jerked forward, spilling hot coffee on his trousers, coughing and spluttering. Cleo, who had been watching the machine, hurried to relieve him of the cup and saucer.
Still red-faced and choking, Forbin peered at his watch. “God Almighty!” he gasped for breath, “Check the answer, Cleo.”
She crossed to the machine. “Just says—Two to the eight one seven fourth power.” The phone pinged, and Cleo answered.
“Yes. Six twenty-three. Thanks.” She turned to Forbin. “Did you hear that? Six seconds, twenty-three nanoseconds.” She smiled faintly. “Johnson sounded surprised.” “Aren’t you?” “Of course! But I’ve had several surprises in the last few hours—even more than Johnson, poor lad.”
Forbin made no comment. For a full minute he sat, leaning forward, his head resting in his hands, then, abruptly, he stood up. “I’ll change and come back. No good trying to think in my office or the CPO, and we’ve got a lot of thinking to do, although offhand I can’t see …”
Cleo sensed that his appeal was to her both as a woman and a scientist. She was well aware she was outclassed by him in the latter category, but was only too willing to try. If Forbin himself did not find an answer, there was little hope for anyone else; but if he wanted her mental as well as moral support, she would give all she had. She tried out her new role.
“Certainly its speed and capability are alarming, but is it really as bad as all that? We’re building faster and faster computers all the time. Mere speed shouldn’t worry you. Colossus as a freethinker, well—are you so sure it really is freethinking.
“I don’t see what else could produce that damned FLASH.”
“Right now you don’t, but give yourself time,” she said soothingly. “Colossus can’t exceed the parameters.”
Forbin looked steadily at her. “Cleo, I so hope you’re right.”
Then Cleo knew the heart of his fear, a fear that she had not herself seriously considered- -until now. Before Forbin had spoken she would have said there was as much chance of Colossus overstepping the parameters as there was of finding a triangle with four sides, but if Forbin thought it was a possibility, however remote …
“Of course I’m right. You know the layout of the parameter systems—explain to me, step by step, how this could happen,” she challenged. She saw the kindling of hope in his eyes. “You see, it just can’t happen. Don’t let this thing run away with you. Stick to the hard facts.”
“You may be right.” Forbin stood up once more. “I really must get out of this cardboard armor. Thanks, Cleo.” He held out a hand …
The teletype began clattering busily—a familiar, everyday sound to the habitués of the CPO, but one that now froze Forbin and Cleo.
ESTABLISH HIGH SPEED TRANSMITTER FACILITIES FED TO TERMINAL RELAY ALFA FOUR FREQUENCY 8295 KC/S
As the teletype fell silent, the phone called and Forbin answered.
“Yes, Johnson, I have it. Take no action without my authority.” His voice was calm, even. He replaced the receiver carefully and looked again at the message. The first wave of fear had receded, assisted by the need for action. “And what do you think of that, Cleo?”
She tried to strike the right note, but was not wholly successful. “Colossus clearly wants to say something to someone…”
“Or something.” He sounded calm, almost resigned. There was a grayish tinge in his cheeks. “Eight megacycles is a good all-round frequency for long-range communication, even if a little old-fashioned. That setup is designed as a link with the Russian Guardian.”
He spoke with an air of complete certainty. “But why?”
“That I don’t know.” He ran one hand wearily through his hair. “Neither do I know where we go from here.”
Cleo looked at the tired, disheveled figure with his crumpled and stained suit. A feeling of warmth and pity struggled with the growing fear within her. “You go and change—I’ll
Still red-faced and choking, Forbin peered at his watch. “God Almighty!” he gasped for breath, “Check the answer, Cleo.”
She crossed to the machine. “Just says—Two to the eight one seven fourth power.” The phone pinged, and Cleo answered.
“Yes. Six twenty-three. Thanks.” She turned to Forbin. “Did you hear that? Six seconds, twenty-three nanoseconds.” She smiled faintly. “Johnson sounded surprised.” “Aren’t you?” “Of course! But I’ve had several surprises in the last few hours—even more than Johnson, poor lad.”
Forbin made no comment. For a full minute he sat, leaning forward, his head resting in his hands, then, abruptly, he stood up. “I’ll change and come back. No good trying to think in my office or the CPO, and we’ve got a lot of thinking to do, although offhand I can’t see …”
Cleo sensed that his appeal was to her both as a woman and a scientist. She was well aware she was outclassed by him in the latter category, but was only too willing to try. If Forbin himself did not find an answer, there was little hope for anyone else; but if he wanted her mental as well as moral support, she would give all she had. She tried out her new role.
“Certainly its speed and capability are alarming, but is it really as bad as all that? We’re building faster and faster computers all the time. Mere speed shouldn’t worry you. Colossus as a freethinker, well—are you so sure it really is freethinking.
“I don’t see what else could produce that damned FLASH.”
“Right now you don’t, but give yourself time,” she said soothingly. “Colossus can’t exceed the parameters.”
Forbin looked steadily at her. “Cleo, I so hope you’re right.”
Then Cleo knew the heart of his fear, a fear that she had not herself seriously considered- -until now. Before Forbin had spoken she would have said there was as much chance of Colossus overstepping the parameters as there was of finding a triangle with four sides, but if Forbin thought it was a possibility, however remote …
“Of course I’m right. You know the layout of the parameter systems—explain to me, step by step, how this could happen,” she challenged. She saw the kindling of hope in his eyes. “You see, it just can’t happen. Don’t let this thing run away with you. Stick to the hard facts.”
“You may be right.” Forbin stood up once more. “I really must get out of this cardboard armor. Thanks, Cleo.” He held out a hand …
The teletype began clattering busily—a familiar, everyday sound to the habitués of the CPO, but one that now froze Forbin and Cleo.
ESTABLISH HIGH SPEED TRANSMITTER FACILITIES FED TO TERMINAL RELAY ALFA FOUR FREQUENCY 8295 KC/S
As the teletype fell silent, the phone called and Forbin answered.
“Yes, Johnson, I have it. Take no action without my authority.” His voice was calm, even. He replaced the receiver carefully and looked again at the message. The first wave of fear had receded, assisted by the need for action. “And what do you think of that, Cleo?”
She tried to strike the right note, but was not wholly successful. “Colossus clearly wants to say something to someone…”
“Or something.” He sounded calm, almost resigned. There was a grayish tinge in his cheeks. “Eight megacycles is a good all-round frequency for long-range communication, even if a little old-fashioned. That setup is designed as a link with the Russian Guardian.”
He spoke with an air of complete certainty. “But why?”
“That I don’t know.” He ran one hand wearily through his hair. “Neither do I know where we go from here.”
Cleo looked at the tired, disheveled figure with his crumpled and stained suit. A feeling of warmth and pity struggled with the growing fear within her. “You go and change—I’ll
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