 Why does the army get involved with the situation?
But Macklin is exactly what we need for a quick, dramatic test. "When we prove our results that should be of enough practical value for anyone. No one knew whether his Theory of Spatium was correct or not because no one had yet been able to frame an argument with it. The government took up a lot of his time using him as the symbol of the Ideal Scientist to help recruit Science and Engineering Cadets. For the past seven years Macklin—who was the Advanced Studies Department of Firestone University—had been involved in devising a faster-than-light drive to help the Army reach Pluto and eventually the nearer stars. "Actually, Doctor, we haven't the right to ask this of a man of your importance. "Everybody has them at some time in his life. "There are a number of different causes for headaches—nervous strain, fatigue, physical diseases from kidney complaints to tumors, over-indulgence—but there is one effect of all of this, the one real cause of headaches," Mitchell announced. "That is, the constriction of blood vessels in the telencephalon section of the frontal lobes. It's caused by an over-production of the pituitary gland. "The virus," Ferris explained, "can easily be localized and stabilized. A colony of virus in the brain cells will relax the cerebral vessels—and only the cerebral vessels—so that the cerebrospinal fluid doesn't create pressure in the cavities of the brain." "On rats, on chimps...." Conscientious objectors from the Army." Unless we can produce quick, conclusive and dramatic proof of our studies we can get no more financial backing. When I start making slips like that it means another attack of migraine. As I said, the virus is self-stabilizing. Ferris and I are confident that there is no danger.... By established periodic cycle he should be suffering hell right now, shouldn't he? "It's a significant test case, yes. The public will hand down a ukase demanding our virus, just as they demanded the Salk vaccine and the Grennell serum." "Most known narcotics," she admitted, "but evidently you have discovered something new. Is it so expensive to refine you and Ferris have to recruit new customers to keep yourselves supplied?" Jerry, their control in the experiment, who was practically Dean's twin except that he had received no injection of the E-M Virus, was stomping up and down punching his fingers through the wire, worrying the lock on the cage.
 Macklin is a valuable asset to them, and they don't want something to happen to his intellect.
 Macklin is a valuable asset to them, and they don't want something to happen to his intellect.  The army is investigating Mitchell and Ferris because they gave unauthorized medical assistance.  Mrs. Macklin called them in to help.  They want to see the results of Ferris and Mitchell's trial.