Конец вечности
The Hidden Centuries
Theirlaborwasfixedatsomanyhoursperphysiodayandtherewasnosocialpressureintheircasetomakethemrelatetheirspare-timeactivitytotheirprofession.Theyhadtime,asSpecialistsdidnot,todevotetotheliteratureandfilmdramatizationsculledoutofthevariousRealities.
Itwasthey,afterall,whoprobablyhadthebetter-roundedpersonalities.ItwastheSpecialist’slifewhichwasharriedandaffected,artificialincomparisonwiththesweetandsimplelifeinMaintenance.
MaintenancewasthefoundationofEternity.Strangethatsuchanobviousfacthadnotstruckhimearlier.TheysupervisedtheimportationoffoodandwaterfromTime,thedisposalofwaste,thefunctioningofthepowerplants.TheykeptallthemachineryofEternityrunningsmoothly.IfeverySpecialistweretodieofastrokeonthespot,MaintenancecouldkeepEternitygoingindefinitely.YetwereMaintenancetodisappear,theSpecialistswouldhavetoabandonEternityindaysordiemiserably.
DidMaintenancemenresentthelossoftheirhomewhens,ortheirwomanless,childlesslives?Wassecurityfrompoverty,disease,andRealityChangesufficientcompensation?Weretheirviewseverconsuitedonanymatterofimportance?Harlanfeltsomeofthefireofthesocialreformerwithinhim.
SeniorComputerTwissellbrokeHarlan’strainofthoughtbybustlinginatahalfrun,lookingevenmorehauntedthanhehadanhourbefore,whenhehadleft,withMaintenancealreadyatwork.
