First Hand Observers

Ashley had to give up his pipe, and was now without something to keep him occupied.

Nash just remained quiet and wished the two would make love and not war. Lord knows it would make for a more peaceful department.

Several minutes passed before anyone said anything else. Ashley was back to his book; Nash was still sitting patiently awaiting word from the Time Coordinator and the arrival of the rest of the department. Miss Chenille picked up one of the magazines and brooded silently over her latest verbal defeat.

Seconds later the door opened and in stepped three slightly winded men. They were the remainders of the Classics department. Nash was the first up to greet them. "Where have you been?" He asked with concern.

"Got caught in traffic. We had to park the air scooter about six blocks from here. It was difficult trying to find a spot to park, and we had to run all the way. I hope we haven't held anything up."

"No, fortunately. The Time Coordinator still hasn't told us to come in. They may be still trying to adjust the equipment. He should be ready any minute now, I hope."

"Good." Professor Dean commented. He sat down opposite Chenille. The two other men found their own seats and exchanged greetings with Chenille and Ashley, while Dean went into a conversation with Nash. After a while the room grew quiet again.

Ten more minutes passed before a man wearing a short gray jacket entered from the opposite door and motioned for the group to follow him. They silently followed through the door unto a wide, white painted catwalk.

Below them, a large bank of computers clicked and hummed patiently storing and relaying the vast amounts of data assigned to them. A great pulse of power could be felt from the huge power girders that crossed the wide ceiling, then angled down into the translucent sphere on the black tiled floor. Other technicians could be seen scurrying about attending to the array of electronic devices neatly positioned on the walls and floor.

They seated themselves inside the room while another man dressed in a neat blue suit finished writing some equations on the blackboard in front of them. As he finished he turned to them and dusted his hands.

"I’m sorry to have kept you waiting." The Time Coordinator apologized. "There has been some considerable trouble in correlating the necessary time - spatial wave lengths, but now we seem to be ready."

He picked up a list from the desk.

"Ah, let me see. You're from the university and have been assigned to

time factor seven - twelve in the ancient Near East."

"Troy, sir," Dean remarked.

"Yes, you're correct; the city of Troy in Asia Minor about 1150 B. C."

"You do have the correct data pertaining to our exact destination, don't you?"

"We do." Replied the Time Coordinator. "But let me review what you will be doing soon."

The group tensed up slightly, as he began the briefing. They were already told what to do and expect, but the realization that their journey back into time was about to become reality was finally dawning to them.

"As you already know, you will be teleported back into time. That is to say, your minds will be teleported back. Your bodies will remain here in this temporal time zone.

When you arrive you will be part of a person's mind and body who is living at that period, and through him, - or her" he emphasized, " you will be able to see, hear, feel and smell every thing that person does. You will not be able to communicate with him, or read his thoughts and he, likewise, will not be able to detect your presence.