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a； sometimes producing as much as thirty quarts of fluid a day。 Men knew this； but they somehow assumed that the lethal effects of the disease were unrelated to the diarrhea； they searched for something else： an antidote； a drug； a way to kill the organism。 It was not until modern times that cholera was recognized as a disease that killed through dehydration primarily； if you could replace a victim's water losses rapidly； he would survive the infection without other drugs or treatment。
Cure the symptoms； cure the disease。
But Leavitt wondered about the Scoop organism。 Could they cure the disease by treating the blood clotting？ Or was the clotting secondary to some more serious； disorder？
There was also another concern； a nagging fear that had bothered him since the earliest planning stages of Wildfire。 In those early meetings； Leavitt had argued that the Wildfire team might be mitting extraterrestrial murder。
Leavitt had pointed out that all men； no matter how scientifically objective； had several built…in biases when discussing life。 One was the assumption that plex life was larger than simple life。 It was certainly true on the earth。 As organisms became more intelligent； they grew larger； passing from the single…celled stage to multicellular creatures； and then to larger animals with differentiated cells working in groups called organs。 On earth； the trend had been toward larger and more plex animals。
But this might not be true elsewhere in the universe。 In other places； life might progress in the opposite direction toward smaller and smaller forms。 Just as modern human technology had learned to make things smaller； perhaps highly advanced evolutionary pressures led to smaller life forms。 There were distinct advantages to smaller forms： less consumption of raw materials； cheaper spaceflight； fewer feeding problems。。。
Perhaps the most intelligent life form on a distant planet was no larger than a flea。 Perhaps no larger than a bacterium。 In that case； the Wildfire Project might be mitted to destroying a highly developed life form； without ever realizing what it was doing。
This concept was not unique to Leavitt。 It had been proposed by Merton at Harvard； and by Chalmers at Oxford。 Chalmers； a man with a keen sense of humor； had used the example of a man looking down on a microscope slide and see in the bacteria formed into the words 〃Take us to your leader。〃 Everyone thought Chalmers's idea highly amusing。
Yet Leavitt could not get it out of his mind。 Because it just might turn out to be true。
***
Before he fell asleep； Stone thought about the conference ing up。 And the business of the meteorite。 He wondered what Nagy would say； or Karp； if they knew about the meteorite。
Probably； he thought； it would drive them insane。 Probably it will drive us all insane。
And then he slept。
***
Delta sector was the designation of three rooms on Level I that contained all munications facilities for the Wildfire installation。 All inter and visual circuits between levels were routed through there； as were cables for telephone and teletype from the outside。 The trunk lines to the library and the central storage unit were also regulated by delta sector。
In essence it functioned as a giant switchboard； fully puterized。 The three rooms of delta sector were quiet； all that could be heard was the soft hum of spinning tape drums and the muted clicking of relays。 Only one person worked here； a single man sitting at a console； surrounded by the blinking lights of the puter。
There was no real reason for the man to be there； he performed no necessary function。 The puters were self…regulating； constructed to run check patterns through their circuits every twelve minutes； the puters shut down automatically if there was an abnormal reading。
According to protocol； the man was required to monitor MCN munications； which were signaled by the ringing of a bell on the teleprinter。 When the bell rang； he notified the five level mand centers that the transmission was received。 He was also required to report any puter dysfunction to Level I mand； should that unlikely event occur。
DAY 3
Wildfire
12。 The Conference
〃TIME TO WAKE UP； SIR。〃
Mark Hall opened his eyes。 The room was lit with a steady； pale fluorescent light。 He blinked and rolled over on his stomach。
〃Time to wake up； Sir。〃
It was a beautiful female voice； soft and seductive。 He sat up in bed and looked around the room： he was alone。
〃Hello？〃
〃Time to wake up； Sir。〃
〃Who are you？〃
〃Time to wake up； Sir。〃
He reached over and pushed a button on the nightstand by his bed。 A light went off。 He waited for the voice again； but it did not speak。
It was； he thought； a hell of an effective way to wake a man up。 As he slipped into his clothes； he wondered how it worked。 It was not a simple tape； because it worked as a response of some sort。 The message was repeated only when Hall spoke。
To test his theory； he pushed the nightstand button again。 The voice said softly； 〃Do you wish something； Sir？〃
〃I'd like to know your name； please。〃
〃Will that be all； Sir？〃
〃Yes； I believe so。〃
〃Will that be all； Sir？〃
He waited。 The light clicked off。 He slipped into his shoes and was about to leave when a male voice said； 〃This is the answering…service supervisor； Dr。 Hall。 I wish you would treat the project more seriously。〃
Hall laughed。 So the voice responded to ments； and taped his replies。 It was a clever system。
〃Sorry；〃 he said； 〃I wasn't sure how the thing worked。 The voice is quite luscious。〃
〃The voice；〃 said the supervisor heavily； 〃belongs to Miss Gladys Stevens； who is sixty…three years old。 She lives in Omaha and makes her living taping messages for SAC crews and other voice…reminder systems。〃
〃Oh；〃 Hall said。
He left the room and walked down the corridor to the cafeteria。 As he walked； he began to understand why submarine designers had been called in to plan Wildfire。 Without his wristwatch； he had no idea of the time； or even whether it was night or day。 He found himself wondering whether the cafeteria would be crowded； wondering whether it was dinner time or breakfast time。
As it turned out； the cafeteria was almost deserted。 Leavitt was there； he said the others were in the conference room。 He pushed a glass of dark…brown liquid over to Hall and suggested he have breakfast。
〃What's this？〃 Hall said。
〃Forty…two…five nutrient。 It has everything needed to sustain the average seventy…kilogram man for eighteen hours。〃
Hall drank the liquid； which was syrupy and artificially flavored to taste like orange juice。 It was a strange sensation； drinking brown orange juice； but not bad after the initial shock。 Leavitt explained that it had been developed for the astronauts； and that it contained everything except air…soluble vitamins。
〃For that； you need this pill；〃 he said。
Hall swallowed the pill； then got himself a cup of coffee from a dispenser in the corner。 〃Any sugar？〃
Leavitt shook his head。 〃No sugar anywhere here。 Nothing that might provide a bacterial growth medium。 From now on； we're all on high…protein diets。 We'll make all the sugar we need from the protein breakdown。 But we won't be getting any sugar into the gut。 Quite the opposite。〃
He reached into his pocket。
〃Oh； no。〃
〃Yes；〃 Leavitt said。 He gave him a small capsule； sealed in aluminum foil。
〃No；〃 Hall said。
〃Everyone else has them。 Broad…spectrum。 Stop by your room and insert it before you go into the final decontamination procedures。〃
〃I don't mind dunking myself in all those foul baths；〃 Hall said。 〃I don't mind being irradiated。 But I'll be goddammed〃
〃The idea；〃 Leavitt said； 〃is that you be as nearly sterile as possible on Level V。 We have sterilized your skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract as best we can。 But we haven't done a thing about the GI tract yet。〃
〃Yes；〃 Hall said； 〃but suppositories？〃
〃