Chapter no 26

Winter World

THE CREW MEETSย in the largest space on the ship, at the intersection of the major arms. The space is roughly spherical. It has a technical name, the such-and-such, but weโ€™ve all taken to calling it the bubble. There are windows in several directions and a round white table in the center that everyone can strap themselves to.

Emma, Harry, and I have called the meeting to present a plan we think could drastically up our chances of success. Itโ€™s a risk, however. Iโ€™m a little nervous about itโ€”the meeting, that isโ€”because this is the first major decision point weโ€™ve faced as a crew. It really could go either way.

When everyoneโ€™s assembled and floating around the table, Harry opens the meeting.

โ€œWe want to send a fleet of drones ahead. Weโ€™re calling it the Janus fleet.โ€

โ€œObjective?โ€ Grigory asks.

โ€œData gathering,โ€ Harry answers quickly.

Charlotte knits her eyebrows together. โ€œWhat are we talking about here?

Just observation or actual contact with the artifact?โ€ โ€œBoth,โ€ I reply.

Charlotte shakes her head. โ€œIโ€™m against. We need close control when we make first contact. We need to be able to react and adapt our approach. This is too important to trust to a software algorithm or AI.โ€

I anticipated this reaction from her. I make my voice calm. โ€œTechnically, weโ€™ve already made first contact. The initial probe sent data back in proximity to the artifact, and it was destroyed.โ€

โ€œThat supports my argument,โ€ Charlotte says. โ€œMindless probes are at a severe disadvantage in these kinds of uncertain situations. The stakes are too large and the risk is too great.โ€

โ€œWe,โ€ I motion to Harry and myself, โ€œview that danger as the primary reason to send an advance probe fleet. Youโ€™re right, they wonโ€™t have a wide range of adaptations, but each probe will have a purpose, and they can learn a lotโ€”without exposing theย Paxย or risking this crew.โ€

Charlotte leans in. โ€œWeโ€™re here to risk our livesโ€”โ€

โ€œWisely,โ€ I counter. โ€œThis isnโ€™t about guts, itโ€™s about mission success. If we die before we learn anything, thatโ€™s mission failure.โ€

Min seems to sense things spiraling. He holds up a hand. โ€œItโ€™s obvious there are issues here. It would be a challenge for me to plan flight courses for the drones. Technically, we arenโ€™t even certain where the artifact is. Weโ€™ve extrapolated a location based on the last known position and trajectory, but it could be anywhere. If we send the drones in the wrong direction, they could never course-correct. And Grigory would have to solve the propulsion and fuel needs and balance it against our own. With that said, I would like to hear more before we close the issue.โ€

A mission commander was never formally designated before we launchedโ€”but ever since theย Paxย assembled, Min has been acting like one. Maybe itโ€™s because heโ€™s flying the ship, determining where we go. Maybe heโ€™s just a natural leader. Whatever the case, heโ€™s doing a good job, and itโ€™s helpful at the moment.

I nod to Harry, who continues.

โ€œThe Janus fleet would include two scout drones and three specialized drones: observation, communications, and intervention. Five drones total.โ€

โ€œSize?โ€ Grigory asks.

โ€œVery small,โ€ Harry answers. โ€œMost will be nothing more than a booster and a specialized tool. All will have comm patches.โ€

โ€œFuel, energy requirements?โ€

โ€œMinimal. This is a one-way trip for all the drones except the scout drones. Theyโ€™ll be larger and will have more acceleration capability. The plan is for one scout to accelerate past the drone fleet and make good time to the artifact. Itโ€™ll have a long-range telescope to verify that the artifact is at the location we expect. The goal is for the drone to see the artifact, but not be seen. If the artifact isnโ€™t where we think it will be, the drone will execute a search grid and try to find it, spending a week on the task. Then it

will return to the drone fleet and comm-patch the results to the other scout drone as soon as itโ€™s in line of sight of that droneโ€™s telescope. That scout drone will reverse course and make best speed back to us to relay the results.โ€

โ€œI like this,โ€ Grigory says. โ€œEven if rest of plan is garbage, this part is wiseโ€”verifying location.โ€

I almost laugh out loud. โ€œThanks for the faith, Grigory.โ€ โ€œWelcome.โ€

โ€œI agree, this is a good move,โ€ Min says. All eyes shift to Lina. โ€œIโ€™m on board.โ€

Charlotte simply nods. So does Izumi, whoโ€™s been silent so far. โ€œThen what?โ€ Min asks.

Harry steeples his fingers. โ€œThen, from theย Pax, we launch a small drone on an intercept course to theย Fornaxย and comm-patch what weโ€™ve learned: artifact location, any messages we want to send from all departments. Thatโ€™ll apprise them of any course adjustments that should be made and share our notes.โ€

After a long silence, Grigory says what weโ€™re all thinking: โ€œAssuming

Fornaxย is out there.โ€

Harry answers quietly. โ€œYes, this will also answer the question of what happened to theย Fornax.โ€

โ€œAnd,โ€ I add, โ€œwhether we should adjust our drone design objectives.โ€

โ€œWhether you should build more bombs,โ€ Min says. โ€œIf theย Fornaxย isnโ€™t out there or if it lost its offensive payload.โ€

โ€œYes,โ€ I reply.

Charlotteโ€™s eyes go wide. โ€œWait, youโ€™re building drones with offensive capabilities?โ€

I nod. โ€œWe have to. Without Harry, itโ€™s unlikely theย Fornaxย is producing drones at all. Additionally, as Min noted, we donโ€™t know if the nuke made it. Determining the artifactโ€™s vulnerability could fall entirely to us. We donโ€™t have a choice.โ€

Charlotte inhales. โ€œHave you made the bombs yet?โ€ โ€œNo. Weโ€™re still in the design phase.โ€

โ€œWhat sort of yield will they carry?โ€ Grigory asks.

โ€œNothing on a nuclear scale. And some wonโ€™t be incendiary at all. Weโ€™ll probe a variety of offensive modes. Kinetic assault, electrical, laser, and of course more conventional ordnance, adapted for space.โ€

Grigory is uncharacteristically cautious when he responds. โ€œIf needed, I believe I could repurpose reactor. If given time, I could rig a casing and program an overload.โ€

The reactor is composed of two chambers that each attach to one of the escape pods when activated. The implication of Grigoryโ€™s plan is that the escape pods would effectively be disabled, leaving us no way to return to Earth.

โ€œThatโ€™s a question for another day,โ€ Min says. โ€œAt the moment, letโ€™s focus on the advance drone fleet. Whatโ€™s the plan after it locates the artifact?โ€

โ€œWell,โ€ Harry says, โ€œthatโ€™s when it gets interesting. The two scout drones will monitor the other three drones as they make a staggered approach to the artifact. The observation drone will be first. Itโ€™s designed to look like an asteroid. Itโ€™ll do a fly-by of the artifact but make no contact. Along the way, itโ€™ll collect readingsโ€”visual, radiation, microwave, radio wave, whatever else anyone wants to scan. Weโ€™ll get our first look at its outer material up close, maybe even form a theory about what itโ€™s made of. Weโ€™ll see the far side of it as well.โ€

โ€œSee if it has soft underbelly,โ€ Grigory mumbles.

โ€œExactly.โ€ Harry brings up another image, this one with flight vectors. โ€œAfter the scans, the scout drone will comm-patch the readings to usโ€” assuming itโ€™s in telescope range of theย Pax. The larger data files, like high-res images, will have to travel back to us. After its fly-by, the observation drone will get coordinates for theย Paxย from the scout drone, then travel back to us with the data.โ€

I look over at Charlotte. โ€œThe comm drone would approach next and initiate contact.โ€

โ€œAnd how exactly will it do that?โ€ She asks. Charlotteโ€™s tone is harsh. I think she feels that first contact is her purview and that Harry and I are yanking it away from her because we control the drones and can get there first.

I do my best to keep my voice even, a sharp contrast to Charlotteโ€™s. โ€œThatโ€™s not our call.โ€

Harry shrugs. โ€œHey, weโ€™re just the drone guys.โ€

โ€œHave you finished your first contact protocol?โ€ I ask.

Charlotteโ€™s aggression instantly turns to defensiveness. โ€œWell, no, not exactly. This kind of work takes time. Itโ€™s not like assembling a robot. We

need to be very thoughtful about how we go about this. We get one shot.โ€ โ€œWhatโ€™s your current thinking about how weโ€™ll proceed?โ€ Min asks.

โ€œMyโ€ฆย current thinkingย is that we need to establish communications and then develop a lexicon.โ€

Itโ€™s clear that not everyone is familiar with the word โ€œlexicon.โ€ I sometimes forget that English is a second language for some of our crew. Grigory squints. Minโ€™s eyes drift, also trying to place the word. Izumi stares at Charlotte. Lina makes no reaction.

โ€œAh,โ€ says Charlotte, โ€œwe need to devise a vocabulary with which to communicate with the artifact.โ€

Grigory rolls his eyes. โ€œWhich assumes it wants to communicate.โ€ โ€œYes. Iโ€™m assuming that. I assume you want to shoot first?โ€

I hold up a hand. โ€œNo oneโ€™s saying that.โ€

Charlotte turns to me. โ€œWhat areย youย saying, James?โ€

โ€œThat our mission is broader than communicating with the artifact. Weโ€™re here to figure what weโ€™re dealing with and to notify Earth.โ€ I wait, but no one says anything. โ€œIf the artifact wants to communicate, thatโ€™s a best-case scenario. But if it doesnโ€™t, Earth needs to know that. And how to fight it. As youโ€™ve noted, we get one chance to make first contact. After we initiate communication, it will be aware of our drones. We lose the element of surprise.โ€

โ€œWhich is why you want to study it firstโ€”with the observation drone?โ€ Min asks.

โ€œYes. We observe first. Then try to communicate. And if that fails, the intervention drone will probe its defenses. To us, that seems the only logical approach.โ€

CHARLOTTE CHEWS HER LIP. โ€œYeah. All right. I like this. Itโ€™s a good idea. Once we initiate communication, the artifact will likely identify the drones. We may not get another chance to get close to itโ€”the observation drone needs to go first.โ€

โ€œThatโ€™s our thinking as well,โ€ I say. โ€œAgain, weโ€™re deferring to you on first contact protocol. Any details would be helpful at this point.โ€

Charlotte interlocks her fingers and sets them on the table. โ€œOkay. My protocol, what Iโ€™m thinking, is that we try a series of broadcast modalities.

Microwave, radio wave, light, radiationโ€”we keep going down the list until we get a response.โ€

โ€œWhatโ€™s the initial message?โ€ I ask.

โ€œSomething simple. A non-random number sequence. Fibonacci numbers. Figurative numbers: triangular, square, pentagonal. Central polygonal numbers. Magic square. The idea is that we give it a logical sequence of numbers and wait to see if it responds with the next number in the sequence. If so, that tells us itโ€™s willing to talk. The next part is tougher.โ€

โ€œHowย to talk,โ€ I say.

โ€œExactly. Iโ€™m still working on that.โ€

โ€œFair enough. My feelingโ€”โ€ I gesture to Harry and Emma. โ€œOurย feeling is that establishing a rudimentary initial contact is sufficient for this first pass. It could even inform how you go about creating a more complex lexicon with the artifact.โ€

After a moment, Charlotte nods. โ€œYes. I agree. It would give me a big head start. By the time we got there, we could be ready to have a productive dialogue.โ€

โ€œOr be ready to destroy it,โ€ Grigory says. โ€œThatโ€™s whatโ€™s in third set of drones, yes? Weapons?โ€

All eyes turn to me. โ€œThatโ€™s right. The first drone will observe. The second will communicate. And if thatโ€™s unsuccessful, we probe its defenses. By the time we reach the artifact, we need to be ready to talk or fight. Additionally, this will let us know what weโ€™re dealing withย nowโ€”whether itโ€™s friendly or aggressiveโ€”and we can let Earth know far sooner than expected. Weโ€™re still a lot closer to Earth than we will be when we reach the artifact.โ€

The group falls silent. I think theyโ€™ve realized the genius of the plan Harry, Emma, and I have put together. The addition of the Janus fleet is a vast improvement on NASAโ€™s original mission, shaving months off the timeline of determining what the artifact is. It occurs to me now why NASA didnโ€™t designate a mission commander. This is the reasonโ€”this meeting. NASA wanted friction. They wanted all these brilliant people to sit in a room and argueโ€”without a clear leader who could end debate and just decide things summarily. This mission is primarily about the research weโ€™re doing, not fast command decisions. They wanted every person to have a specialty and to have a chance to voice their ideas and opinions. Thatโ€™s how good plans are improved.

โ€œHow would it work?โ€ Min asks. โ€œThe weapons?โ€ โ€œWeโ€™re designing a rail gun,โ€ Harry replies.

Charlotte grimaces. โ€œI thought a gun wouldnโ€™t work in space.โ€ Grigory sounds annoyed. โ€œGun will work in space.โ€

โ€œWithout oxygen?โ€ Charlotte asks.

โ€œYes,โ€ Grigory snaps. โ€œAnd a rail gun is nothing like regular gun anyway.โ€

Harryโ€™s voice is calm and matter-of-fact. โ€œA gunโ€”a conventional gun with a hard projectile and gunpowder as propulsionโ€”will indeed fire in space. The rounds contain their own oxidizerโ€”a chemical that triggers the explosion of the gunpowder and forces the projectile outward, along a path created by a barrel. The reaction doesnโ€™t need any outside oxygen. The main difference in firing a gun in space will be the smoke, which will emerge from the projectileโ€™s exit point at the tip of the barrel.

โ€œBut in our case, there wonโ€™t be any gunpowder or oxidizer or expanding gas of any kind needed. A rail gun is different in mechanism, though we still use a projectile in a barrel pointed at our target. The barrel in a rail gun has two rails that are magnetized using massive amounts of electricity. The electromagnetic current running down the rails pushes the object out the barrel at extremely high velocityโ€”much, much faster than any explosive round can achieve.โ€

โ€œWhatโ€™s the target?โ€ Grigory asks.

โ€œWeโ€™d shoot six rail gun rounds concurrently, close grouping,โ€ I reply. โ€œCenter mass?โ€ Grigory asks.

โ€œNo. The outer edge.โ€

The Russian engineer smiles. โ€œYou want a piece of it.โ€

โ€œTo study, yes. We feel the priority is learning what itโ€™s made of. That will tell us more about how toโ€ฆ neutralize it and any other artifacts.โ€

After a long silence, Min asks, โ€œIs there more?โ€ โ€œThatโ€™s all weโ€™ve got at the moment,โ€ I reply.

โ€œI like it,โ€ Min says.

โ€œAs do I,โ€ Grigory adds. Charlotte nods. โ€œMe too.โ€ โ€œSame,โ€ Lina says.

All eyes drift over to Izumi. โ€œThis is all outside my expertise. Iโ€™m here to keep you all alive and performing well. It would seem that this plan does that very well. I am for it.โ€

I motion to Harry and Emma. โ€œWe still have a lot of work to do on our end with the design, and then weโ€™ve got some construction challenges. I think maybe we could be done in two weeks? Three?โ€

I shift my gaze to Emma. Sheโ€™s been silent throughout the meeting, for good reason: she knew what Harry and I were presenting. She helped formulate the plan. And sheโ€™s essential to executing it. Harry and I are good with design, but when it comes to building the drones, she runs circles around us.

โ€œDefinitely,โ€ she says. โ€œTwo weeksโ€™ build time is doable based on the prelim designs.โ€

I address Lina. โ€œWeโ€™ll need a lot of help with the software.โ€

โ€œNo problem. Iโ€™ve already got a good head start on some autonomous drone systems. But I need the specifics.โ€ She turns to Charlotte. โ€œProtocols for the comms, to start with.โ€

โ€œI have the basics mapped out. I can clean it up and have it to you in a few days.โ€

โ€œGreat. And Min, Iโ€™m going to need those navigation parameters pretty soon too.โ€

โ€œNav is the easy part,โ€ Min says. โ€œWe need to know how much propulsion power weโ€™ve got, and rangeโ€”those are the tricky variables.โ€

โ€œWe agree,โ€ I say. โ€œI feel like we need a working group between our team,โ€ I point to Emma and Harry, โ€œand Grigory and Min. We need to figure out what we have to work with and what weโ€™re willing to use up on this first drone launch.โ€

Nods all around.

I inhale. โ€œLook, the next two weeks are going to be rough. Weโ€™ll be working around the clock. Thereโ€™ll be a lot of back-and-forth among all of us. But it will be worth it. Weโ€™ll find out where the artifact is. The status of theย Fornax. And most importantly, we could achieve our mission objective months ahead of schedule. All thatโ€™s left is to get it done.โ€

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