"Jack Williamson - Hindsight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williamson Jack)

The Astrarch smiled, gripped his hand. "My men are overzealous, Veronar." The
voice was warm, yet Brek Veronar could not escape the sense of something sharply
critical, deadly. "I merely wish to talk with you, and the impending movements of the
fleet allowed little time."
Behind that smiling mask, the Astrarch studied him. "Veronar, you have served
me loyally. I am leaving Astrophon for a cruise with the fleet, and I feel that you,
also, have earned a holiday. Do you want a vacation from your duties herelet us say,
to Mars?"
Beneath those thrusting eyes, Brek Veronar flinched. "Thank you, Gorro," he
gulpedhe was among the few privileged to call the Astrarch by name. "Later,
perhaps. But the torpedo guide isn't finished. And I've several ideas for improving
the autosight. I'd much prefer to stay in the laboratory."
For an instant, the short man's smile seemed genuine. "The Astrarchy is indebted
to you for the autosight. The increased accuracy of fire has in effect quadrupled our
fleets." His eyes were sharp again, doubtful. "Are further improvements possible?"
Brek Veronar caught his breath. His knees felt a little weak. He knew that he was
talking for his life. He swallowed, and his words came at first unsteadily.
"Geodesic analysis and integration is a completely new science," he said
desperately. "It would be foolish to limit the possibilities. With a sufficiently delicate
pickup, the achronic detector fields ought to be able to trace the world lines of any
object almost indefinitely. Into the future"
He paused for emphasis. "Or into the past!"
An eager interest flashed in the Astrarch's eyes. Brek felt confidence returning.
His breathless voice grew smoother.
"Remember, the principle is totally new. The achronic field can be made a
thousand times more sensitive than any telescopeI believe, a million times! And the
achronic beam eliminates the time lag of all electromagnetic methods of observation.
Timeless, paradoxically it facilitates the exploration of time."
"Exploration?" questioned the dictator. "Aren't you speaking rather wildly,
Veronar?"
"Any range finder, in a sense, explores time," Brek assured him urgently. "It
analyzes the past to predict the futureso that a shell fired from a moving ship and
deflected by the gravitational fields of space may move thousands of miles to meet
another moving ship, minutes in the future.
 "Instruments depending on visual observation and electromagnetic transmission
of data were not very successful. One hit in a thousand used to be good gunnery.
But the autosight has solved the problemnow you reprimand gunners for failing to
score two hits in a hundred."
Brek caught his breath. "Even the newest autosight is just a rough beginning.
Good enough, for a range finder. But the detector fields can be made infinitely more
sensitive, the geodesic integration infinitely more certain.
"It ought to be possible to unravel the past for years, instead of minutes. It ought
to be possible to foretell the position of a ship for weeks aheadto anticipate every
maneuver, and even watch the captain eating his breakfast!"
The Earthman was breathless again, his eyes almost feverish. "From geodesic
analysis," he whispered, "there is one more daring stepcontrol. You are aware of the
modern view that there is no absolute fact, but only probability. I can prove it! And
probability can be manipulated, through pressure of the achronic field.
"It is possible, even, I tell you"
Brek's rushing voice faltered. He saw that doubt had drowned the flash of