Звездный десант

           Doyouknowhowfastpopulationpressurecouldcauseustofilltheentireuniverseshouldertoshoulder?Theanswerwillastoundyou,justtheflickerofaneyeintermsoftheageofourrace.

           Tryit—it’sacompound-interestexpansion.

           ButdoesManhaveany"right"tospreadthroughtheuniverse?

           Maniswhatheis,awildanimalwiththewilltosurvive,and(sofar)theability,againstallcompetition.Unlessoneacceptsthat,anythingonesaysaboutmorals,war,politics—younameit--isnonsense.CorrectmoralsarisefromknowingwhatManis--notwhatdogoodersandwell-meaningoldAuntNellieswouldlikehimtobe.

           Theuniversewillletusknow—later--whetherornotManhasany"right"toexpandthroughit.

           InthemeantimetheM.I.willbeinthere,onthebounceandswinging,onthesideofourownrace.

           Towardtheendeachofuswasshippedouttoserveunderanexperiencedcombatcommander.Thiswasasemifinalexamination,your‘board-shipinstructorcoulddecidethatyoudidn’thavewhatittakes.YoucoulddemandaboardbutIneverheardofanybodywhodid;theyeithercamebackwithanupcheckorweneversawthemagain.

           Somehadn’tfailed;itwasjustthattheywerekilled--becauseassignmentsweretoshipsabouttogointoaction.