Isaac Asimov
The End of Eternity (1955)
A Eternidade é um instrumento tecnológico nascido da descoberta do Campo Temporal, no século 24, e posta em marcha a partir do século 27. Posicionando-se fora do Tempo comum, livre das limitações do mesmo, é dominada por uma tecnocracia recrutada em diferentes épocas que, em nome do aperfeiçoamento humano e social, intervém no passado, presente e futuro da Terra, moldando-a de acordo com a sua visão. Andrew Harlan é um Técnico da Eternidade, com interesse nos Tempos Primitivos (anteriores à Eternidade), que, aos poucos, se apercebe de que está a ser utilizado para levar B.S. Cooper, um aprendiz, ao século 24; e que esse aprendiz é o próprio Mallansohn, o cientista autor da descoberta do Campo Temporal. Tudo tem de ser feito de acordo com um livro de memórias que ele escreveu no passado, para que não exista uma alteração da Realidade, e os factos a acontecer sejam os mesmos que foram descritos. Entretanto, Harlan tinha-se apaixonado por Noÿs Lambent, uma mulher do século 482, que está na Eternidade provisoriamente, como secretária. Contudo, há uma Mudança de Realidade projectada para o 482, Harlan descobre que Noÿs será apagada nesse futuro e planeia uma operação altamente irregular para o evitar.
O tema das viagens no tempo é a base de The End of Eternity, mas o livro tem uma abordagem complexa, reflectindo sobre as realidades paralelas, os paradoxos do tempo, o uso da tecnologia e os seus limites éticos, mostrando a profundidade psicológica da personagem de Andrew Harlan na sua introspecção, nos seus diálogos e conflitos.
But then he stopped, wheeled, and looked at Harlan again, reaching back through all his own words to what Harlan had last said, as though until that moment he had not heard them properly.
He said, "What do you mean, you almost met yourself?"
Harlan told him briefly and went on, "You didn't know that?"
"No."
There was a few moments of silence that were as welcome to the feverish Harlan as water would have been.
Twissell said, "Is that it? What if you had met yourself?"
"I didn't."
Twissell ignored that. "There is always room for random variation. With an infinite number of Realities there can be no such thing as determinism. Suppose that in the Mallansohn Reality, in the previous turn of the cycle —"
"The circles go on forever?" asked Harlan with what wonder he could still find in himself.
"Do you think only twice? Do you think two is a magic number? It's a matter of infinite turns of the circle infinite a physiotime. Just as you can draw a pencil round and round the circumference of a circle infinitely yet enclose a finite area. In previous turns of the cycle, you had not met yourself. This one time, the statistical uncertainty of things made it possible for you to meet yourself. Reality had to change to prevent the meeting and in the new Reality, you did not send Cooper back to the 24th but —"
Harlan cried, "What's all this talk about? What are you getting at? It's all done. Everything. Let me alone now! Let me alone!"
"I want you to know you've done wrong. I want you to realize you did the wrong thing."
"I didn't. And even if I did, it's done."
"But it's not done. Listen just a little while longer." Twissell was wheedling, almost crooning with an agonized gentleness. "You will have your girl. I promised that. I still promise it. She will not be harmed. You will not be harmed. I promise you this. It is my personal guarantee."
Harlan stared at him wide-eyed. "But it's too late. What's the use?"
"It is not too late. Things are not irreparable. With your help, we can succeed yet. I must have your help. You must realize that you did wrong. I ant trying to explain this to you. You must want to undo what you have done."
Li anteriormente:
The Naked Sun (1957)
The Caves of Steel (1954)
I, Robot (1950)
