Zero Point - Chapter 24
A Quantum Story
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CHAPTER 24
John was talking with Jim Sladek and Marta about how to proceed.
“We should conduct some small scale experiments to show the positive feedback between the field and the load,” said Sladek.
“Yes,” said Marta, “it’s obvious that unlike most systems where the load drains the power source, in this case, the opposite happens. Draining the Stelle-field of energy causes it to respond by increasing particle production and therefore energy.”
“The simplest thing would be to put a limiter on the load, so that it will shut down at a safe level,” said Sladek.
“That would work in the lab, but I think a field unit that shutdown too often would be unacceptable. What we need is a way to control that feedback, like a normal control system,” said John.
“Ray may have some ideas along those lines,” said John. “After all, he does have a degree in electrical engineering.”
“A control system,” said Ray.
“Can you design one?” asked John.
John and Marta were meeting with Ray Jones I his office.
“Well, I studied control systems in school though I never really applied them. But I think with the help of my AI I could come up with something.”
“Great, if you need anything, just ask me or Marta or Jim,” said John.
It was at a meeting the following week in the library room that Ray presented the results of his research. He was standing at a white board and Marta, John, and Jim were seated.
“So, the idea is that we use a governor in the system,” said Ray.
“You mean like is used in a power plant to regulate load?” asked Jim.
“Kind of, the actual governor in this case will be the Stelle-field itself,” said Ray, turning to the whiteboard.
“Imagine,” he said, “that instead of opening just one port into the Stelle-field we open two. Okay, now we use a governor whose operation is based on the energy flow from the Stelle-field. If the energy flow from the first port exceeds a limit which we will determine is safe, the control system throttles back the energy from that port and switches to the other port. If the energy from the second port exceeds the limit the control system switches back to the first port.”
“That’s why you call it a governor, just like on a steam locomotive the inertia of the governor, which was a system of round metal balls attached to the arms of a spinning spindle whose angular speed is directly related to the locomotive’s speed, controls the steam inlet to the throttle valve. It was called a Watt governor, I believe,” said Marta.
As usual, Marta’s knowledge impressed John.
“Okay,” said Jim. “Let me see if I understand. By coupling to a second port, we are able to maintain our energy levels but not exceed a safe limit for that energy. To not excite the Stelle-field into run away particle production. And there is no chance that both ports runaway at the same time.”
“Not if the control system is working,” said Ray. “And if it fails then we need to shutdown the system.”
Hard work and overtime got a prototype ready faster than John expected, and a test was prepared. They had chosen energy limits that theoretically should keep the Stelle-field from self-exciting. The prototype looked something like a barbell with center weights. It was six feet long from end to end. The center compartment contained the electronics and the solid-state lasers. The end “weights” would enclose the energy access points to the Stelle-field.
The lasers would fire down the hollow core of the bar and open the Stelle-field, the energy returned in the “skin” of the cylinder surrounding the hollow core. The entire device weighed over one hundred pounds because of the thickness of the metal needed to route the energy from the Stelle-field without melting.
They had moved the device outside and, Hayes, the new laser operator had it ready. A metal box, like the one John had first used to calculate the energy of transport was in front of the device. John pressed the button on his pad to start the test.
At first there was no sound, but then what sounded like a jet engine starting could be heard coming from the device. Then a popping sound and a Stelle-field opened in front of the target. John could see it move towards the metal target. The box seemed to tilt toward the approaching field just before it disappeared and reappeared about a hundred feet away after another pop was heard.
Everything had been recorded and the team members ran up to John to see the video. The same thing occurred on the recording with the added benefit that a camera at the destination caught the moment the Stelle-field opened there and the box was deposited with a pop.
Then they began excitedly talking.
Several more tests and a showing to General Allen and the project came to a completion. The military would take it from there and develop a field version. For the first time in several months, John and Marta could take some time away from the lab before deciding what to do next.
They were back in Tucson staying at the old Inn and eating at their favorite restaurant, the Taqueria Tucson.
They were just starting their dinner when John looked up at the TV just above their table.
“Look Marta,” he said, gesturing toward the television.
Although they couldn’t hear, the news segment was interviewing Richard Effinger. Across the bottom of the screen, it said that Effinger was representing Tucson Energy. John could make out that it was an announcement of a new Stelle-field energy device but beyond that he couldn’t tell. The segment ended.
“I’ll get Saber when we’re back at the Inn, he can tell me what that was about,” said John to Marta.
John and Marta finished their dinner, and Huxley drove them back to the Inn.
“Huxley,” said John. “How would you like working for me and Marta?”
“That would be fine sir, you may call me anytime,” said the AI.
“No, Huxley, I mean work for us exclusively,” said John.
“Oh, I think that would be pleasant,” said the AI.
“You could do other things too,” said John. “Not just drive a car. You don’t mind transferring, do you?”
“Not at all sir, I have done it many times from car to car,” said Huxley.
“Great, I’m going to see if I can acquire your services from your current employer then,” said John.
“Thank you, sir,” said the AI.
The car pulled into the motor Inn and up to their room.
“Thank you, Huxley,” said John as he got out. “We will see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Huxley, who then drove away.
Back in their room John explained to Saber what he had seen on the television and asked the AI to find the segment and explain it. Saber was ready after just a few seconds.
“Go ahead,” said John.
“It seems that Tucson Energy has found a way to increase the energy available to their products. Mr. Effinger described it as doubling-up on the coupling to the Stelle-field. That was all as far as technical information. The rest of the segment was Mr. Effinger talking about what it meant to the Tucson community and employment,” said Saber.
“Thank you, Saber,” said John who then turned to Marta. “It sounds like they are just opening up more portals into the Stelle-field.”
“Yes, I wonder what precautions they have taken?”
“Well, it’s not necessarily dangerous,” said John.
“What if the portals are close to each other in the Stelle-field?”
“That could be a problem,” said John. “We don’t really have a good model for where we are opening these portals in Stelle-space. The probability is that they won’t be close to each other because the Stelle-space geometry doesn’t exactly match to our space.”
“I think it’s something we need to study. If Tucson Energy is doing it, then others will follow and that increases the chance of two portals being opened in proximity,” she said.
“And that could drain the Stelle-field in that area and lead to the runaway energy build-up we’ve seen before,” he said.
Stelle-field technology had become common in the world, creating new industries and opportunities and increasing the efficiency in the communications and transport industries.
The “sightings” that had first gotten John interested, had disappeared. Apparently, the military and any others who were pursuing Stelle-field transport had a better understanding and control over the technology. Stelle-field communications applications had been extended into space, with new record distances of transmission occurring almost weekly to further and further away human outposts in the Solar System. The speed of transmission was determined to be faster than light, though still limited. And it didn’t conflict with relativity since the geometry of Stelle-space wasn’t like the geometry of normal space.
John was right that Tucson Energy’s “breakthrough” of simply opening more portals to couple more energy from the Stelle-field would be copied. Almost every company making Stelle-field energy devices came out with their heavy-duty models which provided twice or more the energy of their standard model. There was an explosion in the number of devices since the limiting factor of energy capacity had been solved.
The stock market was predicting the industry based on the Stelle-field would soon reach hundreds of billions of dollars in value. Venture capital was pouring into companies that claimed they had a new or better Stelle-field energy device.
John and Marta got the money from the military and had a steady income from many of the Stelle-field patents that had their names on. They took the money and reoriented the Institute back to scientific discovery rather than product development. At conferences, though they couldn’t explain the exact method they had used to create the device for the military, they could outline the science and point in new directions for further research.
With all the success from its use, pilot-wave theory was becoming more and more mainstream. Stanley Robinson was still doing experiments about quantum analogs that were beginning to impress other scientists. The Institute had grown to eighteen full time researchers, both experimental and theoretical, and many more associates, postdocs, technicians, and support personnel. Over one hundred in total on the Institute’s roster. The nearest town, Oracle, was benefiting from the increase.