It was much nicer that way than if you had resisted, and were put
on board by force.

"I shall start at the beginning of my story, and let you judge for
yourselves as to whether we have done wrong.

"The existence of my world depends on the perfect operation of machines.
Even our atmosphere is manufactured and kept at proper temperature
within sealed domes, to protect us from the natural gases of the planet.
We live on this planet through necessity--_not desire_!

"Our race landed there very long ago after escaping from a planet that
was falling into the sun. Their space ship ran short of fuel within the
gravity pull of our present habitation. It was difficult, but they
succeeded in constructing gas-proof shelters, and slowly improved
conditions for living.

"We never knew what happened to the other space ships from our original
planet, but they may be distributed throughout the universe. Your _own_
ancestors may be of the same origin as ours. The similarity of our forms
tends to prove it.

"Eventually metal domes were built, and the race prospered within. But
our lives depend on their being kept in perfect repair. Machines were
built which do practically all of the work in caring for our wants, and
from the first we have adjusted our own gravity; to live normally under
the gigantic pull of the new planet, which to you is Jupiter.

"Through the ages our lives became easier, and required less manual
work. Machinery did everything we desired. Most of them were
automatically repaired and serviced, while the permanent machines ran on
through the ages without care. As generation after generation lived and
died, under these conditions, we lost most of our former knowledge.

"When one of the atmospheric machines ceased to operate--we _could not
repair it_! Instead, one of the other machines had to be speeded up, and
the atmosphere pumped into the extra dome.

"At the height of our mechanical development this space ship was built.
Then the race lost interest and were content to live in ease, without
attempting to reach another planet. Three generations ago our people
discovered the danger. Even our bodies had deteriorated until we _could
not stand hard work_. The machines had begun to break down--we were
headed for extinction!

"When I was a young man they succeeded in finishing the equipment on
this ship. Three generations had been required to create enough fuel for
only _two voyages_!

"I was selected as the man