Конец вечности
Technician
ThelargestComputaplexeverbuilt,mannedbythecleverestandmostexperiencedSeniorComputereverborn,coulddonobetterthantoindicatetherangesinwhichtheM.N.C.mightbefound.ItwasthentheTechnician,glancingoverthedata,whodecidedonanexactpointwithinthatrange.AgoodTechnicianwasrarelywrong.AtopTechnicianwasneverwrong.
Harlanwasneverwrong.
"NowtheM.N.C.recommended,"saidHarlan(hespokecoolly,evenly,pronouncingtheStandardIntertemporalLanguageinprecisesyllables),"byyourSectioninvolvesinductionofanaccidentinspaceandtheimmediatedeathbyfairlyhorriblemeansofadozenormoremen."
"Unavoidable,"saidVoy,shrugging.
"Ontheotherhand,"saidHarlan,"IsuggestthattheM.N.C.canbereducedtothemeredisplacementofacontainerfromoneshelftoanother.Here!"Hislongfingerpointed.Hiswhite,well-cared-forindexnailmadethefaintestmarkalongonesetofperforations.
Voyconsideredmatterswithapainfulbutsilentintensity.
Harlansaid,"Doesn’tthatalterthesituationwithregardtoyourunconsideredfork?Doesn’tittakeadvantageoftheforkoflesserprobability,changingittonear-certainty,anddoesthatnotthenleadto—"
"-tovirtuallytheM.D.R."whisperedVoy.
"ToexactlytheMaximumDesiredResponse,"saidHarlan.
Voylookedup,hisdarkfacestrugglingsomewherebetweenchagrinandanger.Harlannotedabsentlythattherewasaspacebetweentheman’slargeupperincisorswhichgavehimarabbitylookquiteatoddswiththerestrainedforceofhiswords.
