Конец вечности
Technician
"Iknow,"murmuredHarlan.Hewasputtingonhisglovesandalreadyhisquickeyeswerememorizingthepositionofthecriticalcontaineronitsshelf,measuringthestepstoit,estimatingthebestpositionintowhichtotransferit.Hecastonequicklookattheotherscreen.
Iftheengine-room,beingintherangedescribedas"present"withrespecttothatSectionofEternityinwhichtheynowstood,wasclearandinnaturalcolor,theotherscene,beingsometwenty-fiveCenturiesinthe"future,"carriedthebluelusterallviewsofthe"future"must.
Itwasaspace-port.Adeepbluesky,blue-tingedbuildingsofnakedmetalonblue-greenground.Abluecylinderofodddesign,bulgebottomed,stoodintheforeground.Twootherslikeitwereinthebackground.Allthreepointedcleftnosesupward,thecleavagebitingdeeplyintothevitalsoftheship.
Harlanfrowned."They’requeerones."
"Electro-gravitic,"saidVoy."The2481stistheonlyCenturytodevelopelectro-graviticspace-travel.Nopropellants,nonucleonics.It’sanaestheticallypleasingdevice.It’sapitywemustChangeawayfromit.Apity."HiseyesfixedthemselvesonHarlanwithdistinctdisapproval.
Harlan’slipscompressed.Disapprovalofcourse!Whynot?HewastheTechnician.
Tobesure,ithadbeensomeObserverwhohadbroughtinthedetailsofdrugaddiction.IthadbeensomeStatisticianwhohaddemonstratedthatrecentChangeshadincreasedtheaddictionrateuntilnowitwasthehighestinallthecurrentRealityofman.
