punch-card stage."
"I never thought of that." Mahree tapped her pen against her front teeth. "Can we represent going from the very large to the very smalll Show a star, then focus in on increasingly smaller portions of it until we depict a hydrogen atom? Then show the star converting that to helium?"
"Possible. I'll see what the computer can come up with as a representation.
But probably before we do that, we ought to try the periodic table."
"We could do 'solar system' and 'galaxy,' " Mahree suggested a few minutes later. "Depending, of course, on how advanced their astronomical sciences are."
"They may know more about the universe than we do. We ought to think about chemical laws, also. Like PV = nRT . . . the equation for the perfect-gas law."
"What's that?" asked Rob Gable. The doctor had entered the galley so quietly the two at the table hadn't noticed him. "Something that results after consuming too many helpings of Ramon's refried beans?"
Mahree felt her cheeks grow hot at the sight of him, and struggled to regain her composure. "Very funny, Rob."
Jerry snorted disgustedly. "We're trying to get some serious work done here, Doc, so unless you want to help, keep it zipped. Remember your basic chemistry? The perfect-gas law is the equation of state for an ideal gas. It combines Boyle's law, Charles' law, and Avogadro's principle. Or don't you medical geniuses have to study that anymore?"
Rob ignored the jibe as he bent over to study the list they'd been compiling.
"Are these your constants?"
"So far," Jerry said. "You got any ideas?"
43
"Give me ten minutes with one of them using the 'scope in the infirmary, and I might be able to give you some. DNA, RNA, maybe. Amino acids . . ."He thought for a moment. "If they have physical bodies that are even remotely like ours, then we can use those similarities. 'Eyes,' or 'legs,' for instance."
"I sure as hell hope they have physical bodies," Jerry growled. "How could we discover any common frame of reference with beings made out of pure energy?"
"Good question," Rob admitted.
"How much longer?" Mahree asked. She didn't have to specify what she was asking about.
"We should be entering System X in about thirty-six hours. We'd better get busy and finish this," Jerry said, frowning down at their list. He stared at the scribbled figures and sketches for nearly a minute, swore under his breath, then dug at his eyes. "Damn. I can't even think anymore. If I could only get eight peaceful hours in the sack first, I know my brain would start functioning again!"
"No offense, Jerry, but I'm detecting unmistakable signs of exhaustion and stress in your behavior," Rob said dryly. "And the last thing we need when we meet these folks is a cranky communications expert, right?"
"Yeah," Jerry admitted reluctantly. "You're prescribing a dose of sleep?''
"Absolutely." Rob watched as the communications tech pushed himself up, then gave him a gentle shove toward the door. "Joan told me it will probably take at least forty-eight hours until we even know which world we're heading for. Get some rest."
"See you later, Jerry," Mahree called. "I'll try and come up with a few more concepts, then start some of the basic programming."
"Thanks, kid," Jerry told her. "You keep working your tail off like this, we'll have to make Raoul cut you in for a share of the profits."
Mahree didn't look up as Rob sank into the seat opposite her. Sekhmet, who had followed her master into the galley, meowed plaintively and the girl leaned over to pick her up. "How are you doing today, kiddo?" Rob asked, eyeing her worriedly.
"Fine," she said, hoping he wouldn't notice how puffy her eyes were.
"How did you sleep?"
44
"Okay," she lied.
"You sure? I sense that something's wrong."
"I'm fine, honest. Just jumpy because we're almost there, I guess." Steeling herself, she met his gaze. When she saw the genuine concern on his face, she had to struggle not to blurt out her feelings. She gave herself a stern
"I never thought of that." Mahree tapped her pen against her front teeth. "Can we represent going from the very large to the very smalll Show a star, then focus in on increasingly smaller portions of it until we depict a hydrogen atom? Then show the star converting that to helium?"
"Possible. I'll see what the computer can come up with as a representation.
But probably before we do that, we ought to try the periodic table."
"We could do 'solar system' and 'galaxy,' " Mahree suggested a few minutes later. "Depending, of course, on how advanced their astronomical sciences are."
"They may know more about the universe than we do. We ought to think about chemical laws, also. Like PV = nRT . . . the equation for the perfect-gas law."
"What's that?" asked Rob Gable. The doctor had entered the galley so quietly the two at the table hadn't noticed him. "Something that results after consuming too many helpings of Ramon's refried beans?"
Mahree felt her cheeks grow hot at the sight of him, and struggled to regain her composure. "Very funny, Rob."
Jerry snorted disgustedly. "We're trying to get some serious work done here, Doc, so unless you want to help, keep it zipped. Remember your basic chemistry? The perfect-gas law is the equation of state for an ideal gas. It combines Boyle's law, Charles' law, and Avogadro's principle. Or don't you medical geniuses have to study that anymore?"
Rob ignored the jibe as he bent over to study the list they'd been compiling.
"Are these your constants?"
"So far," Jerry said. "You got any ideas?"
43
"Give me ten minutes with one of them using the 'scope in the infirmary, and I might be able to give you some. DNA, RNA, maybe. Amino acids . . ."He thought for a moment. "If they have physical bodies that are even remotely like ours, then we can use those similarities. 'Eyes,' or 'legs,' for instance."
"I sure as hell hope they have physical bodies," Jerry growled. "How could we discover any common frame of reference with beings made out of pure energy?"
"Good question," Rob admitted.
"How much longer?" Mahree asked. She didn't have to specify what she was asking about.
"We should be entering System X in about thirty-six hours. We'd better get busy and finish this," Jerry said, frowning down at their list. He stared at the scribbled figures and sketches for nearly a minute, swore under his breath, then dug at his eyes. "Damn. I can't even think anymore. If I could only get eight peaceful hours in the sack first, I know my brain would start functioning again!"
"No offense, Jerry, but I'm detecting unmistakable signs of exhaustion and stress in your behavior," Rob said dryly. "And the last thing we need when we meet these folks is a cranky communications expert, right?"
"Yeah," Jerry admitted reluctantly. "You're prescribing a dose of sleep?''
"Absolutely." Rob watched as the communications tech pushed himself up, then gave him a gentle shove toward the door. "Joan told me it will probably take at least forty-eight hours until we even know which world we're heading for. Get some rest."
"See you later, Jerry," Mahree called. "I'll try and come up with a few more concepts, then start some of the basic programming."
"Thanks, kid," Jerry told her. "You keep working your tail off like this, we'll have to make Raoul cut you in for a share of the profits."
Mahree didn't look up as Rob sank into the seat opposite her. Sekhmet, who had followed her master into the galley, meowed plaintively and the girl leaned over to pick her up. "How are you doing today, kiddo?" Rob asked, eyeing her worriedly.
"Fine," she said, hoping he wouldn't notice how puffy her eyes were.
"How did you sleep?"
44
"Okay," she lied.
"You sure? I sense that something's wrong."
"I'm fine, honest. Just jumpy because we're almost there, I guess." Steeling herself, she met his gaze. When she saw the genuine concern on his face, she had to struggle not to blurt out her feelings. She gave herself a stern
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