The Visitor

by Tony Harmsworth

  ‘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.

  26 Golden Rod

  Back in the hotel I telephoned Dad and told him I was okay and would be back at the weekend. I did some of my physiotherapy exercises for half an hour, descended to the elegant dining room where I enjoyed a fillet of sole starter, followed by a simply wonderful fillet steak served with baby vegetables. Despite doctor’s orders, I accompanied it with a couple of glasses of illicit red wine. It was a delicious meal, but I was still having trouble swallowing unless I cut things up very small. I was going to have to adapt. When I laid my head on the pillow, I was out like a light and slept through until my watch woke me at seven.

  Refreshed, I struggled to shower. This over-bath shower was no good for me. Climbing in and out of a bath was not only extremely difficult and treacherous in my condition, but painful too. Most hotels had already switched to walk-in showers, but the Mullion Cove Hotel was in the grand twentieth-century tradition of luxury hotels and was very much of its time, an experience all its own.

  I must check the rented properties to find out what sort of bath facilities they had. I was no longer able-bodied. Who knew how long my leg might take to heal, if ever? To add insult to injury, the steak, chips and wine had upset my tummy. My digestive system was not used to solids. I’d been warned.

  My Jaguar was ready for me at eight thirty. It arrived from the hotel car park and was awaiting me at the front door. I set off to Goonhilly.

  Marjorie saw my car arrive at the building and she rushed out to hold the main doors open for me and carry my briefcase. She helped me through into the government section of the offices until Janet took over as I entered my office suite. I was so weak and helpless. The sleep and shower might have refreshed me, but I was now aching from head to foot from the effects of moving about so much. Muscles were trying to perform unfamiliar tasks and I was even more tired than I’d been when I left the previous evening.

  My monitor had several red-flash messages. The first was my lawyer so I put it on snooze. The second was Yuri confirming receipt of my last message. The third was from Reg in the cluster.

  ‘Give me a call, Eve, as soon as you get in,’ was all he said.

  I buzzed Janet and asked her to get Dr Naughton while I opened the message from my lawyer.

  A date had been set for the trial of Wayne Terret, the gunman who had caused all my injuries and deprived me of my fiancé. The lawyer was preparing me for having to give evidence and to provide a victim statement. He hoped Terret would plead guilty.

  I wasn’t looking forward to seeing this man across a court room. He deserved to be locked away forever for acting upon his insane beliefs. Given those beliefs, I was doubtful he’d plead guilty. My lawyer was probably trying to throw a positive slant on the situation.

  My monitor came to life and Reg was smiling at me from the inside of the cluster. ‘Hi, Eve. Lovely to see you. Hope you’re feeling better.’

  ‘Not really, Reg, but thanks anyway. Being in a coma is worse than the muscle wastage you get while on the ISS. How’re things with you?’

  ‘Great. We’ve now got a gravity module on the Cluster. Achieving one g makes it seem a bit like a hamster wheel, but at least it keeps us fit from an hour or so exercising per day instead of the old three-hour regime with the machines.’

  ‘The wonderfuel has had a major effect on what can be launched. But what about the Coriolis effect?’ I asked.

  ‘It’s amazing how adaptable the human body is, so not a serious problem. You get used to it and we won’t be playing ball games. The fuel means we can even get in and out of orbit with less trouble, Eve. The fuel allows us to drop out of orbit without the use of such heavy and thick heat shields. When you’re up to it, you must come up and visit.’

  ‘Oh, I’d dearly love to visit the Cluster again.’

  ‘If AD2 is coming here, why not be here when it arrives?’

  ‘Don’t think I’d be well enough, Reg.’

  ‘Blast off isn’t as taxing anymore. It’s not much more stressful on the body than a ride on a budget airliner.’

  ‘Seriously? Sorry, I still haven’t caught up with all the advances which’ve been made while I was out of circulation.’

  ‘Yes, seriously, Eve. Check with your doctor but coming up here shouldn’t be much more of a problem than air travel.’

  ‘I will. Thanks for the information, Reg. Now why’re you calling? I assume it wasn’t only to invite me to eat ESA processed food.’

  ‘Ha, even the food is better, Eve. You must come if you can. Anyway, I was calling because we are planning to unscrew the golden rod from AD1 at eleven this morning GMT.’

  ‘Right, what precautions?’

  ‘You might not be aware, Eve, but the entire Cluster is now running on normal air. This means we only need to use the airlocks for isolation. We can watch AD1 from the laboratory as you know, and we’ve a robot to unscrew the rod. We intend to watch from the laboratory in pressure suits in case something goes dangerously awry.’

  ‘Sounds a sensible precaution.’

  ‘We’ll be doing it on a live feed to ESA, NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, CSA, and yourselves.’

  ‘Okay, Reg, I’ll be sure to watch. How are the decompression wounds? Are you back to normal?’

  ‘Almost. My eyes ache occasionally and my hand, but it’s no more than annoying.’

  ‘Glad to hear you’re improving. Speak later.’

  ‘Bye, Eve.’

  I telephoned my lawyer and told him to keep me appraised of when I’d be needed for the trial. Again, anxiety hit me as I thought about Terret murdering my Mario, and tears welled up.

  I was saved from bawling by Janet delivering me a lovely mug of tea.

  ‘Those bungalows have over-bath showers, Janet. I found out this morning they’re not ideal with my leg. Can you check whether anyone has one with a walk-in shower or if I might be able to pay for having one installed. I’ll probably need a long let. Sorry to mess you around.’

  ‘No problem, Doctor Slater. Put anything you like on me while you’re recovering.’

  ‘Thanks, Janet.’

  Come eleven, Tim arrived, and we tuned in to the live video from the Cluster. There were four feeds on the main screen. One showed the front of AD1 face on. The robot was attached firmly to the ceiling from our perspective and comprised a thick, jointed arm which sprouted two spindly sub-arms. The othe
r screens showed a variety of views from different sides.

  I logged-in so Reg knew we were on line. CSA and ESA were listed above us in the corner of the monitor and JAXA, NASA, and Roscosmos beneath, showing all six of us were logged in.

  ‘Good morning, everyone,’ said Reg. ‘We’re about to attempt to unscrew the golden rod from the front of AD1 as proposed by the video AD2 provided on Mars One.’

  The robot arm projected a smaller arm, and this took hold of the rod about five or six inches from where it emerged from the craft.

  ‘Rotating clockwise now with low torque,’ commented Reg.

  Screen three zoomed in on the point where the rod met the craft. Slivers of sticky paper on the rod would give a clear indication of any rotation. They didn’t move.

  ‘Increasing torque to two of ten.’

  Still there was no sign of movement.

  It was only on torque six that the papers moved a quarter rotation and the robot stopped its motion.

  ‘Reducing torque and unscrewing slowly.’

  Camera three showed an extreme close-up of the end of the rod as it gradually unscrewed in the unfamiliar clockwise motion.

  Soon the thread of the rod came into sight. In fact, the rod was hollow, and the thread was attached to the craft, so it wasn’t a reversed thread after all. Suddenly there was clear air between the rod and the craft. It had been detached. Camera three zoomed out again and we all watched intently. I was particularly interested in the silver, thimble-like structures which, in the AD2 animation, appeared to do something. The animation clearly wanted us to do this, but what was it supposed to trigger?

  Minutes passed. No sign of anything happening at all. Perhaps AD1 was so damaged its systems were unable to respond. We had, of course removed all of the memory cylinders from inside the device. If they contained computer programs which were meant to be called into action, they’d no longer be activated.

  ‘We can’t see anything taking place, and there’s no sound being produced, or anything being broadcast,’ announced Reg.

  ‘Close-up of the blunt end of the thread please, Reg,’ I asked.