Heinlein, Robert A – Expanded Universe

over to King. “Solve it!” he demanded.

King studied the paper. Lentz had assigned symbols to a great number of

factors, some social, some psychological, some physical, some economic. He had

thrown them together into a structural relationship, using the symbols of calculus

of statement. King understood the paramathematical operations indicated by the

symbols, but he was not as used to them as he was to the symbols and operations of

mathematical physics. He plowed through the equations, moving his lips slightly in

subconscious vocalization.

He accepted a pencil from Lentz, and completed the solution. It required

several more lines, a few more equations, before they cancelled out, or rearranged

themselves, into a definite answer.

He stared at this answer while puzzlement gave way to dawning comprehension

and delight.

He looked up. “Erickson! Harper!” he rapped out.

“We will take your new fuel, refit a large rocket, install the breeder pile

in it, and throw it into an orbit around the earth, far out in. space. There we will

use it to make more fuel, safe fuel, for use on earth, with the danger from the Big

Bomb itself limited to the operators actually on watch!”

There was no applause. It was not that sort of an idea; their minds were

still struggling with the complex implications.

“But Chief,” Harper finally managed, “how about your retirement? We’re still

not going to stand for it.”

“Don’t worry,” King assured him. “It’s all in there, implicit in those

equations, you two, me, Lentz, the Board of Directors and just what we all have to

do about it to accomplish it.”

“All except the matter of time,” Lentz cautioned.

“You’ll note that elapsed time appears in your answer as an undetermined

unknown.”

“Yes.. . yes, of course. That’s the chance we have to take. Let’s get busy!”

Chairman Dixon called the Board of Directors to order. “This being a special

meeting we’ll dispense with minutes and reports,” he announced. “As set forth in the

call we have agreed to give the retiring superintendent two hours of our time.”

“Mr. Chairman-”

“Yes, Mr. Strong?”

“I thought we had settled that matter.”

“We have, Mr. Strong, but in view of Superintendent King’s long and

distinguished service, if he asks for a hearing, we are honor bound to grant it. You

have the floor, Doctor King.”

King got up, and stated briefly, “Doctor Lentz will speak for me.” He sat

down.

Lentz had to wait for coughing, throat-clearing, and scraping of chairs to

subside. It was evident that the Board resented the outsider.

Lentz ran quickly over the main points in the argument which contended that

the bomb presented an intolerable danger anywhere on the face of the earth. He moved

on at once to the alternative proposal that the bomb should be located in a rocket

ship, an artificial moonlet flying in a free orbit around the earth at a convenient

Page 35

distance- say fifteen thousand miles-while secondary power stations on earth burned

a safe fuel manufactured by the bomb.

He announced the discovery the Harper-Erickson technique and dwelt on what

it meant to them commercially. Each point was presented as persuasively as possible,

with the full power of his engaging personality. Then he paused and waited for them

to blow off steam.

They did. “Visionary-” “Unproved-” “No essential change in the situation-”

The substance of it was that they were very happy to hear of the new fuel, but not

particularly impressed by it. Perhaps in another twenty years, after it had been

thoroughly tested and proved commercially, they might consider setting up another

breeder pile outside the atmosphere. In the meantime there was no hurry. Only one

director supported the scheme and he was quite evidently unpopular.

Lentz patiently and politely dealt with their objections. He emphasized the

increasing incidence of occupational psychoneurosis among the engineers and the

grave danger to everyone near the bomb even under the orthodox theory. He reminded

them of their insurance and indemnity bond costs, and of the “squeeze” they paid

state politicians. Then he changed his tone and let them have it directly and

brutally. “Gentlemen,” he said, “we believe that we are fighting for our lives …