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.The job carried too much potential power to get all the members of the Council to agreeto put any of the obvious candidates in his place.So they chose a second-rater that everyonefigured wouldn't be smart enough to take advantage of the position.So far, they've been right,and Fairchild knows it.'What was he before? I vaguely remember the name.''He was Samms' public relations officer.''Oh,' Mayor Love said.'One thing you can be sure of: if Samms has started a club, it's worth joining if you can.''Did you find out anything about Copernicus Control?' Larry asked.'No, nothing,' Mayor Love answered.'There's nothing unusual in the Central File computer'srecords that I could find.No one has made a lot of money recently or obviously changed hisspending habits.''All right.It's later than I expected, and I'm beat,' Larry said.'Let's wait and see whathappens at the Board of Directors meeting tomorrow.We should be able to tell where Harnessstands, and afterwards I can work down through the rest of the organization.'A few moments later Lt.McQueen and Mayor Love parted.Neither knew that the Monday morning Boardof Directors meeting would never be held.CHAPTER SEVENEMERGENCY!The next morning Al Lewis sat at his station in Copernicus Control watching the digital clock atthe top of the console click off the seconds.All was quiet for the moment.In two more hours, at0800, his shift would be over.Two hours seemed like forever.He looked over the edge of thebalcony, where the operators sat, down into the tank.Thousands of colored lights blinked back,each representing some object in the 60-foot, tri-dimensional model of the Solar System.It wasthe largest, most complete plotting tank in the Solar System outside the 300-foot unit at SolarianPatrol Headquarters in The Hill.This Unit, however, was just for commercial use.Al pulled down the visor he was wearing and started the color filters cycling through it.Witheach new color different lights in the tank sprang into prominence.Normally, he didn't have timeto look into the tank itself.The edited information he wanted was directly displayed on hisconsole.During the first shift there were six operators to handle traffic.During the graveyardshift there were two, because of the reduced local activities.The tank was actually rarely usedexcept as a general reference and to impress visiting firemen.The filters continued to flick into place.He knew them by heart.Planets, asteroids, mannedstations, unmanned stations, manned commercial spacecraft, manned military spacecraft, privatespacecraft, unmanned cargoes in orbit, meteoroids, navigational satellites.Suddenly, Al Lewis had the feeling again of something being wrong.But what?The filters continued through all the major classification and then started at the beginningagain.And again.He shortened the cycle, eliminating the obviously superfluous filters.A buzzingin his ear indicated that someone wanted to talk to him.Without bothering to look at his board,he pressed the busy switch.'The filters cycled again.Then he saw it.Over there! A meteoroid? There couldn't be a meteoroidin that sector! It would be on his vision plate! Al Lewis turned, and called up the meteoroiddisplay.There was no sign of the meteoroid he had seen in the tank.He expanded the area where hehad seen it.Still nothing.He checked the tank, then his settings.Everything should be okay, butwhere was that meteoroid? He opened a line to the computer.'I can see a meteoroid in the tank about 700,000 miles above Grimaldi.Why isn't it on myconsole?''All meteoroids of over 10,000 cubic feet in volume are called directly to the attention of theDirector or Assistant Director of Copernicus Control.I have been instructed that operatorfile:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/E.iam%20B.%20%20Ellern%20-%20New%20Lensman.txt (28 of 80) [10/15/2004 2:31:41 PM] file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/E.%20E.%20Doc%20Smith%20-%20William%20B.%20%20Ellern%20-%20New%20Lensman.txtcognizance is not required,' the computer answered.'When and where is that one due to land?''It will land in 5 hours, 46 minutes, inside the boundary of Copernicus City.''WHAT?!'The computer repeated itself.For a few moments Al Lewis was without words.He was completely at a loss as to what to say or do.The Copernicus Control operators handled meteoroids, warning people of the 'weather' when smallones were involved, and the redirection of the larger ones.Admittedly, this was the largest onehe had seen but why didn't they know about it? Why had the computer been instructed to edit itfrom the operator's plate? Something was wrong! Horribly wrong!'Who did you tell about this meteoroid?''The Acting Director of Copernicus Control, Jay Harness.''Who gave you the directive about operator cognizance?''The same person.''What has he done about the meteoroid?''I was informed that the Solarian Patrol has been notified and is taking care of the matter.''Who told you?''Jay Harness.''Did he call the Solarian Patrol?''Yes.''What did he say?''I have no record of that conversation.''Why not?''I was instructed not to monitor it.''Who did he call?''The Commanding Officer, Solarian Patrol Tracking Network.''I want to talk to him too.If he isn't available, I'll speak to whoever is available down there.'Al Lewis directed the computer.Changing to the intercom, he told the other operator, 'I've got ared hot emergency.I'm switching my board operation over to you.'The other operator tried to protest.Al cut him off short.Moments later, the S.P.Tracking Network CommandingOfficer came on the visiphone.He turned Al over to the Network Tracking Officer who directed Al'scall to the Chief Tracking Operator.'Dan Digby, Chief Tracking Officer,' the man answered.'This is Copernicus Control.I need information on a meteoroid about 700,000 miles aboveGrimaldi.''QRX, one second,' Chief Digby said, and pressed some buttons.'All right, go ahead.''What is its present status?' asked Al Lewis.Chief Digby touched another button.'You're supposed to be handling it! We're scheduled to QRO youat 0900.'The visiphone blurred a moment as the Copernicus Control computer cut in and queried the SolarianPatrol Tracking Network Computer directly over the video channel.'What are we supposed to be doing?' Al asked Chief Digby when the channel cleared for a fewmoments.'Your report said you're changing its path to a circum lunar orbit for a salvage operation,' ChiefDigby answered.'Should we stand by?'The computer broke into the conversation at this point.'Yes! Stand by for an emergency operation!A deliberate effort to destroy Copernicus is indicated.I am in the process of notifying the Mayorof Copernicus, the Director of Security and the Board of Directors.A state of extreme emergencyexists!'The visiphone blurred again as the two computers compared blocks of information.Al Lewis shrugged and said, 'Try and not stand by.'The voice channel was apparently still operating because he heard Chief Digby say, 'I'll get astatus summary and check with you in a couple of minutes.The only time a computer broke in on mewas during the Nevian War.Then the problem went all the way up to the Commissioner of PublicSafety.'They broke off, leaving the channel to the computers [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.The job carried too much potential power to get all the members of the Council to agreeto put any of the obvious candidates in his place.So they chose a second-rater that everyonefigured wouldn't be smart enough to take advantage of the position.So far, they've been right,and Fairchild knows it.'What was he before? I vaguely remember the name.''He was Samms' public relations officer.''Oh,' Mayor Love said.'One thing you can be sure of: if Samms has started a club, it's worth joining if you can.''Did you find out anything about Copernicus Control?' Larry asked.'No, nothing,' Mayor Love answered.'There's nothing unusual in the Central File computer'srecords that I could find.No one has made a lot of money recently or obviously changed hisspending habits.''All right.It's later than I expected, and I'm beat,' Larry said.'Let's wait and see whathappens at the Board of Directors meeting tomorrow.We should be able to tell where Harnessstands, and afterwards I can work down through the rest of the organization.'A few moments later Lt.McQueen and Mayor Love parted.Neither knew that the Monday morning Boardof Directors meeting would never be held.CHAPTER SEVENEMERGENCY!The next morning Al Lewis sat at his station in Copernicus Control watching the digital clock atthe top of the console click off the seconds.All was quiet for the moment.In two more hours, at0800, his shift would be over.Two hours seemed like forever.He looked over the edge of thebalcony, where the operators sat, down into the tank.Thousands of colored lights blinked back,each representing some object in the 60-foot, tri-dimensional model of the Solar System.It wasthe largest, most complete plotting tank in the Solar System outside the 300-foot unit at SolarianPatrol Headquarters in The Hill.This Unit, however, was just for commercial use.Al pulled down the visor he was wearing and started the color filters cycling through it.Witheach new color different lights in the tank sprang into prominence.Normally, he didn't have timeto look into the tank itself.The edited information he wanted was directly displayed on hisconsole.During the first shift there were six operators to handle traffic.During the graveyardshift there were two, because of the reduced local activities.The tank was actually rarely usedexcept as a general reference and to impress visiting firemen.The filters continued to flick into place.He knew them by heart.Planets, asteroids, mannedstations, unmanned stations, manned commercial spacecraft, manned military spacecraft, privatespacecraft, unmanned cargoes in orbit, meteoroids, navigational satellites.Suddenly, Al Lewis had the feeling again of something being wrong.But what?The filters continued through all the major classification and then started at the beginningagain.And again.He shortened the cycle, eliminating the obviously superfluous filters.A buzzingin his ear indicated that someone wanted to talk to him.Without bothering to look at his board,he pressed the busy switch.'The filters cycled again.Then he saw it.Over there! A meteoroid? There couldn't be a meteoroidin that sector! It would be on his vision plate! Al Lewis turned, and called up the meteoroiddisplay.There was no sign of the meteoroid he had seen in the tank.He expanded the area where hehad seen it.Still nothing.He checked the tank, then his settings.Everything should be okay, butwhere was that meteoroid? He opened a line to the computer.'I can see a meteoroid in the tank about 700,000 miles above Grimaldi.Why isn't it on myconsole?''All meteoroids of over 10,000 cubic feet in volume are called directly to the attention of theDirector or Assistant Director of Copernicus Control.I have been instructed that operatorfile:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/E.iam%20B.%20%20Ellern%20-%20New%20Lensman.txt (28 of 80) [10/15/2004 2:31:41 PM] file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/E.%20E.%20Doc%20Smith%20-%20William%20B.%20%20Ellern%20-%20New%20Lensman.txtcognizance is not required,' the computer answered.'When and where is that one due to land?''It will land in 5 hours, 46 minutes, inside the boundary of Copernicus City.''WHAT?!'The computer repeated itself.For a few moments Al Lewis was without words.He was completely at a loss as to what to say or do.The Copernicus Control operators handled meteoroids, warning people of the 'weather' when smallones were involved, and the redirection of the larger ones.Admittedly, this was the largest onehe had seen but why didn't they know about it? Why had the computer been instructed to edit itfrom the operator's plate? Something was wrong! Horribly wrong!'Who did you tell about this meteoroid?''The Acting Director of Copernicus Control, Jay Harness.''Who gave you the directive about operator cognizance?''The same person.''What has he done about the meteoroid?''I was informed that the Solarian Patrol has been notified and is taking care of the matter.''Who told you?''Jay Harness.''Did he call the Solarian Patrol?''Yes.''What did he say?''I have no record of that conversation.''Why not?''I was instructed not to monitor it.''Who did he call?''The Commanding Officer, Solarian Patrol Tracking Network.''I want to talk to him too.If he isn't available, I'll speak to whoever is available down there.'Al Lewis directed the computer.Changing to the intercom, he told the other operator, 'I've got ared hot emergency.I'm switching my board operation over to you.'The other operator tried to protest.Al cut him off short.Moments later, the S.P.Tracking Network CommandingOfficer came on the visiphone.He turned Al over to the Network Tracking Officer who directed Al'scall to the Chief Tracking Operator.'Dan Digby, Chief Tracking Officer,' the man answered.'This is Copernicus Control.I need information on a meteoroid about 700,000 miles aboveGrimaldi.''QRX, one second,' Chief Digby said, and pressed some buttons.'All right, go ahead.''What is its present status?' asked Al Lewis.Chief Digby touched another button.'You're supposed to be handling it! We're scheduled to QRO youat 0900.'The visiphone blurred a moment as the Copernicus Control computer cut in and queried the SolarianPatrol Tracking Network Computer directly over the video channel.'What are we supposed to be doing?' Al asked Chief Digby when the channel cleared for a fewmoments.'Your report said you're changing its path to a circum lunar orbit for a salvage operation,' ChiefDigby answered.'Should we stand by?'The computer broke into the conversation at this point.'Yes! Stand by for an emergency operation!A deliberate effort to destroy Copernicus is indicated.I am in the process of notifying the Mayorof Copernicus, the Director of Security and the Board of Directors.A state of extreme emergencyexists!'The visiphone blurred again as the two computers compared blocks of information.Al Lewis shrugged and said, 'Try and not stand by.'The voice channel was apparently still operating because he heard Chief Digby say, 'I'll get astatus summary and check with you in a couple of minutes.The only time a computer broke in on mewas during the Nevian War.Then the problem went all the way up to the Commissioner of PublicSafety.'They broke off, leaving the channel to the computers [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]