Грань будущего

           "Youshouldn’tassumeeverythingyoudon’tunderstandisamessage,"Ritasaid.Shesnorted."Keeponlikethat,andnextthingyou’llbetellingmeyou’vefoundsignsofintelligenceinourgovernment,andwebothknowthat’snevergoingtohappen."

           "Veryfunny.Butthere’sasciencehereyoucan’tignore.Eachstepuptheevolutionaryladder-fromsingle-celledorganism,tocold-bloodedanimal,towarm-bloodedanimal-hasseenatenfoldincreaseinenergyconsumption."Ralphlickedhislipsagain."Ifyoulookattheamountofenergyahumaninmodernsocietyconsumes,it’stentimesgreaterthanthatofawarm-bloodedanimalofsimilarsize.YetMimics,whicharesupposedtobeacold-bloodedanimal,consumethesameamountofenergyashumans."

           "Thatsupposedtomeanthey’rehigherthanusontheladder?That’squiteatheory.Youshouldhaveitpublished."

           "Iseemtorecallyousayingsomethingabouthavingdreams."

           "SureIhavedreams.Ordinarydreams."

           ToRita,lookingformeaningindreamswasawasteoftime.Anightmarewasanightmare.Andthetimeloopsshe’dstumbledintointhecourseofthewar,well,theyweresomethingelseentirely."Wehaveanattackcominguptomorrow.Didanyofthepeopleyouinterviewedgetamessage?"

           "Absolutely.IcalledL.A.thismorningtoconfirmit.Allthreehadhadthedream."

           "NowIknowit’snottrue.That’simpossible."

           "Howwouldyouknow?"

           "Thisisonlythefirsttimethroughtoday."