THE
NEXT LOGICAL STEP
know the final details of their war plans.
But, logically, there would be times—
BY BEN BOVA
■ "I don't really see where this problemhas anything to do with me," theCIA man said. "And, frankly, thereare a lot of more important things Icould be doing."
Ford, the physicist, glanced atGeneral LeRoy. The general hadthat quizzical expression on his face,the look that meant he was about todo something decisive.
"Would you like to see the problemfirst-hand?" the general asked,innocently.
The CIA man took a quick look athis wristwatch. "O.K., if it doesn'ttake too long. It's late enough already."
"It won't take very long, will it,Ford?" the general said, getting outof his chair.
"Not very long," Ford agreed."Only a lifetime."
The CIA man grunted as theywent to the doorway and left thegeneral's office. Going down thedark, deserted hallway, their footstepsechoed hollowly.
"I can't overemphasize the seriousnessof the problem," GeneralLeRoy said to the CIA man. "Eightranking members of the GeneralStaff have either resigned their commissionsor gone straight to the violentward after just one session withthe computer."
The CIA man scowled. "Is thisarea Secure?"
General LeRoy's face turned red."This entire building is as Secure asany edifice in the Free World, mister.And it's empty. We're the onlyliving people inside here at this hour.I'm not taking any chances."
"Just want to be sure."
"Perhaps if I explain the computera little more," Ford said, changingthe subject, "you'll know what toexpect."
"Good idea," said the man fromCIA.
"We told you that this is the mostmodern, most complex and delicatecomputer in the world ... nothinglike it has ever been attempted before—anywhere."
"I know that They don't have anythinglike it," the CIA man agreed.
"And you also know, I suppose,that it was built to simulate actualwar situations. We fight wars in thiscomputer ... wars with missiles andbombs and gas. Real wars, completedown to the tiniest detail. The computertells us what will actually happento every missile, every city, everyman ... who dies, how many planesare lost, how many trucks will fail tostart on a cold morning, whether abattle is won or lost ..."
General LeRoy interrupted. "Thecomputer runs these analyses forboth sides, so we can see what's happeningto Them, too."
The CIA man gestured impatiently."War games simulations aren'tnew. You've been doing them foryears."
"Yes, but this machine is different,"Ford pointed out. "It not onlygives a much more detailed wargame. It's the next logical step in thedevelopment of machine-simulatedwar games." He hesitated dramatically.
"Well, what is it?"
"We've added a variation of theelectro-encephalograph ..."
The CIA man stopped walking."The electro-what?"
"Electro-encephalograph. Youknow, a recording device that readsthe electrical patterns of your brain.Like the electro-cardiograph."
"Oh."
"But you see, we've given theEEG a reverse twist. Instead of usinga machine that makes a recording ofthe brain's electrical wave output,we've developed a device that willtake the computer's readout tapes,and turn them into electrical patternsthat are put into your brain!"
"I don't get it."
General LeRoy took over. "Yousit at the machine's control console.A helmet is placed ove