"Theodore Sturgeon - Microcosmic God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sturgeon Theodore)

тАЬCouple of the utilities boys there. You know the power setup in this country,
donтАЩt you? Thirty per cent atomic, the rest hydroelectric, Diesel and steam?тАЭ
тАЬI hadnтАЩt known,тАЭ said Kidder, who was as innocent as a babe of current events.
тАЬWell, we were arguing about what chance a new power source would have. One
of the men there said it would be smarter to produce a new power and then talk
about it Another one waived that; said he couldnтАЩt name that new power, but he
could describe it. Said it would have to have everything that present power
sources have, plus one or two more things. It could be cheaper, for instance. It
could be more efficient. It might supercede the others by being, easier to carry
from the power plant to the consumer. See what I mean? Any one of these factors
might prove a new source of power competitive to the others. What IтАЩd like to see
is a new power with all of these factors. What do you think of it?тАЭ
тАЬNotтАЩ impossible.тАЭ
тАЬThink not?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll try it.тАЭ
тАЬKeep me posted.тАЭ ConantтАЩs transmitter clicked off. The switch was a little piece
of false front that Kidder had built into the set, which was something that Conant
didnтАЩt know. The set switched itself off when Conant moved from it. After the
switchтАЩs sharp crack, Kidder heard the banker mutter, тАЬIf he does it, IтАЩm all set. If
he doesnтАЩt, at least the crazy fool will keep himself busy on the island.тАЭ
Kidder eyed the radiophone, for an instant with raised eyebrow; and then
shrugged them down again with his shoulders. It was quite evident that Conant
had something up his sleeve, but Kidder wasnтАЩt worried. Who on earth would
want to disturb him? He wasnтАЩt bothering anybody. He went back to the
NeotericsтАЩ building, full of the new power idea.
Eleven days later Kidder called Conant and gave spe-cific instructions on how to
equip his receiver with a fac-simile set which would enable Kidder to send written

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 MICROCOSMIC GOD


mat-ter over the air. As soon as, this was done and Kidder in-formed, the
biochemist for once in his life spoke at some length.
тАЬConant-you implied that a new power source that would be cheaper, more
efficient and more easily trans-mitted than any now in use did not exist. You
might be interested in the little generator I have just set up.
тАЬIt has power, Conant-unbelievable power. Broadcast. A beautiful little tight
beam. Here-catch this on the fac-simile recorder.тАЭ Kidder slipped a sheet of paper
under the clips of his transmitter and it appeared on ConantтАЩs set. тАЬHereтАЩs the
wiring diagram for a power receiver. Now listen. The beam is so tight, so highly
directional, that not three-thousandths of one per cent of the power would be lost
in a, two-thousand-mile transmission. The power sys-tem is closed. That is, any
drain on the beam returns a signal along it to the transmitter, which automatically
steps up to increase the power output. It has a limit, but itтАЩs way up. And
something else. This little gadget of mine can send out eight different beams with
a total horsepower output of around eight thousand per minute per beam. From
each beam you can draw enough power to turn the page of a book or fly a
superstratosphere plane. Hold on-I havenтАЩt finished yet. Each beam, as I told you
before, returns a signal from receiver to transmitter. This not only controls the