jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第76部分

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lions　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　and　he　seemed　to　be　uninterested　in　the　discussion；　as　if　he'd　expected　some　disagreement　and　was　letting　it　run　its　course。　Elizabeth　looked　encouragingly　at　Nick；　so　he　took　another　approach。
　〃It　won't　work。　You　won't　be　able　to　identify　enough　identical　time　periods　to　drop　the　bombs　into。　Besides；　even　if　you　could；　the　time　displacement　would　end　up　taking　place　sometime　in　our　future　and　past；　depending　on　how　far　apart　the　detonations　are　at　the　various　sites。〃
　〃True。　That　is　why　we　intend　to　detonate　all　the　bombs　in　the　same　displacement　at　the　same　time。　The　simultaneous　explosions　will　create　the　effect　immediately。〃
　〃Immediately　in　our　past〃　Nick　corrected。
　〃Yes；　but　with　immediate　effects　in　our　present。〃
　〃On　what　do　you　base　that　conclusion？〃
　〃On　an　improved　version　of　a　theory　you　endorsed　just　a　short　time　ago。〃
　The　President's　loud　slap　on　the　table　broke　the　exchange。　〃Dr。　Paulson；　there　is　no　place　for　professional　jealousy　in　my　administration。　You　will　receive　appropriate　credit　for　your　contribution　to　solving　our　problem；　but　don't　attack　Dr。　Gogh　for　taking　your　idea　a　step　further　than　you　were　able　to　yourself。　I　asked　for　solutions　and　I　got　nothing　from　anyone　except　Arnie。　You　had　your　chance。　Now　unless　you　have　something　constructive　to　contribute　I　suggest　we　move　on。〃
　〃Mr。　President；　perhaps　no　one　offered　a　solution　because　there　is　no　solution。〃
　〃That's　defeatist。　Let's　move　on。〃
　〃This　won't　bring　your　wife　back；　sir。〃
　〃I　said　move　on！〃
　Tears　filled　the　President's　eyes　and　Nick　regretted　mentioning　Sandy。　He　knew　if　he　pushed　it　any　further　now　he　would　risk　losing　his　seat　at　the　Security　Council　and　his　chance　to　influence　the　oute。　
　The　rest　of　the　meeting　was　a　discussion　of　possible　detonation　sites。　The　one　chosen　could　not　have　any　evidence　of　human　presence；　or　any　signs　of　civilization。　They　did　not　want　to　risk　killing　people　from　the　past；　since　that　might　set　off　a　chain　of　events　that　would　alter　the　present。　Since　munication　across　the　country　was　disrupted；　they　had　very　little　information　to　work　with；　and　as　a　result　the　list　of　potential　sites　was　small。　There　was　an　Alaskan　site　southeast　of　Nome　described　as　having　sparse　vegetation。　It　was　on　the　list　because　of　unconfirmed　reports　that　a　pack　of　dinosaurs　was　attacking　a　herd　of　elk　there。
　The　second　site　was　in　northeastern　Washington；　where　a　huge　glacier　now　covered　parts　of　Washington；　Idaho；　and　Canada。　However；　the　detonation　site　was　unfortably　near　the　Canadian　border。　The　third　site　was　what　had　been　Portland；　Oregon。　Gogh　announced　that　they　were　expecting　aerial　photos　any　minute　to　confirm　the　eyewitness　reports；　but　so　far　it　appeared　to　be　a　displacement　populated　by　dinosaurs。
　The　discussion　moved　on　to　the　preparation　efforts。　The　military　was　using　overflights　of　the　potential　sites　to　develop　the　bit　maps　that　would　guide　the　cruise　missiles　to　their　target　area。　Since　the　missiles　would　be　launched　by　both　ships　and　B…l　bombers　and　would　have　to　travel　different　distances　over　a　variety　of　terrain；　timing　would　be　tricky　and　need　highly　accurate　maps。
　Nick　felt　dazed。　His　mind　had　not　switched　over　to　the　practical　side　of　the　plan；　he　couldn't　get　the　image　of　one　hundred　bombs　going　off　at　once　out　of　his　mind。
　Nick　paled　at　the　thought　of　the　impact　on　any　site；　but　especially　Portland。　Bombing　uninhabited　sections　of　Alaska　or　eastern　Washington　was　horrifying；　but　the　thought　of　its　effect　on　a　metropolitan　area　sickened　him。　Abruptly；　he　decided　to　risk　expulsion　from　the　council　and　broke　in　at　the　first　pause。
　〃Since　the　sites　are　unstable；　sometimes　they　are　the　present　and　sometimes　the　past。　How　will　you　be　sure　to　deliver　the　bombs　to　the　past？〃
　Gogh　smiled　at　the　question。　Clearly　he　had　thought　of　this　and　prepared　an　answer。
　〃The　missiles　are　terrain　guided。　They　will　be　programmed　with　the　terrain　from　the　past。　If　they　do　not　identify　the　terrain　as　matching　their　program　they　will　not　arm　their　warheads。　Instead；　the　missiles　will　harmlessly　pass　over　the　site；〃　Gogh　said；　and　then　swept　his　audience　with　his　eyes。　〃Thus　guaranteeing　the　detonations　will　occur　in　the　past。〃
　Nick　conceded　to　himself　that　it　could　work。　Still；　from　what　he　knew　of　the　programming　of　cruise　missiles　Gogh　wasn't　telling　the　whole　story。
　〃Dr。　Gogh；　isn't　it　true　that　under　bat　conditions　cruise　missiles　often　arrive　at　their　target　after　previous　attacks　have　significantly　altered　the　terrain？〃
　Gogh　looked　at　Nick　suspiciously；　as　if　he　knew　where　Nick　was　leading　him。
　〃Can　you　tell　the　council　how　the　missile's　programming　handles　that　contingency？〃　Nick　continued。
　He　glared　at　Nick；　leaving　unfortable　silence　in　the　room。　Finally；　Dr。　Gogh　answered　in　a　monotone。　〃When　the　missile　nears　its　termination　point；　and　the　terrain　ceases　to　match　the　digitized　map；　the　missile　can　exercise　an　option　to　use　the　last　confirmed　position　to　estimate　distance　and　direction　to　target。〃
　Many　of　those　at　the　table　began　murmuring；　but　Nick　wanted　to　make　sure　everyone　knew　full　well　what　Gogh's　missiles　would　do。
　〃In　other　words