Temporary context

I think the temporary context is related with the spatial context.

All the actions happen with the development of the events. The time changes during the story while the characters are living their different situations.

In the text , we find two different tenses:

1. In the ‘direct speech’ we can find sentences and verbs like : "Tell me something" ; "Can they do that here on Reshebora?" …

2. The other tenses are the tenses used by the narrator.

Efirr wandered past Clark and leaned over the catwalk to peer into the worm chamber. He glanced down at the walk, a crude bit of furniture pieced together from leftover hardware and floating lower in one corner because the antigravitational lift was failing. Clark had thought of replacing it, but instead he left the low corner toward the middle of the room so that when he gave the thing a push is turned automatically.

On the other hand ,I think, the text ( although the author hasn’t given any date) it’s told like a future situation.