 What does Johnny Ashlew best represent?
Chief Steward Slichow led his little command, less two third-class ration keepers thought to have been trapped in the lower hold, to a point two hundred meters from the steaming hull of the Peace State . It may be useful to discover temporary sources in this area of natural foods." Being conscripted into this idiotic space fleet that never fights is bad enough without a tin god on jets like Slichow! The Planetary State of Haurtoz had been organized some fifteen light-years from old Earth, but many of the home world's less kindly techniques had been employed. Lack of complete loyalty to the state was likely to result in a siege of treatment that left the subject suitably "re-personalized." The maintenance of a proper viewpoint was a necessity if the Planetary State were to survive the hostile plots of Earth and the latter's decadent colonies. Kolin found himself in a group with Jak Ammet, a third cook, and Eva Yrtok, powdered foods storekeeper. Chief Slichow emphasized that the keepers of rations could hardly, in an emergency, give even the appearance of favoring themselves in regard to food. To reach their assigned sector, they had to climb a forbidding ridge of rock within half a kilometer. Only a sparse creeper grew along their way, its elongated leaves shimmering with bronze-green reflections against a stony surface; but when they topped the ridge a thick forest was in sight. For all Kolin could tell, he and the others were isolated in a world bounded by the rocky ridge behind them and a semi-circle of damp trees and bushes several hundred meters away. Low creepers became more plentiful, interspersed with scrubby thickets of tangled, spike-armored bushes. "Be a job to find anything edible here," grunted Ammet, and Kolin agreed. Yrtok paused to examine some purple berries glistening dangerously on a low shrub. Except for one thick trunked giant, all of them were about the same height. Fifty meters away, Ammet sat beside the bush with the purple berries, utterly relaxed. Ammet's head lolled loosely to one side. As he reached her, whatever Yrtok was examining came to life and scooted into the underbrush with a flash of greenish fur. Soaring thirty or forty meters into the thin fog and dwarfing other growth, it seemed the most promising choice. Footholds were plentiful among the interlaced lianas. Later, at what he hoped was the halfway mark, he hooked one knee over a branch and paused to wipe sweat from his eyes. "Depends on what you're looking for, Sonny!" "Name's Johnny Ashlew.
 Freedom from conformity
 Slichow's greatest fear  Kolin's ego speaking its truth  Subtle omniscience  Freedom from conformity