"Colin Kapp - The Imagination Trap" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kapp Colin)

Paul Porter on the epic voyage of the old Lambda I Tau raft. I also recall that the impact of
some of the things you discovered on that journey caused a radical re-thinking of some major
portions of the Tau concept. I put it to you, Dr Brevis, that this is a remarkable record for one
who claims very little knowledge of Tau techniques.тАЭ
тАЬSuppose we come to the point,тАЭ said Brevis abruptly.
тАЬI was just going to,тАЭ said Diepenstrom. тАЬDoes the phrase deep-Tau mean anything to you?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ
тАЬThen IтАЩll tell you. Deep-Tau is the Tau-space analogue of conventional deep space. We
are actively researching into the possibility of achieving interstellar spaceflight by travelling
in the Tau-space analogue.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt see . . .тАЭ said Brevis.
тАЬLet me finish first, please. Now, deep-Tau as an alternative to conventional spaceflight
promises some remarkable advantages in simplified technique. Indeed, it may be the only
technique to make star travel possible. Superficially, deep-Tau travel would appear to be
easier than terrestrial Tau work. Unfortunately there are a number of impossible and irrational
reasons why this is not so.тАЭ
тАЬI fail to see,тАЭ said Brevis, тАЬwhat all this has to do with me.тАЭ
тАЬA great deal. The present pattern of Tau research consists of sending manned telemetry
probes into deep-Tau. WeтАЩve sent some twenty-four to date. Some have returned and some
havenтАЩt, but each has piled paradox on paradoxтАФand each has cost the life of the probe pilot.
Now weтАЩre approaching our last chance. If we fail, the Government will probably close down
our activities completely. Such an action would be a setback to this research from which it
might never recover.тАЭ
тАЬSo?тАЭ
тАЬPaul Porter wants to take a four-man vessel fitted out as a laboratory into deep-Tau, and
he wants you to go with him. ItтАЩs my job to persuade you to go, while at the same time leaving
you in no doubt that to do so is tantamount to committing suicide.тАЭ
тАЬSo thatтАЩs it! I refuse, of course. I still have the scars to show from the last time Paul Porter
took me into Tau.тАЭ
тАЬI have a contract here on which you can write your own price for one successful
deep-Tau vector.тАЭ
тАЬNo, Professor. If Paul wants to seek an anguished grave in the corner of some dark and
twisted hypothetical continuum, that is his own affair. IтАЩve no such ambition.тАЭ
тАЬA fair statement, Dr Brevis. I appreciate your position. Faced with the same situation, I
should probably adopt a similar standpoint. Let me thank you again for coming, and apologize
for wasting your time.тАЭ
Brevis watched him narrowly for a moment. тАЬWhat are you up to, you old fox? You arenтАЩt
a man to accept defeat that easily.тАЭ
Diepenstrom raised his ponderous head. His smile was a mere ghost haunting the corners
of his mouth.
тАЬAh, yes! There was something else. IтАЩm glad you reminded me. While youтАЩre here I
wonder if youтАЩd care to see some of our deep-Tau exhibits.тАЭ
тАЬSeeing the whole point of this interview seems to turn on this apparent afterthought, I
have no objection. But I warn you that nothing you can show me will make me change my
mind.тАЭ
тАЬPerish the thought, my dear Doctor. I merely wish to show you our little museum of
paradoxes. I think youтАЩll find them rather fascinating. Would you care to step this way?тАЭ

The vaults beneath Tau Research were olive-drab and vast in extent, and the footsteps of the
two men echoed hollowly down the steel and concrete corridors. Brevis had previously had