"Lee Edgar - Andromeda Time" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

тАШOver what time period?тАЩ
тАШSeventy-five years, and over a distance of four and a half million
light years.тАЩ
тАШAnd this latest trip to Andromeda?тАЩ
тАШThey exceeded a quarter of a million times light speed and went back
twenty-five years.тАЩ
тАШSo, technically, it should be possible to take off today and return
twenty-five years ago.тАЩ
тАШTheoretically, yes.тАЩ
тАШWhy only theoretically?тАЩ
тАШBecause it has never been done. Each time, the crew made a point of
returning after they had left, never before.тАЩ
тАШWhy not?тАЩ
Professor Akherd shrugged. тАШThink of the repercussions. It would be
grossly unethical to try to rearrange past events. Who knows what
disasters could happen as a result.тАЩ
тАШOr benefits, perhaps,тАЩ said Doctor Martin, speaking for the first
time.
тАШBenefits?тАЩ
тАШPreventing a past war, for example. Taking back in time the cure for
a disease now eradicated.тАЩ
тАШWe are scientists,тАЩ said the professor quietly. тАШWe must not attempt
to play God.тАЩ
Doctor Martin laughed. тАШMy colleague and I are merely suggesting an
exploratory mission, just to see if such a thing is possible. We have
no intention of changing history.тАЩ
Cassi thought for a moment. тАШJust how far are you proposing to go
back in time?тАЩ
The scientist shrugged. тАШJust a few yearsтАУenough to prove the point
one way or the other.тАЩ
тАШIt could be very dangerous.тАЩ
Doctor Schmidt interrupted angrily. тАШYou are making excuses. We all
know that space travel has now been rendered safe.тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs not the going that is the problem,тАЩ replied Cassi carefully.
She looked straight at him. тАШItтАЩs the coming back.тАЩ
тАШThe coming back?тАЩ
Cassi nodded. тАШIf we are not expected, we will not be welcome,
especially if our means of transport has not yet been invented.тАЩ
тАШBut I thought...тАЩ
тАШJust imaging the repercussions of a strange craft turning up
unexpectedly at almost any time during the latter part of the last
century. In the middle of a cold war, someone is quite likely to shoot
first and ask questions afterwards.тАЩ
тАШSo we arrange to get there in peacetime. ItтАЩs easy.тАЩ
тАШNot necessarily,тАЩ interjected the Director. тАШDonтАЩt forget that the
Wayfarer space cruisers cannot land on Earth, or any other planet for
that matter. Someone would have to take a shuttle down to the surface
to prove the point one way or the other. Such a visit is not likely to
go unnoticed, certainly not during the last hundred years or so.тАЩ
тАШThen what would you suggest?тАЩ