▁bi ote chn ology ▁efficiently ▁and ▁r uth lessly . ▁ ▁Special ized ▁life forms , ▁designed ▁to ▁have ▁just ▁enough ▁intelligence ▁to ▁do ▁work , ▁and ▁sub serv ient ▁to ▁the ▁r ul ers , ▁carry ▁out ▁all ▁labor . ▁ ▁There ▁ ▁are ▁even ▁alter ed ▁types ▁of ▁Mon wa ing i ▁being ▁used ▁as ▁slaves . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Represent ative ' s ▁office ▁they ▁are ▁shown ▁a ▁recording ▁of ▁an ▁inter rog ation ▁of ▁an ▁agent ▁of ▁the ▁merchant ▁culture ▁of ▁X o . ▁ ▁It ▁indicates ▁that ▁Earth ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁bomb s ▁sold ▁to ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁minor ▁national ▁powers , ▁and ▁set ▁up ▁as ▁a ▁suic ide ▁weapon , ▁to ▁be ▁det on ated ▁if ▁either ▁power ▁was ▁attacked ▁with ▁nuclear ▁weapons . ▁ ▁The ▁Battle ▁of ▁Brand obar ▁The ▁men ▁are ▁shock ed , ▁but ▁are ▁still ▁determined ▁to ▁fight ▁on ▁against ▁the ▁Kan dem iri ans . ▁ ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Vor lak , ▁D onn an ▁bl uff s ▁his ▁way ▁past ▁H l ott ▁Lu urs , ▁ ▁who ▁is ▁still ▁angry ▁over ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁a ▁ship ▁and ▁his ▁k ins man ▁ab o ard ▁it . ▁ ▁G olds pring ▁has ▁designed ▁more ▁weapons ▁using ▁the ▁st ard rive ▁technology . ▁ ▁The ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁drive ▁is ▁that ▁space ▁is ▁a ▁standing ▁wave ▁pattern . ▁ ▁Where ▁inter ference ▁fr ing es ▁occur , ▁there ▁is ▁in ▁effect ▁no ▁space ▁and ▁no ▁distance . ▁ ▁A ▁ship ▁may ▁jump