REACH FOR TOMORROW
As found in the omnibus Across The Sea Of Stars
The Galactic Survey Ship S9000 was dispatched in haste to the third world of a sun about to go nova. The discovery of the immienent nova and of a civilization on the planet had come much too late. They had but seven hours from the time they arrive to find and rescue a small number of natives. But when they arrive, they find the planet diserted. It is assumed that the remaining people fled underground, and there is no time to find them. Feeling their mission to be a failure, they head away. But there is one mystery nagging at them. A data beam is being sent from the Earth to an empty quadrant of space. On a hunch, they follow this beam, only to discover a fleet of ships. Quite astonishing news, since it had only been two centuries since Earth discovered radio and most species aboard had not discovered space flight for mellenia after their own discovery of radio. A sobering thought should these humans not be endeared to the Federation.
-TECHNICAL ERROR-
Richard Nelson was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The world's first superconductor generator was soon to be installed. While he was in the pit inspecting, an overload of the system somehow sent its energy into the new generator, hanging above Nelson's head. To everyone's relief, and astonishment, he survives. But strange things begin to happen. Seems he's forgotten how to read, unless the words are seen in a mirror, that is. And his wedding ring is on the wrong hand. Fillings in his teeth have been transposed. The only logical conclusion is that he was somehow laterally inverted, his left side becoming his right and his right becoming his left. But that's the least of his problems, because now his body is unable to extract needed nutrients from food. He is slowly dying. It is decided to recreate the accident in the hopes that Nelson would be returned to normal, but instead he simply disappears. Much too late, Dr. Hughes, chief physicist, realizes that there had been a displacement in time as well. You see, after Nelson's disappearance, the generator was lowered into its rightful place. The place Nelson had once, and will again, occupy.
-THE FIRES WITHIN-
While attempting to develop a machine using sonar for geological surveying, an astonishing discovery is made. Deep inside the Earth, where pressures assuredly prohibit life, there is a clearly artificial anomaly. A city, it would appear. What creatures could possibly survive in that environment? And is it possible that they have in the past, or shall in the future, make an attempt to contact us? What would be the result of such an attempt? And perhaps most importantly of all, is there yet another level of intelligence even deeper inside the Earth?
-TIME'S ARROW-
On an archeological dig, a team of scientists is following the ancient tracks of a dinosaur. Not far away, a secret facility is experimenting with time. Two of the archeologists uncover some rather astonishing tracks, too late unfortunately for the professor in charge of the dig and the two scientists in charge of the nearby facility..
-JUPITER FIVE-
Everyone knew that there had been two civilizations on Mars some five million years ago. Professor Forster's theory was that one culture was indigenous to Mars and the other foreign to our solar system. After all, they had also attempted to settle Mercury. He figured that the proof of their origins was out there somewhere, among the planets. Discoveries have led him to undertake a mission to the fifth moon of Jupiter. Only it turns out not to be a moon, but a spaceship. One that would vindicate his theories.