Q. Does that mean that you will give us the benefits of your advanced science?
A. Yes.
Q. Will we be required to pay for this service?
A. Yes, we have a vast empire and, as a consequence, vast expenses. Each student planet is expected to pay its own way.
Q. What are we to use as payment? We have no common medium of exchange.
A. On the contrary, you can reimburse us with an abundance of a very valuable commodity.
Q. What is that?
A. Expendable labor units. You will provide us with several million slaves.
Nobody knew how the story had leaked out. Perhaps one of the U.N. scientists had talked indiscreetly; or it could have been that the columnist who had released it had contacts in higher places than people had imagined. Whatever the reason, the story was spread over the face of every newspaper in the world within three days: ALIENS DEMAND SLAVES. They screamed to a frightened world population: SLAVES OR DIE, ALIENS SAY.
Since newspapers invariably distorl the facts for a cryptic headline, a world-wide panic almost ensued. Several bloody riots burst forth, particularly in those countries where slavery, or near slavery, was common. The people there knew what to fear. It was bad enough on Earth, but to be surrendered to the whims of alien slave masters was too much to bear. The situation was rapidly becoming dangerous.