Mass media -- Audiences -- Fiction; Science fiction; Short stories; Space flight to the moon -- Fiction; Stowaways -- Fiction
"The Guard's dead," Brooks said. "I killed him with an electrodrill. I
can keep this neurogun on you until you die too. Open the doors; don't
try to stop me from going out there."
The pilot choked. "I'll not try to stop you. Go ahead. Why should I try
to stop you?"
"You'd better _not_ try to stop me," Brooks said. "Let me tell you
something. Listen, the Sensory Shows are no good. They create an
_illusion_ of happiness for us, like dope. Anything that makes an
illusion of happiness with no basis in reality--that's wrong; it's the
same threat to a man's mind that learning to stop being hungry without
eating would be to your body. Isn't that right?"
The pilot's mouth hung wordlessly open.
"I'll tell you what's wrong." Brooks' voice was loud. "A dream has
to be possible to find in reality, or it's no good. That's where
Personology's wrong. Dreams are no good if they can't come true; what
good are wishes and hopes and ambitions if you can't find them except
in a Sensory Show? Answer me that!"
"I--ah--" the pilot said.
"I'll answer it," Brooks shouted. "They're no good at all; they're
bad. It won't last. People will revolt, or they'll rot sooner or
later. Maybe I'm the first and there'll be more; maybe I'm the last
and everybody'll rot! I'm in love with Glora Delar, see! Really in
love--you understand that? Listen, you stupid dolt, don't tell me she's
your favorite Actress, too! It doesn't mean anything. You don't have
the nerve to do anything about it. The question is: can she ever be in
love with me--a Worker?"
"I ... don't ... know," whispered the pilot.
"You know what the Personologist said to me?" Brooks screamed. "He told
me we'd all be crazy without the Sensory Shows. When you mix dreams
up with reality, he said, that's insanity. What's more insane then
admitting that the work we do is all we'll ever get out of life? That
we can never know anything wonderful, anything we really want, in real
life? Can you tell me what could be more insane than that?"
The pilot shook his head. Sweat ran down his nose.
"Don't move or I'll leave the neurotube on you long enough to kill
you," Brooks shouted. "Because you don't understand."
"I won't move," the pilot whispered. "I won't try to stop you; I won't
say anything. Go back out there and I'll open the door for you. As far
as I'm concerned, I don't know anything; I've never seen you."
"All right; you're a fool, but I think you're honest."
Already the side freight chamber port was open. Robotractors were
unloading and carting the freight onto conveyor belts. Brooks ran
into the exit chamber, shut the airtight. The pilot kept his word; the
outer door opened. Brooks went down the ladder. He ran; he didn't look
back. He didn't have time for that. Somewhere there were a few Guards,
stationed here permanently in an isolated barracks building. They would
learn of his deeds. But he was free, for a while.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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