The Status Civilization Part 34

You aren't on Omega! You're on Earth, in your own home, staring into a mirror!_

But the pain was real, and the clubbed metal arm felt real as it crashed against his shoulder. Barrent staggered away.

He felt horror, not at dying, but at dying too soon, before he could warn the Omegans of this ultimate danger planted deep in their own minds. There was no one else to warn of the catastrophe that would strike each man as he recovered his own specific memories of Earth. To his best knowledge, no one had experienced this and lived. If _he_ could live through it, countermeasures could be taken, counterconditioning could be set up.

He pulled himself to his feet. Coached since childhood in social responsibility, he thought of it now. He couldn't allow himself to die when his knowledge was vital to Omega.

_This is not a real machine._

He repeated it to himself as the Barrent machine revved up, picked up speed, and hurtled toward him from the far side of the room. He forced himself to see beyond the machine, to see the patient droning lessons of the cla.s.sroom which had created this monster in his mind.

_This is not a real machine._

He believed it....

And swung his fist into the hated face reflected in the metal.

There was a moment of dazzling pain, and then he lost consciousness.

When he came to, he was alone in his own home on Earth. His arm and shoulder ached, and several of his ribs seemed to be broken. On his left hand he bore the stigmata of the trich.o.m.otred's bite.

But with his cut and bleeding right hand he had smashed the mirror. He had shattered it and Barrent-1 utterly and forever.

OMEGA

RELIGION: THE WORs.h.i.+P OF EVIL

PLEASURES: THE THRILL OF THE HUNT, WITH HUMAN PREY

STATUS: ATTAINED ONE CORPSE AT A TIME

LIFE EXPECTANCY: THREE EARTH YEARS

"ALL OF YOU ARE CRIMINALS THEREFORE MANKIND HAS REJECTED YOU, AND YOU HAVE BEEN SENT TO A WORLD WHERE YOUR OWN SORT IS KING.

HERE YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN RULES, AND DIE BY THEM ..."

THE STATUS CIVILIZATION

Books by ROBERT SHECKLEY:

CITIZEN IN s.p.a.cE IMMORTALITY, INC.

MINDSWAP PILGRIMAGE TO EARTH THE 10TH VICTIM UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS DIMENSION OF MIRACLES THE JOURNEY OF JOENES THE STATUS CIVILIZATION/NOTIONS: UNLIMITED

_From ACE Science Fiction_