The Stars Came Back Read Online Free Page A

in space that we can normally perceive, plus time. The physics are similar, but different, in the other dimensions, and by transitioning into them we can do things like go faster than light can here in our universe. But, just like space bends from gravity and solar winds blow here, things are neither smooth nor static in the other dimension. It’s kind of like wind. A little bit of wind and you can walk or fly normally and mostly ignore it. If there is a strong tailwind blowing you get there faster; if you are bucking a strong headwind it takes longer, but the distance is the same. If a hurricane is passing through, then you can’t go anywhere-
    Bipasha: A h, the “Deep Black”…
    Helton: -yes, that is where the subspace is simply much too turbulent to transition into and fly.
    The others look at him with a mix of interest and incomprehension on their faces.
    Helton: Pretend this (indicates the centerpiece on the table) is an island. That (pointing to the bauble) is your ship, and that (points to carafe) is your destination. In a light tailwind blowing from you (points to the Flight Engineer on the end), the ship could sail down either side of the island at the same speed, but going back would be s lower. But if a strong wind was blowing from you (points to another) at an angle across the island, then sailing on that side would be fast, but the other side would be slow and difficult because of all the wind eddies and swirls there. If a hurricane comes through, then no one sails anywhere, they just hide in the harbors and hope for the best (he puts the bauble in among the details of the centerpiece), which is what happened when Eta Carinae blew. The Dark came in because subspace was not navigable. The local effects of the stars and planets swamped it close in, so A-grav and accelacomps worked in-system, but not FTL. It sounds like right now we’ll be able to catch a wind that blows us, very quickly, past you (he tosses the bauble to Bipasha) then to you (indicates she should toss it to the Penger Trask, which she does) then on to Niven (it gets tossed to the flight Engineer). Because we are going further in subspace against a wind as it were, it’ll take longer ship time , but Niven hasn’t moved, so our real time hasn’t changed much.
    Lucretia Trask: OK, I guess that sort of makes sense…
    Helton: Like I said, the details are complicated . If you are not interested in math and physics it’ll make your head hurt, but just remember time always goes forward, just at different rates depending on your path. Kind of like how time seems to go fast when you are having fun, and seems to drag when you are bored. Sometimes weird things happen, like being able to go a lot further, a lot faster in universal time, but it’ll take much longer ship time while using less fuel, or more time on ship but less in universal time. Just imagine different weather and winds and currents and islands and mountains with the sailing ship, and it’ll be easier to visualize, even if it’s not entirely accurate.
    Lag: One of the better descriptions I’ve heard.
    Helton: Thanks. I’ve had to explain it more than a few times.
    Ship Engineer: Oh?
    Helton: I’m a teacher. Between classes and a passel of nephews and nieces-
    There is a sudden burst of cheer s and laughter from a table at the far side of the room, where a group of young men and women (mid teens to early 20s) seem to be having a very good time.
    Doc Wife and a couple of the others glare at them . This is not the group’s first outburst.
    Doc Wife: I wonder where the parents are? Children without manners should not be abandon ed in public like that.
    Lag: ( Sighing) No rest for the wicked. Excuse me, please.
    Surprised looks on their faces, the rest of the table watches him stand up , glass in hand.
     
    CUT TO
    View of the table full of young adults on far side of dining room
    Lag approaches the table. Sitting there are seven young Plataeans (four male, three female) dressed in