Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!topaz!jcr@mitre-bedford From: jcr@mitre-bedford Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: What an advanced race would come far to get... Message-ID: <2389@topaz.ARPA> Date: Wed, 26-Jun-85 09:58:19 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.2389 Posted: Wed Jun 26 09:58:19 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 27-Jun-85 07:21:35 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 33 From: jcr@Mitre-Bedford > From: looking!brad@topaz.arpa (Brad Templeton) > > There's only one commodity a highly advanced race > would travel light-years to take by force, and that's slaves. It > certainly isn't water. I have to disagree. 1) If you're running out of water, and you don't have the resources to reclaim it or manufacture it, then you've only one option open to you: go get some more! And believe me, you'll go whatever distance it takes to get it! 2) Are slaves even very valuable to "a highly advanced race"? I mean, at some point machine labor becomes cheaper and more efficient than human labor; once a race has passed this point, human slaves have little value. But I guess one could argue that the above refers only to physical labor, and thus human slaves might still have value for other types of labor. (What a nightmare: aliens kidnap the entire human race and make accountants of us all!) But I agree with your suggestions about improving "V." I too was disappointed when the visitors turned out to be reptiles come to eat us -- how corny! Making them human-relatives come to make us slaves would have been much less ridiculous, and much more interesting. Regards, -- Jeff Rogers jcr@Mitre-Bedford.ARPA