would be constantly fighting one another over territory
like the animals they are. As it is, the balance of power between
the Protection Guilds is as unstable as a barrel of
nitroglycerin."
I believed that I understood now. "And you
think if they were able to perpetuate their genelines on their own
they would turn Vesta into a twenty-second century version of
Furtopia?"
"I know they will." Jakob opened the box he
was holding, he reached inside, and withdrew a live mouse. I was
amazed. That was the first time I had ever seen a non-sapient
animal. My unspoken question of what he intended to do with the
mouse was answered when he slung his head back, opened his mouth,
and dropped the mouse in. There was a sickening snap and crunch of
bones breaking and he swallowed loudly. Licking the remaining blood
from his lips he started to explain. "Live mice, expensive even by
my standards. Do you want to know why they're so expensive?"
"Because the freighters need extra life
support to keep them alive all the way out to the Belt?" I feebly
suggested.
"That is the bulk of it, yes." Jakob nodded.
"But another expense is the sterilization procedures they have to
perform on every one of the mice before they leave earth orbit." I
gave a confused expression, prompting him to continue. "If so many
as one male and one female mouse are fertile in the same cargo
module, they will inevitably find a way to mate and produce dozens
of baby mice every few weeks. And each of those babies will be able
to make more babies within a month of birth. By the time they get
all the way out here, the life support system of their module is
overtaxed, and you get a load of decaying mouse carcasses. Do you
see my point?"
I was afraid I didn't, but I wasn't sure I
wanted to tell that to the very self-assured cat who essentially
owned all the law enforcement organizations on the asteroid, so I
stayed silent.
Apparently, my silence was answer enough, as
he spoke again. "Sapient beings are no different. Humans almost
depleted their own ecosystem on Earth; it's the whole reason they
sent us out into space to obtain more resources for them to
consume. By controlling the price of cloning, we prevent Vesta from
becoming overpopulated and overstraining the flimsy life support
systems we have in place."
"Surely people are smart enough to stop
reproducing before they reach the carrying capacity of their
environment," I objected. I could not imagine anyone being so
stupid.
"And are you willing to bet the lives of
everyone on this asteroid, possibly the entire Belt, on that
statement?" I could not. That was too big a decision for me to
make. I slumped my head forward and shook it lightly. "So you will
not tell anyone else about your discovery?"
"Yes," I told him, defeat plain on my
face.
"Excellent," Jakob Griggs said before popping
another mouse into his mouth. After swallowing he asked me another
question. "Did you tell anyone else before coming here?"
"Just your clone, Maximus."
"Good. I've already told him why he should
keep his mouth shut." Jakob looked back into the box of mice one
last time and turned back to me. "It appears that I have no more
appetite for mice today, but there is still one left here. Would
you care to try it?"
At that point, I was afraid to refuse
anything he asked of me. I walked up to his side of the table and
glanced down at the box. There was one white mouse remaining, among
the stains left by its siblings in the container, still trying in
vain to scurry up the slick walls of the box. I reached in and
tried to grab it but it ran away to try and vault the opposite
wall. I reached in with my other hand and herded it between the
two. I managed to take hold of its thin tail and pull it out.
Screeching in terror, it tried to wriggle out of my hand or curl
back on my fingers and claw at them, but to no avail. Looking into
its beady black eyes, I steeled myself for what would come next. I
opened my mouth and tried to lead the rodent inside.
like the animals they are. As it is, the balance of power between
the Protection Guilds is as unstable as a barrel of
nitroglycerin."
I believed that I understood now. "And you
think if they were able to perpetuate their genelines on their own
they would turn Vesta into a twenty-second century version of
Furtopia?"
"I know they will." Jakob opened the box he
was holding, he reached inside, and withdrew a live mouse. I was
amazed. That was the first time I had ever seen a non-sapient
animal. My unspoken question of what he intended to do with the
mouse was answered when he slung his head back, opened his mouth,
and dropped the mouse in. There was a sickening snap and crunch of
bones breaking and he swallowed loudly. Licking the remaining blood
from his lips he started to explain. "Live mice, expensive even by
my standards. Do you want to know why they're so expensive?"
"Because the freighters need extra life
support to keep them alive all the way out to the Belt?" I feebly
suggested.
"That is the bulk of it, yes." Jakob nodded.
"But another expense is the sterilization procedures they have to
perform on every one of the mice before they leave earth orbit." I
gave a confused expression, prompting him to continue. "If so many
as one male and one female mouse are fertile in the same cargo
module, they will inevitably find a way to mate and produce dozens
of baby mice every few weeks. And each of those babies will be able
to make more babies within a month of birth. By the time they get
all the way out here, the life support system of their module is
overtaxed, and you get a load of decaying mouse carcasses. Do you
see my point?"
I was afraid I didn't, but I wasn't sure I
wanted to tell that to the very self-assured cat who essentially
owned all the law enforcement organizations on the asteroid, so I
stayed silent.
Apparently, my silence was answer enough, as
he spoke again. "Sapient beings are no different. Humans almost
depleted their own ecosystem on Earth; it's the whole reason they
sent us out into space to obtain more resources for them to
consume. By controlling the price of cloning, we prevent Vesta from
becoming overpopulated and overstraining the flimsy life support
systems we have in place."
"Surely people are smart enough to stop
reproducing before they reach the carrying capacity of their
environment," I objected. I could not imagine anyone being so
stupid.
"And are you willing to bet the lives of
everyone on this asteroid, possibly the entire Belt, on that
statement?" I could not. That was too big a decision for me to
make. I slumped my head forward and shook it lightly. "So you will
not tell anyone else about your discovery?"
"Yes," I told him, defeat plain on my
face.
"Excellent," Jakob Griggs said before popping
another mouse into his mouth. After swallowing he asked me another
question. "Did you tell anyone else before coming here?"
"Just your clone, Maximus."
"Good. I've already told him why he should
keep his mouth shut." Jakob looked back into the box of mice one
last time and turned back to me. "It appears that I have no more
appetite for mice today, but there is still one left here. Would
you care to try it?"
At that point, I was afraid to refuse
anything he asked of me. I walked up to his side of the table and
glanced down at the box. There was one white mouse remaining, among
the stains left by its siblings in the container, still trying in
vain to scurry up the slick walls of the box. I reached in and
tried to grab it but it ran away to try and vault the opposite
wall. I reached in with my other hand and herded it between the
two. I managed to take hold of its thin tail and pull it out.
Screeching in terror, it tried to wriggle out of my hand or curl
back on my fingers and claw at them, but to no avail. Looking into
its beady black eyes, I steeled myself for what would come next. I
opened my mouth and tried to lead the rodent inside.
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