414
You instruct CAIN to turn on the Variac Drive to shift you into null-space and to re-engage the Drive as soon as you have finished inputting the navigational co-ordinates for the Timehole on Earth, 1241 AD. Your scalp tingles slightly as the Time Machine moves out of phase, and everything around you seems grey and insubstantial. You know that should you turn on the outside camera the screen would remain blank, not even blackness exists in null-space. You cast your thoughts into the void and, using your Psychic Awareness, locate the Timehole on Earth 1241. When you have translated this location into co- ordinates for CAIN, the Variac Drive engages once more. The process of re-emerging in real time is immediate, but seems to take about an hour for you. You may spend this time in the Autodoc, if you wish and gain up to 12 Endurance points.
The outside camera begins to swivel, showing you the land all around. Behind you is a forest, shrouded in snow, and the hologram generator disguises Falcon's Wing as part of this forest. You are on high ground and to the right you can see a village with a few stone dwellings and many wattle and daub huts, their thatched roofs laden with snow. Ahead, the frosted ground falls away into a wide river valley. The river is frozen over, but you can plainly see its graceful curves stretching to a large walled city a few miles away. Here and there on the plain you can see parties of horsemen riding swiftly. You ask CAIN for some historical information. CAIN responds. 'It is winter, 1241 AD. The city you see is Vienna and the river, the Danube. The mongol horde led by the general, Subatai, has conquered Russia and Poland, and defeated a western army at Liegnitz, before overrunning Hungary. They are a few miles from Vienna, poised to ravage the rest of Europe. Their ruler is Ogedai, son of Genghis Khan. He will die within the next few days and when the news reaches the Golden Horde, they must, under Genghis Khan's code of law, the Yasa, return to the mongol capital, Karakorum, to decide who will succeed him. Vienna will not fall and Europe will be saved.'
You break in, 'And if Ogedai should live?'
CAIN continues, The likelihood is that Europe would be overrun and the Timelines changed beyond recognition. Civilisation would be set back a thousand years.' You decide to investigate the area for signs of another Time Machine and CAIN programmes the Molecular Converter to produce the clothes of a Viennese peasant: a sackcloth tunic, woollen leggings and hooded cloak, which you put on over your uniform. You step out into the fresh clean air. Turn to 381.