) lived
on the planet Earth when the war began. Now, with the tenuous thread of
civilization burned away, most of those who were not killed by the
fighting itself succumbed inexorably to starvation.

Not everyone died, of course. Life went on. Some were lucky.

A long darkness settled on the world. Life went on for a few, a pitiful
few, a bitter, hateful, suspicious, savage few. Cities became pestholes.
Books became fuel. Knowledge died. Civilization was completely gone from
the planet Earth.

* * * * *

The helmet was lifted slowly off his head. The CIA man found that he was
too weak to raise his arms and help. He was shivering and damp with
perspiration.

"Now you see," Ford said quietly, "why the military men cracked up when
they used the computer."

General LeRoy, even, was pale. "How can a man with any conscience at all
direct a military operation when he knows that _that_ will be the
consequence?"

The CIA man struck up a cigarette and pulled hard on it. He exhaled
sharply. "Are all the war games ... like that? Every plan?"

"Some are worse," Ford said. "We picked an average one for you. Even
some of the 'brushfire' games get out of hand and end up like that."

"So ... what do you intend to do? Why did you call me in? What can _I_
do?"

"You're with CIA," the general said. "Don't you handle espionage?"

"Yes, but what's that got to do with it?"

The general looked at him. "It seems to me that the next logical step is
to make damned certain that _They_ get the plans to this computer ...
and fast!"

Transcriber's Note:

This etext was produced from _Analog Science Fact & Fiction_ May
1962. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and
typographical errors have been corrected without note.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Next Logical Step, by Benjamin William Bova

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