Around six minutes later another video message arrived from Yuri. ‘Lovely to hear you back, Eva. It stopped repeating message. Standing by. I going to stream you video of inside of hold in case anything precipice happen.’
Yuri’s face disappeared from the screen and AD2 was visible, strapped to a specially made framework in the hold section of Mars One. It was so still – but who knew what was going on inside it?
One of my hacker team was convinced the device was home to an actual alien mind. If it had awoken, would it be prepared to wait the several weeks necessary to get it back to Earth or would it believe it was being ignored? What would happen if it were unhappy about us ignoring it or having removed it from Mars orbit?
I sent an acknowledgement back to Yuri with a copy to NASA and ESA, ‘Copy that, Yuri. We’re discussing. Use your own initiative if anything unexpected occurs.’
‘So, it’s settled down,’ said John.
‘Can I copy the video of the text, Doctor Slater? We’ll find out if we can make sense of it. At least there’s a context,’ said Roy.
I copied Yuri’s message, forwarded it to him, and he went back to the linguistics department.
‘It must want us to unscrew the golden rod to cause something to happen with those blisters. Do you know what work has been done on them on AD1?’ I directed my question to Tim.
‘Nothing. They’ve been concentrating on the last of the cylinders.’
‘Who oversees research up there currently, Tim?’
‘Doctor Naughton is up there again at the moment.’
‘He’s recovered from the decompression?’
‘Yes, full recovery and he played merry hell until NASA approved his return to the ISS.’
I quickly sent an email to Reg Naughton in the Cluster, forwarding Yuri’s message and asking if they’d unscrew the rod – with all possible precautions.
I sent another message to Mars One. ‘Yuri, I have linguistics going through the message. I’ve asked Reg Naughton to consider unscrewing the rod from AD1. Suggest you sit tight for a while.’
My telephone rang. It was the new head of NASA and he was miffed I’d been giving orders to Yuri.
With authority beyond what I felt, I told him, ‘Professor Green, this was an urgent situation and Yuri’s request was sent to us. We therefore responded and you were copied in on everything.’
‘I didn’t even know you were back. Mr Riley has cleared everything through us,’ he replied.
‘Well, I’m much better thanks. Take it up with UKSA or ESA if you’re unhappy with the responses I made.’
‘No, not unhappy, but I would’ve liked to have known you were back in the saddle. I am, of course, glad you’re feeling better.’
‘Tell you what, Professor, let’s forget this conversation. I was paying a fleeting unofficial visit to Goonhilly and this event took place while I was here. It seemed important to deal with Yuri’s problem quickly, don’t you think?’
‘I suppose so. Okay, keep us in the loop.’
‘As always,’ I said and cut the connection.
Tim laughed and said, ‘Nice to have you back, Eve. He’s been getting under my skin something chronic.’
‘What happened to Michael Sanderson, the previous head of NASA?’ I asked, thinking back to my conversations about his concern over the upcoming change of President.
‘Sacked, or at least he jumped before he could be sacked.’
‘Oh yes, the idiot who believes the world is six thousand years old won the election, didn’t he?’
‘’Fraid so, Eve, and he takes over as President in January.’
‘It’s so sad. With my encouragement, Michael bypassed him and went to President Drake over the presentation of Allen to the world. Must’ve cost him his job.’
‘Would seem so.’
‘It’s wrong on so many levels. Anyway, their foolishness is beyond our ability to resolve. Let’s get on with this new problem.’
‘Michael’s landed on his feet though, working with Lupin Galactic now, I’m told.’
‘The new space transport company selling suborbital flights?’
‘Yes. They’re making a go of it, apparently, and orbital flights are planned for next year. It’s the new fuel. It’s changing everything.’
Our gaze returned to AD2, sitting quietly in the hold of Yuri’s ship.
‘Presumably it could break free from the hold if it wished?’ asked John Sweet.
‘I fear so,’ I replied.
‘I think we should ignore its message, but monitor it carefully,’ said Tim.
‘Yes. Our problem is we don’t know whether we’re dealing with automatic on-board systems, or the actual waking mind of one of the aliens,’ I said.
‘Whichever it is, waiting and watching is still the answer,’ said Tim.
‘Agreed.’
I buzzed Janet and asked her to get me Professor Green and to pop in when I finished the call.
‘Green,’ his sharp Texas twang barked at me.
‘Professor. We believe we should play a waiting and watching game. If we’re dealing with automated systems, it’ll probably be patient. If it’s the mind of an actual alien in control of AD2, he’ll know he’s in transit from his own sensors. I intend to let Captain Bulgakov know unless you’ve a different viewpoint.’
‘Call me Brad, Doctor Slater. I concur,’ said Professor Green.
‘Okay, Brad. I’m Eve or Evelyn. Bye.’ I cut the line.
‘International diplomacy in action!’ said Tim.
I laughed with him. It was good to be back in the cut and thrust of the Goonhilly operation.
I opened the line to Mars One, ‘Yuri, our opinion is to wait and watch. NASA concurs. If you’re receiving the messages from a robot, in our view it’ll continue its hundred-million-year patience. If you’re being contacted by an alien mind which has awoken, he’ll understand we’re transporting him. How does that sound to you? We’re still observing the cargo hold on a separate link and will tell you the results of Doctor Naughton’s experiments on the golden rod.’
Janet entered, ‘You wanted me, Doctor Slater?’
‘Yes, more tea for me, please, and whatever John and Tim might like. Get onto the Mullion Cove Hotel and book me a room in there tonight. If not find somewhere else for me – with no steps in or out. Next, you’d better get on to some letting agencies and find me a bungalow to rent within a reasonable distance. My cottage isn’t suitable.’ I needed to get myself organised if I wasn’t going back home.
‘Will do,’ she said, waiting for Tim and John’s response.
‘Tea’s fine,’ they both agreed quickly.
‘Do you need help to get your home sorted out?’ asked Tim.
‘Thank you, Tim, but no. I can never go back there.’
‘You’re welcome to stay with Jane and me tonight if it helps.’
‘That’s kind of you, but I’m not good company right now. I so miss Mario. If Janet can get me into the hotel, I’d be better on my own. My recovery from Mario’s death will take time.’
‘Don’t worry. The offer is always there if you need to talk with some friends. Jane and I, or just me would come and dine with you if you wanted some company. It’s not a good idea to sit alone and brood.’
‘Thanks, Tim. You’re probably right, but not tonight.’
Six minutes had passed, and Yuri came back to us from Mars One.
‘Roger that, Eva. If it awoken alien being, it will be bored much quickly in hold. Should we entertain? Can stream TV into hold or radio in case there no visual sensory system running? Or could be learning language during journey back. Maybe some Teach Yourself English? Just thinking.
‘On personal note, I most glad you are back in action, dearest Eva. Visit you few months ago when you in coma, I did. Said goodbyes, I did. Must be honest, did not think see you again.
‘Anyway, Eva, lovely to be wrong.’
The video returned to the shot of AD2 in the hold. The lag was a damn nuisance.
‘Copy that, Yuri. We’ll discuss your idea. Thanks for the kind thoughts about me. Stronger than I look, you know. Didn’t know you’d visited me in hospital. Thank you.’
‘Yuri might have a point,’ John said.
I buzzed Janet and asked her to get Roy to come back to my office.
‘We can’t send him a news channel,’ I said, ‘he might decide to wait another hundred million years to discover if we’ll eventually improve!’
‘You are getting back to your normal self, Eve. That’s the first injection of humour into anything you’ve said.’
‘Suppose so,’ I gave a smile which did not come from my broken heart.
Roy returned and we told him Yuri’s idea.
‘You’re the language expert,’ I said to him, ‘what do you think?’
‘It would seem to be a good idea but would be wasted if he has no visual apparatus switched on. There are audio courses, but they only teach people who have language A to speak language B. With the alien, we don’t have a language A in which to teach him,’ Roy explained.
‘I suppose video programmes use imagery instead?’ Tim asked.
‘Yes, but not specifically so designed, but they do exist. It is easy to say the word car when a car appears on a screen. If we can’t find a suitable one, I am sure we could soon create one.’
‘He must have visual sensors,’ said Tim.
‘Why?’ I asked.
‘How else could he know his location?’
‘Hmm. Suppose so, but it might just be a string of coordinates.’
‘He managed to broadcast on our monitors using a system alien to him. So, I’m sure he has visual sensors or the ability to detect our television signals,’ said Tim.
‘Let’s hope so.’
I buzzed Janet and asked her to get Brad at NASA for me again.
‘Brad, Yuri has had an idea. If the device is an actual mind it’ll become bored. Would it be useful to show AD2 a language video teaching English? What do you think?’
‘You have one?’
‘No, not yet, but we could acquire or make one pretty quickly.’
‘What if it’s only a computer?’
‘Nothing lost. Even computers can learn,’ I said, ‘and it’d be useful if or when the alien awakes.’
‘Sounds a good idea. Go for it,’ he said, and we cut the connection.
‘Right, Roy, do you want to investigate, or is it something Tim can deal with while you work on the language Yuri sent us?’
‘I’d rather get back onto the language, Doctor Slater.’
‘Okay, I’ll send another message to Yuri,’ I said as the others left my office.
‘Hi, Yuri, we like your idea and Tim is working on a special video language programme for AD2, the only problem being not knowing for sure if he has any visual sensory apparatus. We’ve no idea how to find out, either. I’d suggest you run the video in the hold and on a ship’s system in case he’s intercepting communications and can pick it up directly. I’ll let you know when we’ve something ready to send. We don’t think it’s a good idea to pipe in a news channel as it might be confusing and would possibly give a poor impression of us. Be safe,’ I said and finished the transmission.
Janet knocked and entered.
‘You’ve a room for tonight and they said there’s no problem extending at this time of year,’ she said.
‘Good, thanks.’
‘I’ve also put some property details into an email attachment. One is quite nice in Helston. Two-bedroom, good view, and easy access.’
‘Thanks. Get me NASA again, please.’
She left my office and I sat back exhausted. I’d only popped in to say hello and it was already late. Brad’s face appeared on the screen.
‘Eve?’
‘Brad, I need to leave the office. I’m typing my secure Skype ID into an email. You’ll be able to contact me if you need to. Frankly, I’m exhausted. Today was only meant to be a short visit, not an all-day stint.’
‘Okay, Eve, you get off. I won’t disturb unless something new happens. Try to get some rest. Sorry about my attitude earlier.’
‘Think nothing of it,’ I said, deciding not to apologise back for my snappiness towards him. I wanted to retain the upper hand.