«Decision at Doona», Anne McCaffrey
CHARACTERS
Hrruban:
First Speaker Hrruna
Second Speaker for External Affairs Hrrto
Third Speaker for Internal Affairs
Fourth Speaker for Education
Fifth Speaker for Health and Medicine
Sixth Speaker for Production
Seventh Speaker for Management
Eighth Speaker for Computers
Senior Scout Chief Hrral
Hrrestan – elder of village
Mrrva – his mate
Hrriss – their son
Hrrula – young man of the village
Hrran – Duty Officer on Hrruba
Mrrim – Technician
Terran:
Kenneth Reeve, jack of all trades
Patricia Reeve, his wife
Ilsa, 10, Todd, 6
Hu Shih and Phyllis Hu
Sam and Aurie Gaynor
Victor and Anne Solinari
Lee and Sally Lawrence
Macy and Dot McKee
Ezra and Kate Moody
Bill Moody – their son
Martin and Fawzia Ramasan
Alfred Ramasan – their son
Ben and Akosua Adjei
Abe and Becky Dautrish
Buzz and Anneck Eckerd
Captain Ali Kiachif of the ship Astrid
Commander Al Landreau, Spacedep
Mr. E. K. Chaminade, Codep (Colonial Department)
Admiral Afroza Sumitral, Alreldep (Alien Relations Department)
Chapter I. CONFERENCE
THE PLANET RECEDED to a small, blue-green sphere, the lesser of its two satellites beginning to pass across the retreating face of its primary, a pearly tear in the north-east hemisphere. The film ended with such abruptness that there was a pause before the viewers reacted with the customary throat-clearing and chair-shuffling.
The First Speaker motioned for silence and bowed courteously toward the Senior Scout whose inner apprehension defied his attempts to suppress it.
“Thank you, Senior Scout, for such an effective visual presentation,” the First Speaker began blandly. “The planet is, as you have reported, a pastoral jewel.”
"Exactly!" And the Third Speaker rose to his feet, turning slightly to First but not waiting for permission to address the group. "Exactly. A pastoral jewel and utterly useless since its mineral and metal deposits are too negligible to warrant the high cost of extraction. We'd do much better working on that turbulent volcanic planet in Sector – " he glanced at his notes, "9A-23. It's far more important for us to increase our stores of the rare elements so abundant there than to mess around with pastoral jewels."
The Senior Scout and the Chief of Extraterritorial Explorations exchanged quick, concerned glances, but when the Chief leaned forward to their sponsor, the Second Speaker, he received a barely perceptible nod of reassurance.
“I believe Fourth has information relevant to 9A-23 and its exploitation,” First suggested.
The Fourth Speaker rose, shrugging his robe into place over his shoulder.
“There is, unfortunately, no possibility of opening 9A-23 to an exploitation venture.” He gave a wry grimace. “There have been no applicants for the courses required to train personnel for the complicated mining procedures necessary to such a closed unit project.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Third muttered indignantly.
Fourth swiveled slightly toward Third, his attitude mildly rebuking him for his aside.
“In fact, there have been very few applications for any training courses in recent years except . . .”
“We'll go into your report in detail in a few minutes, Fourth,” the First Speaker broke in smoothly. “However, Fourth merely underscores one of the many reasons why we are here to consider the opening of that lovely pastoral planet to colonization.”
“Colonization?” Third exploded.
“Exactly. And immediately.”
“I fail to see how opening that useless planet to colonization can help us get trained personnel to man a mining operation on 9A-23.”
"With your kind permission?" said First, his irony so uncharacteristic that Third subsided instantly, looking chagrined. "This lovely place, graciously endowed with clean, fresh air, land, water, lakes, streams, fields, mountains, deserts, abounding with all manner of wild life, yet none sentient enough to violate our Prime Rule, vast stretches of uninhabited space – " and he caught the involuntary shudder that seized the Third Speaker. "A planet so close to what our home world once was as to be its twin is perfect as a retraining ground."
Undaunted, the Third Speaker rose to his feet, his eyes round, his visage reflecting distaste and concern.
“Good sir, a hundred years ago the Ruar System proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by 87% of the voting adults. You cannot be proposing to revive that old wheeze about a return to the simple, pure, primitive life. Why, who'd put up with such deprivations?”
The Senior Scout wondered if he could control himself.