Frank Riley

“ When you can't admit a man is missing, when you can't publish his photograph, you deprive yourself of the eyes and ears of the public, which turn up seventy-five percent of the leads in missing persons cases.
Security considerations posed three alternatives:
If Dr. Smith was telling the truth, then it was better to let whoever had twice tried to kill him wonder whether the second attempt had been successful.
If Smith had broken with an espionage ring, and had been marked for death by former associates, the various agencies concerned with security wanted a chance to find him first. ”

“ General Sanders took a sheaf of papers from his briefcase. He glared at Smith:
"You get the hell out of here! This is classified information!"
Dr. Smith smiled mockingly. On his way out of the room, he paused.
"The circuits will stay open—take as long as you wish."
Feeling like a combination of fool and Benedict Arnold, General Sanders cleared his throat and began to read:
"The North American X-15 is one of several projects now nearing the hardware stage that will take living men as well as instruments into the fourth environment of military activity, that of space. ”

“ Smith!"
Smith's reply was prompt and precise:
"Eddie has concluded that human methods and minds alone are not enough to cope with security issues in an area where even the simplest technical problems must be handled by intricate computing devices...."
His owlish eyes moved from one man to another, trying to judge whether they were following him.
"You see, Gentlemen," he went on, "the technology we are dealing with is so unbelievably complex that the possibilities for espionage are multiplied infinitely beyond the capacity of a human intellect to grasp and evaluate...." ”

“ If Smith was playing some devious game of his own, let him make the next move.
As days went by, telephone circuits from Washington to Los Angeles carried messages that grew increasingly uncomplimentary. FBI headquarters hinted that certain field representatives might be transferred from Southern California to southern Kansas if results in the Smith case were not forthcoming promptly. The Air Force suggested that if both Dr. Smith and the X-15 prototype continued to be among the missing, it would not be wise to present the pending promotion of General Sanders to the White House. ”

“ Smith," said Cowles, "let's get back to the explosion.... Why do you feel someone wanted to destroy you and Eddie?"
"I believe they had copied Eddie's circuit design and wanted to make sure another one wasn't built—at least in the immediate future."
"Why not?"
Dr. John O'Hara Smith showed a neat flair for timing as he waited just long enough to build suspense, before answering:
"Because Eddie knew that our security system for safeguarding the missile program is about as up to date as the horse and buggy!" ”

“ Smith retorted with equal sharpness, "what good does it do to surround ballistic missile plants with security regulations if the missile itself can be stolen right out of the air?"
"Fantastic!" said General Sanders.
"Nuts," said Amos Busch.
Agent Cowles said nothing.
John O'Hara Smith sank back against his pillow, panting a little. His high forehead glistened with sweat. When he gathered the strength to speak again, he directed his words to General Sanders:
"General, these ICBM missiles being fired into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Florida.... ”

“ The U.S. State Department solicitously inquired of the Soviet Union if any of its vessels had been lost in the winter storms of the Caribbean. The Soviet Union testily replied that no Soviet vessels could have been lost, since Soviet vessels, as a matter of sound international principle, confined their operations to their own territorial waters.
During Easter Week of 1956, the FBI announced the arrests of four men on charges of espionage: A druggist in Tucson, Arizona; an importer in San Francisco; a retired real-estate operator in Los Angeles; an obscure trucker in northern California. ”

“ Let Cowles go crazy for awhile!"
As Frank Cowles sat in the General's office and heard what had been going on, he said mildly:
"Well, I guess you had to take the gamble."
"Thanks," said General Sanders. "I hope the Pentagon will look at it the same way—but I doubt it!"
"We've got a problem, too, General," Cowles pointed out. "When everything's said and done, there's absolutely no charge we can file against Smith."
"But he just can't walk away—not with all he—or that miserable Eddie—knows about the X-15!"
Cowles smiled faintly.
"I would imagine that Eddie now belongs to the Air Force." ”

“ Cowles and Amos Busch took out notebooks.
"Now, Dr. Smith," Cowles began, "what is your view as to the nature of the explosion in your trailer and the reason for it?"
"I'm an electronics research engineer, not an expert in explosives," Smith retorted with some asperity. "But as to the reason, I'm sure they wanted to destroy Eddie and me!" ”

“ The call was from Pacific Electronics, Inc., a subcontracting firm in nearby El Segundo.
The president and owner of Pacific Electronics was on the phone. In a tone that betrayed considerable agitation, he identified himself as Wesley Browne.
"One of my research engineers—my best engineer, dammit—was nearly killed last night in an explosion ... maybe he's dead now," reported Browne, his words breathlessly treading on each other. "There's something damn funny about this...."
Amos Busch wrote: Research engineer ... explosion ... nearly killed. ”

“ He always went alone. No one had ever seen or met "Eddie". Outside of working hours, Smith's only association with his professional colleagues was through the Institute of Research Engineers. He attended monthly meetings, and occasionally wrote dry, abstract articles on theoretical research for the Institute's quarterly journal.
Under microscopic study and chemical analysis, investigators determined that nitro-glycerine had caused the explosion. The fused mass of electronics wreckage in Smith's trailer were identified as parts of a computer assembly. ”

“ Dr. Smith's tone was almost a command. "Eddie wants to know why a logging truck was traveling toward the redwood country with a load of logs. He also points out that the X-15 is about the size of a redwood log, and could be concealed perfectly in the middle of a load!"
The General seemed to be swallowing something angular and unpleasant.
"We'll check that truck," he said, at last. "But remember, Smith, you've had it—you'll never hook me again!"
He put down the phone, and said to Cowles:
"You get on the merry-go-round this time!" ”

“ About the same date, a Panamanian freighter, riding the gulf-stream toward the West Indies, radioed a report of sighting a massive oil slick and a scattering of debris, some of it bearing Russian insignia. No survivors were found. ”

“ It was six o'clock, and the early dusk was closing in on the workroom, before another statement came from Eddie. In its characteristic monotone, the educatable computer said:
"The existing developmental missile program will not be affected by the rising divorce rate in Bakersfield and Kern County."
Dr. John O'Hara Smith pursed his lips in disapproval.
"Eddie's not behaving at all well! I'm afraid that new circuit relay will take some working over...."
General Sanders climbed slowly to his feet. He picked up his hat. ”