The Complete Stories_ Volume 1 - Isaac Asimov [22]
Dr. Potterley was there and a man whom Foster did not recognize.
Foster stared at them. "What's this?"
Potterley said, "I'm sorry, but I had to stop you."
*' Foster continued staring. "What are you talking about?"
* The stranger said, "Let me introduce myself." He had large teeth, a little uneven, and they showed prominently when he smiled. "I am Thaddeus Araman, Department Head of the Division of Chronoscopy. I am here to see you concerning information brought to me by Professor Arnold Potterley and confirmed by our own sources—" Potterley said breathlessly, "I took all the blame, Dr. Foster. I explained that it was I who persuaded you against your will into unethical practices. I have offered to accept full responsibility and punishment. I don't wish you harmed in any way. It's just that chronoscopy must not be permitted!"
Araman nodded. "He has taken the blame as he says, Dr. Foster, but this thing is out of his hands now." Foster said, "So? What are you going to do? Blackball me from all consideration for research grants?"
* "That is in my power," said Araman.
"Order the university to discharge me?"
"That, too, is in my power."
"All right, go ahead. Consider it done. I'll leave my office now, with you. I can send for my books later. If you insist, I'll leave my books. Is that all?"
"Not quite," said Araman. "You must engage to do no further research in chronoscopy, to publish none of your findings in chronoscopy and, of course, to build no chronoscope. You will remain under surveillance indefinitely to make sure you keep that promise."
"Supposing I refuse to promise? What can you do? Doing research out of my field may be unethical, but it isn't a criminal offense."
"In the case of chronoscopy, my young friend," said Araman patiently, ;"it is a criminal offense. If necessary, you will be put in jail and kept there."
"Why?" shouted Foster. "What's magic about chronoscopy?"
Araman said, "That's the way it is. We cannot allow further developments in the field. My own job is, primarily, to make sure of that, and I intend to do my job. Unfortunately, I had no knowledge, nor did anyone in the department, that the optics of pseudo-gravity fields had such immediate application to chronoscopy. Score one for general ignorance, but henceforward research will be steered properly in that respect, too."
Foster said, "That won't help. Something else may apply that neither you nor I dream of. All science hangs together. It's one piece. If you want to stop one part, you've got to stop it all."
"No doubt that is true," said Araman, "in theory. On the practical side, however, we have managed quite well to hold chronoscopy down to the original Sterbinski level for fifty years. Having caught you in time, Dr. Foster, we hope to continue doing so indefinitely. And we wouldn't have come this close to disaster, either, if I had accepted Dr. Potterley at something more than face value."
He turned toward the historian and lifted his eyebrows in a kind of humorous self-deprecation. "I'm afraid, sir, that I dismissed you as a history professor and no more on the occasion of our first interview. Had I done my job properly and checked on you, this would not have happened."
Foster said abruptly, "Is anyone allowed to use the government chronoscope?"
"No one outside our division under any pretext. I say that since it is obvious to me that you have already guessed as much. I warn you, though, that any repetition of that fact will be a criminal, not an ethical, offense."
"And your chronoscope doesn't go back more than a hundred twenty-five years or so, does it?"
"It doesn't."
"Then your bulletin with its stories of time viewing ancient times is a hoax?" Araman said coolly, "With the knowledge you now have, it is obvious you know that for a certainty. However, I confirm your remark. The monthly bulletin is a hoax."
"In that case," said Foster, "I will not promise