第3部分(第5/7 頁)

vice；　do　you？〃

〃No；〃　Norman　said。　〃I　don't　think　they　could。〃　〃It'd　vaporize　'em。〃

〃Sure。〃

〃Laws　of　physics。〃

〃Right。〃

〃Your　report　must　make　that　point　clearly。　About　the　nuclear　vulnerability　of　these　aliens。〃

〃Yes；〃　Norman　said。

〃We　don't　want　to　start　a　panic；〃　the　Pentagon　man　said。　〃No　sense　getting　everyone　upset；　is　there？　I　know　the　JCS　will　be　reassured　to　hear　the　aliens　are　vulnerable　to　our　nuclear　weapons。〃

〃I'll　keep　that　in　mind；〃　Norman　said。

Eventually；　the　meetings　ended；　and　he　was　left　to　write　his　report。　And　as　he　reviewed　the　published　speculations　on　extraterrestrial　life；　he　decided　that　the　Major　General　from　the　Pentagon　was　not　so　wrong；　after　all。　The　real　question　about　alien　contact…if　there　was　any　real　question　at　all…concerned　panic。　Psychological　panic。　The　only　important　human　experience　with　extraterrestrials　had　been　Orson　Welles's　1938　radio　broadcast　of　〃The　War　＇＇18＇＇　of　the　Worlds。〃　And　the　human　response　was　unequivocal。　People　had　been　terrified。

Norman　submitted　his　report；　entitled　〃Contact　with　Possible　Extraterrestrial　Life。〃　It　was　returned　to　him　by　the　NSC　with　the　suggestion　that　the　title　be　revised　to　〃sound　more　technical〃　and　that　he　remove　〃any　suggestion　that　alien　contact　was　only　a　possibility；　as　alien　contact　is　considered　virtually　certain　in　some　quarters　of　the　Administration。〃

Revised；　Norman's　paper　was　duly　classified　Top　Secret；　under　the　title　〃Remendations　for　the　Human　Contact　Team　to　Interact　with　Unknown　Life　Forms　（ULF）。〃　As　Norman　envisioned　it；　the　ULF　Contact　Team　demanded　particularly　stable　individuals。　In　his　report　he　had　said

〃I　wonder；〃　Barnes　said；　opening　a　folder；　〃if　you　recognize　this　quote：