PROJECT "PEARL"
(C) Andrey Balabukha.
__________________________________________
Oup Ridge spread out like a lion's skin
on the plain, stretching out the front paws along
highway. In the left was clamped a pillar with a shield,
painted with the inscription:
WELCOME TO OUR COZY
COPE RIDGE, WHERE TWENTY-TWO LIVE
THOUSANDS OF FUN PEOPLE AND TWO OLD PEOPLE
GRUMZ!
Gerald glanced at the shield,
slowed down and checked the plan again
nom. Now don’t miss the fourth
gate to the right - along Hanover Street - and along -
then up Green Hill Road - already to the very
th place. He began to count the turns. Be
three times wrong are these provincial towns!
How much easier it is where there is a single
address system, just screw it on
Automedon disk code so that the machine itself
stoppedat the right doors, and then herself
I parked in the nearest parking lot...
Yeah! He abruptly threw his Thunderstorm
to the right, causing both right wheels to instantly
the sound is frozen. Gerald shook his head and
I also slowed down.
One of the boss's inventions brought him here,
eternally illuminated by some brilliant
with our ideas. "That's it, Gerald," he said.
once upon a time. - Contact all patent
mi bureau and under some more or less
use a plausible pretext to extract information from them.
stories about all sorts of crazy inventors -
of those who bring applications for anti-gravity
tation and apparatuses that make everything out of nothing.
Suddenly in this manure a pearl will be discovered
grain? After all, the pedants from the Patent Office can easily
they might blow him up..."
Thus the “Pearl” project was born. For me-
Gerald's list reached
impressive size. "That's enough," he said.
chief - Now feel them, but - be careful -
Nenko. Or no, it will be too long...
Take Dodgson and Brantley to help."
They divided the list into three parts. To yourself
Gerald left everyone he considered even ma-
very promising, having sent it to Bob and
Dorsey Brantley the rest of the change. Alas, not a single
none of them were able to detect the pre-
such a chef's "pearl". And this "mad sci-
entist" from Cope Ridge was the last hope
milk Gerald. However, he is not too
I said goodbye.say, the boss’s ideas rarely prove
were fruitful. But when they contain
nevertheless, a rational grain emerged, it
paid for all the idle runs combined.
Therefore, obviously, the boss was appreciated at the top. B
in the near future he will receive a brigadier
general and will leave the Prospective Department
developments, and then... What the hell is not joking!
In any case, in the Department Gerald has the most
great chances. And the boss himself will probably be
recommend him.
Along Green Hill Road he drove slowly
but, peering at the house numbers. Here. He pro-
believed the address. Everything is correct. Gerald pressed the button-
ku on the dashboard, the door slid silently
back, and the chair - to the side, into the opened opening.
He stood on the asphalt, kneading his sore
three o'clock legs.
Michael W. Crafton. Graduated from Massachusetts
polytechnic. Worked in Eastern Electric
tric, then at General Energy, Li-
mited." He left the service six years ago, although
was considered a promising worker. And since then
for about thirteen times I contacted various
patent offices with an application for perpetual motion
gatel. Naturally, he was ridiculed. Passed
rumor that poor Crafton... Well, let's feel it
him.
The site was surrounded by tall hedges
Rodyu, dense and from a distance similar to green
sponge. But in rare gaps I made my way
here and there a gray tone, inwhose experienced look
Gerald easily guessed the hidden behind the
laziness concrete fence. Above her were visible
crowns of trees growing inside and some
a spherical dome that resembled either a gas-
holder, or radiotelevision antenna casing
pa.The metal gates were tightly closed
you.Gerald stopped for a moment in front of
them. Then he pressed the signal key.
“I’m listening,” came from a hidden speaker.
ka.
- Gerald Cremaschi of Oldcreek Pa.
tent bureau.
- You've been rocking for a long time, Mr. Crema-
ski... Well, welcome, as said
on the shield, which you no doubt noticed. A
one of the old grims, for your information -
it's me.
The gate fell down, opening the passage,
wide enough even for army
truck. In the depths a house could be seen - a villa
made of glass and concrete in the style of Louis Kahn.
“The garage is behind the house on the left,” he finished.
los, - I'll go out now.
Gerald returned to the car and slowly
entered the villa. In the mirror he
noticed how the gate slab crawled up, almost
The stern of the Thunderstorm passed it.
“Good beast,” sounded unknown from-
where is the same voice? - Three hundred horses?
- Three hundred eighty.
- What a dinosaur...
-Why, exactly?
- Because soon there will be no such people. How
as soon as my engine starts working, they
will inevitably die off. In addition, support
National Commission for Environmental Protection guarantees
rowana.
“It’s starting,” thought Gerald.
it became sad. - We need to get rid of him
hurry up."
Damn it, but where is the garage? Salad
a ribbon of asphalt brought it to a rectangular
an area that could accommodate a maximum
one car. He braked sharply. At the same time
moment the platform fell down, and he felt
hid in the underground garage, where they were already standing
"Land Rover Safari" and the unfamiliar Geral-
Dumb-nosed, like a bus, a minicar.
“This is my child,” said the voice
loudly; The acoustics in the garage were great
Naya. - "Bug." What do you think, Mr. Cre-
masks, how much power does it have?
- About fifty. - Gerald criticizes again
I checked the car thoroughly.
- You were mistaken by about four hundred. - In th-
The moose heard malice.
Poor Crafton! Looks like he's really...
but...
-You will have the opportunity to convince yourself-
"I'm in it, Mr. Cremaski," he promised.
los with the same malicious note. - In the meantime, for-
drive your dinosaur to the stable.
“Thank you,” said Gerald. - Well, three-come on, dinosaur.
Rising to the surface, Gerald saw
affairs finally of Crafton himself. They are good-
foxed
- Are these idiots from the Patent Office really...
Is it worth talking to me seriously? -
asked Crafton.
“Almost,” Gerald said cautiously. -
Rather, this is my private initiative. I'm nat-
I looked in the archives at your applications and found out that
similar ones were received in other patent
bureau, and your persistence interested
me, especially since I know you a little from
General Energy.
- Are you ambitious, Mr. Cremaski... Na-
true, you console yourself with the thought that Einstein
once served in the patent office? However,
This is not the worst drawback. Rather
It's even a virtue. Only here's why
your dinosaur's Washington number? And
how long ago did you join the patent office?
West Point graduates enroll?
Gerald bit his lip. And how did he forget
change license plates?!
- So let's talk seriously, -
Crafton continued. - True, it’s better de-
to sleep in a more comfortable environment. Do you agree?
us?
Meanwhile they entered the house.
- What do you prefer? - asked Kraf-
tone, opening the bar.
-Daiquiri, if you don't mind.
- Not a bad taste, Mr. Cremaski. By the way,
What is your title?
- Major. Major Gerald Cremaschi of the Det.
la promising developments.
- That's about what I thought. Please.
Gerald sank into a low chair,
He stretched out his legs and took a sip. Daiquiri
was moderately dry and cold - in the booze,
it looks like Crafton knew a lot about it. Well, if not
only when drinking: for some reason this "mad sci-
entist" evoked an involuntary sympathies in Gerald
pathy, and it will be a shame if this time it’s not
the water will be empty.
- Tell me, Mr. Crafton: why do you need-
succeeded in turning her home into a masterpiece of design
tification? I wouldn’t be surprised if I found in the wall
there are also camouflaged embrasures...
- You see, Mr. Cremaski...
- Just Gerald, if you don’t mind. So,
it will probably be easier.
- Agree. But you can also call me Mike-
scrap. This is so nice - truly American -
ski, right? So, about the house. Our English
friends say: my home is my fortress. I
embodied this metaphor. A very useful activity
ie - to materialize metaphors... Somehow
I'll tell you more, Gerald. In the meantime
let's talk business. How wonderful you are
you see, never and no perpetual motion
I didn't invent the bodies.
Gerald looked up at him. FaceCrafton was serious, only in the corners of his lips
and small wrinkles, a smile lurks near the eyes,
barrel, as malicious as the recent in-
the nation of his voice.
- You mean...
- ...that it was a way to attract attention.
If an engineer, in certain circles it is useful
he who enjoys fame suddenly quits his job
boo, and then sends it to almost everyone
patent office applications for a perpetual motion machine,
The first thing they will think about him is that he has gone crazy.
But some people might be interested in whether there is something here...
something serious... Like, for example, you.
As you can see, the method turned out to be quite effective
personal
- I have to disappoint you, Michael. We turned
attention not to Crafton alone, but to
everyone... crazy.
- AND?
- It’s too early to talk about this yet.
- Understand. You must be very secretive
worker, major?
- Very. - Gerald smiled. Smile at
he was disarmingly charming, and he
knew about it.
- Fine. I hope you don't leave me with
empty-handed. Only now... Agree, I
I couldn't wait for your visit today.
And prepare for any kind of
monsters too. Oh well. Let's go for
started in the "holy of holies", and there you can see
children - suddenlylet some one come to mind
be a dazzling idea... Do you believe in non-
expected insights, Gerald?
The villa was two storeys, and Gerald was surprised
curled up when, walking along a long corridor,
they found themselves in front of the elevator. Crafton pressed
on the shield there is a button with the number “3”. Gerald
waited. The doors closed and the cabin collapsed.
went down. The fall lasted three seconds -
There is no other way to call this descent than a fall.
It's impossible. The door swung open, revealing a
door with concrete walls.Under the ceiling there is a dim
Milky white lampshades were burning.
- Anti-nuclear shelter, - admiringly
Gerald drawled.
- A masterpiece of fortification, - in tone with it -
was called Crafton. - I got all this from
inheritance. And here is the “holy of holies”.
Gerald expected to see the engine room
hardware laboratory, but not that
appeared before his eyes, it showed so much
moose poor and not corresponding to the magnificent
name. Room no more than twenty
square yards with the same bare concrete
new walls, like in the corridor. Along the wall -
metal rack lined with straight
rows of black cubes with an edge of about a foot. On
there were about forty to fifty eyes. Afterwards
there was another one on a concrete pedestal
the same cube. On the upper edge was visible
plastic carrying handle and two
terminals from which to a small distribution
telnythe shield on the right wall stretched
thick cables.
“Here they are, my chickens,” said Crafton, “
How do you like them, Major?
- What is this, exactly?
- Chronoquantum generators. Remember, I go-
talked about metaphors? Among them is this:
time is money. But what is money, if not
the measure of value in our world is the same as
energy? Time is energy... However, I was
far from the first to look in this direction -
research institute. The first, as far as I know, was non-
Russian cue, Kozyrev. Behind him is Roitblat in
Germany and Shellington in New Zealand. Me
were lucky enough to find what they were looking for
li.These chicks transform the energy of time
into electrical. True, I am a practitioner and not
I can explain and sometimes even understand how
This is exactly what happens. Well, yes, it's already yours
concern: I think you will find a whole regiment of theoretical
ticks. This one,” he pointed to the central
cube - supplies energy to all my household -
in. If you want, inquire in Eastern
energy, and they will tell you that there are no
There are no cable entries to my site. Vpro-
than, you are free not to believe me, I don’t believe you at all
I'm not trying to persuade you. Moreover, I must say, I used
I use barely a percentage of the potential power
generator power. And this whole brood
could fully satisfy the needs
all eastern states.
- These? - Geraldnodded towards the rack.
- I sculpt them on average one a week.
You can't handle the big ones alone. For me
these are quite enough. You see one at work
those, the second one is in my bug. Where else?
And now you have to stretch yourself a little,
Major, - you probably have a little muscle
flabby from office life. Take this
one of them, and let's go upstairs...
“Where should I take you?” he continued.
Crafton as they exited the elevator at the top.-
Idea! Went.
Gerald followed him obediently. Box
turned out to be unexpectedly easy. They turned
to the right, then again and stopped in front of
door, which Crafton opened wide
gesture. It was the bathroom.
- What are you up to, Michael?
- You'll see. Put it here. - Crafton
pointed to the earthenware sink. - Don't worry
rest assured, she will survive. - Bent over
bathroom, he plugged the drain. - And now
bring a couple of chairs from somewhere while I
I'm messing around here. Can you find it?
- Finding your way around other people’s houses is one of the
my professions,” responded Gerald.
I could hear the laughter: it all looked very ridiculous-
lo.
Armchairs were found in the living room. They were light
such - aluminum tubes and foam rubber, - and
he was able to take both in one go. When he
returned, Crafton was standing over the bathtub, in which
I'm getting out ofxles crane deployed to capacity
a tight stream began to melt, and salt was poured into the water from
plastic bag.
- You need about two percent, Gerald, -
like in sea water. What do you think, half a pack
is that enough? Just keep in mind: I already poured one in.
Oh well, let it be worse for us! - With these
With words, he resolutely shook out the package. - A
put the chairs here: thank God, my ro-
the child loved comfort, and there is enough space for children
seven... You would make an excellent
assistant, I swear! Maybe we'll think about it later...
Any news about this option? When will I receive But-
Bel Prize, and the army will not want to release
get me out of control? - Continuing
rant in the same tone, Crafton
screwed two wires to the generator terminals
yes, ending with a metal plate -
we are approximately eight by eight inches, and the lower
threw them into the water so that between the plates
There was a gap of about four inches. Bath themes
filled with time, and he closed the tap.
it became quiet.
- Now sit down, Gerald. And let's
Let's reason. Suppose I deceive you and this
an ordinary battery, although you could convince-
in reverse by weight alone. But before-
Let's let it in. What is its capacity - by eye?
- About the same as a car. Forty-
fifty ampere hours.
- Wonderful. Now let's assume that I'm gay
niy - and this is indeed so - and con-built a battery with a capacity of one
the volume and weight are ten times greater than normal
small, that is, four hundred ampere hours.
Gerald nodded.
- Because nothing more solid and forward-
I can’t think of someone chatting right away, we
Let's have some fun at school level - with a merman
rheostat. Calculate how much water will evaporate
per hour battery - normal and ten-
multiple. In the meantime, I'll bring you a drink. Agreed? Just don't try to open the genera-
torus - this is foreseen and is not for good -
leads.
Gerald smiled. When in minutes
ten Crafton returned with a basket, bristling
crawling like a hedgehog of bottlenecks, he said
hall:
- I counted, Michael. Accordingly, seventy
two and seven hundred and twenty grams. And if you are in
actually created such a battery...
Just how do we find seventy-two grams
in the volume of the bath? And even seven hundred and twenty?
- I created a chronoquantum generator, -
Crafton said impressively. He approached
cube and pressed the button unnoticed by Gerald
ku under the handle. Then he took it out of the basket
rib shaker and threw it at Gerald's
laziness: - Figure out something on your own for now -
at his discretion, Major. - I sat down on it myself
edge of the bathtub and began to look into the water.
“Look,” he said after about five minutes.
Gerald, shands occupied with a shaker, some
how he climbed out of the low chair - and
whistled: the water boiled, it bubbled between
blow the plates, large bubbles floated up and
burst, covering the surface with ripples, and the chalk
some scattered to the sides. Like water bugs.
ki. A column of steam stretched upward.
Half an hour later the bath was already at four
the place is empty, and the room is full of steam. Clothes
Yes, she was damp and sloppy. Gerald lowered
tie and unbuttoned his collar.
“Ugh,” he said, “it’s hot, I can’t!”
Let's get out of here, Michael. Consider me
convinced.
- Eh, no! I'd better get some cold beer
want? And in general, a couple of bones don’t ache like
they say either Russians or Finns - words
wow, some kind of “bathhouse” people. I can still pre-
let you undress...
Cold beer was great.
But it is also somewhat risky. On
the second dozen were both sitting in their underpants,
having already found out that the track record
Gerald's is much richer than Crafton's,
which was limited to participation in exercises
National Guard, but Crafton knew
anthem of the Hooligan Patrol, which I didn’t know
Gerald and which they began to learn
to the accompaniment of a banjo, out of nowhere
fished out by Crafton. Soon they were singing this
the anthem is quite harmonious, although the voices got stuck in
fog, like flies in molasses. From time to time
Craftongot up to add water to the bath,
add salt to it or bring a few more
cans of ice-cold beer, and steam, really-
but it didn’t hurt, and Gerald was sure that he
there is absolutely no need to contact management
property of the Advanced Development Department, if
such a tempting prospect opens up
become assistant to Michael Crafton, who
knows how to boil water in a bath and cook in it
crayfish, which harmonize so well with pi-
vom, and he felt quite recently
born, healthy and strong as a team
Yale University Rugby...
When the third bath has completely boiled away,
Gerald decided that the tests had passed
cannot be successful and that he needs immediate
slowly go to Washington and pull out
here to the boss to congratulate him on the accomplishment
his great idea and introduce
with Crafton, his generator and Finnish
steam bath in which - Gerald is ready
was to supply his future shoulder straps to the underground
kovnik vs ten cents - boss never
I haven't been. Crafton tried to persuade him to spend the night, but
Gerald was adamant, and they went there,
where the "thunder" lifted from the garage already stood
storm", at the sight of the owner helpfully pacnax-
opened the door and pulled out the chair. They
They said goodbye, and Gerald sat down on
driver's seat, but damn dinosaur -
Clever Mike called him right! - I teach-
I caught the smell and managedremove the seat and
slam the door, and Gerald froze in
very inconvenient and not entirely decent
ze on his haunches, fortunately not yet falling from the neo-
anticipation. Damn chemoreceptors! He
he angrily kicked the balloon, but immediately
curled up, only now realizing that he was barefoot and naked,
and then he succumbed to Crafton's persuasion and
I decided to spend the night, but before bed it was all worth it
sit a little longer and have a drink
the last portion... Then the memory gaped
some kind of failure, followed by a picture
on: naked Crafton looking like a chef
hell's kitchen, a huge ladle on a tree
a creepy hand stirs the bathtub
brew, which he calls punch, and a handful of
mi sprinkles cinnamon, cloves and other
some spices, saying:
- It is said, according to taste. What do you think, Jer-
ri, is that enough or a little more?
* * *
Some scoundrel managed to shove him
a cast-iron core into the skull, and at the slightest movement
in marriage it rolled, crushing the brain and
crushing bones. Half your life for an aspirin tablet!
But there was no aspirin. The bed is smooth until
was reading. How did he get on the ship? And if he
in the cabin,why are trees visible outside the window?..
Oh yes, he's at Mike's villa. Clear. But where
get some aspirin?
He stood up. The cannonball rolled and froze.
Since there is no aspirin, you need to at least take
take a cold shower. He headed to the bathroom.
But as soon as he opened the door, towards the rush -
elk cloud of steam. Water was gushing from the tap,
the bath was bubbling and steaming, hanging in the air
thick, disgustingly spicy smell. Gerald
slammed the door, barely holding it in
a sweet and sour lump rolling up to your throat.
- When will this end, damn it? -
burst out from him.
- Never. For the chronoquantum generator
consumes the energy of eternity. - Standing behind
Crafton. He looked much less
more rumpled than you'd expect. - Kind
morning, Jerry.
- Do you have aspirin, Mike?
- Why do you need aspirin? Went.
In the kitchen, Crafton splashed soda into glasses
howl and dripped ammonia there. Je-
rald drank. Sickeningly fresh, disgusting
Indeed, the ammonia stream hit the brain, causing
Vav in memory of West Point and extraordinary on-
rows for cleaning closets. But then it became
lighter and the cannonball rolled out of the skull.
- And now - have breakfast. - Crafton, taking
Gerald took Gerald's arm and led him into the dining room.
After bacon and eggs and two cups
the strongest aromaticGerald's coffee
felt quite acceptable. Just in case
case of spraying his mouth with deodorant, he
once without incident I got into my Thunder-
storm" and, saying goodbye to Crafton and
having argued with him about the time of the next meeting
chi, left the gates of the villa.
Ten minutes later he had already left the pose
di Cope Ridge and the twenty-eighth federal
the highway rushed towards Washington, hovering
singing "Ctuhku Stone" and thinking in what terms
In marriages, it is better to report everything to the boss.
* * *
After seeing his guest off, Crafton drank another cup
coffee and stretched out on a sun lounger on the terrace.
My head was heavy, as it always is
after heavy libations, neutralized
two alkalamide tablets - one before and
one after. He lit a cigarette. The smoke rose,
like a flexible stream, a bluish cloud
crawled under the awning. And only now he
let go of the reins.
Finally! They took the bait!
It was a victory. More precisely, it was proclaimed
tion, for more than one fight awaits him ahead
Ready. But the first battle was won. Just to what extent
this is funny, wild, disgusting and stupid: hit-swear, dodge and lie, wanting to give
people have an abyss of free energy! However, on
what else can you count on in this blessing?
homeland, where Joe Bell was once home
I had to prove for the first half of my life that
something as simple as a telephone can
work, and the second - to sue, proving
your undisputed priority...
But his lesson was not in vain. And Crafton
acted much more carefully. These tu-
the peeps from the patent office ridiculed him: yes, co-
acted much more carefully. These tu-
the peeps from the patent office ridiculed him: yes, co-
Of course, stones can't fall from the sky, eternal
the engine cannot be invented, the hardware
You are heavier than air and cannot fly. Well,
now they will have to reckon with Crafto
nom. The chronoquantum generator is operating and
it is impossible to dispute this. Theorists will begin
dig and build hypotheses to explain
the fact of the existence of this phenomenon, and it
will try to add to the fire of their polemics
more oil, giving thick and black
smoke.
And more than one year will pass - no less than
he needed to assemble this ag-
gat, - before they, having already become accustomed to the gene-
speaker, they suddenly figure out that all xpoho-
quantum technology is nonsense and nonsense,
a meaningful jumble around one small
whom and a really working node -
the notorious perpetuum mobile, eternaltwo-
the fortune teller.
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