Second Foundation 10. Approaching Crisis

A week had passed on the scrap Foundation, and the foremost Speaker was merry once again upon the schoolchild.You must go brought me interesting results, or you would not be so filled with anger.The Student rig his hand upon the sheaf of calculating musical theme he had brought with him and said, Are you sure that the hassle is a factual one?The premise be true. I perplex garble nothing.Then I must demand the results, and I do not extremity to.Naturally. just what construct your wants to do with it? Well, prove me what disturbs you so. No, no, put your derivations to one side. I al baseborn for subject them to analysis afterward. Meanwhile, talk to me. allow me judge your understanding.Well, then, Speaker It becomes very homely that a gross overall multifariousness in the basic psychology of the initial off Foundation has taken place. As immense as they knew of the existence of a Seldon be after, without discriminating any of the details thereof, they were confident just uncertain. They knew they would succeed, but they didnt k straightway when or how. at that place was, therefore, a continuous atmosphere of strain and strain which was what Seldon desired. The initial Foundation, in new(prenominal) words, could be counted upon to work at supreme potential.A doubtful metaphor, said the First Speaker, but I understand you.But now, Speaker, they know of the existence of a Second Foundation in what amounts to detail, rather notwithstanding than as an ancient and vague instruction of Seldons. They bewilder an inkling as to its lean as the guardian of the Plan. They know that an substance exists which watches their every step and go out not let them fall. So they abandon their businesslike stride and allow themselves to be carried upon a litter. Another metaphor, Im afraid.Nevertheless, go on.And that very renunciation of effort that growing inertia that buy the farm into softness and into a decadent and indulgent culture , means the ruin of the Plan. They must be self-propelled.Is that all?No, there is more. The majority answer is as described. But a with child(p) probability exists for a minority reaction. experience of our guardianship and our control will can among a few, not complacence, but hostility. This follows from Korillovs Theorem-Yes, yes. I know the theorem.Im sorry, Speaker. It is difficult to avoid mathematics. In any case, the effect is that not nevertheless if is the Foundations effort diluted, but part of it is turned against us, actively against us.And is that all?There dust one other factor of which the probability is moderately low-Very good. What is that?While the energies of the First Foundation were directed only to conglomerate while their only enemies were huge and alter hulks that remained from the shambles of the past, they were transparently concerned only with the physical sciences. With us forming a new, tumescent part of their environment, a change in vi ew may well be imposed on them. They may turn out to become psychologists-That change, said the First Speaker, coolly, has already taken place.The Students lips compressed themselves into a pale line. Then all is over. It is the basic inconsistency with the Plan. Speaker, would I have known of this if I had lived outside?The First Speaker utter seriously, You feel humiliated, my young man, because, thinking you understand so much so well, you dead find that many very likely things were unknown to you. Thinking you were one of the Lords of the extragalactic nebula you suddenly find that you stand snug to destruction. Naturally, you will resent the ivory bulk large in which you lived the seclusion in which you were enlightened the theories on which you were reared.I once had that feeling. It is normal. to date it was necessary that in your formative old age you have no direct concern with the Galaxy, that you remain here, where all knowledge is filtered to you, and your mental capacity carefully sharpened. We could have shown you this this part-failure of the Plan anterior and spared you the shock now, but you would not have understood the significance properly, as you now will. Then you find no re declaration at all to the problem?The Student shook his head and said hopelessly, no(prenominal)Well, it is not surprising. Listen to me, young man. A course of action exists and has been followed for over a decade. It is not a usual course, but one that we have been forced into against our will. It involves low probabilities, dangerous assumptions We have even been forced to deal with individual reactions at dates, because that was the only possible way, and you know that Psychostatistics by its very nature has no meaning when use to less than planetary numbers.Are we deliver the goods? gasped the Student.Theres no way of telling yet. We have kept the situation stable so far but for the first time in the history of the Plan, it is possible for the unpredicted actions of a single individual to smash it. We have adjusted a borderline number of outsiders to a needful allege of mind we have our agents but their paths are planned. They dare not improvise. That should be obvious to you. And I will not obliterate the worst if we are discovered, here, on this world, it will not only be the Plan that is destroyed, but ourselves, our physical selves. So you see, our solution is not very good.But the fine you have described does not blend in like a solution at all, but like a dreadful guess.No. Let us say, an natural guess.When is the crisis, Speaker? When will we know whether we have succeeded or not?Well at heart the year, no doubt.The Student considered that, then nodded his head. He shook hands with the Speaker. Well, its good to know.He turned on his heel and left.The first Speaker looked out silently as the window gained transparency. Past the giant structures to the quite, herd stars.A year would pass quickly. Wou ld any of them, any of Seldons heritage, be alive at its end?