'The Scavengers'
Novelette, 9500 words
The ship was in a hurry
"Sometimes a civilization has got to be rescued -- whether it
wants to or not!" White borrowed this premise, with permission,
from Arthur C. Clarke's classic novelette, 'Rescue Party' (Astounding,
May 1946). Captian Spence reflects upon the "knight in shining
armour" emotional state of Harrison, a rookie crew member: "The
captain had felt that way when he was a new boy. Somehow,
the feeling never quite wore off. It came of belonging to
an organization dedicated to the job of protecting, assisting,
and keeping the noses clean generally of every race in the galaxy
that walked, wriggled, or flew and had intelligence." The
Force -- take that, George Lucas! -- is a precursor of the altruistic
Monitor Corps that runs Sector General.
Synopsis by graham Andrews
|
