按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
om the source。 It was an assumption rooted in the human experience of linear time。 The Gomez model assumed that all time displacement events occurred simultaneously； in all the affected times and locations。
Because four…dimensional thought did not e easily to Nick； he struggled with Gomez's idea。 However； when Gomez also hypothesized the existence of transient superdense matter as the root of the phenomena； Nick felt some satisfaction in having his contribution to the Oregon model supported。 It was the coexistence of these dense strings of matter that created the time/space disruption； the black ripples。 Apparently Gogh was hypothesizing that the effects radiate out from the source much like a field around a magnet； except； in this case； the field radiates four dimensionally。 The fields are created at the moment of detonation； but Nick； and the rest of the people on the planet who must experience time sequentially； have to live through the effect。 The major time displacement they had just experienced had been there since the explosions in the sixties； waiting for the human inhabitants to live through the event。
As the exchanges between Gomez and Gogh continued； Nick became uneasy。 Gomez continued to talk about the original detonations and the time displacement as concurrent events。 Gomez was supplying equations to support her theory but cautioning Gogh that the theory was little more than speculation at this point。 Gogh； however； ignored the cautions and pushed Gomez to speculate further。 Nick did not like the direction of Gogh's pushes； but knew that intruding would only make Gogh more protective of his convictions。
Other physicists tried to break in on the discussion； but Gogh only responded to those who seemed supportive of the model。 Nick corresponded with some of the others but lacked the expertise to follow the arguments。
He was about to turn off the network when he noticed a new flag。 The name E。 Puglisi was unfamiliar to him； but what caught his attention was the description of his model variation： 〃Projects temporal disruption to near space； and hypothesizes a temporal inversion。〃 Nick called up the file and was pleased to see the sophisticated mathematics were represented with a model。 Nick skipped right to it and was impressed with the graphics。 The model showed a ball labeled as the earth surrounded by an ovoid made up of a tangled web of lines； labeled with a mathematical equation Nick recognized as the time waves。 After another page of graphics Nick scrolled on。 This following graphic showed a slice of the previous page； with the earth apparently in a cone。 On top of that cone sat another cone with a smaller sphere sitting in it。 The two cones were point to point。 The second sphere was labeled the moon。 Nick stared at the model for a minute and then scrolled back to the equations。 It couldn't be right； could it？ The model projected the time disruption into the space around earth； that was the first cone。 Then Puglisi's model showed another cone indicat…ing a reversal of the time flow； and the moon was in the second cone。 If this Puglisi was right； any time disruption on the moon would be in the opposite direction of that on the earth。 On the moon the future came to the past； not the past to the future。 Nick checked his list of PresNet advisors； but there was no Puglisi。 He checked the access code of Puglisi's puter； and it showed it was ing from the puter of Dr。 Connie Wang； of the University of Hawaii。 Whoever Puglisi was； he was not authorized to use the system。 Nick realized he was beginning to judge the worth of Puglisi's model on the unknown person's credentials； yet Kenny Randall's own lack of credentials had kept his warnings from being heeded in the first place。 Nick vowed not to repeat that mistake。 Instead； he typed in a message to Puglisi and sent it。
Elizabeth appeared in Nick's office again； just before he was about to leave for the Security Council meeting。 She didn't try to look casual this time but came right to the point。
〃The President's not himself。〃 ；
〃In what way？〃
〃When he makes a decision； he normally listens to all points of view； and even solicits dissenting opinion。 Ever since I've known him； he has insisted on having all alternatives before him before he makes a decision。 But he isn't listening now…〃
〃To you？〃 Nick was sure that part of Elizabeth's concern involved her personal loss of influence with the President。
Elizabeth looked stung by Nick's suggestion but didn't deny it。
〃Not to me； not to any of his advisors。 Even Samuel Cannon； who's been a friend for years； can't get through to him。 He only listens to one person； Dr。 Gogh。〃
Nick's stomach knotted at the mention of Gogh's name； remembering the messages exchanged on the PresNet system…He didn't like the direction of Gogh's reasoning…even less so now that the man had direct access to the President。
〃The President respects you； Nick。 He and the others were impressed by the way you figured out what happened。〃
Nick swallowed back a protest。 A college kid from Oregon and a mysterious group of others had seen what scientists with multiple degrees and decades of grant…supported research had overlooked。 Nick had no intention of taking credit for the discovery。
〃I know what Gogh has in mind； Elizabeth； and I'm going to argue against it；〃
〃You should know that Sandy McIntyre is in Atlanta…was in Atlanta。 The Secret Service can't contact or locate her。 She apparently was in the part of the city that is gone。 The President isn't thinking clearly； Nick。 He only wants to get her back； nothing else matters。〃
Now Nick understood： The President's rapport with his wife was legendary； and a big part of his success in politics was due to his wife。 Sandy McIntyre was witty； attractive in a motherly way； and the warmest person Nick had ever met。 So wide was her appeal there had been half…serious talk of putting her on the ticket。
Nick realized he felt more of a loss for Sandy McIntyre than for the millions lost across the country。 He understood why： partly because for the first time he had thought about the loss of a particular individual。 But mostly he grieved at losing the first lady's personal magnetism。 If Nick mourned； the President must be devastated。
The agenda had undergone radical change。 At its top was a plan of action from Dr。 Arnold Gogh。 As Gogh began； Elizabeth leaned forward to whisper to the President； but uncharacteristically he dismissed her with a sharp wave of his hand。
〃As the President directed we have been working on a solution based on the time displacement theory；〃 Gogh stated。
Nick noted he did not give any credit for the theory to Nick or to anyone else。 At Gogh's direction the lights came down and a slide was projected on the screen。 It was the photo Nick had seen of the quilted New York City。
〃As you can see from this photo； approximately one third of New York City has experienced time displacement。 The segment is grassland and is probably from the Cretaceous period。〃
Gasps and expressions of disbelief rippled around the table。
〃Cretaceous period？ Impossible！〃 Natalie Matsuda answered loudly； ignoring the mounting evidence。
Dr。 Gogh looked irritated but ignored Matsuda and called for the next slide。
The next slide was blurry but it was an overhead shot of an animal。 That photo had not been in Nick's packet； and he realized he had been partly cut out of the decision loop； just like Elizabeth。
〃This is a blowup of one of the aerial photos。 As you can see there is an animal in the photo。〃
〃Is that another dinosaur？〃 Cannon asked。
〃Yes； but one much bigger than the ankylosaur in your Quebec photo。〃
Gogh said it with pride； as if he were in a petition to find the biggest dinosaur。 〃Professor Struthers of the PresNet has tentatively identified this as an iguanodon。 It's hard to scale this photo； since there are no familiar objects near the dinosaur； but Professor Struthers tells me iguanodons can be twenty…five to thirty feet in length； and when standing they might be fifteen or twenty feet tall。〃
Gasps and soft whistles filled the room as the occupants launched impromptu discussions。 Some wondered if the animals were aggressive。 Others speculated on what would happen if one wandered into New York City's midtown streets。 Nick listened to the voices around him and then asked that the previous slide be put back up。 Looking disgusted at the interruption； Gogh nevertheless reversed the projector。
〃What's along the line where the prehistoric segment meets city？〃
〃Buildings； of course；〃 Gogh replied abruptly。
〃Buildings with people inside！〃 Nick pointed out。 〃How close are these animals to the residents？ We already know some of the animals in the Quebec displacement are wandering out of their natural environment。 What about here？ There's a human factor to consider here。〃
Nick was embarrassed he too had never considered the human factor。 But now； that attention was long overdue。 He turned and looked at the President； who studiously ignored him。
〃Shouldn't we take steps to protect the residents near the displaced segments？〃 Nick prodded；
Still the President ignored him。 Nick caught Elizabeth's eye； and she shook her head briefly；