Silverberg was feeling much better. “I’m curious—just what are the stakes?”

“The future of humanity on the face of Earth, and I do not mean that as a metaphorical or idealistic statement,” the terrorist replied. “If we fail, humanity will be wiped out to the last man, woman, and child. I don’t just believe this, Doctor—I know it.”

The big black man entered the command center, followed by Cline. He grinned when he saw the two dressed in the suits. “Buck Rogers, huh?”

“Don’t get funny. Are you sure John can handle that mob alone?”

Stillman nodded. “They’re pussycats with bad headaches. Still, they’ll be trouble later on. I wish we didn’t need ’em as hostages.”

“We’re depending on you to keep this place operating and secure until we return, even if it’s two weeks,” Sandoval told him. “There’s food down here, enough to last if you ration it, in the little cafeteria.”

“Plenty of locks, too. Don’t worry about it, Roberto. These dudes didn’t even trust themselves.”

“Then I think we had best be at our business as quickly as possible,” the terrorist leader told them. The two suited people followed Karen Cline out of the command center. Soon Silverberg and Stillman saw the inner door open and the three of them enter the time chamber. First the woman, then the man, kneeled down so that the scientist could fasten their helmets and activate their internal systems. Soon she exited the room, leaving the pair there alone, and returned to the command console.

“Doctor, will you handle this or shall I?” she asked him. “I would prefer that you do it, for safety’s sake. Remember, all our lives depend on you doing it exactly right.”

Silverberg chuckled dryly. “Do you really think they gave the enabling command?”

“They gave it. Either that or we are all going to be very dead very fast.