"You know, Markten, I've often wondered about whoever it was—"
"There you go, forgetting one of the basics of training again! 'Of sole importance is the discovery itself; its origination is a thing of the past, and the past being dead, is therefore of no importance.'"
"I remember. But you have confused me, Markten. With these two problems unresolved, can you at the same time pronounce construction a safe venture?"
"I can, because neither of the unknowns is relative to the power potential, which I have ascertained to the required tolerances. Neither of them are based on a framework of nuclear physics, anyway. And I have discovered no possibility of chemical reaction which would render anything than a slow oxidation process.
"Therefore, youngster, to solve for the two unknown quantities—power source and construction-variation—we must build!"
Markten was an Elder, so the trace of excitement in his voice was excusable. His decision was not to be questioned. Yet—
"Markten, I have a peculiar feeling about this."
"A peculiar what?"
"Well, I—"
"Are you questioning my preconstruction study?" Markten's tone was suddenly flat, yet charged with authority.