Planetary Agent X

by Mack Reynolds

  “We have little with which to trade. A few handicrafts, at most.”

  Ronny said, “But, good heavens, man, build yourselves a plant to manufacture power packs. With a population this small, a factory employing no more than half a dozen men could turn out all you need.”

  The old man was shaking his head. He held up the battery. “This comes from the planet Archimedes,” he said, “one of the most highly industrialized in the UP, so I understand. On Archimedes do you know how many persons it takes to manufacture this power pack?”

  “A handful to operate the whole factory. Archimedes is fully automated.”

  The old man was still moving his head negatively. “No. It takes the total working population of the planet. How many different metals do you think are contained in it, in all? I can immediately see what must be lead and copper.”

  Ronny said uncomfortably, “Probably at least a dozen, some microscopic amounts.”

  “That’s right. So we need a highly developed metallurgical industry before we can even begin. Then a developed transportation industry to take metals to the factory. We need power to run the factory, hydro-electric, solar or possibly atomic power. We need a tool-making industry to equip the factory, the transport industry and the power industry. And while the men are employed in these, we need farmers to produce food for them, educators to teach them the sciences and techniques involved, and an entertainment industry to amuse them in their hours of rest. As their lives become more complicated with all this, we need a developed medical industry to keep them in health.”

  The old man hesitated for a moment, then said, “And, above all, we need a highly complicated government to keep all this accumulation of wealth in check and balance. No. You see, my friend, it takes social labor to produce products such as this, and thus far we have avoided that on Kropotkin. In fact, it was for such avoidance that my ancestors originally came to this planet.”

  Ronny said, scowling, “This gets ridiculous. You show me this basically simple power pack and say it will ruin your socio-economic system. On the face of it, it’s ridiculous.”

  The old man sighed and looked out over the village unseeingly. “It’s not just that single item, of course. The other day one of my neighbors turned up with a light bulb with built-in power for a year’s time. It is the envy of the unthinking persons of the neighborhood, most of whom would give a great deal for such a source of light. A nephew of mine has somehow even acquired a powered bicycle, I think you call them, from somewhere or other. One by one, item by item, these products of advanced technology turn up—from whence, we don’t seem to be able to find out.”

  Under his breath, Ronny muttered, “Paine”.

  “I beg your pardon?” the old man said.

  “Nothing,” the Section G agent said. He leaned forward and, a worried frown working its way over his face, began to question the other more closely.

  XIII

  Afterward, Ronny Bronston strode slowly toward the UP headquarters. There was only a small contingent of United Planets personnel on this little-populated member planet but, as always, there seemed to be an office for Section G.

  Ronny stood outside it for a moment. There were voices from within, but he didn’t knock.

  In fact, he cast his eyes up and down the short corridor. At the far end was a desk with a girl in the Interplanetary Cultural Exchange Department working away in concentration. She wasn’t looking in his direction.

  Ronny Bronston put his ear to the door. The building was primitive enough in its construction to permit his hearing.

  Tog Lee Chang Chu was saying seriously, “Oh, it was chaotic all right, but no, I don’t really believe it could have been a Tommy Paine case. Actually I’d suggest to you that you run over to Catalina. When I was on Avalon I heard rumors that Tommy Paine’s finger seemed to be stirring around in the mess there. Yes, I’d recommend that you take off for Catalina immediately. If Paine is anywhere in this vicinity at all, it would be Catalina.”

  For a moment, Ronny Bronston froze. Then in automatic reflex his hand went inside his jacket to rest over the butt of the Model H automatic there.

  No, that wasn’t the answer. His hand dropped away from the gun.

  He listened further.

  Another voice was saying, “We thought we were on the trail for awhile on Hector, but it turned out it wasn’t Paine. Just a group of local agitators fed up with the communist regime there. There’s going to be a blood bath on Hector before they’re through, but it doesn’t seem to be Paine’s work this time.”

  Tog’s voice was musing. “Well, you never know; it sounds like the sort of muck he likes to play in.”

  The strange voice said argumentatively, “Well, Hector needs a few fundamental changes.”

  “It could be,” Tog said, “but that’s their internal affairs, of course. Our job in Section G is to prevent troubles between the differing socio-economic and religious features of member planets. Whatever we think of some of the things Paine does, our task is to get him.”

  Ronny Bronston pushed the door open and went through. Tog Lee Chang Chu was sitting at a desk, nonchalant and petitely beautiful as usual; comfortably seated in easy-chairs were two young men whose attire suggested they were probably citizens of United Planets and possibly even Earthlings.

  “Hello, Ronny,” Tog said softly. “Meet Frederic Lippman and Pedro Nazaré, both Section G operatives. This is my colleague, Ronald Bronston, gentlemen. Frederic and Pedro were just leaving, Ronny.”

  The two agents got up to shake hands.

  Ronny said, “You can’t be in that much of a hurry. What’s your assignment, boys?”

  Lippmen, an earnest type, and by his appearance not more than twenty-five or so years of age, began to answer, but Nazaré said hurriedly, “Actually, it’s a confidential assignment. We’re working directly out of the Octagon.”

  Lippman said, frowning, “It’s not that confidential, Tog. Bronston’s an agent, too. What’s your assignment, Ronny?”

  Ronny said very slowly, “I’m beginning to suspect that it’s the same as yours, and various other pieces are beginning to fall into place.”

  Lippman was taken aback. “You mean you’re looking for Tommy Paine?” His eyes went to his associate. “How could that be, Tog? I didn’t know more than one of us were on this job. Why, that means if Bronston here finds him first, I won’t get my permanent appointment.”

  Ronny looked at Tog Lee Chang Chu, who was sitting demurely, hands in lap, a resigned expression on her face. He said, “And if you find him first, I won’t get mine. Look here, Tog, how many men does Sid Jakes have out on this assignment?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” she said mildly.

  He snapped. “A few dozen or so? Or possibly a few hundred?”

  “It seems unlikely there could be that many,” she said mildly. She looked at the other two agents. “I think you two had better run along. Take my suggestion I made earlier.”

  “Wait a minute,” Ronny snapped. “You mean that they go to Catalina? That’s ridiculous.”

  Tog Lee Chang Chu looked at Pedro Nazaré and he turned and started for the door, followed by Frederic Lippman, who was still scowling his puzzlement.

  “Wait a minute!” Ronny snapped. “I tell you it’s ridiculous. And why follow her suggestions? She’s just my assistant.”

  Pedro Nazaré said, “Come on, Fred, let’s get going, we’ll have to pack.” But Lippman wasn’t having any.

  “His assistant?” he said to Tog Lee Chang Chu.

  Tog Lee Chang Chu’s face changed expression in sudden decision. She opened her bag and brought forth a Section G identification wallet and flicked it open. The badge was gold. “I suggest you hurry,” she said to the two agents.

  They left, and Tog turned back to Ronny, her eyebrows raised questioningly.

  Ronny sank down into one of the chairs recently occupied by the other two agents and tried to unravel thoughts. He said finally, “I suppose my question should be, wh
y do Ross Metaxa and Sid Jakes send an agent of supervisor rank to act as assistant to a probationary agent? But that’s not what I’m asking yet. First, Lippman just called his buddy Tog. How come?”

  Tog took her seat again, rueful resignation on her face. “You should be figuring it out on your own by this time, Ronny.”

  He looked at her belligerently. “I’m too stupid, eh?” The anger was growing within him.

  “Tog,” she said. “It’s a nickname, or possibly you might call it a title. Tog. T-O-G. The Other Guy. My name is Lee Chang Chu, and I’m of supervisor grade presently working at developing new Section G operatives. Considering the continuing rapid growth of UP, and the continuing crises that come up in UP activities, developing new operatives is one of the department’s most pressing jobs. Each new agent, on his first assignment, is always paired with an experienced old-timer.”

  “I see,” he said flatly. “Your principal job being to needle the fledgling, eh?”

  She lowered her eyes. “I wouldn’t exactly word it that way,” she said. She was obviously unrepentant.

  He said, “You must get a lot of laughs out of it. If I say it seems to me democracy is a good thing, you give me an argument about the superiority of rule by an elite. If I say anarchism is ridiculous, you dredge up an opinion that it’s man’s highest ethic. You must laugh yourself to sleep at nights. You and Metaxa and Jakes and every other agent in Section G. Everybody is in on the Tog gag but the sucker.”

  “Sometimes there are amusing elements to the work,” Lee Chang conceded, demurely.

  “Just one more thing I’d like to ask,” Ronny rapped. “This first assignment agents are given. Is it always to look for Tommy Paine?”

  She looked up at him, said nothing, but her eyes were questioning.

  “Don’t worry,” he snapped. “I’ve already found out who Paine is.”

  “Ah?” She was suddenly interested. “Then I’m glad I ordered that other probationary agent to leave. Evidently he hasn’t. Obviously I didn’t want the two of you comparing notes.”

  “No, that would never do,” he said bitterly. “Well, this is the end of the assignment so far as you and I are concerned. I’m heading back for Earth.”

  “Of course,” she said.

  XIV

  He had time on the way to think it all over, and over and over again, and a great deal of it simply didn’t make sense. He had enough information to be disillusioned, sick at heart. A lifetime? At least three. His father and his grandfather before him had had the dream. He’d been weaned on the idealistic purposes of the United Planets and man’s fated growth into the stars.

  He was a third-generation dreamer of participating in the glory. His grandfather had been a citizen of Earth and had given up a commercial position to take a job that amounted to little more than a janitor in an obscure department of Interplanetary Financial Clearing. He’d wanted to get into the big job, into space, but had never made it. Ronny’s father had managed to work up to the point where he was a supervisor in Interplanetary Medical Exchange, in the tabulating department. He too had wanted into space, and had never made it. Ronny had loved them both. In a way, fulfilling his own dreams had been a debt he owed them, because at the same time he was fulfilling theirs.

  And now this. All that had been gold was suddenly gilted lead. The dream had become contemptuous nightmare.

  Finally back in Greater Washington, he went immediately from the shuttleport to the Octagon. His Bureau of Investigation badge was enough to see him through the guide-guards and all the way through to the office of Irene Kasansky.

  She looked up at him quickly. “Hi,” she said. “Ronny Bronston, isn’t it?”

  “That’s right. I want to see Commissioner Metaxa.”

  She scowled. “I can’t work you in now. How about Sid Jakes?”

  He said, “Jakes is in charge of the Tommy Paine routine, isn’t he?”

  She shot a sharper look up at him. “That’s right,” she said warily.

  “All right,” Ronny said. “I’ll see Jakes.”

  Her deft right hand slipped open a drawer in her desk. “You’d better leave your gun here,” she said. “I’ve known probationary agents to get excited, in my time.”

  He looked at her.

  And she looked back, her gaze level.

  Ronny Bronston shrugged, slipped the Model H from under his armpit and tossed it into the drawer.

  Irene Kasansky went back to her work. “You know the way,” she said.

  This time Ronny Bronston pushed open the door to Sid Jakes’ office without knocking. The Section G supervisor was poring over reports on his desk. He looked up and grinned his Sid Jakes grin.

  “Ronny!” he said. “Welcome back. You know, you’re one of the quickest men ever to return from a Tommy Paine assignment. I was talking to Lee Chang only a day or so ago. She said you were on your way.”

  Ronny grunted, his anger growing within him. He lowered himself into one of the room’s heavy chairs, and glared at the other.

  Sid Jakes chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “Before we go any further, just to check, who is Tommy Paine?”

  Ronny snapped, “You are.”

  The supervisor’s eyebrows went up.

  Ronny said, “You and Ross Metaxa and Lee Chang Chu—and all the rest of Section G. Section G is Tommy Paine.”

  “Good man!” Sid Jakes chortled. He flicked a switch on his order box. “Irene,” he said, “how about clearing me through to the commissioner? I want to take Ronny in for his finals.”

  Irene snapped back something and Sid Jakes switched off and turned to Ronny happily. “Let’s go,” he said. “Ross is free for a time.”

  Ronny Bronston said nothing. He followed the other. The rage within him was still mounting.

  In the months that had elapsed since Ronny Bronston had seen Ross Metaxa the latter had changed not at all. His clothing was still sloppy, his eyes bleary with lack of sleep or abundance of alcohol—or both. His expression was still sour and skeptical.

  He looked up at their entry and scowled, and made no effort to rise and shake hands. He said to Ronny sourly, “O.K., sound off and get it over with. I haven’t too much time this afternoon.”

  Ronny Bronston was just beginning to feel tentacles of cold doubt, but he suppressed them. The boiling anger was uppermost. He said flatly, “All my life I’ve been a dedicated United Planets man. All my life I’ve considered its efforts the most praiseworthy and greatest endeavor man has ever attempted.”

  “Of course, old chap,” Jakes told him cheerfully. “We know all that, or you wouldn’t ever have been chosen as an agent for Section G.”

  Ronny looked at him in disgust. “I’ve resigned that position, Jakes.”

  Jakes grinned back at him. “To the contrary, you’re now in the process of receiving permanent appointment.”

  Ronny snorted his disgust and turned back to Metaxa. “Section G is a secret department of the Bureau of Investigation devoted to subverting Article One of the United Planets Charter.”

  Metaxa nodded.

  “You don’t deny it?”

  Metaxa shook his head.

  “Article One,” Ronny snapped, “is the basic foundation of the Charter which every member of UP and particularly every citizen of United Planets, such as ourselves, has sworn to uphold. But the very reason for the existence of this Section G is to interfere with the internal affairs of member planets, to subvert their governments, their economic systems, their religions, their ideals, their very ways of life.”

  Metaxa yawned and reached into a desk drawer for his bottle. “That’s right,” he said. “Anybody like a drink?”

  Ronny ignored him. “I’m surprised I didn’t catch on even sooner,” he said. “On New Delos Mouley Hassan, the local agent, knew the God-King was going to be assassinated. He brought in extra agents and even a detail of Space Forces guards for the emergency. He probably engineered the assassination himself.”

  “Nope,” Jakes sa
id. “We seldom go that far. Local rebels did the actual work, but, admittedly, we knew what they were planning. In fact, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Mouley Hassan provided them with the bomb. That lad’s a bit too dedicated.”

  “But why?” Ronny blurted. “That’s deliberately interfering with internal affairs. If the word got out, every planet in UP would resign.”

  “Probably no planet in the system that needed a change so badly,” Metaxa growled. “If they were ever going to swing into real progress, that hierarchy of priests had to go.” He snorted. “An immortal God-King, yet.”

  Ronny pressed on. “That was bad enough, but how about this planet Mother, where the colonists had attempted to return and live in the manner man did in earliest times.”

  “Most backward planet in the UP,” Metaxa said sourly. “They just had to be roused.”

  “And Kropotkin!” Ronny blurted. “Don’t you understand, those people were happy there. Their lives were simple, uncomplicated, and they had achieved a happiness that—”

  Metaxa came to his feet. He scowled at Ronny Bronston and growled, “Unfortunately, the human race can’t take the time out for happiness. Come along. I want to show you something.”

  He swung around the corner of his desk and made his way toward a ceiling-high bookcase.

  Ronny stared after him, taken off guard, but Sid Jakes was grinning his amusement.

  Ross Metaxa pushed a concealed button and the bookcase slid away to one side to reveal an elevator beyond.

  “Come along,” Metaxa repeated over his shoulder. He entered the elevator, followed by Jakes.

  There was nothing else to do. Ronny Bronston followed them, his face still flushed with the angered argument.

  The elevator dropped—how far, Ronny had no idea. It stopped and they emerged into a plain, sparsely furnished vault. Against one wall was a boxlike affair that reminded Ronny of nothing so much as a deep-freeze.

  For all practical purposes, that’s what it was. Ross Metaxa led him over and they stared down into its glass-covered interior.