jdavid.footprintsofthunder-第23部分

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esident's　agenda　he　looked　up　at　Nick。
　〃Dr。　Paulson；　you　seem　to　be　next。　Would　you　please　give　us　your　report。〃　The　President　glanced　at　Gogh　briefly　before　he　turned　to　Nick；　who　felt　like　a　second…string　quarterback　thrown　into　the　big　game。
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　President。　First；　this　is　not　an　attack　on　the　United　States。〃　Then　he　added；　as　an　afterthought；　〃Not　an　attack　from　another　country　anyway；　I　will　have　to　consider　the　possibility　of　an　extraterrestrial　source。〃　The　President　looked　pleased　that　Nick　had　not　thought　of　his　theory；　but　the　corners　of　Gogh's　mouth　turned　up　slightly。
　〃Nick；〃　the　President　asked；　〃how　do　you　know　this　isn't　an　attack？〃
　〃This　phenomenon　has　crossed　borders；〃　Nick　said　simply；　〃and　I　have　seen　reports　that　it　may　be　a　worldwide　phenomenon。　It　seems　illogical　that　someone　with　hostile　intent　would　release　a　weapon　that　seems　to　act　indiscriminantly。〃
　The　President　turned　and　gave　the　CIA　director　an　icy　stare。　〃That　right；　Sam？　I　didn't　hear　anything　about　this　happening　in　other　countries　in　your　report。〃
　〃I　dealt　with　only　confirmed　reports。　We　have　only　unconfirmed　reports　from　overseas　。　。　。　there　was　some　speculation　that　the　overseas　phenomena　might　have　been　a　smoke　screen…〃
　〃That's　enough；〃　McIntyre　said　sternly；　cutting　the　CIA　director　off。　The　President's　jaw　was　set　and　his　eyes　were　cold。　〃Go　on；　Dr。　Paulson。〃
　〃Second；　there　is　no　technological　or　theoretical　basis　for　producing　such　phenomena。〃
　〃Dr。　Paulson　。　。　。　Nick　。　。　。　saying　that　what　has　happened　couldn't　happen　isn't　particularly　useful〃
　〃That's　not　what　I　am　saying；　sir。　I　am　suggesting　that　this　may　be　a　natural　phenomenon。〃
　The　President　was　about　to　speak　again　when　Gogh　interrupted。　〃Natural？　There　is　nothing　natural　about　disappearing　cities；　and　topographical　disruption。　There　is　no　record　of　any　similar　events　ever　recorded。〃
　〃I　know　it　hasn't　happened　in　the　modern　era；　but　there　are　ancient　records　that　suggest　something　similar。　Floods；　lost　continents；　missing　peoples；　a　number　of　events　that　are　not　dissimilar。〃
　Gogh　was　giving　Nick　a　hard　stare；　but　the　President　seemed　genuinely　interested　in　Nick's　theory；　so　Nick　switched　into　his　〃explain　it　to　the　public〃　mode。　〃We've　been　on　this　planet　for　only　a　tiny　slice　of　geological　time。　If　you　think　of　the　life　of　this　planet　in　terms　of　a　twenty…four…hour　clock；　then　the　dinosaurs　appeared　about　an　hour　ago　and　people　have　been　here　for　only　the　last　few　seconds。　There　is　over　twenty…three　hours　of　clock　we　are　still　trying　to　understand。　This　could　have　happened　many；　times　before；　but　we　would　be　unaware　of　it。〃
　〃There　would　be　geologic；　or　fossil　records；　of　such　an　event；〃　Gogh　insisted。
　〃There　might　be　such　evidence；　but　without　a　disciplinary　matrix　that　includes　time　displacement　as　part　of　the　theoretical　basis　such　evidence　would　be　explained　in　terms　of　existing　theory；　or　dismissed　as　a　theoretical　anomaly。　One　example　that　es　to　mind　is　the　finding　of　human　footprints　in　the　same　rock　that　carries　dinosaur　footprints。　We　have　assumed　that　the　footprints　could　not　be　human　because　humans　and　dinosaurs　did　not　exist　in　the　same　era。　Instead　of　trying　to　understand　how　humans　and　dinosaurs　might　have　ended　up　together；　we　hypothesize　an　unknown　dinosaur　that　makes　a　human…looking　footprint。〃
　〃There　was　such　a　dinosaur；〃　Gogh　interrupted。
　〃There　was　a　dinosaur　that　made　a　footprint　that　did　resemble　a　human's；　yes。　But　to　explain　the　human…looking　footprint　found　in　the　riverbed　rock；　you　have　to　add　erosion。　Enough　erosion　to　remove　the　foreclaws。〃
　〃It　is　a　reasonable　hypothesis；〃　Gogh　persisted。
　〃Reasonable；　yes；　but　Occam's　razor　tells　us　to　take　the　simplest　explanation；　and　〃that　is　that　those　are　human　footprints。〃
　〃It's　not　simpler　at　all。　Putting　humans　and　dinosaurs　together　violates　a　century　of　research　supporting　the　theory　of　evolution。〃
　〃Not　if　time　displacement　had　occurred。　Some　dinosaurs　could　have　been　displaced　and　for　a　short　time　coexisted　with　humans。〃
　While　Nick　was　talking；　Elizabeth　whispered　in　the　President's　ear。　This　time　he　waved　his　hand　at　her　in　dismissal。
　〃Dr。　Paulson；　you　mentioned　time　displacement；〃　the　President　said。　〃What　is　it　you　are　talking　about？〃
　Nick　was　surprised　by　the　question。　It　was　clear　to　him　what　had　happened　because　he　had　a　theory　that　allowed　him　to　organize　the　bits　and　pieces　of　evidence。　But　the　meeting's　various　reports　dealt　with　the　impact；　not　the　event。
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　believe　that　the　best　way　to　describe　the　situation　is　time　displacement。　Sections　of　our　present　have　been　replaced　by　sections　of　the　past。　Think　about　the　reports：　sections　of　land　suddenly　snow　covered；　deserts；　lava　flows；　tundra；　jungle…all　could　be　from　our　past。〃
　〃But　snow　is　certainly　mon　enough　even　in　this　age；　and　lava；　and　desert。　I　see　nothing　that　requires　us　to　assume　any　kind　of　time　disruption。　Why　not　topographical　displacement？〃
　〃There　are　also　reports　of　dinosaurs。〃
　Everyone　at　the　table　straightened　up　and　began　murmuring。　Nick　looked　around　the　table。　All　the　officials　were　talking　to　their　aides；　or　one　another　about　the　dinosaurs。
　The　President　spoke　first。　〃I've　seen　no　reports　of　dinosaurs。　Where　are　there　reports　of　dinosaurs；　Elizabeth？　Sam？　What's　this　about　dinosaurs？〃
　〃I　don't　know　where　Dr。　Paulson　got　that；　Mr。　President；〃　Cannon　said。　Then　he　resumed　whispering　with　his　aide。
　Everyone　turned　to　Nick。　Nick　decided　not　to　mention　the　radio　talk　show。
　〃It　is　an　unconfirmed　report；　sir；　but　it　would　be　consistent　with　time　displacement。　I　would　like　to　pursue　it　further。〃
　〃Dinosaurs；〃　the　President　mused；　〃imagine　that。　Dinosaurs。〃　Elizabeth　whispered　in　his　ear　again　and　he　roused　himself　from　his　reverie。
　〃Dr。　Paulson；　please　pursue　your　theory；　and　somebody　find　out　about　those　dinosaurs！　Sam；　I　want　to　see　even　the　unconfirmed　reports。　Elizabeth　will　arrange　the　next　meeting。　In　the　meantime　I　would　like　all　of　you　to　continue　to　gather　as　much　information　as　possible　and　begin　to　formulate　a　plan　to　deal　with　what　has　happened。〃
　〃Deal　with　it；　sir？〃　Nick　asked　in　surprise。
　〃Yes。　I　want　a　plan　to　reverse　what　has　happened。〃
　The　President　tossed　his　twisted　paper　clip　onto　the　table　and　it　skittered　toward　Nick；　who　collapsed　back　into　his　seat；　expelling　his　breath。　The　President　had　seen　too　many　bad　science…fiction　movies。　This　wasn't　some　invasion　from　outer　space　where　some　generic　〃scientist〃　would　create　a　deus　ex　machina　to　make　everything　right　again。　This　was　the　real　world；　even　with　time；　space；　and　the　entire　universe　altered。
　Nick　sat　at　the　table　long　after　the　others　had　left；　thinking　about　his　own　theory。　If　he　was　right；　it　was　a　new　world　now。　Would　the　old　rules　of　civilization　apply　in　a　crazy　quilt　world　of　the　ancient　and　the　modem？　The　dinosaurs　had　ruled　their　world　as　surely　as　humans　did　theirs。　What　would　happen　when　they　met？　What　was　happening？
　
　20。　　INTO　THE　FOREST
　
　I　found　my　sister；　Wilhemina；　burned　to　death　in　her　bed　in　our　home　in　Whitley　Bay。　The　bedclothes　were　unscorched　and　there　were　no　signs　of　fire　anywhere　else　in　the　house。　The　police　suspect　me；　hut　only　the　devil　himself　could　burn　a　person　to　charcoal　and　not　set　the　bed　on　fire。
　…Margaret　Dewar；　March　22；1908
　
　The　Newtonian；　Einsteinian；　and　quantum　views　each　approached　the　universe　in　a　unique　way；　but　all　agree　that　human　needs；　and　wants；　are　not　considered　as　the　laws　of　physics　are　played　out。　So　it　was　that　as　the　effect　wrought　havoc　across　the　planet；　it　did　so　remorselessly。　Some　children　staying　with　grandparents　or　friends　were　whisked　away；　leaving　parents　with　no　clue　where　to　look；　and　with　no　hope。　Fathers　and　mothers　away　on　business　trips　never　returned；　or　had　nothing　to　return　to。　Parents　separated　because　of　strife；　could　never　reconcile…too　much　time　and　space　between　them。　People　out　late　found　no　home　to　return　to；　and　those　at　home　waited　in　vain　for　loved　ones　to　return。
　But　as　ruthless　as　the　effect　was　with　human　feelings；　it　was　almost　gentle　in　its　dealings　with　the　physical。　No　person　or　animal　was　halved　or　quartered　by　the　effect；　nor　was　a　single　finger　or　limb　lost。　Time；　space；　and　matter；　three　forms　of　the　same　force；　interact；　so　that　the　effect　wrapped　around　each　cell　of　each　organism。　Plants　were　removed　in　their　entirety；　taking　even　capillary　roots。　People　and　animals　were　taken　whole　too；　existing　from　then　on　only　in　the　memories　of　the　survivors。
　Inorganic　matter　was　treated　as　gently；　the　effect　respecting　continuity　and　wholeness。　Cars　along　the　effect　lines　were　taken；　but　towed　trailers　or　boats　were　left。　Streets　ended　in　neat　lines；　as　if　the　road　had　been　broken　off；　but　at　the　break　the　gravel　making　up　the　asphalt　was　still　whole。　Brick　and　wooden　structures　fared　as　well；　with　whole　bricks；　and　whole　boards　gone；　but　no　severed　boards　or　smashed　blocks。　Most　structures　disappeared　intact；　roof　to　subbasements　；　but　in　some　coses　huge　segments　were　taken　from　walls　or　foundation；　and　the　remaining　building　collapsed。
　As　amazing　as　the　effect　was；　it　was　not　all　powerful。　The　effect　could　not　penetrate　deep　into　the　earth；　and　vessels　or　structures　deep　under　water　escaped。　Instead　the　replacing　land　was　stitched　together　with　the　new　topography　according　to　some　unfathomable　physical　laws。　Grasslands　layered　over　flat　surfaces　evenly；　but　on　hilly　or　rocky　terrain；　it　tore　or　fit　loosely；　like　a　rumpled　throw　rug。　Forests　that　appeared　fared　the　worst；　with　many　trees　poorly　rooted。　Forests　deposited　on　steep　surfaces　often　collapsed　like　dominoes；　the　trees　bringing　one　another　down。　Perhaps　the　shallw…rooted　sequoias　fared　best；　settling　into　their　new　home　with　dignity　and　majesty。
　
　East　of　Newberg；　Oregon
　POSTQUILT：　SUNDAY；　6：30　　A。M。　PST
　
　　Cubby　and　John　were　sitting　in　the　van　waiting　for　Ripman　to　return。　John　was　fiddling　with　the　radio；　but　he　wasn't　picking　up　anything　he　could　make　out；　and　he　certainly　wasn't　picking　up　any　of　the　Portland　stations。　Cubby　was　mumbling　to　himself；　with　his　eyes　closed　and　his　head　bowed。　John　guessed　he　was　praying…like　he'd　been　ever　since　Ripman　too