Security Risk Read online

madeillegal by security regulations. The choice was simple; besides, Ididn't enjoy the idea of spending my life developing ways of destroyingthe very thing I wanted most to understand."

  "This is fantastic, Millet, utterly fantastic."

  "But true nonetheless. Walker, you look like you could use a drink."

  "By all means." He stared emptily into the air, thinking about the goodold days.

  "Walker, a toast," said Millet, holding a tall glass out to him. "Toscientific freedom."

  Walker blinked. "By all means," he repeated hoarsely, and there was ablurriness to his vision. "To scientific freedom."

  They drank, and Walker said: "I feel a bit freer to say what I have comefor."

  "Shoot," nodded Millet, sipping his drink.

  "For security reasons, I'll talk in generalities. But the basic fact is,United Terra is faced with a serious situation. It is most desirablethat the research you were conducting when you left us, be continued."

  "There are a lot of other capable physicists, both eager to be a part ofsuch activity and blessed with security clearances."

  "You know very well, Millet, that this was an unique, almost independentline of development that comes to a stop in your brain. Besides," andsuddenly he felt silly, "the lines of communication for research whichmight enable us to pick up where you left off, in time--too muchtime--are somewhat entangled in security." He glared. "Don't laugh,Millet; it's a fact of life which must be faced."

  Millet finished his drink and set the glass on an end table. "Whatyou're doing is asking me to come back if you can arrange it."

  Walker spread his hands. "Dr. Millet, you have put it in a nutshell."

  Millet shook his head, and for the first time since their conversationhad started he frowned. "Walker, you know how I feel about developingweapons. I'm just plain opposed to it."

  "The soldier is opposed to losing his life, but many have to do justthat in the interests of civilization."

  "That serious, eh?"

  Walker crumpled under the weight of his fear. "That serious," he saidwearily.

  Millet thoughtfully relit his pipe. "Of course, I'm not at all sure thatUnited Terra is very right in this thing."

  "In times like these, that kind of thought is out of bounds," snappedWalker. "Whether you like it or not, you are a part of this culture. Youmight disapprove of many things in it, but you don't want to see itfall."

  Millet puffed gently. "No, I suppose not." Again the frown flickeredacross his face. "I've been very happy. I don't want my workinterrupted. It's too important, Walker."

  "Undoubtedly this would more than interrupt your work. It would replaceit."

  Millet's eyes drifted affectionately about the room. "Most unpleasant."A smile curled his lips. "Frankly, though, I don't think you can clearme again."

  "My problem."

  "Indeed." A weary resignation seemed to settle over Millet, and Walkersuddenly felt very miserable. "I suppose I'll have to accept," Milletsaid, pulling his pipe out of his mouth and staring unhappily at itstrail of smoke.

  ----

  Walker put his hands flat on his desk and sighed deeply. Some of thepressure, at least, was off; he had managed to cancel part of theConfederation's advantage. Terran industrial strength and technologicalsupremacy, coupled with Millet's genius, might yet equate, or at leastcircumvent, the frightful weapon the Confederation held.

  However, he still had to get Millet back into the government. Though, onthe basis of the information he had gained regarding the scientist'smotivations, and considering the critical nature of the situation, itshouldn't be too difficult.

  He clicked on his video and dialed a secret line into Security Data.Gyrating colors danced across the screen before it went black. Hescowled, depressed the cancel button, and dialed again; this time, theblack was finally replaced by a recorded image, which said, sweetly outof pouting red lips,

  "This line is not cleared for the Security Information you seek. Theproblem you are handling should be routed through an individualpermitted access to this information." The image faded into blackness,the sound track into static.

  Walker stared, stupefied. No line, no contact, no source of informationhad been denied to him in over twelve years.

  His door swung open; he came to his feet abruptly, furious that someoneshould enter unannounced.

  He felt sickness strike him like a fist in the stomach: Meriwether,flanked by two security guards, pushed through the door. His voiceslashed across the office like a broadsword.

  "Walker, I'm shocked. Shocked. And at a time like this...."

  Walker pounded his desk. "What the hell is going on? I can't getSecurity Data, you come marching in here with security men ... whatgives?"

  Meriwether gestured to the guards, and they came forward and each tookone of Walker's arms. "You're out of a job, Walker," snarled GeneralMarcus Meriwether.

  "In the name of God, _why_?"

  "You know very well. Take him to security detention, Sergeant."

  And suddenly he knew. Meriwether stared indignantly when he startedlaughing. It was a hell of a thing to laugh at, but it was also the mosthilarious tragedy he ever hoped to encounter.

  Millet. _Security risk._ Untouchable.

  Millet would finish his great unified theory, and go down in history asneither Walker nor Meriwether nor the genius who invented theConfederation's neural weapon would. Millet was as safe as he couldpossibly want to be.

  And so was the Interplanetary Confederation.

  *END*

  Transcribers note: This etext was produced from If Worlds of ScienceFiction February 1958. Extensive research did not uncover any evidencethat the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.

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