The Door

He thought back over the progress of technology, which had leaped ahead in his short thirty-four years. Things which had seemed impossible only a few decades ago had been achieved. Near-impossible technological barriers had been surmounted. Polymers had replaced metals, plastics had proven to be as exciting as magic, and the abilities of humans had been multiplied a thousand times through electronic wizardry.

Plugging in his lightweight suit to the air bottle, Phillip slipped down from the cab and walked, with the peculiar bounding stride of semi-weightlessness, over to the airlock. The door slid aside automatically and he stepped inside.

"But I tell you, we have gone about this work the wrong way around!" It was John Plymouth speaking. He tugged at his wispy beard and frowned.

"Its too late to say that!" said John Plymouth, "You can't make people sit about and think for years on end before they do anything. Progress goes on, and you philosophers have to work out what it all means later on!"

Phillip entered the large, air-conditioned room and smiled at the three men at the table. "Head-bashing again?" he said, "Who's winning this time?"

"We are not interested in winning," replied Paul, trying to sound cold, but failing. "I was merely saying what should be perfectly obvious to anyone. The mining of the moon is a hasty, haphazard act of thoughtlessness. It should stop immediately, before irreversible damage is done!".

"What sort of damage?" This was Ralph Kerr speaking. He usually stayed out of discussions like this. He couldn't care less what happened to the moon, or the Earth for that matter, as long as he got his regular pay packet.

"I'll tell you," said Paul," A few thousand years ago the Earth had only a few humans, a million or so, and their effect was negligible. The planet was able to cope with them, and repair any damage they did to it. But then, in the 20th century, there was a massive increase in numbers, and whole continents were damaged. Millions of trees died, lakes were ruined, oceans altered, and the atmosphere changed. Earth has never recovered from all this, and we may yet see the final collapse of everything we hold dear!"

"Any more doom and gloom professor?" chuckled John, "I'm beginning to wish Ralph hadn't got you started!" Paul ignored him.

"The moon plays a very important part in the life of