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

Clifford began warming to his subject, and his voice took on a measure of excitement. УIn fact, the system is capable of automatically following thousands of discrete, independent objects simultaneously, objects distributed anywhere within its range of operation. Moreover, I could instruct the machine to inform me when any of those objects reaches some predetermined point in its courseЧfor example, the aircraft that you see is flying eastward now, toward the French coast; I could deposit an instruction to be informed if and when it gets inside one hundred miles of the shore; until that happens, the machine will do all the necessary work and I can forget about it. Similarly, I could command a general surveillance routine, whereby I would be informed of any aircraft or object entering French airspace . . . not just specific targets that I have previously identified, such as the one on the screen. In both those examples, I could, instead of being simply informed, program for the targets to be destroyed automatically. So too for all the other targets that the system is capable of tracking and detecting.
УYou will appreciate therefore, gentlemen, that the surveillance and weapons-guidance capabilities of this machine are in no way limited to the number of events that one human brain can keep track of at any one time. The machine can make most of its decisions for
itself, using generalized criteria that I give it. like, its functions include the duties of a whol ment of staff officers.Ф
Clifford then proceeded to conjure up a se
images of places and events taking place a
Earth, which included several examples of thc
mated facilities he had described. He finished t sion by capturing the image of two U.S. spa carrying out a prearranged docking maneuver v~ orbit. While this was being shown on the ma play, an adjacent screen provided a convention~ of the same sequence, which was picked up by camera aboard one of the craft and transmitted through the normal channels. The difference w the conventional picture required a camera to there, on the scene of the event; the J-scope
Then it was MorelliТs turn to speak again.
УSo much for how we can guide the weapor
let us see exactly what the weapon itself can do.
УHi-radiation gives rise to a secondary effect ventional radiant energy that exists as a halo every object you can name. For most objec secondary radiation is so tiny that it exists moi mathematical abstraction than anything you hope to measure . . . but itТs there.Ф The face by now tense and expectant as the moment of in action the weapon they had heard about for drew nearer.
Morelli continued. УIn the J-reactor, we in amplify enormously what takes place in ordinar ter. The process causes secondary energy to m~ ize as a halo, which is most intense in the imn vicinity of the reactor but extends outward .
ting thinner all the time . . . throughout all of Now, the important thing to bear in mind is this He paused for a moment to add emphasis. УAl
the secondary energy is denser around the reactor, the amount of it is only a small fraction of the totalЧФ
УIТm not quite with you there, Professor,Ф one of the listeners came in. УCould you clarify that please?Ф
УThink of it as heat,Ф Morelli suggested. УA red-hot needle is at a high temperature, but doesnТt hold much heat. The water in the boilers of a power station is not as hot, but it contains a far larger amount of heat. Using that analogy, the energy in the vicinity of the reactor is more intense . . . Сhotter,Т but when you add up all the СcolderТ energy thatТs distributed all through billions of cubic light-years of space, you find that the amount is greater. In other words, forget the СtemperatureТ; most of the energyЧmost by farЧthat the reactor produces is spread out thinly across space .
when you add it all up. Is that clearer?Ф
УThank you, yes.Ф
УFine.Ф Morelli took a long breath. УThe situation IТve just described applies when the reactor is running with the focusing system switched off. By bringing the focusing system in, we can force all of that
energy to materialize not all through space, but concentrated inside one tiny volume. One way of visualizing it is to imagine the mass consumed in the reactor as being converted into its energy equivalent and instantly appearing elsewhere. The effect is the same as that of a hydrogen bomb that suddenly appears out of nowhere. A big difference is that the mass conversion can be a lot higher than in an H-bomb, so we can produce effects far more devastating . . . not that thereТd be a lot of point in that.Ф
Morelli turned and gazed expectantly up at the main display. Scores of pairs of eyes followed his, tense. . . waiting.
This time the screen showed a normal TV transmission. It was a view from the air, looking down

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from high altitude on a desolate Arctic waste of bleak rocky shorelines, inlets of sea and ice floes
a range of broken, jagged mountains visible i

middle distance. An unfamiliar voice came ov loudspeaker.
УThis is Foxtrot Five to Bluebird Control. Al fifty thousand feet, on course, target range tw miles, bearing one-six-zero degrees. All systems c ing positive.Ф
Another voice replied:
УBluebird Control. Dead on time Foxtrot Maintain course and follow Plan Baker Two. r
ЧBaker Two. Redsox reports youТre on the air Reception good. Countdown on schedule. Acl~ edge.Ф
УFoxtrot Five acknowledging. WilcoЧBaker
УYou are looking at an area reserved as a m testing ground on Somerset Island, in the far no Canada,Ф CliffordТs voice informed them. УThe is being sent back from an Air Force RB6 flying of the target area. The target is the high peak 1i near the center of the group now in the center I

picture. You might just be able to see a small of red against the background just above and sI to the right of the target peak. ThatТs a large n balloon for visual identification.
УBack here, we have been starting up the re2 beam energizers. I am about to switch on the into the J-reactor. . . .У A pause of a few secon lowed. УNot far below where you are standin~ beam is now onЧpouring energy out across th verse. I have already preset the space coordina the target into the programs that are running fire-control computers. All I have to do now is vate the focusing modulators to direct the retui ergy on to some specific point. As soon as I dc
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the fire-control programs will take over, and direct the concentrated energy to the coordinates supplied.Ф
He waited for a moment, allowing time for the suspense to build up. УI am priming the focusing systern to self-activate automatically and slave to the fire control programs ten seconds from . . . now.Ф A numerical display, superimposed upon the target picture, appeared and began reeling off the seconds.
Nine.. . Eight. . . seven...
УNote that from now on I play no further part. All operations are automatic.Ф
Three. . . two .. . one...
The whole room gasped in unison. The entire central portion of the mountain range instantly vanished in a brilliant blaze of pure whiteness. The familiar, sinister shape of a slowly swelling and rising fireball rose up out of the maelstrom that erupted where the whiteness had been. A writhing, swirling column of fire and vapors climbed up through the clouds and began spreading outward to form a boiling canopy that blotted out the surrounding landscape.
УHoly Moses, what was that?Ф yelled the voice of

Foxtrot Five.
УSearch me,Ф came another voice on the circuit. УMusta been a ground burst. There was nothing coming in on radar.Ф
УCut the cackle, Foxtrot Five. YouТre still alive.Ф
УWilco.Ф