Звездный десант

           Sowhathappens?Dotheystayfrozenattheirpresentlevelwhiletherestofthehumanracemovesonpastthem,untiltheyarelivingfossils,asoutofplaceasapithecanthropusinaspaceship?

           OrwilltheyworryaboutthefateoftheirdescendantsanddosethemselvesregularlywithX-raysormaybesetofflotsofdirty-typenuclearexplosionseachyeartobuildupafalloutreservoirintheiratmosphere?(Accepting,ofcourse,theimmediatedangersofradiationtothemselvesinordertoprovideapropergeneticheritageofmutationforthebenefitoftheirdescendants.)

           Thisblokepredictedthattheywouldnotdoanything.Heclaimsthatthehumanraceistooindividualistic,tooself-centered,toworrythatmuchaboutfuturegenerations.Hesaysthatthegeneticimpoverishmentofdistantgenerationsthroughlackofradiationissomethingmostpeoplearesimplyincapableofworryingabout.Andofcourseitisafar-distantthreat;evolutionworkssoslowly,evenonTerra,thatthedevelopmentofanewspeciesisamatterofmany,manythousandsofyears.

           Idon’tknow.Shucks,Idon’tknowwhatImyselfwilldomorethanhalfthetime;howcanIpredictwhatacolonyofstrangerswilldo?ButI’msureofthis:Sanctuaryisgoingtobefullysettled,eitherbyusorbytheBugs.Orbysomebody.Itisapotentialutopia,and,withdesirablerealestatesoscarceinthisendoftheGalaxy,itwillnotbeleftinthepossessionofprimitivelifeformsthatfailedtomakethegrade.