CRADLE OF SATURN BY JAMES P. HOGAN

Voler’s position was most vulnerable here, and he took it upon himself to defend it personally, assuming more the role of a trial lawyer, it seemed, than a delegate at a scientific conference, by coming out from his seat to address the dais from the floor immediately in front of the chairman’s table. Keene was at the podium at this point, having just finished describing his part in organizing the computations conducted at Amspace. Allender, Sariena, Gallian, Vashen, and Chelassey, a mathematician with the Kronian group, were at the table to his left, looking out over the hall.

Voler began, “So this wasn’t part of any research protocol agreed with the Kronian scientists from the outset. It was decided at a cocktail party after the Osiris arrived here. Have I got that right?”

“That’s correct,” Keene confirmed. He was getting irritated. Maybe that was the idea. It couldn’t have been agreed any earlier; the first results had only just come in from Saturn. Voler knew that.

“The data files were in the Osiris’s computers. You passed on the codes for accessing them so that the calculations could be repeated at Amspace.”

“Yes—at least, it was arranged by my business partner and a mathematical physicist employed by our company. Just the original raw data. We had no prior knowledge of what the Kronians’ results had been. The solutions computed at Amspace are in full agreement with them. My colleague, Dr. Allender, has complete details of the protocols and procedures.” Keene couldn’t keep himself from adding, “If you’re questioning the competence of Dr. Allender and his staff, their method and setup were worked out in conjunction with Professor Neuzender at Princeton, a specialist in celestial dynamics whose name I have no doubt is familiar to you.”

Voler stared for a few seconds and then nodded distantly, his mind seemingly on a different track. “Oh, I have no doubt as to the abilities of the people involved, and I’m sure that their computations were done validly. I’ve known Gary Neuzender for years, and if he’s given his approval I’ll grant the results provisional status.” He paused again and turned away briefly before resuming—clearly for effect, and succeeding in getting the room’s attention. “But it isn’t the quality of the computations that concerns me, Dr. Keene. After all, the outcome of a computation can be no more valid than the data that it’s based on; isn’t that so? And in this case, you’ve just told us that all of the alleged data came from one source only, and a source, moreover, that has a significant—to put it mildly—stake in the outcome. Isn’t that so?”

Exclamations of astonishment greeted the statement. Keene couldn’t believe his ears. Voler had as good as directly questioned the Kronians’ honesty. He shook his head, momentarily befuddled. “What are you trying to suggest, that the data weren’t real . . . ? That they’d been faked or something?” he asked incredulously.

Voler raised both arms in an empty-handed gesture. “I’m simply pointing out that these results which we are being asked to accept depend wholly on data that we have no way of verifying, supplied from a single source at the last moment; and that source hardly qualifies as a disinterested party. One cannot but be struck by how conveniently these results accord with the case that’s being argued, yet are incompatible with just about everything hitherto believed. An extraordinary coincidence, wouldn’t you agree? Extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary proof. And you’re saying it should be accepted purely on assurances.”

Farther along the table to the side of the podium, Gallian was on his feet again, his face livid. “What kind of suggestion is this? We came here in good faith, believing this would be a debate of evidence, not an examination of our motives. Are we being called criminals now? Exactly what is Professor Voler insinuating?”

Keene had already seen Fey, sitting with a mixed group of people a couple of rows back from the front. She had a satisfied look, as if this whole thing had a personal dimension to it somehow and was settling some old scores. Keene had recovered sufficiently to think coherently again, perhaps, if not quite coolly. The audacity of the double standard being applied was staggering. After all the things that had been going on presumably with Voler’s approval, if not actually under his direct instigation, he was now questioning the integrity of the Kronians? Keene couldn’t swallow it. He had warned Fey that he was in a position and of a mood to expose what had been going on, and he had asked her to convey the message. Either she had ignored him, or Voler had. Well, Keene told himself, there would never be another opportunity like this.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *