按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Polywater doesn't leak。 It has the consistency of thin grease； and is suspended in capillary tubes。 This is ninety…nine percent of the world's supply right here。〃 He followed Chaney's lead and kicked the tank。 〃No leak。〃
〃What does the TDV push against？ That polywater？〃
The engineer looked at him as if he were an idiot。 〃It floats on the polywater； Mr。 Chaney。 I said the thrust against a screen； a molybdenum screen provides the momentum to displace temporal strata。〃
Chaney said： 〃Ah！ I see it now。〃
〃I don't；〃 Arthur Saltus said mournfully。 He stood at the nose of the vehicle with his nose pressed against the transparent bubble。 〃What guides this thing？ I don't see a tiller or a wheel。〃
The engineer gave the impression of wanting to leave the room； of wanting to hand over the instruction tour to some underling。 〃The vehicle is guided by a mercury proton gyroscope； Mr。 Saltus。〃 He pointed past the mander's nose to a metal cube within the bubble； nestled alongside the camera。 〃That instrument。 We borrowed the technique from the Navy； from their program to guide interplanetary ships in long…flight。〃
Arthur Saltus seemed impressed。 〃Good； eh？〃
〃Superior。 Gyroscopes employing mercury protons are not affected by motion； shock； vibrations； or upset； they will operate through any violence short of destruction。 That unit will take you there and bring you back to within sixty…one seconds of your launch。 Rely on it。〃
Saltus said： 〃How？〃 and Major Moresby seconded him。 〃Explain it； please。 I am interested。〃
The engineer looked on Moresby as the only partly intelligent non…engineer in the room。 〃Sensing cells in the unit will relay back to us a continuous signal indicating your time path； Mr。 Moresby。 It will signal any deviation from a true line； if the vehicle wavers we will know it immediately。 Our puter will interpret and correct immediately。 The puter will send forward the proper corrective signals to the tachyon deflector system and restore the vehicle to its right time path； all in less than a second。 You will not be aware of the deviation or the correction； of course。〃
Saltus： 〃Do you guarantee we'll hit the target？〃
〃Within four minutes of the annual hour； Mr。 Saltus。 This system does not permit a tracking error greater than plus or minus four minutes per year。 That is on target。 The Soviet couldn't do any better。〃
Chaney was startled。 〃Do they have one？〃
〃No；〃 Gilbert Scabrooke interposed。 〃That was a figure of speech。 We all have pride in our work。〃
Seniority was all。 Major Moresby made the first trial test； and then mander Saltus。
When his turn came； Chaney undressed and stored his clothing in the locker。 The hovering presence of the engineer didn't bother him but the prying eyes of the two television cameras did。 He couldn't know who was on the other side of the wall； watching him。 Wearing only his shorts…the one belated concession to modesty…and standing in his bare feet on the concrete floor； Chaney fought away the impulse to bolster his waning ego by thumbing his nose at the inquisitive cameras。 Gilbert Scabrooke probably wouldn't approve。
Following instructions； he climbed into the TDV。
Chaney wriggled through the hatch； lowered himself onto the sling…like bed； and promptly banged his head against the camera mounted inside the bubble。 It hurt。
〃Damn it！〃
The engineer said reprovingly： 〃Please be more careful of the camera； Mr。 Chaney。〃
〃You could hang that thing outside the bucket。〃
Inching lower onto the flimsy bed； he discovered that when his feet reached the kickbar there was insufficient room to turn his head without striking either the camera or the gyroscope； nor could he push out his elbows。 He squinted up at the engineer in protest but the man's face disappeared from the opening as the hatch was slammed shut。 Chaney had a moment of panic but fought it away； the drum was no worse than a cramped tomb…and better in one small respect： the transparent bubble admitted light from the ceiling fixtures。 Still following the detailed instructions； he reached up to snug the hatch and was immediately rewarded by a blinking green bull's eye above his head。 He thought that was nice。
Chaney watched the light for a space but nothing else happened。
Aloud： 〃All right； move it。〃 The sound of his voice in the closed can startled him。
Twisting around at the expense of a strained neck muscle and another glancing blow off the camera； he peered through the bubble at the outside room but saw no one。 It was supposed to be empty during a launch。 He guessed that his panions were in the lab beyond the wall； watching him on the monitors as he had watched them。 The sounds had been thunderously loud in there； causing acute pain to his eardrums。
Chaney's gaze came back to the green light against the hull above his head； and discovered that a red light beside it was now blazing； blinking in the same monotonous fashion as its brother。 He stared at the two lights and wondered what he was supposed to do next。 Instructions hadn't gone beyond that point。
He was aware that his knees were raised and that his legs ached； the interior of the bucket wasn't designed for a man who stood six feet four and had to share the space with a camera and gyroscope。 Chaney lowered his knees and stretched out full length on the webbed sling； but he had forgotten the kickbar until his bare feet struck it。 The red light winked out。
After a while someone rapped on the plastic bubble； and Chaney twisted around to see Arthur Saltus motioning for him to e out。 He opened the hatch and sat up。 When he was in a fortable position； he found that he could rest his chin on the rim of the hatch and look down into the room。
Saltus stood there grinning at him。 〃Well； mister； what did you think of that？〃
〃There's more room in a Syrian coffin；〃 Chaney retorted。 〃I've got bruises。〃
〃Sure； sure； civilian； tight quarters and everything； but what did you think of it？〃
〃Think of what？〃
〃Well； the…〃 Saltus stopped to gape in disbelief。 〃Civilian； do you mean to sit there like an idiot and tell me you weren't watching that clock？〃
〃I watched the lights； it was like Christmas time。〃
〃Mister； they ran you through your test。 You saw ours； didn't you？ You checked the time？〃
〃Yes； I watched you。〃
〃Well； you jumped into the future！ One hour up！〃
〃The hell I did。〃
〃The hell you didn't； civilian。 What did you think you were doing in there…taking a nap？ You were supposed to watch the clock。 You went up an hour； and then you kicked yourself back。 That stuffy old engineer was mad…you were supposed to wait for him to do it。〃
〃But I didn't hear anything； feel anything。〃
〃You don't hear anything in there； just out here； on the outside looking in。 Man； we heard it！ Pow； pow； the airhammer。 And the guy was supposed to tell you there was no sense of motion： just climb in； and climb out。 Shoot an hour。〃 Saltus made a face。 〃Civilian； sometimes you disappoint me。〃
〃Sometimes I disappoint myself；〃 Chaney said。 〃I've missed the most exciting hour of my life。 I guess it was exciting。 I was looking at the l