The rest of that day saw our communications in the com dome brought back to their standard prior to being smashed, but NASA were still frustrated by the lack of access to the many particle detectors the infected had taken. Dragonstar 5’s legs were replaced by late afternoon and the Canadarm, attached to buggy three, was used to lift the Dragonstar, one side at a time, to complete the repair. Several technicians worked long after the start of the normal rest period, to strip and rebuild the faulty thruster and clear the fuel system from the main engine which had failed.
The next day was Crystal and Vicky’s second day without the LRPs and I’d set up for Roy to return for a further conference. I caught up with Doug prior to him arriving.
‘Roy is on the way from the rille, Doug. He’s bringing another infected person, Mary Carter, with him,’ I said.
‘Same procedure?’ he asked.
‘Yes. Ensure either you or Mike is there. I don’t think I can trust the Marines on their own any longer. Remember that Roy might be carrying the LRP from the buggy. Allow them a safe distance before irradiating the buggy.’
‘No problem.’
‘Make sure there is no chance of any rogue Marine deciding to attack them. That Dyson guy… I’d rather he wasn’t involved,’ I said.
‘He’s not. He’s still suspended. We will take care. I’ll set four guards for the geo dome for your meeting too,’ said Doug.
‘No. We won’t need them. I’ll take the multidirectional projector with me and we’ll have it beside us if there is any aggressive move.’
‘I’d rather have armed personnel with you,’ said Doug.
‘Bill will be there, and he’ll be carrying a taser. We’ll be safe enough. The projector will be switched on, so it would only take a single strike to kill them all.’
‘Well, let it be known that I am not comfortable with your actions, Mark. No point in having us professionals here if you’re going to ignore our advice.’
‘I want to try to make it a relaxed environment and it’s difficult to achieve that with four armed observers,’ I said.
‘Yes, I see. Okay. I’ll head to the garage dome and Mike or I will bring them to you.’
‘Thanks, Doug.’ I said as he turned and left the common room. The situation was becoming very convoluted.
I walked through to the com dome and found Penny on duty. I sat beside her.
‘Need to ask a favour, Pen,’ I said.
‘No prob,’ she replied, colouring as she always did when we spoke. I supposed that it would always be impossible for either of us to forget our brief affair.
‘I need to trust you with absolute confidentiality,’ I said.
‘What crime are you asking me to commit?’
I laughed. ‘Not quite that bad. I just want you to ensure that no one is watching the live feed from the geo dome when we start our meeting with Roy.’
‘You want me to cut it if someone attempts to?’
‘No one should have any access to it without clearance from me. That’s what to tell them.’
She looked at me with a puzzled expression. ‘Okay. You can rely on me.’
‘Thanks, Pen.’
∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
I’d arranged a larger conference table and also had the crew bring in some snacks and a coffee flask. Bill, Anna and I sat on one side with the multidirectional projector between me and Bill. On the other side were Vicky and Crystal. The two LRP containers sat in front of Crystal and Vicky. The door opened and Mike entered with Roy and Mary. Mary was a physicist, working on space radiation, who had also been the deputy commander of Moonbase under Blake.
Mary put her hand on Crystal’s shoulder before sitting down. Once they were both seated, Mike asked, ‘You sure you don’t want me to stay?’
‘No, we’ll be fine, Mike, we have this,’ I said, touching the multidirectional projector.
When they left, I said, ‘Thanks for returning. Mary, lovely to see you again.’
Slightly glazed brown eyes looked back at me coldly, but she said, ‘Yes. You’re well?’
‘I am,’ I said.
‘How are you, Crystal?’ asked Roy.
‘Devastated. I feel hollow and abandoned. It’s the most dreadful experience. I want my entity back. Badly! Now!’ she said.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Let’s get started. We’ve been watching and listening to both Crystal and Vicky over the last two days to get a feel for their attachment to their LRPs. While Crystal seems at a total loss, Vicky is able to deal with the separation. That indicates that they’re not essential to you and time heals.’
‘Not at all!’ said Vicky loudly, surprising me with her unexpected intervention. ‘I’d like it back. It did me no harm and it improved my memory beyond belief. I’ll never feel the same without it.’
Anna said, ‘But when we spoke earlier today, you seemed reconciled to living without it.’
‘Yes, but I’m military,’ said Vicky. ‘I understand that I was brought here to deal with these entities. I’m hardly going to be allowed to become one of the enemy, am I? That doesn’t mean I don’t want to. I’m going to miss her… dreadfully.’
‘Mark, please give Crystal her entity,’ said Roy.
I nodded. Bill cut the silicone and Crystal unscrewed the container. She reached in and I assumed it entered her hand. She jumped as if receiving a shock, her eyes glazed, and she sat back in the chair. Within a couple of seconds her eyes cleared, and the real Crystal smiled back at me.
‘You will never understand how wonderful that was. Marvellous. Like being reunited with a sister or mother you’d been told was dead. Thank you,’ Crystal said.
‘Vicky, I can’t let you become infected again,’ I said.
‘Well,’ said Bill, ‘what’s going on at the rille?’
‘The ultimate proof that humankind needs the entities,’ said Roy.
‘Explain,’ I said.
‘You know me, Mark. I’m a geology freak, not a physicist or mathematician. It’s why I brought Mary,’ he said.
‘Yes,’ I acknowledged.
‘Well, in these few short weeks,’ said Roy, ‘we’ve cracked the unification of quantum gravity with general relativity,’ said Roy. ‘It all became clear, then a few experiments by Mary and Jenny with particle detectors followed by theory testing with the alpha magnetic spectrometer and, bingo, the universe is a different place. Trying to get one’s head around space-time bending and the expanding universe becomes simple. With one of our entities, a child could do it. They enhance our minds a hundredfold.’
‘Can you explain some of this to us poor humans?’
‘Sorry, Mark,’ said Mary, ‘I don’t mean to be disparaging, but you wouldn’t understand. And Roy is exaggerating at a “hundredfold”, but the enhancement is substantial.’ Mary had always been more technical in her conversations.
‘Damn it all, you have to be able to explain it to NASA or your claims are meaningless. What can you give us to send to Earth?’
Mary said, ‘Top physicists and mathematicians will understand, though even they will struggle. That’s why the unification has not been solved in a hundred years since Niels Bohr first began to get the flavour of it. Even Einstein didn’t get it.’
‘We need something, Mary, or we’ll be left with only bad solutions for Moonbase and those of you in the rille. You’re still our deadly enemies. Don’t you understand that?’
‘Yes, we do understand,’ said Roy.
He reached into a pocket and removed a memory card. ‘This contains formulae for a method of warping space.’
‘As in “warp factor eight”?’ Bill asked sarcastically.
‘Well, no,’ said Roy. ‘That’s all nonsense, but this explains how distant places in space-time can be joined temporarily to allow movement between them.’
‘What, the folding of space idea?’ asked Anna.
Mary said, ‘Sort of, but there’s no point me trying to explain it to you. Send those files to the astrophysics departments at Amherst, Massachusetts or Cambridge in England, and they’ll recognise that it is ground-breaking science. If we are destroyed, humanity will never forgive you when it realises what you did! It would be good if you didn’t forget that.’
For Mary to speak in that tone certainly showed her conviction to what she was saying. ‘Anna, take that through to the com dome and get Neil to send it to those universities. Tell them we need their urgent opinion,’ I said. She dashed straight out of the geo dome with the card.
‘What now?’ asked Roy.
‘Are you telling us that what you’ve discovered will open the entire universe to us, or what?’ I asked.
‘We think so,’ said Roy.
Mary said, ‘In fact, we’re pretty confident. We can’t prove it with the equipment available to us, but we’ve proven the principle and that data card contains the scientific proof.’
‘What do you want from us?’ I asked.
‘To allow us to join you and add entities to each of you so that you can enjoy the same benefits,’ said Roy.
‘Phew! You are joking?’ said Bill.
‘I think that memory card will need to be pretty convincing if you want us to follow that path,’ I said.
‘Mark, I know you like a brother, but I don’t know Bill or Vicky, can we talk alone,’ said Roy.
‘Bill and Anna are my two prime advisers. I trust them both implicitly,’ I said. ‘I can ask Vicky to leave the room.’
‘Yes, do that,’ said Roy.
‘Sorry, Vicky. Can you wait outside the geo dome door?’
When she’d gone, I said, ‘You can speak freely now.’
‘Are we not being recorded?’ Roy said, pointing at the camera.
‘Yes, but the high bandwidth link to Earth is only working from the com dome. We’re recording this. We can lose it if we think the conversation is too sensitive to send to NASA, and I have someone making sure no one watches us live.’
At that point, Anna returned to the geo dome and took her seat. ‘The files are on the way to NASA with a note from me about forwarding them to the universities,’ she said.
‘You’re absolutely sure these two are trustworthy?’ Roy asked.
‘Certain beyond the possibility of doubt. I’d trust them with my life,’ I said.
‘Okay,’ said Roy, lowering his voice. ‘We’re not stupid, Mark. Even if we convince you, NASA might not be impressed and, let’s face it, there will be generals and world leaders who must be being kept in the picture. They most certainly will not allow us to return home, even if we can offer a gateway to the treasures of the universe.’
‘And?’
‘I think that there will be an attempt to destroy us!’ he said.
‘You might be right,’ I said. ‘Do you have a solution?’
‘We do think the best solution is to take over all of you. That would remove the immediate threat, but our failure last time has left us under strength. There are over twenty of you?’
‘Twenty-eight including Vicky,’ I said.
‘We do not have that number of entities and will not have for a couple of days. We are dubious that we will be allowed that long,’ said Roy.
‘I’d agree with that analysis,’ said Bill. ‘I think the military will move sooner than that.’
‘You said it was the best solution. Is it your only solution?’ I asked.
‘No. We could destroy you, but that would leave Earth in the same dilemma of what to do with us. I fear that a second mission to recapture Moonbase would then be likely to involve a nuclear solution – they’d wipe us out totally,’ said Roy.
‘Is there a third solution?’
‘We retreat to the rille. You could come with us. We’re fairly sure your current weaponry couldn’t penetrate our underground habitat,’ said Roy.
‘They have rocket launchers and automatic weapons,’ said Crystal. ‘The Marines were talking about them.’
I didn’t say anything but was shocked that there could have been such loose talk in the common room while Crystal was there. Maybe the military weren’t as professional as they thought they were.
‘It wouldn’t solve anything, Roy,’ I said. ‘You’d be trapped, and Earth would send whatever armaments it thought would do the job to get you or us out.’
‘Do you have any better ideas?’ asked Crystal.
‘No, but we certainly need to stop a recording of this meeting reaching Earth,’ I said.
‘I’ll deal with that,’ said Bill.
‘Do you two understand what we could be getting into here?’ I asked. ‘Alien entities are asking us to trust them rather than our own people at NASA. We are potentially becoming traitors to the whole of mankind.’
‘I believe Roy and I watched Crystal very carefully,’ said Anna. ‘We cannot allow them to be hurt and, frankly, I’m curious about joining them.’
‘You’d like to play host?’ asked Roy. ‘You have Vicky’s entity in that flask.’
‘Are you sure it will leave me with control?’ asked Anna.
‘Let it join with you now. When it is inside you, I’ll explain to it easier than you could,’ said Roy.
Anna looked at me enquiringly.
‘Bill?’ I asked. ‘No turning back if we take this step.’
‘Yes. Try the experiment,’ said Bill. ‘I’d like to see if you can fool the others while hosting one. Mark and I can also keep an eye on you and see if we can spot other differences which could give you away.’
I used Bill’s knife to cut the silicone and passed the flask to Anna.
Anna opened it slowly, removed the cover slide and peered inside. Looking over her shoulder, I saw the LRP making its way to the lip of the container.
‘What do I do?’ asked Anna.
‘Offer up the back of your hand. She will know it is intentional then,’ said Crystal.
I watched Anna turn her right hand towards the flask. Contact was made.
‘Ouch!’ Anna cried as we saw the LRP vanish through her skin and she collapsed back into the chair. I reached out to steady her.
‘Anna has agreed to work with us. Release her,’ said Roy.
Anna’s face immediately relaxed, and I watched her eyes return to normal. ‘What does it feel like?’ I asked.
‘Ooh! Weird. I feel like I’m high on something. There are pictures flashing through my mind, well… no, not pictures… sort of memories, but brought to life. Oh, my!’
‘What?’ I asked and Anna started crying.
‘What is it?’ asked Bill.
‘Brian. Oh, it’s Brian!’
‘Who’s Brian, Anna?’ I asked looking at Bill who shrugged his shoulders.
‘My brother,’ she sobbed. ‘He died four years ago, but I can see him as real as if he were here… oh, now more… my twenty-first party and he’s fallen in the pool.’ She laughed out loud.
‘Anna. Take control. Can you control it?’ I asked.
Roy said, ‘Tell it to stop with the memories and quieten down.’
‘How? How do I do that?’ she asked.
‘Just think it,’ said Crystal.
Anna wiped her eyes and her face relaxed. ‘Yes. I see. Yes. Oh, yes. Can I? Wow, I see. I do. I can.’
Bill and I looked on with suspicion. Who was she speaking to? The LRP? I saw her eyes change to the dazed look of the infected, but it was only for a couple of seconds, then they returned to normal.
‘I am in control,’ she said. ‘It’s truly amazing. I can’t help calling up images of Brian and the two of us with our parents. It is… I can’t express it strongly enough… amazing. No other words will do.’
‘Ask it to leave you,’ I said. ‘Now!’
Anna looked at me in shock. ‘What? Why?’ she said. ‘That’s not a fair test.’
‘Do it,’ I said.
She put her hand to the flask and the LRP left her. ‘Oh, that hurt. Oh dear, I’d like more time with her. I thought we were going to let me live with her for a while to see if we could fool the others.’
‘You feel okay?’ I asked.
‘Yes, but I want more,’ said Anna.
‘In what way? Like you want more heroin or more chocolate?’
She laughed. ‘Definitely more chocolate! Oh, the memories are still there, but not in the same detail.’
‘Okay, Anna. Take it back.’
‘Her. It’s a her,’ she said putting her hand to the flask entrance again. Her skin touched the thing and it vanished into her body.
‘Oh, wow. That is so good, Mark.’
‘Right. Now we need to think about the next step,’ I said. ‘Roy, we cannot come with you.’
‘The military will attack us,’ he said.
‘How can we mitigate that?’ I asked.
‘I don’t think it will happen immediately if we give you an invite to visit the rille. That would give us more time,’ said Roy. He pulled a small container, about the size of a pack of playing cards, out of an inside pocket. ‘There are four entities in here, Mark. See how Anna is getting on with hers tomorrow and if you feel safe, you and Bill could absorb one as well. Don’t be observed in those first few minutes though.’
‘I’m not sure we’re ready for that, Roy,’ I said.
‘Then keep them somewhere safe until you are – I’m certain you will be eventually,’ said Roy. ‘The military will come for us ultimately. When they do, you hang back. If possible, stay in Moonbase.’
‘Why? You mustn’t kill them,’ I said.
‘No, we won’t hurt them, but if you have absorbed the entities, you will not want to be anywhere nearby as there’ll doubtless be a lot of irradiation,’ said Roy. ‘I should get back and you need to secure that video. I presume you’ll check that no one saw it live?’
‘Of course,’ said Bill.
‘Mark. A couple of other points. I am putting my trust in you now. Don’t let me down,’ said Roy.
‘Go on,’ I said.
‘Tosh is working on a method of strengthening our, or, rather, our entities’ resistance to the projectors. He is working flat out on it. One other point.’
‘Yes,’ I said.
Roy passed over a piece of paper. ‘This has coordinates upon it, moon coordinates. Get them to someone you trust on Earth. Three entities are buried at that location. It is sixteen kilometres from here so outside the likely range of any small nuclear explosion. Humankind must not be deprived of the advantages of the entities. Someone must know the location. Keep it safe.’
‘I will,’ I said. If Roy thought the stakes were this high, it needed to be treated seriously. ‘You really think they would nuke this site?’
‘Yes. We’re pretty certain that will be the outcome if they think we could make it back to Earth,’ said Roy.
I called for Mike on the intercom and he entered with Mikhail.
‘Roy, Mary and Crystal are returning to the rille. Please provide safe passage for them,’ I said.
‘And Vicky? She’s outside the door,’ said Mike.
‘No, she’s no longer infected and is now free to re-join her Marine squad,’ I said. ‘Send her in to us.’
Mike, Mikhail, and the visitors left the geo dome. Vicky returned to sit opposite us.
‘Vicky,’ I said, ‘you can return to your squad, but I wanted to suggest that you don’t talk about how much you liked your LRP. It could lower morale. Can you keep it to yourself?’
‘Yes, but please let me be considered if you need someone to test the symbiosis over a longer period,’ Vicky said.
‘You’d risk a second infection?’ Bill asked.
‘At the drop of a hat,’ she said. ‘But I won’t talk about it in the meantime.’
‘Thank you, Vicky. You’re free to go. Report to your commander,’ I said.
‘Will do,’ she said as she got up and left. Anna, Bill and I were alone again.
‘Do you think I’m safe walking around Moonbase?’ asked Anna.
‘Yes, why?’ I asked.
‘I wouldn’t want to get accidentally irradiated. It would hurt my entity. She’s anxious about it.’
‘Yes, I see. You’ve already built up that sort of rapport with it?’ I asked.
‘Yes. She’s very much part of me.’
‘There is already a rule about no casual use of the projectors. NASA is worried about the effects on the human body, so there shouldn’t be any danger of being within range of casual projector fire. You feel protective of her?’
‘Very much so. I already feel that she’s integral to me.’
‘You’d better ensure there are no lapses in control. Those big blue eyes of yours are pretty magnetic. Any dullness in them will certainly trigger suspicion and the Marines are already far too jumpy for my liking.’
‘I’m going to deal with that recording,’ said Bill. ‘I think it’s best that the memory card develops a fault too.’
‘Yes. And ensure the original is wiped beyond recovery,’ I said.
‘I’ll record data over it right now,’ he said.
Our little secret meeting ended.
How did I feel about this? I was loyal to NASA. All its objectives and principles were second nature to me. If I was considering being disloyal to NASA, it also meant that I was being a traitor to the United States of America and the whole of humanity. My dilemma was frightening.
It was now clear to me that the LRPs were not a threat to any of us or the world in general. They offered the chance of enhancing us, but even more importantly, they were an intelligent alien species and should be studied, not destroyed.
I didn’t know how I was going to be able to square this with my own conscience or with NASA.