THE COSMIC COMPUTER

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It took a long time to set up the new computation. Forty years of
history for almost five hundred planets had to be abstracted and
summarized and translated from verbal symbols to the
electro-mathematical language of computers and fed in. Conn and Sylvie
and General Shanlee and the three men and two women Conn had taught on
Koshchei worked and rested briefly and worked again. Finally, it was
finished.

"General; you're the oldest Merlin hand," Conn said, gesturing to the
red button at the main control panel, "You do it."

"You do it, Conn. None of us would be here except for you."

"Thank you, General."

He pressed the button. They all stood silently watching the output slot.