'Last night was wonderful,' said Rick, 'but just being with you is wonderful, too. We don't need to make love.'
Con was turning to kiss Rick when she saw the silver panel open. Jane entered the room, carrying a food cube. She put it down on the bed, while avoiding Con's glare. She looked at Rick with an expression that betrayed a hint of guilt. 'What is an ape?' she asked.
'An animal closely related to humans,' said Rick. 'They're extinct in the wild.'
'I see,' said Jane. 'Who are Hitler and Stalin?'
'Famous leaders,' said Con quickly.
'Renowned for their compassion, no doubt,' said Jane.
Jane stood silently and looked as if she were gripped by indecision. When she spoke again, her voice was softer. 'I am not supposed to say anything to you, but... you should understand ... this was a unique opportunity.'
'An opportunity?' said Con in a resentful tone.
'My field of study is held in low esteem. Our ancestry is considered distasteful and irrelevant. Time travel is banned, including the use of probes. Only the emergency brought us here.'
'So you came along as the specialist on
'Yes,' said Jane. 'I was only supposed to conduct the interrogations. Yet, when Con crossed the barrier...'
Rick stared at Con in amazement. 'You crossed the pain field?'
'No human could have done that,' stated Jane. 'I was intrigued.'
'You just called me by my name, and you still don't think I'm human?' said Con.
'It's a scientific fact,' said Jane. 'I am merely objective.'
'And when you look at me with revulsion,' said Con, 'is that being objective, too?'
'It is sometimes hard to ignore ingrained attitudes,' said Jane. 'Your bodies are so... so exaggerated.' As she spoke, her eyes focused on Con's breasts.
'What attitudes are you speaking of?' asked Rick.
'Ancient ones,' said Jane, 'dating back to the Purifica-tion.'
'The Purification?' said Con.
'I cannot discuss it,' said Jane. 'What I have already said and done will get me in enough trouble.'
'So letting me loose was not authorized,' said Con.
'No, but I wanted to understand why you crossed the bar-rier,' said Jane. 'Such a thing is considered impossible.'
'Perhaps it shows what you lost pursuing perfection,' said Con.
Jane looked at Con thoughtfully. 'Perhaps.'
'Would her deed make any difference to your colleagues?' asked Rick.
'It is unlikely. I am an uncommon person with uncommon attitudes. Few people believe the past is important.'
'This observatory doesn't reflect a disinterest in the past,' said Rick.
'We did not build it,' said Jane. 'It is an artifact from a future that no longer exists.'
'And you're here to ensure that doesn't happen to the current future,' said Rick.
'That is our task.'
