A New Life

It took two years before iron and coal were discovered and three for copper and zinc. It was almost two more years before the most rudimentary new iron tools and equipment were made, but by then Simon felt the population was ready for the small increase in technology. As soon as copper and zinc were found and purified many items were made from brass. Every winter during their mandatory school classes they stressed social values as well as other areas of knowledge. Ethics was one of the mandatory classes. They also mandated education on sanitation, the three R's, health, and responsibility to the group. It seemed to be effective. There were minor arguments and some strife, but it had been two years since a village member stole or acted violently. There had only been one instance of violence at all and an immigrant began that conflict.

True to his word, Don built a fantastic road bed through the valley and out to the large river about two days walk away. He built some very good boats and used the road bed, and later the rail system, to bring fish back to the villages. Soon he was using the rails to transport surplus food to the river and shipping up and down stream to trade with other villages. This, in fact, was how they came upon their copper and some of their other raw materials. They traded food for the metals they needed and Don's ever larger boats transported the trade goods back and forth.

Once again Simon called a meeting. This time in addition to what was now known as his advisory council (Paula, Sherry, Tom and Don) he included Talit and his chief hunter. Simon once again addressed the group. He said, "I'm happy with our progress, but we are rapidly outgrowing our little valley. Almost all our married women are having a child every couple of years. We constantly have new members come join us from other villages. I think it is time to send out exploration parties to find more metals and resources to use in our expanding village. We need to find out more about our nearest neighbors and transfer some of our simpler technology to them. I know we are already doing that to a degree with our trading partners but we need to do more. We can sell better seeds and tools to them so they can better feed themselves. I also think we need to find more deposits of raw materials. We need more and more metal each month. We need to find sand to make more and better glass and more clay to make more pottery. We could really use more raw materials than we are obtaining from our current sources.

"I want to set up another division called the Exploration Corps to do this. That is what we need to discuss today. Are there any ideas or comments?"

Tom looked around the gathering before he said, "Not so much of a comment as a question. Why do you want to do this right now and do you have something specific in mind? We already have a lot of general knowledge about the surrounding settlements from the people that come to trade with us or to learn from us. Those who have moved here can probably tell us much more about their settlements than we would find out if we sent out a couple of explorers. I am sure we can learn even more if we send someone to the settlements we trade with and ask about their area and neighbors."

"That's true as far as it goes, Tom. I agree we have quite a lot of knowledge about our neighbors, but what I'm really interested in is land to expand into when the time is right. I don't just mean a place to build new villages, per se, but resource rich places to build and add to our little community. We need resources more than cropland. I want to try to identify future mine sites for metals, coal, sulphur, and several other minerals. I think we need to find these sites now before others come to realize how important they may be and claim them before we can. I also think it's time to try and locate some of the nearer colonists from our Earth. We need to find out how other settlements are faring and build alliances before each settlement becomes a small nation and we begin to argue and fight over resources. If we join together now I hope to avoid future conflicts. I would really like to have a world government as soon as possible by peaceful means. What I am striving for right now is at least a government of this entire continent, perhaps this hemisphere, although I admit that's years away from completion. The larger we can grow without a conflict the better off we will be."

"Ok, I guess I see the point. How large do you think this Exploration Corps should be and would that be their sole duty?"

"I think we could get by with maybe ten people in the corps to begin with. We could send out three teams of three and have one person lead. Each team could take one long trek a year or two or three shorter ones. I think three to a team is necessary for safety's sake."

Paula spoke, "Don't you think if we tried to claim resources some distance from us it would cause trouble with those who live closer to them? Would we be asking for trouble if we did something like that?"

"I don't think so right now. That is one reason I think we need to do this soon. Currently, none of the other villages are interested in metals or oil unless it is one that has someone from old Earth guiding them or one of the villages we currently trade with for those things. Those villages, if they are claiming a mine, have a legitimate right to the resources. I just want to locate resources in unclaimed areas and get our claim in before someone else does. I also want to become friends with as many villages as possible so we don't have as much potential for conflict. After we claim the resources we can hire the locals to mine it and we will all make out."

"Ok, I guess I can see that. Aren't you worried we will have the same problems doing that, though, that occurred on old Earth? You had the industrialized countries move into a non-industrialized one and take the resources back home, paying the actual owners little or nothing for the raw resource or for mining it."

"There is that possibility. I hope to prevent discord by paying the villages well for their labor and selling manufactured goods back to them at reasonable prices. I think we can even build smelters and manufacturing plants near many of the mines so the locals will feel as if they are making progress right along with us. I don't necessarily want to take all the riches for us. I just want to be sure we have the resources available to manufacture the goods that will make life better for all. I want to extend our area of influence and our laws and regulations so we can prevent this planet from having its own home grown 'Robber Barons'."

"Ok, I suppose that is a good idea. We need to be sure we do this ethically and fairly or we will be asking for problems."

Over the course of the next week the Explorer Corps was formed. All members were volunteers. They trained strenuously through the next winter. The training included book learning so they could identify minerals and other resources Simon wanted as well as physical fitness, woods craft, and even diplomacy. After the spring planting was completed the three teams set off.

After the teams left, Simon and Paula were sitting on their porch watching their five children play in the deepening dusk. He pulled her to him and said, "You know, we don't have the material things we had before and we have to work a lot harder for our survival, but I wouldn't trade this for the old world. Just look out there. Listen to how peaceful it is. This is the life. I almost hate to introduce modern machinery and start us down the path to an industrial society again. The hustle and bustle will ruin this world just like it did our old one if we aren't careful. Unfortunately, I am convinced we have to take that path. With the changes we have begun here the population is growing very fast. I suspect the birth rate is the same but better hygiene and the simple medications we know how to make have reduced infant mortality and elder death rates so our population is exploding. We will have strife and conflict sooner than you think if we don't industrialize and strive for the stars. One sure way to inject strife in the world would be to have the population outstrip our ability to feed everyone. We know it's possible to reach the stars. We just have to feed and educate these people and channel our efforts in that direction instead of waste all the resources and lives on conflict like we did on old Earth."

"Yes we do but we don't have to do that right now. Just sit here with me and relax. We have plenty of time for that later. Let's live in this peace for a while before we push these people higher. We already have almost fifteen hundred people living in our three villages and you can barely tell there are any more than when we first came here ten years ago. Our whole beautiful valley is nothing but fields now.

"Besides, we have a lot of research going on that will make life better for future generations. Look at how many are working on the medical arts. Our metal workers and wood workers keep learning how to do their jobs better and in doing so they improve the standard of living. We now have almost 20 miles of train track. We are a thriving community now and will continue to be even if we don't find every deposit of raw materials nearby so we can exploit them."

"Yes, dear, but as the population grows we have to find jobs for the people. We have to house and feed them and provide an opportunity for a better life. Mankind was not meant to stagnate and remain Earthbound. I almost think we need a motto—Today the Earth, Tomorrow the Stars."