Escape!

           WhenSusanCalvinreturnedfromhyperbase,AlfredTanningwaswaitingforher.Theoldmanneverspokeabouthisage,buteveryoneknewittobeoverseventy-five.Yethismindwaskeen,andifhehadfinallyallowedhimselftobemadeDirector-EmeritusofResearchwithBogertasactingDirector,itdidnotpreventhimfromappearinginhisofficedaily.

           "HowclosearetheytotheHyperatomicDrive?"heasked.

           "Idon’tknow,"sherepliedirritably,"Ididn’task."

           "Hmm.Iwishthey’dhurry.Becauseiftheydon’t,Consolidatedmightbeatthemtoit.Andbeatustoitaswell."

           "Consolidated.Whathavetheygottodowithit?"

           "Well,we’renottheonlyoneswithcalculatingmachines.Oursmaybepositronic,butthatdoesn’tmeanthey’rebetter.Robertsoniscallingabigmeetingaboutittomorrow.He’sbeenwaitingforyoutocomeback."

           RobertsonofU.S.Robotamp;MechanicalMenCorporation,sonofthefounder,pointedhisleannoseathisgeneralmanagerandhisAdam’sapplejumpedashesaid,"Youstartnow.Let’sgetthisstraight."

           Thegeneralmanagerdidsowithalacrity,"Here’sthedealnow,chief.ConsolidatedRobotsapproachedusamonthagowithafunnysortofproposition.Theybroughtaboutfivetonsoffigures,equations,allthatsortofstuff.Itwasaproblem,see,andtheywantedananswerfromTheBrain.Thetermswereasfollows-"

           Hetickedthemoffonthickfingers:"Ahundredthousandforusifthereisnosolutionandwecantellthemthemissingfactors.