The Answer

"The Answer" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction short story originally published in the late 1950s. It delves into the repercussions of nuclear conflict and the psychological effects of past traumas on its characters. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where two scientists reflect on the events of a nuclear war that devastated their respective nations and the importance of their current scientific experiment. In the narrative, Lee Richardson and his colleague Alexis Pitov prepare for a scientific experiment involving a negamatter missile that they hope will yield crucial insights into the fundamental structures of matter. As they confront their shared histories and the horrors of the past—specifically, a missile that had annihilated their cities—they discuss the catastrophe of the Auburn Bomb that had catalyzed their loss. Throughout the experiment, they wrestle with the weight of their collective guilt, embers of distrust from their former rivalry, and the ominous possibilities of their current research. The story culminates in an unexpected revelation about the nature of their experiment and the haunting connections to their previous traumas, emphasizing themes of regret, redemption, and the enduring consequences of human actions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction writer. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.