Vocation

"Vocation" by George O. Smith is a science fiction story taking place perhaps in the middle of the twentieth century. The story explores the themes of growing knowledge and what happens as technology improves, centered around people meeting a group of aliens who can travel between stars and know about a strong kind of energy. The main story watches Andrew Tremaine, a journalist, try to learn about an alien named Gerd Lel Rayne and his people, who know more than humans do. Andrew struggles with feeling not good enough and also being curious. He discovers that people must be worthy to learn the secrets of traveling between stars and using strong energy, hinting at a journey to grow up and know oneself. Gerd thinks humans need to grow on their own instead of having their minds improved suddenly. Things get tense as Andrew thinks of ways to get past mental blocks, but he realizes it could be unsafe if people misused these powers. The story finishes with a sad understanding of what humans can and can’t do, implying a maturity is required to understand great things.