He pointed to the radar, to the radio, to the auto-pilot mechanism, to
the instrument panel, and to the gyro-compass. Tiny wires came from
each and were cut. They matched the grayish metal cube in his hand.
Narina agreed silently, her luminous eyes staring intently at the cube.
And as they contemplated the incomprehensible thing, the radio broke
into life. It was Jason Charless, making his first message to General
Lloyd; both Vinson and Narina listened intently until Jason Charless
was cut off abruptly.
Vinson scowled. "How would he know you're mixed up in it?" he asked.
Narina shrugged. "I have a habit of scrawling my name on the backs of
finished components," she said; "he must have seen one."
Vinson nodded absently. "That must be the reason," he said.
Narina looked at him anxiously. "It means that both logic computers are
there," she said. "But with whom?"
"He did not say; he was cut off before he had a chance."
Narina shook her head. "Put yourself in his place," she suggested. "You
ride a guided missile to the spot to spy it out. General Lloyd knows
that the guided missiles are with Charless, ergo he need not tell him
that. The logic computers were mentioned. But Harry, suppose you were
there, landed, expecting full and well to find that my countrymen were
in charge--then discovered that your suspicions were completely wrong.
What would be your first reaction? To correct the error in thinking.
Then to suggest an alliance with us because you find that not only your
own equipment is there, but the equipment of the expected enemy, still
in the hands of the supposed third party."
"Any man in his right mind would blurt the name of the offender,"
agreed Harry Vinson with certainty, "if for no other reason than to
avert striking at the wrong party. If some other country wanted war
between us, they could do no less than start it this way."
"And to uncover the fraud would be an intelligent officer's first
consideration."
"Right. But perhaps Charless saw men and assumed that they were yours."
Narina's face dropped a bit. "With suspicion running as high as it
does," she admitted, "a man might well be satisfied with but a glance."
Then Harry Vinson's smile broke. "No," he said. "Remember that
Charless' message was interrupted. That meant that he was being chased
close by the unknowns. He would definitely have seen them."
"So--?"
"Narina, those machines that were directed to dis-assemble the
computers--they were functioning far above their original capability,
were they not?"
"That they were," she said. "I assumed them to be of American
manufacture since we have always given grudging credit to American
ability with machines."
"While I," said Vinson, shaking his head, "assumed that men came in the
night and stole our computer. Me, I doubt like the very devil that any
group of machines could be built to perform such a complex operation by
radio guidance."
"Quite logical. Of course, I blamed you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account