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〃Yes； sir。 The model assumes a Soviet wave and a U。S。 wave meeting。 I have some people working on contact points using French； Chinese； and British waves； but their programs may have been insufficient in terms of frequency and megatonage to create the effect。〃
Admiral Chelsea asked the question Nick had expected Gogh to ask。
〃Some of those dates you had up there were before the first bomb was ever tested。 How do you account for that？〃
〃Two ways。 First we assume that the time wave travels in both directions； forward and back。 We've tried to fit the earlier events to the model； and some events are when and where they should be； but there is little accurate data to work with。 The best data we have from before the turn of the century is more than two thousand years old； but it too isn't specific enough。 A second possibility would be natural events。 Mount Saint Helens exploded with the equivalent of ten kilotons； and there are other more powerful explosions in history…Krakatoa； the Siberian explosion； Pompeii。 They aren't regular enough to produce a superwave but perhaps could have bined to produce some events。〃
The room filled with silence； the only sound the hum of the fluorescent lights。 Then Gogh started scribbling on his notepad again。 Others around the table started asking questions； and Nick handled each of them within the parameters of the theory。 Then the President asked the question he was dreading。
〃Dr。 Paulson； how did you e up with this theory and these programs in so little time？〃
〃I didn't； sir。 Colonel Conrad and Dr。 Roberts obtained the puter models； and Sergeant Yamamoto helped decipher them。〃 Grinning； Yamamoto waved his hand at the mention of his name。
〃Who created the original program？〃
As Nick started into the story of the hostages； the I…5 mountain； and how a college kid and some mysterious group of friends in Oregon had predicted the end of the world； he watched for reactions； knowing that some would judge his theory on its source and not its merits。 He decided partway through not to mention Zorastrus yet； or his predictions。 This group was more likely to put its faith in technology； not in the analytical abilities of an ancient scientist。 At some point Gogh stopped scribbling and began listening。 The President's eyebrows raised when Nick mentioned Kenny's current mental state。 Nick quickly added the fact that a psychologist had been with him in the cave and on the trip to Washington。
〃Dr。 Roberts；〃 the President asked； turning toward the psychologist； 〃is Kenny Randall insane？〃
Nick watched as Dr。 Roberts rose shakily to his feet。 He was pale and perspiring and his voice wavered。
〃Kenny is in a catatonic state。 However； the psychosis is reactive； not chronic； and there is a good chance he will recover。 But what I think you are really asking is whether this theory is real or the product of a delusional mind。 My best professional judgment is that Kenny's condition resulted from two factors： the knowledge that something terrible was going to happen； and the inability to get anyone to believe him。 He was sane when he began this work。 We don't know anything about his friends yet； but we assume they all couldn't have been insane。〃
Nick paused； studying the President's face。 He looked unconvinced。 Nick had only one other card to play； and it looked like this was the time。
〃Sir； what has happened was predicted…but not by those psychics Ms。 Hawthorne rounded up。 It was predicted by a man called Zorastrus 。 。 。〃
〃The Prophet of Babylon；〃 the President said； surprising Nick and the others at the table。
〃Yes； sir。 Even in his day things did fall from the sky； or strange animals appeared。 He documented them and measured the time between events。 He knew something would happen； and he predicted it； unfortunately he was executed before he could finish his calculations； otherwise we might have had some warning。〃
Nick paused again； waiting for some response from the President。 When it came； it surprised him。
〃I know of Zorastrus； but I never connected his prophecies with what has happened。 It gives the theory a certain credibility。〃
〃I'm not so sure；〃 Gogh interrupted。 〃Time displacement is not a part of any theory I've heard of； ancient or modern。 Time travel has been speculated on； but the conditions for time travel are not met in this instance。〃 As he habitually did； Gogh talked only to the President； then occasionally remembered others were present and made a quick head sweep to include them。 The President seemed interested in Gogh's opinion and encouraged him with a nod。
〃Time travel can be acplished in only two ways； neither of which is practical。 One way is to travel through a wormhole； but wormholes exist only at the center of black holes； since they require conditions of infinite density and gravity to warp space。〃 Gogh waved his hand as if to sweep the idea away。 〃The second theory of travel in time involves cosmic strings… infinitesimal thin strings of pure energy left over from the big bang。 These strings would need to have a density of a thousand trillion tons of mass in each cubic inch。 Two such strings moving past each other would warp space/time and allow an object； say a spaceship； to loop around the nearer string and arrive in the past of the farther string。 You may or may not understand the theory underlying what I am saying； but you can note that none of the conditions for time travel are met with Dr。 Paulson's theory。〃
〃Dr。 Gogh；〃 Nick cut in； 〃there is a mon thread in your time travel theories。 Both theories require dense matter； either a black hole or a cosmic string。 An uncontrolled fusion event does condense matter。 Some have theorized that such explosions create black holes。〃
〃There is insufficient mass to create a black hole。〃
〃There is insufficient mass to create a cosmic black hole； but what mass there is may be condensed to a level similar to that of a black hole or a cosmic string。 You need a black hole for a wormhole； but this is something short of a plete breakdown of the laws of physics。 There may be other effects produced by dense matter。〃
〃Dr。 Paulson； if such effects were possible then cosmic explosions； say a supernova； should produce these time waves。 We have no evidence of such effects。 And what of the big bang itself？ Shouldn't it have produced such a wave？〃
〃Dr。 Gogh； I think the evidence is there 。 。 。 has been there。 We just didn't have a theory that properly accounted for it。 For example； take the lumpy universe problem and the problem of missing mass。〃 Nick paused and saw the President and the rest of the council staring at him blankly。 He turned to the President and tried to explain in simple terms。
〃The big bang theory hypothesizes that at the beginning of time； all matter was collected 。 。 。 existed in a state so dense that the laws of physics as we know them would have no meaning。 Then； for a reason we cannot know； this mass exploded； creating the universe as we know it。 If we accept a big bang beginning； we explain much of what we observe in our universe； like the intense background radiation； and the expanding nature of the universe。 But the big bang theory has weaknesses。 One of these is the problem of missing mass。 One version of the big bang theory hypothesizes that the expansion of the universe is slowing and that gravity will eventually pull all matter back together。 The problem is that there is insufficient mass for either the big bang to have occurred； or for the universe to pull itself together again； and we can't find the missing mass。〃
〃There is dark mass…〃 Gogh began； but Nick cut him off；
〃Yes； Dr。 Gogh；〃 Nick said turning back toward Gogh。 〃But even that is insufficient。〃 Nick turned again to the President。 〃The second difficulty with the big bang theory is the lumpy nature of the universe。 If the universe did begin with a big bang； then why isn't mass evenly distributed throughout the universe？ Instead we find lumps； galaxies and solar systems。 Why the uneven distribution？ Our theory offers an explanation。 If the big bang created a time wave； mass could have been time displaced。 The lumpy universe could be created when mass that is time displaced suddenly appears in a region of space oc