Arthur C. Clarke - Time Odyssey 01 Times Eye

Josh was intrigued by this woman from the futureif that was what she was! Bisesas face was handsome and well proportioned, if not beautiful, her nose strong and her jaw square; but her eyes were clear, her cut-short hair lustrous. She had a strength about her, even physically, that he had seen in no woman before: faced with this unprecedented situation, she was confident, if edgy with fatigue.

As the evening wore on, he took to following her around, puppylike.

It had been a long daythe longest of Bisesas life, she said, even if she had lost a few hoursand Captain Groves advice that the newcomers should be allowed to eat and rest seemed wise. But they insisted they had work to do before resting. Abdikadir wanted to check on Casey, the other pilot. And he wanted to return to the machine they called their Little Bird. I have to erase the memory banks of the electronic gear, he said. Theres sensitive data in there, especially the avionics... Josh was entranced by this talk of intelligent machines, and he imagined the air full of invisible telegraph wires, transmitting mysterious and important messages hither and yon.

Grove was inclined to allow the request. I cant see how we can be harmed by allowing the destruction of what I dont understand anyhow, he said dryly. And besidesyou say it is your duty, Warrant Officer. I respect that. Time and space may flow like toffee, but duty endures.

For her part Bisesa wanted to retrace the track her helicopter had taken, she said, before the crash. We were shot down. I think that was justafter we noticed the sun dancing around the sky. Soyou see? If weve somehow come through some, somebarrier in time, then whoever shot at us must be on this side too...

Grove thought this jaunt would be better left until morning, for he could see Bisesas fatigue as well as Josh could. But Bisesa didnt want to stop movingnot yetas if to stop would be to accept the extraordinary reality of the situation. So Grove approved the mission. Joshs respect for the mans judgment and compassion grew; Grove understood what was going on here no better than anybody else, but he was clearly trying to deal with the simple human needs of the people who had, literally, fallen out of the sky into his domain.

A field party was drawn together: Bisesa, with Josh and Ruddy, both of whom insisted on accompanying her, and a small squad of privates under the nominal command of the Geordie private Batson, who, it seemed, might have impressed Grove enough that day to earn a promotion.

By the time they set out from the fort the dark was gathering. The soldiers carried oil lamps and burning torches. They walked directly east from the site of the choppers crash. Bisesa had estimated the distance at no more than a mile.

The lights of the fort receded, and the Frontier dusk opened up around them, huge and empty. But Josh could see thick black mounds of cloud on every horizon.

He hurried beside Bisesa. If it is true

What?

This business of slipping through timeyou, and the man-ape creatureshow do you think it can have happened?

Ive no idea. And Im not sure if Id rather be a castaway in time or a victim of a nuclear war. Anyhow, she said briskly, how do you knowyoure not the castaway?

Josh quailed. I never thought of that. You know, I can scarcely believe I am even holding this conversation! If you had told me this morning that before I slept this night I would see a flying machine powerful enough to carry people inside itand that those people would, and plausibly too, claim to be from a future a century and a half henceI would have thought you were insane!

But if its true, Ruddy said insistently, jogging alongside themnever very fit, he was panting a littleif its true, theres so much you know, so much you could tell us! Forour future isyour past.

She shook her head. Ive seen too many movies. Have you never heard of the chronology protection conjecture?

Josh was baffled, as was Ruddy.