seeking transportation to the new colonies where he might find golden fleece for the taking." Godwin further points out that such imperialism has itsrisks and poses problems.

One problem colonizing outer space poses is the fact that the planets are so distant the colonies are very isolated, decreasing the chances of colonists and explorers surviving. Large hyperspace cruisers have been built to transport explorers and colonists and to check up on the colonies, but operating the cruisers is too expensive for cruisers to be able to make unscheduled stops at the colonies to address emergency situations. As a solution, the government designed Emergency Dispatch Ships, but they too pose problems since they can only safely carry one person to a destination, which, as we can see based on the story, can cost an innocent person his/her life. Moreover, Godwin describes outer space as being full of "forces that would" destroy all people who come in contact with the forces such as a deadly tornado. Therefore, Godwin's short story asks the very anti-imperial question, is imperialism worth the death and destruction it causes?