Ambassador Tampon shut off the communicator.  He could not understand why humans got this strange expression on their face every time he spoke to them.  He tapped his walking tentacles nervously on the floor, then rose, pacing the command deck of The Imperial Pulp cruiser. 
     "These are the most irritating beings!"  he remarked outloud.  "Their cordiality sometimes almost makes you want to scream!  Get us in to this Station One, or whatever it is."
     "Sir!"  the ship's Commander Point Lip cried, "There's a planet out there, a considerable sized planet!  Our survey of this sector showed no planet of that class.  It's got water, and, a considerable atmosphere.  There's a great deal of volcanic activity, but there are major continental masses!  STABLE continental masses!  A planet couldn't have formed this quickly!  It's been fifty years since our scout ship was here.  But still!"
     "There's a missing planetoid, sir, that used to orbit one of the gaseous giants, but it's nowhere near the mass of this planet!  And there were no planets in the life sustaining region!  This one's on the outer edge of it, and will be within the life sustaining band for a good many million years!"
     "But still," the Ambassador asked, "this is the system we explored, is it not, and laid claim to?"
     "Yes sir!"  the navigator answered.  "There's no question of that."
     "Good!"  the Ambassador continued.  "Then these creatures are going to leave it.  They've gobbled up everything in the unexplored sectors, the empire has nowhere else to expand except those systems we explored before they got here, and they're not going to take them!"
     The Commander sighed.  "There's not much we can do if they do," he commented.  "They're way ahead of us in technology.  If it came to a war we wouldn't last long against them, and their numbers are uncountable.   If all the information they've given us about their Empire is correct."
     "They do not call it an Empire!"  the Ambassador snapped.  "They call it a Republic!  They have something called democracy.  The people elect their leaders.   Can you imagine that?"
     "No!"  the Commander answered., "I can't!  Much about these creatures seems to be completely irrational.  How they have accomplished so much completely amazes me!  But their loyalty and tenacity is incredible!  I have spoken to a couple of their subject races and they have no animosity to them, whatsoever!  They willingly share their worlds with them, and mutually defend each other.  And they are not asked to pay any tribute."
     The Ambassador stared at him questioningly.  "Such conversations," he said, "should have been recorded and submitted to intelligence for review.  You will make written versions as soon as possible, and turn them in.  Such information should be made available to all.  Your actions disappoint me, Commander!"
     "I beg pardon!" the Commander answered. 
     "Approaching the station!"  the navigator announced.  "Taking up a paralell orbit. By The Emperor Of The Dead!  These things are small planets.  I can't believe they're space ships. "
     "They're hollowed out asteroids," the Commander put in, "with entire civilizations inside.  Their thrust units must be incredibly powerful to hurl them through space at speeds matching our finest cruisers!"
     Everyone on the deck stared at the approaching space station.  "Is that transport thing working?" the Amgassador asked.

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