Key Out of Time

Two brave space spies named Ross and Travis go to a cool planet called Hawaika that's like a giant ocean with islands and friendly people who sail boats and talk to smart dolphins. They find a super old spaceship from evil aliens with magic keys that let you jump to different times, but bad guys want to use it to cause trouble. Ross, Travis, the island kids, and dolphins team up for exciting chases and fights to grab the keys and save their world from getting stuck in time forever!

In Andre Norton's 'Key Out of Time,' time agents Ross Murdock and Travis Fox are dispatched to the lush, ocean-dominated planet Hawaika, a 24th-century Earth colony settled by Polynesian descendants. Posing as traders amid rival commercial factions, they investigate anomalous energy readings tied to ancient alien artifacts, navigating volatile native politics dominated by warring clans and enigmatic shamans who commune with intelligent dolphins. Their mission uncovers a crashed vessel from the long-extinct 'Baldy' aliens, whose technology threatens to destabilize human expansion in the galaxy. As Ross and Travis activate mysterious 'time keys'—devices enabling shifts between parallel temporal layers of Hawaika—they plunge into a multidimensional conflict against shadowy human saboteurs and lingering Baldy psychic influences. Forming uneasy alliances with native warriors like Tino-ra and telepathic sea mammals, they evade pursuit across coral atolls and submerged ruins, culminating in a high-stakes battle to shatter the temporal trap and reclaim the planet's sovereignty. Norton's tale masterfully blends pulp adventure with intricate world-building, exploring the perils of meddling with lost alien legacies.