“Not acceptable,” said Hunter.
“Why not?” Steve looked up at him in surprise.
“All our equipment will have to be as primitive as possible. We will use everything that we can get in biodegradable form. We have to be very careful to leave as small an impact in the past as we can. If we do leave anything behind, it must decompose as fast as possible.”
“I see,” said Steve. “Well, then. Extra rope and knives. An axe and a small hatchet to cut wood.” Steve continued to list the essential items, now relying strictly on simple hand tools and materials.
After Steve had completed his general list, Chad and Jane added their personal articles. By the time they had finished their various requests, they had ridden a lift down to an immense hallway labeled Antelope Valley Boulevard. Steve looked around, uncomfortable yet still curious to see whatever he could.
“We will go to MC Governor’s office,” said Hunter. “We’ll use it as a rendezvous point.”
“Are we separating?” Jane looked at him in surprise.
“Yes. I have arranged through the city computer for Steve to spend tonight in the same hotel you two are using. I am going to spend the night supervising gathering the equipment and checking it over. The First Law will not let me go until I have reviewed everything that you three will need.”
“It’s still fairly early for us,” said Jane. “We can have a leisurely dinner,” said Chad. “I’m hungry enough. That is, if Steve here eats his food cooked.”
“Sure,” said Steve. “And you had better enjoy tonight’s dinner. After we’re on our way, you’ll have to eat the same way I do.”
7
While the humans ate dinner, Hunter found his way to the storage and manufacturing centers of the city. On his way, he had the city computer introduce him to the supervisory robots through their comlinks to save time. He spent several hours waiting for the clothing and equipment to be assembled.
Once he had given the supervisory robots a top priority order, they left only a small staff on necessary operations and assigned the remainder to Hunter’s unusual requests. By the time he had finished gathering everything to his satisfaction, Jane had called him from the hotel to say that the three humans were retiring for the night.
Hunter spent the rest of the night inspecting the gear and packing it into bundles. With his robotic strength, he could carry the greatest amount of it in a large backpack without a problem. Steve would carry another pack with the remainder. Chad and Jane would be burdened only with small packs in which their immediate needs were stored. He wanted them to be as free as possible to concentrate on their basic task, helping him catch MC Governor.
In the morning, Hunter sent a Security robot to pick up the humans when they had finished breakfast. Meanwhile, he went directly to the Bohung Institute. In Room F-12, with the help of Ishihara, he disabled the miniaturization system. Then he instructed Ishihara to wait outside the room and prevent any unauthorized robots or humans from entering until further notice. Hunter was ready for the humans when they arrived.
“We briefed Steve last night,” said Jane. “About MC Governor going microscopic and fleeing back in time, not realizing that the miniaturization is temporary. We discussed it after dinner while we walked around the city seeing the sights.”
“His part is simple enough,” said Chad. “He does the camping. We’ll find MC Governor.”
Steve nodded toward the packs. “You got everything, then, Hunter?”
“Everything on my list,” said Hunter. “Do any of you have any late additions?”
No one did.
“All right,” said Hunter. “I have a khaki, biodegradable worksuit, like the one I am wearing, for each of you. They have plenty of pockets for your personal items. Change in the next room if you prefer.”
The three humans took turns changing their clothes and returned. All of them looked down at themselves and at each other with self -conscious grins. Their worksuits fit perfectly, of course.
“One final briefing,” said Hunter. “Are you familiar with chaos theory as applied to history?”
“As a paleontologist, yes,” said Chad.
“I haven’t heard it actually discussed,” said Jane. “I think I can see how it would be applied.”
“What kind of theory?” Steve asked.
Chad laughed.
Hunter ignored him. “According to traditional chaos theory, chaotic systems are irreversible-events cause a sequence of ongoing effects similar to ripples in water after a splash. No one can stop them.”
“Wouldn’t that make time travel impossible?” Steve asked cautiously.
“Oh, now he’s a physicist,” Chad sneered.
Hunter ignored that, too. “Theoretically, yes. If we can go back in time by using the machinery in this room, however, we will be proving an uncertainty principle in this theory that has existed for a long time. Our own problem, however, is this: any actions MC Governor takes, particularly after he returns to normal size, may cause ripples in events, ripples that will be huge by the time they reach the present. I must find him to prevent him from harming every human who has ever lived.”
“That part sounds easy enough to understand,” said Steve. “That’s why we’re chasing him in the first place.”
“But once we are back in time, we have the same problem. Anything we do could cause ripples-we have to make as few changes of note as possible.” Hunter looked each one of them in the eye, in turn. “Do you understand how critical this point is? We must return with all of our equipment. In every way, we have to have as little influence on our environment as possible. Understood?”
Steve and Jane nodded.
“Our very presence is going to create some changes,” said Chad. “We’ll consume oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, give off body heat, step on the grass. We can’t avoid making some changes. Let’s not kid ourselves, Hunter.”
“We are not,” said Hunter. “No one knows where the line is drawn between actions that the time line will absorb and what will make permanent changes.”
An uncomfortable silence followed.
“Are we following MC Governor to the exact moment he went to?” Jane asked. “How long will we be there before he returns to normal size?”
“Within twenty-four hours,” said Hunter. “We will not follow him to the direct moment. I have calculated how long the miniaturization is likely to last. We will be landing as close to the moment it ends as I can calculate. Also, we will be moving geographically, with the movement of the planet. That was part of MC Governor’s calculation, which I’ve duplicated.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Chad.
“Time to go,” said Hunter. He pushed a button on the control panel that opened the big sphere. “Everyone climb in. When you are comfortable, I will place the gear in around you and get in myself.”
As the others entered, Hunter punched instructions into the control panel. Its timer was already running by the time he joined them and sealed the hatch behind him. The quartet was crowded, and since the bottom of the sphere was curved, everyone and everything slid together. In a moment, however, a quiet hum sounded outside the sphere. No one moved.
Suddenly sunlight replaced the darkness as the sphere vanished. In the next instant, Hunter felt himself fall seventeen centimeters, landing on soft soil with a thump. He turned to see if the humans were hurt. No one seemed to be.
All of them were looking around in amazement. They were outside, of course, sitting among their scattered packs. Most of their surroundings were forested, but beyond the canopy of trees, the sky was blue and the sun bright.
Hunter inhaled deeply, and his internal sensors analyzed the content of the air. It was not extremely different from what he had experienced before, except for somewhat less methane and, of course, no industrial pollutants of any kind, even in trace amounts. The air was far more humid than that of the desert, or even of the controlled atmosphere in Mojave Center. By these initial data, he judged that they had apparently arrived at their destination.