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Scanners Live in Vain: Difference between revisions
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"Scanners Live in Vain" was a novelette-length story written by [[Cordwainer Smith]] in 1945. It went on to be included in the first volume of ''The [[Science Fiction]] Hall of Fame.''
In the ''[[Instrumentality of Mankind]]'' [[The Verse|'verse]] where this story takes place, mankind tried exploring space, but ran into a huge problem: Some unknown form of radiation permeated all of outer space, which would cause unbearable pain in anyone exposed to it for more than a few minutes. There was no known way to block this radiation. The only solution anyone could devise for this "Great Pain of Space" was to physically sever all the nerves that carried the pain signals to the brain. This procedure, invented by Dr. Haberman, rendered the patient incapable of feeling ''any'' sensation, good or bad, and of using any senses other than eyesight; so it was reserved for convicted criminals who would otherwise be sentenced to death.
Unfortunately, manning your starships entirely with convicted felons isn't the best way to run a space program, so these "Habermans" as they came to be known had to be watched closely by a volunteer police force who'd had the nerve-severing procedure done to them voluntarily. These volunteers had readouts and control panels mounted into their bodies, so that they could monitor their physical health and make sure they weren't (say) leaning against a running buzz saw without realizing it. They were trained to scan their readouts quickly and often, and so became known as Scanners.
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Conflict, confrontation, and artificially-induced high-speed battle reflexes ensue.
The complete text can be found [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927182937/http://www.webscription.net/chapters/1416521461/1416521461___5.htm here].
{{tropelist}}
* [[Human Popsicle]]: Colonists who ''don't'' have the Haberman cuts are shipped to other planets in cold sleep, aboard starships crewed by Habermans and Scanners.
* [[Organic Technology]]: Adam Stone has basically discovered that the radiation that causes the Great Pain of Space not only ''affects'' life, it is ''absorbed'' by it. So, surrounding yourself with other living creatures will prevent you from feeling the pain yourself. He eventually settles on building a shield out of live oysters.
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