They needed a year or two to even approach the problem properly, and some kind of answer was demanded within weeks! Oglethorpe came to the laboratory the morning Harper was to begin his test runs. "We're going on a complete crash-priority basis, with round-the-clock shifts," he said. "It's been a toss-up whether to close Superman and put everything we had on the new Wheel, or leave it open in the hope of getting something out of it. "For the time being I'm leaving it open, but remember that every hour Harper or one of his men spends here is an hour away from the job on the Wheel. "We didn't need your suggestion about an investigation. Plenty of other people thought of it first. The Senators will be here in four or five days. You're going to talk to them. You're going to tell them what you proposed to tell them." "Of course. And what are you going to do about Morgan's cavalcade?" Oglethorpe spat out an exclamation. "We'll set up barricades that they'd better not cross within ten miles of Base!" "That won't help," Paul warned. "I think you'd better let me prepare something for them, too." "Forget them! Take care of the Senators and the Project and you'll be doing enough." Harper arrived shortly, nervous in spite of his attempt to appear composed. But he was put at ease when they took him to the laboratory of complex testing equipment assembled by Nat Holt. Paul indicated a seat in the middle of the mass of equipment. "As near as we've been able to make it," he said, "this simulates the landing procedure of a rocket craft. There are a hundred and thirty-five distinct actions, observations and judgements involved. A taped voice will lead you through the sequence, asking you to press buttons and make adjustments to indicate your observations and responses. When you can do all this to your satisfaction, you will turn off the tape and continue for as many cycles as you can." "How long? A man could do that for a month, provided he didn't have to sleep." "I think you'll be a little surprised. You will continue until your accumulation of errors becomes so great that the entire procedure collapses." "It still looks like a kid's game to me," Harper said confidently. "Let's get started." Carefully, they fitted the multiple electrodes of the electro-encephalograph recorder to his skull. The tape instructor was turned on, and Harper began the first cycle. Behind the one-way glass of the observation room, Paul sat with Nat Holt and Professor Barker and two assistants, watching. The rocket engineer began jauntily, contemptuous of the simple actions required of him, impatient to have it over with and get back to his duties at the take-off stand.