"'Sapphire?" "' 'Yes?" "'" "'Silver is here with me. '" "'Good. '" "'He's going to get us into the capsule - this one here. '" "'I understand. ' 'Sapphire?" "'" " 'Silver?" "' - 'I'll have to... '" "'Silver says this is the governing one, 'where the power source lies. '" "'Silver's right, of course." "He always is. '" "'Tell me more about the crew of the second capsule. '" "'All irregularities will be handled 'by the forces controlling each dimension." "'Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life." "'Medium atomic weights are available." "'Gold, Lead," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" "'Tell me about the crew. ' 'Come with me. '" "'How can I?" "' 'Just follow my voice. '" " 'But it's a different... ' - 'It's the same layout." "'Just step into your hallway. '" "How long?" "Soon, very soon." "As long as you're back in here and she's back in her communications room in, um... four minutes... and 32 seconds." "Ah." "Quite a work of art, isn't it, hm?" "But I suppose you'll prefer something a little less decorative." "Hm?" "Something more..." "coldly efficient." "'Are you through the door?" "'" "'Yes. '" "'This is the downstairs hallway of a farmhouse." "'Now turn right and follow the corridor round. '" "'This capsule is disguised as just one floor of a farmhouse." "'None of the windows or doors are functional, everything is sealed." "'There's no way in or out." "'The sun will have set in an hour or so here." "'What about there?" "'" "'The same. '" "'It wasn't an invasion force after all." "'Well, if it was, this crew wasn't a part of it. '" "'What do you suppose they were doing?" "'" " 'It was a survey team. ' - 'What were they surveying?" "'" "'I don't know, something harmless." "'The survival of the family structure into the 20th century. '" "It turned out to be far from harmless." " 'Sapphire!" "' - 'Sorry." "'There's something very strange just here." "'What was once glass or glass ornaments 'has become silicone dioxide, sodium carbonate and calcium oxide. '" "'Sand, soda ash and lime. '" "'Yes, the glass has reverted to its original silicate state." "'Anyway... the crew." "'The main bedroom." "'There are five bodies - two adults and three children. '" "'Were they attacked?" "'" "'No, I'd say they that died by their own hand 'but something drove them to it, be sure of that. '" " 'Whatever's in the main capsule?" "' - 'Yes, it's responsible for this. '" " 'Sapphire?" "' - 'Yes?" "'" "'In a few seconds, we're going into that main capsule. '" " 'We could be too late again. ' - 'Still, we're going in." "'There's still the time force, that crystal, to be dealt with." "'Go back to the communications room right now." " 'There must be a screen in there. ' - 'Yes. '" " 'Is it activated?" "' - 'Yes, it is. '" "'Then go to that screen, stand by it and wait." "'Cos all three of us will be going in together at the same time. '" "'Yes, Steel..." "Steel..." "Steel... '" "'Move now. '" "'No." "'Right hand. '" "'I'm ready, Steel." "I'm ready to go in. '" "Down just a little bit more..." "Perfect!" " 'Steel?" "'" " Tell her to stay near the screen." " You tell her." " Yes, why not?" "'Stay close to the screen, Sapphire. '" "'Something's changed!" "' 'How do you mean, changed?" "'" " 'Remember last time on the roof?" "' - 'Yes. '" " 'I sensed the child was gone' - 'Yes. '" "'Well, now the two adults seem to have gone. '" " 'And the child?" " 'It's still not in there. '" " 'Well, who is in there?" "' - 'The third one, the other adult." "'That's all." "That's the only person left in the capsule. '" "'What about the power source, the crystal?" "'" "'Nothing." "It's as if it's dead." " 'I could always try to... ' - 'No!" "'Whatever you do, don't make contact with it again." " 'Are you ready?" "' - 'Yes, Steel. '" "'Because I think I know what it's trying to do. '" " Right?" " It had better be quick." "If it catches us halfway..." "It wouldn't need to." "All it has to do is switch off that screen." "How would you like to be transported 1,500 years into the future, hm?" "Tell Sapphire it's now." "'Now, Sapphire!" "'" "You see, we stopped receiving supplies of nutrition." "Two days ago." "No!" "'Porkers here, one, seven... '" " You both came through there?" " Yes." " What happened?" " Just look at this place." " I said, what happened?" " We got in." "There was a defensive time field, a sort of vacuum." " In that?" " Was it?" " This place is amazing." " Who set up this time field?" "Whoever made the capsule - a security device." " The time source wasn't involved?" " It had something to do with it." "Sensory control, all very sophisticated." " Don't touch anything." " Absolutely not." "This must be one hell of a communications room." " I said don't touch anything." " What is it, Steel?" "If that time source was involved with the defensive field..." " It's involved with everything." " It brought the capsules here." "It was instrumental in bringing them." "What would it have used to create that field?" "Space?" "No." "Uh, no." "Static space." "It could have left us out there in time and space." "Yes, it could have left us there indefinitely." "Why didn't it?" "It's been fighting us since we got here." " Why not this time?" " Then it would have the advantage." "Yes." " Do we go back the same way?" " There's no other way." "Now, there's a comforting thought." "Sapphire?" "L" " I don't quite understand, it hasn't been burned and it hasn't been cut." " What has happened to it?" " It's lost its..." "No, it's never achieved its molecular structure." "In other words, this part of the door has never existed." "Zinc carbonate, pyrites of copper, and cellular tissue - plant tissue." "The primary states of brass and wood." "Do you mean something..." "someone did that?" "Yes." "And whoever it was... he was standing here, he was standing right here." "When?" "Not long before we arrived." "So where are they now?" "Somewhere." "We'd better locate it first." "Look, I get you in, I get you out." "I'm a technician, not an explorer." " You want to wait here?" " Alone?" " No." " Wait." "These are real, just like in the other capsule." "But this isn't." "No bricks, no plaster work..." " Is it the same as the outside wall?" " Yes, it's synthetic material." "What about the people?" "There's still only one." " I could've been wrong." " Wrong?" "!" "Yes, about the crew members." "I could easily have been wrong." " My calculations could have..." " No." "You were right the first time." "Better?" "Look." "I told you." "Sealed." "There was a child in here." " How long ago?" " A few hours." "And now?" "Same sort of material as the outside wall, some kind of, um... metal?" " Look." " Heavens, it's all over the place." "This happened in the other capsule." " What is it?" " You mean what was it?" "It was glass." " When?" " A few hours ago." "You mean... like this?" " Nothing." " No?" "Nobody." "Not a soul." "Where have they gone?" "However..." "There is something here, some kind of machine." " The time source?" " No, no, not that kind of power." "Some sort of recording device or a transmitter, something like that." " Transmitting to where?" " Back to their base control." "A base 1,500 years in the future?" "Yes." "What sort of signal would they need for that?" " Is it working now?" " No, it needs to be triggered." " I could get it to operate..." " I'm sure you could." " And cause panic in the process." " Panic?" "Back at base." "What's the first thing they might do if they heard strange voices?" "Yes, recall the capsule." " Could you get us off in time?" " No." "Steel?" "It's in here, in this room." " Well, it can't be." " It?" "Yes." "Something..." " Someone." " You stay there." " Up there?" "On that level?" " Yes." "Where?" "'There... there... there. '" "Come back down here, Sapphire." "Sapphire!" "Where are the others?" "Where are the others?" "Others?" "The woman and the child, where are they?" "There are no others." "Do you know who we are?" "Yes." "And are you not surprised to find us in here?" "Yes." "'Sapphire?" "'" "'I can't do an analysis, not from here. '" "I need to be closer to him." "'No!" "'" "Tell us about your project." " Project?" " Yes, your reason for being here." "I mean, you're part of a..." "a team, aren't you?" "Part of a survey team..." "on a survey into the past." "Yes." "'Prepare. '" "Experimental project ES stroke five stroke treble seven." "Urban examination and observation." "All references according to old time and old calendar." "Fine." "Now, where are the others?" "The other members of your team, where are they?" "There are no others." "There's only me." "Well, if that represents the future..." " He doesn't." " But he does." "In a way, he does." " How can that possibly?" " I don't know." "It's some kind of future, I'm just not sure..." "His own future?" "He represents..." "his own future?" "It's time, it's to do with time." " That's a machine." "I can fix..." " No, no..." " Don't interrupt, Silver." " Come on." " You tried talking to it." " It's human." " It can't be." " Let Sapphire work it out!" "Humans give answers, proper answers!" "Machines don't." "We're risking our lives in this contraption!" "It is human." " You are human." " No, Sapphire, keep clear." "But there's something wrong." "It's at the beginning." "It doesn't know anything, doesn't sense anything." "I told you, it's a machine!" "No." "It has no knowledge but it has a need." "It depends on things." "What things?" "Warmth... and sleep." "It needs sleep and warmth... and food... and love." "Steel, it's a baby." " A baby?" " Yes." "How old is it?" "10, 12 weeks?" "I'm afraid you've both fallen into the trap of attributing human characteristics to a flexible casing with circuits." "They can easily program a machine to have a child's mind, a child's..." " Why would they do that?" " I don't know why." "But I can soon find out." "I'll open it up." "No, you keep away from it." "Look, Steel, Steel, Steel, Steel." "I am the technician... and there's no machine - past, present or future - that I cannot handle."