День триффидов
The Coming of the Triffids
Newfieldsweregrowingquickcropsonwhathadhistoricallybeensimplytundraorbarrenland.Everyseason,too,stretchesofdesertbotholdandrecentwerereclaimedandmadetogrowgrassorfood.Forfoodwasthenourmostpressingproblem,andtheprogressoftheregenerationschemes,andtheadvanceofthecultivationlinesonthemaps,wasfollowedwithalmostasmuchattentionasanearliergenerationhadpaidtobattlefronts.
Suchaswerveofinterestfromswordstoplowshareswasundoubtedlyasocialimprovement,but,atthesametime,itwasamistakefortheoptimistictoclaimitasshowingachangeinthehumanspirit.Thehumanspiritcontinuedmuchasbefore—95percentofitwantingtoliveinpeace,andtheotherSpercentconsideringitschancesifitshouldriskstartinganything.Itwaschieflybecausenoone’schanceslookedtoogoodthatthelullcontinued.
Meanwhile,withsomethingliketwenty-fivemillionnewmouthsbawlingforfoodeveryyear,thesupplyproblembecamesteadilyworse,andafteryearsofineffectivepropagandaacoupleofatrociousharvestshadatlastmadethepeopleawareofitsurgency.
Thefactorwhichhadcausedthemilitant5percenttorelaxawhilefromfomentingdiscordwasthesatellites.Sustainedresearchinrocketryhadatlastsucceededinattainingoneofitsobjectives.Ithadsentupamissilewhichstayedup.Itwas,infact,possibletofirearocketfarenoughupforittofallintoanorbit.
