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THE K-FACTOR
By HARRY HARRISON
_Speed never hurt anybody--it's the sudden stop at the end. It's not how much change that signals danger, but how fast it's changing...._
Illustrated by Summers
"We're losing a planet, Neel. I'm afraid that I can't ... understandit."
The bald and wrinkled head wobbled a bit on the thin neck, and his eyeswere moist. Abravanel was a very old man. Looking at him, Neel realizedfor the first time just how old and close to death he was. It was aprofoundly shocking thought.
"Pardon me, sir," Neel broke in, "but is it possible? To lose a planet,I mean. If the readings are done correctly, and the k-factor equationsworked to the tenth decimal place, then it's really just a matter ofadjustment, making the indicated corrections. After all, Societics is anexact science--"
"Exact? _Exact!_ Of course it's not! Have I taught you so little thatyou dare say that to me?" Anger animated the old man, driving the shadowof death back a step or two.
Neel hesitated, feeling his hands quiver ever so slightly, groping forthe right words. Societics was his faith, and his teacher, Abravanel,its only prophet. This man before him, carefully preserved by theage-retarding drugs, was unique in the galaxy. A living anachronism, arefugee from the history books. Abravanel had singlehandedly worked outthe equations, spelled out his science of Societics. Then he had trainedseven generations of students in its fundamentals. Hearing the articleof his faith defamed by its creator produced a negative feedback loop inNeel so strong his hands vibrated in tune with it. It took a jarringeffort to crack out of the cycle.
"The laws that control Societics, as postulated by ... you, are as exactas any others in the unified-field theory universe."
"No they're not. And, if any man I taught believes that nonsense, I'mretiring tomorrow and dropping dead the day after. My science--and it isreally not logical to call it a science--is based on observation,experimentation, control groups and corrected observations. And thoughwe have made observations in the millions, we are dealing in units inthe billions, and the interactions of these units are multiples of that.And let us never forget that our units are people who, when they operateas individuals, do so in a completely different manner. So you cannottruthfully call my theories exact. They fit the facts well enough andproduce results in practice, that has been empirically proven. So far.Some day, I am sure, we will run across a culture that doesn't fit myrules. At that time the rules will have to be revised. We may have thatsituation now on Himmel. There's trouble cooking there."
"They have always had a high activity count, sir," Neel put inhopefully.
"High yes, but _always_ negative. Until now. Now it is slightly positiveand nothing we can do seems to change it. That's why I've called you in.I want you to run a new basic survey, ignoring the old one still inoperation, to re-examine the check points on our graphs. The troublemay lie there."
Neel thought before he answered, picking his words carefully. "Wouldn'tthat be a little ... unethical, sir? After all Hengly, who is operatorthere now, is a friend of mine. Going behind his back, you know."
"I know nothing of the sort." Abravanel snorted. "We are not playing forpoker chips, or seeing who can get a paper published first. Have youforgotten what Societics is?"
Neel answered by rote. "The applied study of the interaction ofindividuals in a culture, the interaction of the group generated bythese individuals, the equations derived therefrom, and the applicationof these equations to control one or more factors of this same culture."
"And what is the one factor that we have tried to control in order tomake all the other factors possible of existence?"
"War." Neel said, in a very small voice.
"Very good then, there is no doubt what it is we are talking about. Youare going to land quietly on Himmel, do a survey as quickly as possibleand transmit the data back here. There is no cause to think of it assneaking behind Hengly's back, but as doing something to help him setthe matter right. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Neel said firmly this time, straightening his back andletting his right hand rest reassuringly on the computer slung from hisbelt.
"Excellent. Then it is now time to meet your assistant." Abravaneltouched a button on his desk.
* * * * *
It was an unexpected development and Neel waited with interest as thedoor opened. But he turned away abruptly, his eyes slitted and his facewhite with anger. Abravanel introduced them.
"Neel Sidorak, this is--"
"Costa. I know him. He was in my class for six months." There wasn't theslightest touch of friendliness in Neel's voice now. Abravanel eitherignored it or didn't hear it. He went on as if the two cold, distantyoung men were the best of friends.
"Classmates. Very good--then there is no need to make introductions.Though it might be best to make clear your separate areas of control.This is your project Neel, and Adao Costa will be your assistant,following your orders and doing whatever he can to help. You know heisn't a graduate Societist, but he has done a lot of field work for usand can help you greatly in that. And, of course, he will be acting asan observer for the UN, and making his own reports in this connection."
Neel's anger was hot and apparent. "So he's a UN observer now. I wonderif he still holds his old job at the same time. I think it only fair,sir, that you know. He works for Interpol."
Abravanel's ancient and weary eyes looked at both men, and he sighed."Wait outside Costa," he said, "Neel will be with you in a minute."
Costa left without a word and Abravanel waved Neel back to his chair."Listen to me now," he said, "and stop playing tunes on that infernalbuzzer." Neel snapped his hand away from the belt computer, as if it hadsuddenly grown hot. A hesitant finger reached out to clear the figureshe had nervously been setting up, then thought better of it. Abravanelsucked life into his ancient pipe and squinted at the younger man.
"Listen," he said. "You have led a very sheltered life here at theuniversity, and that is probably my fault. No, don't look angry, I don'tmean about girls. In that matter undergraduates have been the same forcenturies. I'm talking about people in groups, individuals, politics,and all the complicated mess that makes up human life. This has beenyour area of study and the program is carefully planned so you can studyit secondhand. The important thing is to develop the abstract viewpoint,since any attempt to prejudge results can only mean disaster. And it hasbeen proved many times that a man with a certain interest will make manyunwitting errors to shape an observation or experiment in favor of hisinterest. No, we could have none of that here.
"We are following the proper study of mankind and we must do that bykeeping personally on the outside, to preserve our perspective. When youunderstand that, you understand many small things about the university.Why we give only resident student scholarships at a young age, and whythe out-of-the-way location here in the Dolomites. You will also see thereason why the campus bookstore stocks all of the books published, butnever has an adequate supply of newspapers. The agreed policy has beento see that you all mature with the long view. Then--hopefully--you willbe immune to short-term political interests after you leave.
"This policy has worked well in turning out men with the correctattitude towards their work. It has also turned out a fair number ofself-centered, egocentric horrors."
* * * * *
Neel flushed. "Do you mean that I--"
"No, I don't mean you. If I did, I would say so. Your worst fault--ifyou can call it a fault, since it is the very thing we have been tryingto bring about--is that you have a very provincial attitude towards theuniverse. Now is t
he time to re-examine some of those ideas. Firstly,what do you think the attitude of the UN is towards Societics?"
There was no easy answer, Neel could see traps ready for anything hesaid. His words were hesitant. "I can't say I've really ever thoughtabout it. I imagine the UN would be in favor of it, since we make theirjob of world government that much easier--"
"No such thing," Abravanel said, tempering the sharpness of his wordswith a smile. "To put it in the simplest language, they hate our guts.They wish I had never formulated Societics, and at the same time theyare very glad I did. They are in the position of the man who caught thetiger by the tail. The man enjoys watching the tiger eat all of hisenemies,