"Hogan, James P - The Genesis Machine p260-end" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hogan James P)

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УHe says itТll be the only way to power spaceships one day, too,Ф Aub added. УWhy should they bother carting their own energy around with them when they can have as much as they like beamed right at them wherever they want to go?Ф
УWell, I must say it will be entertaining to have Al with us,Ф Zimmermann grinned. УI only hope that he doesnТt start redesigning everything in sight the minute he arrives. What about you, Brad? What plans do you have until the new labs begin to take shape? ItТs going to be some time, you know.Ф
УOh, IТll be busy enough all right. IТve got a yearТs lost time to make up, donТt forget . . . on account of . . .У his face twisted into a crooked smile, Уa certain minor matter that needed attending to. The main thing I want to do is pick up where I left things with you and your astronomers here. TheyТre pretty keen to get to grips with that Wave Model that we started to talk about once. TheyТve been carrying out a lot of observations over the last year, as you know, and one thing I have to do is get involved again and updated.Ф He stopped and thought for a second. УIn fact, IТve been thinking ever since you mentioned that third dome youТre planning . . . weТre gonna need to build a specialized long-range detector system for studying cosmological k-dataЧa k-telescope, if you like. If youТre not planning on using that dome for anything in particular for now, it sure would be a good place to consider putting it.Ф
Zimmermann scratched his nose and grinned mischievously.
УAs a matter of fact, strictly between ourselves, that was exactly what I had in mind. ItТs just that I havenТt . . . ah, shall we say . . . quite gotten round to telling Geneva about it yet.Ф He added hastily: УBut IТm sure they will agree itТs an excellent idea. I just
think it would be better if the dome were actually there before I raise the matter. It keeps things simple, you understand.. . .У
УI understand too well,Ф Sarah said. УIf I ever saw three conspirators in league together . . . IТm beginning to wonder what IТve let myself in for.Ф
Aub had been staring far into space for the last minute or so. He returned suddenly and regarded them with a curious look, his head cocked to one side.
УYou know, IТve been thinking about something on and off for the last coupla months, too. ItТs to do with the way the GRASER modulators initiate the particle annihilations.Ф
The others looked at him, waiting expectantly. УWell, the method that Al uses concentrates everything at one point in space,Ф he continued. УThatТs what produces the intense spacetime distortion and gives you a simulated gravity effect. . . which, taken to the limit, gives you a black hole. It makes sense he should do it that way, since thatТs the kind of thing he was investigating in the first place. Sudbury is a gravitationalphysics Institute.Ф
УGreat,Ф Clifford conceded. УAlТs methods make sense. Nice to hear it. WhatТs new?Ф
УAlТs way is fine for what he set out to do, sure, but I figure thereТs another way you could do it. I figure it would be possible to set up a distributed modulation and annihilation pattern that would take in a defined volume of space . . . and you wouldnТt be talking about gravity intensities anywhere near like what you get around black holes, anywhere inside it. In other words, youТd be able to initiate the annihilation of a piece of matter . . . an object . .
not just of a focused particle beam.Ф
УWhy should you want to do that?Ф Clifford asked him, looking nonpiused.
УOh, all sorts of reasons . . . like, it would be a quick and easy way to excavate the holes under those new domes you were talking about, for instance. You just blow away all the rock you donТt need into hi-space. But that really wasnТt the point. The thing I had in mind was something more.Ф
УLike what?Ф
AubТs expression took on a shade of earnestness.
УWell, this might sound way-out, but I canТt see why it couldnТt work. You know how the I-bomb director modulators focus all the hi-radiation on one selected target point. Well, I reckon that they could define a distributed pattern in space too, instead of just one point. . . in the same way that the annihilator modulators could.Ф
Clifford screwed up his face and glanced at Zimmermann, then back at Aub.
УStill donТt get what youТre driving at.Ф
УYou could synchronize them both together!Ф Aub exclaimed, gesticulating excitedly. УIt would enable you to project a piece of structured matter instead of simply a focused charge of energy. YouТd be able to annihilate an object at one place in space and instantly reconstitute it, intact, somewhere else! ThatТs what IТm driving at.Ф
УYouТre crazy,Ф Clifford told him. УI thought AlТs science fiction was bad enough. This is science fairyland.Ф
УI just canТt see any reason why it couldnТt work,Ф Aub insisted. He looked appealingly at Sarah. She shrugged and pulled a face.
УDonТt ask me. Sounds crazy.Ф
УItТs not crazy,Ф Aub declared emphatically. УI tell you, itТd work.Ф
УI hate to say it,Ф Zimmermann joined in, Уbut while I have seen some examples of your unusual
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inventive abilities in the past, I do feel that what you are saying now is somewhat far-fetched. I am afraid that, were you approaching me as a potential investor, I would not for one moment consider putting any of my money into it.Ф
УItТs the drink,Ф Clifford decided. УThe gravityТs getting to you already.Ф
УNever you mind them, Aub,Ф Sarah said soothingly. УIТve changed my mind. If those two are ganging up on you, IТll come over to your side. I believe it will work.Ф
УThere you are,Ф Aub retorted. He thrust out his bearded chin in an attitude of proud defiance. УIТve got one convert already. IТm telling youЧitТll work.Ф
УVery well,Ф Zimmermann raised a hand to quell the issue, УI have no wish for us to fall out so soon. We shall no doubt find out in good time.Ф His eyes were nevertheless still twinkling with amused disbelief. УIn the meantime, however, I insist upon getting you all another drink.Ф
















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