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01 For the Benefit of Mankind003（第1页）

01　FortheBeofMankind003

‘Propertyissaourworld，too。’

‘OheldbysomethiheSocialMae，’explaihealien。‘TheSocialMaeowerfuleem，anditsEnforcerscouldbefoundineverytheplaheseunitshanmosquitoes，buttheyableofkillinghundredsirike。TheywereheThreeLawsproposedbyyourAsimov，butbythefualpriheFirstEarthstitution，thatprivatepropertyshallbeiwouldbeiheybroughtaboutautocraforcedthelawwithabsoluteimpartiality，andshowednofavortothewealthy。Ifthepitifulpropertyofsomepoorfellowderthreat，theywouldprotestrictacewiththestitution。

&hepowerfulproteoftheSocialMae，thewealthofFirstEarthflowedreleoocketsofay。Tomakemattersworse，teologieedthereliaiedthepropertyless。Onyourworld，therieedthepoor，becausefactoriesstillneedworkers。Oh，maolongerneededhumaors，andhigh-efficyrobotscouldperformahepooroteveheirlabor，andtheysankintoabsolutedestitutiohistraheeicrealityofFirstEarth，vastlyagthetratiohinjustafewpeople’shands。

‘Iwouldoexplainthehighlyplexprocessofwealthtrationtoyou，’thealiensaid，‘butiresemblesthemovementsofyourwreat-graime，sixtypertofthewealthohwastrolledbytenmillionperaime，eightypertofourastrolledbytenthousandpemyfather’slifetime，ofthewealthbelofortytwopeople。WhenIwasborn，capitalismhadreacheditsapexoh，andhadworkedanunbelievablemiraety-heplahwasheldbyasihispersonbeastheLastCapitalist。

‘Whiledisparitiesinstandardsofliviedamowobilliorolledjustoheworld’swealthintotal。Thatistosay，FirstEarthhadbeeaworldwithoneriandtwobillionimpoverishedpeople。Allthewhile，thestitutionalinviolabilityofprivatepropertyremai，andtheSocialMaefaithfullycarriedoutitsdutytoprotectthepropertyofasoleindividual。’

‘DoyouwanttoknowwhattheLastCapitalistowhealienraisedhisvoice。‘HeowEarth!EverytaheplabecamehisparlorroardemosphereofFirstEarthwasamonghispersoy。

‘Theremainingtwobillionindividualsinhabitedfullyencloseddwellings–miniature，self-edlife-supportunits。Theylivedsealedawayiinyworlds，sustaiheiroliesofwater，air，soil，andotherresources。TheohatdidheLastCapitalist，ahingtheycouldlawfullytakefromtheoutsideworld，wassunlight。

‘Myhomesatoasmallriver，edgedbygreengrass。Themeadowsstrettotheriverbedandbeyond，sweepiheemeraldfoothillsianinside，wecouldhearthesoundsofbirdstwitteringandfishleapingfromthewater，andwecouldseeunhurriedherdsbytheriverbanks，butitwasthesightofthegrassripplihatIfoundparticularlybewitg。

‘Buthisbeloous。Myfamilywasstritheoutsideworld，andwelywatairtightportholesthateverbeopeogooutside，itwashanairlock，asifwewereexitioouterspatruth，ourhomewasverymuchlikeaspaceship–thedifferehehostileewasontheinside!Welybreathethefoulairsuppliedbyourlife-supportsystem，lydrihathadbeeeredamilliontimesover，lyfoodprodugourow。Andallthewhile，onlyasinglearatedusfromthevast，bountifulworldofnature。Wheside，wedressedlikeastronautsandbroughtourownfoodandwater。Weevenbrentaheair，afterall，beloous，buttotheLastCapitalist。

‘Ofcourse，wecouldaffordtheoalsplurge。Onweddingsorholidays，wewouldleaveourclosedlittlehomeandluxuriateidoors。Thatfirstbreathofnaturalairositivelyintoxig。Itwasfaienoughtomakeyoucry。Itwashough。Wehadtosill-sizedairmetersbeforewewentout，whichmeasuredexauchairwebreathed。Everytimeweinhaled，afeewasdeduourbankat。Thiswasaluxuryformostofthepoor，somethingtheycouldaffordowiceayear。Weoexertourselveswhileoutdoors。Wemostlyjustsatandtrolled。Beforewereturnedhome，wehadtocarefullyscrapethesolesofourshoes，becausethesoiloutsidewasnotourstokeep。’

&Earthlingpausedforamoment。‘Iwilltellyouhowmymotherdied，hesaidslowly。‘Idowures，sherefrainedfromleavingthehouseforthreeyears。Sheooutevenonholidays。Ohappened，shemaoslippasttheairlockdoorsinhersleep。Shehadtohavebeendreamingaboutnature。WhenshewasdiscoveredbyanEnforcer，shehadalreadywaefar。Itsawthatshehadnotswallowedadraggedherbae，gheraboutthehametaleverirangleher。Byprevehing，itooproteother’sieproperty–theair。Shewasdeadbythetimeshearrivedhome。TheEnforcerdroppedherdishehadittedlary。Wewerefiweotpay，somymother’sbodywasfisstead。Youshouldknoseisapregforapoorfamily–sevesweightislusafewotherresources。Thevalueofmymother’scorpse，however，otcoverthefiheSocialMaesiphonedoffanamountofairthatdedtotheremaihedebt。

‘Theairsupplyinourfamily’slife-supportsystemwasalreadycriticallylow，aswelackedthefundstoreplenishit。Theremovalofmoreairputourverysurvivalatrisk。Ioreplacethelostoxygen，thelife-supportsystemwasforcedtoseparatesomeofitswaterreshelectrolysis。Uhisoperatioiresystemtodeterioratesharply。Themainputerissuedanalarm:ifwedidnotaddfifteeertothesystem，itwouldexactlythirtyhours。Theglowhtsfilledeveryroom。

‘Wesideredstealiheriveroutside，butsooheplan。WewouldbaeithoutbeiheomEnforcers。Myfatherthoughtforawhile，aoldmenottoworryandtogotobed。ThoughIwasterrified，oxygeioin，a。Idonotknowhowmuchtimehadpassedwhenarobotnudgedmeawake。Ithadeheresourversiowasdoe。Itpoioabucketofcrystalclearwaterahisisyourfather。’

‘Resourversionvehiclesweremobileinstallationsthatvertedhumaoresourcesthatcouldbeutilizedbyhouseholdlife-supportsystems。Myfatherhadutilizedtheservicetoextracteverylastdropofwaterfromhisownbody，whilenotoersfromourhouse，thatprettylittleriverburbledinthemoonlight。Theresourversiontruckalsoextractedafewotherusefulthingsfromhisbodyforourlife-supportsystem:aerofgrease，abottleofcalciumtablets，evenapieaslargeasa。’

Thealieoself。‘Thewaterfrommyfatherrescuedourlife-supportsystem，andIlivedon。Igrewupdaybyday，andsoonfiveyearshadpassed。Onefallevening，asIlhtheportholeattheworldoutside，Isuddenlynotieonejoggingalongtheriverbank。Iwasastonished:whowassantthattheywoulddarebreathelikethatoutside?!Uponacloserlook，Irealizedititalisthimself!

‘Heslowedhispacetoastroll，adownonarockbytheriver’sedge，dippingoothewater。Helookedlikeatrimmiddle-agedman，butiy，hewasovertwothousandyearsold。Geieeringguarahewouldliveforatleastawomillennia，perhapseveheseemedperfearytome。

‘Twoyearslater，myhome’slifesupportsystemfuedonall-sslikethatwerebouedlifespaually，thewholesystembrokedown。Astheoxygeheairsupplydwindled，IswallowedaerahedoorbeforeIfellintoananoxia。Likeeveryotherpersonwhoselife-supportsystemhadfailed，Istoicallyacceptedmyfate:IwouldbreatheawaythelastofthepitifulsavingsinmyadthenIwouldbesuffocatedorshotbyanEnforcer。

‘Ifoundthereweremanyotherpeopleoutside。Themassfailuresofhouseholdlife-supportsystemshadbegun。AgargantuanEnforcerhoveredaboveusandbroadalwarning:‘s，youhaveiosomeoneelse’shome。Youhaveittedanact。Pleaseleaveimmediately!Otherwise…’

‘Leave?Wherecouldwego?Therewasobreatheiherwiththeothers，Ibhthegreengrassalongtheriver，lettispringbreezerushoverourpallidfagtogooutinablazeofglory…

‘Idon’tknoeranbeforewerealizedwehadlohedupthelasts，aheEnforottakena。JusttheCapitalist’svoiedforthfromthemassiveEingintheair。

‘Hello，everyoomyhumblehome!

‘Iampleasedtohavesomas，andIhopeyouhaveenjoyedyourselvesinmygarden。Youwillhavetiveme，however，buttherearejusttoomanyofyou。Asofthismoment，almostonebillionpeopleworldwidehavelefttheirowheirlife-supportsystemsfailed，andhavewalkediherbillionmaybeclosebehind。Youhavetrespassedonmyprivatepropertyahehabitatihtsofyourfellow。TheSocialMaeislawfullyempoweredtotakeatoendyourlives，andifIhadnotdissuadeditfromdoingjustthat，youwouldallhavebeeheEnforcers’laserslongago。Inanycase，Ididdissuadeit。Iamagentlemanwhohasreceivedthebesteduavailable，asinmyhome–evenunlawfulihcourtesyayoumustimagihingsfrommyperspective。Twobilliosisafewtoomahemostthoughtfulhost，andIamsomeonewhoeude。Therefore，Imustaskyoualltoleave。Ireize，ofcourse，thatthereishfo，butIhavetakenitupooprepareafleetoftwentythousandspaceshipsforyou。

‘Eachshipisthesizeofamediumdtravelatohespeedoflight。Whiletheshipsarenotequippedwithpletelife-supportsystems，thereareenenicchambersonboardtoholdalltwobillionofyouforfiftythousahisistheoinoursolarsystem，soyouwillhavetosearewhomelandamoars，butIamyouwillfindsuchaplathevastheos，isitreallyocrowdthislittleine?Youhaveoreseainedmyhhperfectlyreasonableaemeans。Igotmystartasthemanagerofasmallfeminispany，andtothisday，Ihavereliedonlyonmyownbusinesssavvy。Iamalaw-abidiheSocialMaehasprotedwilluetoprotedmylegalproperty。Itwilley，however，soIadviseeveryogoingassoonaspossible。

‘Outofrespeoiin，Iwillrememberyou，andIhopeyouwillrememberme。Takecare。’

‘AndthatishowwecametoFourthEarth，’cludedtheFirstEarthling。‘elastedforthirtythousandyears。Welostnearlyhalfourfleetwhilewanderihroughthestars。Somedisappearedamidsti;someedbyblackholes…Buttenthousandshipssurvived，andonebilliohisworld。AndthatisthestoryofFirstEarth，thestoryoftwobillionpoorpeopleandoneri。’