JEVEX’s comments came through on audio. "The first wave, moving out from its forming-up area near Luna. Measured acceleration is consistent with the arrival time that the Terrans have indicated."
Broghuilio turned a shade paler. "First wave?" he gasped. "There’s more?"
In response the scene changed to show a view looking down on what appeared to be a huge base of some kind, enclosed by a perimeter fence and surrounded by desolate, sandy terrain. Lines of dots along one side expanded rapidly as the view enlarged, and resolved themselves into rows of surface shuttles in the process of being loaded. The area in front of them was packed with lines of tanks, artillery, personnel carriers, and thousands of troops waiting in neat, geometric groupings. "Chinese regular divisions embarking to be ferried up for the second wave now assembling in orbit," JEVEX announced.
The view changed again to show a similar scene, but this time set among thickly forested hills. "Conventional low-level supersonic bombers and high-altitude interceptors being loaded in Siberia."
And another view. "Missile batteries and antitank laser units embarking in the western U.S.A. There’re more coming in from all over. Contingency plans are being drawn up for a third wave."
Perspiration was showing on Broghuilio’s face. He closed his eyes, and his lips moved soundlessly as he struggled to remain calm. "Might I suggest, Excellency, that-" Wylott began, but Broghuilio cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand.
"Quiet. I need time to think." Broghuilio brought his hand up to his chin and began tugging at his beard nervously. He clenched his other fist behind his back and paced to the far end of the War Room. Then he turned to face back again. "JEVEX."
"Excellency?"
"VISAR must have a link into the Terran communications net through the Thurien facility there. Get me a channel into it through VISAR. I want to talk to the President of the United States of America, the Soviet Premier, or anybody else in high authority that VISAR can get hold of. Do it immediately."
"How do you want me to play it?" VISAR asked in the Government Center at Thurios.
"We can’t let the plan bog down," Caldwell said. "Unconditional surrender has to be his only way out. Fix it so that he thinks he’s cut off from everybody except Verikoff."
Anxious and impatient, Broghuilio had started pacing again. Then JEVEX announced, "VISAR is denying the request. It has been directed to conform to Thurien policy, which is to dissociate itself from Terran-Jevlenese affairs."
Broghuilio’s legs almost buckled beneath him. "The Thuriens are transferring those warships here to wipe us out!" he shouted. "What kind of dissociation policy is that? Tell VISAR I insist."
"VISAR has instructed me to advise you, with respect, Excellency, to go to hell."
Broghuilio was too numbed with shock to react violently. "Then tell VISAR to connect me to Calazar again," he choked.
"VISAR refuses."
"Then connect VISAR through to me."
"VISAR has severed all connections. I am unable to obtain further responses."
Broghuilio had begun trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. He spun his head wildly from side to side, his eyes white and staring. "Verikoff is your only choice," Wylott said. "You have to accept the ultimatum."
"Never! " Broghuilio shouted. "I’ll never surrender my force intact. We still have two days. We can evacuate the entire officer corps, our scientists, our best engineers, and consolidate at Uttan. We will make our stand there. Uttan has permanent defenses that the Terrans will find themselves hard put to match. They will still have some surprises in store for them if they try to follow us there." He looked at Wylott. "Work out a schedule with JEVEX to evacuate the maximum of value from Jevlen in two days. Begin at once. Ignore all other tasks."
"I think we ought to try the switch," Hunt said, watching. "They’re just about ready."
"Are you really going to try that?" Shilohin asked from the Shapieron. She sounded skeptical. "It’s too illogical, surely."
"What do you think, Chris?" Caldwell asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"They have been conditioned to accept contradictions now," Danchekker said. "At this moment there is a good chance that they will be incapable of thinking sufficiently clearly to question it."
"And they are close to panic," Sobroskin observed from beside Hunt. "Panic and logic are impossible companions."
"I’m still not sure I understand this phenomenon you call panic," Eesyan said from the Shapieron.
"Let’s see if we can show you," Caldwell said, and gave an instruction to VISAR.
"Pardon, Excellency," JEVEX queried. "But your figure of two days appears irrelevant."
"What?" Broghuilio stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you mean, irrelevant?"
"I don’t understand why you have specified two days," JEVEX answered.
Broghuilio shook his head, nonplussed. "It’s obvious, isn’t it? The Terran attack will begin two days from now, will it not?"
"I don’t follow, Excellency."
Broghuilio sent a puzzled frown around the room. His aides stared back at him equally bemused. "The attack is due in two days, is it not?" he said again.
"There has been no postponement, Excellency. The attack is still expected today, twelve hours from now."
Nothing happened for a few seconds.
Then Broghuilio brought his hand up to his face and beat it slowly and deliberately several times against his brow. "JEVEX," he said. His voice was quiet as his effort to control himself over-compensated. "You have just told us that the first wave is only now in the process of leaving Earth."
"Pardon, Excellency, but I have no record of saying any such thing."
It was too much. Broghuilio’s voice began to rise and shake uncontrollably. "How can the Terrans be less than a day away?" he demanded. "Are they or are they not departing from Earth now?"
"They began departing from Earth two days ago," JEVEX replied. "They have entered Jevlenese planetary space and will commence their attack in twelve hours’ time."
Broghuilio’s color was deepening rapidly. "Those surveillance reports that you just presented. Were they or were they not live from Earth as of this moment, as you stated?"
"They were records obtained two days ago, as I stated."
"YOU DID NOT SAY THAT!" Broghuilio screamed.
"I did. My records confirm it. Shall I replay them?"
Broghuilio turned to appeal to the rest of the room. "You all heard it. What did that idiot machine say? Were those views live or were they not?" Nobody was listening. One of the aides was rushing back and forth and jabbering incoherently, another was clutching at his face and moaning, while among the rest consternation was breaking out on every side.
"They couldn’t be from two days ago."
"How do you know? How do you know what’s happening and what isn’t? How do you know anything?"
"JEVEX said so."
"It said the opposite too."
"Maybe JEVEX is mad."
"But JEVEX said-"
"JEVEX doesn’t know what it’s saying. We can’t trust anything."