKS HAVE ALSO BEEN QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENE POOL ARGUMENTS FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS TO RETAIN THE POTENTIAL FOR REPRODUCTION CAN NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED. THE REALITY, IT IS ARGUED, IS THAT AN IDENTIFIABLE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WILL NEVER RECEIVE MERIT LICENCES AND THE PROSPECT OF LOTTERY LICENCES – CLOSE TO A ZERO PROBABILITY - IS AN UNREALISTIC AND CRUEL DECEPTION.

HARDLINERS ALSO POINT TO THE NEED FOR BETTER MONITORING OF BIRTHS OCCURRING IN RURAL OR REMOTE AREAS, CURRENTLY OUTSIDE EFFECTIVE DISTRICT CONTROL. AS STATISTICS FOR THESE AREAS FREQUENTLY DO NOT REFLECT THEIR FULL BIRTH-RATE, IT IS SAID, THE REDUCTION OF WORLD POPULATION REPORTED IN OFFICIAL NUMBERS IS BOUND TO BE OVEROPTIMISTIC.

THIS IMPACT MAY, ITSELF, BE GREATER THAN OFFICIALLY ADMITTED BECAUSE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE THOUGHT TO TRAVEL TO SUCH AREAS FOR SO-CALLED ‘BIRTH-TOURISM’. THE RESULTING CHILDREN ARE NOT ‘LOWFOOTPRINT’, LIKE THE INDIGENOUS RURAL POPULATIONS, INSTEAD RETURNING HOME TO CREATE ALL THE WARMING IMPACT OF ANY LICENSED BUT HIGH CONSUMING CHILD IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD. IN SUPPORT OF THIS HARD-LINE STANCE, THE HAWKS CITE AN INCREASING AND UNEXPLAINED DISCREPANCY BETWEEN BIRTH RATES AND RATES OF ADMISSION TO SCHOOLS. THE CHIEF COUNTER-ARGUMENT - THAT LOTTERY IS ALL THAT PREVENTS WIDESCALE PUBLIC DISORDER – IS THOUGHT STILL TO HOLD A SLIM POLITICAL ADVANTAGE BUT WITH WORLDSTATE ROTATIONAL RETIREMENTS DUE, NEXT MONTH, THE BALANCE COULD EASILY SHIFT. AT PRESENT, SOME KEY MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE ARE KNOWN NOT TO FAVOUR FURTHER CRIMINALISATION OF PREGNANCY. THE MAIN REASON CITED IS THE DIFFICULTY OF ESTABLISHING INTENT. LEGAL PRECEDENTS EXIST OF SUCCESSFUL DEFENCES BASED ON HORMONAL IMBALANCE - THE SO CALLED 'BROODY SYNDROME' WHICH, IT IS CLAIMED, RENDERS MANY WOMEN LEGALLY INSANE IN THIS MATTER. THE THEORETICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CONCEPT HAVE HAD LAWYERS TIED UP IN KNOTS FOR YEARS.

EDITORIAL OPINION:

A PRAGMATIC VIEWPOINT APPEARS TO REQUIRE THAT ANY RATIONAL INDIVIDUAL SHOULD GIVE MORE WEIGHT TO THE PRESSURES OF POPULATION THAN TO SELFISH INSTINCT. YET IT SEEMS THAT, NO MATTER HOW OBVIOUS THE INTELLECTUAL ARGUMENTS ARE TO US, WE CANNOT GET RID OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS URGE TO REPRODUCE OURSELVES.

THE GREATEST IRONY IS THAT THIS INSTINCT FOR GLOBAL SELF DESTRUCTION HAS DERIVED FROM THE VERY INTERNAL FORCES WHICH PERMITTED EARLY MAN TO PROSPER IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT AND FUELLED MOST OF OUR BASIC DEVELOPMENT. THE ABILITY, THE DRIVE TO REPRODUCE RAPIDLY WAS A 'SURVIVAL' TRAIT. IT REMAINED SO FOR AS LONG AS WE COULD NOT IRREVOCABLY ALTER THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVED, FOR AS LONG AS THAT WORLD COULD IMPOSE LIMITS OF HUNGER, OF CLIMATE OR OF DISEASE. ONCE WE COULD FORCE MORE FOOD OUT OF OUR WORLD THAN IT WILLINGLY GAVE, ONCE WE COULD BUILD SHELTERS FROM THE COLD AND FIGHT DISEASE, IT BECAME OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SET OUR OWN LIMITS - AND, AT FIRST, WE DID. IT WASN'T INTENTIONAL - JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE BASIC SURVIVAL INSTINCTS. WE FOUGHT WARS.

THE HORROR OF WAR IS WELL DOCUMENTED. IT KILLS PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO DIE, WHICH IS CONSIDERED UNCIVILISED BEHAVIOUR. AS WE DEVELOPED INTELLECTUALLY, WE LIKED IT LESS AND LESS, YET WE DID IT MORE AND MORE BECAUSE THE PRESSURE OF POPULATION WAS TOO GREAT. WE REDUCED OUR NUMBERS INSTINCTIVELY, LONG BEFORE THE CRISIS LEVELS OF TODAY, BECAUSE EVOLUTION BUILT ANOTHER KEY PRIORITY INTO US - IF WE CAN'T ALL SURVIVE, WE ENSURE THAT OUR GROUP WILL SURVIVE. TO THIS END, WE FORMED OURSELVES INTO ENDLESS GROUPS AND SUB-GROUPS AND THOSE GROUPS FOUGHT EACH OTHER FOR SURVIVAL OR DOMINANCE, WHICH COME TO THE SAME THING IN THE END.

SO WE KEPT FIGHTING BIGGER AND BIGGER WARS, UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT SO GOOD AT IT THAT THE NEXT STEP WAS TOTAL SELF DESTRUCTION. MUCH HAS BEEN SAID AND WRITTEN ABOUT THE TRIUMPH OF CIVILISATION IMPLIED BY THE NON-USE OF THE GREAT WEAPONS BUT COLD LOGIC SAYS THAT IT WAS SIMPLY SURVIVAL AGAIN.

ONCE IT WAS CLEAR THAT NO GROUP WOULD SURVIVE A WAR, THE PURPOSE OF THE WAR WAS REMOVED. WE HAD CHEATED NATURE'S LATEST ATTEMPT AT IMPOSING A LIMIT ON US AND, TRUE TO OUR INSTINCTS, OUR POPULATION EXPLODED. THE NATIONAL GROUPINGS DIMINISHED IN IMPORTANCE BUT WE NEVER LOST THE INSTINCTS FOR GROUP SURVIVAL.

NOBODY EVER REALLY DISPUTES THAT WE MUST CONTROL OUR POPULATION. THEY SIMPLY INSIST THAT THE CONTROLS SHOULD APPLY TO SOMEONE ELSE. OUR CIVILISATION DEMANDS THAT SUCH INEVITABLY FORCIBLE MEASURES SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AND OUR SELF-INTEREST REQUIRES THAT THEY ARE NOT TAKEN RANDOMLY. AFTER ALL, LEAVING SUCH MATTERS TO CHANCE COULD AFFECT US ALL. WHAT HAS TO BE FOUND, IN THE CASE OF EACH GROUPING, IS SOME ACCEPTABLE JUSTIFICATION.

EARLY LAWS ON STERILISATION OF VIOLENT OFFENDERS ARE THE SIMPLEST EXAMPLE. IT COULD EASILY BE ARGUED THAT, BY REFUSING TO ALLOW SUCH PROVEN ANTISOCIAL TYPES TO PRODUCE CHILDREN, MOST OF THE 'HEREDITY' AND A LARGE PART OF THE 'ENVIRONMENT' ELEMENTS COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE AGE OLD QUESTION OF 'WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO COMMIT CRIMES?' THE EXTENSION OF THIS, ON A SUPPOSEDLY VOLUNTARY BASIS, TO THOSE CONVICTED OF NON-VIOLENT CRIMES (AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO SPECIFIED TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT) IS ALSO EASILY ARGUED. THE PRAGMATISTS ARGUE, THEN, THAT UNLICENSED PREGNANCY IS OBVIOUSLY ANTI-SOCIAL AND THAT A TENDENCY TO IT IS LIKELY TO BE GENETIC.

IF THE FURTHER CRIMINALISATION OF PREGNANCY IS UNACCEPTABLE, THEN THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION IS THE DE-CRIMINALISATION OF THE MOST SOCIALLY EFFECTIVE PUNISHMENT, I.E. TRANSPORTATION. IF THE STIGMA WERE REMOVED FROM THAT, EMIGRATION COULD BE OFFERED TO ALL LIKELY OFFENDERS, AS A CARROT BEFORE THE EVENT, RATHER THAN A STICK AFTER IT. LAWYERS AND SEMANTICIANS TRY TO ARGUE THAT THIS OPENS A WHOLE NEW CAN OF LEGAL WORMS OVER THE TREATMENT OF ACTUAL OFFENDERS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF 'LIKELY OFFENDERS', SO NO EARLY LEGISLATION IS EXPECTED, UNDER THE CURRENT CROP OF WORLDSTATE DIRECTORS. THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF CULTURAL OR RACIAL PREDISPOSITIONS HAS ALSO REENTERED THE DEBATE. 'SHOULD WE TRANSPORT ALL PEOPLE OF ETHNIC CHINESE ORIGIN? SHOULD WE SEND ALL THE ZULUS TO ONE PLANET AND LET THEM RULE THEMSELVES?' I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE VERY WORDS WERE UTTERED BY A MEMBER OF THE SECOND CHAMBER, LAST WEEK. THE CONTEXT WAS ONE OF OPPOSITION TO ANY RACIAL SELECTION CRITERIA AND OTHERS WENT ON TO POINT OUT THE IMPRACTICALITY OF IDENTIFYING OR EVEN DEFINING ANY ONE ETHNIC GROUPING, IN THE INTERLINKED AND OVERLAPPING WORLD OF TODAY. BUT – AND THIS IS POLITICALLY SIGNIFICANT - THE FACT THAT THE WORDS WERE USED AT ALL SHOWS THAT LINES ARE BEING DRAWN, GROUPINGS ARE FORMING.

THE LAST TIME THIS SORT OF SOLUTION WAS SERIOUSLY RAISED WAS BEFORE THE SECOND GLOBAL WAR - AND IT LED TO EVENTS WHICH STILL STAND OUT IN HISTORY WITH SHAME. IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE AS A RACE AND DO SO WITH ANY DEGREE OF THE CIVILISATION TO WHICH WE ASPIRE, WE MUST EACH TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LIMITING THE POPULATION OF EARTH - IF NECCESARY BY LEAVING IT.

Third

There was nothing extraordinary about the schoolyard. The same scene could be found in any Pre-specialist school anywhere. The impression was not as decrepit as service grade but, still, there is little point in big investment until kids start to specialise.

The asphalt was much repaired, its half obscured game lines testifying how rarely organisation took over out here. The crumbling cladding of the walls spoke of neglect, delay, low priority and lack of investment.

Several hundred equally neglected boys of eight to thirteen were running riot under the disinterested eye of one bored teacher. He was short, thin and stooped slightly at the shoulder. His head, on a disproportionately long neck, was all angles, sharp and thrust forward aggressively by his customary stance. His moustache was badly in need of a trim and he had cut himself shaving. This had not improved his temper.

Three classes had already suffered his biting sarcasm as a result. Once, that would have made him feel guilty. Once, he might even have been able to restrain himself from venting his anger where it was not deserved, no matter how easy the target.

A dirty red commercial with darkened screens was moored in the canal, outside the main gate. It had arrived as the boys burst out for their morning break but no one had got out. It heaved sluggishly on the crusted water, saved from drifting by only its automatic landing hooks. Clearly, the occupants wanted to be able to leave without delay. The teacher got up to make a cursory tour of the yard and his charges parted before him like the bow wave of a ship. Like its wake, they closed in again behind him, agitated by his passing.

His heavy lidded eyes missed little as he walked but most of the rules were broken a thousand times a day. What did it matter if he punished the infractions that he saw? Punishments meant more work for him and, to the brats, they were somewhere between an occupational hazard and irrelevant.

As he reached the gate, the side window of the commercial slid down, revealing a shadowy figure inside. In response to a low voiced request, the teacher stalked over and stood talking for a few minutes. At one point, he looked startled and glanced over his shoulder as if to check that no-one was listening. Then he reached into the cab and took a fat packet, which he stuffed into the front of his grubby jacket. The window slid up again and the rear doors sprang ajar, without opening.

A few moments later, when the bell rang for the restart, the teacher would not let Jean- Michel go in with the rest. They stood near the gate while the boy took one of the worst tongue-lashings he had ever endured. It was far from being undeserved but it was decidedly unexpected. Sharpie didn’t usually bother about such things.

When he felt his arms pinned, he had some vague idea that he was being taken to some special school for difficult children. Whether this was from something that Sharpie said or an idea of his own was unclear, but before it could fully form, he felt a pad over his mouth and nose and he lost consciousness in the back of the commercial. Releasing the landing hooks, it lifted and sped away from the dock.

The teacher sauntered back inside. For the first time in a long while, his pupils saw him smile. It worried them.

Jean-Michel woke hungry. This in itself was not disturbing; he had woken that way every morning that he could remember. What was strange was that he could not remember his dinner from the night before. To any boy of ten, meals are the most important events of the day. To Jean-Michel, who had scarcely had a full belly in his life, they were doubly important. The realisation that he could not even remember his pitiful scrap of school delivered lunch was stunning.

Only as a secondary impression to the state of his own stomach, did jean-Michel notice that he was not in his own bed– not even in his own dormitory.. Curiosity took over from hunger completely and he sat up quickly. He was in a narrow cubicle, just wide enough for the metal bed and scant space to walk at the side. There was no window but light was coming dimly from rows of grubby Perspex tiles in the roof. Judging by the length of roof he could see, the room must be as long as the gym and he could see more cubicles on