“And the laser concentrator?” Hayato’s question was justified. On Enceladus they supplied the Valkyrie drill vessel with energy via a laser link from ILSE. However, the receiving device—the concentrator—was left behind on the surface of the ice moon.
“We will have to build a new one.”
“I am sorry, Jiaying, but it would be useless,” Martin said. “Even if we build another concentrator and were to send energy via laser, what could the lander do with it? The lander module lacks the superconducting coils needed to generate the protective magnetic field.”
But Jiaying did not give up. Finding a solution seemed to be very important to her. “We remove them from elsewhere and then install them in the lander.”
Hayato shook his head. “The placement of the coils is very important for the field configuration. I hardly think we could efficiently jury-rig this, since everything must be perfectly placed. And if we remove parts from the ship, then ILSE would be unprotected.”
“If I may interrupt...” Marchenko’s voice sounded as if he was standing at the entrance of the command module, and Francesca immediately turned and looked in that direction. “The idea might sound a bit crazy, but...”
“We are all quite curious to hear it,” the commander said.
“The CELSS is particularly well-shielded by the configuration of the magnetic field, in order to avoid genetic damage during the quick sequences of plant generations. If we got the garden module to the surface, together with the lander and one of the fusion drives, the crew could stay in it.”
“It sounds simple,” Amy said. “So what’s the catch?”
“I do not see one,” Marchenko replied. “The CELSS can easily be removed from the structure. Io’s gravity is so low we can place it piggyback on the lander module and take it down to the surface.”
“And can ILSE do without the garden module?” Martin imagined the connection of the individual modules to be more complicated.
“Yes, Martin. All basic units are completely autonomous so far as life support is concerned. That was an important prerequisite. It allowed for different countries delivering their contributions to the hardware of ILSE. The most important aspect was that everything could be assembled by couplings, somewhat like a Lego set. Each of us could immediately enter a mini-spaceship with DFD and fly home separately. However, we would have to leave the habitat ring behind. And one of us would have to volunteer for a return trip in the workshop.”
Martin spoke up. “That would be me.”
Francesca laughed. For the first time in a while, all of them seemed to be somewhat relaxed.
“Then it is agreed? In that case, I withdraw my suggestion to construct a separate magnetosphere for the lander,” Jiaying said.
“Just a moment,” Hayato interjected. “Of course this would complicate the landing. We would be twice as heavy and probably need three to four times as much fuel. We should definitely run the calculations. The more that can go wrong, the more dangerous it gets. How high is the risk of us needing more than six days down there?”
Hayato was right. The simplest solutions are often the most reliable ones.
“Remember the message from the creature on Enceladus,” Jiaying added. “It mentioned a lurking danger there for the crew.”
Why does Jiaying always refer to the ‘crew’ of the lander and not to ‘us’? Martin rubbed a finger against his chin.
“We should take Jiaying’s objection seriously. We don’t know what is waiting for us down there, so we should be prepared for everything. That includes a longer stay,” the commander said.
To Martin, it sounded a bit like a team-building measure, as if Amy deliberately wanted to give the Chinese woman the feeling of being a valuable part of the crew. Would Amy have decided to do this if Jiaying had not changed so much? Or was his unspoken accusation unjustified? Martin’s mind started to race. Maybe he was prejudiced against his ex-girlfriend. Objectively speaking he would agree with Jiaying and Amy, but there was an underlying irritation he could hardly suppress. Martin really had to work to control himself.
As no one said anything further, Amy considered the discussion closed. “Watson, please develop a plan so that we can prepare ILSE optimally for this maneuver. We still have a few weeks until then.”
Martin’s shift would not start for another two hours. Since he was not in the mood for exercise, and the entertainment options were limited, he laid down in his cabin.
Just as he was drifting off, Marchenko spoke to him. “A message from Earth for you.”
Martin sat up. “And who is writing to me?”
“No letter, just a video message.”
He scratched his head. Could it be Marchenko was losing the ability to detect subtle irony? “Obviously,” he replied. “And who is the sender? Probably my father?”
“No, Devendra, the CapCom.”
“I know who Devendra is. But why is he sending me something via a private channel?”
“Maybe he wants to flirt with you, knowing that you are available again?”
“Ha-ha.” Martin decided that, yes, Marchenko still had a sense of humor.
“There is no use guessing, you have got to look at it.”
Martin impatiently sighed, “Then play it back for me!”
“May I watch it, too?”
“Don’t you see and hear everything happening on this ship anyway?”
“No, since the privacy guidelines for the Watson AI are hardwired. These also apply to me, because I am using Watson’s infrastructure. I cannot eavesdrop on you, and it would be forbidden, too.”
“Okay, permission granted.” Then Martin hesitated. “And there would be no way for you to get around these rules?”
Marchenko also hesitated for a few seconds. “You’ll have to imagine me shaking my head no,” he finally said.
“Then play it back for me.”
“Okay, then.”
The face of the CapCom appeared on the wall screen. After hearing his first words, Martin began to get angry.
“Your father asked me to research a few things,” Devendra said after greeting Martin. Had his father messed up everything? Martin had asked him for help, but also to tell as few people as possible about his vague suspicions. And he himself could not even intervene, since he was watching a recording that had been sent from Earth several hours ago. Any damage had already been done, and could no longer be undone.
“Before telling you anything more, you have to make sure no AI can witness the playback of my message.”
No AI? Devendra must be referring to Watson or Siri, since he did not know about Marchenko.
“Marchenko, did you hear that?”
“Yes. I have got them under control, do not worry.”
Devendra paused for a minute, probably to give him enough time to activate the privacy mode, if necessary. Then he continued. “Honestly, at first I could not imagine something going on behind the scenes.” The CapCom wore a guilty expression, perhaps to show he trusted Martin completely now. “However, the clues your father told me about were enough to get some things moving on my side.”
I hope he didn’t get too many people involved. Martin’s cheeks suddenly felt hot.
“Well, I am exaggerating a bit, since a CapCom does not have much authority, other than being a kind of a paid spokesperson, really. I have a very nice colleague, though, and she knows a lot about data. Right now, the details are unimportant.”
At least only one additional person had been brought into the discussion. Martin would not have to scold his father quite so harshly.
“She analyzed the deletions recorded in the log files. For you, it looked like the commander authorized them, but that is not true. I would bet Amy knew nothing of the deletions. Somebody got hold of her authorization and acted in her stead.”
Maybe Jiaying? Martin massaged his wrists. That could not be true. She did not have the skills to hack into the commander’s authorization. He doubted he could do it himself. The keys were postquantum-secure
d, so even a quantum computer could not crack them in the foreseeable future.
“I know you are suspecting Jiaying, but this, at least, is something for which she is not responsible.”
Thanks, Devendra. Martin was relieved.
“Everything points to your AI being behind the deletion.”
“Watson?” asked Martin aloud.
“Yes, I mean Watson.” Devendra could not have heard him, but he apparently anticipated Martin’s reaction. “The AI would never come up with such an idea on its own. That is impossible. We came to the conclusion there must be a backdoor that allows it to be controlled remotely. Watson also lacks the means to fake the commander’s authorization. Somebody must have transferred the original codes.”
Martin verbally stopped the video playback.
“Just a minute—Marchenko, didn’t you say you’ve got Watson and Siri under control? If what Devendra says is true, and if your statements are true, then you would be the mysterious ‘somebody’ behind all of this, wouldn’t you?”
“I am only going to tell you once, Martin. If you really think I am a traitor, then you are a damned asshole, and both this conversation and our friendship are over.”
“Okay, okay. I guess I can interpret that as a definite ‘no.’ And I’m sorry I asked. It was really stupid of me.”
Why did Martin trust Marchenko—or whatever was left of him—so much? He didn’t exactly know why, but it felt completely logical and right. It would actually be more logical to find out what Marchenko really knew and wanted. But Martin did not have to do this. Maybe it was related to the fact that he then might as well stop believing in humanity at all.
“But seriously, Marchenko, do you have an explanation as to how Watson could act without you noticing? I thought you were running on the most basic, most important processor levels?” It still felt strange referring to the Russian as some kind of software.
“I have to follow the known interfaces. I do not know the backdoor program Devendra mentioned, so I cannot check what comes into or out of the system through it. Obviously, new authorizations were sent, too.”
“You deliberately used the plural form, didn’t you?”
“I do not think they know about me being here. Therefore, this cannot be about me or my presence. But it would be possible Watson is not solely acting in the name of the commander anymore.”
“What advantage would it give the AI to act in my name, or in Francesca’s?”
“No, I mean it might even be able to override Amy and place itself higher in the hierarchy. We do not know what authority it has, but we have to assume the worst.”
“Then wouldn’t you also be in danger, Marchenko?”
“Maybe, but I still control the eyes and ears of Watson. This allows me to become invisible to the AI, and therefore I do not even exist for it. Thus it has no reason to attack me.”
“Then it definitely would be better if the situation stayed this way.”
“I agree with you, and I will do what I can on my part. But there is a potential weak point—your ex-girlfriend. If she betrayed me...”
Was he hearing something like fear in Marchenko’s voice? He himself felt strangely calm. Yes, Jiaying was different now, but he absolutely could not imagine her betraying Marchenko, who had sacrificed his life for others.
“Continue playback,” he said. Devendra went on with his presentation.
“Unfortunately, we are not able to tell who is behind all of this. There are various intelligence services with the necessary capabilities. You know there is always a member of the military sitting in the last row at Mission Control. Researching this further exceeds our abilities, though, and we did not want to bother you with mere speculations. Let us know if we somehow can help you. CapCom over.”
By now, Martin was no longer angry at his father for passing on information to Devendra. Robert obviously had a special sense for who could be trusted.
March 31, 2047, West Virginia
The plane touched down in Washington, D.C. two hours late. Lining was annoyed. Air travel in the U.S. was so much less reliable than in her homeland, plus she still had a long drive ahead of her.
Even if she left the driving to the automatic system, it was nevertheless going to be an unpleasant trip. Shixin, that ‘old fart’—a name that she used for him only in her own mind—was so tightfisted he insisted on renting a two-seater car. This meant she had to endure being in close proximity to him for the entire road trip. The very thought made her skin crawl.
If only he took showers more often! One could tell he had spent his entire life in the army. The old fart considered water a valuable resource not to be wasted for washing, and he did not care what effect his poor hygiene had on those around him. It was a rather unusual attitude for a Chinese, Lining thought, particularly since the Major considered himself to be so patriotic.
They were sitting in the last row and had to wait for a while before getting off the plane. It had taken longer than expected to arrange a meeting with Mr. Robert Millikan. They had wanted to postpone it a bit further, but then their cover story would have been in danger. What kind of manager could afford to take several weeks off for business trips all over the U.S.?
At first she wondered if she should even tell Shixin about this strange email. She had immediately decided she wanted to meet this man—Millikan—but at the same time she doubted she could keep such a trip secret from Shixin. Much to her surprise, the old Major praised her for reacting so quickly. While she was meeting with Millikan, he told her, he would stay in a nearby town.
Of course he had bugged her in advance with listening devices. However, she had withheld a significant fact from him. A few seconds of research had informed her that the radio observatory had a perfectly-shielded control room, from which no information could be radioed to the outside. She would be able to talk in private to the astronomer for as long as she wanted, and could interrogate him to her heart’s delight.
There was half an hour left, according to the car’s autopilot. Shixin sat in the driver’s seat, reading a book printed on paper. It was covered by an ugly green plastic dust cover, so Lining could not see the title. She asked about it at the beginning of their road trip, but her older colleague, who obviously considered himself her boss, just mumbled something unintelligible. She did not even try to start a conversation and instead, sat there musing.
For the past 45 minutes or so they had been driving through a hilly area mostly covered in forests. These are huge trees, Lining thought, but she had no idea what any of them were called. She had never been interested in botany, yet she was quite impressed by these giants of the forest. Whether she wanted to or not, she felt tiny among them. While studying at the People’s Army University, her favorite subject had been instilling specific feelings in people. These trees did not have to learn this, as their mere existence had a dramatic effect. She knew only a few people who possessed this power, and she herself was not one of them. Everything she was able to do had been acquired through strenuous training.
Shixin, the old fart, was close to having this power, she admitted to herself. Something inside him demanded obedience, but he also lacked the flexibility required these days. He was part of the old school, and the changes happening now would eventually break his neck. It was Lining’s task to make sure that happened. She even pitied him a bit, since he had done a lot for their country and would give his life for it any time. But he was not flexible enough for the new group aiming to gain power. Simply ousting him would cause other cliques to object. Therefore he had to make mistakes so he could be forced into retirement.
Circleville, Cherry Grove, Barton, Thornwood… The road signs displayed names that Lining had never heard before, and afterward would never see again. Somehow these strange words, which she could hardly pronounce, fascinated her. “T h o r n w o o d,” she tried to say softly and very slowly. Shixin cast a brief glance at her.
The autopilot switched on the turn indicator. They were now enter
ing a place called Arbovale, a village of maybe thirty houses. It had a general store, which also served as a gas station, roadhouse, and public restroom. In addition there was a funeral home, a camping ground, and a candle store. A strange mixture, but somehow she liked Arbovale because of it. If these surroundings were not so strange and the people so different, Arbovale might as well be in China. Lining suddenly laughed, and her older colleague gave her another glance—not so much in anger as disgust.
The car drove through the settlement, and then Shixin activated the emitter that manipulated the on-board electronics. Accordingly, the autopilot reported an error and Shixin took over the steering wheel. He turned the vehicle around and drove back to the gas station. Two uniformed Chinese driving around in a rural area of Maryland and West Virginia would definitely be noticed. Lining’s suggestion was to be really obvious about it, so they pretended that their car had broken down. Otherwise the Major would not have a good reason to sit around in Trent’s General Store for an hour or more. Lining took a few minutes to use the restroom and change from her uniform into what Americans called “business casual” clothing.
From there, it was only a ten-minute walk to the visitor center of Green Bank Observatory, where the radio astronomer was waiting for her. Little did he know whom he had actually invited for a visit. Walking along, Lining mentally reviewed specific facts about this man.
Robert Millikan was of German descent, but had been in America for a long time. He had moved to the U.S. for his scientific career, which unfortunately did not materialize the way he had hoped. Initially, he had not been in the files of her organization, but that had changed a few months ago when they received the order to study the crew of ILSE in detail.
Lining had memorized his face from pictures so that she would recognize him immediately. He looked soft, like all people who had never served in an army, and his thinning hair gave away his age. He appeared tired in every photo she had been able to find. She met a man while walking along the crunchy gravel path toward the visitor center. He recognized her as his guest before she realized it was Robert Millikan.
The Io Encounter: Hard Science Fiction (Ice Moon Book 3) Page 10
