“Go ahead, Mr. Bane,” he said. “My work is done. In twenty minutes the world will move on to a new and brighter course.”
“In twenty minutes the world is gonna break up all around us.”
Chilgers glanced away from him, back toward the elevator where Davey stood trembling slightly. “You destroyed the next stage of my operation. Pity really. A total waste.”
Bane lunged over the desk, grabbed Chilgers by the lapels. “Bring those missiles back, you bastard! Don’t you understand what’s about to happen, what you’re about to cause?”
The colonel remained totally calm. “Fully, Mr. Bane.”
Bane tossed him back into his chair.
“There’s no way those missiles can be recalled now,” Chilgers went on. “Why, for all intents and purposes they don’t even exist anymore. You spoke to Von Goss and I’m sure your able mind has filled in any holes he might have left.”
“And what’s going to fill the hole left when the Earth gets scrambled into cosmic dust?”
“There will be no such holes, Mr. Bane. Instead there will be three hundred and sixty considerably smaller ones all centered in the Soviet Union. I dare say their retaliatory capabilities will be rendered utterly helpless. With no hope of regaining their advantage, I’m expecting an unconditional surrender.”
“If there’s anyone left to surrender to …”
Chilgers frowned. “More of that? I must say, you disappoint me, Mr. Bane. You must think me a total fool to proceed with an operation that would, to use your words, ‘scramble the Earth.’ I didn’t ignore Metzencroy’s report, nor did I disregard it. Other scientists on my staff totally refuted his theory.”
“You didn’t speak to Von Goss.”
“Ah, the old recluse who spent his last day in a research lab fifteen years ago. Of course, I had to have him eliminated as well. He became a nuisance.”
“A nuisance who understood the forces you’re unleashing.”
“I weighed the opinions of Metzencroy — and accordingly Von Goss — against the considered opinions of half a dozen other experts, all of whom insisted their theory was completely out of hand.”
Bane leaned forward over the desk. “But none of them worked directly with Einstein forty years ago. None of them possessed the kind of intuitive insight that could only be gained from that kind of direct experience.”
Chilgers checked his watch. “Eighteen minutes, Mr. Bane, eighteen minutes until a new balance of power is set forth in the world. And even if I could recall the missiles, I hardly think this intuitive insight you speak of would be reason to do so. You’re not a scientist, Mr. Bane, and even allowing for your newfound knowledge, can you honestly tell me that you know beyond a shadow of doubt that Vortex will end in the obliteration of our planet?”
Bane said nothing.
“Of course you can’t, because you don’t know. Nobody knows. Certainly the possibility exists but in the realm we have entered, all possibilities exist. You see, scientists know absolutely nothing. They merely perceive and make deductions, feed data if you will for the rest of us to base our decisions on. Scientists are totally incapable of activating anything. Given the responsibility, they would argue forever about the right approach and the potential ramifications. Science is too important to be left to the scientists, Mr. Bane. Decisions must be left to the military, men who have built their lives around making them. Science is a tool for us, nothing more.”
“Speaking for the Pentagon now, Chilgers?”
“Their thoughts, not their words.”
“You’re really willing to risk destroying the world, aren’t you?”
“If the risk present is at an acceptable level, absolutely. And in this case it is. You see, Mr. Bane, we don’t know at all whether Metzencroy’s theories are correct but we do know that the Russians’ particle beam weapon will be completed within the month.” Chilgers noted Bane’s surprise and then proceeded. “Sixteen minutes, Winter Man, I have no reason to lie at this point. Yes, the weapon our … scientists claimed was an impossibility is about to be activated by our greatest adversary. Only ground based, mind you, but the beam will still be capable of picking up and totally eviscerating any missiles we launch before they even get close to striking distance. Do you know what that means, Mr. Bane, do you have any idea? The Russians will have won. They’ll be able to institute a first strike fully aware that they can brush aside any retaliation we mount with barely an effort. So I took matters into my own hands to save this country from its own disastrous future. For years the Russians have thrown all their scientific energies into developing their beam weapon, believing it to be the ultimate force in the universe. They’re in for quite a surprise. Even if the beam were operational today, and it may well be, it would be helpless to do anything about the thirty-six missiles now irrevocably on their way. You can’t hit what you can’t see, Mr. Bane, and by the time the warheads become visible they’ll be over their targets.”
Now it was Chilgers who leaned forward. “You see, we’re talking about risk here all right, acceptable risk. To me the very real risk of a working Soviet beam weapon is far less acceptable than the risk presented by a crazed scientist.”
“It really is that simple for you, isn’t it?” Bane charged. “All you can see are war plans and casualty figures presented on green print-out paper by some monster computer and you look at people the same way. Look a little closer, Colonel. Einstein discovered a power so frightening he spent the last of his years far away from the laboratory. Only two men had any idea what this power might be. One ended up with a pair of right hands because of it, While the other rediscovered it only to realize the same thing Einstein did forty years ago: that it represents Armageddon, Colonel, the Big Bang theory in reverse. Think about it, Colonel, for once just think!”
“Thirteen minutes, Mr. Bane. And I should imagine the guards will be coming to check on me well before then.” Chilgers paused, eyed Davey in the rear of the room. “Of course there’s an alternative to execution for you. You could join us, in a high-level position too. All I would ask in return is that you … help us with the boy. The Russians don’t have Vortex and they also don’t have Davey Phelps. His power needs to be developed, controlled. Help us do so.”
Bane snapped. All the reason in him gave way to impulse. He was across the side of Chilgers’ desk in an instant, the tip of a letter opener pressed firmly against the colonel’s jugular.
“There’s got to be a way to stop those missiles, Colonel. Tell me or all you’ll see in the next thirteen minutes is your blood spilling on the desk.” And he pressed the point a fraction closer.
“Twelve, Mr. Bane,” Chilgers corrected, not even flinching. “My idea of surgery to remove the boy’s brain was rushed, wrong,” he managed through a contracted throat. “Of course with you around to help control and coax him, such rash action will no longer be necessary. You have my word.”
It was the final statement that nearly triggered Bane’s hand into a tearing motion, but then something occurred to him. Chilgers had struck a chord in his mind. He’d had the means to obtain the information he needed all along. How negligent he had been. He could only hope it wasn’t too late.
“Come over here, Davey,” was all he said.
The boy drew up even with the desk, locking his eyes trustingly with Bane’s.
Bane moved the letter opener from the colonel’s throat. “Use The Chill on him, Davey. Make him obey us. Make him do as I say.”
Davey nodded, turned toward Chilgers. The colonel glanced at Bane, then Davey, and finally away. His expression remained fixed for a moment but suddenly it flashed fear.