germanium circuitry and memory disks against changes in temperature and humidity. The predominantly male staff had decided that DELFI was female, and thus any temperamental outbursts or fits of electronic pique were put down to premenstrual tension.
Data from all parts of the world were received at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, and fed into the computer, and it was the physicist's job to extract the climatic anomalies and prepare a summary, which was circulated to various government agencies. What purpose this information served nobody knew-- it was Binch's hunch, as he confided to Brad Zittel, that it merely served to justify Washington's funding of the center, made them feel they were getting sufficient 'drudge for their dollar.'
At the moment he was up to his ears in print-out, his stubby, hairy arms paddling through it like a swimmer breasting a wave. Down here it was quite cool, though Binch still sweated--with his girth he could afford to--the garish strip-lighting reflecting on his damp scalp through baby-fine rapidly thinning hair.
'You wouldn't think it could get any worse, but it always seems to,' Binch complained in his reedy voice. 'Just look at all this stuff!'
Brad Zittel settled himself on a gray metal console. Reels spun in the shadowy background; relays chattered discreetly. He wasn't at his best this morning. Dark circles ringed his eyes. For two months or more he'd been waking at 4:00 a.m., making a pot of China tea, and watching the sky slowly brighten from his study window. Sometimes he didn't expect the sun to perform its daily miracle.
'Worse in what sense?' he asked dully. 'The anomalies are getting worse or there are more of them?'
'Quality and quantity both up. This is supposed to be a two-day job and it's going to take a week. Listen to this.' Binch snatched a printout at random and read: ' 'Sweden: Rainfall increased by two hundred percent with some areas recording average monthly amounts in one day.' And this: 'Finland: Coldest December on record in Helsinki since measurements began in 1829.' '
He lifted a thick sheaf of print-out and thrust it toward Brad. 'Here, look for yourself,' he mumbled, sitting back in the swivel chair and lighting a cigarette.
Brad took a breath, trying to quell the too-familiar panic rising in his chest, trying to tell himself not to be such a prick. He breathed out and fixed his eyes on the neat blocks of electric type.
libya:
belgium: brazil:
Highest maximum December temperature since 1924 . Precipitation during December and January exceptionally low.
Coldest winter since 1962-1963. Fifth coldest this century.
Northeast state of Caera experienced worst drought in living memory. Frost reported on 6-7 days in the south and snow fell in Rio Grande do Sul (extremely rare event).
Czechoslovakia: Severe cold temperatures during early January accompanied by heavy snowfall. Record maximum temperatures in Western Australia. Town of Cocklebiddy reported a new max of 51.7degC.
McMurdo and South Pole stations measured record max temperatures during late December.
Both Canadian and Russian sources report temperatures 14degC. below normal, making it the coldest February on record.
Brad discovered that his hands were shaking. He couldn't read any more. He attempted to fold the print-out, made a hash of it, and dropped it on the pile.
'What's the matter?' asked Binch alertly. 'Are you okay?'
Brad Zittel smiled diffidently and smoothed back his brown wavy hair. A NASA pin flared in the lapel of his cotton jacket. 'I haven't been sleeping too well, I guess. Joyce keeps telling me I need a vacation. Could be she's right.'
'You do look kinda beat.' Binch exhaled smoke through his broad nostrils, which had hairs growing out of them. He eyed Brad shrewdly. 'Have you still got that pollution bee in your bonnet? Is that it? Come on, Brad, buddy, you're taking it far too seriously. This old ball of mud isn't gonna peg out just yet.'
Brad gestured. 'These anomalies . . . every month more of them
'We've always had them, for Christ's sake, ever since records were kept. In fact we're probably finding
'I've thought about it.'
'But you're not convinced.'
Brad kneaded his palms, his eyes downcast. 'Do you remember the preface you wrote to the last summary?' he said quietly. 'I can't get one line out of my head. 'Reports of long-standing records being broken were received almost daily from all seven continents.' Those are your words, Binch, not mine.'
australia:
antarctica:
arctic ocean:
The corpulent physicist squirmed a little in his chair. 'Yeah, all right,' he conceded, 'so the weather isn't behaving normally just now. But what in hell is normal? You've got to see it over the long term, Brad. What we consider 'average weather' for the first half of this century needn't necessarily be 'average' for the latter half. Most of the records we use for comparison stretch from 1900 to 1970--but maybe
'And what about DELFI? What does she have to say?'
'DELFI's like most females. Keeps changing her mind. Anyway, she can only come up with a prediction based on existing data; it's merely an extrapolation of present trends.' It sounded like an evasive reply, which it was. If the computer's forecasts weren't worth a row of beans, why bother with it in the first place? The truth was that Binch didn't want to admit that the computer was a washout (he needed those Washington dollars), while at the same time he was unhappy with its pronouncements.
In the manner of such beasts it was named after the rather forced acronym for Determining Environmental Logistics for Future Interpretation. In plain English its function was to analyze and correlate changes in global weather and to predict climatic patterns in the future. To this end it was directly linked with NORPAX (North Pacific Experiment) and CLIMAP (Climate Long-Range Investigation Mapping and Prediction). Taken together, these three should have provided the most accurate forecasts of what would happen to the global climate over the next fifty years. So far, however, the conclusions had been contradictory, which was what upset Binch. The computer was his brainchild, but it was showing itself a somewhat recalcitrant offspring.
He turned back to the keyboard and punched keys. The terminal chattered and jerked out more paper. Binch scanned it in silence, wiped his moist fingertips on the front of his shirt, and pressed more keys.
Against his will, Brad felt his attention wrenched to what DELFI was spewing out.
united states: In northern and central areas the mean temperature anomaly was HdegC., making it the coldest winter this century. Many stations recorded new temperature minima. Los Angeles had its lowest temperature since 1882.
He began to hum a tune, repeating the same fragment of melody over and over again. Something about 'a marbled bowling ball.'
Binch stopped typing and glanced up uneasily. Brad was staring into space, oblivious, humming his tune.
One of Maj. Bradley T. Zittel's keenest pleasures was to stand at the wide window of his third-floor office and lose himself in contemplation of the picture-postcard scenery. The view warmed his soul and calmed his mind: the icy backbone of the Rockies thrusting sharply against the translucent blue of a cloudless sky; sunlight, so pure and clean, reflecting from the snowy peaks with an intensity that hurt the eyes.
For 80 million years the mountains had stood thus, aloof and daunting, indifferent to what went on around them. They didn't seek to be admired. Their grandeur and awesome beauty were sufficient unto themselves. His eye beheld them and they didn't give a damn whether he looked or not, but remained uncompromising, a savage act
