Day 296: Colony in Space Episode 4

A favourite character of mine within this story is Caldwell. He's a member of the IMC, and acts as a contrast to the other two major characters that we know within the IMC, due to him being a reasonably nice fellow. The other charcters within the IMC are an unscrupulous lot, with little regard for human life when considering the bigger picture of them receiving the planet at the end of the day. Caldwell, on the other hand, is far more interesting. He's "just a miner" and doesn't need to be a soldier in the war against the colonists who take up the planet. Indeed, he actively seeks out the colonists and gives them the advice to run away while they still can. He's therefore morally opposed to the work that is being done, and actively tries to be a better person because of it. But it's not that active. He still works for the IMC because that's his job. He recognises that whilst what he works for is in some ways wrong, he still has to make a living. There are passing references as well to the fact that the Universe as it stands is constantly on the brink of destruction, and that they are in dire need of mineral resources. So Caldwell has reason for his actions and for his lack of actions. There is clearly one person to admire for this and this is Malcolm Hulke, the writer of the story. When we've mentioned Hulke before, we've made note of the fact that he writes complex characters and that this is a fantastic thing to see, as it gives more of a reason to keep coming back to this story, as the characters are realistic and therefore relatable to the audience.