Industrial Revolution Read online

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  Transcriber's Note:

  This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction September 1963. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

 

  INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

  Ever think how deadly a thing it is if a machine has amnesia-- or how easily it can be arranged....

  BY WINSTON P. SANDERS

  ILLUSTRATED BY LEO SUMMERS

  * * * * *

  "Well, yes," Amspaugh admitted, "it was a unique war in many ways,including its origin. However, there are so many analogies to othercolonial revolutions--" His words trailed off as usual.

  "I know. Earth's mercantile policies and so forth," said Lindgren. Hefancies himself a student of interplanetary history. This has led toquite a few arguments since Amspaugh, who teaches in that field,joined the Club. Mostly they're good. I went to the bar and got myselfanother drink, listening as the mine owner's big voice went on:

  "But what began it? When did the asterites first start realizing theyweren't pseudopods of a dozen Terrestrial nations, but a single nationin their own right? There's the root of the revolution. And it can bepinned down, too."

  "'Ware metaphor!" cried someone at my elbow. I turned and saw MissyBlades. She'd come quietly into the lounge and started mixing a ginand bitters.

  The view window framed her white head in Orion as she moved toward thelittle cluster of seated men. She took a fat cigar from her pocket,struck it on her shoe sole, and added her special contribution to theblue cloud in the room after she sat down.

  "Excuse me," she said. "I couldn't help that. Please go on." Which Ihope relieves you of any fear that she's an Unforgettable Character.Oh, yes, she's old as Satan now; her toil and guts and conniving makeup half the biography of the Sword; she manned a gun turret at Ceres,and was mate of the _Tyrfing_ on some of the earliest Saturn runs whenmen took their lives between their teeth because they needed bothhands free; her sons and grandsons fill the Belt with their brawlingventures; she can drink any ordinary man to the deck; she's one of thethree women ever admitted to the Club. But she's also one of the fewgenuine ladies I've known in my life.

  "Uh, well," Lindgren grinned at her. "I was saying, Missy, the germ ofthe revolution was when the Stations armed themselves. You see, thatmeant more than police powers. It implied a degree of sovereignty.Over the years, the implication grew."

  "Correct." Orloff nodded his bald head. "I remember how the GoverningCommission squalled when the Station managers first demanded theright. They foresaw trouble. But if the Stations belonging to onecountry put in space weapons, what else could the others do?"

  "They should have stuck together and all been firm about refusing toallow it," Amspaugh said. "From the standpoint of their own bestinterests, I mean."

  "They tried to," Orloff replied. "I hate to think how manycommunications we sent home from our own office, and the others musthave done the same. But Earth was a long way off. The Station bosseswere close. Inverse square law of political pressure."

  "I grant you, arming each new little settlement proved important,"Amspaugh said. "But really, it expressed nothing more than the firstinchoate stirrings of asteroid nationalism. And the origins of thatare much more subtle and complex. For instance ... er...."

  "You've got to have a key event somewhere," Lindgren insisted. "I saythat this was it."

  A silence fell, as will happen in conversation. I came back from thebar and settled myself beside Missy. She looked for a while into herdrink, and then out to the stars. The slow spin of our rock had nowbrought the Dippers into view. Her faded eyes sought the PoleStar--but it's Earth's, not our own any more--and I wondered whatmemories they were sharing. She shook herself the least bit and said:

  "I don't know about the sociological ins and outs. All I know is, alot of things happened, and there wasn't any pattern to them at thetime. We just slogged through as best we were able, which wasn'treally very good. But I can identify one of those wriggling roots foryou, Sigurd. I was there when the question of arming the Stationsfirst came up. Or, rather, when the incident occurred that leddirectly to the question being raised."

  Our whole attention went to her. She didn't dwell on the past as oftenas we would have liked.

  A slow, private smile crossed her lips. She looked beyond us again."As a matter of fact," she murmured, "I got my husband out of it."Then quickly, as if to keep from remembering too much:

  "Do you care to hear the story? It was when the Sword was just gettingstarted. They'd established themselves on SSC 45--oh, never mind thecatalogue number. Sword Enterprises, because Mike Blades' namesuggested it--what kind of name could you get out of Jimmy Chung, evenif he was the senior partner? It'd sound too much like a collisionwith a meteorite--so naturally the asteroid also came to be called theSword. They began on the borrowed shoestring that was usual in thosedays. Of course, in the Belt a shoestring has to be mighty long, andfinances got stretched to the limit. The older men here will know howmuch had to be done by hand, in mortal danger, because machines weretoo expensive. But in spite of everything, they succeeded. The Stationwas functional and they were ready to start business when--"

  * * * * *

  It was no coincidence that the Jupiter craft were arriving steadilywhen the battleship came. Construction had been scheduled with this inmind, that the Sword should be approaching conjunction with the kingplanet, making direct shuttle service feasible, just as the chemicalplant went into service. We need not consider how much struggle andheartbreak had gone into meeting that schedule. As for the battleship,she appeared because the fact that a Station in just this orbit wasabout to commence operations was news important enough to cross theSolar System and push through many strata of bureaucracy. The heads ofthe recently elected North American government became suddenly, fullyaware of what had been going on.

  Michael Blades was outside, overseeing the installation of a receptor,when his earplug buzzed. He thrust his chin against the tuning plate,switching from gang to interoffice band. "Mike?" said Avis Page'svoice, "You're wanted up front."

  "Now?" he objected. "Whatever for?"

  "Courtesy visit from the NASS _Altair_. You've lost track of time, myboy."

  "What the ... the jumping blue blazes are you talking about? We've hadour courtesy visit. Jimmy and I both went over to pay our respects,and we had Rear Admiral Hulse here to dinner. What more do theyexpect, for Harry's sake?"

  "Don't you remember? Since there wasn't room to entertain hisofficers, you promised to take them on a personal guided tour later. Imade the appointment the very next watch. Now's the hour."

  "Oh, yes, it comes back to me. Yeah. Hulse brought a magnum ofchampagne with him, and after so long a time drinking recycled water,my capacity was shot to pieces. I got a warm glow of good fellowshipon, and offered--Let Jimmy handle it, I'm busy."

  "The party's too large, he says. You'll have to take half of them.Their gig will dock in thirty minutes."

  "Well, depute somebody else."

  "That'd be rude, Mike. Have you forgotten how sensitive they are aboutrank at home?" Avis hesitated. "If what I believe about the mood backthere is true, we can use the good will of high-level Navy personnel.And any other influential people in sight."

  Blades drew a deep breath. "You're too blinking sensible. Remind me tofire you after I've made my first ten million bucks."

  "Wh
at'll you do for your next ten million, then?" snipped hissecretary-file clerk-confidante-adviser-et cetera.

  "Nothing. I'll just squander the first."

  "Goody! Can I help?"

  "Uh ... I'll be right along." Blades switched off. His ears felt hot,as often of late when he tangled with Avis, and he unlimbered only afew choice oaths.

  "Troubles?" asked Carlos Odonaju.

  Blades stood a moment, looking around, before he answered. He was onthe wide end of the Sword, which was shaped roughly like a truncatedpyramid. Beyond him and his half dozen men stretched a vista of pittedrock, jutting