Foundation and Empire 9. On Trantor

The stars were as thick as weeds in an unkempt field, and for the first time, Lathan Devers found the figures to the right of the decimal point of prime importance in calculating the cuts through the hyper-regions. There was a claustrophobic sensation about the necessity for leaps of not more than a light-year. There was a frightening harshness about a sky which glittered unbrokenly in every direction. It was being lost in a sea of radiation. And in the center of an open cluster of ten thousand stars, whose light tore to shreds the feebly encircling darkness, there circled the huge Imperial planet, Trantor. But it was more than a planet; it was the living pulse beat of an Empire of twenty million stellar systems. It had only one, function, administration; one purpose, government; and one manufactured product, law. The entire world was one functional distortion. There was no living object on its surface hut man, his pets, and his parasites. No blade of grass or fragment of uncovered soil could be found outside the hundred square miles of the Imperial Palace. No fresh water outside the Palace grounds existed but in the vast underground cisterns that held the water supply of a world. The lustrous, indestructible, incorruptible metal that was the unbroken surface of the planet was the foundation of the huge, metal structures that mazed the planet. They were structures connected by causeways; laced by corridors; cubbyholed by offices; basemented by the huge retail centers that covered square miles; penthoused by the glittering amusement world that sparkled into life each night. One could walk around the world of Trantor and never leave that one conglomerate building, nor see the city. A fleet of ships greater in number than all the war fleets the Empire had ever supported landed their cargoes on Trantor each day to feed the forty billions of humans who gave nothing in exchange but the fulfillment of the necessity of untangling the myriads of threads that spiraled into the central administration of the most complex government Humanity had ever known. Twenty agricultural worlds were the granary of Trantor. A universe was its servant. Tightly held by the huge metal arms on either side, the trade ship was gently lowered down the huge ramp that led to the hangar. Already Devers had fumed his way through the manifold complications of a world conceived in paper work and dedicated to the principle of the form-in-quadruplicate. There had been the preliminary halt in space, where the first of what had grown into a hundred questionnaires had been filled out. There were the hundred cross-examinations, the routine administration of a simple Probe, the photographing of the ship, the Characteristic-Analysis of the two men, and the subsequent recording of the same, the search for contraband, the payment of the entry tax – and finally the question of the identity cards and visitor's visa. Ducem Barr was a Siwennian and subject of the Emperor, but Lathan Devers was an unknown without the requisite documents. The official in charge at the moment was devastated with sorrow, but Devers could not enter. In fact, he would have to be held for official investigation. From somewhere a hundred credits in crisp, new bills backed by the estates of Lord Brodrig made their appearance, and changed bands quietly. The official hemmed importantly and the devastation of his sorrow was assuaged. A new form made its appearance from the appropriate pigeonhole. It was filled out rapidly and efficiently, with the Devers characteristic thereto formally and properly attached. The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna. In the hangar, the trade ship was another vessel to be cached, photographed, recorded, contents noted, identity cards of passengers facsimiled, and for which a suitable fee was paid, recorded, and receipted. And then Devers was on a huge terrace under the bright white sun, along which women chattered, children shrieked, and men sipped drinks languidly and listened to the huge televisors blaring out the news of the Empire. Barr paid a requisite number of iridium coins and appropriated the uppermost member of a pile of newspapers. It was the Trantor Imperial News, official organ of the government. In the back of the news room, there was the soft clicking noise of additional editions being printed in long-distance sympathy with the busy machines at the Imperial News offices ten thousand miles away by corridor – six thousand by air-machine – just as ten million sets of copies were being likewise printed at that moment in ten million other news rooms all over the planet. Barr glanced at the headlines and said softly, â€Å"What shall we do first?† Devers tried to shake himself out of his depression. He was in a universe far removed from his own, on a world that weighted him down with its intricacy, among people whose doings were incomprehensible and whose language was nearly so. The gleaming metallic towers that surrounded him and continued onwards in never-ending multiplicity to beyond the horizon oppressed him; the whole busy, unheeding life of a world-metropolis cast him into the horrible gloom of isolation and pygmyish unimportance. He said, â€Å"I better leave it to you, doc.† Barr was calm, low-voice. â€Å"I tried to tell you, but it's hard to believe without seeing for yourself, I know that. Do you know how many people want to see the Emperor every day? About one million. Do you know how many he sees? About ten. We'll have to work through the civil service, and that makes it harder. But we can't afford the aristocracy.† â€Å"We have almost one hundred thousand.† â€Å"A single Peer of the Realm would cost us that, and it would take at least three or four to form an adequate bridge to the Emperor. It may take fifty chief commissioners and senior supervisors to do the same, but they would cost us only a hundred apiece perhaps. I'll do the talking. In the first place, they wouldn't understand your accent, and in the second, you don't know the etiquette of Imperial bribery. It's an art, I assure you. Ah!† The third page of the Imperial News had what he wanted and he passed the paper to Devers. Devers read slowly. The vocabulary was strange, but he understood. He looked up, and his eyes were dark with concern. He slapped the news sheet angrily with the back of his hand. â€Å"You think this can be trusted?† â€Å"Within limits,† replied Barr, calmly. â€Å"It's highly improbable that the Foundation fleet was wiped out. They've probably reported that several times already, if they've gone by the usual war-reporting technique of a world capital far from the actual scene of fighting. What it means, though, is that Riose has won another battle, which would be none-too-unexpected. It says he's captured Loris. Is that the capital planet of the Kingdom of Loris?† â€Å"Yes,† brooded Devers, â€Å"or of what used to be the Kingdom of Loris. And it's not twenty parsecs from the Foundation. Doc, we've got to work fast.† Barr shrugged, â€Å"You can't go fast on Trantor. If you try, you'll end up at the point of an atom-blaster, most likely.† â€Å"How long will it take?† â€Å"A month, if we're lucky. A month, and our hundred thousand credits – if even that will suffice. And that is providing the Emperor does not take it into his head in the meantime to travel to the Summer Planets, where he sees no petitioners at all.† â€Å"But the Foundation-â€Å" â€Å"-Will take care of itself, as heretofore. Come, there's the question of dinner. I'm hungry. And afterwards, the evening is ours and we may as well use it. We shall never see Trantor or any world like it again, you know.† The Home Commissioner of the Outer Provinces spread his pudgy hands helplessly and peered at the petitioners with owlish nearsightedness. â€Å"But the Emperor is indisposed, gentlemen. It is really useless to take the matter to my superior. His Imperial Majesty has seen no one in a week.† â€Å"He will see us,† said Barr, with an affectation of confidence. â€Å"It is but a question of seeing a member of the staff of the Privy Secretary.† â€Å"Impossible,† said the commissioner emphatically. â€Å"It would be the worth of my job to attempt that. Now if you could but be more explicit concerning the nature of your business. I'm willing to help you, understand, but naturally I want something less vague, something I can present to my superior as reason for taking the matter further.† â€Å"If my business were such that it could be told to any but the highest,† suggested Barr, smoothly, â€Å"it would scarcely be important enough to rate audience with His Imperial Majesty. I propose that you take a chance. I might remind you that if His Imperial Majesty attaches the importance to our business which we guarantee that he will, you will stand certain to receive the honors you will deserve for helping us now.† â€Å"Yes, but-† and the commissioner shrugged, wordlessly. â€Å"It's a chance,† agreed Barr. â€Å"Naturally, a risk should have its compensation. It is a rather great favor to ask you, but we have already been greatly obliged with your kindness in offering us this opportunity to explain our problem. But if you would allow us to express our gratitude just slightly by-â€Å" Devers scowled. He had heard this speech with its slight variations twenty times in the past month. It ended, as always, in a quick shift of the half-hidden bills. But the epilogue differed here. Usually the bills vanished immediately; here they remained in plain view, while slowly the commissioner counted them, inspecting them front and back as he did so. There was a subtle change in his voice. â€Å"Backed by the Privy Secretary, hey? Good money!† â€Å"To get back to the subject-† urged Barr. â€Å"No, but wait,† interrupted the commissioner, â€Å"let us go back by easy stages. I really do wish to know what your business can be. This money, it is fresh and new, and you must have a good deal, for it strikes me that you have seen other officials before me. Come, now, what about it?† Barr said, â€Å"I don't see what you are driving at.† â€Å"Why, see here, it might be proven that you are upon the planet illegally, since the Identification and Entry Cards of your silent friend are certainly inadequate. He is not a subject of the Emperor.† â€Å"I deny that.† â€Å"It doesn't matter that you do,† said the commissioner, with sudden bluntness. â€Å"The official who signed his Cards for the sum of a hundred credits has confessed – under pressure – and we know more of you than you think.† â€Å"If you are hinting, sir, that the sum we have asked you to accept is inadequate in view of the risks-â€Å" The commissioner smiled. â€Å"On the contrary, it is more than adequate.† He tossed the bills aside. â€Å"To return to what I was saying, it is the Emperor himself who has become interested in your case. Is it not true, sirs, that you have recently been guests of General Riose? Is it not true that you have escaped from the midst of his army with, to put it mildly, astonishing ease? Is it not true that you possess a small fortune in bills backed by Lord Brodrig's estates? In short, is it not true that you are a pair of spies and assassins sent here to – Well, you shall tell us yourself who paid you and for what!† â€Å"Do you know,† said Barr, with silky anger, â€Å"I deny the right of a petty commissioner to accuse us of crimes. We will leave.† â€Å"You will not leave.† The commissioner arose, and his eyes no longer seemed near-sighted. â€Å"You need answer no question now; that will be reserved for a later – and more forceful – time. Nor am I a commissioner; I am a Lieutenant of the Imperial Police. You are under arrest.† There was a glitteringly efficient blast-gun in his fist as he smiled. â€Å"There are greater men than you under arrest this day. It is a hornet's nest we are cleaning up.† Devers snarled and reached slowly for his own gun. The lieutenant of police smiled more broadly and squeezed the contacts. The blasting line of force struck Devers' chest in an accurate blaze of destruction – that bounced harmlessly off his personal shield in sparkling spicules of light. Devers shot in turn, and the lieutenant's head fell from off an upper torso that had disappeared. It was still smiling as it lay in the jag of sunshine which entered through the new-made hole in the wall. It was through the back entrance that they left. Devers said huskily, â€Å"Quickly to the ship. They'll have the alarm out in no time.† He cursed in a ferocious whisper. â€Å"It's another plan that's backfired. I could swear the space fiend himself is against me.† It was in the open that they became aware of the jabbering crowds that surrounded the huge televisors. They had no time to wait; the disconnected roaring words that reached them, they disregarded. But Barr snatched a copy of the Imperial News before diving into the huge barn of the hangar, where the ship lifted hastily through a giant cavity burnt fiercely into the roof. â€Å"Can you get away from them?† asked Barr. Ten ships of the traffic-police wildly followed the runaway craft that had burst out of the lawful, radio-beamed Path of Leaving, and then broken every speed law in creation. Further behind still, sleek vessels of the Secret Service were lifting in pursuit of a carefully described ship manned by two thoroughly identified murderers. â€Å"Watch me,† said Devers, and savagely shifted into hyperspace two thousand miles above the surface of Trantor. The shift, so near a planetary mass, meant unconsciousness for Barr and a fearful haze of pain for Devers, but light-years further, space above them was clear. Devers' somber pride in his ship burst to the surface. He said, â€Å"There's not an Imperial ship that could follow me anywhere.† And then, bitterly, â€Å"But there is nowhere left to run to for us, and we can't fight their weight. What's there to do? What can anyone do?† Barr moved feebly on his cot. The effect of the hypershift had not yet worn off, and each of his muscles ached. He said, â€Å"No one has to do anything. It's all over. Here!† He passed the copy of the Imperial News that he still clutched, and the headlines were enough for the trader. â€Å"Recalled and arrested – Riose and Brodrig,† Devers muttered. He stared blankly at Barr. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"The story doesn't say, but what does it matter? The war with the Foundation is over, and at this moment, Siwenna is revolting. Read the story and see.† His voice was drifting off. â€Å"We'll stop in some of the provinces and find out the later details. If you don't mind, I'll go to sleep now.† And he did. In grasshopper jumps of increasing magnitude, the trade ship was spanning the Galaxy in its return to the Foundation.

Fact and Fancy in children’s education Essay

When Dickens was a very young child, he would think about anything a normal child would think about. E.g. castles and dragons, this is the world of fancy, but this is also in conflict with, his education at school, the world of fact.  The world of fact is a name for how the children of those times were taught; they wouldn’t talk about anything to do with the world of fancy, only facts were useful for their future job so only facts were taught. In Dickens’ book Hard Times he describes this method of teaching as having one part of their â€Å"tender young imaginations† replaced by a â€Å"grim mechanical substitute.† This also relates to the title of the chapter, ‘Murdering the Innocents’  Thomas Gradgrind also numbers his pupils, â€Å"Girl number twenty† like machinery, computer 1 and computer 2.Again, Dickens shows how Gradgrind’s style of education turns the children into an object rater than a person by giving them numbers.  At the end of Chapter 1 he referred to the children as vessels â€Å"then and they’re arranged in order,† he must have been referring to this numbering system. In modern times in the army, a solider in training is referred to as a â€Å"jarhead†, an empty â€Å"vessel† that is filled only with useful information (fact) and is emptied of all useless information (fancy). This could be used to state that the children were b eing trained for one main purpose. The main character is introduced, Sissy Jupe or Cecilia Jupe. Sissy lives by the philosophy of emotion, (fancy) she is a character who is only new to the world of fact as she is from the circus which is the world of fancy. Sissy has trouble adjusting to this world of fact and fact alone as she curtseys and blushes. Sissy Jupe’s father is part of the traveling circus in town for a short while and Thomas Gradgrind hates everything the circus stands for, with all its fun and creativity (fancy) so he reshapes her into a more respectable form. The circus where Sissy comes from is seen by Gradgrind to be opposed to the style of education at that time. Thomas Gradgrind has a hatred for Sissy because they both oppose each other, Fact Vs Fancy. When Bitzer is introduced, Sissy is not able to recollect factual definitions off by heart on the spot, Dickens’ gives us an interesting description of Bitzer compared to Sissy.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"That she seemed to receive a deeper colour from the sun, the boy was so light-eyed and light-haired that the rays appeared to draw out of him what little colour he ever possessed.†Ã‚  This is Dickens’ telling us about the children of Thomas Gradgrind’s style of teachings. The sunlight is the world and has different effects on these two children. Sissy is a child  of the natural world, and her innocence has not been taken away, the sunlight seems not to have her taken away her colour. However, Bitzer on the other hand is a product of the education system; all natural life is taken away from him and you get the sense that he has been drained of spirit and personality making him no more than a robot who only responds when he is put into action by Thomas Gradgrind.  This was how dickens was brought up; as he wanted to become a writer he was always faced with the conflict of Fact versus Fancy in his life. Although this was the case he is one of the greatest 19th century writers ever and his books are still being read all over the world and are used as prime examples of life in the 19th century.

Exercise 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exercise 1 - Essay Example Sexual abuse on the other hand is enticing a child to undertake in any sexual activities with or without consent. The awareness of the child is irrelevant in this case. Failure to provide a child’s needs amounts to neglect. The program’s mission will be protecting children from neglect and abuse to ensure they grow in a healthy environment and proper mental, social, psychological, and emotional development. The primary goals include educating the society on the various forms of child abuse and helping those affected by offering support financially, emotionally and health programs for the sexually abused (Watkins,2009). The effectiveness of the program is measurable in the following ways; data can be obtained from the related agencies and compared to cases reported after awareness is done. A reduction of the number of reported cases shows success. Conducting a benchmarking activity by comparing our work and that done by other child protection programs. The number of children who successfully undertake the program will also be an indication of the success of the program. Activities aimed at achieving the objectives include conducting fun days where families are mobilized and educated on child abuse. Blogs and social networks will ensure that a larger population gets the intended message and are continuously updated on any new events. A toll free centre will be accessible for 24 hours to respond to any emergencies and receive

Development of a publishable paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Development of a publishable paper - Essay Example Methods A qualitative research methodology is employed for the purpose of the study. The common themes in the literature on the therapeutic relationships between the nurses and clients are identified. The study was administered on a sample target group (who were screened based on their experiences of having worked in mental healthcare) of nurses who work in the psychiatric and mental health care hospitals in and around Melbourne in Victoria Australia. A preliminary mailed questionnaire was used to eliminate nurses with no prior experiences in mental healthcare. A telephonic interview was also administered on these respondents to know their willingness to take part in the sample survey. Thus, the participants for the survey consisted of 40 nurses who worked in and around Melbourne in Victoria Australia with at least two years of working in mental healthcare. The questionnaire comprised of 8 interrelated questions most of which were open ended. Results and Conclusions The results of th e study confirmed the common themes identified in the literature review. While therapeutic relationships have been identified as very much significant by the participant nurses they expressed their concern over the inadequacy of ongoing staff training, the heavy work schedule and the problems associated with maintaining professional boundaries. The respondents regarded mutual trust, empathy, confidentiality and non-judgment, feelings of reciprocity and connectedness, and acceptance and understanding as the key factors of effective therapeutic alliance whereas respect, communication and interpersonal skills, and professional knowledge were complementary. On the other hand, the major crippling factors (that prevent effective therapeutic alliance with patients) identified by the respondents consisted of mistrust, breach of confidentiality, ego, lack of communication and interpersonal skills, and lack of professional knowledge. Introduction and Background The therapeutic alliance betwee n the nurse and the client assumes utmost significance in the mental healthcare setting as the patients are greatly in need of personal counseling, guidance and care. Nurses need to have professional knowledge and skills to establish effective therapeutic relationships with the clients and they should be specially trained in displaying caring attitudes and behaviors towards the clients. The ultimate aim of the therapeutic alliance is the physical and mental well-being of the clients and as such the therapeutic relationship should be â€Å"based on trust, respect, empathy and professional intimacy, and requires appropriate use of the power inherent in the care provider’s role† (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2009, p. 3). The five components of effective nurse-client relationships have been identified as â€Å"trust, respect, professional intimacy, empathy and power† (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2009, p. 3). Nurses who work as catalytic agents of change needs to have good communication as well as interpersonal skills and a thorough knowledge regarding the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship (McQueen 2000). It is also significant that the nurses are able to build rapport and trust with the patients (McQueen 2000), show trust and commitment (Morse

Annotated Bibliography for Writing Strategies Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For Writing Strategies - Annotated Bibliography Example They write to pass a significant message to both the writer and the reader. Several books and articles have been written that talk about how to write well I certain and different fields. In this book, the author defines the act of learning as a craft in which an individual will need tools for the process. He also says that learning does not require rules; hence, a learner should have freedom of choosing any suitable method in getting information. From Clarks’ point of view, he has the tools that will help any writer to become fluent and effective in his writing. Freeman advises the society to concentrate on children natural writing mode by studying them lively, and gracefully to improve their skills of learning. Tutors should put effort in teaching children good techniques for apt learning process. Teaching children from an early age about reading and writing in different areas helps children understand the real meaning of writing. Buckner, the author of the book advises writers to learn ways of building structural foundation that will improve skills in writing. Moreover, the structure he is referring is the genre that requires a person to comprehend the elements of various writers for comparison. This book has various methods on how to become a successful writer in different fields, and tips in this book are mostly for those who are upcoming writers. Since they do not have tips and strategies for successful writing, the book has offered a list of strategic tips for them to move from struggling writers to successful ones. In this book, there are tips which talk about writing in certain professionals, and in particular those involved in the field of medicine. Health professionals also need to have reading and writing techniques that will help them have a more advanced look and writing style. Social study is a field that is taught in different institutions and seeing that social a study is an important subject and must be taken into

Macroeconomic problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomic problem - Essay Example The amount of money supplied by the government fixed by Fed hence making it perfectly inelastic. b) In our situation, the equilibrium interest rate will be 5.8% as this is the point of intersection of the supply curve and the money demand curve. C) When the economy is at full employment, an increase in money supply will not result in an increase in the output. In this case, the increased money supplied will result in increased level of inflation. The excess money pumped in the economy will chase the same quantity of goods and services thereby making their prices to inflate. Normally, the increases in the money supply is intended to stimulate economic growth by reducing the level of interest rates (Floyd 58). In the case of full employment, all the resources are already utilized and the increased money supplied will not achieve the intended purpose of increasing production level. Besides, the increased inflation will make the local currency unstable and discourage foreign investors fr om holding the local currency. This can adversely affect the investment levels and increase the economic problems. Fed decision to increase money supply can be propelled by several factors. First, an increase in money supply can be aimed at increasing the level of expenditure in the economy. By increasing the level of money supply, the government will increase the amount of wealth held by individuals. This makes them increase their expenditure to stimulate economic growth. Money spent in both consumption and investment will increase because of the increase in the disposable income (Floyd 63). Individuals will as well increase the proportion of their investments in bonds, as they will use the excess money to buy bonds and shares in the capital markets. Secondly, Fed can decide to increase the money supply to stimulate investments. An increase in money supply will result in a fall in the nominal interest rates, which will further result in the fall in the real interest rates. Due to t he fall in interest rates, the cost of borrowings will be reduced. Potential investors will therefore be encouraged to borrow and acquire capital necessary in pursuing their investment plans. Consequently, the increased investments will increase the level of employment because of the increased economic activities. Sometimes, the government through Fed can decide to increase the level of money supply to cause an increase the price levels by a desirable margin. According to the quantity theory of money, price levels depend directly on the money supply. In the long-run therefore, an increase in money supply will result in an increase in the price level by equal proportion. Fed can have this objective during the period of recession or depression when the level of economic activities is low to stimulate economic activities and increase the quantity of purchases. In addition, a decrease in the interest rates will increase the demand of the local currency hence cause depreciation in the cu rrency. This is because in an open economy, interest rates parity must always be preserved. This will cause the currency to fall with a further expectation that it will fall faster in the future. The depreciation in the local currency will make the cost of local goods cheaper and attractive thereby causing a surge in both the foreign and local demand (Floyd

Problems and prospects of external debt management Essay

Problems and prospects of external debt management - Essay Example However, these indigenous institutions may not always have sufficient amount of resources to fulfill all the requirements of the country. In that case, it is forced to resort to international commercial banks or international lending institutions like the IMF of the World Bank. It can also request for financial aid from the Government of its ally nations. The debtors of a country can include the national Government, the private corporations or even the individual households. Usually, external debt is borrowed in two ways: by taking loans from the lending institutions or by selling the country’s securities to acquire the required amount of funds. After the country accomplishes its projects with the help of the borrowed resources, it is required to repay the external debt along with its interest payments. Thus, external debt is actually a liability of the nation. For this reason, it is recorded under the Debit Account in the Balance of Payments (BOP) of the country. The BOP is a statement of accounts of the nation including its assets and liabilities and the outstanding credit and debit of the economy. The BOP gives an indication of the country’s position with respect to the international market. If the country has borrowed a large amount of financial resources from abroad, this will automatically add to the Debit account of the BOP. A huge burden of external debt does not reflect a good financial position of the domestic nation. Instead it indicates that financial resources generated within the economy are not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the national Government, the private firms and the individual households. That is why; the country has to depend on external sources to finance its multifarious requirements. Economists and financial experts always advise countries to keep their external debt burden down to a minimum. Nations are expected not to borrow extra resources unless and until it becomes absolutely necessary (The World Bank, 2 012). Indicators of a Country’s External Debt Burden Apart from the Balance of Payments Statement, there are other variables which give an indication of the external debt burden of a particular country. These are: a. The Ratio of External Debt to GDP: A high value of this ratio reflects a high external debt burden of the nation. This shows that the country’s external borrowings are greater than the value of its Gross Domestic Product produced within its geographical boundaries. The financial resources generated in turn from the GDP are not being able to meet all the financial requirements within the economy. Therefore, the country has to borrow extra resources from external creditors b. The Foreign Debt to Exports Ratio: When an economy has a high ratio of foreign debt to exports, this also indicates a high external debt burden of the country. It exhibits that the nation’s borrowing from external sources is more than the value of the goods exported by the countr y. This may also reflect that the nation’s external debt liabilities are greater than its external credit earnings. The