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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
122
The
time
to
the
checkpoint
dwindled
to
six
hours.
Barrent
watched
new
portions
of
the
control
board
come
to
life,
checking
and
altering
the
forces
governing
the
ship,
preparing
for
a
landing.
Three
and
a
half
hours
before
landing,
Barrent
made
an
interesting
discovery.
He
found
the
central
communication
system
for
the
entire
ship.
By
turning
on
the
receiving
end,
he
could
overhear
conversations
in
the
guardroom.
He
didn't
learn
much
that
was
useful
to
him.
Either
through
caution
or
lack
of
concern,
the
guards
didn't
discuss
politics.
Their
lives
were
spent
on
the
checkpoint,
except
for
periods
of
service
on
the
prison
ship.
Some
of
the
things
they
said
Barrent
found
incomprehensible.
But
he
continued
to
listen,
fascinated
by
anything
these
men
of
Earth
had
to
say.
"You
ever
go
swimming
in
Florida?"
"I
never
liked
salt
water."
"The
year
before
I
was
called
to
the
Guards,
I
won
third
prize
at
the
Dayton
Orchid
Fair."
"I'm
buying
a
retirement
villa
in
Antarctica."
"How
much
longer
for
you?"
"Eighteen
years."
"Well,
someone's
got
to
do
it."
"But
why
me?
And
why
no
Earth
leaves?"
"You've
watched
the
tapes,
you
know
why.
Crime
is
a
disease.
It's
infectious."
"So
what?"
"So
if
you
work
around
criminals,
you
run
the
danger
of
infection.
You
might
contaminate
someone
on
Earth."
"It
isn't
fair...."
"Can't
be
helped.
Those
scientists
know
what
they're
talking
about.
Besides,
checkpoint's
not
so
bad."
"If
you
like
everything
artificial
...
air,
flowers,
food...."
"Well,
you
can't
have
everything.
Your
family
there?"
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