 Why does Moran think it could be beneficial if one of the crew members was killed on the alien planet?
The plans were thrashed out very painstakingly, in formal conference on the space-yacht Nadine , with Moran present and allowed to take part in the discussion. From the viewpoint of the Nadine's ship's company, it was simply necessary to get rid of Moran. Now it lay astern, and Moran could see the planet that had been chosen for his marooning. The ice-cap, by its existence and circular shape, proved that the planet rotated at a not unreasonable rate. A water-ice ice-cap said that there were no poisonous gases in the planet's atmosphere. A large cap would have meant a large area with arctic and sub-arctic temperatures, with small temperate and tropical climate-belts. The fact was verified by the thick, dense cloud-masses which covered most of the surface,—all the surface, in fact, outside the ice-cap. But since there were ice-caps there would be temperate regions. In short, the ice-cap proved that a man could endure the air and temperature conditions he would find. Moran observed these things from the control-room of the Nadine , then approaching the world on planetary drive. Two of the Nadine's four-man crew watched out the same ports as the planet seemed to approach. With clearance-papers in order, they could land unquestioned at any other space-port and take off again—provided the other space-port was one they had clearance for. Without rigid control of space-travel, any criminal anywhere could escape the consequences of any crime simply by buying a ticket to another world. Moran couldn't have bought a ticket, but he'd tried to get off the planet Coryus on the Nadine . Wherever the yacht landed, such a disparity between its documents and its crew would spark an investigation. Moran, at least, would be picked out as a fugitive from Coryus Three. The others were fugitives too, from some unnamed world Moran did not know. And Moran was the extra man whose presence would rouse space-port officials' suspicion of the rest. Blaster in hand, he'd made the Nadine take off from Coryus III with a trip-tape picked at random for guidance. It could have travelled at almost any speed in practically any direction for a length of time that was at least indefinite. The process would be to find a planet and check its climate and relationship to other planets, and its flora and fauna against descriptions in the Directory.
 He and the remaining crew members could pass security clearance with only five members on board.
 He would be more likely to survive an attack from the Nadine crew if they ambushed him.  He could convert their body to nutrients, which he could use to survive longer on the alien planet.  He and the remaining crew members could pass security clearance with only five members on board.  He could steal the deceased crew member's identity and use it to start a new life on a new planet.