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twenty…two years distant。〃
〃I have this feeling that I'll e out…e to the surface…a thousand years older。〃
〃I am sure you will make do； sir。 Our team is notable for individual self…reliance。〃
〃Which properly puts me in my place； Miss van Hise。〃
Moresby interrupted。 〃What about those stores？〃
〃Yes； sir。 The shelter is stocked with necessities： motion picture cameras； tape recorders； radios； weapons and weapons detectors； hand radar； and so forth。 There is money and gems and medical supplies。 Materials such as film； tape； ammunition and clothing will be restocked at intervals to insure fresh or modern supplies。〃
Major Moresby said： 〃I'll be damned！〃 and fell silent for a moment of admiration。 〃It makes good sense； after all。 We'll draw what we need from the stores to cover the target； and replace the remainder before ing back。〃
〃Yes； sir。 No part of the supplies may be carried back with you； except tapes and film exposed in the field。 The engineers will instruct you on how to pensate for that small extra weight。 Do not bring back the recorders and cameras； and you are expressly forbidden to bring back any personal souvenir such as coins or currency。 But you may photograph the money if you wish。〃
〃Those engineers have an answer for everything；〃 Chaney observed。 〃They must work around the clock。〃
〃Our project has been working around the clock for the past three years； sir。〃
〃Who pays the electric bill？〃
〃A nuclear power station is located on the post。〃
He was quickly interested。 〃Their own reactor？ How much power does it generate？〃
〃I don't know； sir。〃
〃I know；〃 Saltus said。 〃monwealth…Edison has a new one up near Chicago putting out eight hundred thousand kilowatts。 Big thing…I've seen it； and I've seen ours。 They look like steel light bulbs turned upside down。〃
Chaney was still curious。 〃Does the TDV need that much power？〃
〃I couldn't say； sir。〃 She changed the subject by calling attention to the sheaf of mimeographed papers taken from the envelopes。 〃We have time this afternoon to begin on these reports。〃
The first sheet bore the stylized imprint of the Indiana Corporation； and Chaney quickly recognized his own work。 He gave the woman an amused glance but she avoided his eyes； another glance down the table revealed his panions staring at the massive report with anticipated boredom。
The next page plunged immediately into the subject matter by offering long columns of statistics underscored by footnotes： the first few columns were solidly rooted in the census figures of 1970； while the following columns on the following pages were his projections going forward to 2050。 Chaney recalled the fun and the sweat that had gone into the work…and the very shaky limb on which he perched as he worked toward the farthest date。
Births： legitimate and otherwise； predicted annually by race and by geographical area （down sharply along the Atlantic seaboard below Boston； and the southern states except Florida； figures did not include unpredictable number of laboratory…hospital births by artificial means； figures did not include unpredictable number of abnormal births in Nevada and Utah due to accumulation of radioactive fallout）。
Deaths： with separate figures for murders and known suicides； projected annually by age groups （suicides increasing at predictable rate below age thirty； females outliving males by twelve point three years by year 2000； anticipated life…expectancy increased one point nine years by year 2050； figures did not include infant mortalities in Nevada…Utah fallout area； figures did not include infant mortalities in laboratory…hospital artificial births）。
Marriages and trial marriages： with subsequent divorces and annulments forecast on an annual basis after 1980； first full year of trial marriage decree （trial marriages not appreciably contributing to the birth rate except in Alabama and Mississippi； but tending to increase the murder and suicide rate； and contributing to the slow decline of long…term marriages）。 Footnote： renewable term trial marriage remended； i。e。； a second year of trial be granted upon application by both parties。
Incidence of crime： detailed projections in twenty categories； separated by states having and not having the death penalty （murder and robbery up sharply； but rape down by a significant percentage due to trial marriages and lowered legal age of all marriages）。
Probable voter registrations and profiles： gradual emergence of enduring three…party system after 1980 （with registrations divided unevenly among three major and one minor party； black voters concentrated in one major and the minor party； pronounced swing to the conservative right in two white major parties during the next decade； with conservative Administrations probable until year 2000； plus or minus four years）。
Total population by the turn of the century： based upon the foregoing； three hundred and forty million people in the forty…eight contiguous states and an additional ten million in the three remaining states （the northern tier of plains states projected as consistent annual losers but with Alaska up significantly； Manhattan Island reaching point of saturation within two years； California by 1990； Florida by 2010）。 Footnote： remended that immigration to Manhattan Island； California； and Florida be forbidden by law； and that monetary inducements be offered to relocate in middle states having low densities of population。
Brian Chaney felt a certain unease about some of his conclusions。
Trial marriages could be expected to increase at a phenomenal rate once their popularity caught on； but with the trial term limited to one year he fully expected both the murder and suicide rates to climb； the murders were apt to be crimes of passion mitted by the female because of the probability of losing her short…term husband to another short…term wife； while the suicides were predicted for the same reason。 The remended two…year renewable term would tend to dampen the possibility of either violent act。
A certain amount of joy…riding was to be expected in trial marriages； but he was gambling they would contribute almost nothing to the birth rate。 Nor did he believe that another pill…the new pill…would affect his projections。 Chaney held a low opinion of the recently introduced KH3…B pill； and refused to believe it had any restorative powers； he clung to the belief that man was allotted a normal three score and fifteen； and the projected increase of one point nine years by 2050 would be attributed to the eradication of diseases…not to pills and nostrums purportedly having the power to restore mental and physical vigor to the aged。 The patients might live six months longer than their normal spans because they were buoyed by euphoria； but six months would not affect a mass of statistics。
Great population shifts had been earlier predicted and borne out； with the emphasis of change along the natural waterways。 The greater densities of population…by 2050…would lie along five clearly defined areas： the Atlantic seaboard； the Pacific seaboard； the Gulf Coast from Tampa to Brownsville； the southern shores of all t