The Cold Equations Handouts
Handout 1
Let me tell you a parable.
A long time ago, when Techno-Mages walked
among men and the graves of the Xon were
but freshly dug, a noble man once sent a clever
servant out to tend his lands. The clever servant
sowed the stoniest fields with fine seeds. Other
servants laughed at him and said that he had
wasted his master’s wealth.
Many birds descended and fed on the seeds and
grew fat.
The birds congratulated themselves, saying
“We have tricked this foolish servant and eaten
his seeds.’ But the birds grew so fat they could
no longer fly on their own. The servant took the
plumpest of the birds and killed them, and sent
them to his master’s kitchens.
And it was a fine banquet indeed.
When the nobleman was bored, the servant
entertained him by bringing him rare birds with
beautiful plumage.
When the nobleman was tired, his chariot was
harnessed to a flock of sturdy flightless birds.
Truly, the servant had worked wonders for his
master.
Then, one day, they stopped sending the servant
seeds. The other servants whispered that no
plants had grown that year, or that the seeds
had been stolen, or that the master’s children
had eaten them all and spoiled their appetite for
dinner. They told the servant a thousand lies.
All the birds had grown used to feeding on fine,
tasty seeds. When they did not get the seeds,
they grew hungry and hunger can make the
fattest, stupidest bird learn to fly again.
They ate the servant’s eyes right out of his head,
pop pop!
But they were still hungry and there were a great
many birds indeed.
Do you know what the other servants did? They
got eaten by the birds!
Do you know what the master did? He closed his
windows and stuck his fingers in his ears.
Do you know what the poor blind servant did?
He grew feathers.
But it was out of love, you see. Out of love.
Handout 2
YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE CENTAURI DOCUMENTS.
YOU WILL GIVE THEM TO US.
IF YOU DO, THEN YOU WILL BE SAFE.
LEAVE THEM IN RED SECTOR, ROOM 599.