Грань будущего
Chapter 3
Thespacecraftferryingcoloniststothenewworldwouldarriveafterthenanobotshadalreadycompletedthetransformation.
Thescholarsamongthesepeoplequestionedwhetheritwasethicaltodestroytheexistingenvironmentofaplanetwithoutfirstexaminingit.Afterall,oncedone,theprocesscouldnotbeundone.Itseemedreasonabletoconcludethataplanetsoreadilyadaptedtosupportlifefromtheirownworldmightalsohostindigenouslife,perhapsevenintelligentlife,ofitsown.Wasitright,theyasked,tostealaworld,sightunseen,fromitsnativeinhabitants?
Thecreatorsofthedevicearguedthattheircivilizationwasbuiltonadvancementsthatcouldnotbeundone.Toexpandtheirterritory,theyhadnevershiedawayfromsacrificinglesserlifeinthepast.Forestshadbeencleared,swampsdrained,damsbuilt.Therehadbeencountlessexamplesofpeopledestroyinghabitatsanddrivingspeciestoextinctionfortheirownbenefit.Iftheycoulddothisontheirownplanet,whyshouldsomeunknownworldinthevoidofspacebetreateddifferently?
Thescholarsinsistedthattheecoformingofaplanetwhichmightharborintelligentliferequireddirectoversight.Theirprotestswererecorded,considered,andultimatelyignored.
Therewereconcernsmorepressingthanthepreservationofwhateverlifemightbeunwittinglystompedoutbytheirecoformingprojects.Thepeoplehadgrowntoonumerousfortheirownplanet,andsotheyrequiredanothertosupporttheirburgeoningpopulation.
