The Big Time[Note 1]
By Fritz Leiber, first published in Galaxy Science Fiction
In the cosmic war fought beyond the constraints of time, a party of Soldiers and Entertainers fight over what to do with the atomic bomb in their possession.
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Plot Summary
Greta works as an Entertainer, providing relaxation to Soldiers fighting in the war beyond time. Most people - known to Greta as Zombies - never realize a world exists beyond linear time, but the lucky few are awoken as Demons, beings capable of existing in the Place beyond time once they leave their Zombie lives behind. These people fight in the Change War, an effort to avoid the inevitable destruction of the universe, altering the fates of time in a conflict against a rival group known as the Snakes. When a party of Soldiers come to Greta's group of Entertainers for company and a good time, they bring an unexpected war token with them - an atomic bomb intended to be used in an upcoming conflict. The situation further escalates when the Maintainer device keeping their Place out of time disappears and everyone becomes Inverted, turning inside out. In their quest for the Maintainer they accuse one another and turn the Place upside down, only to realize it's nowhere to be found. With no escape from Inversion, they decide to activate the atomic bomb and its 30 minute countdown. Greta enters the surgery facility and uses one of the devices to open a glove, discovering the Maintainer. One of her fellow entertainers hid it, which Greta deduced, so her Soldier lover wouldn't have to leave for the next battle. They quickly disarm the bomb and resume their jobs as merrymakers, preparing to send these Soldiers back into combat.