Operation Time Search

Operation Time Search (1967) is a standalone SF novel with magical aspects. It concerns a project to record the past. Although the project is searching for fabled Atlantis, the managers are not aware that they have actually found that legendary time. Then their tests accidentally send a man back to the past. In this novel, Ray Osborne is a former soldier -- a specialist in unarmed combat -- who was released early to take care of his dying mother. After she passed away, Ray decided to return to the Army. Still, Ray does one last job for a friend. Cho is a Sun-Lord, one of the aristocracy of Mu. He had been captured by pirates and then sold to the Atlanteans. Cho meets Ray in the hold of an Atlantean raider. Re Mu is the ruler of the Murian homeland. He was selected by testing from all the other Sun-Lords and extensively trained. His charisma and wisdom seem to fill any room that he occupies. Chronos is the Poseidon -- ruler -- of Atlantis. His evil appears to ooze out of his body. Chronos is both powerful and foolish. In this story, Ray enters the high security area of the project to take pictures on an Indian mound for an article being written by a friend. As he raises the camera, the time viewer comes on and he vanishes. While monitoring the film, the project leader notices his appearance and sudden disappearance and starts a search for him within the past. Ray finds himself among huge trees that must be centuries old. The mound is no longer anywhere near. He is thoroughly confused and the waving shadows of the trees spook him. He runs through the forest until reaching a plain. There he is captured by primitive hunters using a ray gun of some kind. Ray cannot understand any language spoken by his captors. He is taken down a creek to the sea. Yet a sea had not been close to the indian mound where he had been. He is rowed out to a galley without mast or sails. Later, Ray finds that the ship has some kind of motor, but uses oars near the shore. Within the ship, Ray is chained next to another man. When Ray cannot understand his words, the man uses mind speech to communicate. By this time, Ray is so lost in disbelief that he accepts the telepathy as just another strange thing in his dream world. The man introduces himself as Cho and tells Ray that they both are imprisoned within an Atlantean raider. They exchange stories and Cho informs Ray that, in Mu itself, a few Flame priests have tried to travel in time, but never returned. Then an Atlantean officer and a red robed priest of Ba-Al come to question them. When their food is delivered, Cho captures the mind of the soldier and has him release Ray. As the man is unlocking the chains on Cho, the mindlink falters and the soldier hits Cho. Ray attacks the soldier and throws him against the hull. Then he finishes unlocking Cho's chains and both dive into the sea. Another Murian ship arrives in the area and the Atlantean raider flees. The Murian ship has been searc

this was the first book that i read that i looked at the authors name so i counld find other books written by her.it starts with a photographer being where he shoudnt be and getting caught in a time travel experiment and being sent to the really,really ancient past. there is wonderful character development and great what if questions.the science is fuzzy this being more of a science fantasy than hard science fiction.this is a fun book.