Welcome to a happy new world! Although if you look into it, it turns out that it’s not so new, and somehow there’s not much happiness here either. This world is divided into numbered sectors and speaks a single language. But for some reason the dark, uneducated elements want to live in the old way, and only the valiant United Nations Peacekeeping Forces do not allow the world to slide back into its former savagery, into nationalism and war. Lonnie, one of the peacekeepers, is busy transporting quite a peaceful cargo, and does not even think about participating in hostilities. Theoretically, he is not even capable of this. However, at some point he is faced with a choice - and he will have to step over a seemingly indestructible internal barrier. Contents• Introduction (aka preface) to the story by Ben Bova• Blue Mouse (the story itself)• Additional materials to help the reader :—Translator’s Notes (where he explains what he couldn’t cope with during the translation, and also gives the history of the publication and other interesting things)—An article by Mark Aramini with a brief analysis of the story (perhaps it will make you re-read the story or look differently at some aspects of the story)—Foreword Ben Bova for the anthology “The Many Worlds of Science Fiction”, where the story was first published (to understand the atmosphere at the time of publication)