Starquake.pdf

They were just as suspicious of the coincidence as I was," he said. "They decided to wait until we saw
the noise in the channel and could learn more about it than could be sent with 108 bits. Sure enough,
about 72 turns later, out came a single bit and the channel indicator registered 'Channel Occupied' for
almost two greats when suddenly the back-channel was empty and a forward-channel was 'Occupied.'
Neither transmitter had activated. I analyzed and re-analyzed everything and was about to approach the
committee for restarting the construction of the new machine when the final blow fell."
Neutron-Drip stopped moving, and her edges flowed back about his in a semicircular embrace.
"Last turn I responded to an alarm and found that another back-time channel has noise in it. What is
worse, it was not a single bit, but three bits with a nonsense meaning. The chance of spontaneous
emission of three bits is infinitesimal. The machine has a noise source. And until we understand it, we
shouldn't spend money on a larger machine. But with only four channels, it will take forever to find out
what the problem is."
"But once you find out, you can send a message back to yourself with the answer ..." she started.
"There you go, creating paradoxes again," he said. "If it were possible, 1 would have already done it,
and 1 wouldn't be here whispering my troubles into your trailing side." He moved around her and pushed
off across the compound.
"Enough of my problems," he said. "How about showing me how you are going to set up that net around
the East Pole to trap crustquakes?"
06:57:52 GMT TUESDAY 21 JUNE 2050
Qui-Qui was surprised when she received a letter from the rejuvenation selection committee. She sent
her acceptance message at once, then called her manager, Grey-Stone.
The picture over the video link was that of a small middle-aged male painted in the bright diagonal
stripes that went out of fashion 20 greats ago. The already rapidly moving eye-wave pattern became
even more agitated as he recognized his famous client.
"What problem have you got now?" said Grey-Stone. "You never call me unless you've got a problem."
"No problem at all," said Qui-Qui. "It's good news. I have been selected by the rejuvenation committee
for treatment. Of course, the treatment takes a half-great."
"Ahalf-great!" came the loud reply over the video link. "You don't have a half-great free on your
schedule until 2899!"
"I do now," she replied. "I go west for the final interview and tests two turns from now. Unless they find
something that disqualifies me, I start treatment immediately after that."
"But your contracts ..." Grey-Stone said.