Rendezvous with Rama

he had a dizzying glimpse of those mysteries at the edge of existence that he had successfully ignored for most of his life.

but why should any intelligent race want to play childish tricks?”

Even by the twenty-second century, no way had yet been discovered of keeping elderly and conservative scientists from occupying crucial administrative positions

“There’s some kind of fancy dessert with a hot exterior and ice cream in the middle—I don’t remember what it’s called—”
“Baked Alaska. It’s a favorite at U.P. banquets, unfortunately.”

raced through a smoky, flame-lit darkness

quieter than anything I’ve ever known on Earth, or in space, where there’s always some background noise.

went down the steps two at a time in long, gentle strides

Yet the scale here was so much greater, both in time and in space, that the mind was unable to do it justice; after a while, it ceased to respond. Norton wondered if, sooner or later, he would take even Rama for granted.

if there’s any more, heads will roll

He could think of nothing, except the enjoyment of the gentle, unaccustomed gravity.