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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..92515b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68304 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68304) diff --git a/old/68304-0.txt b/old/68304-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 1ecc091..0000000 --- a/old/68304-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2866 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Catspaw, by George O. Smith - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Catspaw - -Author: George O. Smith - -Release Date: June 13, 2022 [eBook #68304] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CATSPAW *** - - - - - - THE CATSPAW - - BY GEORGE O. SMITH - - Illustrated by Orban - - [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from - Astounding Science-Fiction, September 1948. - Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that - the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] - - -Thomas Barden slept fitfully. The dream was not nightmare, but it -was annoying. It was like the important thought that does not quite -struggle up through into consciousness but which remains unformed -though the mind is aware of the hidden importance. It was like trying -to read small print through a silk screen or to see fine detail through -a sheet of florentine glass. - -Furthermore it was recurring. - -Strangely, Tom Barden seemed to know that there was something strange -about the dream, that it was more than just the ramblings of the -subconscious mind. He knew that there was something to be gained -by permitting the dream to run while he watched, so to speak. But -the trouble was that the dream could not run so long as he remained -cognizant enough in sleep to make mental notes. When he slept deep -enough to permit the strange dream, he was deep enough to lose track of -the delicate, and so very alien, train of thought. - -The fitful sleep itself was a contributing factor to ultimate success. -Since he slept not, he became drowsily tired and found himself lying -wide awake time and again with strange semi-daydreams in which -conscious thought and dream intermingled in a bizarre fantasy of fact -and fiction. - -He had been asleep or awake for hours. It was nearing four o'clock in -the morning when Tom Barden slipped into a prolonged half-sleep and the -dream, as it had before, came again. - -He slipped into sleep and in dream, he saw himself luxuriously lounging -on a broad couch. Above his head was a draped canopy of silk, its -draped folds hanging low in a gorgeous pattern of silken folds. It was -gently tinted in delicate colors that blended in a complete lack of -regular pattern. It seemed more beautiful for lacking pattern than it -could have been with any regularity. - -It was none-ending, that canopy. From the draped dome above his couch -the silken cyclorama fell in a colorful swirl to the floor where it -folded over and over somewhere miles below the couch. - -He--was isolated. He was protected. No intrusion could come even though -Thomas Barden wanted the intrusion. Certainly if he denied entry, -nothing could enter. - -And yet he knew that beyond the many layers of flowing silk there was -something demanding entry. He could not see nor hear the would-be -intruder. He could not even see motion of the silk to show that there -was such a being. Yet he seemed to sense it. - -And when, finally, the intruder breached the outer layers of shrouding -silk, Tom Barden knew it and was glad. Course after course of silken -screen was opened by the intruder until finally the silk parted before -his eyes and there entered-- - -Sentience! - - * * * * * - -It was without form and void. - -But it was sentience and it was there for a definite purpose. It came -and it hovered over Thomas Barden's broad couch and its thoughts were -apparent. It was in communication with another sentience outside-- - -"I am in." - -"Good," was the mental reply, also clear to Thomas Barden. It was -not a direct communication from the other. It came relayed through -the sentience above his bed, and since he was in direct mental -communication with the other, thought and reply were clear also to -Barden. "Good," replied the other. "Be quick and be thorough. We may -never return!" - -"You, sentience, listen for we have too little time. Those of your -system are numbered in the billions, and, of them all, you are the only -one we have been able to contact though we have tried constantly for -several years. - -"As I communicate with you, your subconscious mind is being filled with -a specialized knowledge of a science new to you. This science is not -foreign to you, for it would normally follow the paths of discovery, -yet you are not quite ready to discover it for yourselves. We give it -to you, knowing that it will only speed up your advancement and it -will not cause a passed-over space in the normal trend of advancing -technology." - -"Why are you giving this to us?" demanded Barden. - -"A natural caution. You fear the complete altruist. I'll explain. This -science will enable you to develop your spacecraft drive into a means -of interstellar travel. This science is known to us. We are using -it now. However, there is a political difficulty on our world. We -have two factions. One faction wants conquest and subjugation of all -systems that are less fortunate in their sociological and technological -development. The other faction believes that any kind of subjugation of -another people will lead to war upon war in pyramiding terror. I and my -friends are members of this second belief. Since the first group has -control, they are preparing to sweep out from our system with their -ideal in force. The only way that subjugation of your race, complete -with the attending strife, may be stopped is for you to have the same -technological developments. Once you meet us as an equal, thoughts of -enslaving you can not exist." - -"Logical," admitted Barden. - -"This science is entering your subconscious mind. It will not be clear -to you for many days. I'd suggest rest and contemplation, but not heavy -concentration. Learning is a matter of accepting facts and filing them -logically in the subconscious mind. Unlike a course of study where fact -follows fact, this knowledge is being poured in at high speed. Your -subconscious mind is very much like a librarian who has just received a -complete file of facts on a new world. Unfortunately these facts must -be evaluated in terms of your own world and your own thought. After -evaluation, they must be filed in the proper order. The subconscious -never sleeps, but it will take time before the logical order is -complete. At that time you will be able to speak with authority on the -subject." - -"I hope," replied Barden. - -"You must! For we have had enough of war and talk of war. War is never -fought between peoples who respect one another's ability. Take this -knowledge and use it. And some day when you get the honest chance, pass -it along to another race so that all men can be equal throughout the -galaxy!" - -The outsider made swift thought: "Quickly, for the veil thickens!" - -"I must go. It would be dangerous for us both if I am trapped here -when the veil closes. Just remember the billions of your men and the -constant attempt to penetrate the mind of any one of them. Even this -was sheer chance and it is failing--" - -The sentience withdrew after a warning cry from the one on the outside. -The silken screen closed, joined, and flowed to the floor without scar. - -Barden was once more alone, protected, isolated. - - * * * * * - -Three weeks. It took Barden three long weeks. He awoke after the -initial contact with the alien, and following the alien's advice, -considered the matter coolly. It might be true and it might be a dream, -but the fitfulness of his nature was gone. Barden then turned over and -entered the sleep of the just for nine hours. After this awakening, he -contemplated the dream and found it true. - -Amazement at the accomplished fact was high, but the flood of knowledge -occupied Barden's attention. Things kept coming up out of the dark in -his mind that made little sense; other things were clear and sharp and -Barden wondered whether these had ever been tried on Terra. They seemed -so logical. Then as the days passed, these disconnected facts began to -match together. The matrix of knowledge became less broken as the days -went by, and-- - -At the end of three weeks, the sentience was proven correct. Thomas -Barden knew, and he knew that he knew the last detail of a new science. - -His only problem was getting this science into operation before the -alien world could come-- - -He was all alone in this. No one on earth would believe his wild tale. -They'd lay it to a nightmare and offer him medical advice. If he -persisted, Thomas Barden would be writing his equations on the walls of -a padded cell with a blunt crayon when the alien horde came. - -And to walk into the Solar Space Laboratory and tell them he had a -means of interstellar travel, complete with facts and figures would get -him the same reception as the Brothers Wright, Fulton, and a horde of -others. He would be politely shown the door and asked to go away and -not bother them with wildness. - -If he had time, he could declare the discovery of a phenomenon and -offer it to the scientific world. Then step by step he could lead them -all in the final disclosures, or even after a few discoveries had been -turned over, he could act the part of a genius and force their hands by -making great strides. He had too little time. - -If he were wealthy, he could set up his own laboratory and gain -recognition by proof. To go to work for another laboratory would -mean that he would be forced to do work that he felt unimportant for -sufficient a period to gain the confidence of his superiors. To be -his own boss in his own laboratory would mean that he would not be -required to follow other lines of research; he could do things that -would seem downright idiotic to those uninformed of the new science. -That plus the fact that not one of the large laboratories would care to -spend a small fortune on the cold predictions of a young unknown. - -Thomas Barden wondered just how many men had found themselves hating -the everlasting Time and Money factors before. A fine future! - -Barden pondered the problem for almost a week. That made a total of -four weeks since the incident. - -Then came a partial solution. He was an associate member of the Terran -Physical Society. He could prepare a paper, purely theoretical in -nature, and disclosing the basis for the new science. It would be -treated with skepticism by most of the group, and such a wild-eyed idea -might even get him scorn. - -Yet this was no time to think of Thomas Barden and what happened to -him. This was time to do something bold. For all the men of science who -would hear of his theory, a few of them might try. If they tried one -experiment, they would be convinced. Once convinced, he would be given -credit. - -The paper could not be very long. A long paper would be thrown out -for divers reasons. A very short, terse paper might get by because it -would show the logical development of thought. The reviewing members -might think it sheer sophistry, but might allow it if for no other -reason than to show how sophistic reasoning could build up a complete -technology. - -Barden began to make notes. A five-minute paper, packed with explosive -details. He selected this fact and that experiment, chosen for their -simplicity and their importance, and began to set them down. - -His paper was ten pages long, filled with complex equations and terse -statements of the results of suggested experiments. He sent it in to -the reviewing board and then returned to his studies. For he would have -to wait again. - - * * * * * - -Barden faced the reviewing board exactly eight weeks after the dream. -By this time he was getting resigned to waiting. Also the hysteria -that made him want immediate action was beginning to die in the face -of logic. Obviously the alien culture was not on the verge of heading -Solward or the alien mind would have told him that fact. He did mention -that there was little time, but the alien would not have bothered if -imminent disaster threatened. - -Barden believed that the alien was cognizant of the difficulties of -introducing a new science to a skeptical world--especially when done -by an unknown. Perhaps if the famed Dr. Edith Ward had received the -science, a word from her would have sent the men of all Terra, Venus -and Mars scurrying to make their own experiments. Of course, Dr. Ward -was head of the Solar Space Laboratory and could write high-priority -orders for anything short of complete utilization of Luna. She would -not require disclosure to have her theories recognized. - -Tom Barden wished that she were a member of the reviewing board, -for then she might be directly interested. But he noted with some -satisfaction that the Laboratory was represented. He faced the chairman -confidently, though within him he was praying for a break. - -"Mr. Barden," said the chairman, "you are not familiar with us. -Introductions are in order. From left to right, are Doctors Murdoch, -Harrison, and Jones. I am Edward Hansen, the chairman of this reviewing -board. Gentlemen, this is Thomas Barden. You have read his brochure?" - -There was a nod of assent. - -"We have called you to ask a few questions," said the chairman. - -"Gladly," said Barden. At least they were considering it. And so long -as it was receiving consideration, it was far better than a complete -rejection. - -"This is, I take it, an experiment in sheer semantic reasoning?" - -"It is more than that," said Barden slowly. "Not only is the reasoning -logical when based upon the initial presumption, but I am firm in the -belief that the initial presumption is correct." - -Dr. Murdoch laughed. "I hope you'll pardon me, Mr. Barden. I'm rude, -but it strikes me that you are somewhat similar to the prophet who -sneers at the short-range predictions and prefers to tell of things -that lie a hundred years in the future. By which I mean that testing -out any one of your theories here would require the expenditure of a -small fortune. The amount to be spent would be far in excess of any -practical laboratory's budget unless some return is expected." - -"If the premise proves true, though," said Barden, "the returns would -be so great as to warrant any expenditure." - -"Agreed," said Murdoch. "Agreed. Just show me proof." - -"It is all there." - -"Mathematical proof? The only proof of valid mathematics is in the -experimental data that agrees. And may I add that when experiment -and math do not agree, it is the math that gets changed. As witness -Galileo's results with the freely falling bodies." - -Barden nodded slowly. "You mean that mathematics alone is no proof." - -"Precisely. Figures do not lie but liars can often figure. No offense, -Barden. I wouldn't accuse any man of willful lying. But the math is a -lie if it is based on a false premise." - -"You have no experimental data at all?" asked Harrison. - -Murdoch looked at Harrison and smiled tolerantly. - -"Since Mr. Barden is not independently wealthy he could hardly have -made any experiments," said Murdoch. - -Dr. Hansen looked at Barden and said: "I believe that you have stumbled -upon this line of reasoning by sheer accident and so firm is your -belief in it that you are making an attempt to have it tried?" - -Barden smiled. "That is exactly right," he said earnestly. - -"I do admire the semantic reasoning," said Hansen. "I am admittedly -skeptical of the premise. Dr. Jones, you represent the Space -Laboratory. This seems to be right in your department. What is your -opinion?" - -"If his theory is correct, great returns are obvious. However, I am -inclined to view the idea as a matter of sophistic reasoning." - - * * * * * - -Barden hastened to get Dr, Jones' attention. "Look, sir. The same -relegation of a theory to sophistic reasoning has happened before. -Admittedly this is a new science. So have been several others. -Someone must discover them in one way or another. The entire science -of electronics was discovered in this way--Maxwell formulated the -electromagnetic equations. Hertz made the initial experiments many -years later. Marconi reduced them to practice, and then a horde of -others came forth with their own contributions. Yet the vast technical -holdings throughout the electronic field were initially based upon the -mathematical predictions made by Maxwell." - -"You seem well trained in logic and reasoning," smiled Hansen. "That -was a rather sharp parallel. Yet you must understand our feelings -in the matter. First, Maxwell was an accredited scientist before -he formulated the famous Equations. Now if--and remember that big -if--_if_ this is a truly parallel case, we'd all like nothing better -than to give you the acclaim you deserve. On the other hand, you -expect us to foster you in your attempt to have millions spent on -the experimentation you outline so logically. You must remember, Mr. -Barden, that despite the fact that we, none of us, will have a prime -function in the disbursement of any funds, we are none the less a -primely responsible body. The fact that we permit you to speak will -carry much weight. It will be a recommendation by us to the rest of the -members. As such we must be cautious." - -"Is there no way for an unknown man to make a contribution to science?" -asked Barden. - -"Of course. Produce one shred of evidence by experimentation." - -"The cost!" exploded Barden. "You admit that every piece of equipment -will require special construction. There is nothing in the solar system -at the present time that will be useful." - -"All of which makes us skeptical." - -Murdoch spoke up: "We're not accusing you of trying to perpetrate -a hoax. You must admit, however, that it is quite possible for any -man to be completely carried away by his own theories. To believe in -them thoroughly, even to the point of despising any man who does not -subscribe to the same belief." - -"That I do admit. However, gentlemen, I implore you to try. What can -you lose?" - -Hansen smiled wistfully. "About three million dollars." - -"But think of the results." - -Hansen's wistful expression increased. "We're all thinking of the -result of dropping about three million dollars at the theory of a -young, unknown man. It's a wild gamble, Mr. Barden. We're betting our -reputations on ten pages of mathematics and very excellent logic. Can -you think of what our reputations would be if your predictions were -false?" - -"But they are not." - -Murdoch interrupted. "How do you know?" he said flatly. - -"I have--" - -"Wait," interrupted Murdoch again. "Please do not define X in terms -of X. It isn't done except in very cheap dictionaries. You see, Mr. -Barden, you are very earnest in your belief--for which we commend you. -However self-determination is not enough to produce a science. Give us -a shred of proof." - -"Have you reviewed my mathematics?" demanded Barden. - -"Naturally. And we find your mathematics unimpeachable. But an equation -is not a flat statement of fact in spite of what they tell you. It -is not even an instrument until you deduce from the equation certain -postulates." - -"But-- - -"I'll give an example. The simplest form of electronic equation is -Ohm's Law. Resistance equals Voltage divided by Current. Or, simpler: -E equals IR. That has been proven time and again by experiment. Your -equations are logical. Yet some of your terms are as though we were -working with Ohm's Law without ever having heard of resistance as a -physical fact in the conduction of electricity. Your whole network -of equations is sensible, but unless you define the terms in the -present-day terminology, we can only state that your manipulation of -your mathematics is simple symbolic logic. You state that if P implies -notQ, such is so--and then neglect to state what notQ is, and go on to -state what you can do with P. Unless we know your terms, we can't even -state whether you are dividing by real or unreal factors." - -"I see that you are unimpressed." - -"Not at all. We hoped that you might have had some experimental -evidence. Lacking anything material to support your theory--" Hansen -spread out his hands in a gesture of frustration. - -"Then I've been wasting my time--and yours?" - -"Not entirely. Will you speak on your paper as an experiment in sheer -semantics?" - -Barden considered. Perhaps if this could be presented as such it would -be better than no presentation at all. Let them think him a crackpot. -He'd win in the end. He would give his talk on the basis mentioned and -then if there were any discussion afterwards he might be able to speak -convincingly enough to start a train of thought. - -"I'll do it," he said. - -"Good," said Hansen. "The ability to think in semantic symbols is -valuable, and every man could use a better grasp of abstract thought. -Your paper will be presented next week, here. We'll put you on the -schedule for one o'clock." - - * * * * * - -Confidently, Tom Barden faced the sectional group of the Terran -Physical Society and made his talk. He noted the interest present on -every one of the eighty-nine faces. He prayed for a good reception, for -he might be asked to present this paper at the international meeting, -later. He felt that he was getting an excellent reception, for he had -their interest. - -He finished his speech and sat down. A buzz filled the room during the -recess before discussion, and Barden saw with considerable interest -that heads were nodding eagerly. Then the chairman rapped with his -gavel. - -"There will now be an open discussion," he said. - -The buzz stopped. - -"Any questions?" asked Chairman Hansen. - -A hand went up near the back, and was recognized. - -"I am Martin Worthington. I wish to state that the logic is excellent -and the delivery was superb. May I ask if the pursuit of such -impeccable logic is a matter of training, logical instinct, or by sheer -imaginative power, did Mr. Barden momentarily convince himself of the -truth of his premise and build up on that basis?" - -Barden smiled. "The latter is true. Also, Mr. Worthington, I am still -convinced of the truth of the basic premise." - -The hall rang with laughter. - -When it died, Barden continued. "Not only am I convinced of the -validity of this theory, but I am willing to give all I have or ever -hope to have for a chance to prove its worth." - -"Then," said Worthington, "we are not so much to be impressed by the -excellence of semantic reasoning as we have been. True sophistry is -brilliant when the reasoner admits that his basic premise is false. -Sophistry is just self-deception when the entire pattern is a firm -conviction of the reasoner." - -The crowd changed from amusement to a slight anger. The speaker, -Barden, had not presented a bit of sheer reasoning. He had been talking -on a theme which he firmly believed in! - -Another hand went up and was recognized. "I am William Hendricks. May I -ask if the speaker has any proof of the existence of such phenomena?" - -"Only the mathematical proof presented here--and a more complete study -at home. These were culled from the larger mass as being more to the -point. It is my belief that the force-fields indicated in equation one -may be set up, and that they will lead to the results shown in equation -three." - -"But you have no way of telling?" - -"Only by mathematical prediction." - -A third hand went up. A slender hand that was instantly recognized as -that of Dr. Edith Ward. - -"I wish to clarify a point," she said. "Mr. Barden's logic is -impeccable, but it _is_ based upon one false premise." - -Barden looked at the woman carefully. No one could call her beautiful, -but there was a womanly charm about her that was in sharp contrast to -the cold facts she held in her brain. She looked about thirty years -old, which included the mental adjustment necessary to compare her with -a younger woman. That she was the head of the Solar Space Laboratory -was in itself a statement of her ability as a physicist. - -And the fact that she condemned his beliefs was as final as closing the -lid and driving in the nails. - -Period! - -"I believe that my own belief is as firm as Miss Ward's," retorted -Barden. - -"You will find that your premise may be valid, but the end-result is -not profitable," she said flatly. - -"You've experimented?" scoffed Barden. - -"I don't have to," she said. "I know!" - -"Perhaps by feminine intuition?" snapped Tom scathingly. - -Edith Ward flushed and sat down abruptly, rebuffed and angry. Chairman -Hansen arose and tried to speak, but the wellings and mutterings grew -from a low murmur to a loud roar that changed slowly from random sounds -of anger to a chant of "Throw him out! Throw him out! Throw him out!" -as more and more voices took it up. Hansen banged sharply with his -gavel and finally the angry cries died again into the dull muttering. - -"We are not a rabble," said Hansen sharply. "I shall ask Mr. Barden -to leave quietly. We will then continue with our regular business and -forget this unhappy incident." - -Barden left amid a sullen silence. - - * * * * * - -That was that. That door was closed to him, finally and completely. -Barden went home in a blue funk and fretted for several hours. Then -determination arose to show them all, and he consulted his notes again. - -Time--and Money! - -Doubtless it had been the same cry a thousand years ago, and there was -no doubt that it would be the same stumbling block a million years from -now. Perhaps on a different planet of a distant sun if Terra were no -longer a running concern, but it would always be the cry. - -Well, he thought, considering both, he did not know how much time he -had. He knew he had little money. Also, he knew that no matter what he -did he would never know about the time factor nor would he be able to -change it much. Perhaps there might be some way to get money. If he was -to be forced into the slow methods, and he failed, he would know that -he had tried. - -He took his mind from the ever-present problem of putting the science -across, and started to inspect the new art from a dispassionate -standpoint. It was his first try at looking at the technology from the -standpoint of a scientific observer. Since the day of the dream, Tom -Barden's one thought had been to initiate this development. Now, for -the time being, Tom Barden went through his adequate storehouse of -alien knowledge to see what other developments he might get out of it. - -He grunted aloud: "If they won't let me build a better spacecraft, I'll -build a better mousetrap!" - -Then he laughed, for the new art was so complex and so well developed -and so far beyond the present science that there were a horde of little -items that could be put to work. The generation of spiral magnetic -fluxes, for instance, would far outdo the machinist's magnetic chuck. -No plain magnetic attraction this, but a twin-screw of magnetic flux -lines throughout the chuck-plate and the metal work, fastening them -together. There were means of developing a type of superspeed radio -communication along a tight beam that could not be tapped. A simple -method of multi-circuit thyratron operation that had both an ionization -and a deionization time of a fraction of microsecond or even less. A -means of amplifying true square waves without distortion--permitting -the paradox of the voltage assuming all values between zero and -maximum instantaneously during the rise of the wave from zero to -peak. A card-file sorting system capable of maintaining better than -three million items and producing any given item with a distribution -of near-items on either side--all contained in a desk-cabinet and -operating silently within a three second interval. A magneto-physical -means of exhausting vacuum tubes and removing occluded gases from the -tube electrodes simultaneously. The latter could be kept in operation -constantly during the life of the tube, if need arose. - -He fastened on the latter. If it would generate the almost-perfect -vacuum in a vacuum tube it would also de-air electron microscopes and -all other kinds of equipment. - -It was simple, too. It was not one of the direct results of the alien -science, but it was an item used to develop the science from present -technology. Doing it would not introduce anyone to Barden's technology -any more than a thorough knowledge of small intricate mechanisms -would introduce a mechanician to the field of electronics. But one -cannot delve into basic electronic theory without hitting some of the -principles of moving machinery. - -Thomas Barden made his plans. When the plans were made, he bought tools -and parts and went to work. Knowing every factor helped, and not many -days passed before he had a working model of his magnetic vacuum pump. - -He knew where to take it, luckily. He had worked for Terran -Manufacturing, Incorporated and because of his connection there he was -not unknown to the chief engineer of Solar Electric. Terran was a small -outfit, and though Barden felt that he owed it some loyalty, he felt -that the mighty Solar Electric could better afford the price he was -prepared to ask. Terran would dig it up--but Solar was prepared at any -time for that amount. - -And the alien race might not wait-- - - * * * * * - -He was ushered into the office of Hal Weston after an hour of painful -waiting. The chief engineer of Solar Electric recognized him with a -slight frown. - -"You're the fellow who took off on Miss Ward, aren't you?" - -"No," smiled Barden. "She happens to be the one that took off on me. -I'm still right and I intend to prove it!" - -"Not here, I hope. Your card stated differently." - -"I'm entering nowhere on false pretenses, Mr. Weston. My card states my -offer completely." - -"You have a means of developing an almost perfect vacuum and -simultaneously removing adsorbed gas from any object in the inclosure?" - -"Right!" - -"Interesting if true. Let's see it." - -"I have not the equipment with me. However, I have here a ten-inch -glass sphere made from a laboratory flask. In it are several coins, -bits of graphite, spongy palladium, and some anhydrous copper sulphate. -This tube was evacuated by my equipment and there was no other -treatment for removal of extraneous material." - -"May we check that?" - -"That is why I brought it along--for your own satisfaction." - -Weston spoke into the communicator on his desk and in a minute, the -door opened to admit an elderly man in a white coat. Weston gave him -the flask and said: "Dr. Grosse, this flask is supposed to be totally -evacuated and all adsorbed gases removed as well as water vapor. I want -a precision quantitative analysis of everything inside of this flask. -And," he grinned, "get the results to me by day before yesterday." - -"Now," said Weston to Barden, "granting that this is the real goods, -how large can it be made?" - -"It takes about four kilowatts per liter," said Barden. "Since the -process takes only about ten seconds, the demand is quite high over a -short period. But bearing in mind the four KW per liter, you may make -the thing evacuate any volume up to the practical limit." - -"Nothing for a home appliance," laughed Weston. "But if it will drive -the spitting devil out of an electron microscope in ten seconds, it's -worth it. What are you asking for rights and royalties if it performs -as you state?" - -"Mr. Weston, I'm interested in one thing only and that is to prove the -value of my theory--the one that Edith Ward scorned." - -"We're not interested in your theory save as a theory," said Weston. - -"I don't want a position. I want enough immediate money to set up my -own laboratory." - -"You'll make a lot more if you take a small option now and accept a -royalty, you know." - -"I'll sell it outright for five million." - -"I'm afraid that we can't settle that amount in one afternoon." - -"That's all right," said Barden. "Get me twenty-five thousand as an -option. Then take ten days to build one or to investigate all you want -to. If it does not perform, I'll return your money. If it does perform, -five million goes." - -"Contingent upon Dr. Grosse's findings," said Weston. "And providing -that you give me your original equipment in order to save some time in -making the initial investigations. I'll have the option agreement and a -certified check in this office tomorrow morning." - -Barden smiled. "I _know_ what the evacuator will do. I'll be back -tomorrow with the original machine!" - -Barden's original was an un-neat bit of coils and conducting rods and -it looked out of place in Weston's office. But the chief engineer -did not mind. He was gloating over the analysis, and checking the -report made by one of the mathematical physicists on the theory of the -operation of the evacuator. Both were more than satisfactory. - -"You're in, Barden," chuckled Weston as he countersigned the option -agreement. "Now what do we do?" - -"Me?" said Barden. "I'm going to rent me a large empty plant somewhere -and start ordering equipment. I may even be back with a couple of other -little gadgets later." - -"If they're as good as this looks right now, they'll be welcome." - -"I'll remember that," said Barden. - - * * * * * - -Barden's tracks were swift from there on. His first stop was to deposit -the check in the bank to the amazement of his teller who felt forced -to check the validity of the voucher despite the fact that it was -certified. To have Thomas Barden, whose average salary had run about a -hundred-fifty per week suddenly drop twenty-five thousand in the bank -was--to the banker's point of view--slightly irregular. - -Barden was not able to get out of the bank without having Mr. Coogan, -the president of the bank, catch him and ply him with seventeen -suggestions as to how the money could be invested. Tom almost had to -get insulting before he could leave. - -The next month was a harrowing, mad maze of events. He rented an -unused factory, complete with machine tools. He hired seven men to -help him, and then ran into difficulties because he had to make the -equipment to make the machines. He found that starting from complete -behind-scratch was a back-breaking job. Daily, the railroad spur -dropped a freight car to be unloaded with stuff from one of the leading -manufacturers of scientific equipment. The electric company took a -sizable bite when they came along the poles with some wrist-thick -cables and terminated it at his plant. He ended up by hiring three -more men and putting them to making samples of some of the other -by-products, knowing that his money would not last forever. The board -of review had mentioned three million, but Barden was beginning to -understand that despite all new types of equipment, they were still -considering the basic physical laboratory as useful. They were right. -It was a lot different starting from an empty factory and taking off -from a well-maintained laboratory. - -The days sped by and became weeks. The weeks passed and became months. -And as the months worked themselves slowly past, chaos disappeared and -order came from madness. - -The by-products of the alien science came swiftly, and they sold well. -Money flowed in fast enough to attract attention, and it was gratifying -to Tom Barden to read an account of his "meteoric rise" that started -from the day he "disagreed violently with the famed Dr. Ward." - -If he had wanted money or fame, here it was. But Barden knew the story -behind the story, and he also knew that whoever the alien might be, -from whatever system, and adhering to whatever culture, the alien would -find no fault in his operations. He had taken the long, hard road -compared to the road taken by an accredited scientist producing such a -theory. He cursed the delay and knew that it might have cut his time -down to a dangerous minimum. - -But Tom Barden had become the genius of the age. His factory had grown -to a good staff, all but a few of whom worked on the basic science he -needed to develop. It was developing slowly, but certainly, and each -experiment showed him that the alien mind had been absolutely correct. - -Daily he taught school for a hour. He knew every step, but he wanted -his men to know the art when they were finished; the final experiment -made. They would emerge from this trial-without-error period as -technicians qualified to work on any phase of the new science. It gave -him no small pleasure to know that his outfit would eventually be far -ahead of the famous Solar Space Laboratory in techniques pertaining to -the art of space travel. He hoped to make Dr. Edith Ward sit quietly -down and eat her own words--backwards! - -His plans were not published, and the outpourings of by-products seemed -high enough to any observer to be the sensible output of the many men -working there. None but those who worked there knew that Tom Barden -knew every detail of every gadget that hit the various markets, and -that the work of making the initial models was not the result of many -man-hours of experiment, but a few man-hours of building to plans that -had been proven and in use. - -He was not bothered until the day it was announced that Thomas Barden -Laboratories were buying a spacecraft from the government. - -The spacecraft was being delivered through the vast back doors of the -factory at the same time that Dr. Edith Ward was entering the office -doors in front. - - * * * * * - -Barden met her in his office. "How do you do, Miss Ward." - -"How do you do," she returned with extreme politeness. - -"May I ask your business?" - -"I am here as a representative of the Solar Space Laboratory." - -"Indeed? And what has the government to say?" - -Edith Ward slammed her purse down on his desk. "You fool!" she snapped. -"Stop it!" - -"Don't be upset," he said in an overly-soothing tone that was intended -to infuriate. It succeeded. - -"You blind fool. You're to stop experimenting in that superspeed drive!" - -"Am I?" - -"Yes," she blazed. "And I have official orders to stop it." - -"Miss Ward, you tried to block me before. You did not succeed. Why do -you demand that I stop it?" - -"Because it will not work!" - -"You've experimented?" - -"I have not because it is dangerous!" - -"Then any knowledge you may have about this science is either guesswork -or--feminine intuition?" - -"You accused me of that before, remember?" - -"I didn't get away with it then," said Barden. "But I can now. I was -unknown then, remember? Well, remember again that I've advanced from -unknown a year ago to my present stature now. And I might add that my -present stature is not too far below your own, Miss Doctor Ward." - -"I have authority to stop you." - -Barden looked down at her with a cryptic smile. "Yeah?" he drawled. "Go -ahead and try!" - -"And do you think I can't?" - -"Nope," he said. - -"How are you going to stop me?" she blazed. - -"I won't have to," he said. "Public opinion will. Don't forget, Miss -Ward, that people are still running this system. People are and always -have been entirely in favor of the man who came up from nowhere and did -things on a big plan. Horatio Alger died a long time ago, Miss Ward, -but he's still a popular idea. When you stop me I shall appeal to the -people." - -"In what way?" - -"You wouldn't be using your feminine jealousy to stall me while the -Solar Lab develops the interstellar drive, would you?" - -"You--!" - -"Nah," he warned her blithely. "Mustn't swear!" - -"Oh damn!" - -"Now look, Miss Ward," said Barden quietly, "we've had our -snarling-session twice. Once when you laughed me out of the Terran -Physical Society's big meeting and now when I tell you that I am big -enough so that you'll not stop me by merely expressing a personal -opinion. Since I'm now big enough to command a little respect in my -own right, supposing you give me some of yours and I'll see if I can -find any in me to show you. Take the previous as a partial apology -if you must. But I'm wanting to know by what basis you state that -pursuing this job is dangerous--or say more dangerous than working on -high-tension lines or space travel as it now exists." - -"The theory you present has one danger factor. According to my -own interpretation of your theory, the fields you require in your -spacecraft to achieve superspeed are powerful enough to cause a -magnetostriction in nonmagnetic materials. This magnetostriction is an -atomic magnetostriction which causes the alignment of the planetary -planes of the electron orbits. The result is a minor chain fission -reaction that becomes major after the first nineteen microseconds." - -"My theory is that nothing of that nature will take place," said Barden. - -"Remember," she said, "despite your dislike of me personally, that I am -trained in physics. Therefore my interpretation of physical phenomena -and my predictions of such are more--" - -"I agree," interrupted Barden. "But again do not forget that this is a -field that is new to all scientists." - -"Agreed again," she said with a slight smile. "But I've had several -trained men working on your theory. They agree with me." - -"Don't believe that anyone can formulate an opinion on the material -that you have available." - -"Oh, but we can." - -"Then you have experimented--" - -"No, we have not." - -"Then exactly where did you get this extra information?" demanded -Barden. - -Dr. Edith Ward looked at Tom Barden carefully. "From the same place -where you got yours!" she said slowly and deliberately. - - * * * * * - -Barden wondered, _did she know?_ - -He grinned. "I dreamed mine," he said. "Everything that I've produced -emanated from a dream." Then Barden embellished it thoroughly, knowing -that the flagrance of his embroidery would sound like a lie to anyone -who was really unaware of the truth. "I was invaded in a dream by a -gentleman who used a mechanical educator on me and taught me everything -that I've produced, everything that I've invented, and every advanced -theory that I've had. I have become a scientist of an alien culture -that I have full intention of making into a solar science." - -"Then it is true," she breathed. - -"What is true?" he demanded. - -"Tom Barden, listen. Not only do I accept your apology of a few moments -ago, but I offer mine. I--was afraid. Just as you were afraid to let -the truth be known. I blustered and took my attitude because I could -not let it be known that I, head of the Solar Labs, could be influenced -by what the learned men would term either dream or hallucination." - -"You've had one too?" he asked quietly. - -She nodded. - -Tom grunted. "Let's compare notes," he said. "Seems as how we got -different stories out of our friends." - -Edith nodded again and said: "It was a strange dream that came to me -one night about a year and a half ago. I was the soul and master of a -mighty castle, an impregnable fortress with but five roadways entering. -Interpretation of that is simple, of course the five roadways were the -five senses. A ... messenger came, but instead of using any of the -roadways, he came through the very walls, and warned me." - -"Just what was his story?" asked Barden. - -"That Sol was a menace to a certain race. This race--never defined nor -located save that it was a stellar race--was incapable of conquering -Sol excepting by stealth. However it could be done by giving one smart -man a partial truth, and that it was more than probable that this would -be done. The partial truth was the technique of a new science that -would if not used properly, cause complete destruction of the system. -In the final usage, there would be a fission-reaction of whatever -planet it was used near. The reaction would create a planetary nova -and the almost-instantaneous explosion of the planet would wipe out -all life in the system and the counter bombardment of the sun by the -exploding planet would cause the sun itself to go nova, thus completing -the process." - -"I presume your informant was quite concerned over the possible -destruction of a friendly race?" - -"Certainly," she said. "That is why he contacted me." - -"If I were a member of the conquer-all faction of my story, Miss Ward, -I would be trying to contact someone here to warn them of a terrible -danger if the science were exploited. That would delay our work long -enough for them to arrive, wouldn't it?" - -"There is nothing so dangerous as a half-truth," said Edith Ward -flatly. - -"Nor as dangerous as a little knowledge," agreed Barden. "However, Miss -Ward, my story is just as valid as yours. And since neither story may -be checked for veracity, how do you propose to proceed?" - -"I think you'd better stop!" - - * * * * * - -Barden sat down on the edge of the desk and looked down at her. She was -sitting relaxed in the chair alongside, though it was only her body -that was relaxed. Her face was tense and her eyes were half-narrowed -as in deep concentration. Barden looked at her for a moment and then -smacked a fist into the palm of his hand. - -"Look," he said, "that's apparently what your informant wants. Now as -to veracity, for every statement you make about the impossibility of -interpreting theoretical logic into a complete prediction of physical -phenomena without experimental evidence, I can state in your own words -that you can't tell anybody what the outcome will be. You want me to -stop. If my story is true, then Terra will have interstellar travel and -will meet this incoming race on its own terms. Either proposition is -O.K." - -Edith Ward muttered something and Barden asked what she said. - -"I said that I wondered how many men were too successful in mixing -nitroglycerine before they had one smart enough to mail the formula -to a friend--before he went up. I also wonder how many men tried Ben -Franklin's experiment with the kite and--really got electricity out -of the clouds and right through his body and was found slightly -electrocuted after the storm had blown over. Number three--novas often -occur in places where there seems to be no reason. Could they be -caused by races who have just discovered some new source of power? And -double-novas? A second race analyzing the burst and trying their own -idea out a few years later?" - -"My dear young woman," said Barden, "your attitude belies your -position. You seem to be telling me not to advance in science. Yet you -yourself are head of the Solar Space Laboratory, an institution of -considerable renown that is dedicated to the idea of advancement in -science. Do you think that your outfit has a corner on brains--that no -one should experiment in any line that you do not approve?" - -"You are accusing me of egomania," she retorted. - -"That's what it sounds like." - -"All right," she snapped. "You've given your views. I'll give mine. -You've shown reasons why both your informant and mine would tell their -stories in support of your own view. Now admit that I can do the same -thing!" - -"O.K.," laughed Barden uproariously. "I admit it. So what?" - -"So what!" she cried furiously. "You'll play with the future of an -entire stellar race by rushing in where angels fear to tread!" - -"Careful, Miss Ward. Metaphorically, you've just termed me a fool and -yourself an angel." - -"You are a fool!" - -"O.K., lady, but you're no angel!" - -"Mr. Barden," she said icily, "tossing insults will get us nowhere. -I've tried to give you my viewpoint. You've given me yours. Now--" - -"We're at the same impasse we were a half hour ago. My viewpoint is as -valid as yours because there's nobody within a number of light-years -that can tell the truth of the matter. You are asking me to suppress a -new science. Leonardo Da Vinci was asked to suppress the submarine for -the good of the race. He did it so well that we know about the whole -affair." - -"Meaning?" - -"That true suppression would have covered the incident, too. But the -submarine was suppressed only until men developed techniques and -sciences that made undersea travel practical. If I suppress this -science, how long do you think it will be before it is started again by -someone else? How did either of our informants get the information?" - -"Why ... ah--" - -"By trying it themselves!" said Barden, banging a fist on the desk -for emphasis. "Suppression is strictly ostrich tactics, Miss Ward. -You can't avoid anything by hoping that if you don't admit it's there -it may go away. It never does. The way to live honorably and safely -is to meet every obstacle and every danger as it comes and by facing -them, learn how to control them. Shakespeare said that--'The slings and -arrows of outrageous fortune ... or nobler in the heart to take arms -against a sea of troubles ... and by facing them, to conquer them!' -That may be bum misquote, Miss Ward, but it is true." - -"Then you intend to try it out?" - -"I most certainly do!" - -Edith Ward stood up. "I've nothing more to say. You force me to take -action." - -"I'm sorry, Miss Ward. If it is battle you want, you'll get it. You'll -find it harder to quell Tom Barden The Successful than you found it -a year ago when you shut off Tom Barden The Theorist with a word of -scorn. I'm sorry--I really am." - -"Sorry?" she repeated with disbelief. - -"Sure," he said. "Barden Laboratories and Solar Labs could really go -places if we weren't fighting. Only one more thing, Miss Ward." - -"What?" she replied impatiently. - -"_Divide and conquer_ is not uniquely Terran!" - - * * * * * - -After she left, Barden wondered whether his final shot had hit -anything. He returned to work and forgot about it, sensibly admitting -that if it did he would not be bothered and if it did not he wouldn't -stop anyway, and so he might as well get to work. He rather hoped to -avoid the possible delay that would follow official action. - -Dr. Edith Ward answered him within twenty-four hours. Her word was -accepted as valid in many places; had been the final authority on such -matters for some time. Up to now there had never been any defense. Plus -the fact that his side of the argument had never been voiced. - -Barden didn't scourge the court for their decision. With only one -accredited side of the evidence in, they could but take action. So -Barden shrugged, grinned to himself, and spent several days in intense -study, laying out the program that was to continue in his absence. Then -he took the flier for the Terran Capital. - -It was not a court hearing. It was more of a high-powered debate -before a group of qualified judges and investigators. Barden looked -into the background of his judges and was glad that the old system -of appointment to investigating committees had been stopped. Though -these men were not qualified physicists, they were not the old-line -politician, who took an arbitrary stand because he thought that waving -a banner with a certain device would sound good to his constituents. -There would be little personal opinion or personal ambition in this -hearing, and not one of the judges would sacrifice either contestant on -the altar of publicity. - -By unspoken agreement, neither he nor Edith Ward mentioned the source -of their information. This Barden admitted was hard on the female -physicist's argument for she could claim only mathematical analysis and -he could claim experimental evidence. - -They heard her side and then asked for his. He gave his arguments -simply and answered every point she brought up. There was rebuttal and -rejoinder and finally open discussion. - -"I claim that this man is not a qualified physicist," she stated -firmly. "As such he has not the experience necessary to judge the -validity of my argument." - -"I admit that I hold no degrees," said Barden. "Neither did Thomas -Edison. Is Miss Ward convinced that no man without a string of college -degrees is qualified to do anything but dig ditches?" - -That hurt, for the investigators were not blessed with doctor's degrees -in philosophy; the scattering of LLDs were about half honorary degrees -and their owners though gratified for the honor knew how it was earned. - -"Of course not," snapped Miss Ward. "I merely state--" - -"If Miss Ward is so firm in her belief, why doesn't she bring forth -some experimental evidence. She has the entire holdings of the Solar -Space Laboratory at her disposal. If this is as important as she -claims, then the financial argument may be dispensed with. For no -amount of money is capable of paying for total destruction of the solar -system." - -"I need no experiments," she snapped. - -"Or is Miss Ward trying to tell us that any line of research that she -does not sponsor is not worth bothering with? Or is she trying to stop -me so that she can take up? Or has she started--late--and wants me -stopped before I get to the answer. That would make the famous Solar -Space Laboratory look slightly second-rate, wouldn't it." - - * * * * * - -"Gentlemen," cried Miss Ward facing the committee and ignoring Barden, -"his statements are invidious. He is accusing me of jealousy, personal -ambition, and egomania. This is not fair!" - -"Miss Ward, I regret that you are not a man--or that I am not a -woman. Then we would have an even chance before a committee of our -contemporaries." - -"Mr. Barden," she said in an icy voice, "I've been accused of flaunting -my sex every time a question is raised. I've also been told by many -that my position was gained in the same way. Just because I prefer to -be a physicist instead of some man's housekeeper, I am viewed with -suspicion, hatred, jealousy, and dislike. Well, Mr. Barden, you accuse -me of using my sex. It is as much a hindrance as an aid, because I find -that a woman has to be three times as good as the man in the same job -in order to get the same recognition. If she isn't, nobody trusts her -at all! Now," she said facing the committee, "I'll make my final plea. -I've had mathematical physicists at work for almost a year. They agree -with me. Thomas Barden has earned his position, I admit. But I still -claim that he is moving forward along an unknown road because he is -unable to make the necessary predictions. I've explained where this -road leads to, and the consequences of following it blindly. He must be -stopped!" - -"Mathematics," said Barden, "and I quote Dr. Murdoch of the Board -of Review of the Terran Physical Society: 'And may I add that when -mathematics and experiment do not agree, it is the math that is -changed. As witness Galileo's experiments with the falling bodies.' No -one can make a certain prediction postulated on mathematics unless he -has cognizance of every term. Miss Ward, are you aware of every factor?" - -"No but--" - -"Then your mathematics is faulty. And your opinion is, therefore, -reduced to a personal opinion and not a scientific statement of -fact. I've heard that a physicist is a learned one who leaps from an -unfounded opinion to a foregone conclusion." - -"You sound like an orator," snapped Edith Ward, "and orators seldom -follow full fact unless it enhances their point." - -"I'm sorry that you have that opinion," said Barden. "However, Miss -Ward and gentlemen, regardless of what you do, of how you attempt to -restrain me, I shall pursue this matter to the bitter end. If you deny -me the right to work on Terra or any other solid body of the system, I -shall take my laboratory into space and then we shall have two space -laboratories--one of which will function in the medium for which it was -named!" - -Barden nodded affably, turned, and left the room. - -One of the committeemen smiled sardonically and said: "I think he has -just said, 'To Hell with us'!" - -Another one nodded glumly and said: "Me, I think he's right. No one -can stand in the way of progress." - -Edith Ward blazed. "Progress! Progress! Is destruction progress? Well, -if the ultimate goal of mankind is to go out in a blazing holocaust of -his own making, then this is true progress. One proper step toward the -final Gotterdammerung!" - -The committeeman smiled at her tolerantly. "Twilight of the Gods, Miss -Ward? Oh come now, we aren't gods and I daresay that the universe will -continue to function without man's aid and abetment." - -Edith Ward snorted through her patrician nose. "Correct," she snapped. -"But after we leave, who's here to care?" - - * * * * * - -Dr. Edith Ward was surprised by his arrival at the Solar Space -Laboratory. She didn't expect him. He had won his battle, and she knew -he was not the kind of man to gloat over a defeated enemy. Therefore -she reasoned that she might never see him again for certainly she would -not go to his place to see him--and eventually the whole system would -go up, triggered by the untrained hand of Thomas Barden. - -Then to have him call--it bothered her. Why--? - -He entered, carrying a small olive branch, and he smiled boyishly as he -handed it to her with a small bow. - -"A truce," he suggested. - -"There can be no truce," she said stonily. "It will either be you or me -that is shown right." - -"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he said with a smile. "Look, Miss Ward, -I've never disregarded the possibility that you might be correct. All -I've wanted was a chance to prove it instead of merely writing it off -on the grounds of possible danger. One never knows what will happen -until one tries. Therefore I wanted to continue. I've completed the -ship and it is awaiting a trial. Any time we're ready." - -"Is this a last attempt at mollification--a salving of your somewhat -rusty conscience?" - -"Not at all," he said. "I want you to go along with me as a qualified -observer." - -"To observe what? Terra going up in flames?" - -"Nope. Not necessary. The ship still retains its normal drive. We'll -take it out beyond the orbit of Pluto by a couple of billion miles and -let it go out there. I daresay that if you are correct, the fury of a -few hundred tons of spacecraft going up in sheer energy will not damage -the solar system much. Especially from that distance. Then if it does -run, we're also on our way to one of the nearby stars. Like?" - -"Sounds reasonable." - -"Certainly," he said. "Frankly I've considered that ever since you -mentioned the problem." - -"I wonder if my informant considered it, too?" she said slowly. - -"Probably." - -"Then his warning was truly helpful." - -"Iffen and providen again," he grinned. "But if he is so nicely -altruistic, why didn't he tell us how to get a real superspeed drive?" - -"Maybe there is none." - -"Then," said Barden, "why knock out a solar system that is so far away -that nothing it does can have any effect upon you?" - -"A very valid point," said Edith Ward. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw -fell slack. "Goodness," she breathed. - -"Are we?" he asked hollowly. His expression was one of wonder and -amazement. - -"Well, if we win and it works, they've hazarded nothing and still have -their science. If we lose, they will not miss us in the first place -and also they'll quickly abandon that point." - -"Guinea pigs," snorted Edith. She stood up and put one slim hand in -his. She gave it a hearty shake and a firm grasp. "I'm in--from right -now to the point where the whole cosmos goes up in a cloud of nuclear -particles! I'll be at your place in the morning with my case packed for -a six months' trip. Now I'm getting a whole case of feminine curiosity!" - -"Yes?" he said cheerfully. "What, this time?" - -"Well, if your informant was tossing us an experiment, hoping to get -an answer, then why did mine warn me? They'll never see a spaceship -burst at a distance of a half dozen light-years. They might never -really know." - -"We'll find out," he said firmly. "There is something about both sides -that I do not like!" - - * * * * * - -True to her word, Edith Ward turned up at the first glimmer of daylight -with her case of personal belongings. "Where'll I have it put?" she -asked. - -"Ship Two, Stateroom Three," he said. "I have two crates fixed up so -that if you're right, we can still get home without taking to the -lifecraft." - -One hour later, the two ships lifted on their ordinary space drive and -sped with constant acceleration directly away from the sun. At three -times gravity they went, and as the seconds and the minutes and the -hours passed, their velocity mounted upward. In both ships, the men -worked quietly on their instruments, loafed noisily, and generally -killed time. Everything had been triply checked by the time that -turnover came, six days after the start. Then for six more days the -ships decelerated at three gravities while the sun dwindled in size. -Between Tom Barden and Edith Ward there was much talk, but no solution -to the problem. They covered nearly all aspects of the possibilities -and came up with the same result: Insufficient evidence to support any -postulate. - -About the only thing that came to complete agreement was the statement -that there was more to this than was clear, and it was suspicious. - -The feud that had existed faded away. It may have been the common -interest, or if you will, the common menace. For though no true menace -had shown, it was a common bond between Barden and Ward against a -question that annoyed them simultaneously. It may have been simply the -fact that man and woman find it hard to continue a dislike when they -have something in common. Nature seems to have made it so. It may have -been the thrill of adventure, prosaic as it was to be racing through -unchangeable space for hour upon hour and day upon day with nothing but -the sheerest of boredom outside of the ship. Perhaps it might have been -that the sight out of any window was exactly the same today as it was -yesterday and would be tomorrow or a hundred years from now--or even -a thousand, for though the stars do move in their separate paths, the -constellations are not materially different. The utter constancy of the -sky without may have turned them inward to seek the changing play of -personality. - -Regardless of the reason, by the time they reached that unmarked -spot outside of the orbit of Pluto where the ships became close to -motionless with respect to Sol--there was no way of telling true -zero-relative motion and true zero was not important anyway--they were -friends. - -The ships were rather closer together than they'd anticipated, and it -took only a couple of hours of juggling to bring them together. Then -the skeleton crew of the one was transferred to the other ship. It drew -away--and away and away. - -"We've got more radio equipment aboard these crates than the -Interplanetary Network owns," grinned Barden. "Everything on the -darned crate is controlled and every meter, instrument, and ding-bat -aboard her will ship the answer back here. There must be a million -radio-controlled synchros aboard these ships, and cameras on both to -read every factor." - -"That's fine," answered Edith with a smile. "What happens if it works -like a charm and takes off at superspeed? How do your radio-controlled -gadgets work then?" - -"We'd lose the ship, of course, if we didn't have a time clock on -the drive. If all goes well, the first drive will run for exactly -ten seconds. Then we'll have about a ten-day flight to find it again -because it will be a long way from here--straight out!" He smiled. "Of -course, if we want to take a small chance, we could turn it on its own -primary drive and superspeed it back if all goes well. But the radio -controls will be as sluggish as the devil because there should be about -a three or four hour transmission delay." - - * * * * * - -The other ship was a minute speck in the distance. Then a ship-alarm -rang and the entire crew came to the alert. Barden said: "This is it!" -in a strained voice and he pulled the big switch. - -Along the wall was the bank upon bank of synchrometers, reading every -possible factor in the controlled ship. Before the panel were trained -technicians, each with a desk full of controls. Behind them were the -directors with the master controls, and behind them stood Barden and -Edith Ward. From holes above peeked the lenses of cameras recording the -motions of every technician, and behind the entire group, more cameras -pointed at the vast master panel. The recorders took down every sound, -and the entire proceeding was synchronized by crystal-controlled clocks -running from a primary standard of frequency. - -At the starting impulse, the warm-up time pilot lit and the relays -clicked as one, like a single, sharp chord of music. When the warm-up -period ended the pilot changed from red to green and another bank of -relays crashed home with a flowing roar, each tiny click adding to the -thunder of thousands of others like it. - -"That's the end of the rattle," observed Barden. "From here on in we're -running on multi-circuit thyratrons." - -The meter panel flashed along its entire length as the myriad of -Ready lights went on. The automatic starter began its cycle, and the -synchrometers on the vast panel began to indicate. Up climbed the -power, storing itself in the vast reservoir bit by bit like the slow, -inexorable winding of a mighty clock spring. Up it went, and the meters -moved just above the limit of perception, mounting and passing toward -the red mark that indicated the critical point. - -As slow as their climb was, each meter hit the red mark at the same -instant. - -There was a murmur of low voices as each technician gave his notes -to the recorders. No scribbling here, the voice itself with its -inflection, its ejaculation, and its personal opinion under stress -would be set down. - -Then the master switch went home with a tiny flare of ionized gases-- - -And silently every panel went dead. - - * * * * * - -"Oh!" said Edith Ward in a solemn tone. - -"Not yet," Barden objected. "This may be success." - -"But--?" - -"How do you hope to control a radio-controlled drone that is traveling -higher than the velocity of propagation?" - -"But how will you ever know?" - -"When we--" - -He was interrupted by the chatter of the radiation counter. Light -splashed in through the tiny ports in a brilliant flare. - -"Well, we won't," said Barden helplessly. - -"Won't what?" - -"Ever catch up with it! Not where it's gone!" - -"So--?" - -"So we've solved that problem," he said bitterly. "Your informant was -right. From what the counter says, that was a vicious number. Well, I -guess I am licked, finally. I admit it." - -"Somehow," said Edith solemnly, "I know I should feel elated. But I am -not. Fact of the matter is, I am ashamed that there is a portion of my -brain that tells me that I am proven correct. I ... fervently wish it -were not so." - -"Thanks," he said. "I wish but one thing." - -"What?" - -"I'd have preferred to have been aboard that crate!" - -"Tom!" she said plaintively. "Not--oblivion." - -"No," he said with a wistful smile. "At superspeed, my recording -instruments could record nothing. Perhaps if I'd been aboard I could -have found out what really happened. There is no way." - -"But what can we do?" - -"Build another one and spend my time trying to find out how to get a -recording from a body that isn't really existent in this space at all." - -"That sounds impossible." - -"Then there is but one answer," he said, "and that is to go out with it -and hope that by some machination I can control the reaction before it -gets beyond stopping." - -"Tom," she said quietly, "you are still convinced that such a thing is -possible?" - -"I am," he said. And then he stopped as his face filled with wonder. - -"What?" she asked, seeing the change. - -"Look," he said, his voice rising in excitement. "We caught radiation. -Right?" - -"Right." - -"That means that the ship was not exceeding the velocity of light when -it went up!" - -"Yes, but--?" - -"Then on the instantaneous recorders there must be a complete record of -what every instrument _should have been reading_ but did not due to the -mechanical inertia of these meters! Right?" - -"But suppose--" - -"Look, Edith. The theory of the drive is based upon the development -of a monopolar magnetic field that incloses space in upon itself like -a blister, twisted off from the skin of a toy balloon. Now that field -would collapse if the fission started, because the fission is initiated -as you claim by magnetostrictive alignment of the planetary orbits -of the field-electrons in the atoms. Obviously the magnetostrictive -effect is more pronounced near to the center of the monopolar -generator. Ergo that would go first, dropping the speed of the ship -to below the velocity of light by a considerable amount. Then as the -fission continued, spreading outward, the various instruments would go -blooey--but not until they'd had ... did you say thirteen microseconds -after initiation the major fission took place?" - -"Yes." - -"Give it twelve microseconds to drop the ship below the speed of light -and I have still one full microsecond for recordings!" - - * * * * * - -Edith Ward looked up in admiration. "And you'll bet your life on what -your instruments can see in one millionth of a second?" - -"Shucks," he grinned. "Way way back they used microsecond pulses to -range aircraft, and they got to the point where a microsecond of time -could be accurately split into several million parts of its own. -Besides, I made those instruments!" - -"Q.E.D." said Edith Ward quietly. "But how are you going to develop -a monopolar magnetic field without the magnetostrictive effect? The -prime consideration is not the field, but the fact that aligning the -planetary orbits means that two things tend to occupy the same place at -the same time. That isn't--they tell me--possible." - -"Too bad the reverse isn't true," he said. - -"You mean the chance of something occupying two places at the same -time?" - -"Uh-huh." - -"What then?" - -"Then we could develop two monopolar fields of opposing polarity to -inclose the twin-ship proposition. Then the atomic orbits would not be -affected since they would receive the bipolar urge." - -"Couldn't you change from one to the other very swiftly?" - -"Not without passing through zero on the way. Every time we passed -through zero we'd end up at sub-speed. The ship would really jack -rabbit." - -"Oh." - -"But," he said thoughtfully, "what happens if the monopolar field is -generated upon a true square wave?" - -"A true square wave is impractical." - -"You mean because at the moment of transition, the wave front must -assume, simultaneously, all values between zero and maximum?" - -"Yes," she said, "and it is impossible to have any item operating under -two values." - -"That is an existent item," said Barden with a smile. "Bringing back H. -G. Wells' famous point of whether an instantaneous cube could exist." - -"This I do not follow." - -"Look, Edith," said Tom patiently. "Any true square wave must have a -wave front in which the rise is instantaneous, and assuming all values -between zero and maximum for the duration of an instant. An instant is -the true zero-time, with a time-quantum of nothing--the indivisible -line that divides two adjoining events. Just as a true line has no -thickness. - -"Now," he went on, "generating the monopolar field on a true square -wave would flop us from one field to the other in true no-time. At that -instant, we would be existing in all values from maximum negative to -maximum positive, at the same time at zero--_but not truly assigned a -real value_. Therefore we should not stop. - -"However," he went on, "that is an impossibility because the true -instant of no duration is impossible to achieve with any mechanism, -electrical or otherwise. However, the fields set up to make possible -this square wave do permit the full realization of the problem. For a -practical duration, however small, the value of the wave does actually -assume all values from maximum negative to maximum positive!" - -She looked at him with puzzlement. "I thought they taught you only this -one science," she said. - -"That would have been useless," he grinned. "As useless as trying -to teach a Hottentot the full science of electronics without giving -him the rest of physics as a basis. No, little lady, I got the full -curriculum, including a full training in how to think logically! How -else?" - -"You win," she said solemnly. "Fudge up your true square wave, and I'll -buy a ticket back home in your crate!" - -"Thanks, Edith," he said. "That's a high compliment. But there's more -of us than we-all. I'll have to take a vote." - - * * * * * - -There was a roar at Barden's explanation. And his head technician stood -up, waving for silence. "There's enough lifecraft aboard," he shouted -over the noise. "Anybody who wants to get out can take 'em. They can -make Terra from here in a couple of months in a lifecraft if they want -to." - -That got a roar of approval. - -"Lucky I had two ships all fitted out," said Tom. "Also, with all this -spare junk for radio-controlling the other crate we've got a shipload -of spare parts. Probably take about a week flat to tinker it together, -but it is far better to do it out here than to go all the way home to -Terra--that'd take about four weeks." - -"I wonder why they didn't think of that square-wave idea," said Edith. - -"Lord only knows." - -"That's what bothers me," she said. - -"Why?" - -"Because we are playing with the other man's cards, remember. We're not -leading authorities in this art. You got both the square-wave generator -and the monopolar field out of them. Now why hadn't they tried it -before?" - -"On the theory that no beginner ever has a valid idea? No soap. Maybe -they've been too close to the woods to see anything but them trees. Of -course, there's another little angle we've not considered." - -"Go on. First it was a political difference between factions for and -against subjugation. Then I came in and threw in my two cents which -sort of hardened the argument a bit. We didn't know whether my stuff -was shoved in to stop production or to save Sol. We know now that your -informant was telling the truth but not the whole truth. We know that -mine was honest but not why he was. Then we came to the possibility -that someone somewhere tossed us a fish because they were afraid to try -it. Why the stopper on that?" - -"Possibly they want us to really try it out and not total destruction." - -"But--?" - -"Look, Edith. Supposing you wanted to have something developed for you -by a consulting laboratory. You've done that yourself at Solar Labs. -Wouldn't you give them whatever information you had available?" - -She nodded. "Nice explanation," she said solemnly. "Excepting that if -I were doing it, I'd not call one man and start him experimenting on -one pretext and then call another member of the laboratory and tell him -that the information would lead to disaster." - -"In other words, the big problem is motive." - -"Precisely. And that's what we're up against. Try to figure out the -hidden motives of extrasolar cultures." - -"You believe there are two?" - -Tom Barden nodded. "Uh-huh," he said. "And all the talking we can do -from now until we find out won't help because we cannot interpret the -thoughts of an alien culture in our own terms and hope to come out -right!" - - * * * * * - -And that, of course, was that. It was definitely true. Reviewing all -the evidence during the next ten days, they came up with a startlingly -minute amount of fact. Barden had been given a scientific field -because of a political argument; Edith Ward had been warned that the -information was incomplete and would lead to disaster. - -Build upon those slender bricks and they tumble all too quickly. -Barden's story could be construed as an attempt to get consulting -service on a dangerous project without danger to the alien race. -Ward's informant might have been an attempt to give Sol a good chance -to solve it in safety, but in solution there would be no proof--or even -in failure. For there was no way of telling proof from failure at many -light-years of distance unless the failure bloomed the entire system -into a nova. - -And regardless of any theoretical argument, it was still a technical -impossibility to construct any spaceship capable of traversing -light-years without some means of super speed. Not without a suitable -crew to do a job when it arrived. - -Then, to reverse the argument, supposing that Barden's tale was -correct. The opposing faction might hope to forestall any work by -issuing the warning. - -But if Barden's tale were correct, why did the so-called altruists -offer him a science that was dangerous to pursue? - -Unless, perhaps, the political argument was conquest versus dominance. -Both factions wanted conquest and dominance. One demanded the -elimination of all races that might offer trouble. The other faction -might argue that a completely dead enemy offers no real reward for -conquest--for of what use is it to become king when the throne is safe -only when all subjects are dead? - -Yes, there's Paranoia. The paranoid will either become king of all or -king of none--or none will remain to be king including himself. That -theory is quite hard on rational people. - -So went the arguments, and when the ten days were completed, they were -no closer to the truth than they had been before. - -Not entirely true, that. For they hoped to drive--somewhere--at a -velocity higher than the speed of light. - - * * * * * - -With a firm hand, Tom Barden pressed the Start button. The relays -clicked and the pilot lights flared red, and then after the warm-up -period they turned green. - -"This is it," he said, grasping the small lever that would start the -automatic sequence. - -Silence--almost silence came. From one corner came a small muttering -and the click of beads. A throat was cleared unnecessarily, for it, -like all others, was both dry and clear. A foot shuffled nervously-- - -"No!" shouted a voice. - -Barden looked at Edith Ward. "Still--?" he said. - -She nodded and put her hand over his on the lever. "Want me to prove -it?" she said, pushing it home. - -There was a tinnily musical note that crept up the scale from somewhere -in the sub-audible, up through the audible scale and into the shrilling -tones that hurt the ear. It was hard to really tell when it passed -above the audible, for the imagination followed it for seconds after -the ear ceased to function. - -There was a creak that rang throughout the ship. A tiny cricket-voice -that came once and changed nothing but to increase the feel of -tenseness. - -Then--nothing pertinent. - -Except-- - -"Great Scott! Look at Sol!" - -The already-tiny sun was dwindling visibly; it took less than three -or four seconds for Sol's disk to diminish from visible to complete -ambiguity against the curtain of the stars. - -"We're in!" exploded Barden. - -"Hey!" screamed a watcher at the side port. A flare whisked by, -illuminating the scene like a photo-flash bulb. A second sun, passed at -planetary distance. It joined the starry background behind. - -Barden shut off the drive and the tense feeling stopped. - -"Well, we're in!" he said in elation. "We're in!" - -The scanning room went wild. They gave voice to their feelings in a -yell of sheer exuberance and then started pounding one another on the -back. Barden chinned himself on a cross-brace and then grabbed Edith -Ward about the waist and danced her in a whirling step across the -floor. The crew caught up with them; separating them. They piled into -Barden, ruffling his hair and rough-housing him until he went off his -feet, after which someone produced a blanket and tossed him until the -blanket ripped across. Then they carried him to the desk and set him -unceremoniously across it, face down, and left him there to catch his -breath. - -"Like New Year's Eve," he grunted. - -The crowd opened to let Edith through. She came toward the desk as Tom -unraveled himself and sat on the top. "A fine bunch of wolves," she -chuckled gleefully. "Tom, have you ever been kissed by twenty-two men?" - -"Wouldn't care for it," he said. "They're not my type. And besides, -it's twenty-three." He made the correction himself. - -Then things calmed down. They were--as one man put it--"a long way from -home!" - -"But what I want to know is why we can see the sun when we're going -away from it at several times the velocity of light?" demanded Tom. - -"Well, your own problem answers your own question," said Edith, patting -her hair back into place. "Remember the square-wave problem? Well, in -the transition-period, you are simultaneously obtaining all degrees -from maximum negative to maximum positive including zero. Zero is -where the ship, being out of space-warp, must drop below the speed of -light. The sun receding is due to the persistence of vision that lasts -between transition periods. Lord only knows how far we travel between -each transition." - -"We can find out," said Tom. "I'd hoped to develop a velocimeter by -using the doppler effect, but that's not possible, I guess. I'd suggest -that we find out where we are and then head back for Sol. Might as well -get for home and start the real thing cooking." - -"What was that sun we passed?" - -"I'll not tell you now," said Tom. "One of the nearby stars but I don't -know which. We might stop, though, and take a closer look at an alien -star from close up." - - * * * * * - -The ship was turned and the drive was applied until the star expanded -into a true sun. At about a billion miles, they stopped to inspect it -sketchily. They were not equipped to make any careful observations of -stellar data. - -They watched it like sightseers viewing Niagara Falls for an hour. -There was really nothing to see that could not be taken in at a glance, -but the idea of being near to one of the extrasolar systems was -gratifying in itself. - -Then, as the realization that they could watch that silently blazing -star for years without producing anything of interest or value, Barden -called a halt to the self-hypnosis and they resumed their stations. -The drive was applied again, and they passed the star, picking up speed -as they went. - -Somewhere ahead was Sol, lost in the starry curtain of the sky. But -they were not lost, for they were headed in roughly the right direction -and eventually Sol would emerge and stand out before them in plenty of -time to correct their course. - -The entire group, their period of strain over, stood idly looking out -of the ports. There was nothing to see save that star, passing into -the background. But their work was finished and they were loafing. It -looked like an excellent time to just stand and do nothing. Barden was -inspecting the superdrive unit with a paternal smile, noting with some -gratification that it was even smaller than the normal driving gear of -the ship. Dr. Edith Ward had gone to her room to repair the damage done -during the celebration. Jerry Brandt, the manual pilot, was sitting -idly, playing a senseless game with the myriad of switches on his -disconnected board as the autopilot controlled the ship. - -Two of the crew were matching pennies in front of the meter panel, and -three more were watching a chess game between two of the others who -were using various-shaped radio tubes as men. All was set for a quiet -journey home. - -Their first alien sun dwindled and was soon lost. Before them, the -stars were immobile until one at near center swelled visibly. Jerry -Brandt idly kicked his switches into neutral and switched over to -manual drive long enough to correct the course; the swelling star -and the rest of the sky swiveled about the ship until Sol was on the -cross-hairs. - -This time there were no days of flight from Terra to beyond-Pluto. -Their ship plunged sunward at a dangerous pace, dropping below the -speed of light at the tick of an instant at about the orbit of -Jupiter. At under the speed of light but far above the normal speeds -of spacecraft, the ship headed Terraward, and slowed as it went. The -superdrive was turned off a few thousand miles above Terra and the rest -of the voyage to the surface of the planet took actually longer than -the quick run across interstellar space. - -They landed in the huge construction yard at the Barden Laboratories. - -A success-- - -"Yeah," said Tom Barden dryly. "A success. But who did what to whom and -why?" - -Edith Ward nodded in puzzlement. "You don't suppose it was just some -nearby star wanting to observe a nova at close proximity?" - -"Seems to me that wouldn't tell 'em anything," said Barden. "That would -be a completely artificial nova and lacking of true data. Of course, -I'm no astronomer and don't know beans about the subject at all. I -admit it. I'd be lost trying to find my way home from out there if I -couldn't retrace my steps. I wouldn't recognize Sol from Sirius if I -were on Arcturus, and I'd not know how to go about it." - -"Spectral lines, and stellar data--" said Edith. - -"I have a hunch that whoever--in fact I'm certain--gave me this -information was uncertain as to whether I was in the next stellar -system or halfway across the universe." - -"That would depend upon the range of whatever gadget they used to -implant the information--and whether it were beamed. Also, Tom, there's -another interesting item. You say there was a mental conversation in -your case. That means that the velocity of propagation of that medium -is instantaneous! Either that or he was right here on Terra." - -"Got me. But if he were right here, why didn't he meet me in person, or -make a future date?" - -"I pass," said Edith. "I have a fair working knowledge of astrogation. -I wonder if it is complete enough for my fellow to have positioned us. -On the other hand, mine came strictly as information without chitchat. -Like someone handing me a telegram full of data." - -Barden considered the problem a moment as the girl went on. - -"But my knowledge of astrogation is merely the angular constants -of the Marker-Stars and how to recognize them from their -constellation-positions. He might be able to set up a model of -this hunk of sky and reach the right answer--only if he sought the -information, however. I did not give it, and he seemed uninterested--as -I say, it was like getting a phonograph record or a radiogram." - -They entered Barden's office and as they did, Tim Evans came running -in. Barden nodded and said: "Miss Ward, this is Tim Evans, my head -mathematical physicist. Tim, this is Dr. Ward." - -They acknowledged the introduction, but Tim was excited. "Look, Tom, -did it work?" - -"We had trouble on Ship One but we fudged Two up and made it sing like -an angel." Barden explained sketchily. - -"Oh," said Evans, his face falling slightly. - -"Why?" - -"Because I've been thinking along another line and I've come up with -another kind of superdrive. If yours didn't work, this one is certain." - -"Yes? Go on." - -"No need to," said Evans. "Yours is far more efficient and less -bulky. Mine would get you there but it would take up a lot of extra -space. Besides, it doesn't offer the chance to see where you're going -directly, but only through a new type of celestial globe. Furthermore, -it wouldn't move as fast. So, forget it." - -"New type of celestial globe?" asked Barden. "We could use it, maybe. -We can see out all right, but that's due to the intermittence. The -present celestial globe system is an adaptation of the pulse-ranging -transmission-time presentation, you know. When you're running above -light the globe is useless." - -"But look, Tom," objected Edith. "You won't need one at superspeed. -You'll not be maneuvering, and if you hit something a few million -miles ahead in the globe, you're past it before anything could work -anyway." - -"Admitted," he said. "But I'd like to have one, anyway. Look, Evans, -how does this thing work?" - -"On a magneto-gravitic principle. Gravity, I am beginning to -understand, is not a matter of wave propagation at all. It is a factor -of matter--and it is either there or it isn't." - -"I wouldn't know." - -"Well, that's the theory. So we utilize an artificial manifestation of -gravity, beamed. It also seems that gravitational effects are mutual. -In other words, the attraction between Terra and Sol is the combination -of mutual attractions. So our beam, increasing the attraction between -the object and the beam also causes the increase of the attraction -between the beam and the object. For beam read transmitter; I always -think of the radiating element as being the beam instead of what I -should. Anyway, when the attraction is increased, it affects a detector -in the radiating elements. That gives you your indication." - -"How about ranging." - -"Still a matter of the inverse-square of the distance. We know -accurately the attraction-factor of our beam. Whatever reflects will -have distance-diminishment which we can measure and use." - -"But it is also proportional to the mass, isn't it?" asked Barden. - -"It'll take a nice bunch of circuits," grinned Evans, "but we can check -the mass with another beam's attraction to it and differentiate. -An integrating system will solve for range on the basis of mass and -distance. The celestial search and presentation systems will be the -same." - -"O.K.--how about communications?" - -"Sure," said Evans. - -"You rig 'em up," said Barden. "And Tim, tell Eddie to refurbish the -ship. We're going out again. And I want three or four of the original -space drives put aboard as working spares." - -"Working spares?" asked Evans. - -"Yeah, mount 'em on girder-frameworks complete with atomic units. I'm -going to prove the next point." - -"What next point?" asked Dr. Edith Ward. - -"I want to find out if your informant was telling the truth," said Tom -Barden. "Interested?" - - * * * * * - -Edith shuddered a little. "That's a big responsibility," she said. "You -intend to destroy a whole stellar system?" - -"I don't know. I'm going to see whether that stuff would actually start -an overall sustaining fission-reaction in a planet after the minor -fission got under way. If it does, then it is no worse for me to blow -up a dead system than it would be for my little informant getting us to -blow up ours." - -"You sound rather positive about it." - -"One or the other," said Barden. "I'm bothered. No matter how you look -at it, we ... or I, was like a small child given matches to play with -in a nitrocellulose storehouse. Unless you'd come up with yours, I'd -have most certainly blown us sky high." - -"Right. I think we owe my friends a debt of gratitude." - -"I'll agree to that. But for this test, we'll ramble until we find a -relatively unimportant star with only one or two planets, devoid of -life. Then we'll try it." - -"But even with dead system, you're taking a lot upon yourself." - -"How?" - -"There will, from that time on, be a monument to the memory of Thomas -Barden. You'll be the object of argument and of both admiration -and hatred. Flag-wavers will either point with pride or view with -alarm, depending upon their politics. Why not wait until the thing is -discussed?" - -"Forever? No, Edith. None of us can afford it. We must know. If -this works, Sol has a rather dangerous weapon against any possible -conquesting races in the galaxy. Regardless of what has gone before, -Sol is in a position to go out and make her mark upon the galaxy. It -is best to go prepared, and if we fear nothing, we neither need fear -subjugation." - -"But destroying a stellar system--" - -"Who'll miss it?" he asked. - -She looked blank. "I don't know," she said. "It just seems so big. It -doesn't seem right that one man should be able to go out and destroy -a stellar system. One that has been stable for million upon million -of years. Superstition, perhaps," she said thoughtfully. "I'm not -a religious woman, Tom. I am not sacrilegious, either. Somehow, -somewhere, there must be a God--" - -"Who made the universe. With a density of ten to the minus -twenty-eighth power and an average temperature of matter about twenty -million degrees? For the benefit of Terrans. Well if so, Edith, He is -willing to see one of His experiments used to further mankind in his -struggle. _Ad astra per aspera_, my dear!" - -Edith agreed solemnly but was obviously unconvinced. - -"Look," he hastened to add, "if all this was put here for the benefit -of Terrans, we're expected to use it. If we are incidental in some -grand plan encompassing a billion suns in a thousand galaxies, loss of -one sun won't matter." - -"I suppose that's logic," she said. "I'd prefer not to talk about -it too much. I know it should be done, but it still seems all wrong -somehow." - -"We've got to know. Remember there's a lot of truth in the whole -thing," he said thoughtfully. "And also a lot of untruth. They did tell -me the way to interstellar travel--in a slightly slaunchwise fashion. -They told you about the disintegration-process. Now, darn it, Edith, -did they scare us away from planetary tries because they knew it would -damage the system or for another reason? How do we know the thing would -ruin a planet and ultimately the system? Answer, we do not." - -She nodded glumly. "I suppose that it is a step toward the final -solution." - -"Right, and as soon as we can get a nice system, we'll try it!" - - * * * * * - -"This is Procyon," said Tom Barden. "Or so they tell me, I wouldn't -know." - -The star was a small disk almost dead ahead; its light shone down -through the fore dome of the ship augmenting the lights in the -observation room. - -"Sentiment again," she said. "I'd prefer a system more distant." - -"If this has the right kind of planets, Procyon it is," said Barden -flatly. "If it has planets unsuited for life, what possible good can it -do Terra? Plus the fact that the instability that follows the nova for -a few years will act as a nice sign-post toward Terra from all parts -of the galaxy. Remember, men will really be spreading out with the new -drive." - -"Again you're right. But have you no sentiment?" - -He looked at her. "Not when it interferes with practicality--" - -They were coasting along at half the speed of light, under the -superdrive. On all sides were running cameras. One coast across the -system with the moving picture cameras covering the sky would bring -any planets into ken; the parallax of planetary bodies would show -against the fairly constant sky. There was also visual observation for -interest's sake. - -At the far side, the ship came to a stop with respect to Procyon, and -while the films were developing, Jerry Brandt swapped ends and ran the -ship nearer the center of the system. Procyon, from one side port, -looked about as large as Sol from Terra and it seemed about as bright -and warm. - -It was here that they met the alien ship. It came from nowhere and -passed them slantwise at a terrific velocity. As it passed, a stabbing -beam darted once, and the beam-end burst into a coruscation of sheer -energy. - -"That," blubbered Barden, "was close!" - -Jerry Brandt swore thoroughly, and whipped the ship around slightly, -cramming on the superdrive but keeping the drivers below the speed of -light. He set his switches carefully, and seconds later the alien ship -appeared for one brief instant and then was gone. While it was there, -eye-visible in the sky, one of the ship's own cutting planes sheared -out and sliced the driving tubes from the bottom of the ship. - -Then it was gone and Brandt fought the switches, stopping the ship. - -"What--was that?" - -"We've got a nice way of retaliating," said Barden harshly. "We use the -intermittent generator of the superdrive but we stay below the velocity -of light. Jerry has calibrated the intermittence and the rep-rate to a -nice precision. We appear in true space, slash out, and disappear again -to reappear God knows how many miles farther on. Now we'll go back and -see whether that bird wants more." He spoke to Jerry: "Take care!" - -"Easy she goes," replied Brandt. "Did you see that joker? He tried to -ruin us!" - - * * * * * - -They came up as the inert alien came into view. It stabbed again with -that beam but missed. Jerry Brandt swore again and cut the ship from -end to end with his cutting plane. This time there was no response save -a swirl of smoke from the cleft sides of the ship. - -"We've used these to cut asteroids into stove lengths," he told Barden -sharply. "I wonder how many of them have been used likewise on some -hapless enemy." - -"I don't have any way of knowing," said Barden. "And I don't care -whether it is a proper weapon to use or not. It worked." - -"What are you going to do?" asked Dr. Ward. - -He smiled at her. "He didn't like us--apparently for no reason than we -were alien. If he'd come in peaceable, we'd have made talky-talk. As it -is, he fired first but not too well. Now we'll just grab his ship and -see what he's got, who he is, where he's from--and possibly why." - -It was a small ship outside, in space. But getting it into the vast -cargo-hold of Barden's ship required some more trimming. The alien ship -finally lay in eight sections, stacked. The cargo-hold was now jammed -with alien ship and much of the spare equipment and supplies were -jettisoned. - -Then they went in warily to examine the alien. They found the alien -crew--four of them. They were spacesuited but unconscious. - -"Hope they breathe air at twenty-per cent oxygen," growled Barden. They -opened the suits and laid the unconscious aliens on tables in one of -the operations rooms. - -They were squat and wide, almost humanoid save for large eyeballs -under the closed double lids. Their noses were almost nonexistent, and -each hand splayed wide with seven stubby fingers. These hands were -symmetrical, but despite a thumb on either side, the Terrans doubted -that they were more dextrous than Terrans because of their shorter -fingers. - -Their shoulders were very wide, but also quite thin, indicating a long, -unfavorable leverage with less muscle. - -"Ugly looking--" started Jerry Brandt, who shut himself off as he -remembered Edith Ward. - -She looked up at him and flushed. "They are," she said with a slight -smile. Brandt blushed with embarrassment and spluttered incoherently -for a moment. The pilot might have spluttered for some time had not the -foremost alien stirred, causing a diversion. - -They crowded him as he awoke and looked about him. His expression was -undecipherable, though there was quite a change in facial composure as -he saw the kind of white-faced animals that surrounded him. He looked, -and then he clutched rapidly at a device on his belt. Barden swung a -fist and caught the creature on the forearm, causing him to drop the -half-drawn weapon. Brandt stooped over and picked it up, and the rest -of the crew proceeded to disarm the other three. - -Edith found a length of wire and made a loop of it. She held it in -front of the alien. - -He relaxed, splaying his hands and holding them wide from his body. Her -action had been understood and the creature did not want his hands tied. - -"Jerry," said Barden. "Set the controls for superspeed towards -anywhere in the universe, and get us away from here." - -"Solward?" - -"No. He should get as little information as possible." - -Jerry left, and the ship soon turned slightly and started off. Barden -waved the creature to the port and pointed out Procyon, which was -diminishing swiftly. The alien grew excited, and made wondering motions. - -"That ... thing ... knows what the score is, partly," observed Edith. - -"That ... thing ... had better behave," said Barden flatly. "And while -we're wondering about him, I hate to think of him being called a -Procyonian." - -"Call 'em _Pokeys_," said Tim Evans. - -"O.K. Now let's show him his ship." - -The alien's excitement changed to dismay as he viewed the wreckage. He -looked at it, and then as if wiping it off as finished, he turned away. - -There was but one cargo lock in Barden's ship. And though the alien -craft had been trimmed, and considerable of it trimmed away and left, -it was still packed in with most of the remaining spares. These -included the four superdrive motors, mounted on their girders with the -atomic units. The alien saw these and went over to inspect them, and -Barden let him go. - -What possibly could have been familiar they did not know. The chances -of an alien gasoline engine being instantly recognizable as such by a -Terran is problematical. A simple electric motor might be--especially -if connected to a storage battery, or even by a wire cable to a -wall outlet. Doubtless, the electron tube would be recognized by a -spider-man from the other end of the galaxy, for the handling of -electrons must be similar no matter where they are used. There will -be cathodes and grids and anodes and connecting prongs, wires, or -terminals. - -The unprotected superdrive motor was not incased. It had been a job -intended for test-stand operation and, therefore, it could be inspected -fairly well. Something about it was familiar, and one spot of -familiarity was sufficient for the alien to reconstruct the rest. - -He nearly exploded with frantic gestures. He ran to Barden--his run was -a swift waddle due to the wide leg-base--and clutched Tom's arm. He -pointed to the cut-apart spaceship and indicated that he wanted to go -up into that pile to find something. Barden shrugged and nodded, and -then followed the alien. - - * * * * * - -It was difficult for Barden, for the alien was sure-footed in his climb -up the jagged edges to one section near the middle of the pile. He -disappeared inside and found a piece of equipment, which he brought -out. He set this upon the floor and returned with other equipment which -he added to the original piece. Then taking the whole bunch in his -arms, he led them up to the operations room. - -Here he put it on a table. Then he opened the main piece and drew out -a two-pronged plug which he waved in Barden's face, made plugging -gestures into the blank wall, and then made searching motions. - -Barden pointed to the nearest convenience outlet, and the creature -waddled to it with the rest of his equipment. - -He probed into the openings with test-leads and read the results on -meters of his own. He showed Barden exactly what the meters should read. - -Barden nodded and they set to work matching their line-current to the -alien's specifications. It turned out to be one hundred ninety-three -volts at seventy cycles. Meanwhile, one of Barden's men replaced the -alien's plug with a Terran-type and they inserted it gingerly. The -alien put a temple-set over his head and handed one to Barden. - -"This," came the thought, "is an instrument used to extract information -from enemies. It will serve as a means of communication." - -"Why did you fire on us?" thought Barden. - -"You are alien. We are at war; in fact have been at war with the devils -from that star--" and here came a mixed-impression of a distorted -constellation that was not familiar to Barden, who was not too familiar -with astronomy anyway, and so he passed it over. He stopped the alien -momentarily, to send one of the men to tell Jerry Brandt to return to -within a light-year or so of Procyon. - -"But," continued the alien, "you are not using--that?" - -"Not exactly," said Barden. - -"No, for that means death." - -"We were going to try it out," was Barden's calm thought. - -"On--NO!" came the terrified reply. - -"Well," returned Barden, "we're never pleased with red-hots who shoot -at us!" - -"But an entire system?" came the pleading exclamation. - -"Filled with people of the same ilk," returned Barden, unimpressed. - -"But even warfare must not be annihilation," objected the alien. "For -of what value is a dead enemy?" - -"They are no longer any bother." Barden grunted. "We dislike being -bothered, and our will happens to be that we want to go wherever we -choose at any time we please. A favorable attitude upon the part of -any other culture is one that permits us our will. A dead culture will -never obstruct us, for one thing. It will never revert to its original -attitude of belligerency, for the second thing. And for the third -thing, alien, with the interstellar drive we have, we can find those -cultures in the galaxy which see exactly as we do, therefore it is to -our advantage to eliminate any malcontents right now." - -"But what do you intend to do?" demanded the creature. - -"My system has been the tool of some other culture. The purpose is not -clear, though the outcome might have been quite disastrous. I intend to -find both that culture and their reasons and extract full payment!" - -"But how--?" - -Barden smiled in a hard manner. "I intend to plant one of these -unprotected space motors on one of your planets," he said. "That is for -my own protection. Then we'll collect one of the enemy, and do likewise -with his system. Then you and he will have your little talk--and you'll -first call off this war or you'll both be enjoying novas in your own -backyards. It's about time that people learned how to get along with -one another!" - -"But I have little authority." - -"_I_ have," smiled Barden in a completely self-satisfied manner. -"I have all the authority necessary to demand that your superiors -and your scientists meet their contemporaries of your enemy--and -peacefully." - -"What are you going to do with me?" - -"Do you know both languages?" - -"No," answered the alien. "That's why we use the menta-phone." - -"What do you know of the space motor?" - -"Very little. It is, as you know, dangerous. We are forbidden to -experiment on it." - -"You know it is dangerous?" asked Barden. - -"We have excellent reason to believe so. Our studies have been purely -theoretical. But tell me, how do you hope to accomplish this mission of -yours?" - -"One of you four will be permitted to land and carry our message. One -of the enemy race will do likewise." - -The alien disagreed. "You can never land," he said. "You can not even -approach." - -"No?" said Barden harshly. "Well, we'll plant our motors first. And -you'll use whatever you have to communicate with them and you'll tell -'em all. Then, my squat friend, there had better be a ten-thousand -piece brass brand playing the Solar Anthem as we land! _Or else!_" - - * * * * * - -Tom Barden sat in an easy-chair, relaxing. He was watching the others, -who were glaring at one another and trying to conceal their thoughts. -Lanthar--he of Procyon--and Grenis of Sirius both knew that the Terran -who sat there so easily was not fooling. - -"Now," said Barden, "what's the story? I've told you what happened and -why I'm angry. This warfare must stop, and Sol, too, must be protected. -Only by complete agreement can all three of us occupy the sky in -safety. Otherwise, there may be but two of us--and perhaps only one. -You--Lanthar--what do you know of the space motor?" - -"I'll tell," said the one from Procyon. "I've been in disagreement -with the plan but outvoted. We discovered it and its danger. We'd have -worked upon it, but we could not permit it to be used in space because -of attack. We could not try it on a planet because of the danger. -Remember, we were at war and could afford to take no chances. There -was a large faction who outvoted me--and then they permitted its theft -from a false laboratory. It is amusing, Terran, to go into the full -details of how this laboratory was set up, run, and finally thefted. We -actually treated it as though it held one of our high secrets, but we -were lax only in the total number of guards we used. They--succeeded. - -"The purpose of this was to permit them to try it out. That would mean -their destruction. I've insisted that a dead enemy is of no value--" - -"We follow your reasoning, all of us," said Barden. "And go further. We -state that an enemy is a total loss _per se_ and we avoid the expense. -Now, Grenis, you stole the plans?" - -"We did," said the Sirian. "But there was something wrong. Not only -did we steal the plans, but we inspected their plant. While they were -setting up their laboratory they forgot to include some means of -accepting and dissipating enough transmitted power to make the work -look real. There was a quite large discrepancy between the power used -and the power we calculated would be needed to carry on such a program. -So we became suspicious--which started when we were able to penetrate -the place in the first place. - -"What we found was interesting," said the Sirian. "But we were -suspicious. We studied it carefully, and it seemed perfect. But, -Terran, came again the suspicion. For if this were so perfect, why -weren't they using it? - -"Because it might be a trap," he went on. "And like he and his, we -dared not establish a space-laboratory because of the fear of attack. -So we were completely stopped." - -Lanthar grunted. "So he and his bunch went to work on a method of -contacting other people at a great distance," he said. "It took them a -long time and they were without success at all until they succeeded in -contacting you." - -"That is correct," said Grenis, making an apology. "We have detectors -capable of working on the gravitic effects. A nova would disrupt -both the magnetic and the gravitic levels sufficiently to warn us -immediately. And we knew that any race who was not suspicious of an -enemy would try it--" - -"I see," said Barden angrily. "Then we have you to thank? And you," he -said to Lanthar, "knowing that this was done, tried to protect us?" - -"Not basically," apologized the man from Procyon. "You see, we did -not know you--nor even where you were in the galaxy. You meant -nothing to us at all then, except as a consulting service for our -enemy--completely hidden and quite safe. We did not want you to go into -nova because that would have warned them. We knew that after a period -of time, with no sign of failure, they'd try it!" - -"A fine pair of stinkers," sneered Barden. "Well," he said with a -laugh. "Now you'll co-operate with us all, or else! But Lanthar, how -can you be certain that nova will occur?" - -Lanthar of Procyon stood up and smiled tolerantly. "Me--?" he said. "I -know only what I've been told about it. Strangely enough, it came to me -in a dream, too!" - - * * * * * - -Somewhere in the galaxy, two scientists consulted their -time-predictions. They agreed silently that sufficient time had been -permitted, and that their detectors had shown no warping of the -magneto-gravitic continuum. Despite the questionable value of negative -evidence, they felt safe. - -"I doubt all new arts," said one of them, thrusting the switch home, -"especially when I know not the source." - - - THE END - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CATSPAW *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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Smith</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Catspaw</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: George O. Smith</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 13, 2022 [eBook #68304]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CATSPAW ***</div> - -<div class="titlepage"> - -<h1>THE CATSPAW</h1> - -<h2>BY GEORGE O. SMITH</h2> - -<p>Illustrated by Orban</p> - -<p>[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from<br /> -Astounding Science-Fiction, September 1948.<br /> -Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that<br /> -the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]</p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>Thomas Barden slept fitfully. The dream was not nightmare, but it -was annoying. It was like the important thought that does not quite -struggle up through into consciousness but which remains unformed -though the mind is aware of the hidden importance. It was like trying -to read small print through a silk screen or to see fine detail through -a sheet of florentine glass.</p> - -<p>Furthermore it was recurring.</p> - -<p>Strangely, Tom Barden seemed to know that there was something strange -about the dream, that it was more than just the ramblings of the -subconscious mind. He knew that there was something to be gained -by permitting the dream to run while he watched, so to speak. But -the trouble was that the dream could not run so long as he remained -cognizant enough in sleep to make mental notes. When he slept deep -enough to permit the strange dream, he was deep enough to lose track of -the delicate, and so very alien, train of thought.</p> - -<p>The fitful sleep itself was a contributing factor to ultimate success. -Since he slept not, he became drowsily tired and found himself lying -wide awake time and again with strange semi-daydreams in which -conscious thought and dream intermingled in a bizarre fantasy of fact -and fiction.</p> - -<p>He had been asleep or awake for hours. It was nearing four o'clock in -the morning when Tom Barden slipped into a prolonged half-sleep and the -dream, as it had before, came again.</p> - -<p>He slipped into sleep and in dream, he saw himself luxuriously lounging -on a broad couch. Above his head was a draped canopy of silk, its -draped folds hanging low in a gorgeous pattern of silken folds. It was -gently tinted in delicate colors that blended in a complete lack of -regular pattern. It seemed more beautiful for lacking pattern than it -could have been with any regularity.</p> - -<p>It was none-ending, that canopy. From the draped dome above his couch -the silken cyclorama fell in a colorful swirl to the floor where it -folded over and over somewhere miles below the couch.</p> - -<p>He—was isolated. He was protected. No intrusion could come even though -Thomas Barden wanted the intrusion. Certainly if he denied entry, -nothing could enter.</p> - -<p>And yet he knew that beyond the many layers of flowing silk there was -something demanding entry. He could not see nor hear the would-be -intruder. He could not even see motion of the silk to show that there -was such a being. Yet he seemed to sense it.</p> - -<p>And when, finally, the intruder breached the outer layers of shrouding -silk, Tom Barden knew it and was glad. Course after course of silken -screen was opened by the intruder until finally the silk parted before -his eyes and there entered—</p> - -<p>Sentience!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was without form and void.</p> - -<p>But it was sentience and it was there for a definite purpose. It came -and it hovered over Thomas Barden's broad couch and its thoughts were -apparent. It was in communication with another sentience outside—</p> - -<p>"I am in."</p> - -<p>"Good," was the mental reply, also clear to Thomas Barden. It was -not a direct communication from the other. It came relayed through -the sentience above his bed, and since he was in direct mental -communication with the other, thought and reply were clear also to -Barden. "Good," replied the other. "Be quick and be thorough. We may -never return!"</p> - -<p>"You, sentience, listen for we have too little time. Those of your -system are numbered in the billions, and, of them all, you are the only -one we have been able to contact though we have tried constantly for -several years.</p> - -<p>"As I communicate with you, your subconscious mind is being filled with -a specialized knowledge of a science new to you. This science is not -foreign to you, for it would normally follow the paths of discovery, -yet you are not quite ready to discover it for yourselves. We give it -to you, knowing that it will only speed up your advancement and it -will not cause a passed-over space in the normal trend of advancing -technology."</p> - -<p>"Why are you giving this to us?" demanded Barden.</p> - -<p>"A natural caution. You fear the complete altruist. I'll explain. This -science will enable you to develop your spacecraft drive into a means -of interstellar travel. This science is known to us. We are using -it now. However, there is a political difficulty on our world. We -have two factions. One faction wants conquest and subjugation of all -systems that are less fortunate in their sociological and technological -development. The other faction believes that any kind of subjugation of -another people will lead to war upon war in pyramiding terror. I and my -friends are members of this second belief. Since the first group has -control, they are preparing to sweep out from our system with their -ideal in force. The only way that subjugation of your race, complete -with the attending strife, may be stopped is for you to have the same -technological developments. Once you meet us as an equal, thoughts of -enslaving you can not exist."</p> - -<p>"Logical," admitted Barden.</p> - -<p>"This science is entering your subconscious mind. It will not be clear -to you for many days. I'd suggest rest and contemplation, but not heavy -concentration. Learning is a matter of accepting facts and filing them -logically in the subconscious mind. Unlike a course of study where fact -follows fact, this knowledge is being poured in at high speed. Your -subconscious mind is very much like a librarian who has just received a -complete file of facts on a new world. Unfortunately these facts must -be evaluated in terms of your own world and your own thought. After -evaluation, they must be filed in the proper order. The subconscious -never sleeps, but it will take time before the logical order is -complete. At that time you will be able to speak with authority on the -subject."</p> - -<p>"I hope," replied Barden.</p> - -<p>"You must! For we have had enough of war and talk of war. War is never -fought between peoples who respect one another's ability. Take this -knowledge and use it. And some day when you get the honest chance, pass -it along to another race so that all men can be equal throughout the -galaxy!"</p> - -<p>The outsider made swift thought: "Quickly, for the veil thickens!"</p> - -<p>"I must go. It would be dangerous for us both if I am trapped here -when the veil closes. Just remember the billions of your men and the -constant attempt to penetrate the mind of any one of them. Even this -was sheer chance and it is failing—"</p> - -<p>The sentience withdrew after a warning cry from the one on the outside. -The silken screen closed, joined, and flowed to the floor without scar.</p> - -<p>Barden was once more alone, protected, isolated.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Three weeks. It took Barden three long weeks. He awoke after the -initial contact with the alien, and following the alien's advice, -considered the matter coolly. It might be true and it might be a dream, -but the fitfulness of his nature was gone. Barden then turned over and -entered the sleep of the just for nine hours. After this awakening, he -contemplated the dream and found it true.</p> - -<p>Amazement at the accomplished fact was high, but the flood of knowledge -occupied Barden's attention. Things kept coming up out of the dark in -his mind that made little sense; other things were clear and sharp and -Barden wondered whether these had ever been tried on Terra. They seemed -so logical. Then as the days passed, these disconnected facts began to -match together. The matrix of knowledge became less broken as the days -went by, and—</p> - -<p>At the end of three weeks, the sentience was proven correct. Thomas -Barden knew, and he knew that he knew the last detail of a new science.</p> - -<p>His only problem was getting this science into operation before the -alien world could come—</p> - -<p>He was all alone in this. No one on earth would believe his wild tale. -They'd lay it to a nightmare and offer him medical advice. If he -persisted, Thomas Barden would be writing his equations on the walls of -a padded cell with a blunt crayon when the alien horde came.</p> - -<p>And to walk into the Solar Space Laboratory and tell them he had a -means of interstellar travel, complete with facts and figures would get -him the same reception as the Brothers Wright, Fulton, and a horde of -others. He would be politely shown the door and asked to go away and -not bother them with wildness.</p> - -<p>If he had time, he could declare the discovery of a phenomenon and -offer it to the scientific world. Then step by step he could lead them -all in the final disclosures, or even after a few discoveries had been -turned over, he could act the part of a genius and force their hands by -making great strides. He had too little time.</p> - -<p>If he were wealthy, he could set up his own laboratory and gain -recognition by proof. To go to work for another laboratory would -mean that he would be forced to do work that he felt unimportant for -sufficient a period to gain the confidence of his superiors. To be -his own boss in his own laboratory would mean that he would not be -required to follow other lines of research; he could do things that -would seem downright idiotic to those uninformed of the new science. -That plus the fact that not one of the large laboratories would care to -spend a small fortune on the cold predictions of a young unknown.</p> - -<p>Thomas Barden wondered just how many men had found themselves hating -the everlasting Time and Money factors before. A fine future!</p> - -<p>Barden pondered the problem for almost a week. That made a total of -four weeks since the incident.</p> - -<p>Then came a partial solution. He was an associate member of the Terran -Physical Society. He could prepare a paper, purely theoretical in -nature, and disclosing the basis for the new science. It would be -treated with skepticism by most of the group, and such a wild-eyed idea -might even get him scorn.</p> - -<p>Yet this was no time to think of Thomas Barden and what happened to -him. This was time to do something bold. For all the men of science who -would hear of his theory, a few of them might try. If they tried one -experiment, they would be convinced. Once convinced, he would be given -credit.</p> - -<p>The paper could not be very long. A long paper would be thrown out -for divers reasons. A very short, terse paper might get by because it -would show the logical development of thought. The reviewing members -might think it sheer sophistry, but might allow it if for no other -reason than to show how sophistic reasoning could build up a complete -technology.</p> - -<p>Barden began to make notes. A five-minute paper, packed with explosive -details. He selected this fact and that experiment, chosen for their -simplicity and their importance, and began to set them down.</p> - -<p>His paper was ten pages long, filled with complex equations and terse -statements of the results of suggested experiments. He sent it in to -the reviewing board and then returned to his studies. For he would have -to wait again.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden faced the reviewing board exactly eight weeks after the dream. -By this time he was getting resigned to waiting. Also the hysteria -that made him want immediate action was beginning to die in the face -of logic. Obviously the alien culture was not on the verge of heading -Solward or the alien mind would have told him that fact. He did mention -that there was little time, but the alien would not have bothered if -imminent disaster threatened.</p> - -<p>Barden believed that the alien was cognizant of the difficulties of -introducing a new science to a skeptical world—especially when done -by an unknown. Perhaps if the famed Dr. Edith Ward had received the -science, a word from her would have sent the men of all Terra, Venus -and Mars scurrying to make their own experiments. Of course, Dr. Ward -was head of the Solar Space Laboratory and could write high-priority -orders for anything short of complete utilization of Luna. She would -not require disclosure to have her theories recognized.</p> - -<p>Tom Barden wished that she were a member of the reviewing board, -for then she might be directly interested. But he noted with some -satisfaction that the Laboratory was represented. He faced the chairman -confidently, though within him he was praying for a break.</p> - -<p>"Mr. Barden," said the chairman, "you are not familiar with us. -Introductions are in order. From left to right, are Doctors Murdoch, -Harrison, and Jones. I am Edward Hansen, the chairman of this reviewing -board. Gentlemen, this is Thomas Barden. You have read his brochure?"</p> - -<p>There was a nod of assent.</p> - -<p>"We have called you to ask a few questions," said the chairman.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus2.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Gladly," said Barden. At least they were considering it. And so long -as it was receiving consideration, it was far better than a complete -rejection.</p> - -<p>"This is, I take it, an experiment in sheer semantic reasoning?"</p> - -<p>"It is more than that," said Barden slowly. "Not only is the reasoning -logical when based upon the initial presumption, but I am firm in the -belief that the initial presumption is correct."</p> - -<p>Dr. Murdoch laughed. "I hope you'll pardon me, Mr. Barden. I'm rude, -but it strikes me that you are somewhat similar to the prophet who -sneers at the short-range predictions and prefers to tell of things -that lie a hundred years in the future. By which I mean that testing -out any one of your theories here would require the expenditure of a -small fortune. The amount to be spent would be far in excess of any -practical laboratory's budget unless some return is expected."</p> - -<p>"If the premise proves true, though," said Barden, "the returns would -be so great as to warrant any expenditure."</p> - -<p>"Agreed," said Murdoch. "Agreed. Just show me proof."</p> - -<p>"It is all there."</p> - -<p>"Mathematical proof? The only proof of valid mathematics is in the -experimental data that agrees. And may I add that when experiment -and math do not agree, it is the math that gets changed. As witness -Galileo's results with the freely falling bodies."</p> - -<p>Barden nodded slowly. "You mean that mathematics alone is no proof."</p> - -<p>"Precisely. Figures do not lie but liars can often figure. No offense, -Barden. I wouldn't accuse any man of willful lying. But the math is a -lie if it is based on a false premise."</p> - -<p>"You have no experimental data at all?" asked Harrison.</p> - -<p>Murdoch looked at Harrison and smiled tolerantly.</p> - -<p>"Since Mr. Barden is not independently wealthy he could hardly have -made any experiments," said Murdoch.</p> - -<p>Dr. Hansen looked at Barden and said: "I believe that you have stumbled -upon this line of reasoning by sheer accident and so firm is your -belief in it that you are making an attempt to have it tried?"</p> - -<p>Barden smiled. "That is exactly right," he said earnestly.</p> - -<p>"I do admire the semantic reasoning," said Hansen. "I am admittedly -skeptical of the premise. Dr. Jones, you represent the Space -Laboratory. This seems to be right in your department. What is your -opinion?"</p> - -<p>"If his theory is correct, great returns are obvious. However, I am -inclined to view the idea as a matter of sophistic reasoning."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden hastened to get Dr, Jones' attention. "Look, sir. The same -relegation of a theory to sophistic reasoning has happened before. -Admittedly this is a new science. So have been several others. -Someone must discover them in one way or another. The entire science -of electronics was discovered in this way—Maxwell formulated the -electromagnetic equations. Hertz made the initial experiments many -years later. Marconi reduced them to practice, and then a horde of -others came forth with their own contributions. Yet the vast technical -holdings throughout the electronic field were initially based upon the -mathematical predictions made by Maxwell."</p> - -<p>"You seem well trained in logic and reasoning," smiled Hansen. "That -was a rather sharp parallel. Yet you must understand our feelings -in the matter. First, Maxwell was an accredited scientist before -he formulated the famous Equations. Now if—and remember that big -if—<i>if</i> this is a truly parallel case, we'd all like nothing better -than to give you the acclaim you deserve. On the other hand, you -expect us to foster you in your attempt to have millions spent on -the experimentation you outline so logically. You must remember, Mr. -Barden, that despite the fact that we, none of us, will have a prime -function in the disbursement of any funds, we are none the less a -primely responsible body. The fact that we permit you to speak will -carry much weight. It will be a recommendation by us to the rest of the -members. As such we must be cautious."</p> - -<p>"Is there no way for an unknown man to make a contribution to science?" -asked Barden.</p> - -<p>"Of course. Produce one shred of evidence by experimentation."</p> - -<p>"The cost!" exploded Barden. "You admit that every piece of equipment -will require special construction. There is nothing in the solar system -at the present time that will be useful."</p> - -<p>"All of which makes us skeptical."</p> - -<p>Murdoch spoke up: "We're not accusing you of trying to perpetrate -a hoax. You must admit, however, that it is quite possible for any -man to be completely carried away by his own theories. To believe in -them thoroughly, even to the point of despising any man who does not -subscribe to the same belief."</p> - -<p>"That I do admit. However, gentlemen, I implore you to try. What can -you lose?"</p> - -<p>Hansen smiled wistfully. "About three million dollars."</p> - -<p>"But think of the results."</p> - -<p>Hansen's wistful expression increased. "We're all thinking of the -result of dropping about three million dollars at the theory of a -young, unknown man. It's a wild gamble, Mr. Barden. We're betting our -reputations on ten pages of mathematics and very excellent logic. Can -you think of what our reputations would be if your predictions were -false?"</p> - -<p>"But they are not."</p> - -<p>Murdoch interrupted. "How do you know?" he said flatly.</p> - -<p>"I have—"</p> - -<p>"Wait," interrupted Murdoch again. "Please do not define X in terms -of X. It isn't done except in very cheap dictionaries. You see, Mr. -Barden, you are very earnest in your belief—for which we commend you. -However self-determination is not enough to produce a science. Give us -a shred of proof."</p> - -<p>"Have you reviewed my mathematics?" demanded Barden.</p> - -<p>"Naturally. And we find your mathematics unimpeachable. But an equation -is not a flat statement of fact in spite of what they tell you. It -is not even an instrument until you deduce from the equation certain -postulates."</p> - -<p>"But—</p> - -<p>"I'll give an example. The simplest form of electronic equation is -Ohm's Law. Resistance equals Voltage divided by Current. Or, simpler: -E equals IR. That has been proven time and again by experiment. Your -equations are logical. Yet some of your terms are as though we were -working with Ohm's Law without ever having heard of resistance as a -physical fact in the conduction of electricity. Your whole network -of equations is sensible, but unless you define the terms in the -present-day terminology, we can only state that your manipulation of -your mathematics is simple symbolic logic. You state that if P implies -notQ, such is so—and then neglect to state what notQ is, and go on to -state what you can do with P. Unless we know your terms, we can't even -state whether you are dividing by real or unreal factors."</p> - -<p>"I see that you are unimpressed."</p> - -<p>"Not at all. We hoped that you might have had some experimental -evidence. Lacking anything material to support your theory—" Hansen -spread out his hands in a gesture of frustration.</p> - -<p>"Then I've been wasting my time—and yours?"</p> - -<p>"Not entirely. Will you speak on your paper as an experiment in sheer -semantics?"</p> - -<p>Barden considered. Perhaps if this could be presented as such it would -be better than no presentation at all. Let them think him a crackpot. -He'd win in the end. He would give his talk on the basis mentioned and -then if there were any discussion afterwards he might be able to speak -convincingly enough to start a train of thought.</p> - -<p>"I'll do it," he said.</p> - -<p>"Good," said Hansen. "The ability to think in semantic symbols is -valuable, and every man could use a better grasp of abstract thought. -Your paper will be presented next week, here. We'll put you on the -schedule for one o'clock."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Confidently, Tom Barden faced the sectional group of the Terran -Physical Society and made his talk. He noted the interest present on -every one of the eighty-nine faces. He prayed for a good reception, for -he might be asked to present this paper at the international meeting, -later. He felt that he was getting an excellent reception, for he had -their interest.</p> - -<p>He finished his speech and sat down. A buzz filled the room during the -recess before discussion, and Barden saw with considerable interest -that heads were nodding eagerly. Then the chairman rapped with his -gavel.</p> - -<p>"There will now be an open discussion," he said.</p> - -<p>The buzz stopped.</p> - -<p>"Any questions?" asked Chairman Hansen.</p> - -<p>A hand went up near the back, and was recognized.</p> - -<p>"I am Martin Worthington. I wish to state that the logic is excellent -and the delivery was superb. May I ask if the pursuit of such -impeccable logic is a matter of training, logical instinct, or by sheer -imaginative power, did Mr. Barden momentarily convince himself of the -truth of his premise and build up on that basis?"</p> - -<p>Barden smiled. "The latter is true. Also, Mr. Worthington, I am still -convinced of the truth of the basic premise."</p> - -<p>The hall rang with laughter.</p> - -<p>When it died, Barden continued. "Not only am I convinced of the -validity of this theory, but I am willing to give all I have or ever -hope to have for a chance to prove its worth."</p> - -<p>"Then," said Worthington, "we are not so much to be impressed by the -excellence of semantic reasoning as we have been. True sophistry is -brilliant when the reasoner admits that his basic premise is false. -Sophistry is just self-deception when the entire pattern is a firm -conviction of the reasoner."</p> - -<p>The crowd changed from amusement to a slight anger. The speaker, -Barden, had not presented a bit of sheer reasoning. He had been talking -on a theme which he firmly believed in!</p> - -<p>Another hand went up and was recognized. "I am William Hendricks. May I -ask if the speaker has any proof of the existence of such phenomena?"</p> - -<p>"Only the mathematical proof presented here—and a more complete study -at home. These were culled from the larger mass as being more to the -point. It is my belief that the force-fields indicated in equation one -may be set up, and that they will lead to the results shown in equation -three."</p> - -<p>"But you have no way of telling?"</p> - -<p>"Only by mathematical prediction."</p> - -<p>A third hand went up. A slender hand that was instantly recognized as -that of Dr. Edith Ward.</p> - -<p>"I wish to clarify a point," she said. "Mr. Barden's logic is -impeccable, but it <i>is</i> based upon one false premise."</p> - -<p>Barden looked at the woman carefully. No one could call her beautiful, -but there was a womanly charm about her that was in sharp contrast to -the cold facts she held in her brain. She looked about thirty years -old, which included the mental adjustment necessary to compare her with -a younger woman. That she was the head of the Solar Space Laboratory -was in itself a statement of her ability as a physicist.</p> - -<p>And the fact that she condemned his beliefs was as final as closing the -lid and driving in the nails.</p> - -<p>Period!</p> - -<p>"I believe that my own belief is as firm as Miss Ward's," retorted -Barden.</p> - -<p>"You will find that your premise may be valid, but the end-result is -not profitable," she said flatly.</p> - -<p>"You've experimented?" scoffed Barden.</p> - -<p>"I don't have to," she said. "I know!"</p> - -<p>"Perhaps by feminine intuition?" snapped Tom scathingly.</p> - -<p>Edith Ward flushed and sat down abruptly, rebuffed and angry. Chairman -Hansen arose and tried to speak, but the wellings and mutterings grew -from a low murmur to a loud roar that changed slowly from random sounds -of anger to a chant of "Throw him out! Throw him out! Throw him out!" -as more and more voices took it up. Hansen banged sharply with his -gavel and finally the angry cries died again into the dull muttering.</p> - -<p>"We are not a rabble," said Hansen sharply. "I shall ask Mr. Barden -to leave quietly. We will then continue with our regular business and -forget this unhappy incident."</p> - -<p>Barden left amid a sullen silence.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>That was that. That door was closed to him, finally and completely. -Barden went home in a blue funk and fretted for several hours. Then -determination arose to show them all, and he consulted his notes again.</p> - -<p>Time—and Money!</p> - -<p>Doubtless it had been the same cry a thousand years ago, and there was -no doubt that it would be the same stumbling block a million years from -now. Perhaps on a different planet of a distant sun if Terra were no -longer a running concern, but it would always be the cry.</p> - -<p>Well, he thought, considering both, he did not know how much time he -had. He knew he had little money. Also, he knew that no matter what he -did he would never know about the time factor nor would he be able to -change it much. Perhaps there might be some way to get money. If he was -to be forced into the slow methods, and he failed, he would know that -he had tried.</p> - -<p>He took his mind from the ever-present problem of putting the science -across, and started to inspect the new art from a dispassionate -standpoint. It was his first try at looking at the technology from the -standpoint of a scientific observer. Since the day of the dream, Tom -Barden's one thought had been to initiate this development. Now, for -the time being, Tom Barden went through his adequate storehouse of -alien knowledge to see what other developments he might get out of it.</p> - -<p>He grunted aloud: "If they won't let me build a better spacecraft, I'll -build a better mousetrap!"</p> - -<p>Then he laughed, for the new art was so complex and so well developed -and so far beyond the present science that there were a horde of little -items that could be put to work. The generation of spiral magnetic -fluxes, for instance, would far outdo the machinist's magnetic chuck. -No plain magnetic attraction this, but a twin-screw of magnetic flux -lines throughout the chuck-plate and the metal work, fastening them -together. There were means of developing a type of superspeed radio -communication along a tight beam that could not be tapped. A simple -method of multi-circuit thyratron operation that had both an ionization -and a deionization time of a fraction of microsecond or even less. A -means of amplifying true square waves without distortion—permitting -the paradox of the voltage assuming all values between zero and -maximum instantaneously during the rise of the wave from zero to -peak. A card-file sorting system capable of maintaining better than -three million items and producing any given item with a distribution -of near-items on either side—all contained in a desk-cabinet and -operating silently within a three second interval. A magneto-physical -means of exhausting vacuum tubes and removing occluded gases from the -tube electrodes simultaneously. The latter could be kept in operation -constantly during the life of the tube, if need arose.</p> - -<p>He fastened on the latter. If it would generate the almost-perfect -vacuum in a vacuum tube it would also de-air electron microscopes and -all other kinds of equipment.</p> - -<p>It was simple, too. It was not one of the direct results of the alien -science, but it was an item used to develop the science from present -technology. Doing it would not introduce anyone to Barden's technology -any more than a thorough knowledge of small intricate mechanisms -would introduce a mechanician to the field of electronics. But one -cannot delve into basic electronic theory without hitting some of the -principles of moving machinery.</p> - -<p>Thomas Barden made his plans. When the plans were made, he bought tools -and parts and went to work. Knowing every factor helped, and not many -days passed before he had a working model of his magnetic vacuum pump.</p> - -<p>He knew where to take it, luckily. He had worked for Terran -Manufacturing, Incorporated and because of his connection there he was -not unknown to the chief engineer of Solar Electric. Terran was a small -outfit, and though Barden felt that he owed it some loyalty, he felt -that the mighty Solar Electric could better afford the price he was -prepared to ask. Terran would dig it up—but Solar was prepared at any -time for that amount.</p> - -<p>And the alien race might not wait—</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>He was ushered into the office of Hal Weston after an hour of painful -waiting. The chief engineer of Solar Electric recognized him with a -slight frown.</p> - -<p>"You're the fellow who took off on Miss Ward, aren't you?"</p> - -<p>"No," smiled Barden. "She happens to be the one that took off on me. -I'm still right and I intend to prove it!"</p> - -<p>"Not here, I hope. Your card stated differently."</p> - -<p>"I'm entering nowhere on false pretenses, Mr. Weston. My card states my -offer completely."</p> - -<p>"You have a means of developing an almost perfect vacuum and -simultaneously removing adsorbed gas from any object in the inclosure?"</p> - -<p>"Right!"</p> - -<p>"Interesting if true. Let's see it."</p> - -<p>"I have not the equipment with me. However, I have here a ten-inch -glass sphere made from a laboratory flask. In it are several coins, -bits of graphite, spongy palladium, and some anhydrous copper sulphate. -This tube was evacuated by my equipment and there was no other -treatment for removal of extraneous material."</p> - -<p>"May we check that?"</p> - -<p>"That is why I brought it along—for your own satisfaction."</p> - -<p>Weston spoke into the communicator on his desk and in a minute, the -door opened to admit an elderly man in a white coat. Weston gave him -the flask and said: "Dr. Grosse, this flask is supposed to be totally -evacuated and all adsorbed gases removed as well as water vapor. I want -a precision quantitative analysis of everything inside of this flask. -And," he grinned, "get the results to me by day before yesterday."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus3.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Now," said Weston to Barden, "granting that this is the real goods, -how large can it be made?"</p> - -<p>"It takes about four kilowatts per liter," said Barden. "Since the -process takes only about ten seconds, the demand is quite high over a -short period. But bearing in mind the four KW per liter, you may make -the thing evacuate any volume up to the practical limit."</p> - -<p>"Nothing for a home appliance," laughed Weston. "But if it will drive -the spitting devil out of an electron microscope in ten seconds, it's -worth it. What are you asking for rights and royalties if it performs -as you state?"</p> - -<p>"Mr. Weston, I'm interested in one thing only and that is to prove the -value of my theory—the one that Edith Ward scorned."</p> - -<p>"We're not interested in your theory save as a theory," said Weston.</p> - -<p>"I don't want a position. I want enough immediate money to set up my -own laboratory."</p> - -<p>"You'll make a lot more if you take a small option now and accept a -royalty, you know."</p> - -<p>"I'll sell it outright for five million."</p> - -<p>"I'm afraid that we can't settle that amount in one afternoon."</p> - -<p>"That's all right," said Barden. "Get me twenty-five thousand as an -option. Then take ten days to build one or to investigate all you want -to. If it does not perform, I'll return your money. If it does perform, -five million goes."</p> - -<p>"Contingent upon Dr. Grosse's findings," said Weston. "And providing -that you give me your original equipment in order to save some time in -making the initial investigations. I'll have the option agreement and a -certified check in this office tomorrow morning."</p> - -<p>Barden smiled. "I <i>know</i> what the evacuator will do. I'll be back -tomorrow with the original machine!"</p> - -<p>Barden's original was an un-neat bit of coils and conducting rods and -it looked out of place in Weston's office. But the chief engineer -did not mind. He was gloating over the analysis, and checking the -report made by one of the mathematical physicists on the theory of the -operation of the evacuator. Both were more than satisfactory.</p> - -<p>"You're in, Barden," chuckled Weston as he countersigned the option -agreement. "Now what do we do?"</p> - -<p>"Me?" said Barden. "I'm going to rent me a large empty plant somewhere -and start ordering equipment. I may even be back with a couple of other -little gadgets later."</p> - -<p>"If they're as good as this looks right now, they'll be welcome."</p> - -<p>"I'll remember that," said Barden.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden's tracks were swift from there on. His first stop was to deposit -the check in the bank to the amazement of his teller who felt forced -to check the validity of the voucher despite the fact that it was -certified. To have Thomas Barden, whose average salary had run about a -hundred-fifty per week suddenly drop twenty-five thousand in the bank -was—to the banker's point of view—slightly irregular.</p> - -<p>Barden was not able to get out of the bank without having Mr. Coogan, -the president of the bank, catch him and ply him with seventeen -suggestions as to how the money could be invested. Tom almost had to -get insulting before he could leave.</p> - -<p>The next month was a harrowing, mad maze of events. He rented an -unused factory, complete with machine tools. He hired seven men to -help him, and then ran into difficulties because he had to make the -equipment to make the machines. He found that starting from complete -behind-scratch was a back-breaking job. Daily, the railroad spur -dropped a freight car to be unloaded with stuff from one of the leading -manufacturers of scientific equipment. The electric company took a -sizable bite when they came along the poles with some wrist-thick -cables and terminated it at his plant. He ended up by hiring three -more men and putting them to making samples of some of the other -by-products, knowing that his money would not last forever. The board -of review had mentioned three million, but Barden was beginning to -understand that despite all new types of equipment, they were still -considering the basic physical laboratory as useful. They were right. -It was a lot different starting from an empty factory and taking off -from a well-maintained laboratory.</p> - -<p>The days sped by and became weeks. The weeks passed and became months. -And as the months worked themselves slowly past, chaos disappeared and -order came from madness.</p> - -<p>The by-products of the alien science came swiftly, and they sold well. -Money flowed in fast enough to attract attention, and it was gratifying -to Tom Barden to read an account of his "meteoric rise" that started -from the day he "disagreed violently with the famed Dr. Ward."</p> - -<p>If he had wanted money or fame, here it was. But Barden knew the story -behind the story, and he also knew that whoever the alien might be, -from whatever system, and adhering to whatever culture, the alien would -find no fault in his operations. He had taken the long, hard road -compared to the road taken by an accredited scientist producing such a -theory. He cursed the delay and knew that it might have cut his time -down to a dangerous minimum.</p> - -<p>But Tom Barden had become the genius of the age. His factory had grown -to a good staff, all but a few of whom worked on the basic science he -needed to develop. It was developing slowly, but certainly, and each -experiment showed him that the alien mind had been absolutely correct.</p> - -<p>Daily he taught school for a hour. He knew every step, but he wanted -his men to know the art when they were finished; the final experiment -made. They would emerge from this trial-without-error period as -technicians qualified to work on any phase of the new science. It gave -him no small pleasure to know that his outfit would eventually be far -ahead of the famous Solar Space Laboratory in techniques pertaining to -the art of space travel. He hoped to make Dr. Edith Ward sit quietly -down and eat her own words—backwards!</p> - -<p>His plans were not published, and the outpourings of by-products seemed -high enough to any observer to be the sensible output of the many men -working there. None but those who worked there knew that Tom Barden -knew every detail of every gadget that hit the various markets, and -that the work of making the initial models was not the result of many -man-hours of experiment, but a few man-hours of building to plans that -had been proven and in use.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus1.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>He was not bothered until the day it was announced that Thomas Barden -Laboratories were buying a spacecraft from the government.</p> - -<p>The spacecraft was being delivered through the vast back doors of the -factory at the same time that Dr. Edith Ward was entering the office -doors in front.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden met her in his office. "How do you do, Miss Ward."</p> - -<p>"How do you do," she returned with extreme politeness.</p> - -<p>"May I ask your business?"</p> - -<p>"I am here as a representative of the Solar Space Laboratory."</p> - -<p>"Indeed? And what has the government to say?"</p> - -<p>Edith Ward slammed her purse down on his desk. "You fool!" she snapped. -"Stop it!"</p> - -<p>"Don't be upset," he said in an overly-soothing tone that was intended -to infuriate. It succeeded.</p> - -<p>"You blind fool. You're to stop experimenting in that superspeed drive!"</p> - -<p>"Am I?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," she blazed. "And I have official orders to stop it."</p> - -<p>"Miss Ward, you tried to block me before. You did not succeed. Why do -you demand that I stop it?"</p> - -<p>"Because it will not work!"</p> - -<p>"You've experimented?"</p> - -<p>"I have not because it is dangerous!"</p> - -<p>"Then any knowledge you may have about this science is either guesswork -or—feminine intuition?"</p> - -<p>"You accused me of that before, remember?"</p> - -<p>"I didn't get away with it then," said Barden. "But I can now. I was -unknown then, remember? Well, remember again that I've advanced from -unknown a year ago to my present stature now. And I might add that my -present stature is not too far below your own, Miss Doctor Ward."</p> - -<p>"I have authority to stop you."</p> - -<p>Barden looked down at her with a cryptic smile. "Yeah?" he drawled. "Go -ahead and try!"</p> - -<p>"And do you think I can't?"</p> - -<p>"Nope," he said.</p> - -<p>"How are you going to stop me?" she blazed.</p> - -<p>"I won't have to," he said. "Public opinion will. Don't forget, Miss -Ward, that people are still running this system. People are and always -have been entirely in favor of the man who came up from nowhere and did -things on a big plan. Horatio Alger died a long time ago, Miss Ward, -but he's still a popular idea. When you stop me I shall appeal to the -people."</p> - -<p>"In what way?"</p> - -<p>"You wouldn't be using your feminine jealousy to stall me while the -Solar Lab develops the interstellar drive, would you?"</p> - -<p>"You—!"</p> - -<p>"Nah," he warned her blithely. "Mustn't swear!"</p> - -<p>"Oh damn!"</p> - -<p>"Now look, Miss Ward," said Barden quietly, "we've had our -snarling-session twice. Once when you laughed me out of the Terran -Physical Society's big meeting and now when I tell you that I am big -enough so that you'll not stop me by merely expressing a personal -opinion. Since I'm now big enough to command a little respect in my -own right, supposing you give me some of yours and I'll see if I can -find any in me to show you. Take the previous as a partial apology -if you must. But I'm wanting to know by what basis you state that -pursuing this job is dangerous—or say more dangerous than working on -high-tension lines or space travel as it now exists."</p> - -<p>"The theory you present has one danger factor. According to my -own interpretation of your theory, the fields you require in your -spacecraft to achieve superspeed are powerful enough to cause a -magnetostriction in nonmagnetic materials. This magnetostriction is an -atomic magnetostriction which causes the alignment of the planetary -planes of the electron orbits. The result is a minor chain fission -reaction that becomes major after the first nineteen microseconds."</p> - -<p>"My theory is that nothing of that nature will take place," said Barden.</p> - -<p>"Remember," she said, "despite your dislike of me personally, that I am -trained in physics. Therefore my interpretation of physical phenomena -and my predictions of such are more—"</p> - -<p>"I agree," interrupted Barden. "But again do not forget that this is a -field that is new to all scientists."</p> - -<p>"Agreed again," she said with a slight smile. "But I've had several -trained men working on your theory. They agree with me."</p> - -<p>"Don't believe that anyone can formulate an opinion on the material -that you have available."</p> - -<p>"Oh, but we can."</p> - -<p>"Then you have experimented—"</p> - -<p>"No, we have not."</p> - -<p>"Then exactly where did you get this extra information?" demanded -Barden.</p> - -<p>Dr. Edith Ward looked at Tom Barden carefully. "From the same place -where you got yours!" she said slowly and deliberately.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden wondered, <i>did she know?</i></p> - -<p>He grinned. "I dreamed mine," he said. "Everything that I've produced -emanated from a dream." Then Barden embellished it thoroughly, knowing -that the flagrance of his embroidery would sound like a lie to anyone -who was really unaware of the truth. "I was invaded in a dream by a -gentleman who used a mechanical educator on me and taught me everything -that I've produced, everything that I've invented, and every advanced -theory that I've had. I have become a scientist of an alien culture -that I have full intention of making into a solar science."</p> - -<p>"Then it is true," she breathed.</p> - -<p>"What is true?" he demanded.</p> - -<p>"Tom Barden, listen. Not only do I accept your apology of a few moments -ago, but I offer mine. I—was afraid. Just as you were afraid to let -the truth be known. I blustered and took my attitude because I could -not let it be known that I, head of the Solar Labs, could be influenced -by what the learned men would term either dream or hallucination."</p> - -<p>"You've had one too?" he asked quietly.</p> - -<p>She nodded.</p> - -<p>Tom grunted. "Let's compare notes," he said. "Seems as how we got -different stories out of our friends."</p> - -<p>Edith nodded again and said: "It was a strange dream that came to me -one night about a year and a half ago. I was the soul and master of a -mighty castle, an impregnable fortress with but five roadways entering. -Interpretation of that is simple, of course the five roadways were the -five senses. A ... messenger came, but instead of using any of the -roadways, he came through the very walls, and warned me."</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus4.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"Just what was his story?" asked Barden.</p> - -<p>"That Sol was a menace to a certain race. This race—never defined nor -located save that it was a stellar race—was incapable of conquering -Sol excepting by stealth. However it could be done by giving one smart -man a partial truth, and that it was more than probable that this would -be done. The partial truth was the technique of a new science that -would if not used properly, cause complete destruction of the system. -In the final usage, there would be a fission-reaction of whatever -planet it was used near. The reaction would create a planetary nova -and the almost-instantaneous explosion of the planet would wipe out -all life in the system and the counter bombardment of the sun by the -exploding planet would cause the sun itself to go nova, thus completing -the process."</p> - -<p>"I presume your informant was quite concerned over the possible -destruction of a friendly race?"</p> - -<p>"Certainly," she said. "That is why he contacted me."</p> - -<p>"If I were a member of the conquer-all faction of my story, Miss Ward, -I would be trying to contact someone here to warn them of a terrible -danger if the science were exploited. That would delay our work long -enough for them to arrive, wouldn't it?"</p> - -<p>"There is nothing so dangerous as a half-truth," said Edith Ward -flatly.</p> - -<p>"Nor as dangerous as a little knowledge," agreed Barden. "However, Miss -Ward, my story is just as valid as yours. And since neither story may -be checked for veracity, how do you propose to proceed?"</p> - -<p>"I think you'd better stop!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Barden sat down on the edge of the desk and looked down at her. She was -sitting relaxed in the chair alongside, though it was only her body -that was relaxed. Her face was tense and her eyes were half-narrowed -as in deep concentration. Barden looked at her for a moment and then -smacked a fist into the palm of his hand.</p> - -<p>"Look," he said, "that's apparently what your informant wants. Now as -to veracity, for every statement you make about the impossibility of -interpreting theoretical logic into a complete prediction of physical -phenomena without experimental evidence, I can state in your own words -that you can't tell anybody what the outcome will be. You want me to -stop. If my story is true, then Terra will have interstellar travel and -will meet this incoming race on its own terms. Either proposition is -O.K."</p> - -<p>Edith Ward muttered something and Barden asked what she said.</p> - -<p>"I said that I wondered how many men were too successful in mixing -nitroglycerine before they had one smart enough to mail the formula -to a friend—before he went up. I also wonder how many men tried Ben -Franklin's experiment with the kite and—really got electricity out -of the clouds and right through his body and was found slightly -electrocuted after the storm had blown over. Number three—novas often -occur in places where there seems to be no reason. Could they be -caused by races who have just discovered some new source of power? And -double-novas? A second race analyzing the burst and trying their own -idea out a few years later?"</p> - -<p>"My dear young woman," said Barden, "your attitude belies your -position. You seem to be telling me not to advance in science. Yet you -yourself are head of the Solar Space Laboratory, an institution of -considerable renown that is dedicated to the idea of advancement in -science. Do you think that your outfit has a corner on brains—that no -one should experiment in any line that you do not approve?"</p> - -<p>"You are accusing me of egomania," she retorted.</p> - -<p>"That's what it sounds like."</p> - -<p>"All right," she snapped. "You've given your views. I'll give mine. -You've shown reasons why both your informant and mine would tell their -stories in support of your own view. Now admit that I can do the same -thing!"</p> - -<p>"O.K.," laughed Barden uproariously. "I admit it. So what?"</p> - -<p>"So what!" she cried furiously. "You'll play with the future of an -entire stellar race by rushing in where angels fear to tread!"</p> - -<p>"Careful, Miss Ward. Metaphorically, you've just termed me a fool and -yourself an angel."</p> - -<p>"You are a fool!"</p> - -<p>"O.K., lady, but you're no angel!"</p> - -<p>"Mr. Barden," she said icily, "tossing insults will get us nowhere. -I've tried to give you my viewpoint. You've given me yours. Now—"</p> - -<p>"We're at the same impasse we were a half hour ago. My viewpoint is as -valid as yours because there's nobody within a number of light-years -that can tell the truth of the matter. You are asking me to suppress a -new science. Leonardo Da Vinci was asked to suppress the submarine for -the good of the race. He did it so well that we know about the whole -affair."</p> - -<p>"Meaning?"</p> - -<p>"That true suppression would have covered the incident, too. But the -submarine was suppressed only until men developed techniques and -sciences that made undersea travel practical. If I suppress this -science, how long do you think it will be before it is started again by -someone else? How did either of our informants get the information?"</p> - -<p>"Why ... ah—"</p> - -<p>"By trying it themselves!" said Barden, banging a fist on the desk -for emphasis. "Suppression is strictly ostrich tactics, Miss Ward. -You can't avoid anything by hoping that if you don't admit it's there -it may go away. It never does. The way to live honorably and safely -is to meet every obstacle and every danger as it comes and by facing -them, learn how to control them. Shakespeare said that—'The slings and -arrows of outrageous fortune ... or nobler in the heart to take arms -against a sea of troubles ... and by facing them, to conquer them!' -That may be bum misquote, Miss Ward, but it is true."</p> - -<p>"Then you intend to try it out?"</p> - -<p>"I most certainly do!"</p> - -<p>Edith Ward stood up. "I've nothing more to say. You force me to take -action."</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry, Miss Ward. If it is battle you want, you'll get it. You'll -find it harder to quell Tom Barden The Successful than you found it -a year ago when you shut off Tom Barden The Theorist with a word of -scorn. I'm sorry—I really am."</p> - -<p>"Sorry?" she repeated with disbelief.</p> - -<p>"Sure," he said. "Barden Laboratories and Solar Labs could really go -places if we weren't fighting. Only one more thing, Miss Ward."</p> - -<p>"What?" she replied impatiently.</p> - -<p>"<i>Divide and conquer</i> is not uniquely Terran!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>After she left, Barden wondered whether his final shot had hit -anything. He returned to work and forgot about it, sensibly admitting -that if it did he would not be bothered and if it did not he wouldn't -stop anyway, and so he might as well get to work. He rather hoped to -avoid the possible delay that would follow official action.</p> - -<p>Dr. Edith Ward answered him within twenty-four hours. Her word was -accepted as valid in many places; had been the final authority on such -matters for some time. Up to now there had never been any defense. Plus -the fact that his side of the argument had never been voiced.</p> - -<p>Barden didn't scourge the court for their decision. With only one -accredited side of the evidence in, they could but take action. So -Barden shrugged, grinned to himself, and spent several days in intense -study, laying out the program that was to continue in his absence. Then -he took the flier for the Terran Capital.</p> - -<p>It was not a court hearing. It was more of a high-powered debate -before a group of qualified judges and investigators. Barden looked -into the background of his judges and was glad that the old system -of appointment to investigating committees had been stopped. Though -these men were not qualified physicists, they were not the old-line -politician, who took an arbitrary stand because he thought that waving -a banner with a certain device would sound good to his constituents. -There would be little personal opinion or personal ambition in this -hearing, and not one of the judges would sacrifice either contestant on -the altar of publicity.</p> - -<p>By unspoken agreement, neither he nor Edith Ward mentioned the source -of their information. This Barden admitted was hard on the female -physicist's argument for she could claim only mathematical analysis and -he could claim experimental evidence.</p> - -<p>They heard her side and then asked for his. He gave his arguments -simply and answered every point she brought up. There was rebuttal and -rejoinder and finally open discussion.</p> - -<p>"I claim that this man is not a qualified physicist," she stated -firmly. "As such he has not the experience necessary to judge the -validity of my argument."</p> - -<p>"I admit that I hold no degrees," said Barden. "Neither did Thomas -Edison. Is Miss Ward convinced that no man without a string of college -degrees is qualified to do anything but dig ditches?"</p> - -<p>That hurt, for the investigators were not blessed with doctor's degrees -in philosophy; the scattering of LLDs were about half honorary degrees -and their owners though gratified for the honor knew how it was earned.</p> - -<p>"Of course not," snapped Miss Ward. "I merely state—"</p> - -<p>"If Miss Ward is so firm in her belief, why doesn't she bring forth -some experimental evidence. She has the entire holdings of the Solar -Space Laboratory at her disposal. If this is as important as she -claims, then the financial argument may be dispensed with. For no -amount of money is capable of paying for total destruction of the solar -system."</p> - -<p>"I need no experiments," she snapped.</p> - -<p>"Or is Miss Ward trying to tell us that any line of research that she -does not sponsor is not worth bothering with? Or is she trying to stop -me so that she can take up? Or has she started—late—and wants me -stopped before I get to the answer. That would make the famous Solar -Space Laboratory look slightly second-rate, wouldn't it."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Gentlemen," cried Miss Ward facing the committee and ignoring Barden, -"his statements are invidious. He is accusing me of jealousy, personal -ambition, and egomania. This is not fair!"</p> - -<p>"Miss Ward, I regret that you are not a man—or that I am not a -woman. Then we would have an even chance before a committee of our -contemporaries."</p> - -<p>"Mr. Barden," she said in an icy voice, "I've been accused of flaunting -my sex every time a question is raised. I've also been told by many -that my position was gained in the same way. Just because I prefer to -be a physicist instead of some man's housekeeper, I am viewed with -suspicion, hatred, jealousy, and dislike. Well, Mr. Barden, you accuse -me of using my sex. It is as much a hindrance as an aid, because I find -that a woman has to be three times as good as the man in the same job -in order to get the same recognition. If she isn't, nobody trusts her -at all! Now," she said facing the committee, "I'll make my final plea. -I've had mathematical physicists at work for almost a year. They agree -with me. Thomas Barden has earned his position, I admit. But I still -claim that he is moving forward along an unknown road because he is -unable to make the necessary predictions. I've explained where this -road leads to, and the consequences of following it blindly. He must be -stopped!"</p> - -<p>"Mathematics," said Barden, "and I quote Dr. Murdoch of the Board -of Review of the Terran Physical Society: 'And may I add that when -mathematics and experiment do not agree, it is the math that is -changed. As witness Galileo's experiments with the falling bodies.' No -one can make a certain prediction postulated on mathematics unless he -has cognizance of every term. Miss Ward, are you aware of every factor?"</p> - -<p>"No but—"</p> - -<p>"Then your mathematics is faulty. And your opinion is, therefore, -reduced to a personal opinion and not a scientific statement of -fact. I've heard that a physicist is a learned one who leaps from an -unfounded opinion to a foregone conclusion."</p> - -<p>"You sound like an orator," snapped Edith Ward, "and orators seldom -follow full fact unless it enhances their point."</p> - -<p>"I'm sorry that you have that opinion," said Barden. "However, Miss -Ward and gentlemen, regardless of what you do, of how you attempt to -restrain me, I shall pursue this matter to the bitter end. If you deny -me the right to work on Terra or any other solid body of the system, I -shall take my laboratory into space and then we shall have two space -laboratories—one of which will function in the medium for which it was -named!"</p> - -<p>Barden nodded affably, turned, and left the room.</p> - -<p>One of the committeemen smiled sardonically and said: "I think he has -just said, 'To Hell with us'!"</p> - -<p>Another one nodded glumly and said: "Me, I think he's right. No one -can stand in the way of progress."</p> - -<p>Edith Ward blazed. "Progress! Progress! Is destruction progress? Well, -if the ultimate goal of mankind is to go out in a blazing holocaust of -his own making, then this is true progress. One proper step toward the -final Gotterdammerung!"</p> - -<p>The committeeman smiled at her tolerantly. "Twilight of the Gods, Miss -Ward? Oh come now, we aren't gods and I daresay that the universe will -continue to function without man's aid and abetment."</p> - -<p>Edith Ward snorted through her patrician nose. "Correct," she snapped. -"But after we leave, who's here to care?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Dr. Edith Ward was surprised by his arrival at the Solar Space -Laboratory. She didn't expect him. He had won his battle, and she knew -he was not the kind of man to gloat over a defeated enemy. Therefore -she reasoned that she might never see him again for certainly she would -not go to his place to see him—and eventually the whole system would -go up, triggered by the untrained hand of Thomas Barden.</p> - -<p>Then to have him call—it bothered her. Why—?</p> - -<p>He entered, carrying a small olive branch, and he smiled boyishly as he -handed it to her with a small bow.</p> - -<p>"A truce," he suggested.</p> - -<p>"There can be no truce," she said stonily. "It will either be you or me -that is shown right."</p> - -<p>"Oh, I wouldn't say that," he said with a smile. "Look, Miss Ward, -I've never disregarded the possibility that you might be correct. All -I've wanted was a chance to prove it instead of merely writing it off -on the grounds of possible danger. One never knows what will happen -until one tries. Therefore I wanted to continue. I've completed the -ship and it is awaiting a trial. Any time we're ready."</p> - -<p>"Is this a last attempt at mollification—a salving of your somewhat -rusty conscience?"</p> - -<p>"Not at all," he said. "I want you to go along with me as a qualified -observer."</p> - -<p>"To observe what? Terra going up in flames?"</p> - -<p>"Nope. Not necessary. The ship still retains its normal drive. We'll -take it out beyond the orbit of Pluto by a couple of billion miles and -let it go out there. I daresay that if you are correct, the fury of a -few hundred tons of spacecraft going up in sheer energy will not damage -the solar system much. Especially from that distance. Then if it does -run, we're also on our way to one of the nearby stars. Like?"</p> - -<p>"Sounds reasonable."</p> - -<p>"Certainly," he said. "Frankly I've considered that ever since you -mentioned the problem."</p> - -<p>"I wonder if my informant considered it, too?" she said slowly.</p> - -<p>"Probably."</p> - -<p>"Then his warning was truly helpful."</p> - -<p>"Iffen and providen again," he grinned. "But if he is so nicely -altruistic, why didn't he tell us how to get a real superspeed drive?"</p> - -<p>"Maybe there is none."</p> - -<p>"Then," said Barden, "why knock out a solar system that is so far away -that nothing it does can have any effect upon you?"</p> - -<p>"A very valid point," said Edith Ward. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw -fell slack. "Goodness," she breathed.</p> - -<p>"Are we?" he asked hollowly. His expression was one of wonder and -amazement.</p> - -<p>"Well, if we win and it works, they've hazarded nothing and still have -their science. If we lose, they will not miss us in the first place -and also they'll quickly abandon that point."</p> - -<p>"Guinea pigs," snorted Edith. She stood up and put one slim hand in -his. She gave it a hearty shake and a firm grasp. "I'm in—from right -now to the point where the whole cosmos goes up in a cloud of nuclear -particles! I'll be at your place in the morning with my case packed for -a six months' trip. Now I'm getting a whole case of feminine curiosity!"</p> - -<p>"Yes?" he said cheerfully. "What, this time?"</p> - -<p>"Well, if your informant was tossing us an experiment, hoping to get -an answer, then why did mine warn me? They'll never see a spaceship -burst at a distance of a half dozen light-years. They might never -really know."</p> - -<p>"We'll find out," he said firmly. "There is something about both sides -that I do not like!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>True to her word, Edith Ward turned up at the first glimmer of daylight -with her case of personal belongings. "Where'll I have it put?" she -asked.</p> - -<p>"Ship Two, Stateroom Three," he said. "I have two crates fixed up so -that if you're right, we can still get home without taking to the -lifecraft."</p> - -<p>One hour later, the two ships lifted on their ordinary space drive and -sped with constant acceleration directly away from the sun. At three -times gravity they went, and as the seconds and the minutes and the -hours passed, their velocity mounted upward. In both ships, the men -worked quietly on their instruments, loafed noisily, and generally -killed time. Everything had been triply checked by the time that -turnover came, six days after the start. Then for six more days the -ships decelerated at three gravities while the sun dwindled in size. -Between Tom Barden and Edith Ward there was much talk, but no solution -to the problem. They covered nearly all aspects of the possibilities -and came up with the same result: Insufficient evidence to support any -postulate.</p> - -<p>About the only thing that came to complete agreement was the statement -that there was more to this than was clear, and it was suspicious.</p> - -<p>The feud that had existed faded away. It may have been the common -interest, or if you will, the common menace. For though no true menace -had shown, it was a common bond between Barden and Ward against a -question that annoyed them simultaneously. It may have been simply the -fact that man and woman find it hard to continue a dislike when they -have something in common. Nature seems to have made it so. It may have -been the thrill of adventure, prosaic as it was to be racing through -unchangeable space for hour upon hour and day upon day with nothing but -the sheerest of boredom outside of the ship. Perhaps it might have been -that the sight out of any window was exactly the same today as it was -yesterday and would be tomorrow or a hundred years from now—or even -a thousand, for though the stars do move in their separate paths, the -constellations are not materially different. The utter constancy of the -sky without may have turned them inward to seek the changing play of -personality.</p> - -<p>Regardless of the reason, by the time they reached that unmarked -spot outside of the orbit of Pluto where the ships became close to -motionless with respect to Sol—there was no way of telling true -zero-relative motion and true zero was not important anyway—they were -friends.</p> - -<p>The ships were rather closer together than they'd anticipated, and it -took only a couple of hours of juggling to bring them together. Then -the skeleton crew of the one was transferred to the other ship. It drew -away—and away and away.</p> - -<p>"We've got more radio equipment aboard these crates than the -Interplanetary Network owns," grinned Barden. "Everything on the -darned crate is controlled and every meter, instrument, and ding-bat -aboard her will ship the answer back here. There must be a million -radio-controlled synchros aboard these ships, and cameras on both to -read every factor."</p> - -<p>"That's fine," answered Edith with a smile. "What happens if it works -like a charm and takes off at superspeed? How do your radio-controlled -gadgets work then?"</p> - -<p>"We'd lose the ship, of course, if we didn't have a time clock on -the drive. If all goes well, the first drive will run for exactly -ten seconds. Then we'll have about a ten-day flight to find it again -because it will be a long way from here—straight out!" He smiled. "Of -course, if we want to take a small chance, we could turn it on its own -primary drive and superspeed it back if all goes well. But the radio -controls will be as sluggish as the devil because there should be about -a three or four hour transmission delay."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The other ship was a minute speck in the distance. Then a ship-alarm -rang and the entire crew came to the alert. Barden said: "This is it!" -in a strained voice and he pulled the big switch.</p> - -<p>Along the wall was the bank upon bank of synchrometers, reading every -possible factor in the controlled ship. Before the panel were trained -technicians, each with a desk full of controls. Behind them were the -directors with the master controls, and behind them stood Barden and -Edith Ward. From holes above peeked the lenses of cameras recording the -motions of every technician, and behind the entire group, more cameras -pointed at the vast master panel. The recorders took down every sound, -and the entire proceeding was synchronized by crystal-controlled clocks -running from a primary standard of frequency.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus5.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>At the starting impulse, the warm-up time pilot lit and the relays -clicked as one, like a single, sharp chord of music. When the warm-up -period ended the pilot changed from red to green and another bank of -relays crashed home with a flowing roar, each tiny click adding to the -thunder of thousands of others like it.</p> - -<p>"That's the end of the rattle," observed Barden. "From here on in we're -running on multi-circuit thyratrons."</p> - -<p>The meter panel flashed along its entire length as the myriad of -Ready lights went on. The automatic starter began its cycle, and the -synchrometers on the vast panel began to indicate. Up climbed the -power, storing itself in the vast reservoir bit by bit like the slow, -inexorable winding of a mighty clock spring. Up it went, and the meters -moved just above the limit of perception, mounting and passing toward -the red mark that indicated the critical point.</p> - -<p>As slow as their climb was, each meter hit the red mark at the same -instant.</p> - -<p>There was a murmur of low voices as each technician gave his notes -to the recorders. No scribbling here, the voice itself with its -inflection, its ejaculation, and its personal opinion under stress -would be set down.</p> - -<p>Then the master switch went home with a tiny flare of ionized gases—</p> - -<p>And silently every panel went dead.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"Oh!" said Edith Ward in a solemn tone.</p> - -<p>"Not yet," Barden objected. "This may be success."</p> - -<p>"But—?"</p> - -<p>"How do you hope to control a radio-controlled drone that is traveling -higher than the velocity of propagation?"</p> - -<p>"But how will you ever know?"</p> - -<p>"When we—"</p> - -<p>He was interrupted by the chatter of the radiation counter. Light -splashed in through the tiny ports in a brilliant flare.</p> - -<p>"Well, we won't," said Barden helplessly.</p> - -<p>"Won't what?"</p> - -<p>"Ever catch up with it! Not where it's gone!"</p> - -<p>"So—?"</p> - -<p>"So we've solved that problem," he said bitterly. "Your informant was -right. From what the counter says, that was a vicious number. Well, I -guess I am licked, finally. I admit it."</p> - -<p>"Somehow," said Edith solemnly, "I know I should feel elated. But I am -not. Fact of the matter is, I am ashamed that there is a portion of my -brain that tells me that I am proven correct. I ... fervently wish it -were not so."</p> - -<p>"Thanks," he said. "I wish but one thing."</p> - -<p>"What?"</p> - -<p>"I'd have preferred to have been aboard that crate!"</p> - -<p>"Tom!" she said plaintively. "Not—oblivion."</p> - -<p>"No," he said with a wistful smile. "At superspeed, my recording -instruments could record nothing. Perhaps if I'd been aboard I could -have found out what really happened. There is no way."</p> - -<p>"But what can we do?"</p> - -<p>"Build another one and spend my time trying to find out how to get a -recording from a body that isn't really existent in this space at all."</p> - -<p>"That sounds impossible."</p> - -<p>"Then there is but one answer," he said, "and that is to go out with it -and hope that by some machination I can control the reaction before it -gets beyond stopping."</p> - -<p>"Tom," she said quietly, "you are still convinced that such a thing is -possible?"</p> - -<p>"I am," he said. And then he stopped as his face filled with wonder.</p> - -<p>"What?" she asked, seeing the change.</p> - -<p>"Look," he said, his voice rising in excitement. "We caught radiation. -Right?"</p> - -<p>"Right."</p> - -<p>"That means that the ship was not exceeding the velocity of light when -it went up!"</p> - -<p>"Yes, but—?"</p> - -<p>"Then on the instantaneous recorders there must be a complete record of -what every instrument <i>should have been reading</i> but did not due to the -mechanical inertia of these meters! Right?"</p> - -<p>"But suppose—"</p> - -<p>"Look, Edith. The theory of the drive is based upon the development -of a monopolar magnetic field that incloses space in upon itself like -a blister, twisted off from the skin of a toy balloon. Now that field -would collapse if the fission started, because the fission is initiated -as you claim by magnetostrictive alignment of the planetary orbits -of the field-electrons in the atoms. Obviously the magnetostrictive -effect is more pronounced near to the center of the monopolar -generator. Ergo that would go first, dropping the speed of the ship -to below the velocity of light by a considerable amount. Then as the -fission continued, spreading outward, the various instruments would go -blooey—but not until they'd had ... did you say thirteen microseconds -after initiation the major fission took place?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Give it twelve microseconds to drop the ship below the speed of light -and I have still one full microsecond for recordings!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Edith Ward looked up in admiration. "And you'll bet your life on what -your instruments can see in one millionth of a second?"</p> - -<p>"Shucks," he grinned. "Way way back they used microsecond pulses to -range aircraft, and they got to the point where a microsecond of time -could be accurately split into several million parts of its own. -Besides, I made those instruments!"</p> - -<p>"Q.E.D." said Edith Ward quietly. "But how are you going to develop -a monopolar magnetic field without the magnetostrictive effect? The -prime consideration is not the field, but the fact that aligning the -planetary orbits means that two things tend to occupy the same place at -the same time. That isn't—they tell me—possible."</p> - -<p>"Too bad the reverse isn't true," he said.</p> - -<p>"You mean the chance of something occupying two places at the same -time?"</p> - -<p>"Uh-huh."</p> - -<p>"What then?"</p> - -<p>"Then we could develop two monopolar fields of opposing polarity to -inclose the twin-ship proposition. Then the atomic orbits would not be -affected since they would receive the bipolar urge."</p> - -<p>"Couldn't you change from one to the other very swiftly?"</p> - -<p>"Not without passing through zero on the way. Every time we passed -through zero we'd end up at sub-speed. The ship would really jack -rabbit."</p> - -<p>"Oh."</p> - -<p>"But," he said thoughtfully, "what happens if the monopolar field is -generated upon a true square wave?"</p> - -<p>"A true square wave is impractical."</p> - -<p>"You mean because at the moment of transition, the wave front must -assume, simultaneously, all values between zero and maximum?"</p> - -<p>"Yes," she said, "and it is impossible to have any item operating under -two values."</p> - -<p>"That is an existent item," said Barden with a smile. "Bringing back H. -G. Wells' famous point of whether an instantaneous cube could exist."</p> - -<p>"This I do not follow."</p> - -<p>"Look, Edith," said Tom patiently. "Any true square wave must have a -wave front in which the rise is instantaneous, and assuming all values -between zero and maximum for the duration of an instant. An instant is -the true zero-time, with a time-quantum of nothing—the indivisible -line that divides two adjoining events. Just as a true line has no -thickness.</p> - -<p>"Now," he went on, "generating the monopolar field on a true square -wave would flop us from one field to the other in true no-time. At that -instant, we would be existing in all values from maximum negative to -maximum positive, at the same time at zero—<i>but not truly assigned a -real value</i>. Therefore we should not stop.</p> - -<p>"However," he went on, "that is an impossibility because the true -instant of no duration is impossible to achieve with any mechanism, -electrical or otherwise. However, the fields set up to make possible -this square wave do permit the full realization of the problem. For a -practical duration, however small, the value of the wave does actually -assume all values from maximum negative to maximum positive!"</p> - -<p>She looked at him with puzzlement. "I thought they taught you only this -one science," she said.</p> - -<p>"That would have been useless," he grinned. "As useless as trying -to teach a Hottentot the full science of electronics without giving -him the rest of physics as a basis. No, little lady, I got the full -curriculum, including a full training in how to think logically! How -else?"</p> - -<p>"You win," she said solemnly. "Fudge up your true square wave, and I'll -buy a ticket back home in your crate!"</p> - -<p>"Thanks, Edith," he said. "That's a high compliment. But there's more -of us than we-all. I'll have to take a vote."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>There was a roar at Barden's explanation. And his head technician stood -up, waving for silence. "There's enough lifecraft aboard," he shouted -over the noise. "Anybody who wants to get out can take 'em. They can -make Terra from here in a couple of months in a lifecraft if they want -to."</p> - -<p>That got a roar of approval.</p> - -<p>"Lucky I had two ships all fitted out," said Tom. "Also, with all this -spare junk for radio-controlling the other crate we've got a shipload -of spare parts. Probably take about a week flat to tinker it together, -but it is far better to do it out here than to go all the way home to -Terra—that'd take about four weeks."</p> - -<p>"I wonder why they didn't think of that square-wave idea," said Edith.</p> - -<p>"Lord only knows."</p> - -<p>"That's what bothers me," she said.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because we are playing with the other man's cards, remember. We're not -leading authorities in this art. You got both the square-wave generator -and the monopolar field out of them. Now why hadn't they tried it -before?"</p> - -<p>"On the theory that no beginner ever has a valid idea? No soap. Maybe -they've been too close to the woods to see anything but them trees. Of -course, there's another little angle we've not considered."</p> - -<p>"Go on. First it was a political difference between factions for and -against subjugation. Then I came in and threw in my two cents which -sort of hardened the argument a bit. We didn't know whether my stuff -was shoved in to stop production or to save Sol. We know now that your -informant was telling the truth but not the whole truth. We know that -mine was honest but not why he was. Then we came to the possibility -that someone somewhere tossed us a fish because they were afraid to try -it. Why the stopper on that?"</p> - -<p>"Possibly they want us to really try it out and not total destruction."</p> - -<p>"But—?"</p> - -<p>"Look, Edith. Supposing you wanted to have something developed for you -by a consulting laboratory. You've done that yourself at Solar Labs. -Wouldn't you give them whatever information you had available?"</p> - -<p>She nodded. "Nice explanation," she said solemnly. "Excepting that if -I were doing it, I'd not call one man and start him experimenting on -one pretext and then call another member of the laboratory and tell him -that the information would lead to disaster."</p> - -<p>"In other words, the big problem is motive."</p> - -<p>"Precisely. And that's what we're up against. Try to figure out the -hidden motives of extrasolar cultures."</p> - -<p>"You believe there are two?"</p> - -<p>Tom Barden nodded. "Uh-huh," he said. "And all the talking we can do -from now until we find out won't help because we cannot interpret the -thoughts of an alien culture in our own terms and hope to come out -right!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>And that, of course, was that. It was definitely true. Reviewing all -the evidence during the next ten days, they came up with a startlingly -minute amount of fact. Barden had been given a scientific field -because of a political argument; Edith Ward had been warned that the -information was incomplete and would lead to disaster.</p> - -<p>Build upon those slender bricks and they tumble all too quickly. -Barden's story could be construed as an attempt to get consulting -service on a dangerous project without danger to the alien race. -Ward's informant might have been an attempt to give Sol a good chance -to solve it in safety, but in solution there would be no proof—or even -in failure. For there was no way of telling proof from failure at many -light-years of distance unless the failure bloomed the entire system -into a nova.</p> - -<p>And regardless of any theoretical argument, it was still a technical -impossibility to construct any spaceship capable of traversing -light-years without some means of super speed. Not without a suitable -crew to do a job when it arrived.</p> - -<p>Then, to reverse the argument, supposing that Barden's tale was -correct. The opposing faction might hope to forestall any work by -issuing the warning.</p> - -<p>But if Barden's tale were correct, why did the so-called altruists -offer him a science that was dangerous to pursue?</p> - -<p>Unless, perhaps, the political argument was conquest versus dominance. -Both factions wanted conquest and dominance. One demanded the -elimination of all races that might offer trouble. The other faction -might argue that a completely dead enemy offers no real reward for -conquest—for of what use is it to become king when the throne is safe -only when all subjects are dead?</p> - -<p>Yes, there's Paranoia. The paranoid will either become king of all or -king of none—or none will remain to be king including himself. That -theory is quite hard on rational people.</p> - -<p>So went the arguments, and when the ten days were completed, they were -no closer to the truth than they had been before.</p> - -<p>Not entirely true, that. For they hoped to drive—somewhere—at a -velocity higher than the speed of light.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>With a firm hand, Tom Barden pressed the Start button. The relays -clicked and the pilot lights flared red, and then after the warm-up -period they turned green.</p> - -<p>"This is it," he said, grasping the small lever that would start the -automatic sequence.</p> - -<p>Silence—almost silence came. From one corner came a small muttering -and the click of beads. A throat was cleared unnecessarily, for it, -like all others, was both dry and clear. A foot shuffled nervously—</p> - -<p>"No!" shouted a voice.</p> - -<p>Barden looked at Edith Ward. "Still—?" he said.</p> - -<p>She nodded and put her hand over his on the lever. "Want me to prove -it?" she said, pushing it home.</p> - -<p>There was a tinnily musical note that crept up the scale from somewhere -in the sub-audible, up through the audible scale and into the shrilling -tones that hurt the ear. It was hard to really tell when it passed -above the audible, for the imagination followed it for seconds after -the ear ceased to function.</p> - -<p>There was a creak that rang throughout the ship. A tiny cricket-voice -that came once and changed nothing but to increase the feel of -tenseness.</p> - -<p>Then—nothing pertinent.</p> - -<p>Except—</p> - -<p>"Great Scott! Look at Sol!"</p> - -<p>The already-tiny sun was dwindling visibly; it took less than three -or four seconds for Sol's disk to diminish from visible to complete -ambiguity against the curtain of the stars.</p> - -<p>"We're in!" exploded Barden.</p> - -<p>"Hey!" screamed a watcher at the side port. A flare whisked by, -illuminating the scene like a photo-flash bulb. A second sun, passed at -planetary distance. It joined the starry background behind.</p> - -<p>Barden shut off the drive and the tense feeling stopped.</p> - -<p>"Well, we're in!" he said in elation. "We're in!"</p> - -<p>The scanning room went wild. They gave voice to their feelings in a -yell of sheer exuberance and then started pounding one another on the -back. Barden chinned himself on a cross-brace and then grabbed Edith -Ward about the waist and danced her in a whirling step across the -floor. The crew caught up with them; separating them. They piled into -Barden, ruffling his hair and rough-housing him until he went off his -feet, after which someone produced a blanket and tossed him until the -blanket ripped across. Then they carried him to the desk and set him -unceremoniously across it, face down, and left him there to catch his -breath.</p> - -<p>"Like New Year's Eve," he grunted.</p> - -<p>The crowd opened to let Edith through. She came toward the desk as Tom -unraveled himself and sat on the top. "A fine bunch of wolves," she -chuckled gleefully. "Tom, have you ever been kissed by twenty-two men?"</p> - -<p>"Wouldn't care for it," he said. "They're not my type. And besides, -it's twenty-three." He made the correction himself.</p> - -<p>Then things calmed down. They were—as one man put it—"a long way from -home!"</p> - -<p>"But what I want to know is why we can see the sun when we're going -away from it at several times the velocity of light?" demanded Tom.</p> - -<p>"Well, your own problem answers your own question," said Edith, patting -her hair back into place. "Remember the square-wave problem? Well, in -the transition-period, you are simultaneously obtaining all degrees -from maximum negative to maximum positive including zero. Zero is -where the ship, being out of space-warp, must drop below the speed of -light. The sun receding is due to the persistence of vision that lasts -between transition periods. Lord only knows how far we travel between -each transition."</p> - -<p>"We can find out," said Tom. "I'd hoped to develop a velocimeter by -using the doppler effect, but that's not possible, I guess. I'd suggest -that we find out where we are and then head back for Sol. Might as well -get for home and start the real thing cooking."</p> - -<p>"What was that sun we passed?"</p> - -<p>"I'll not tell you now," said Tom. "One of the nearby stars but I don't -know which. We might stop, though, and take a closer look at an alien -star from close up."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The ship was turned and the drive was applied until the star expanded -into a true sun. At about a billion miles, they stopped to inspect it -sketchily. They were not equipped to make any careful observations of -stellar data.</p> - -<p>They watched it like sightseers viewing Niagara Falls for an hour. -There was really nothing to see that could not be taken in at a glance, -but the idea of being near to one of the extrasolar systems was -gratifying in itself.</p> - -<p>Then, as the realization that they could watch that silently blazing -star for years without producing anything of interest or value, Barden -called a halt to the self-hypnosis and they resumed their stations. -The drive was applied again, and they passed the star, picking up speed -as they went.</p> - -<p>Somewhere ahead was Sol, lost in the starry curtain of the sky. But -they were not lost, for they were headed in roughly the right direction -and eventually Sol would emerge and stand out before them in plenty of -time to correct their course.</p> - -<p>The entire group, their period of strain over, stood idly looking out -of the ports. There was nothing to see save that star, passing into -the background. But their work was finished and they were loafing. It -looked like an excellent time to just stand and do nothing. Barden was -inspecting the superdrive unit with a paternal smile, noting with some -gratification that it was even smaller than the normal driving gear of -the ship. Dr. Edith Ward had gone to her room to repair the damage done -during the celebration. Jerry Brandt, the manual pilot, was sitting -idly, playing a senseless game with the myriad of switches on his -disconnected board as the autopilot controlled the ship.</p> - -<p>Two of the crew were matching pennies in front of the meter panel, and -three more were watching a chess game between two of the others who -were using various-shaped radio tubes as men. All was set for a quiet -journey home.</p> - -<p>Their first alien sun dwindled and was soon lost. Before them, the -stars were immobile until one at near center swelled visibly. Jerry -Brandt idly kicked his switches into neutral and switched over to -manual drive long enough to correct the course; the swelling star -and the rest of the sky swiveled about the ship until Sol was on the -cross-hairs.</p> - -<p>This time there were no days of flight from Terra to beyond-Pluto. -Their ship plunged sunward at a dangerous pace, dropping below the -speed of light at the tick of an instant at about the orbit of -Jupiter. At under the speed of light but far above the normal speeds -of spacecraft, the ship headed Terraward, and slowed as it went. The -superdrive was turned off a few thousand miles above Terra and the rest -of the voyage to the surface of the planet took actually longer than -the quick run across interstellar space.</p> - -<p>They landed in the huge construction yard at the Barden Laboratories.</p> - -<p>A success—</p> - -<p>"Yeah," said Tom Barden dryly. "A success. But who did what to whom and -why?"</p> - -<p>Edith Ward nodded in puzzlement. "You don't suppose it was just some -nearby star wanting to observe a nova at close proximity?"</p> - -<p>"Seems to me that wouldn't tell 'em anything," said Barden. "That would -be a completely artificial nova and lacking of true data. Of course, -I'm no astronomer and don't know beans about the subject at all. I -admit it. I'd be lost trying to find my way home from out there if I -couldn't retrace my steps. I wouldn't recognize Sol from Sirius if I -were on Arcturus, and I'd not know how to go about it."</p> - -<p>"Spectral lines, and stellar data—" said Edith.</p> - -<p>"I have a hunch that whoever—in fact I'm certain—gave me this -information was uncertain as to whether I was in the next stellar -system or halfway across the universe."</p> - -<p>"That would depend upon the range of whatever gadget they used to -implant the information—and whether it were beamed. Also, Tom, there's -another interesting item. You say there was a mental conversation in -your case. That means that the velocity of propagation of that medium -is instantaneous! Either that or he was right here on Terra."</p> - -<p>"Got me. But if he were right here, why didn't he meet me in person, or -make a future date?"</p> - -<p>"I pass," said Edith. "I have a fair working knowledge of astrogation. -I wonder if it is complete enough for my fellow to have positioned us. -On the other hand, mine came strictly as information without chitchat. -Like someone handing me a telegram full of data."</p> - -<p>Barden considered the problem a moment as the girl went on.</p> - -<p>"But my knowledge of astrogation is merely the angular constants -of the Marker-Stars and how to recognize them from their -constellation-positions. He might be able to set up a model of -this hunk of sky and reach the right answer—only if he sought the -information, however. I did not give it, and he seemed uninterested—as -I say, it was like getting a phonograph record or a radiogram."</p> - -<p>They entered Barden's office and as they did, Tim Evans came running -in. Barden nodded and said: "Miss Ward, this is Tim Evans, my head -mathematical physicist. Tim, this is Dr. Ward."</p> - -<p>They acknowledged the introduction, but Tim was excited. "Look, Tom, -did it work?"</p> - -<p>"We had trouble on Ship One but we fudged Two up and made it sing like -an angel." Barden explained sketchily.</p> - -<p>"Oh," said Evans, his face falling slightly.</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because I've been thinking along another line and I've come up with -another kind of superdrive. If yours didn't work, this one is certain."</p> - -<p>"Yes? Go on."</p> - -<p>"No need to," said Evans. "Yours is far more efficient and less -bulky. Mine would get you there but it would take up a lot of extra -space. Besides, it doesn't offer the chance to see where you're going -directly, but only through a new type of celestial globe. Furthermore, -it wouldn't move as fast. So, forget it."</p> - -<p>"New type of celestial globe?" asked Barden. "We could use it, maybe. -We can see out all right, but that's due to the intermittence. The -present celestial globe system is an adaptation of the pulse-ranging -transmission-time presentation, you know. When you're running above -light the globe is useless."</p> - -<p>"But look, Tom," objected Edith. "You won't need one at superspeed. -You'll not be maneuvering, and if you hit something a few million -miles ahead in the globe, you're past it before anything could work -anyway."</p> - -<p>"Admitted," he said. "But I'd like to have one, anyway. Look, Evans, -how does this thing work?"</p> - -<p>"On a magneto-gravitic principle. Gravity, I am beginning to -understand, is not a matter of wave propagation at all. It is a factor -of matter—and it is either there or it isn't."</p> - -<p>"I wouldn't know."</p> - -<p>"Well, that's the theory. So we utilize an artificial manifestation of -gravity, beamed. It also seems that gravitational effects are mutual. -In other words, the attraction between Terra and Sol is the combination -of mutual attractions. So our beam, increasing the attraction between -the object and the beam also causes the increase of the attraction -between the beam and the object. For beam read transmitter; I always -think of the radiating element as being the beam instead of what I -should. Anyway, when the attraction is increased, it affects a detector -in the radiating elements. That gives you your indication."</p> - -<p>"How about ranging."</p> - -<p>"Still a matter of the inverse-square of the distance. We know -accurately the attraction-factor of our beam. Whatever reflects will -have distance-diminishment which we can measure and use."</p> - -<p>"But it is also proportional to the mass, isn't it?" asked Barden.</p> - -<p>"It'll take a nice bunch of circuits," grinned Evans, "but we can check -the mass with another beam's attraction to it and differentiate. -An integrating system will solve for range on the basis of mass and -distance. The celestial search and presentation systems will be the -same."</p> - -<p>"O.K.—how about communications?"</p> - -<p>"Sure," said Evans.</p> - -<p>"You rig 'em up," said Barden. "And Tim, tell Eddie to refurbish the -ship. We're going out again. And I want three or four of the original -space drives put aboard as working spares."</p> - -<p>"Working spares?" asked Evans.</p> - -<p>"Yeah, mount 'em on girder-frameworks complete with atomic units. I'm -going to prove the next point."</p> - -<p>"What next point?" asked Dr. Edith Ward.</p> - -<p>"I want to find out if your informant was telling the truth," said Tom -Barden. "Interested?"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Edith shuddered a little. "That's a big responsibility," she said. "You -intend to destroy a whole stellar system?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know. I'm going to see whether that stuff would actually start -an overall sustaining fission-reaction in a planet after the minor -fission got under way. If it does, then it is no worse for me to blow -up a dead system than it would be for my little informant getting us to -blow up ours."</p> - -<p>"You sound rather positive about it."</p> - -<p>"One or the other," said Barden. "I'm bothered. No matter how you look -at it, we ... or I, was like a small child given matches to play with -in a nitrocellulose storehouse. Unless you'd come up with yours, I'd -have most certainly blown us sky high."</p> - -<p>"Right. I think we owe my friends a debt of gratitude."</p> - -<p>"I'll agree to that. But for this test, we'll ramble until we find a -relatively unimportant star with only one or two planets, devoid of -life. Then we'll try it."</p> - -<p>"But even with dead system, you're taking a lot upon yourself."</p> - -<p>"How?"</p> - -<p>"There will, from that time on, be a monument to the memory of Thomas -Barden. You'll be the object of argument and of both admiration -and hatred. Flag-wavers will either point with pride or view with -alarm, depending upon their politics. Why not wait until the thing is -discussed?"</p> - -<p>"Forever? No, Edith. None of us can afford it. We must know. If -this works, Sol has a rather dangerous weapon against any possible -conquesting races in the galaxy. Regardless of what has gone before, -Sol is in a position to go out and make her mark upon the galaxy. It -is best to go prepared, and if we fear nothing, we neither need fear -subjugation."</p> - -<p>"But destroying a stellar system—"</p> - -<p>"Who'll miss it?" he asked.</p> - -<p>She looked blank. "I don't know," she said. "It just seems so big. It -doesn't seem right that one man should be able to go out and destroy -a stellar system. One that has been stable for million upon million -of years. Superstition, perhaps," she said thoughtfully. "I'm not -a religious woman, Tom. I am not sacrilegious, either. Somehow, -somewhere, there must be a God—"</p> - -<p>"Who made the universe. With a density of ten to the minus -twenty-eighth power and an average temperature of matter about twenty -million degrees? For the benefit of Terrans. Well if so, Edith, He is -willing to see one of His experiments used to further mankind in his -struggle. <i>Ad astra per aspera</i>, my dear!"</p> - -<p>Edith agreed solemnly but was obviously unconvinced.</p> - -<p>"Look," he hastened to add, "if all this was put here for the benefit -of Terrans, we're expected to use it. If we are incidental in some -grand plan encompassing a billion suns in a thousand galaxies, loss of -one sun won't matter."</p> - -<p>"I suppose that's logic," she said. "I'd prefer not to talk about -it too much. I know it should be done, but it still seems all wrong -somehow."</p> - -<p>"We've got to know. Remember there's a lot of truth in the whole -thing," he said thoughtfully. "And also a lot of untruth. They did tell -me the way to interstellar travel—in a slightly slaunchwise fashion. -They told you about the disintegration-process. Now, darn it, Edith, -did they scare us away from planetary tries because they knew it would -damage the system or for another reason? How do we know the thing would -ruin a planet and ultimately the system? Answer, we do not."</p> - -<p>She nodded glumly. "I suppose that it is a step toward the final -solution."</p> - -<p>"Right, and as soon as we can get a nice system, we'll try it!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>"This is Procyon," said Tom Barden. "Or so they tell me, I wouldn't -know."</p> - -<p>The star was a small disk almost dead ahead; its light shone down -through the fore dome of the ship augmenting the lights in the -observation room.</p> - -<p>"Sentiment again," she said. "I'd prefer a system more distant."</p> - -<p>"If this has the right kind of planets, Procyon it is," said Barden -flatly. "If it has planets unsuited for life, what possible good can it -do Terra? Plus the fact that the instability that follows the nova for -a few years will act as a nice sign-post toward Terra from all parts -of the galaxy. Remember, men will really be spreading out with the new -drive."</p> - -<p>"Again you're right. But have you no sentiment?"</p> - -<p>He looked at her. "Not when it interferes with practicality—"</p> - -<p>They were coasting along at half the speed of light, under the -superdrive. On all sides were running cameras. One coast across the -system with the moving picture cameras covering the sky would bring -any planets into ken; the parallax of planetary bodies would show -against the fairly constant sky. There was also visual observation for -interest's sake.</p> - -<p>At the far side, the ship came to a stop with respect to Procyon, and -while the films were developing, Jerry Brandt swapped ends and ran the -ship nearer the center of the system. Procyon, from one side port, -looked about as large as Sol from Terra and it seemed about as bright -and warm.</p> - -<p>It was here that they met the alien ship. It came from nowhere and -passed them slantwise at a terrific velocity. As it passed, a stabbing -beam darted once, and the beam-end burst into a coruscation of sheer -energy.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<div class="figcenter"> - <img src="images/illus6.jpg" alt=""/> -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p>"That," blubbered Barden, "was close!"</p> - -<p>Jerry Brandt swore thoroughly, and whipped the ship around slightly, -cramming on the superdrive but keeping the drivers below the speed of -light. He set his switches carefully, and seconds later the alien ship -appeared for one brief instant and then was gone. While it was there, -eye-visible in the sky, one of the ship's own cutting planes sheared -out and sliced the driving tubes from the bottom of the ship.</p> - -<p>Then it was gone and Brandt fought the switches, stopping the ship.</p> - -<p>"What—was that?"</p> - -<p>"We've got a nice way of retaliating," said Barden harshly. "We use the -intermittent generator of the superdrive but we stay below the velocity -of light. Jerry has calibrated the intermittence and the rep-rate to a -nice precision. We appear in true space, slash out, and disappear again -to reappear God knows how many miles farther on. Now we'll go back and -see whether that bird wants more." He spoke to Jerry: "Take care!"</p> - -<p>"Easy she goes," replied Brandt. "Did you see that joker? He tried to -ruin us!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>They came up as the inert alien came into view. It stabbed again with -that beam but missed. Jerry Brandt swore again and cut the ship from -end to end with his cutting plane. This time there was no response save -a swirl of smoke from the cleft sides of the ship.</p> - -<p>"We've used these to cut asteroids into stove lengths," he told Barden -sharply. "I wonder how many of them have been used likewise on some -hapless enemy."</p> - -<p>"I don't have any way of knowing," said Barden. "And I don't care -whether it is a proper weapon to use or not. It worked."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do?" asked Dr. Ward.</p> - -<p>He smiled at her. "He didn't like us—apparently for no reason than we -were alien. If he'd come in peaceable, we'd have made talky-talk. As it -is, he fired first but not too well. Now we'll just grab his ship and -see what he's got, who he is, where he's from—and possibly why."</p> - -<p>It was a small ship outside, in space. But getting it into the vast -cargo-hold of Barden's ship required some more trimming. The alien ship -finally lay in eight sections, stacked. The cargo-hold was now jammed -with alien ship and much of the spare equipment and supplies were -jettisoned.</p> - -<p>Then they went in warily to examine the alien. They found the alien -crew—four of them. They were spacesuited but unconscious.</p> - -<p>"Hope they breathe air at twenty-per cent oxygen," growled Barden. They -opened the suits and laid the unconscious aliens on tables in one of -the operations rooms.</p> - -<p>They were squat and wide, almost humanoid save for large eyeballs -under the closed double lids. Their noses were almost nonexistent, and -each hand splayed wide with seven stubby fingers. These hands were -symmetrical, but despite a thumb on either side, the Terrans doubted -that they were more dextrous than Terrans because of their shorter -fingers.</p> - -<p>Their shoulders were very wide, but also quite thin, indicating a long, -unfavorable leverage with less muscle.</p> - -<p>"Ugly looking—" started Jerry Brandt, who shut himself off as he -remembered Edith Ward.</p> - -<p>She looked up at him and flushed. "They are," she said with a slight -smile. Brandt blushed with embarrassment and spluttered incoherently -for a moment. The pilot might have spluttered for some time had not the -foremost alien stirred, causing a diversion.</p> - -<p>They crowded him as he awoke and looked about him. His expression was -undecipherable, though there was quite a change in facial composure as -he saw the kind of white-faced animals that surrounded him. He looked, -and then he clutched rapidly at a device on his belt. Barden swung a -fist and caught the creature on the forearm, causing him to drop the -half-drawn weapon. Brandt stooped over and picked it up, and the rest -of the crew proceeded to disarm the other three.</p> - -<p>Edith found a length of wire and made a loop of it. She held it in -front of the alien.</p> - -<p>He relaxed, splaying his hands and holding them wide from his body. Her -action had been understood and the creature did not want his hands tied.</p> - -<p>"Jerry," said Barden. "Set the controls for superspeed towards -anywhere in the universe, and get us away from here."</p> - -<p>"Solward?"</p> - -<p>"No. He should get as little information as possible."</p> - -<p>Jerry left, and the ship soon turned slightly and started off. Barden -waved the creature to the port and pointed out Procyon, which was -diminishing swiftly. The alien grew excited, and made wondering motions.</p> - -<p>"That ... thing ... knows what the score is, partly," observed Edith.</p> - -<p>"That ... thing ... had better behave," said Barden flatly. "And while -we're wondering about him, I hate to think of him being called a -Procyonian."</p> - -<p>"Call 'em <i>Pokeys</i>," said Tim Evans.</p> - -<p>"O.K. Now let's show him his ship."</p> - -<p>The alien's excitement changed to dismay as he viewed the wreckage. He -looked at it, and then as if wiping it off as finished, he turned away.</p> - -<p>There was but one cargo lock in Barden's ship. And though the alien -craft had been trimmed, and considerable of it trimmed away and left, -it was still packed in with most of the remaining spares. These -included the four superdrive motors, mounted on their girders with the -atomic units. The alien saw these and went over to inspect them, and -Barden let him go.</p> - -<p>What possibly could have been familiar they did not know. The chances -of an alien gasoline engine being instantly recognizable as such by a -Terran is problematical. A simple electric motor might be—especially -if connected to a storage battery, or even by a wire cable to a -wall outlet. Doubtless, the electron tube would be recognized by a -spider-man from the other end of the galaxy, for the handling of -electrons must be similar no matter where they are used. There will -be cathodes and grids and anodes and connecting prongs, wires, or -terminals.</p> - -<p>The unprotected superdrive motor was not incased. It had been a job -intended for test-stand operation and, therefore, it could be inspected -fairly well. Something about it was familiar, and one spot of -familiarity was sufficient for the alien to reconstruct the rest.</p> - -<p>He nearly exploded with frantic gestures. He ran to Barden—his run was -a swift waddle due to the wide leg-base—and clutched Tom's arm. He -pointed to the cut-apart spaceship and indicated that he wanted to go -up into that pile to find something. Barden shrugged and nodded, and -then followed the alien.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It was difficult for Barden, for the alien was sure-footed in his climb -up the jagged edges to one section near the middle of the pile. He -disappeared inside and found a piece of equipment, which he brought -out. He set this upon the floor and returned with other equipment which -he added to the original piece. Then taking the whole bunch in his -arms, he led them up to the operations room.</p> - -<p>Here he put it on a table. Then he opened the main piece and drew out -a two-pronged plug which he waved in Barden's face, made plugging -gestures into the blank wall, and then made searching motions.</p> - -<p>Barden pointed to the nearest convenience outlet, and the creature -waddled to it with the rest of his equipment.</p> - -<p>He probed into the openings with test-leads and read the results on -meters of his own. He showed Barden exactly what the meters should read.</p> - -<p>Barden nodded and they set to work matching their line-current to the -alien's specifications. It turned out to be one hundred ninety-three -volts at seventy cycles. Meanwhile, one of Barden's men replaced the -alien's plug with a Terran-type and they inserted it gingerly. The -alien put a temple-set over his head and handed one to Barden.</p> - -<p>"This," came the thought, "is an instrument used to extract information -from enemies. It will serve as a means of communication."</p> - -<p>"Why did you fire on us?" thought Barden.</p> - -<p>"You are alien. We are at war; in fact have been at war with the devils -from that star—" and here came a mixed-impression of a distorted -constellation that was not familiar to Barden, who was not too familiar -with astronomy anyway, and so he passed it over. He stopped the alien -momentarily, to send one of the men to tell Jerry Brandt to return to -within a light-year or so of Procyon.</p> - -<p>"But," continued the alien, "you are not using—that?"</p> - -<p>"Not exactly," said Barden.</p> - -<p>"No, for that means death."</p> - -<p>"We were going to try it out," was Barden's calm thought.</p> - -<p>"On—NO!" came the terrified reply.</p> - -<p>"Well," returned Barden, "we're never pleased with red-hots who shoot -at us!"</p> - -<p>"But an entire system?" came the pleading exclamation.</p> - -<p>"Filled with people of the same ilk," returned Barden, unimpressed.</p> - -<p>"But even warfare must not be annihilation," objected the alien. "For -of what value is a dead enemy?"</p> - -<p>"They are no longer any bother." Barden grunted. "We dislike being -bothered, and our will happens to be that we want to go wherever we -choose at any time we please. A favorable attitude upon the part of -any other culture is one that permits us our will. A dead culture will -never obstruct us, for one thing. It will never revert to its original -attitude of belligerency, for the second thing. And for the third -thing, alien, with the interstellar drive we have, we can find those -cultures in the galaxy which see exactly as we do, therefore it is to -our advantage to eliminate any malcontents right now."</p> - -<p>"But what do you intend to do?" demanded the creature.</p> - -<p>"My system has been the tool of some other culture. The purpose is not -clear, though the outcome might have been quite disastrous. I intend to -find both that culture and their reasons and extract full payment!"</p> - -<p>"But how—?"</p> - -<p>Barden smiled in a hard manner. "I intend to plant one of these -unprotected space motors on one of your planets," he said. "That is for -my own protection. Then we'll collect one of the enemy, and do likewise -with his system. Then you and he will have your little talk—and you'll -first call off this war or you'll both be enjoying novas in your own -backyards. It's about time that people learned how to get along with -one another!"</p> - -<p>"But I have little authority."</p> - -<p>"<i>I</i> have," smiled Barden in a completely self-satisfied manner. -"I have all the authority necessary to demand that your superiors -and your scientists meet their contemporaries of your enemy—and -peacefully."</p> - -<p>"What are you going to do with me?"</p> - -<p>"Do you know both languages?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered the alien. "That's why we use the menta-phone."</p> - -<p>"What do you know of the space motor?"</p> - -<p>"Very little. It is, as you know, dangerous. We are forbidden to -experiment on it."</p> - -<p>"You know it is dangerous?" asked Barden.</p> - -<p>"We have excellent reason to believe so. Our studies have been purely -theoretical. But tell me, how do you hope to accomplish this mission of -yours?"</p> - -<p>"One of you four will be permitted to land and carry our message. One -of the enemy race will do likewise."</p> - -<p>The alien disagreed. "You can never land," he said. "You can not even -approach."</p> - -<p>"No?" said Barden harshly. "Well, we'll plant our motors first. And -you'll use whatever you have to communicate with them and you'll tell -'em all. Then, my squat friend, there had better be a ten-thousand -piece brass brand playing the Solar Anthem as we land! <i>Or else!</i>"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Tom Barden sat in an easy-chair, relaxing. He was watching the others, -who were glaring at one another and trying to conceal their thoughts. -Lanthar—he of Procyon—and Grenis of Sirius both knew that the Terran -who sat there so easily was not fooling.</p> - -<p>"Now," said Barden, "what's the story? I've told you what happened and -why I'm angry. This warfare must stop, and Sol, too, must be protected. -Only by complete agreement can all three of us occupy the sky in -safety. Otherwise, there may be but two of us—and perhaps only one. -You—Lanthar—what do you know of the space motor?"</p> - -<p>"I'll tell," said the one from Procyon. "I've been in disagreement -with the plan but outvoted. We discovered it and its danger. We'd have -worked upon it, but we could not permit it to be used in space because -of attack. We could not try it on a planet because of the danger. -Remember, we were at war and could afford to take no chances. There -was a large faction who outvoted me—and then they permitted its theft -from a false laboratory. It is amusing, Terran, to go into the full -details of how this laboratory was set up, run, and finally thefted. We -actually treated it as though it held one of our high secrets, but we -were lax only in the total number of guards we used. They—succeeded.</p> - -<p>"The purpose of this was to permit them to try it out. That would mean -their destruction. I've insisted that a dead enemy is of no value—"</p> - -<p>"We follow your reasoning, all of us," said Barden. "And go further. We -state that an enemy is a total loss <i>per se</i> and we avoid the expense. -Now, Grenis, you stole the plans?"</p> - -<p>"We did," said the Sirian. "But there was something wrong. Not only -did we steal the plans, but we inspected their plant. While they were -setting up their laboratory they forgot to include some means of -accepting and dissipating enough transmitted power to make the work -look real. There was a quite large discrepancy between the power used -and the power we calculated would be needed to carry on such a program. -So we became suspicious—which started when we were able to penetrate -the place in the first place.</p> - -<p>"What we found was interesting," said the Sirian. "But we were -suspicious. We studied it carefully, and it seemed perfect. But, -Terran, came again the suspicion. For if this were so perfect, why -weren't they using it?</p> - -<p>"Because it might be a trap," he went on. "And like he and his, we -dared not establish a space-laboratory because of the fear of attack. -So we were completely stopped."</p> - -<p>Lanthar grunted. "So he and his bunch went to work on a method of -contacting other people at a great distance," he said. "It took them a -long time and they were without success at all until they succeeded in -contacting you."</p> - -<p>"That is correct," said Grenis, making an apology. "We have detectors -capable of working on the gravitic effects. A nova would disrupt -both the magnetic and the gravitic levels sufficiently to warn us -immediately. And we knew that any race who was not suspicious of an -enemy would try it—"</p> - -<p>"I see," said Barden angrily. "Then we have you to thank? And you," he -said to Lanthar, "knowing that this was done, tried to protect us?"</p> - -<p>"Not basically," apologized the man from Procyon. "You see, we did -not know you—nor even where you were in the galaxy. You meant -nothing to us at all then, except as a consulting service for our -enemy—completely hidden and quite safe. We did not want you to go into -nova because that would have warned them. We knew that after a period -of time, with no sign of failure, they'd try it!"</p> - -<p>"A fine pair of stinkers," sneered Barden. "Well," he said with a -laugh. "Now you'll co-operate with us all, or else! But Lanthar, how -can you be certain that nova will occur?"</p> - -<p>Lanthar of Procyon stood up and smiled tolerantly. "Me—?" he said. "I -know only what I've been told about it. Strangely enough, it came to me -in a dream, too!"</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Somewhere in the galaxy, two scientists consulted their -time-predictions. They agreed silently that sufficient time had been -permitted, and that their detectors had shown no warping of the -magneto-gravitic continuum. Despite the questionable value of negative -evidence, they felt safe.</p> - -<p>"I doubt all new arts," said one of them, thrusting the switch home, -"especially when I know not the source."</p> - - -<p class="ph1">THE END</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CATSPAW ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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