Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from If Worlds of Science Fiction September 1953. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
THE
Romantic Analogue
By W. W. Skupeldyckle
Illustrated by Ed Emsh
Norm Venner's fancy was pretty well fixed on thoughts ofelectronic calculators—until the invention started makingpasses at the inventor!
athematicians are just like people: old, young, fat, thin, male,female. This one was male, thirty-five, with steady brown eyes and anice smile when he remembered to use it. His name was Norman Venner,and besides being a mathematical whiz generally, he had designed andbuilt an electronic brain, or calculator, which was in some wayssmarter than himself—and a lot less diffident.
Electronic calculators are invariably given acronymic names such asBINAC, SEAC, and MANIAC, and nine out of ten of them are of thedigital type. This is a nice way of saying that they count on theirfingers. They're nearly as big as yachts, and cost more, but cancalculate a million times faster than any human.
Norm's machine was of the analogue type, which is less flexible, lesscomplex, and vastly smaller and cheaper. He called it the ICWEA(ICK-wee-ah), which stood for "I Can Work 'Em All!" It could, too! Itwas especially good at deriving equations from curves, which wasreally something.
Charley Oglethorpe burst into the office one morning, catching Norm ina brown study. "Hi, Genius. How is she perking now?"
"All right, except the pen skips a little sometimes and makes a messycurve."
"Have to damp that arm better. When can I have her to work on?"
"Soon as I finish these Mugu problems."
Charley stared at him.
"Mugu. Guided-missile center. It's nice business if we can get it—thedigitals are all booked up months ahead, and the particular type ofproblem they send us is right up our alley."
"I thought you were kidding me, like that Boolean Algebra stuff."
"Wasn't kidding then, either."
"I'll stick to instrument-making, thanks. You math guys never have anyfun."
Norm shrugged, turned to the telephone, and called an extension.
"Hermosa." It was a rich, pleasant voice.
"Vic? How about the rest of the Mugu cards? Ready yet?"
"I'll send them up right away. Just finished them."
"Who was that?" Charley inquired.
"Vic Hermosa. Smart boy."
Charley smiled a little.
here was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Norm called. The door opened, and a small, neat girlentered. Her long bob was dark and silky, but windblown. She tossedher head and her hair settled into place, as if she had just brushedit. She extended a pack of punched cards.
"Thank you," Norm said, gravely.
The girl looked up at him suddenly, and he stepped back a little. Shehad surprising, deep-violet eyes