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He thought about this for a moment； and then it hit him。 It hit Leavitt at the same time。
〃Oh my hell。〃
Leavitt was already reaching for the phone。 〃Get Robertson；〃 he said。 〃Get him immediately。〃
〃Incredible；〃 Stone said softly。 〃No waste。 It doesn't require growth media。 It can grow in the presence of carbon； oxygen； and sunlight。 Period。〃
〃I hope we're not too late；〃 Leavitt said； watching the puter console screen impatiently。
Stone nodded。 〃If this organism is really converting matter to energy； and energy to matter directly then it's functioning like a little reactor。〃
〃And an atomic detonation。〃
〃Incredible；〃 Stone said。 〃Just incredible。〃
The screen came to life； they saw Robertson； looking tired； smoking a cigarette。
〃Jeremy； you've got to give me time。 I haven't been able to get through to〃
Listen；〃 Stone said； 〃I want you to make sure Directive 7…12 is not carried out。 It is imperative： no atomic device must be detonated around the organisms。 That's the last thing in the world； literally； that we want to do。〃
He explained briefly what he had found。
Robertson whistled。 〃We'd just provide a fantastically rich growth medium。
〃That's right；〃 Stone said。
The problem of a rich growth medium was a peculiarly distressing one to the Wildfire team。 It was known； for example； that checks and balances exist in the normal environment。 These manage to dampen the exuberant growth of bacteria。
The mathematics of uncontrolled growth are frightening。 A single cell of the bacterium Ecoli would； under ideal circumstances； divide every twenty minutes。 That is not particularly disturbing until you think about it； but the fact is that bacteria multiply geometrically： one bees two； two bee four； four bee eight； and so on。 In this way； it can be shown that in a single day； one cell of Ecoli could produce a super…colony equal in size and weight to the entire planet earth。
This never happens； for a perfectly simple reason： growth cannot continue indefinitely under 〃ideal circumstances。〃 Food runs out。 Oxygen runs out。 Local conditions within the colony change； and check the growth of organisms。
On the other hand； if you had an organism that was capable of directly converting energy to matter； and if you provided it with a huge rich source of energy； like an atomic blast。。。
〃I'll pass along your remendation to the President；〃 Robertson said。 〃He'll be pleased to know he made the right decision on the 7…12。〃
〃You can congratulate him on his scientific insight； 〃 Stone said； 〃for me。〃
Robertson was scratching his head。 〃I've got some more data on the Phantom crash。 It was over the area west of Piedmont at twenty…three thousand feet。 The post team has found evidence of the disintegration the pilot spoke of； but the material that was destroyed was a plastic of some kind。 It was depolymerized。〃
〃What does the post team make of that？〃
〃They don't know what the hell to make of it；〃 Robertson admitted。 〃And there's something else。 They found a few pieces of bone that have been identified as human。 A bit of humerus and tibia。 Notable because they are clean almost polished。〃
〃Flesh burned away？〃
〃Doesn't look that way； 〃 Robertson said。
Stone frowned at Leavitt。
〃What does it look like？〃
〃It looks like clean； polished bone；〃 Robertson said。 〃They say it's weird as hell。 And there's something else。 We checked into the National Guard around Piedmont。 The 112th is stationed in a hundred…mile radius； and it turns out they've been running patrols into the area for a distance of fifty miles。 They've had as many as one hundred men west of Piedmont。 No deaths。〃
〃None？ You're quite sure？〃
〃Absolutely。〃
〃Were there men on the ground in the area the Phantom flew over？〃
〃Yes。 Twelve men。 They reported the plane to the base； in fact。〃
Leavitt said； 〃Sounds like the plane crash is a fluke。〃
Stone nodded。 To Robertson： 〃I'm inclined to agree with Peter。 In the absence of fatalities on the ground。。。〃
〃Maybe it's only in the upper air。〃
〃Maybe。 But we know at least this much： we know how Andromeda kills。 It does so by coagulation。 Not disintegration； or bone…cleaning； or any other damned thing。 By coagulation。〃
〃All right；〃 Robertson said； 〃let's forget the plane for the time being。〃
It was on that note that the meeting ended。
***
Stone said； 〃I think we'd better check our cultured organisms for biologic potency。〃
〃Run some of them against a rat？〃
Stone nodded。 〃Make sure it's still virulent。 Still the same。〃
Leavitt agreed。 They had to be careful the organism didn't mutate； didn't change to something radically different in its effects。
As they were about to start； the Level V monitor clicked on and said； 〃Dr。 Leavitt。 Dr。 Leavitt。〃
Leavitt answered。 On the puter screen was a pleasant young man in a white lab coat。
〃Yes？〃
〃Dr。 Leavitt； we have gotten our electroencephalograms back from the puter center。 I'm sure it's all a mistake； but。。。〃
His voice trailed off。
〃Yes？〃 Leavitt said。 〃Is something wrong？〃
〃Well； sir； yours were read as grade four； atypical； probably benign。 But we would like to run another set。〃
Stone said； 〃It must be a mistake。〃
〃Yes；〃 Leavitt said。 〃It must be。〃
〃Undoubtedly； Sir；〃 the man said。 〃But we would like another set of waves to be certain。〃
〃I'm rather busy now；〃 Leavitt said。
Stone broke in； talking directly to the technician。 〃Dr。 Leavitt will get a repeat EEG when he has the chance。〃
〃Very good； Sir；〃 the technician said。
When the screen was blank； Stone said； 〃There are times when this damned routine gets on anybody's nerves。〃
Leavitt said； 〃Yes。〃
They were about to begin biologic testing of the various culture media when the puter flashed that preliminary reports from X…ray crystallography were prepared。 Stone and Leavitt left the room to check the results； delaying the biologic tests of media。 This was a most unfortunate decision； for had they examined the media； they would have seen that their thinking had already gone astray； and that they were on the wrong track。
25。 Willis
X…RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT the Andromeda organism was not posed of ponent parts； as a normal cell was posed of nucleus； mitochondria； and ribosomes。 Andromeda had no subunits； no smaller particules。 Instead； a single substance seemed to form the walls and interior。 This substance produced a characteristic precession photograph； or scatter pattern of X rays。
Looking at the results； Stone said； 〃A series of six…sided rings。〃
〃And nothing else；〃 Leavitt said。 〃How the hell does it operate？ 〃
The two men were at a loss to explain how so simple an organism could utilize energy for growth。
〃A rather mon ring structure；〃 Leavitt said。 〃A phenolic group； nothing more。 It should be reasonably inert。〃
〃Yet it can convert energy to matter。〃
Leavitt scratched his head。 He thought back to the city analogy； and