Kenneth Bulmer (ed) by New Writings in SF 25

Author:New Writings in SF 25
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-08-30T22:18:56+00:00

black hole'll come outside again of its own accord—and soon.'

'Right! We forgot about conservation of momentum. As the black hole removes some of Negrav's mass, the asteroid gets lighter; but its initial momentum remains. Therefore it has to go faster, and climb into a higher orbit. It's a self-stabilising system because whenever the black hole removes some mass from the asteroid, Negrav itself automatically retreats from the attack.'

'So what're we left with ? The same problem only with a slightly smaller Negrav?'

'No. Unless my figures are wrong, the black hole's been in there long enough to give us a concentric ball and shell effect—like a marble in a table-tennis ball. The increase in Negrav's speed is running up an exponential curve, so that when the black hole does come out it should do so at some considerable angle. With luck it'll only puncture the shell as it comes out, not eat it away. And do you realise the implications of that, my boy?'

'We were lucky?' asked Jacko uncertainly.

'Not only that. It means that Negrav will be safer from attack by the black hole than ever before. And if that cavity's the size I think it is, they'll be able to build a major base in there, not just an observatory. Then can mine Leda-four at their leisure, and use Negrav as an on the spot refinery and transfer station from which they can load hyper ships direct. It'll be the most valuable space facility on the Rim.'

As the figures had predicted, the black hole did come out of Negrav. It reappeared some thirty-two hours later and finally stabilised with an orbital separation of eleven kilometres. This new orbital distance was a measure of the amount of mass which had been removed from Negrav.

The next part of the exercise was to explore the cavity itself. This was aided by the fact that they could now anchor a structure permanently on to the surface to give them safe working conditions without fear of being eaten by the black hole. With this new facility, the work progressed rapidly. Twenty metres in, they broke into free space inside the asteroid. Van Noon was the first through, followed by Jacko and an assemblage of powerful lamps. Once inside, they gazed into the vastness with amazement.

Fritz's ball and shell concept was substantially true, but random deviations in the rotation of Negrav had not produced a completely clean cavity, but rather one populated here and there with crazy spires and towers and bridges, and many vast columns which rose up to support the central core nearly a kilometre above the inner surface. Every line was curved in representation of some complex mathematical equation, as though designed by a mammoth computer programmed to seek out the ultimate in form and shape; and everything was cleanly cut and polished in flawless nickel-iron alloy.

They made a tour of inspection which lasted nearly twelve hours, and came out so impressed with the wonder of it all that it was difficult to believe that these fantasies had been the results of interference with their own hands.

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