hunting Jorden aside without wasting the facilities
on a useless test.

They moved to an observation post and Ashby directed Jorden's attention
to the observation lenses. "We cleaned out here this afternoon," he
said. "A Captain of the Service last occupied the pit."

Jorden looked up inquiringly. "Did he--?"

"No. He didn't make it. Tomorrow morning you will be given a
preconditioning which will set up the basic situation that you have
traveled to Serrengia and are now established there in the colony. We
will begin the test at a period of some length after establishment
there, when difficulties begin to pile up. Other members of the party
will be laboratory staff people who will provide specific, guiding
stimuli to determine your reaction to them."

"Are they there constantly, night and day?"

"No. When you are asleep their day's work is over and they go home."

"What if I wake up and find the whole setup is a phony?"

"You won't. We have control beams constantly focussed upon the persons
being tested. These are used to keep him asleep when desirable, and to
control him to the extent of preventing him doing physical harm to
himself or others."

"Is that necessary?" said Jorden dubiously. "Why should anyone wish to
do harm?"

"The Captain, whom we released today, was pushed to the point of
suicide," said Ashby. "We find it _quite_ necessary to assure ourselves
of adequate control at all times."

"How can you set up the illusion of distance and a whole new world in
such a comparatively small area?"

"It _is_ illusion, a great deal of it. Some is induced along with the
initial preconditioning, other features are done mechanically, but when
you are there you will have no doubt whatever that you are a colonist on
the planet Serrengia. You will act accordingly, and respond to the
stimuli exactly as if you had been transported to the actual planet. In
this way, we are sure of finding colonists who will not blow up when
they face the real situation."

"How many have you found so far?"

"None."

Jorden was shaken for a moment, but he smiled then and said, "You have
found one. Put my name down on the books."

"We'll see," said Ashby grimly. "Your colony will be in the limited belt
of the planet's northern hemisphere where considerable agriculture is
possible. You'll be in the midst of a group trying to beat a living from
a world which is neither excessively hostile nor conducive to indolence.
Some of the peop