In a Good Cause—

In a Good Cause—

"In a Good Cause—" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. The story first appeared in a 1951 issue of "New Tales of Space and Time", and was reprinted in the collection "Nightfall and Other Stories" (1969).

The story commences in the year 2755 of the Atomic Era (corresponding to 4700 C.E. in Asimovean chronology) and opens with a description of a statue in the grounds of the United Worlds organisation raised to Richard (Dick) Altmayer. The plot tells how two friends, Altmayer and Geoffrey Stock, take opposing positions when conscripted into military service for a war between human-occupied star systems. Stock willingly reports for military duty, whilst Altmayer protests, believing that the various inter-stellar nations of humanity should be united and at peace.

The story follows the two characters over a forty-five year period. Stock reaches high military rank and then political office, whilst Altmayer is imprisoned and kept under house arrest several times (The dates of which are recorded on the statue on the grounds of the United Worlds organisation). He starts political parties and protest movements, all of which fail to achieve their objectives of uniting humanity.

The story reaches a climax with Altmayer's desire for a united humanity being achieved after a war against the 'Diaboli', an intelligent non-human race that also occupies several planetary systems in the Galaxy. This unity, however, has been realised only through Stock's political manipulations rather than Altmayer's idealistic actions. Stock asks his one-time friend to be one of the delegates from Earth to a peace conference, but realizes that history will not record his own participation in the unification of humanity.

Quotations

Stock: "And when they build their statues, they will build none for me."


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