The Forever Man Read Online Free Page A

the ability to jump any required distance, but the ability to compute correctly, in a reasonable time, the direction and distance in which the move should be made. Phase-shifting was an outgrowth of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle of physics that had enunciated the fact that it was possible to establish either the position of an electron, or its speed of movement, but not both at the same time. When a ship activated a phase-shift it did not move in the ordinary sense of that word. Effectively, for a timeless moment its speed became zero and its position universal. It was everywhere and no particular place. Then its position was established at the destination point which had been calculated for it and its speed became relative to its position at that point.
    The problem with phase-shifting lay in that calculation. Of necessity, it had to take into account the position and current movement of the ship about to make the jump and the position and movement of the destination area—this in a galaxy where everything was in relative movement, and only a mathematical fiction, the theoretical centerpoint of the galaxy from which all distances were marked and measured, was fixed.
    The greater the distance, the more involved and time-consuming the calculations. The law of diminishing returns would set in, and the process broke down of its own weight—it took a lifetime to calculate a single jump to a destination it would not take quite a lifetime to reach by smaller, more easily calculable jumps. Even with today's ships it was necessary calculation time-factor that made it impractical for the human and Laagi races to go around each others’ spatial territory. If we were all Raoul Penards, thought Jim grimly, with two hundred and more years of life coming, it’d be different. —The thought chilled him; he did not know why. He put it out of his mind and went back to the calculations.
    The picture grew and completed. Re-keyed his voice to the other ships floating in dark space around him.
    â€œWander Leader to Wander Section,” he said. “Wander Leader to Wander Section. Prepare to shift into Laagi territory. Key for calculations pattern for first of twelve shifts. Acknowledge, all ships of Wander Section.”
    The transmit section of his control board glowed briefly as the Swallow , the Fair Maid , the Lela and the Fourth Helen pumped into their own computing centers the situation and calculations he had worked out with his. Their voices came back, acknowledging.
    â€œLock to destination,” said Jim. “Dispersal pattern K at destination. Repeat, pattern K, tight, hundred kilometer interval. Hundred kilometer interval.” He glanced at the sweep second hand of the clock before him on his control board. “Transmit in six seconds. Counting. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Transmit—”
    Again, the disorientation, and the nausea.
    Strange stars were around them. The mind-unit’s lights glowed while it verified their position and adjusted the figures for the precalculated next jump. After a time it whispered in Jim’s ear again, and— “Check Ten,” whispered Jim. It was the code for “make next jump immediately.”
    â€œThree. Two. One. Transmit—”
    Once again the wrench of dislocation. Nausea. Lights glowed in silence as time passed again— “Check Ten…
    Ten more times they shifted, silent tension reflecting the waits for calculations while they floated, only lights in the silent darkness. Then they were there.
    In darkness. They were alone amongst the enemy’s stars. None of the other ships registered on the instruments.
    â€œReport,” ordered Jim to the universe at large.
    â€œ Swallow ...” came a whisper in his earphones as from somewhere unseen a tight beam touched the outside of the AndFriend , carrying its message to his ears. “ Fair Maid … Lela ...” A slightly longer pause. “ Fourth Helen