418
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 in Kelados, 2710 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 at Kelados 2710 AD. When you have translated this location into co-ordinates for CAIN, the Variac Drive engages once more. The process of rematerialising 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. You emerge from the greyness of null-space and, switching on the external cameras, see a huge spaceport on an artificial island, built so that the Keladi could trade with other spacefaring races without forcing them to adapt to an undersea environment. The huge vaulted Starport stretches for miles on each side; you can count more than forty different types of spacefaring vessels. The holo-generator throws the image of a large aluglass container around Falcon's Wing. The camera shows that nobody has noticed its sudden appearance. You ask CAIN for historical details of Kelados in 2710 AD. It chimes, 'At this moment in time the Keladi are on the brink of war with the Earth Federation. Reason: border incidents misinterpreted by the Keladi as being a way of testing their defence systems. The Keladi, at this time, do not realise that many humans break the Earth Federation's laws and suppose that if one human kills a Keladi, his "clan", or all Earthers approve his action. Phocian pirates are being encouraged to use Keladi Starports as bases from which to prey on Earth Federation shipping.'
'What could be done to change the Timeline here?' you interrupt.
CAIN waits for some seconds before replying. 'I can see one method of changing the Timeline which would be both easy to do and disastrous in effect. The Keladi envoy, Korakiik, a telepath, regarded as insane and "clanless" by the Keladi, but the only one who, through his psionic power, understands the Earth Federation and the humans, is shortly due to leave Kelados orbit to meet an Earth envoy. Historically, he was responsible for preventing a war which would probably destroy both civilisations. To prevent this meeting would change the Timeline to a greater degree than I can compute.' You find yourself thanking CAIN as you pull on the uniform of a Phocian pirate which CAIN has already instructed the Molecular Converter to prepare. Your Psionic Enhancer helmet now resembles the helmet of a Phocian laser-turret operator, disguising your features. Taking your holo-detector, you set out in search of Lord Speke. Turn to 360.