Illustrated by van Dongen
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Astounding Science Fiction August 1957.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
I
"The probability of unfavorable consequences cannot be zero in anyaction of common life, but the probability increases by a very highpower as a series of actions is lengthened. The effect of moralconsiderations, in conduct, may be stated to be a mathematicallyverifiable reduction in the number of unfavorable possible chancehappenings. Of course, whether this process is termed the intelligentuse of probability, or ethics, or piety, makes no difference in thefact. It is the method by which unfavorable chance happenings are madeleast probable. Arbitrary actions such as we call criminal cannot everbe justified by mathematics. For example ..."
Probability and Human Conduct
Fitzgerald
Calhoun lay in his bunk and read Fitzgerald on "Probability and HumanConduct" as the little Med Ship floated in overdrive. In overdrivetravel there is nothing to do but pass the time away. Murgatroyd, thetormal, slept curled up in a ball in one corner of the small ship'scabin. His tail was meticulously curled about his nose. The ship'slights burned steadily. There were those small random noises whichhave to be provided to keep a man sane in the dead stillness of a shiptraveling at thirty times the speed of light. Calhoun turned a page andyawned.
Something stirred somewhere. There was a click, and a taped voice said:
"When the tone sounds, break-out will be five seconds off."
A metronomic ticking, grave and deliberate, resounded in the stillness.Calhoun heaved himself up from the bunk and marked his place in thebook. He moved to and seated himself in the control chair and fastenedthe safety belt. He said:
"Murgatroyd! Hark, hark the lark in Heaven's something-or-other dothsing. Wake up and comb your whiskers. We're getting there."
Murgatroyd opened one eye and saw Calhoun in the pilot's chair. Heuncurled himself and padded to a place where there was something tograb hold of. He regarded Calhoun with bright eyes.
"BONG!" said the tape. It counted down."Five—four—three—two—one—"
It stopped. The ship popped out of overdrive. The sensation wasunmistakable. Calhoun's stomach seemed to turn over twice, and he hada sickish feeling of spiraling dizzily in what was somehow a cone. Heswallowed. Murgatroyd made gulping noises. Outside, everything changed.
The sun Maris blazed silently in emptiness off to port. The Cetisstar-cluster was astern, and the light by which it could be seen hadtraveled for many years to reach here, though Calhoun had left MedHeadquarters only three weeks before. The third planet of Maris swungsplendidly in its orbit. Calhoun checked, and nodded in satisfaction.He spoke over his shoulder to Murgatroyd.
"We're here, all right."
"Chee!" shrilled Murgatroyd.
He uncoiled his tail from about a cabinet-handle and hopped up to lookat the vision-screen. What he saw, of course, meant nothing to him. Butall tormals imitate the actions of human beings, as parrots imitatetheir speech. He blinked wisely at the screen and turned his eyes toCalhoun.
"It's Maris III," Calhoun told him, "and pretty close. It's a colonyof Dettra Two. One city was reported started two Earth-years ago. Itshould just about be colonized now."
"Chee-chee!" shrilled Murgatroyd.
"So get out of the way,"