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.And, occasionally, there's a real breakthrough.That new fuel, for instance.And, best of all, the superrefractive coating.Then, it was no small improvement when we hit on dissipation-cooling, and all the refinements of that.But I know, somehow these big advances don't make the dent they ought to."Kubic glanced around at various massive structures that stretched off to north and west as far as the eye could see."Well," he said, "it keeps unemployment down, I'll say that for it.But something tells me a lot of our effort here is at a tangent to the problem."Alarik nodded."I'll tell you what," he said."We'll press this rotary-fire principle, and see what comes of it.We can send a routine payment check to this fellow you brought in.After all, he suggested the idea, whether he meant to or not.He, at least, claims to develop some new method.He may be a fanatic, but then, you look at some of the early chemists—"Kubic nodded approval."Good idea, sir.To tell the truth, I don't see why there has to be contact to evolve those bubbles, either.""Take care of it now," said Alarik."You never know when something will happen and we'll forget all about it."Kubic's eyes widened."Sir, look there—"Alarik looked up."The devil with it.Get going, I'll take care of this."Sprinting across the field from the bulk of The Beast came what looked like the whole maintenance crew.Alarik gave Kubic a shove, to start him in the right direction, and Kubic ran off to disappear behind a protecting buttress that led back to the Administration Building.Alarik studied The Beast.Was that a wisp of smoke he saw, puffing out from under the drive ring?Mechanicians, builders, brace men, clockers, supervisors, chemical technicians—the whole crew pounded across the field as if their lives were at stake.That was smoke under the drive ring.As he watched, a white plume billowed out, traveled slowly around the circumference, and wreathed the daggerlike base in smoke.Another plume joined the first, then another and another.The curving near-cylindrical top rode above the billowing clouds with no visible support.Alarik held his arm out, stabbed his forefinger at the earth, and shouted, "Ground!"All the workmen but the crew chief disappeared in a series of flying dives.The crew chief, breathing hard, tears streaming out the corners of his eyes, ran to Alarik and saluted."Sir, I'll stay up and take my medicine.It was my fault.I—"Thunder traveled across the field.Alarik knocked the crew chief down the nearest hole and dove after him.Pink brilliance reflected dimly on the sides of the tunnel."What happened?""The inside clocker—He's new.I shouldn't have let him down alone.We can't use any kind of lamps in there.He had to work with just a glow plate.""What happened?"The earth began to shake."Go on," shouted Alarik, "what happened?""He bumped the master pull wire, where it comes in out of the sheath from Control.The safety was pushed down, and by mistake, the tip must have been over the wire; the pin popped up out of the hole, the safety let go, the arming spring knocked the lever around, the safety came down and hit the taut wire, and that sprang the lever.We could hear it—Wham! Wham! Wham! Then she started."Alarik swore.The crew chief shouted above the roar."He's still in there.He's in there now! The weight-savers dropped the ladders and weather covers loose.He couldn't get out.We just got down ourselves before the tower got jerked away."The tunnel lit up in a pink glow, and they eased back around a corner."It's too complicated," the crew chief shouted.Then it was too loud to hear, and the uproar was too much to talk in anyway.Alarik lay in the hole, his body one living ache.Gradually, awareness returned.Well, he thought dully, there she goes.The faulty clock is still in her.The gliders and the Sunbird may get some data, but it's meaningless with that nonstandard clock in there.At intervals, The Beast will shoot out luminous vapor clouds, and that may help in the tracking—maybe.But where would she come down?There must be some better way than this, he thought.It can't be this complicated.This was like trying to tie up a handful of marbles with a ball of string.When it got this complicated, it meant you were trying to do the job with tools or materials that weren't fitted to the work.The roar was just about all gone now [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]