 What happens to drafted workers?
What's more important—Man's conquest of space, or one spaceman's life? It was better to retire on a limited crediting, on a confoundedly limited crediting, than to take the two or three more trips in hopes of attaining a higher standard. Time to decide that a one room mini-auto-apartment, complete with an autochair and built-in autobar, and with one wall a teevee screen, was all he needed to find contentment for a mighty long time. His friend said drily, "Either of us could have volunteered for pilot training forty years ago, Lofting. Born in our Ultrawelfare State, he was guaranteed his fundamental womb-to-tomb security by being issued that minimum number of Basic shares in our society that allows him an income sufficient to secure the food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education to sustain a low level of subsistence. Percentages were against his ever being drafted into industry. Automation being what it is, only a fraction of the population is ever called up. His industrial aptitude dossier revealed him a possible candidate for space pilot, and it was you yourself who talked him into taking the training ... pointing out the more pragmatic advantages such as complete retirement after but six trips, added shares of Basic so that he could enjoy a more comfortable life than most and the fame that would accrue to him as one of the very few who still participate in travel to the planets. Took his training, which, of course, required long years of drudgery to him. He is now legally eligible for retirement. He was drafted into the working force reserves, served his time, and is now free from toil for the balance of his life. The man is the only trained space pilot in the world. It will take months, possibly more than a year, to bring another novitiate pilot to the point where he can safely be trusted to take our next explorer craft out. If it is admitted that our organization has degenerated to the point that we haven't a single pilot, then it might well be that the Economic Planning Board, and especially those cloddies on Appropriations, will terminate the whole Department of Space Exploration." Have you never heard of the seaman who dreamed of returning to the village of his birth and buying a chicken farm or some such? And morning would find him, drunk, rolled, tattooed and possibly sleeping it off in jail. "Unfortunately, our present-day sailor can't be separated from his money quite so easily. "Nobody can spend your money, but you, yourself.
 They train and work for a time, then retire with extra funds.
 They train and work for a time, then retire with extra funds.  They receive no pay, and have to undergo training and work for some time  They are called upon throughout their life for periods of work.  They work a short period of time, then return to normal life.