The transfer shed was a vast and somber terminal, cold and impersonal.
There was a cleared space at the center of the floor where the
officials had desks and tables and rows of filing cabinets and busily
clicking machinery. The women sat huddled around the edges of the shed,
waiting to be called to the center and assigned to any of the various
colony planets.
Phyllis clutched her small suitcase, containing the few personal items
she had been allowed to take on the trip, and silently swore that once
she set foot on another planet, she'd never leave it, no matter what.
"Draft 49 for the Huffer Solar System report to the routing desk! Draft
49 for the Huffer Solar System report to the routing desk!"
"That's us," Suzanne said drily. She and Phyllis and Ruby joined the
others out on the floor.
"You understand," the routing official was saying, "that you're allowed
your choice of planets in the Huffer Solar System. We'll read off
occupational and other pertinent information and then you make your
choice.
"Sunside: First planet from the system sun. Warm, humid climate.
Fishing, flower-growing for export, mining, and natural handicrafts.
Population ratio 7 to 1, males all somatypes and admixtures.
"Midplanet: Second planet out. Temperate climate. Farming,
fur-trapping, slight manufacturing. Ratio 7 to 1, all somatypes and
admixtures."
"Newman's body, last planet out from the system sun...."
He finished the list and gave them five minutes to decide. The names of
the three planets appeared on the floor in glowing letters. When they
had made up their minds, they were to go and stand on the name.
They held a short conference.
"It looks like it's a tossup between fish and furs," Ruby said. "I
think I'll take Midplanet. I like furs better than fish."
They argued a moment longer, then picked up their belongings and went
and stood on the luminous letters.