Page 83 (1/2)

Connie pressed on "They don’t need a shaft that size to send down a probe or a ca"

Still no response Then, when she was sure he’d decided to hang up: "What you are suggesting is impossible"

"It’s not impossible, and you know it You’re one of the people arned that breaching the doerous You’re one of the reasons people are so scared of this thing" Connie held her breath Had she pushed too far?

"I was discussing various theoretical possibilities," Stanevich huffed "I am not responsible for the nonsense from the media"

"Professor I want you to discuss the theoretical possibilities of this Of a nuclear weapon… Please If it will release the children, then that’s one thing But--"

"Of course it will not release the children" He snorted a laugh into her ear "It will do one of two things Neither of the the children inside"

"The two things What are they?" A highway patrol car pulled in and she gripped the phone hard The car slid into a parking place The patrol her from TV?

"It depends," Stanevich equivocated "There are two theories of the so-called J waves I won’t bore you with the details--you wouldn’t understand anyway"

The patrolot out Stretched Locked his car and went into the minimart

"A nuclear device would release a great deal of energy Which ht blow it up Think of it as a hair dryer, let us say, yes, a hair dryer that runs on one-hundred-and-ten-volt electricity And suddenly it is plugged into ten thousand volts"

He sounded as detached as if he was lecturing a rooy

"It would be blown apart Combust"

"Yes," Connie said tersely "Wouldn’t that also blow up everything nearby?"

"Oh, certainly," Stanevich said "Not the device itself, you understand, not if it is buried deep But a twenty-mile-wide sphere that suddenly overloads? It would likely obliterate everything inside And perhaps, depending on various factors, destroy an area around the dome"

Connie’s stomach was in her throat "You said two possibilities"

"Ah," Stanevich said "The other isIt may be that the barrier is not overloaded It y It y and essentially store it Soak it up like an incredibly efficient battery Or, let us say, a sponge" He y No, far froing, yes? Weakening So iood, healthyWhat does that do to the barrier? Maybe it thens it," Stanevich said "Alters it in e cannot yet predict It will be fascinating, though More than one PhD dissertation will result"

Connie hung up the phone She walked quickly to her car