Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 10 - The Statue Of Dr. Kang (IX)

"That's it?" demanded Dr. Kang, after all the census rocks had been counted. "Your birth rate is barely above replacement levels."

"I don't know what that means," said Keely, for what seemed like the billionth time. Dr. Kang appeared to speak for strange motives that didn't include making himself understood.

She was sitting cross-legged beside the three small piles of stones. Dr. Kang was assembling the Lathe from the pieces McAfree molded before she left, after declaring Yig unfit to the task.

"These stones represent every person on the planet?" asked Kang. "You're absolutely certain? Everyone?"

"That's everyone in the village," said Keely.

"That isn't what I asked," replied Kang.

"There are nomadic tribes that live on the outskirts of our lands," admitted Keely. "They are not our people though. They will not help us."

"Perhaps not at the moment," said Dr. Kang. "If you want to make any serious progress on your uplift though we're going to have to assimilate them."

"I don't know what-" began Keely.

"Conquest,"snapped Kang. "We will dissolve their tribes and incorporate their peoples into our own."

"How do you expect to do that?" asked Keely, skeptically.

"How does anyone?" asked Dr. Kang. "Through force."

"What?" demanded Keely.

"I'm making high enough quality iron now that I can start working on steel. I'll be able to make steel-headed axes that can double as weapons. Add to that some wooden shields and those nomads will be no match for your warriors."

"What about the nomads?" asked Keely.

"They'll join or die," said Dr. Kang, simply.

"And your plan is, what, to force them to work?"

"Listen, time is of the essence here. If your people are going to pull yourselves back up to the stars by your bootstraps then you'll need a planetary government. The only stable form of government is a planetary-level government," explained Dr. Kang. "You can't have rogue states running around, undermining your civilization, and depriving you of surplus labour. This will benefit the nomads too. I'll raise their standard of living so high that their children won't recognize their parents way of life."

"And what about the children of the people that get killed to bring this all about?" demanded Keely.

"They'll still be better off," said Kang, and he gave the completed Lathe an absent-minded spin.

* * *

Keely, Yig and their grandfather met together in the temple, without Dr. Kang, to discuss his casual call for war. Grandfather sat heavily in his uncomfortable chair while his grandchildren stood.

"He asks too much this time, Grandfather," said Keely. "We can't simply follow him blindly to our complete disgrace."

"I agree with the words of the chosen one," said Grandfather. "The nomadic tribes are our enemies. They raid our farms and spit on our dignity. If we can be made to dominate them without any loss of our own people we should do so. Even if it wasn't the will of the chosen one, even if it wouldn't help us achieve our promised destiny, we should still do it for no other reason than they are our enemies."

"Enemies or not we can't simply force them to join us. How then are we any better?" asked Keely.

"The chosen one has proclaimed us the masters of this whole world. I agree with him."

"Dr. Kang has helped us so much already," said Yig. "The nomads will benefit as well if they join us."

"If they are made to join us," Keely corrected him. "We could come to them in peace. We could offer them the opportunity to join. Some would."

"Some would," agreed Grandfather. "Some but not all. The chosen one requires all. His time is limited and mine even moreso. I would see our people's destiny achieved before I die. If this costs the lives of a few of our barbarian neighbors then so be it."

Yig looked at Keely pleadingly. He obviously understood her position, but just as obviously he agreed with Grandfather.

"I can't speak forever," continued Grandfather. "I must rest. Come to me only if there is new information. Until then do exactly as the chosen one says. He is our guide through the forest of ignorance back into the light of civilization."

"That's a nice way of saying he's going to make us all complicit in murder," snarled Keely.

"Enough," said Grandfather. "I have made my decision. Now I sleep."

Keely's face darkened. She understood finally why Dr. Kang was so at odds with the others in his own tribe.