Burton watched his grant appropriations jump from 6；000 a year to 300；000。 Soon afterward； he was made a professor of pathology。
Looking back； Burton felt no great pride in his acplishment； it was； he knew； a matter of luck； of being in the right place and doing the right work when the time came。
He wondered what would e of being here； in this helicopter； now。
Sitting across from him； Jeremy Stone tried to conceal his distaste for Burton's appearance。 Beneath the plastic suit Burton wore a dirty plaid sport shirt with a stain on the left breast pocket； his trousers were creased and frayed and even his hair； Stone felt； was unruly and untidy。
He stared out the window； forcing himself to think of other matters。 〃Fifty people；〃 he said； shaking his head。 〃Dead within eight hours of the landing of Scoop VII。 The question is one of spread。〃
〃Presumably airborne；〃 Burton said。
〃Yes。 Presumably。〃
〃Everyone seems to have died in the immediate vicinity of the town；〃 Burton said。 〃Are there reports of deaths farther out？
Stone shook his head。 〃I'm having the Army people look into it。 They're working with the highway patrol。 So far； no deaths have turned up outside。〃
〃Wind？〃
〃A stroke of luck；〃 Stone said。 〃Last night the wind was fairly brisk； nine miles an hour to the south and steady。 But around midnight； it died。 Pretty unusual for this time of year； they tell me。〃
〃But fortunate for us。〃
〃Yes。〃 Stone nodded。 〃We're fortunate in another way as well。 There is no important area of habitation for a radius a of nearly one hundred and twelve miles。 Outside that； of course； there is Las Vegas to the north； San Bernardino to the west； and Phoenix to the east。 Not nice； if the bug gets to any of them。〃
〃But as long as the wind stays down； we have time。〃
〃Presumably；〃 Stone said。
For the next half hour； the two men discussed the vector problem with frequent reference to a sheaf of output maps drawn up during the night by Vandenberg's puter division。 The output maps were highly plex analyses of geographic problems； in this case； the maps were visualizations of the southwestern United States； weighted for wind direction and population。
＇Graphic： About page 58。 First map of mountain west of USA； showing examples of the staging of puterbase output mapping。 Each shows coordinates around population centers and other important areas。 A second map shows the weighting that accounts for wind and population factors and is consequently distorted in Southern CA； and Southern NV。 A third map shows the puter projection of the effects of wind and population in a specific 〃scenario。〃 None of the maps is from the Wildfire Project。 They are similar； but they represent output from a CBW scenario； not the actual Wildfire work。 （Courtesy General Autonomics Corporation）＇
Discussion then turned to the time course of death。 Both men had heard the tape from the van； they agreed that everyone at Piedmont seemed to have died quite suddenly。
〃Even if you slit a man's throat with a razor；〃 Burton said； 〃you won't get death that rapidly。 Cutting both carotids and jugulars still allows ten to forty seconds before unconsciousness； and nearly a minute before death。〃
〃At Piedmont； it seems to have occurred in a second or two。〃
Burton shrugged。 〃Trauma；〃 he suggested。 〃A blow to the head。〃
〃Yes。 Or a nerve gas。〃
〃Certainly possible。〃
〃It's that； or something very much like it；〃 Stone said。 〃If it was an enzymatic block of some kind like arsenic or strychnine we'd expect fifteen or thirty seconds； perhaps longer。 But a block of nervous transmission； or a block of the neuro…muscular junction； or cortical poisoning that could be very swift。 It could be instantaneous。〃
〃If it is a fast…acting gas；〃 Burton said； 〃it must have high diffusibility across the lungs〃
〃Or the skin；〃 Stone said。 〃Mucous membranes； anything。 Any porous surface。〃
Burton touched the plastic of his suit。 〃If this gas is so highly diffusible。。。〃
Stone gave a slight smile。 〃We'll find out； soon enough。〃
***
Over the inter； the helicopter pilot said； 〃Piedmont approaching； gentlemen。 Please advise。〃
Stone said； 〃Circle once and give us a look at it。〃
The helicopter banked steeply。 The two men looked out and saw the town below them。 The buzzards had landed during the night； and were thickly clustered around the bodies。
〃I was afraid of that；〃 Stone said。
〃They may represent a vector for infectious spread；〃 Burton said。 〃Eat the meat of infected people； and carry the organisms away with them。〃
Stone nodded； staring out the window。
〃What do we do？〃
〃Gas them；〃 Stone said。 He flicked on the inter to the pilot。 〃Have you got the canisters？〃
〃Yes sir。〃
〃Circle again； and blanket the town。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
The helicopter tilted； and swung back。 Soon the two men could not see the ground for the clouds of pale…blue gas。
〃What is it？〃
〃Chlorazine；〃 Stone said。 〃Highly effective； in low concentrations； on aviary metabolism。 Birds have a high metabolic rate。 They are creatures that consist of little more than feathers and muscle； their heartbeats are usually about one…twenty； and many species eat more than their own weight every day。〃
〃The gas is an uncoupler？〃
〃Yes。 It'll hit them hard。〃
The helicopter banked away； then hovered。 The gas slowly cleared in the gentle wind； moving off to the south。 Soon they could see the ground again。 Hundreds of birds lay there； a few flapped their wings spastically； but most were already dead。
Stone frowned as he watched。 Somewhere； in the back of his mind； he knew he had forgotten something； or ignored something。 Some fact； some vital clue； that the birds provided and he must not overlook。
Over the inter； the pilot said； 〃Your orders； sir？〃
〃Go to the center of the main street；〃 Stone said； 〃and drop the rope ladder。 You are to remain twenty feet above ground。 Do not put down。 Is that clear？〃
〃Yes sir。〃
〃When we have climbed down； you are to lift off to an altitude of five hundred feet。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
〃Return when we signal you。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
〃And should anything happen to us〃
〃I proceed directly to Wildfire；〃 the pilot said； his voice dry。
〃Correct。〃
The pilot knew what that meant。 He was being paid according to the highest Air Force pay scales： he was drawing regular pay plus hazardous…duty pay； plus non…wartime special…services pay； plus mission…over…hostile…territory pay； plus bonus air…time pay。 He would receive more than a thousand dollars for this day's work； and his family would receive an additional ten thousand dollars from the short…term life insurance should he not return。
There was a reason for the money： if anything happened to Burton and Stone on the ground； the pilot was ordered to fly directly to the Wildfire installation and hover thirty feet above ground until such time as the Wildfire group had determined the correct way to incinerate him； and his airplane； in midair。
He was being paid to take a risk。 He had volunteered for the job。 And he knew that high above； circling at twenty thousand feet； was an Air Force jet with air…to…air missiles。 It was the job of the jet to shoot down the helicopter should the pilot suffer a last…minute loss of nerve and fail to go directly to Wildfire。
〃Don't slip up；〃 the pilot said。 〃Sir。〃
The helicopter maneuvered over the main street of the town and hung in midair。 There was a rattling sound： the rope ladder being released。 Stone stood and pulled on his helmet。 He snapped shut the sealer and inflated his clear suit； puffing it up around him。 A small bottle of oxygen on his back would provide enough air for two hours of exploration。
He waited until Burton had sealed his suit； and then Stone opened the hatch and stared down at the ground。 The helicopter was raising a heavy cloud of dust。
Stone clicked on his radio。 〃All set？〃
〃All set。〃
Stone began to climb down the ladder。 Burton waited a moment； then followed。 He could see nothing in the swirling dust； but finally felt his shoes touch the ground。 He released the ladder and looked over。 He could barely make out Stone's suit； a dim outline in a gloomy； dusky world。
The ladder pulled away as the helicopter lifted into the sky。 The dust cleared。 They could see。
〃Let's go；〃 Stone said。
Moving clumsily in their suits； they walked down the main street of Piedmont。
7。 〃An Unusual Process〃
SCARCELY TWELVE HOURS AFTER THE FIRST KNOWN human contact with the Andromeda Strain was made at Piedmont； Burton and Stone arrived in the town。 Weeks later； in their debriefing sessions； both men recalled the scene vividly； and described it in detail。
The morning sun was still low in the sky； it was cold and cheerless； casting long shadows over the thinly snow…crusted ground。 From where they stood； they could look up and down the street at the gray； weathered wooden buildings； but what they noticed first was the