The Next Logical Step

audiobook

The Next Logical Step

by Ben Bova

EN·~13 minutes·1 chapter

Chapters

1 total

THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP

13:34

Description

In a secure, empty government building, a seasoned CIA operative is summoned by a sharp‑eyed general and a brilliant physicist to witness a new kind of war‑game. The trio approaches a massive console that houses the world’s most advanced combat simulator—a machine that not only calculates every missile trajectory and supply line but also streams the entire battle directly into the operator’s mind through a specialized EEG helmet.

As the device powers up, the air hums with anticipation; the CIA man watches the controls while the general explains the promise of vivid, immersive battlefield visions that could reshape strategic decision‑making. Yet the conversation is tinged with unease, for every officer who has tried the system before either quit in a panic or succumbed to madness.

The scene sets up a clash between cutting‑edge technology and the human psyche, inviting listeners to ponder whether seeing a war before it happens might be the ultimate advantage—or a perilous shortcut to ruin.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~13 minutes (13K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Credits

Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

Release date

Feb 13, 2009

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

Ben Bova

Ben Bova

1932–2020

A major voice in hard science fiction, he paired big cosmic ideas with a clear, approachable style that welcomed generations of readers into the future. His stories often explore space exploration, technology, and the human choices that shape both.

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