Yuri was standing satisfied before his invention. It was It. It was That.

It was Everything. It was the Final Solution. It was the Missing Link,

the solution of square upon a circle problem.

It was the small gadget that will help his Party solve all of the

problems of his country, and regain ascendence over West.

It was a System Danger-o-Meter.

It was a precise device telling how much a person or a thing is

dangerous for the Party. And it did exactly that. And on 16 decimal places

it did it.

"Speaking about double precision", said Yuri, packing the gadget into

his pocket, going out to do some testing. He is going to present this

before Comittee and there must not be an error. Error in something like

this would be a mayor embarrassment.

"If comrade Stalin had my Danger-o-Meter, he'd know who is truly dangerous for

the Party and there would never be an error. The Party would have kept those

scientists who were executed or sent to Siberia by mistake or by the

setup of the enemy.", though Yuri. "Communism was thought to be a system

more just that rotten, exploiting capitalism, and with this device it

would work out."

"Hi, Yuri!"

"Zdravstvuj!", Yuri replied.

"I see you have a new gadget."

"Will you help me test it?"

"It's my job."

Yuri and the strange person went forth from that place. They went into

city. Then Yuri saw a picture of a person who was suspected to work for

the mafia.

"It's OK, you can use it."

Yuri was embarrassed. The stranger knew exactly what Yuri was doing. It

must have been the KGB then. But KGB knows Yuri is reliable and faithful

to the causes of the Party, so there should be no problems.

He pointed the device towards the picture. The gadget's diode glowed red

and the display was showing 7.6 -- a little surprizing for Yuri, since

he expected the mafia guy to be more dangerous for the Party.

Yuri pointed the Danger-o-Meter to an accidental passenger, and it

showed 4.6 ... So, it should be configured more precise. Anyway, the

person just passing could have been a foreign spy of little importance.

The Danger-o-Meter could not err. Or could it? Maybe there was a defect

in silicon? Or flaw like Pentium divide bug?

He looked feeling helplessly for a moment at the stranger. He seemed

friendly. "That's what testing is for, isn't it, Yuri?" Yuri noded. "But

this is not the problem now. The problem is the gadget is working correctly,

to the last decimal place. Your neural-path-meters are working

correctly."

Yuri went on.

The stranger dissapeared.

He pointed the device at the worker. He seemed like a good Party

material. "8.6" -- surprizing.

"It is not surprizing. The mafia guy will stay quiet, while this worker

will see a movie from black market in seven years that will make him

dream of liberties. He will doubt in Party leadership, and start to

desire what you call rotten democracy."

"Are you a spy?", Yuri yelled, but there was no one behind him.

"I must be hearing things from sleeplessness", he thought.

He went further. The ray of Danger-o-Meter passed across the face of a

child. It beeped. "10.2". The child went forth unsuspecting.

"This child could be very beneficial for the Party, but he'll never

join. He's too much reluctant to authority. He'll learn about the West,

and start to want it."

Yuri turned around, but there was no one again.

"You can report him as dangerous, and receive precious points before

leadership. They could approve your program. Background checks will

render him as dangerous indeed even by standard procedures."

Yuri was reluctant. The child was just 12. It was not something he had

in mind. If it was the mafia guy with this level of danger, he wouldn't

hesitate.

The Danger-o-Meter blinked again. "10.3". "The school teacher. A young

woman with ideals that will make them dream of something that will not

be achievable under Party as it is. This would require either change of

the system, or - worse - change of certain leaders."

Blinked again.

Pigeon.

"Pigeons can be trained to carry messages, Yuri. They can serve enemy

propaganda."

Yuri stood helpless again. He doubted. The device, himself, and worse

... Party.

He pointed the device against himself. "12.0". Maximum. It beeped and

blinked like crazy.

"Is there a problem, comrade?", asked a rather conservative policeman.

"No, everything is right."

"But why is it beeping?"

"No, it's harasho."

"What does it say? A Danger-o-Meter? This is dangerous. I'd better call

my commanding officer."

* * *

Yuri was before a party commission. He was sweating. He had a good

reason for it.

"We don't understand the math behind this gadget, neither would we care

if it would work, but it's obviously faulty. It beeps at everything.

Whoever even points this this 'Danger-o-Meter' even at his own reflection

in the mirror, it displays "12.0", which is accidentally also the

maximum.", the agent said ridiculing, then he added, "Are we all

dangerous to the Party, comrade Yuri?"

Yuri stood there looking at the floor.

"Wait a minute!", the agent said. He pointed the Danger-o-Meter against

himself, then against his colleagues ... "2.6", he said. "2.9" ... "1.8"

... Sashenka, you are the most reliable of us three, ha, ha, ha. Indeed

you most reliabley destroy vodka so nobody gets hurt by it, don't you!"

Sashenka was amuzed.

Then the three agents looked at each other. They noded. They pointed the

device to the mirror. "12.0" ... They sat.

* * *

Yuri was feeling safe again. No one will ever build a Danger-o-Meter

according to his sketches.

He went his most usual paths. Nothing was suspicious. Then, at an

instant, he pointed the device against the crowd. The numbers ran up and

down. He waited until the numbers reached maximum on a fellow, then

checked with another copy of the device.

He was now sure it was _the_ most dangerous person in the crowd for the

Party. He started approaching.

"Excuse me, what is the time?" -- he asked.

The most dangerous man in the street turned around and smiled.

"We've been expecting you for months."

* * *

In the streets of London, Yuri was finally feeling free to take a deep

breath. He knew what he had to do. He took the Danger-o-Meter and placed

it at the rail. Both copies.

He watched them smashing to pieces beyond recognition.

Then he asked himself again -- is it the Danger-o-Meter's reflection that

was the greatest danger for the system, or a simple, plain mirror?