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Gasps and expressions of disbelief rippled around the table。
〃Cretaceous period？ Impossible！〃 Natalie Matsuda answered loudly； ignoring the mounting evidence。
Dr。 Gogh looked irritated but ignored Matsuda and called for the next slide。
The next slide was blurry but it was an overhead shot of an animal。 That photo had not been in Nick's packet； and he realized he had been partly cut out of the decision loop； just like Elizabeth。
〃This is a blowup of one of the aerial photos。 As you can see there is an animal in the photo。〃
〃Is that another dinosaur？〃 Cannon asked。
〃Yes； but one much bigger than the ankylosaur in your Quebec photo。〃
Gogh said it with pride； as if he were in a petition to find the biggest dinosaur。 〃Professor Struthers of the PresNet has tentatively identified this as an iguanodon。 It's hard to scale this photo； since there are no familiar objects near the dinosaur； but Professor Struthers tells me iguanodons can be twenty…five to thirty feet in length； and when standing they might be fifteen or twenty feet tall。〃
Gasps and soft whistles filled the room as the occupants launched impromptu discussions。 Some wondered if the animals were aggressive。 Others speculated on what would happen if one wandered into New York City's midtown streets。 Nick listened to the voices around him and then asked that the previous slide be put back up。 Looking disgusted at the interruption； Gogh nevertheless reversed the projector。
〃What's along the line where the prehistoric segment meets city？〃
〃Buildings； of course；〃 Gogh replied abruptly。
〃Buildings with people inside！〃 Nick pointed out。 〃How close are these animals to the residents？ We already know some of the animals in the Quebec displacement are wandering out of their natural environment。 What about here？ There's a human factor to consider here。〃
Nick was embarrassed he too had never considered the human factor。 But now； that attention was long overdue。 He turned and looked at the President； who studiously ignored him。
〃Shouldn't we take steps to protect the residents near the displaced segments？〃 Nick prodded；
Still the President ignored him。 Nick caught Elizabeth's eye； and she shook her head briefly； indicating they had done nothing about this。
Finally Gogh spoke。 〃I'm sure the local authorities are taking care of that problem； but as you will see there may not be any need for federal action。 Next slide； please。 This slide shows New York an hour later。 Notice that the missing segment is back。〃
Instantly the room erupted into a mixture of relief； disbelief； and hope。 For a minute Gogh enjoyed the effect of his pronouncement； then pushed on。
〃Notice the fuzzy sections around the displaced segment。 This next slide shows a blowup of the fuzzy section。〃
Another picture Nick had not seen appeared on the screen。 It was an aerial shot of buildings； but they were transparent and the golden color of the grassland showed through them。 More discussion rippled around the room； though the President sat quietly lost in his own thoughts。 Elizabeth tried to whisper to him again； but he dismissed her with another wave。
〃Notice the indefinite state of this section。〃 Gogh walked to the screen and pointed at the transparent section。 〃Notice also this ring。〃 He traced a thin golden section。 〃This is a section of grassland around the outer edge of the displaced segment。 The next photo was taken two hours later； and the next was taken an hour after that。〃
The next slide showed a New York City with a clearly missing section。 It was quickly followed by a slide showing New York with the piece back。 It took Nick a minute to notice the change。
〃You will see；〃 Dr。 Gogh said； pointing with a pen； 〃that the amount of city in the displaced segment is smaller and the indefinite area has pulled toward the center。 Notice also that the ring of grassland has grown larger。〃 Again he traced the golden ring around the oval。 〃This phenomena tells us two things。 First； that the effect appears to be in an indefinite state。 Second； that the effect is reaching a state of equilibrium； and doing so rather quickly。 The oscillations between city and prairie are irregular； but the growth of the stabilized time…displaced sections is increasing logarithmically。 We have little time to act。 Fortunately； we have developed a plan of action to deal with the problem。〃
Everyone at the table leaned forward at that point except the secretary of defense； who kept her eyes down and looked distinctly unfortable。
〃We have accepted the theory that the time displacement occurred as a result of time disruption created by the detonation of nuclear devices。 However； the idea that waves are sweeping across the surface of the planet has been rejected。 Instead； in conjunction with Dr。 Gomez； at the Fermi Institute； I have developed a model that shows that the current effects and the originating explosions are actually connected。〃
〃Connected how？〃 the CIA director asked。 〃The bomb testing you are talking about happened in the sixties； maybe even the fifties。〃
〃The explosions created an effect that crosses space and time。 The effect we have today is happening because the explosions are happening right now in the sixties。〃
Cannon shook his head in confusion but kept quiet。
〃Since the events in the past and the current event are linked； it means we have an opportunity to manipulate the event。 We intend to disrupt the effect before it has a chance to reach equilibrium by creating another time wave to counteract the effects of the one that produced our current problems。〃
Nick was confused for a moment。 He knew of no way to create a time wave except with dense matter； and the only human way to create dense matter was with a nuclear explosion。 Then he realized what Gogh was planning and a sick feeling swept over him。 A moment later Gogh confirmed what Nick was thinking。
〃We intend to use a nuclear detonation to create another wave。〃
As chaotic discussion followed； Gogh and the President waited it out。 Most of the questions directed at the President were the 〃Why wasn't I consulted？〃 type。 When order returned Nick managed to get the floor。
〃We don't know this will work。 We don't even know for sure this is caused by the nuclear explosions。 For all we know； it could be some factor interacting with the detonations to produce the effect。 Besides； what's happened to us wasn't pro…duced by a single bomb； it was the accumulative effects of hundreds of explosions。〃
〃That's why we intend to use more than one device。〃 Gogh waited； making Nick ask the obvious question。
〃How many more than one？〃
〃One hundred。〃
Even the stoic military officers gasped at the thought of detonating a hundred hydrogen bombs。 Nick was stunned by the thought but slowly realized if you were going to take this course of action you had little choice but to use such megatonnage。 The time wave that had disrupted Nick's present and sent millions； if not billions； of people spinning off into time wasn't caused by one or two bombs。 There had been nearly a thousand British and American bombs tested at the New Mexico test site alone。 From that perspective a hundred bombs was even conservative； but no human or natural event could match the power of one hundred warheads detonated in the atmosphere。 Krakatoa and Mount Saint Helens would pale in parison。 Nick recalled the nuclear winter concerns of a few years ago。 Even if they got the missing people back； they could lose them again to starvation。 Nick quickly assessed the benefits and costs and took his stand。
〃You can't do this。 We don't understand what we're dealing with yet。 All we have is a rudimentary theory and there is no evidence that this will return things to normal。 At best all you will do is create more time displacement and at worst 。 。 。 who knows？ We know it will cause vast destruction； and may have long…term effects。 You have heard of nuclear winter？〃
〃A discredited theory；〃
〃It won't be theory if we detonate that many warheads； and then it could be too late。〃
Nick was surprised to find the President and not Gogh responding。 〃We know what will happen if we don't do anything。 We will lose millions of our citizens； billions of doll