Masters Of The Vortex Part 14

'But how could could he suspect us?' Cloud demanded. 'We couldn't have been on four planets at once.' he suspect us?' Cloud demanded. 'We couldn't have been on four planets at once.'

'You will have been on three of them, though; and I can tell you now that routing was not exactly coincidence."

'Oh ... and I wasn't informed?'

'No. Top Bra.s.s didn't want to disturb you too much, especially since we hoped to catch him before things got this far along. But you're in it now, clear to the neck. You and your people will be under surveillance every second, from here on in, and you'll be covered as no chief of state was ever covered in all history I 147.

15: Joan and Her Brains

The trip from Chickladoria to Vegia, while fairly long, was uneventful.

Joan spent her working hours, of course, at her regular job of rebuilding the giant computer. Cloud spent his at the galactic chart or in the control room staring into a tank; cla.s.sifying, a.n.a.lyzing, building up and knocking down hypotheses and theories, wringing every possible drop of knowledge from all the data he could collect.

In their 'spare' time, of which each had quite a great deal, they worked together at their telepathy; to such good purpose that, when so working, verbal communication between them became rarer and rarer. And, alone or in a crowd, within sight of each other or not, in any place or at any time, asleep or awake, each had only to think at the other and they were instantly in full mental rapport.

And oftener and oftener there came those instaneously-fleet-ing touches of something infinitely more than mere telepathy; that fusion of minds which was so ultimately intimate that neither of the two could have said whether he longed for or dreaded its full coming the more. In fact, for several days before reaching Vegia, each knew that they could bring about that full fusion any time they chose to do so; but both s.h.i.+ed away from its consummation, each as violently as the other.

Thus the trip did not seem nearly as long as it actually was.

The first order of business on Vegia, of course, was the extinguishment of its five loose atomic vortices-for which reason this was to be pretty much a planetary holiday, although that is of little concern here.

As the Vortex Blaster 11 Vortex Blaster 11 began settling into position, the two scientists took their places. Cloud was apparently his usual self-controlled self, but Joan was white and strained-almost shaking. He sent her a steadying thought, but her block was up, solid. began settling into position, the two scientists took their places. Cloud was apparently his usual self-controlled self, but Joan was white and strained-almost shaking. He sent her a steadying thought, but her block was up, solid.

'Don't take it so hard, Joanie,' he said, soberly. 'Margie'11 take 'em, I hope-but even if she doesn't, there's a dozen things not tried yet.'

'That's just the trouble-there aren't! aren't! We put just about We put just about _.

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everything we had into Lulu; Margie is only a few milliseconds better. Perhaps Perhaps there are a dozen things not tried yet, but I haven't the faintest, foggiest smidgeon of an idea of what any of them could be. Margie is the last word, Storm-the best a.n.a.logue computer it is possible to build with today's knowledge.' there are a dozen things not tried yet, but I haven't the faintest, foggiest smidgeon of an idea of what any of them could be. Margie is the last word, Storm-the best a.n.a.logue computer it is possible to build with today's knowledge.'

'And I haven't been a lick of help. I wish I could be, Joan.'

'I don't see how you can be ... Oh, excuse me, Storm, I didn't mean that half the way it sounds. Do you want to check the circuitry? I'll send for the prints.'

'No, I couldn't even carry your water-bottle on that part of the job. I've got just a sort of a dim, half-baked idea that there's a possibility that maybe I haven't been giving you and your brains a square deal. By studying the graphs of the next three or four tests maybe I can find out whether ...'

'Lieutenant-Commander Janowick, we are in position,' a crisp voice came from the speaker. 'You may take over when ready, madam.'

'Thank you, sir.' Joan nipped a switch and Margie took control of the s.h.i.+p and its armament-subject only to Cloud's overriding right to fire at will.

'Just a minute, Storm,' Joan said then. 'Unfinished business. Whether what?'

'Whether there's anything I can do-or fail to do-that might help; but I've got to have a lot more data.'

Cloud turned to his chart, Joan to hers; and nothing happened until Cloud blew out the vortex himself.

The same lack of something happened in the case of the next vortex, and also the next. Then, as the instruments began working in earnest on the fourth, Cloud reveiwed in his mind the figures of the three previous trials. On the first vortex, a big toughie, Margie had been two hundred fifty milliseconds short. On the second, a fairly small one, she had come up to seventy-five. On Number Three, middle-sized, the lag had been one twenty-five. That made sense. Lag was proportional to activity and it was just too bad for Margie. And just too d.a.m.n d.a.m.n bad for Joanie-the poor kid was just about to blow her stack ... bad for Joanie-the poor kid was just about to blow her stack ...

But wait a minute! What's this? This number four's a little bit of a new one, about as small as they ever come. Margie ought to be taking it, if she's ever going to take anything ... but she isn't! She's running d.a.m.n near three hundred mils behind!

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Why? Oh-amplitudes-frequencies extreme instability ... Lag isn't proportional only only to activity, then, but jointly to activity and to instability. to activity, then, but jointly to activity and to instability.

That gives us a chance-but what in all nine of Palain's purple h.e.l.ls h.e.l.ls is that machine is that machine doing doing with that data? with that data?

He started to climb out of his bucket seat to go around to talk to Joan right then, but changed his mind at his first move. Even if Margie could could handle mis little one it wouldn't be a real test, and it'd be a crying shame to give Joan a success here and then kick her in the teeth with a flat failure next time. No, the next one, the only one left and Vegia's worst, would be the one. If Margie could handle handle mis little one it wouldn't be a real test, and it'd be a crying shame to give Joan a success here and then kick her in the teeth with a flat failure next time. No, the next one, the only one left and Vegia's worst, would be the one. If Margie could handle that, that, she could snuff anything the galaxy had to offer. she could snuff anything the galaxy had to offer.

Hence Cloud extinguished this one, too, himself. The Vortex Blaster II Vortex Blaster II darted to its last Vegian objective and lined itself up for business. Joan put Margie to work as usual; but Storm, for the first time, did not take his own place. Instead, he came around and stood behind Joan's chair. darted to its last Vegian objective and lined itself up for business. Joan put Margie to work as usual; but Storm, for the first time, did not take his own place. Instead, he came around and stood behind Joan's chair.

'How're we doing, little chum?' he asked.

'Rotten!' Joan's block was still up; her voice was choked with tears. 'She's come so close half a dozen times today-why -why can't I get that last fraction of a second?' can't I get that last fraction of a second?'

'Maybe you can.' As though it were the most natural thing in the world-which in fact it was-Cloud put his left arm around her shoulders and exerted a gentle pressure. 'Bars down, chum-we can think a lot clearer than we can talk.'

'That's better,' as her guard went down. 'Your differential 'scope looks like it's set about one centimeter to the second. Can you give it enough vertical gain to make it about five?'

'Yes. Ten if you like, but the trace would keep jumping the screen on the down-swings.'

'I wouldn't care about that-closest approach is all I want. Give it full gain."

'QX, but why?' Joan demanded, as she made the requested adjustment. 'Did you find out something I can't dig deep enough in your mind to pry loose?'

'Don't know yet whether I did or not-I can tell you in a couple of minutes,' and Cloud concentrated his full attention upon the chart and its adjacent oscilloscope screen.

One pen of the chart was drawing a thin, wildly-wavering red line. A few seconds behind it a second pen was tracing the 150.

red line in black; tracing it so exactly that not the tiniest touch of red was to be seen anywhere along the black. And on the screen of the differential oscilloscope the fine green saw-tooth wave-form of the electronic trace, which gave continuously the instantaneous value of the brain's shortage in time, flickered insanely and apparently reasonlessly up and down; occasionally falling clear off the bottom of the screen. If that needle-pointed trace should touch the zero line, however briefly, Margie the Brain would act; but it was not coming within one full centimeter of touching.

'The feeling that these failures have been partly, or even mostly, my fault is growing on me,' Cloud thought, tightening his arm a little: and Joan, if anything, yielded to the pressure instead of fighting away from it. 'Maybe I haven't been waiting long enough to give your brains the leeway they need. To check: I've been a.s.suming all along that they work in pretty much the same way I do; that they handle all the data, out to the limit of validity of the equations, but aren't fast enough to work out a three-point-six-second prediction.

'But if I'm reading those curves right Margie simply isn't working that way. She doesn't seem to be extrapolating anything anything more than three and a half seconds ahead-'way short of the reliability limit-and sometimes a lot less than that. She isn't more than three and a half seconds ahead-'way short of the reliability limit-and sometimes a lot less than that. She isn't accepting accepting data far enough ahead. She acts as though she can gulp down just so much information without choking on it -so much and no more.' data far enough ahead. She acts as though she can gulp down just so much information without choking on it -so much and no more.'

'Exactly. An over-simplification, of course, since it isn't the kind of choking that giving her a bigger throat would cure, but very well put.' Joan's right hand crept across her body, rested on Cloud's wrist, and helped his squeeze, while her face turned more directly toward the face so close to hers. 'That's inherent in the design of all really fast machines ... and we simply don't know any way of getting away from it ... Why? What has that to do with the case?'

'A lot-I hope. When I was working in a flitter I had to wait up to half an hour sometimes, for the sigma curve to stabilize enough so that the equations would hold valid and give a longer valid prediction.'

'Stabilize? How? I've never seen a sigma curve flatten out. Or does "stabilize" have a special meaning for you vortex experts?'

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'Could be. It's what happens when a sigma becomes a little more regular than usual, so that a simpler equation will give a longer valid prediction.'

'I see; and a difference in wave-form that would be imperceptible to me might mean a lot to you.'

'Right. It just occurred to me that a similar line of reasoning may hold for this seemingly entirely different set of conditions. The less unstable the curve, the less complicated the equations and the smaller the volume of actual data ...'

'Oh!' Joan's thought soared high. 'So Margie may work yet, yet, if we wait a while?' if we wait a while?'

'Check. Browning can't take the s.h.i.+p away from you, can he?'

'No. n.o.body can do anything until the job is done or I punch that red "stop" b.u.t.ton there. D'you suppose she can can do it, Storm? How long can we wait?' do it, Storm? How long can we wait?'

'Half an hour, I'd say. No, to settle the point definitely, let's wait until I can get a full ten-second prediction and see what Margie's doing about the situation then.'

'Wonderful! But in that case, it might be a good idea for you to be looking at the chart, don't you think?' she asked, pointedly. His eyes, at the moment, were looking directly into hers, from a distance of approximately twelve inches.

'I'll look at it later, but right now I'm ...'

The s.h.i.+p quivered under the terrific, the unmistakable triphammer blow of propellant heptadetonite. Un.o.bserved by either of the two scientists most concerned, the sigma curve had, momentarily, become a trifle less irregular. The point of the sawtooth had touched the zero line. Margie had acted. The visiplate, from which the heavily-filtered glare of the vortex had blazed so long, went suddenly black.

'She did it, Storm!' Joan's thought was a mental shriek of joy. Storm!' Joan's thought was a mental shriek of joy. 'She really worked!' 'She really worked!'

Whether, when the s.h.i.+p went free, Joan pulled Storm down to her merely to anchor him, or for some other reason; whether Cloud grabbed her merely in lieu of a safety-line or not; which of the two was first to put arms around the other; these are moot points impossible of decision at this date. The fact is, however, that the two scientists held a remarkably unscientific pose for a good two minutes before Joan thought that she ought to object a little, just on general principles. Even then, 152.

she did not object with her mind; instead she put up her block and used her voice.

'But, after all, Storm,' she began, only to be silenced as beloved women have been silenced throughout the ages. She cut her screen then, and her mind, tender and unafraid, reached out to his.

'This might be the perfect time, dear, to merge our minds? I've been scared to death of it all along, but no more ... let's?' 'Uh-huh,' he demurred. 'I'm still still afraid of it. I've been thinking about it a lot, and doing some drilling, and the more I play with it the more scared I get. It's dangerous. It's like playing with duodec. I've just about decided that we'd better let it drop.' afraid of it. I've been thinking about it a lot, and doing some drilling, and the more I play with it the more scared I get. It's dangerous. It's like playing with duodec. I've just about decided that we'd better let it drop.'

'Afraid? For yourself, or for me? Don't try to lie with your mind, Storm; you can't do it. You're afraid only for me, and you needn't be. I've been thinking, too, and digging deep, and I know I'm ready.' She looked up at him then, her quick, bright, impish grin very much in evidence. 'Let's go.'

'QX, Joanie, and thanks. I've been wanting this more than I ever wanted anything before in my life. But not holding hands, this time. Heart to heart and cheek to cheek.' 'Check-the closer the better.'

They embraced, and again mind flowed into mind; this time with no thought of withholding or reserve on either side. Smoothly, effortlessly, the two essential beings merged, each fitting its tiniest, remotest members into the deepest, ordinarily most inaccessible recesses of the other; fusing as quickly and as delicately and as thoroughly as two drops of water coalescing into one.

In that supremely intimate fusion, that ultimate union of line and plane and cellule, each mind was revealed completely to the other; a revealment which no outsider should expect to share.

Finally, after neither ever knew how long, they released each other and each put up, automatically, a solid block.

'I don't know about you, Storm,' Joan said then, 'but I've had just about all I can take. I'm going to bed and sleep for one solid week.'

'You and me both,' Storm agreed, ungrammatically, but feelingly. 'Good night, sweetheart ... and this had all better be strictly hush-hush, don't you think?' 'I do do think,' she a.s.sured him. 'Can't you just imagine the think,' she a.s.sured him. 'Can't you just imagine the 153.

field-day the psychs would have, taking us apart?'

In view of the above, it might be a.s.sumed that the parting was immediate, positive, and undemonstrative; but such was not exactly the case. But they did finally separate, and each slept soundly and long.

And fairly early the next morning-before either of them got up, at least-Cloud sent Joan a thought.

'Awake, dear?'

'Uh-huh. Just. 'Morning, Storm.'

'I've got some news for you, Joanie. My brain is firing on ten times as many barrels as I ever thought it had, and I don't know what half of 'em are doing. Among other things, you made what I think is probably a top-bracket perceiver out of me.'

'So? Well, don't peek at me, please ... but why should I say that, after having studied in Rigel Four for two years? Women are funny, I guess. But, for your information, I have just extracted the ninth root of an eighteen-digit number, in no time at all and to the last significant decimal place, and I know know the answer is right. How do you like the answer is right. How do you like them them potatoes, Buster?' potatoes, Buster?'

'Nice. We really absorbed each other's stuff, didn't we? But how about joining me in person for a soupcon of ham and eggs?'

'That's a thought, my thoughtful friend; a cogent and right knightly thought. I'll be with you in three jerks and a wiggle.' And she was.

Just as they finished eating, Vesta breezed in. 'Well, you two deep-sleepers finally crawled out of your sacks, did you? It is confusing, though, that s.h.i.+p's time never agrees with planetary time. But I live here, you know, in this city you call "Vegiaton", so I went to bed at noon yesterday and I've got over half a day's work done already. I saw my folks and bought half of my uncle's bank and made the no-gambling declaration and I want to ask you both something. After the Grand Uproar here at the 'port in your honor, will you two and Helen and Joe and Bob and Barbara come with me to a little dance some of my friends are having? You've been zo good to me, and I want to show you off a little.'

'We'll be glad glad to, Vesta, and thanks a lot,' Joan said, flas.h.i.+ng a thought at Cloud to let her handle this thing her own way, 'and I imagine the others would be, too, but ... well, it's to, Vesta, and thanks a lot,' Joan said, flas.h.i.+ng a thought at Cloud to let her handle this thing her own way, 'and I imagine the others would be, too, but ... well, it's 154.

for you, you, you know, and we might be intruding ...' you know, and we might be intruding ...'

'Why, not at all!' Vesta waved the objection away with an airy flirt of her tail. 'You're friends of mine! And everybody's real friends are always welcome, you know, everywhere. And it'll be small and quiet; only six or eight hundred are being asked, they say ...' she paused for a moment: '... of course, after it gets around that we have you you there, a couple of thousand or so strangers will come in too; but they'll all smell nice, so it'll be QX.' there, a couple of thousand or so strangers will come in too; but they'll all smell nice, so it'll be QX.'

'How do you know what they'll smell like?' Cloud asked.

'Why, they'll smell like our crowd, of course. If they didn't they wouldn't want want to come in. It's QX, then?' to come in. It's QX, then?'

'For us two, yes; but of course we can't speak for the others.'

'Thanks, you wonderful people; I'll go ask them right now.'

'Joan, have you blown your stack completely?' Cloud demanded. 'Small-quiet-six or eight hundred hundred invited-a couple of thousand invited-a couple of thousand or or so gate-crashers-what do you want to go to a brawl like so gate-crashers-what do you want to go to a brawl like that that for?' for?'

'The chance is too good to miss-it's priceless ...' She paused, then added, obliquely: 'Storm, have you any idea at all of what Vesta thinks of you? You haven't snooped, I'm sure.'

'No, and I don't intend to.'

'Maybe you ought to,' Joan snickered a little, 'except that it would inflate your ego too much. It's hard to describe. It's not exactly love-and not exactly wors.h.i.+p, either G.o.d-wors.h.i.+p or hero-wors.h.i.+p. It isn't exactly adoration, but it's very much stronger than mere admiration. A mixture of all these, perhaps, and half a dozen others, coupled with a simply unbelievable amount of pride pride that you are her friend. It's a peculiarly Vegian thing, that Tellurians simply do not feel. But here's why I'm so enthused. It has been over twenty years since any non-Vegian has attended one of these uniquely Vegian parties except as an outsider, and a Vegian party with outsiders looking on isn't a Vegian party at all. But we Storm, will be going as insiders!' that you are her friend. It's a peculiarly Vegian thing, that Tellurians simply do not feel. But here's why I'm so enthused. It has been over twenty years since any non-Vegian has attended one of these uniquely Vegian parties except as an outsider, and a Vegian party with outsiders looking on isn't a Vegian party at all. But we Storm, will be going as insiders!'

'Are you sure of that?'

'Positive. Oh, I know it isn't us us she wants, but she wants, but you; you; but that won't make any difference. As Vesta's friend-"friend" in this case having a very special meaning-you're in the center of the inner circle. As friends of yours, the rest of us are in, too. Not in the inner circle, perhaps, but well inside the outside circle, at least. See?' but that won't make any difference. As Vesta's friend-"friend" in this case having a very special meaning-you're in the center of the inner circle. As friends of yours, the rest of us are in, too. Not in the inner circle, perhaps, but well inside the outside circle, at least. See?'

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'Dimly. "A friend of a friend of a friend of a very good friend of mine," eh? I've heard that ditty, but I never thought it meant anything.'

'It does here. We're going to have a time. See you in about an hour?'

'Just about. I've got to check with Nordquist.'

'Here I am, Storm,' the Lensman's thought came in. Then, as Cloud went toward his quarters, it went on: 'Just want to tell you we won't have anything for you to do here. This is going to be a straight combing job.'