"Clark, Brian - Dinoshift" - читать интересную книгу автора (Clark Brian)

6905 words DINOSHIFT
by
J. Brian Clarke

Stipulation:
The present is inviolable. It cannot be altered by
changing the past.
The future is not so inviolable--

When Frederick Marion Degruton published his paper
Phased Timeshift Dispersion in the summer of 2119, critics
quickly recalled the ancient arguments against time travel.
As one writer succinctly put it; "It makes wonderful science
fiction. But fiction can tolerate the contradiction, for
instance, of a man going back in time and becoming his own
ancestor. Science cannot."
Nevertheless it was not long before Degruton was
reluctantly persuaded into a TV studio, where interviewer-
journalist Gail Sovergarde turned on her famous charm.
"Doctor Degruton, I understand your paper has created
quite a stir in the scientific community. I mean, time
travel! So I hope you will forgive me if I ask a question I
am sure you have already heard a thousand times. Can we now
change the past?"
"No."
A small man, sandy haired and painfully shy, Degruton
had decided the only way to preserve his equanimity before
this disconcerting female, was to say as little as possible.
"I am so glad you said that." Her smile made him melt.
"Because to change the past is to change the present. Is
that not so?"
"That is the accepted--" He shuffled uncomfortably.
"--way of looking at it."
"But a valid one, surely?"
"I suppose so."
"Ah." She nodded knowingly. "So despite your discovery,
I still cannot go back and dispose of my grandfather before
he had children."
"Good heavens!" Degruton was shocked. "Why would you
want to do that?"
Disconcerted by the scientist's literal interpretation
of the elderly cliche, Sovergarde hurriedly re-phrased.
"Then if we cannot change the past, what can we change?
Presuming, of course, time travel is possible."
"Read my paper, Ms Sovergarde. Believe me, the
calculations have been checked and double-checked by the top
people in the field."
She held up a folder. "Triple-checked, Dr Degruton. I
have been assured your reasoning is impeccable. So again I
ask the question. What can we change?"