<So if I wasn't born on Earth, mother, where was I born?

Now Christopher, how many times do I have to tell you that I can't answer that question? But you should be able to figure out some of that yourself. Now by your PGG or Personal Graviton Generator, you know that the planet you were born on is 1.25 times Earth normal. Look it up in the computer and you can narrow down the choices.

What are we doing here then?

Once again, your father and I are Ambassadors from our planet to the United Federation of Planets. We are here to protect our planet from whatever laws they may decide to pass. As I've told you before, there are many people who wouldn't like the way we run our planet.

Why? Do we enslave people? Do we hurt them?

No, we don't enslave our people. In fact, we let our people have more freedom than what some people in the UFP believe they should have. Nor do we hurt them, although we don't prevent them from hurting themselves if they so choose. But isn't that what freedom is all about? The right to make your own mistakes and to learn from the experience, not to make mistakes that someone else coerces you into making. Basically, the planet we come from is one where coercive acts can not legally exist. There is no government, to speak of, that will steal your money in order to give it to somebody else in greater need. It would be up to that person to either work harder, to live within the means set by their income, to take out a loan, or to receive charity given by others voluntarily.

But, supposed they can't, mother? Would it be fair to let them starve? Don't people have the right to a subsistence income? To an education, a home, and medical care?

Christopher, ask yourself this. At whose expense? There are people who have compassion for those who are less well off. Voluntary charities exist at a greater extent than they ever had on Terra. Now all they have to decide is what charity to support. Do they house the homeless? Set up educational centers for those that can not afford it? Or use their money to fight oppression on distant planets? Otherwise, one just spends money on what one uses. But then our standard of living is much higher due to the lack of nonproductive civil servants, politicians, and those on the welfare rolls, leeching off the economy, and the lack of government regulation which stifles competition, creativity, innovation, and alternative nondestructive lifestyles. So, you can find in all but a few rare cases, that poverty is restricted to those who strive for and accept it by choice.>

<Now, Christopher, can you tell me the cause of inflation?

It's when currency, usually in the form of a fiat money supply, is increased in its volume of circulation.

Why is that?

Well, father, the value of everything is based upon Say's law which essentially says that supply creates its own demand. The greater demand for any commodity, the greater its value. Entrepreneurs will then increase the supply of that commodity in order to meet the demand. The inherent value of that commodity, now being less in demand, will decrease. Such is the way with a fiat money supply. Let's say the Klingon Empire went to war with the Tholian Hegenomy. Taxes are levied in order to pay for the expenses. But that won't be enough without inciting a great deal of civil unrest. So, the empire in order to pay expenses, decides to print more currency. The manufacturers of battle cruisers now have more money than they ordinarily would have had. This money is used to pay their employees, hire new ones to meet the increased demand for battle cruisers, and buy processed tritanium for the battle cruiser hulls. The manufacturers of processed tritanium use their money to pay their employees, hire new ones, and buy tritanium ore. The miners of tritanium ore use their money to pay their employees, hire new ones, and to buy machinery. So, as you can see, labor is being displaced from productive pursuits to destructive pursuits.

That hardly has anything to do with inflation, Christopher.

I'm getting to that. Meanwhile, the employees are spending their paychecks all over Khlinzai, minus taxes levied, and the money is spread throughout the economy. But now there is a greater volume of currency that there was before, without there being an increase in the productivity of the population. The greater supply leads to less of a demand, and the value of the base unit of Klingon currency drops. Now it takes more money to buy such goodies as Klingon ghogg. More of the Klingon's paycheck is going for food and suddenly everyone is demanding a cost of living increase. Employers grant the increase, but then they have to raise prices or lay off people. Now, because prices are raised you have the same problem as before. In addition, due to the decreased employment the empire has a decrease in tax revenue with an increase in welfare. Therefore, more money is printed, causing inflation to spiral out of control.

Good explanation but bad analogy. I don't think the Klingons have welfare.>

<How do minimum wage laws cause unemployment?

Just as the marketplace at any given time has a price for an orange, based on its supply and the demand created, so does an hour of labor in a certain profession by a person with a specific level of skill. If that price is less than the minimum wage, then employers will find less expensive ways to fill those needs, such as robotics - or by using a more skilled person to perform a job that would have taken two less skilled people to do, each paid half the wage. Meanwhile, those less skilled people who could have had this occupation are unemployed, while those employed are getting a greater piece of the pie.

Very good! Now, what is the effect of the prohibition of any commodity desired by any collection of individuals?>

<Okay, Christopher, this is a Marfac 'Heavy Hand' Phaser Rifle. Its settings are stun, heavy stun, heat, disrupt, and disintegrate - or dematerialize - and overload. Its ranges for those settings are 200 meters, 180 meters, 10 meters, 175 meters, 80 meters, and 250 meters. Okay now, click off the safety, use the sights, make sure you're on the narrow beam and stun settings, now breathe in, hold, and squeeze gently on the trigger.

Hey, Dad! I got a bull's-eye!

Very good! Now let's try rapid fire across multiple targets. And remember, when it comes to self defense, even a type one phaser will put you on equal terms with anyone trying to kill, hurt, or steal anything from you. Remember, when it comes to self defense, no apologies are required.>

<Damn it, Joe! I still can't hold of them.

Get hold of who, TJ?

My parents.

You've been trying a week now, haven't you?

Nine days to be exact.

Isn't that how long we've been at the Academy?

I've already made that connection, Joe.

Don't you think it's about time you reported it to the proper authorities?

What is this, twenty questions? Hell, Joe, they're not missing. The UFP Department of Ambassadorial Affairs acknowledges that fact. They must know where they are.

But they won't tell you?

No, they won't tell me.>

Blackness... no sign of light...

Wisps of black smoke clearing away. Ensign Edwards walking down the corridor toward the familiar figure of Ensign Stephen Jacobs.

"Hey, TJ, how's it going?"

"Okay, Steve, and you?"

"Dying of boredom here."

"Well, you're the one who joined Security as a profession."

"I know, I know." Jacobs sighed. "but does it have to be so boring?"

"Just think of it as payment due for the so called privilege of having the means of defending yourself."

"You mean the phaser?" he asked, pulling the aforementioned item off his belt and examining it. " It's really no big deal. Anybody can use it."

"I know that. I used to be classified as a sharpshooter on this model back on Earth." Christopher grinned. "But not everyone can carry one."

"That's true. Regulations, you know," a grim look appeared on his face. "If it were up to me, I'd let everyone carry one."

"Why is that," Edwards asked, already knowing the answer.

"What intruder would stand a chance against a starship full of personnel toting hardware around?"

"True enough."

"So you used to be a sharpshooter, huh? What stance and grip did you use?"

"The Fornay-Harley combination."

"Really? I've never heard of that one."

"It's something my father taught me. Here," he gestured toward the Phaser-II. "I'll show you."

"Well... I don't know," he said, reluctant to give up the phaser. "Oh, what the hell."

"Thanks." Chris showed a broad grin, taking the phaser and backing up several steps. Crouching into a stance, which he hadn't used since the last time he visited the firing range two weeks ago, and pivoting - along with a flick of his thumb which quickly changed the setting from stun to disintegrate - he fired. The lethal beam enveloping Ensign Jacobs showed as a violet aura before taking him into whatever limbo fate had reserved for him.

"Dying of boredom is right," Edwards chuckled, tossing the weapon down the nearest disposal chute.