Anthony, Piers Cluster 4 Thousandstar

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can catch up?'
"That is an excellent question. It simply cannot be that simple. These races are not designed for that
sort of victory. There has to be something that prevents a rollaway victory for the first lander."
'I certainly don't see what-oh, do you mean monsters or something, lurking for the first arrivals?'
"No, this is supposed to be a low-hazard competition, which means the worst hazards are the ones we
bring with us, like other competitors. There are very few animals on Eccentric, because of its climate.
There may be undiscovered monsters in the wilds, but not on the marked trails."
'Then it seems to me it's backward. Each tractor that passes will chew up the ground some more, until
it is virtually impassable. So the first tractor will just keep gaining.'
"That depends on the nature of the soil and of the treads. With laydown tracks like these, that
approximate the sensible locomotion of HydrOs, the path may get better and safer each time-"
'That's it!' she exclaimed. 'The caterpillar treads beat down the brush, press down the rocks, make a
bumpy trail become a highway! So the later tractors will gain on the first ones, and save fuel.'
"And guarantee pileups," Heem agreed. "Yet if we can only gain by being behind, we can't win-"
'Yes we can! The key is the same as with the spaceships! It's not where you are, it's how much fuel
you conserve. If you run economically, you'll pass the others in the end. Look at those fuel depots on
the map- they're nearer the landing field than they are the Ancient site. How much you want to bet
that every tractor will run out of fuel before the end, on that last stretch? So any who haven't caught
on by then, and who continue to waste fuel by forging new trails or jamming into each other or simply
speeding-'
"This verges on genius, alien creature! That is the key! A trap for the stupid or unthinking. What use
to lead the pack, if your tractor stalls out before the others and you have to roll on your own power
while the others pass you by in their machines? The strategy is to use the most-used trail, proceeding
slowly and efficiently, then go ahead at the end."
'Unless we get hung up behind a two-day-long traffic jam,' she amended. 'Better to stay up near the
front while the fuel depots are ahead, and-' She paused. 'Oops-I just thought, Heem. Is there enough
fuel for all the tractors, no matter when they come?'
Heem checked the coding on the map. "These deposits, in the aggregate, have enough fuel to refill
only half the tractors."
'So there is the other shoe.'
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"The other what?"
'The other part of the trap. Go too fast, you run out of fuel early. Go too slow, you can't refuel. So
you're out either way.'
"This is the kind of maneuvering I understand! We must proceed rapidly to the depot, then economize
on the remainder."
'I wonder-could that also be a trap? Everyone racing to the nearest depot-'
"It could be. Yet if we do not race-"
'I'm still suspicious. There's something too pat about this. How is that fuel distributed? I mean, is there
the same amount at each depot-maybe enough for five tractors? This vitally affects our strategy.'
"It does indeed," Heem agreed. This alien was smart! "The map seems to indicate that all depots are
even. The same amount of fuel at each station."
'So the depots on the most popular route will run out first, and the latecomers won't be able to cross to
some other depot, will they! Because they're too far apart. So we'll lose about half our tractors at the
first round, including some of the leaders-and the smart contestants who arrive late will do best to go
on the least popular trails, in the hope that a fuel refill remains that will put them back into the race.
The last could very well be first.'
"Possible. Except that a smart leader should still be able to stay ahead of a smart follower. Something
more is required."
'This bad route,' she said. 'It's so very bad, no one in his right mind would take it unless he were
already so far behind he knew it was the only one with fuel. But look-there's a crossover strip here;
you could start on the bad route, then cross to a better one after the fuel depot.'
"Yes. We must do that. This delay for reflection may have gained us much more than we had hoped."
Heem started up the tractor and directed it toward the bad route.
'Still, I wonder,' she mused. 'Why should they design a route that bad, then put an escape trail? I'm
getting paranoid again. Heem, is there any way to take extra fuel at the depot and store it for the end
stretch?'
"No. Doubtful. The depots deliver a set amount by closed connection. Otherwise the first tractors
would steal it all."
'So you can't store it up. You have only one tankful at the end, no matter which route you're on?'
"True. Perhaps some fuel from the initial tank can be conserved, to stretch the second; that is all."
'Heem, look at this bad route. It crosses several lava runnels, then climbs right over a mountain!'
"Yes. Virtually all our fuel would be expended in that ascent."
'But from then on, it is all downhill. We could coast almost to the site!' [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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