large/6104/subspace_survivors_1201_librivox_64kb_mp3/subspacesurvivors_2_smith_64kb_83
large/6104/subspace_survivors_1201_librivox_64kb_mp3/subspacesurvivors_2_smith_64kb
English
6104
Nevertheless, accidents happened. A chillingly large number of lives had, as a total, been lost; and no catastrophe had ever been even partially explained. No message of distress or call for help had ever been received. NEVERTHELESS ACCIDENTS HAPPENED A CHILLINGLY LARGE NUMBER OF LIVES HAD AS A TOTAL BEEN LOST AND NO CATASTROPHE HAD EVER BEEN EVEN PARTIALLY EXPLAINED NO MESSAGE OF DISTRESS OR CALL FOR HELP HAD EVER BEEN RECEIVED
 the time of this chronicle the status of interstellar flight was very similar to that of intercontinental jet-plane flight in the nineteen-sixties. Starships were designed by humanity's best brains; carried every safety device those brains could devise. They were maintained and serviced by ultra-skilled, ultra-trained, ultra-able crews; they were operated by the _creme-de-la-creme_ of manhood. Only a man with an extremely capable mind in an extremely capable body could become an officer of a subspacer. Statistically, starships were the safest means of transportation ever used by man; so safe that Very Important Persons used them regularly, unthinkingly, and as a matter of course. Statistically, the starships' fatality rate per million passenger-light-years was a small fraction of that of the automobiles' per million passenger-miles. Insurance companies offered odds of tens of thousands to one that any given star-traveler would return unharmed from any given star-trip he cared to make.  PUBLIC DOMAIN AT THE TIME OF THIS CHRONICLE THE STATUS OF INTERSTELLAR FLIGHT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF INTERCONTINENTAL JET PLAIN FLIGHT IN THE NINETEEN SIXTIES STARSHIPS WERE DESIGNED BY HUMANITY'S BEST BRAINS CARRIED EVERY SAFETY DEVICE THOSE BRAINS COULD DEVISE THEY WERE MAINTAINED AND SERVICED BY ULTRA SKILLED ULTRA TRAINED ULTRA ABLE CREWS THEY WERE OPERATED BY THE CREME DE LA CREME OF MANHOOD ONLY A MAN WITH AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE MIND AND AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE BODY COULD BECOME AN OFFICER OF A SUBSPACER STATISTICALLY STARSHIPS WERE THE SAFEST MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION EVER USED BY MAN SO SAFE THAT VERY IMPORTANT PERSONS USED THEM REGULARLY UNTHINKINGLY AND AS A MATTER OF COURSE STATISTICALLY THE STARSHIP'S FATALITY RATE PER MILLION PASSENGER LIGHT YEARS WAS A SMALL FRACTION OF THAT OF THE AUTOMOBILES PER MILLION PASSENGER MILES INSURANCE COMPANIES OFFERED ODDS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS TO ONE THAT ANY GIVEN STAR TRAVELLER WOULD RETURN UNHARMED FROM ANY GIVEN STAR TRIP HE CARED TO MAKE
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