Thursday 6 September 2018

Sea Gypsies

Poul Anderson, The Byworlder, VII.

An argonaut community:

builds nuclear-powered ships;

adapts survival equipment designed for use on the Moon and Mars;

can stay at sea indefinitely;

fishes;

harvests plankton;

extracts minerals from water;

gets food and fabric from seaweed;

prospects for undersea ore and oil;

carries cargo;

buys and sells through brokers on shore;

registers ships through minor countries;

functions as a sovereign state in international waters;

occasionally takes passengers.

The Vikings regard themselves as the repository of Northern virtues. Other communities include Mormon Revivalists and Free Basques.

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