Elsevere's ruling council refuses his demands, and if the strike continues, the planetoid's waste processing machinery will break down and every colonist will die from disease. Although the machinery is not difficult to operate, the taboo is so strong that no other Elseverean will do so.
Elsevere's ruling council dismisses his requests, and if the strike persists, the planetoid's waste processing equipment will malfunction, causing the demise of all colonists due to disease. Despite the machinery being simple to manage, the taboo is so pervasive that no Elseverean other than himself would undertake the task.