Free The Depths of Time by Roger MacBride Allen Page B
Authors: Roger MacBride Allen
Tags: Science-Fiction
scarcely ever discussed, in all the long history of the Chronologic Patrol.
“ Very well, then, ” Koffield said. “ If we can ’ t shoot down the intruders, I don ’ t see that I have any choice. I ’ m going to blow the wormhole shut. ”
The bridge went quiet, as silent as space.
“ Our mission, ” he said, “ the sole mission of the Chronologic Patrol, is to defend time. All of our wildly elaborate precautions, all of our careful procedures, exist for that reason alone. We are here to keep the future from interfering with the past, to protect causality from paradox. Those intruder ships have spent weeks in their own future. I suspect they may even be capable of faster-than-light travel, though I have no idea how that could be. There is no end to what they could have learned of past events in all that time.
“ Now they are driving for the wormhole, and there is no realistic chance of our destroying all of them before they reach it. They waited until there was a convoy coming through, so that we would be occupied with other matters and, they hoped, less willing to put legitimate ships at risk. They sent in six ships at once in an envelopment maneuver, so as to overwhelm our defensive ability. They are plainly attempting to do what we are here to stop. And we will stop it. ”
The bridge was silent for five seconds, perhaps longer, before anyone had the nerve to speak. “ Sir? ” It was Sheelton, sitting at the comm station.
“ Yes, Sheelton? ”
“ Sir, if we blow the wormhole shut, it can never be opened again! There ’ s another hole, six lights the other side of Lodestar, that serves Solace, but Glister will be all but cut off from the outside universe. And the convoy ships will be stranded here, as cut off— ”
“ As cut off from the past as we will be—as cut off as we are already. ” Why not admit it now? he asked himself. “ I am aware of the consequences, Lieutenant Sheelton. ”
“ But, sir— ”
“ I ’ m sorry, ” said Koffield. “ But I don ’ t see any other option for us. The people on those convoy ships will suffer, perhaps die. The people of Glister will suffer. But the damage and chaos that these intruders could create, throughout all of Settled Space, would be far worse. Think of all the horror stories and nightmares we were trained on. They could go back in time and kill the parents or grandparents of important leaders. They could bring back stolen inventions, take advantage of market panics—or know how to cause panics they could then take advantage of. They could prevent the discovery of whole worlds, or claim-jump worlds no one has yet found. They could be bringing back anything from unknown technology to mutant viruses. We have to stop them. ”
“ Captain, surely we need time to think it through, call a ship ’ s council— ”
“ There is no time, ” Koffield said, and smiled at that irony. No time at all to consider how to guard time. “ No time to call a council or consider the situation. We must act now, or let the enemy pass. Let the log reflect that this was my decision, and mine alone. ”
Again, the bridge was silent. Koffield let the moment last as long as he could. This was the moment to protest. No one spoke, no one argued or called out, and the silence became acceptance.
“ Comm—any response from convoy ships? ”
Sheelton swallowed nervously. “ Mirror response from the lead ship, Captain. No other replies. No changes in course or heading as of yet. ”
“ Keep me advised. Weapons—are we going to have any sort of firing solution? ”
“ The intruders ’ deceleration is so violent I can ’ t get a good forward projection yet, sir. But we ought to be able to take a shot at one of them at least. ”
“ Weapons, take full helm control. Do what you can to optimize your firing solutions. ”
“ Aye sir. ”
Koffield flipped the comm, detection, and weapons displays onto his repeater screens and gave a moment ’ s concentrated
“ Very well, then, ” Koffield said. “ If we can ’ t shoot down the intruders, I don ’ t see that I have any choice. I ’ m going to blow the wormhole shut. ”
The bridge went quiet, as silent as space.
“ Our mission, ” he said, “ the sole mission of the Chronologic Patrol, is to defend time. All of our wildly elaborate precautions, all of our careful procedures, exist for that reason alone. We are here to keep the future from interfering with the past, to protect causality from paradox. Those intruder ships have spent weeks in their own future. I suspect they may even be capable of faster-than-light travel, though I have no idea how that could be. There is no end to what they could have learned of past events in all that time.
“ Now they are driving for the wormhole, and there is no realistic chance of our destroying all of them before they reach it. They waited until there was a convoy coming through, so that we would be occupied with other matters and, they hoped, less willing to put legitimate ships at risk. They sent in six ships at once in an envelopment maneuver, so as to overwhelm our defensive ability. They are plainly attempting to do what we are here to stop. And we will stop it. ”
The bridge was silent for five seconds, perhaps longer, before anyone had the nerve to speak. “ Sir? ” It was Sheelton, sitting at the comm station.
“ Yes, Sheelton? ”
“ Sir, if we blow the wormhole shut, it can never be opened again! There ’ s another hole, six lights the other side of Lodestar, that serves Solace, but Glister will be all but cut off from the outside universe. And the convoy ships will be stranded here, as cut off— ”
“ As cut off from the past as we will be—as cut off as we are already. ” Why not admit it now? he asked himself. “ I am aware of the consequences, Lieutenant Sheelton. ”
“ But, sir— ”
“ I ’ m sorry, ” said Koffield. “ But I don ’ t see any other option for us. The people on those convoy ships will suffer, perhaps die. The people of Glister will suffer. But the damage and chaos that these intruders could create, throughout all of Settled Space, would be far worse. Think of all the horror stories and nightmares we were trained on. They could go back in time and kill the parents or grandparents of important leaders. They could bring back stolen inventions, take advantage of market panics—or know how to cause panics they could then take advantage of. They could prevent the discovery of whole worlds, or claim-jump worlds no one has yet found. They could be bringing back anything from unknown technology to mutant viruses. We have to stop them. ”
“ Captain, surely we need time to think it through, call a ship ’ s council— ”
“ There is no time, ” Koffield said, and smiled at that irony. No time at all to consider how to guard time. “ No time to call a council or consider the situation. We must act now, or let the enemy pass. Let the log reflect that this was my decision, and mine alone. ”
Again, the bridge was silent. Koffield let the moment last as long as he could. This was the moment to protest. No one spoke, no one argued or called out, and the silence became acceptance.
“ Comm—any response from convoy ships? ”
Sheelton swallowed nervously. “ Mirror response from the lead ship, Captain. No other replies. No changes in course or heading as of yet. ”
“ Keep me advised. Weapons—are we going to have any sort of firing solution? ”
“ The intruders ’ deceleration is so violent I can ’ t get a good forward projection yet, sir. But we ought to be able to take a shot at one of them at least. ”
“ Weapons, take full helm control. Do what you can to optimize your firing solutions. ”
“ Aye sir. ”
Koffield flipped the comm, detection, and weapons displays onto his repeater screens and gave a moment ’ s concentrated