jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第67节

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　〃Shouldn't　we　take　steps　to　protect　the　residents　near　the　displaced　segments？〃　Nick　prodded；
　Still　the　President　ignored　him。　Nick　caught　Elizabeth's　eye；　and　she　shook　her　head　briefly；　indicating　they　had　done　nothing　about　this。
　Finally　Gogh　spoke。　〃I'm　sure　the　local　authorities　are　taking　care　of　that　problem；　but　as　you　will　see　there　may　not　be　any　need　for　federal　action。　Next　slide；　please。　This　slide　shows　New　York　an　hour　later。　Notice　that　the　missing　segment　is　back。〃
　Instantly　the　room　erupted　into　a　mixture　of　relief；　disbelief；　and　hope。　For　a　minute　Gogh　enjoyed　the　effect　of　his　pronouncement；　then　pushed　on。
　〃Notice　the　fuzzy　sections　around　the　displaced　segment。　This　next　slide　shows　a　blowup　of　the　fuzzy　section。〃
　Another　picture　Nick　had　not　seen　appeared　on　the　screen。　It　was　an　aerial　shot　of　buildings；　but　they　were　transparent　and　the　golden　color　of　the　grassland　showed　through　them。　More　discussion　rippled　around　the　room；　though　the　President　sat　quietly　lost　in　his　own　thoughts。　Elizabeth　tried　to　whisper　to　him　again；　but　he　dismissed　her　with　another　wave。
　〃Notice　the　indefinite　state　of　this　section。〃　Gogh　walked　to　the　screen　and　pointed　at　the　transparent　section。　〃Notice　also　this　ring。〃　He　traced　a　thin　golden　section。　〃This　is　a　section　of　grassland　around　the　outer　edge　of　the　displaced　segment。　The　next　photo　was　taken　two　hours　later；　and　the　next　was　taken　an　hour　after　that。〃
　The　next　slide　showed　a　New　York　City　with　a　clearly　missing　section。　It　was　quickly　followed　by　a　slide　showing　New　York　with　the　piece　back。　It　took　Nick　a　minute　to　notice　the　change。
　〃You　will　see；〃　Dr。　Gogh　said；　pointing　with　a　pen；　〃that　the　amount　of　city　in　the　displaced　segment　is　smaller　and　the　indefinite　area　has　pulled　toward　the　center。　Notice　also　that　the　ring　of　grassland　has　grown　larger。〃　Again　he　traced　the　golden　ring　around　the　oval。　〃This　phenomena　tells　us　two　things。　First；　that　the　effect　appears　to　be　in　an　indefinite　state。　Second；　that　the　effect　is　reaching　a　state　of　equilibrium；　and　doing　so　rather　quickly。　The　oscillations　between　city　and　prairie　are　irregular；　but　the　growth　of　the　stabilized　time…displaced　sections　is　increasing　logarithmically。　We　have　little　time　to　act。　Fortunately；　we　have　developed　a　plan　of　action　to　deal　with　the　problem。〃
　Everyone　at　the　table　leaned　forward　at　that　point　except　the　secretary　of　defense；　who　kept　her　eyes　down　and　looked　distinctly　unfortable。
　〃We　have　accepted　the　theory　that　the　time　displacement　occurred　as　a　result　of　time　disruption　created　by　the　detonation　of　nuclear　devices。　However；　the　idea　that　waves　are　sweeping　across　the　surface　of　the　planet　has　been　rejected。　Instead；　in　conjunction　with　Dr。　Gomez；　at　the　Fermi　Institute；　I　have　developed　a　model　that　shows　that　the　current　effects　and　the　originating　explosions　are　actually　connected。〃
　〃Connected　how？〃　the　CIA　director　asked。　〃The　bomb　testing　you　are　talking　about　happened　in　the　sixties；　maybe　even　the　fifties。〃
　〃The　explosions　created　an　effect　that　crosses　space　and　time。　The　effect　we　have　today　is　happening　because　the　explosions　are　happening　right　now　in　the　sixties。〃
　Cannon　shook　his　head　in　confusion　but　kept　quiet。
　〃Since　the　events　in　the　past　and　the　current　event　are　linked；　it　means　we　have　an　opportunity　to　manipulate　the　event。　We　intend　to　disrupt　the　effect　before　it　has　a　chance　to　reach　equilibrium　by　creating　another　time　wave　to　counteract　the　effects　of　the　one　that　produced　our　current　problems。〃
　Nick　was　confused　for　a　moment。　He　knew　of　no　way　to　create　a　time　wave　except　with　dense　matter；　and　the　only　human　way　to　create　dense　matter　was　with　a　nuclear　explosion。　Then　he　realized　what　Gogh　was　planning　and　a　sick　feeling　swept　over　him。　A　moment　later　Gogh　confirmed　what　Nick　was　thinking。
　〃We　intend　to　use　a　nuclear　detonation　to　create　another　wave。〃
　As　chaotic　discussion　followed；　Gogh　and　the　President　waited　it　out。　Most　of　the　questions　directed　at　the　President　were　the　〃Why　wasn't　I　consulted？〃　type。　When　order　returned　Nick　managed　to　get　the　floor。
　〃We　don't　know　this　will　work。　We　don't　even　know　for　sure　this　is　caused　by　the　nuclear　explosions。　For　all　we　know；　it　could　be　some　factor　interacting　with　the　detonations　to　produce　the　effect。　Besides；　what's　happened　to　us　wasn't　pro…duced　by　a　single　bomb；　it　was　the　accumulative　effects　of　hundreds　of　explosions。〃
　〃That's　why　we　intend　to　use　more　than　one　device。〃　Gogh　waited；　making　Nick　ask　the　obvious　question。
　〃How　many　more　than　one？〃
　〃One　hundred。〃
　Even　the　stoic　military　officers　gasped　at　the　thought　of　detonating　a　hundred　hydrogen　bombs。　Nick　was　stunned　by　the　thought　but　slowly　realized　if　you　were　going　to　take　this　course　of　action　you　had　little　choice　but　to　use　such　megatonnage。　The　time　wave　that　had　disrupted　Nick's　present　and　sent　millions；　if　not　billions；　of　people　spinning　off　into　time　wasn't　caused　by　one　or　two　bombs。　There　had　been　nearly　a　thousand　British　and　American　bombs　tested　at　the　New　Mexico　test　site　alone。　From　that　perspective　a　hundred　bombs　was　even　conservative；　but　no　human　or　natural　event　could　match　the　power　of　one　hundred　warheads　detonated　in　the　atmosphere。　Krakatoa　and　Mount　Saint　Helens　would　pale　in　parison。　Nick　recalled　the　nuclear　winter　concerns　of　a　few　years　ago。　Even　if　they　got　the　missing　people　back；　they　could　lose　them　again　to　starvation。　Nick　quickly　assessed　the　benefits　and　costs　and　took　his　stand。
　〃You　can't　do　this。　We　don't　understand　what　we're　dealing　with　yet。　All　we　have　is　a　rudimentary　theory　and　there　is　no　evidence　that　this　will　return　things　to　normal。　At　best　all　you　will　do　is　create　more　time　displacement　and　at　worst　。　。　。　who　knows？　We　know　it　will　cause　vast　destruction；　and　may　have　long…term　effects。　You　have　heard　of　nuclear　winter？〃
　〃A　discredited　theory；〃
　〃It　won't　be　theory　if　we　detonate　that　many　warheads；　and　then　it　could　be　too　late。〃
　Nick　was　surprised　to　find　the　President　and　not　Gogh　responding。　〃We　know　what　will　happen　if　we　don't　do　anything。　We　will　lose　millions　of　our　citizens；　billions　of　dollars　in　prop…erty；　not　to　mention　the　cost　of　rebuilding。　This　country　already　has　more　debt　than　most　of　the　rest　of　the　world　bined。　How　will　we　rebuild　from　this？　You　see；　Dr。　Paulson；　I　am　thinking　of　the　human　factor。　The　human　factor　on　a　worldwide　scale。〃
　〃Mr。　President…〃　Nick　began；　but　found　himself　cut　off　by　the　President。
　〃We've　considered　the　risks；　Dr。　Paulson；　as　well　as　safety　and　other　issues。〃　The　President　motioned　for　Gogh　to　continue；　then　picked　up　a　paper　clip　and　began　twisting　it　into　a　shape　he　could　twirl。
　Gogh　returned　to　his　presentation　with　a　new　air　of　confidence　and　self…importance。　〃As　the　President　indicated　we　have　considered　the　consequences　of　this　action　and　have　taken　steps　to　reduce　risk。　First；　we　must　select　a　displaced　segment　suitable　to　our　needs。　The　potential　detonation　sites　are　limited　by　several　factors。　They　must　be　U。S。　territory　and　must　not　require　an　overflight　of　another　country　to　reach　the　site。　We　have　too　little　time　to　pursue　diplomatic　channels　for　overflight　permission。　Second；　the　site　should　be　located　as　far　west　as　possible。　The　effect　spread　from　the　east　to　the　west；　so　there　will　be　more　instability　in　a　western　site。〃
　The　east…to…west　spread　was　a　new　idea　to　Nick。　He　hadn't　seen　that　on　the　PresNetr　and　Gomez　had　not　mentioned　it。　Did　the　idea　originate　with　Gogh？
　〃Third；　since　the　detonation　will　take　place　in　our　past　it　must　be　in　an　era　that　will　not　disrupt　our　present。　So　far　all　the　confirmed　data　suggests　the　displaced　segments　are　from　the　Cretaceous　period；　but　we　can't　be　sure　of　all。　Some　could　be　from　more　recent　time　periods　and　possibly　even　the　future。〃
　〃Dr。　Gogh；〃　Nick　interrupted；　〃what　do　you　mean　the　detonations　will　take　place　in　our　past？〃
　〃We　will　select　a　displaced　segment　that　is　clearly　not　from　the　future；　or　the　near　past。〃
　〃But　all　these　segments　are　in　the　present　now。〃
　〃When　the　bombs　go　off　they　will　return　to　the　past。〃
　〃What　do　you　base　that　prediction　on？〃
　〃I've　been　in　consultation　with　colleagues　who　agree　that　a　new　ripple　could　return　the　time　segments　back　to　where　they　came　from。　Therefore；　the　explosions　will　take　place　in　the　past　and　remain　in　the　past；　and　not　affect　our　present。〃
　〃Isn't　it　more　accurate　to　say　that　your　colleagues　agree　that　time　displacement　is　likely　to　occur　again；　but　they　are　not　sure　whether　the　displaced　segments　will　return　to　their　own　time　or　whether　new　displacement　will　occur？〃
　〃There　is　some　disagreement；　yes。　However；　it　is　a　course　of　action　with　little　or　no　risk　and　the　potential　of　great　gain。〃
　〃No　risk　to　you　。　。　。　to　us　。。。　only　if　you're　right　about　the　detonations　taking　place　in　the　past。　But　what　about　whoever　is　at　ground　zero？〃
　〃No　one　will　be　at　ground　zero。　Perhaps　some　animals；　yes；　but　unless　you're　a　radical　antivivisectionist　I　can't　believe　you　would　exchange　the　lives　of　a　few　animals　for　millions　of　people。〃
　Gogh's　last　sentence　was　spoken　as　if　from　a　pulpit。　The　President's　eyes　looked　glassy　an