“What about a colleague of mine at Princeton,” suggested Fletcher, “Clarence Humphreys?”
“Of course,” Runyan enthused, “Clarence could be very helpful. I don’t know about his stand on security matters, but he should be approached.”
“There seems to be a consensus, then,” summarized Phillips, “that we will proceed on the assumption that Alex has provided the correct explanation of the events reported. We will try to enlist the support of an expert on black holes, particularly the miniature variety—starting with Humphreys. We’ve already established that Gantt will set up a gravimeter experiment to seek direct evidence for or against the black hole theory. Alex, you mentioned the need for detailed orbit calculations. Can you see to that end of things?”
“The best way to proceed there would be to make use of the computer facilities and programs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,” said Runyan. “I could move up to Pasadena for the rest of the summer. As for security, we can’t simply ask them to calculate a black hole orbit inside the Earth. I must have special personal access to the computers, but I’ll need to consult with the experts on the relevant codes that require modification. Someone will have to do some arranging for me.”
Phillips looked at Isaacs who nodded in confirmation. Phillips then addressed the group again. “Anyone have anything else to add?”
After a moment Zicek spoke up.
“Our course of action is just as you have outlined, Wayne— some straightforward steps to better define the situation. Last night I took a different tack and spent a good deal of time pondering Alex’s basic premise. He not only wants a small black hole careening through the Earth, but he led us to the brink of concluding that such a thing must have been artificially manufactured. Despite his logic, like many of us here, I found that idea prima facie absurd. And granting that absurdity, I questioned the whole scheme. My apologies, Alex.”
Runyan shrugged and waited for the point to which all this was preamble.
“This morning,” Zicek continued, “I am not so sure.”
His eyebrows compressed together as he paused to formulate his words.
“I do not see how to create such a little monster, but I am no longer so positive that to speak of such a process is absurd.
“As many of you know, I am actively involved in Project Antares at Los Alamos. Our goal is to create controlled thermonuclear reactions by imploding a pellet of deuterium and tritium. The present scheme has six gas lasers the size of locomotives producing seventy-two laser beams that are brought to focus on the pellet. The pellet is drastically compressed, creating high enough temperatures and densities to trigger the fusing of deuterium into helium.
“This is only one of the projects currently being undertaken by our government and by that of the Soviet Union that appears to me to bear on this problem. The others, given the current political situation, are related to weaponry. I speak of beam weapons of many kinds that unload their destructive power at the speed of light and will render normal missiles and aircraft obsolete and defenseless.
“I myself have had a role in developing the infrared chemical laser that the Navy is using in their Sea Light lethality verification program and the related Talon Gold pointing and tracking tests. The Air Force has its own parallel program with a carbon dioxide gas laser on an NKC-135 at Kirtland Air Force Base.
“While I’m not involved with them, except as a competitor for funding, there are several programs developing particle beams. The White Horse project at Los Alamos aims for a space-based neutral beam generator using a radio frequency quadrupole accelerator. The Advanced Test Facility at Liver more is producing an electron beam, and the RADALAC at Sandia can fire electrons, protons, or negative hydrogen ions at near the speed of light. Lord only knows what sort of gadgets the Russians have by now. Most of our ideas were stolen from them. We know they have developed techniques to use chemical explosions to drive magnetic flux compression generators. They have used stupendous electric currents generated by these devices to power rail guns—linear induction motors that can be used to hurl payloads into orbit or drive armor piercing bullets at hypersonic velocities.”
Zicek leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs and interlocking his fingers. “Now my point is, any of these devices—lasers, relativistic electron beams, rail guns—can, in principle, be focused inward to achieve implosions. So far the goal of implosion studies has been to achieve high density and temperature and produce nuclear fusion. Such processes cannot achieve extreme densities because the energy expended to raise both the temperature and the density is too high. Alex and Harvey discussed that yesterday.
“But suppose our goal was not high temperature, but just high density— very high density. It is true that I cannot see how to reach densities where self-gravity plays a role and a black hole becomes feasible. I can, however, imagine a few tricks in principle to keep the temperature relatively low even as the density rises.”
He unlaced his fingers and gestured with open palms.
“I’m sorry to be so long-winded. What I am trying to say is that our technology is moving even now in a direction where such a thing becomes imaginable. Technological and scientific advances are growing exponentially. Who knows what comes next?”
Zicek looked around the confines of the small room, eyeing his colleagues.
“Are you inviting us to conclude,” asked Fletcher in a voice of deliberate calm, “that, while we cannot now do such a thing, perhaps a society only somewhat advanced from ours could?”
“Never mind a very advanced society,” put in Noldt more excitedly.
“Oh, hold on,” said Leems disgustedly. “Granted, Vlad, we’re inventing a cornucopia of implosion machinery. There is still an immense jump to making black holes. Just because we’ve launched a space probe out of the solar system doesn’t mean that intergalactic space travel will be possible for us or for any advanced civilizations that might be out there. Sometimes practical limits can erect just as solid a barrier as physical impossibility. You damn well can’t strike a match on a wet cake of soap. I still find the whole black hole business preposterous.”
“Perhaps you’re right, Harvey,” admitted Zicek, “but I feel we should not jump to a conclusion either way. No one has really thought seriously about how hard or how easy making a black hole might be if one really tried. I’m just saying such a thing may be possible. Our knowledge of the behavior of matter at only slightly greater than nuclear density is very sparse.”
“Well, what we don’t know, we can’t use to reach any conclusions,” said Leems, still sounding disgusted.
“Of course, of course,” placated Zicek. He addressed himself to Phillips again. “My thoughts in this direction lead me to one concrete suggestion you may want to consider.”
“Yes, what is that?” inquired Phillips.
“We have discussed bringing in other experts to help us deal with the particulars of this problem. Carl suggested Humphreys,” he waved toward Fletcher. “I think we should consider more carefully this question of how such a thing might be made. One person comes to mind who would be uniquely qualified in terms of both experience and creative insight.”
“I’ll bet you’re thinking of Paul Krone,” said Runyan.
“Yes, in fact, I was,” replied Zicek.
Isaacs looked up sharply at this reference. He had heard of Paul Krone, and he was not the kind of man Isaacs would be keen to bring into this effort. Not exactly stable.
Leems made clear where he stood.
“That horse’s ass? Surely you don’t want to set that bull loose in this china shop?”
“You’re being unfair,” Zicek replied tensely. “I know there are people jealous of Paul’s successes because they don’t understand his methods, but he has great insight that could serve us well and he’s currently deeply involved in these questions.”