Page 76 - Psychoceramics and the Test of Fire

Ark Two

“I see.” I didn’t. What a contraption! “What about these
dimensions? How big a volume of vacuum do you need to provide
adequate lift?”
“What you see here is two cubic kilometers of high tensile
strength buoyant hollow buckyball clusters arrayed beneath the ark,
each cluster accessible by work crews through hollow geodesic struts.
They will lift and suspend about three gigatons midair. Self-contained
modular assembly line factories producing replacement vacuum units
are also on the bottom of the ark. Only the humans on board will be
aware of the fact that their lives are being carried on high above the
skin of the world on which they evolved. Gravity and atmosphere
will not appear abnormal. Night and day will not change, nor any
other astronomical variables.”
“Hmm,” I uttered, stroking my chin, as might a person in deep
thought. “And each of these arks would be large enough to support a
separate ecological niche?”
“Within reason,” Vosky replied slowly, the weight of playing God
resting lightly on his stooped shoulders. “An international committee
will be formed to decide priorities. Much depends on when we get
this started.”
Bingo. Right where I wanted to be, except for my chattering teeth.
“And that, I suppose, depends on money.”
“Yes, certainly. Taking a design of this complexity from the
drawing board to a working prototype will not be inexpensive. I
haven’t much in the way of personal resources, and the government
agencies I’ve contacted have not responded at all.” Vosky shrugged.
What was this—a quitter? But, no: in the next breath he said
defiantly, “I’m looking into private sources of funding.”
I broke into a big grin. He couldn’t recognize it was relief rather
than joy. “Kile,” I intoned solemnly, “look no further. I represent just
such a source of funding. Pending my judgment of this project’s
feasibility, and your estimate of the cost of a proof-of-concept
functioning model, Ark Two may soon achieve lift-off!”
He stood there with his mouth open—not an auditory orifice, but
certainly indicative of general sensory receptiveness.
“Did you ever hear of the Extrapolators Club Prize?” I asked into
that void.
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