53. The Slave-Farm Fantasy.

For many hundreds of years, men dived for pearls, often in dangerous waters. In our own century, pearl farms have been developed. Oysters are gathered, a grain of sand is inserted, which will be the nucleus of the pearl, and then they are placed in ponds, where they live until the pearl is ready, which may then be removed. The pearl farm, though it takes time to produce the first crop, is, eventually, a revolutionary advance in the pearling industry. Once the farm is functional, of course, new crops are yielded regularly; new oysters are constantly being gathered, new grains of sand being inserted, etc. The farm, once operational, and once the first crop is in, becomes a gold mine. Not only is it lucrative, but it also beats dodging sharks. Ask any pearl diver.

If we suppose a future time in the galaxy, in which we are only one form of rational life, and perhaps not the most powerful or technologically advanced, we might also suppose a time in which the human animal, with its rudimentary rational capabilities, might have value as a slave of alien beings. Perhaps there are several differing “slave stocks” in the galaxy, of which the human is only one. If this is the case, we might then imagine an enterprising alien, one with imagination and sound business sense, establishing a series of slave farms. After the initial investment, which might be considerable, both in time and money, a slave crop would be annually yielded. How long does it take to raise a beautiful human slave, seventeen years, eighteen? Think of the control that would be possible in breeding, and also in training. Doubtless the aliens would attempt to anticipate the market and breed and trade their stocks accordingly. Perhaps they would even attempt to influence the market and manipulate it. But perhaps they sometimes make mistakes, and would be left with a crop for which there is little market, one then to be disposed of in out-of-the-way places at bottom prices. It is all possible. Suppose, for example, that the aliens, putting their tentacles and antennae together, decide that in seventeen years there will be a market for slender-ankled, beautifully figured, blond-pelted Earth females. They then breed accordingly, perhaps even attending to such details as seeing that a bit of pride and rebelliousness is bred into the crop, to make their taming and defeat more delicious to a master, alien or otherwise. Perhaps orders are placed, which are, to the best of the farm’s ability, filled. For example, do they have in their current inventory a female with long black hair, to the small of her back, height approximately five feet six inches, age twenty-two to twenty-three years, high intelligence, blue eyes, bust approximately 32, waist approximately 24, hips approximately 34, vitality and health superb, extra-high female hormone index? Perhaps the farm has several hundred such specimens. One might be crated and sent out on approval, or, if the customer wishes, he may visit the farm and survey the stock personally, examining and interviewing them. Prices, he is assured, are competitive, and the merchandise, if not found satisfactory, may be returned in thirty days. Girls are seldom returned; they are anxious to please their masters. It is not pleasant to be returned to the farm. A girl who is twice returned is placed in a special lot, to be disposed of in bulk at unimportant markets for what usually amounts to chained gang labor in the shallow farel fields, under the whips of spiderlike overseers.