Prelude to Foundation - Isaac Asimov [17]
"What happens if the power blinks out while we're in transit?"
"Exactly what you would think. We fall and-unless we're quite near the bottom to begin with-we die. I haven't heard of it happening yet and, believe me, if it had happened I would know. We might not be able to give out the news for security reasons-that's the excuse they always advance for hiding bad news-but I would know. It's just up ahead. If you can't manage it, we won't do it, but the corridors are slow and tedious and many find them nauseating after a while."
Hummin turned down a crossover and into a large recess where a line of men and women were waiting, one or two with children.
Seldon said in a low voice, "I heard nothing of this back home. Of course, our own news media are terribly local, but you'd think there'd be some mention that this sort of thing exists."
Hummin said. "It's strictly experimental and is confined to the Imperial Sector. It uses more energy than it's worth, so the government is not really anxious to push it right now by giving it publicity. The old Emperor, Stanel VI, the one before Cleon who amazed everyone by dying in his bed, insisted on having it installed in a few places. He wanted his name associated with antigravity, they say, because he was concerned with his place in history, as old men of no great attainments frequently are. As I said, the technique may spread, but, on the other hand, it is possible that nothing much more than the gravitic lift will ever come of it."
"What do they want to come of it?" asked Seldon.
"Antigrav spaceflight. That, however, will require many breakthroughs and most physicists, as far as I know, are firmly convinced it is out of the question. -But, then, most thought that even gravitic lifts were out of the question."
The line ahead was rapidly growing shorter and Seldon found himself standing with Hummin at the edge of the floor with an open gap before him. The air ahead faintly glittered. Automatically, he reached out his hand and felt a light shock. It didn't hurt, but he snatched his hand back quickly.
Hummin grunted. "An elementary precaution to prevent anyone walking over the edge before activating the controls." He punched some numbers on the control board and the glitter vanished.
Seldon peered over the edge, down the deep shaft.
"You might find it better-or easier," said Hummin, "if we link arms and if you close your eyes. It won't take more than a few seconds."
He gave Seldon no choice, actually. He took his arm and once again there was no hanging back in that firm grip. Hummin stepped into nothingness and Seldon (who heard himself, to his own embarrassment, emit a small squeak) shuffled off with a lurch.
He closed his eyes tightly and experienced no sense of falling, no feeling of air movement. A few seconds passed and he was pulled forward. He tripped slightly, caught his balance, and found himself on solid ground.
He opened his eyes, "Did we make it?"
Hummin said dryly, "We're not dead," then walked away, his grip forcing Seldon to follow.
"I mean, did we get to the right level?"
"Of course."
"What would have happened if we were dropping down and someone else was moving upward?"
"There are two separate lanes. In one lane everyone drops at the same speed; in the other everyone rises at the same speed. The shaft clears only when there are no people within ten meters of each other. There is no chance of a collision if all works well."
"I didn't feel a thing."
"Why should you? There was no acceleration. After the first tenth of a second, you were at constant speed and the air in your immediate vicinity was moving down with you at the same speed."
"Marvelous."
"Absolutely. But uneconomic. And there seems no great pressure to increase the efficiency of the procedure and make it worthwhile. Everywhere