The Visitor

by Tony Harmsworth

  ‘What about trying to disconnect those spheroids?’ asked Peter. ‘They’re almost certainly fuel containers.’

  ‘I’m sure that would help, but I can’t do something so delicate while we’re spinning. It’s best to grab it by the hull and find out how it reacts. I can release, and Yuri can back us off if necessary. If we can’t stop its rotation, we can never get it back to the space station’s orbit. It’s vital we find a way.’

  ‘Give us a minute to consider this, Evelyn,’ said Peter.

  ‘Copy that.’

  I switched to the unencrypted channel and called Jean, who was one of Gerald’s team at ESA.

  ‘Jean. You there?’

  ‘Here, Eve.’

  ‘Can you give Mario a call for me and tell him we’re safe and have got a problem with detaching the array on this satellite?’

  ‘No problem, Eve.’

  ‘Also, I was supposed to be doing a live schools’ broadcast at eleven. Can you contact them and postpone? Better make it a week hence to give us time to resolve this.’

  ‘No problem. I’ll get onto those, Eve.’

  ‘Thanks, Jean. Out.’

  The secure channel came to life immediately, ‘You’ve a go. Do what you think best, Evelyn,’ said Peter.

  ‘Copy that,’ I replied, pleased that Peter was finally realising I was more than just an interface with the Wagon.

  I extended the heavy-duty left arm and slammed the jaws shut. They opened, and I practised again.

  The biggest danger was not knowing how much mass was involved and, as the artefact rotated, it would put a considerable torque on the arm joints. There was, without doubt, a danger of breaking the arm off.

  Yuri and I discussed our options.

  ‘Hello, Peter. Just be aware we could lose an arm in the worst scenario.’

  ‘Copy you, Evelyn. As you say, we don’t have a choice,’ said Peter.

  ‘We’re going to have a try at this.’

  ‘Copy that. Sounds good.’

  ‘Ready, Yuri?’

  ‘Ready.’

  I watched the object rotate and moved my main jaws into position facing it, about midway up its side.

  I observed a complete revolution and, as the damaged area disappeared, I said, ‘Next time, Yuri.’

  ‘Right.’

  The gash spun into view. The jaws jumped forward and I slammed them shut. The moment they closed, Yuri fired a counter thruster which almost instantly stopped the artefact’s spin. The Wagon’s system of gimballed gyros whined into service, counteracting the rotation imparted to us as we stabilised our combined mass.

  We sat in space, the jaws firmly locked on and holding the object stationary. The stresses on the arm joints were well within tolerance.

  ‘Peter, we’re stationary. Did anyone keep a note of the time before it fired its thrusters last time?’

  ‘Copy that. I’ll find out.’

  We kept still and held our breath. What would AD1 do?

  A minute later Peter called back, ‘Hello, Evelyn. It was twenty-three minutes fifteen seconds stationary before it reacted. That doesn’t mean it’ll do the same this time, of course.’

  ‘Copy that, but I’m hoping we’re dealing with an automatic system. If we are, it should fire on schedule. We’re staying in readiness anyway,’ I replied, checking my chronograph.

  Four minutes and fifty seconds had passed since I grabbed it. I set a countdown timer on my computer and we both watched the countdown. While waiting, I used my other arm to relocate the cylinder we’d captured onto the artefact so that everything was kept together. The tape seemed to adhere to the inner surface of its hull without a problem.

  Ten minutes. Nothing. Twenty minutes. Nothing. The timer was now counting down from fifteen seconds. Yuri gripped his thruster control more tightly. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.

  There was a tug on my mechanical arm. Yuri applied a tiny reverse thrust and we held it.

  ‘It fired dead on twenty-three fifteen, Peter,’ I said, ‘Yuri has countered it.’

  ‘Copy that.’

  I was hoping it was going to continue to fire its thruster as the fuel would then eventually run out. That it only used a tiny thrust was a disappointment. I set the counter again and we relaxed.

  Dead on time it fired again. Once more Yuri countered the motion and we held it fast.

  ‘And again, Peter, dead on time,’ I said.

  ‘Copy that.’

  ‘Any ideas, Yuri? We could mess about like this for years. It only uses a tiny thrust, so the fuel is not going to run out any time soon. I thought it might fire continuously to try to get back to speed.’

  ‘Would arm hold if fire orbital burn to take us to station orbit?’

  ‘It shouldn’t be a problem if it doesn’t fire its main motors to change back.’

  ‘Hmm, yes.’

  ‘What’re you thinking?’ I asked.

  ‘Get it back to ISS. Attach to Japanese open-to-space platform. Once secure you can work on fuel cylinders and disable it,’ said Yuri.

  ‘I don’t know if NASA would want it so close to the station.’

  ‘Hey, it’s not fired,’ said Yuri.

  ‘Peter. It’s twenty-six minutes since the last burn and no sign of any more.’

  ‘Copy that. Continue to monitor.’

  Another two hours passed without any further reaction.

  ‘Peter, we’d like you to consider taking it back to the station orbit.’

  ‘Copy. Let’s have your calculations.’

  I put my vectors into a transmission and we waited for confirmation. Another hour passed. Still no sign of life from our companion.

  ‘Evelyn, we’re a go on that, but we’d like you to have a break first for lunch and a drink et cetera. It’ll put you in a better vector position for the ISS if we wait fifty minutes,’ said Peter.

  ‘Copy that.’

  ‘I’ve put automatic thruster program into console, Eva. I pay rest room visit and make my lunch. If it moves, hit alt plus F-seven on your console.’

  ‘Okay. Got that.’

  Yuri unstrapped himself and I monitored our friend. He returned with coffee, spare water flask, and hot meal. Once he was back in his seat and in harness, I reminded him of the emergency detach button and paid my own visits. We tried to relax for thirty minutes, watching our captive closely for any sign of life.

  ‘Ready for orbit burn?’ asked Yuri.

  ‘I’ll bring it in to the side of the Wagon first.’

  I used the arm to bring AD1 parallel to the Wagon and retracted the elbow joint to hold it tight against us. We didn’t know what sort of jets it might deploy once the orbit changed.

  ‘Evelyn, Yuri. We’d like you to wear suits and helmets, please,’ said Peter.

  ‘Copy that,’ I said. It seemed a sensible precaution in case AD1 did something unexpected and damaged the Scaffy Wagon.

  We both climbed into our pressure suits, turned on the environmental systems, and closed the visors. These suits would protect us if our hull was breached.

  ‘Suited up, Peter. The moment Yuri completes the burn I intend to move it away from the hull for safety.’

  ‘Roger that, Evelyn.’

  ‘Firing in three, two, one, fire,’ said Yuri.

  Once again, we were on our backs as the burn increased our altitude and slowed our orbital velocity. We were soon in orbit a hundred kilometres ahead of the station.

  I pushed my left manipulation arm out and forward to position the object ahead of us and facing obliquely to our left, so we weren’t in direct line of fire of its jets or the object itself if it broke free under power.

  ‘Burn complete,’ reported Yuri.

  ‘Copy that.’

  ‘AD1 back at arm’s length,’ I said.

  ‘Copy that.’

  ‘Any ideas, Peter? I’m concerned about bringing this thing too close to the ISS.�
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  ‘Yes, copy that. We’re making plans.’

  ‘Would be good to listen in.’

  ‘Mainly diplomacy, Evelyn. I’ll get back to you.’

  To Yuri I said, ‘What do you think?’

  ‘Think have America, Europe, Russia, and Japan trying agree. We have to enact when finalised. Could be some time,’ he said and laughed.

  ‘I guess you’re right.’

  ‘Our friend’s still being obedient?’ asked Peter.

  ‘So far,’ I said.

  ‘Okay, you guys. Relax as best you can. This might take some time.’

  ‘Is Doctor Naughton still there?’ I asked.

  ‘Hi, Doctor Slater. Yes, I’m still here.’

  ‘I’m bringing AD1 around in front of the ship at right angles to us and I can use the camera on it. Tell me what you’d like to see.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll move to the monitor.’

  The second arm approached AD1 and I manoeuvred the camera to the jagged entrance. I programmed a retraction movement to enact on the F16 key.

  Under Dr Naughton’s instructions, but using my own initiative too, we surveyed the interior of AD1 and particularly the section which he’d designated the control centre. We found we were a good team and were soon on first name terms. He was happy for me to examine the spheroids at the rear of the interior, just keeping him advised as I made measurements. It was good to be undertaking some real science.

  Stopping for a coffee break, I examined the hieroglyphs. They were so alien. Even their alignment was alien. We were not sure if they were meant to be read from right to left, left to right, top to bottom or bottom to top.

  Deciphering would be a major problem and, in that moment, I knew my involvement would cease. If I were going to stay involved, I’d have to charm and cajole my way into the inner circle of whoever began to examine it.

  AD1 made no attempt to rotate again, nor change its orbit. That, in itself, was interesting. Did it know it was being manhandled by an intelligent species or were its undeniably damaged, automatic systems failing?

  The hours dragged on. Twenty kilometres from the ISS was the closest we were allowed. There was nothing for us to do until they formulated a plan. It was frustrating being kept out of the loop. We hung up our pressure suits and helmets and both of us tried to do some exercises, hooking our feet in storage cupboards and conducting sit-ups and bicep-pumping with improvised weights, but always with one eye on the visitor.

  While in our makeshift gym, we discussed options. We couldn't park the object here because it could start up again if unattended and, because of its damage, it might drop out of orbit and be lost forever. If it was being restrained, its automatic systems perhaps recognised it was being studied. Was that why it was inactive? Maybe the makers intended it to now be communicating with us, but the damage was preventing it. I'd already run radio frequency scans and detected nothing from minimum to maximum frequencies. The ISS crew, who were now aware of our discovery, were also watching us through the entire electromagnetic spectrum and there was nothing of any description being emanated. No calls for help to some mega-ship in the outer solar system which would come and annihilate us for stealing its baby!

  Yuri and I couldn’t sit out here indefinitely as muscle and bone wastage didn’t take long to have an effect in microgravity. Our improvised gym was no substitute for ISS equipment.

  This all led me into formulating a plan, but in GMT it was already night. Houston would be approaching evening.

  ‘Peter, you there?’ I asked over the secure link.

  ‘You just caught me. I was about to leave and hand over to Roger,’ Peter responded.

  ‘I’ve had an idea.’

  ‘Fire away, Evelyn,’ he said with a sceptical tone of voice. It almost sounded as if he knew the idea wouldn’t be of any value but didn’t want to sound disinterested – or maybe he was just late to his kids’ football game, or something. Had Yuri and I become a couple of plebs now the designated scientists had moved in? Had they forgotten my scientific background? I could be doing him an injustice, but it bugged me.

  ‘We’ve emergency supplies on board, but we can’t exercise in the Wagon and we should try to get back to the ISS. Why not bring the Progress craft, currently attached to the Russian sector, over here? I can strap AD1 to the Progress. I know you can control those things at a far greater range than twenty kilometres, so if AD1 plays up, the Progress can keep it under control.’

  ‘Sounds interesting.’

  ‘Also, I surmise you’ve already decided it can’t be returned to Earth owing to possible contamination, or being destroyed en route, so I’ve a further suggestion.’

  ‘Continue, Doctor Slater,’ came Dr Naughton’s voice – ah, I’d an interested audience after all.

  ‘I’m assuming nothing is a greater priority than investigating AD1. We can’t take it to the ISS in case it causes a problem. It can’t be taken back to Earth, so a structure is going to have to be built within which it can be studied. A prefabricated pressurised sphere, sent up in sections via Ariane Eight, could be assembled by the Scaffy Wagon a safe distance from the ISS. The scientists would then have their own environment in which to study it.’

  ‘Yes, yes, we’d considered a variation on that,’ said Dr Naughton, ‘but we’d veered towards bringing the artefact down in a Dragon re-entry vehicle and taking it to Antarctica, but we were still concerned about contamination even there, and, as you say, the danger of losing it on re-entry.’

  ‘Yes. I see the benefits of what you’re suggesting, Evelyn,’ said a much more positive Peter.

  ‘Plus, while we’re waiting for the parts, Yuri and I could get back to work and offer shuttle facilities to and from the research dome and the ISS if it were done up here.’

  Ivan spoke in Russian and Yuri translated for Dr Naughton and Peter. ‘Ivan says it is a good idea and they’ll discuss it at Roscosmos.’

  ‘Okay, Evelyn, Ivan, Yuri. I’ll consult with the others and get back to you, but it has great merit,’ said Peter. I was glad he’d taken the idea on board.

  ‘Oh, and Peter …’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I want to be involved,’ I said firmly.

  ‘I would hope you could be,’ said Dr Naughton.

  ‘Well… it’s not in my gift,’ said Peter, ‘but I’ll pass it on. Now if I’m going to catch the powers that be tonight, I must go. Good thinking, Evelyn.’

  The connection broke and Yuri said, ‘You brilliant, Eva.’

  ‘No, only determined. If we can keep it up here, I’ve a better chance of remaining involved.’

  ‘Well, do not be forgetting your Russian friend when you famous person.’

  7 Enacting the Plan

  At the speed space agencies usually engaged, my seven months in space would be long over before my spherical research lab was built. Once we strapped AD1 to the Progress it might be the last time I ever saw it. I had to assume my involvement would only be on the fringe and I decided to make personal decisions based upon that.

  The next morning, I copied video of the object onto one of the 8TB microSDXS cards I had for the cameras. I said nothing to Yuri, but I intended to hide this item for posterity. It showed the discovery, the stopping of its spin, the investigation of the interior and the bringing of it back to ISS orbit. The memory card was so tiny I should surely be able to find a way to conceal it on return to Earth. I wanted a record of humanity’s greatest discovery away from government’s hands. Keeping it was illegal, but the risks were outweighed by the importance of the record being secured in case AD1 were ever to be hushed up permanently. Hopefully, Mr Clarke would be true to his word and make an announcement eventually. The discovery was so exciting. We’d been contacted by aliens. Creatures from another world were interested in us and planet Earth. I couldn’t allow that to be buried in some anonymous government bunker.

  Late on the third day of our isolation, the Progress craft was given the
go to approach us. We were about to be very busy indeed. I’d gone through our plans with mission control and had all the materials I needed among our accessories already strapped beneath the SDIV.

  Progress vehicles are, outwardly, identical to a Soyuz, but didn’t have any of the life support systems. Together with several private supply vessels, mainly based in the US, Europe, and Japan, these craft were the workhorses which kept the ISS supplied. They would blast off from Russia laden with supplies for the space station and would remain attached until the next craft was due. Each would be sealed up, filled with garbage from the ISS and would burn up on re-entry. The Progress wasn’t reusable.

  On board, it had an automatic docking system and could be flown remotely from the Russian sector of the International Space Station, which was what was happening now.

  ‘One hundred metres,’ said Yuri.

  ‘Roger that,’ replied Boris, another Soyuz pilot, who was remote-piloting the Progress.

  It came to a halt about ten metres from us and we’d be responsible for completing the task.

  AD1 had no hoops or loops anywhere for anchorage to the Progress so I would strap it tightly to the supply craft’s hull to keep it in position. Its egg-like shape would be problematical, but the damaged section would allow straps to be tied together around it securely enough.

  Yuri manoeuvred us to within a few metres.

  ‘Hello, Gerald,’ I said.

  ‘Go ahead, Eve.’

  ‘I need to let go of it now and change the robotic hand on my right arm. I’ll grab it again as soon as I can. Yuri is going to keep a sharp eye in case there is any motion. I can swap hands in fewer than ten minutes so hopefully it won’t realise it’s been released.’

  ‘Okay, you’re go for that.’

  Taking a deep breath, I opened the claw on my left hand, withdrawing the arm simultaneously.

  Yuri gave a short burn and we withdrew about ten metres, so I had room to manipulate the arms under our belly where my accessories were stored. Faster than I’d ever done in simulation, I managed to remove the delicate hand from the right robotic arm, stow it, and attach a second heavy-duty claw, similar to the one on the left arm. Yuri brought us back in towards AD1 and I grasped it once more by the broken opening.