The Visitor

by Tony Harmsworth

  The camera zoomed in. A delicate gold filament protruded from the top.

  ‘What am I seeing? Is it a wire?’ I asked.

  The camera closed in even further. There was clearly a filament leading from the top of the thread. It was broken.

  ‘I wonder if its breaking was supposed to trigger something,’ I mused.

  ‘Possibly,’ said Reg.

  ‘I think we’ve stripped so much out of it that we were hoping for too much to expect it to still be able to react,’ said Brad at NASA.

  ‘Yes, I’m sure you are right, Brad. We’ll keep the cameras on it,’ said Reg with some disappointment in his voice.

  ‘Reg,’ I said, ‘can you please examine the thimble-like structures. They’re obviously important to its function and it’d be good to know what they contain before Yuri arrives with AD2. Also, should AD2 be examined in the Cluster initially? While we’re on the conference call, what do the rest of you think?’

  ‘Fine by me,’ Brad said.

  ‘I’m for that,’ agreed Gerald, 'but I'll have to put it to the boss. Should think he'll agree though.'

  ‘Roscosmos?’

  ‘Да.’

  ‘Reg?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, I concur, but I’d like additional security in case it does something which might harm us.’

  ‘I don’t think it has any intention to harm,’ said Brad.

  ‘No,’ I agreed, ‘but it might harm unintentionally. We need to consider the possibility. When will AD2 arrive?’

  ‘Four weeks,’ said Brad.

  ‘Well, we’ve time to think this through,’ I said.

  There was general consensus and the call ended, although I left the live feed on my monitor in case there was a delayed reaction.

  I buzzed Janet, requested more tea, and asked her to get Gerald for me, person to person.

  ‘Hi, Eve, lovely to see you back in action. What can I do for you?’ he asked as his smiling face came on in the corner of my monitor.

  ‘Thanks, Gerald, I want to be in the Cluster when AD2 arrives. Who do I have to bribe for a ticket?’

  ‘Are you well enough?’

  ‘I’ve been told it’s not so stressful with the new orbital launchers.’

  ‘Yes, but what about your wounds? Reduced pressure in orbit would not be good for open wounds.’

  ‘Most have healed. I’ll get clearance from my consultant, but I want to be there.’

  ‘Okay, Eve, I’ll look into it. Why not talk to your PM? I would’ve thought ESA would be reluctant to let you fly without government pressure.’

  ‘Yes. Good point. I’ll try to enlist his support.’

  Part Three

  ENMITY & ETERNITY

  27 Blast Off

  Philippe Parodi, head of ESA, was looking very serious as he studied Indra Masinghe’s assessment of my physical condition. I sat opposite him, in hope if not expectation.

  Mars One was due back in three weeks and I was trying to get myself on an ESA launch to the ISS to be present when AD2 arrived from Mars.

  When I’d mentioned the possibility of going back into orbit to the Prime Minister, he put wheels in motion to get me a post on the diplomatic team. There was resistance from the US President and Gorelov at first, but once the UN insisted no military should be involved in the actual meetings, I somehow became a natural choice, not just to be part of the team, but to actually lead it. This was based on my involvement from day one, my advocacy for the alien, the research I’d headed at Goonhilly, my cool head, and my psychology doctorate. I couldn’t believe my luck. A dream situation given my disabilities and recent tragedy. It was wonderful to be the person who would meet one of the aliens and welcome him to Earth. I tried to keep my composure, but inside I was skipping for joy and couldn’t take the smile off my face. The only problem was whether or not I’d be allowed to fly. ESA’s approval for the mission was vital. I wasn’t well enough, but I was hiding many of my physical problems and trusting to luck.

  Finally, he looked at me over the document, ‘Eve, this doesn’t look good. You are unable to walk without a stick. In fact, they recommend a crutch for another ten days at least. Your left arm is extremely weak, and you are still not swallowing properly. None of your injuries fit well with an ISS mission, even with the new low-g launch vehicles.’

  I said nothing. It needed to be his decision and he was aware how important this was, not only to me, but also to our Prime Minister, and now the United Nations too. I kept quiet. My silence might emphasise my determination.

  ‘If you got hurt or suffered a serious relapse it would not look good that we allowed you to travel.’

  I couldn’t add anything at this point. He was aware of the negative publicity if Evelyn Slater, the discoverer of Allen’s craft, was prevented from being present when the intact duplicate craft arrived at the Cluster. As he continued to spout negativity, I hoped he would eventually convince himself to let me go.

  He leaned forward, looked me in the eyes, held my gaze, shook his head in a resigned manner, picked up an antique fountain pen, and scribbled on the release. He blotted it and handed it back to me. ‘It is against my better judgement,’ he said. Had my silence intimidated him, perhaps?

  ‘Philippe, you’ve no idea how grateful I am. Now I need to get home and put in a few more hours’ physiotherapy. You know UKSA is paying for a lovely young man to work on every muscle in my body?’ I smiled, and he shook his head again.

  ‘Make the most of it, Eve, and do not let me regret my decision.’

  We shook hands and I hobbled out of his office, putting as much weight as possible on my sore leg to make it appear less bad than it really was. Once I was through the door, I transferred my weight back to the stick and collected the crutch from where I’d hidden it behind his secretary’s desk. I winked thanks at her, and she laughed.

  I flew back to Exeter from Paris and was in my own office by the middle of the afternoon, getting updated by Tim, John, and Roy.

  The language video had been sent to Mars One and was now playing continuously, as well as being transmitted on FM radio and television frequencies which we knew AD2 could access from its earlier taking over of the ship’s systems. We were confident the video was being monitored. It was thirty-six hours long and covered everything from images associated with words, through M-A-T spelling ‘mat’ to some complex grammar towards the end. AD2 had not reacted in any way to the video and we still didn’t know whether it was a machine listening or an actual alien.

  Roy reported they now had a good idea of the meaning of much of the alien language. I asked them to produce a simple WELCOME TO EARTH banner to hang in the new Cluster module, which had been built much larger to allow plenty of space for both alien devices. What had been a sphere had now had several circular sections added to stretch it and increase the internal volume.

  John informed me a lot of small computer programs had been found within the cylinder data. It seemed the operation systems in AD1 used combinations of short programs which had to be triggered individually. They were reminiscent of the old mobile phone apps which would only be called up if you required them. David insisted this was further proof there was an alien mind inhabiting the craft and these things were there for him to call upon when needed. He was probably right. Soon we’d know.

  Reg had sent a copy of a video of their work on the thimble-like silver structures which protruded from the gold nose cone collar. They had opened one and found it contained the same silicon which had been found in the small cylinders. There were no wires leading into or out of them so how they functioned was a mystery. A scanner showed that there was a layer of silicon sandwiched within the golden nose cone. Perhaps that and the blisters hosted even more of the brainwave activity we had seen. David insisted it was the actual brain of the alien, but we’d no way of checking whether he was correct… except by asking AD2.

  After working hours, I went to the gym at the Helston Leisure Centre wh
ere my young Polish trainer worked on my fitness. Firstly, an hour on strengthening my leg and left arm followed by an hour’s light circuit training – treadmill, push-ups, cycling, sit-ups, rowing et cetera, then to the pool where he encouraged me to swim in a straight line. It was very difficult owing to the worst injuries being on my left side. When I was totally whacked, he took me into a private room and gave me the most wonderful massage which made it all worthwhile. Finally, a quick shower and home in my Jaguar.

  My new rented bungalow had plenty of space, a walk-in shower within which I could sit or stand, and a comfortable bed. I knew nothing until my watch woke me at seven. My exercise routine was making me sleep well, but my stomach was still not used to solids. I took indigestion tablets when it played up.

  ««o»»

  Less than a month later, four days before my launch, I handed Goonhilly operations over to Tim and my Jaguar drove me to Motherwell in Scotland, the home of the brand-new ESA launch centre.

  I sent the car back to Goonhilly, had a short chat with my launch manager, met my five fellow astronauts and headed to a nearby hotel where I was fortunate enough to have a room overlooking the actual launch site.

  The Arabella launch vehicle was instantly recognisable as a spaceship. The new fuel and electronic systems had fundamentally changed the dynamics of spaceflight. This was like the spaceships from 1950s science fiction. The Eagle comic space hero, Dan Dare, would’ve instantly recognised this as a spaceship and would surely have been able to jump into it and fly off to save the world. Could I emulate him?

  It only stood about one hundred feet high. On top was the usual escape rocket which was attached to the crew module until a height of two miles was reached, when it would be ejected. In an emergency, the top section containing the crew would be rocketed away and descend using parachutes.

  The main ship was tubular. The top third was the crew compartment and contained any valuable cargo, the middle third held the remaining cargo, fuel, and descent engines. The bottom third was the launch booster, designed to return to the spaceport once its function was complete. The whole stood upon eight graceful fins, reminiscent of the Thunderbird cars of yesteryear.

  It looked like what it was – a real, streamlined, spaceship. I admired it for a while before exercising in the hotel gym.

  I ended my session by swimming twenty-four lengths of the pool and joined two of my co-astronauts for dinner. My hip hurt when I sat on the dining chair, probably owing to the unfamiliar use of muscles which also seemed to be causing discomfort in my abdomen and shoulders. I was worried about mentioning it to medical in case it precluded me from the launch. I’d fought so hard to get onto this flight. I wasn’t going to give it up for a pain I could tolerate.

  Despite the much simpler and safer launch procedures, there was still much training to be undertaken and the following days were spent almost entirely in the simulator, learning the systems, discovering how to use the emergency evacuation hatches, running through the myriad eventualities which might require us to take action.

  Inside the crew compartment we had six seats. Two of those were mounted in front of the control and guidance systems, and the other four were passenger seats located behind. Even though these craft were far less congested than the Soyuz, space was still at a premium and, with all six astronauts in place, it was claustrophobic. Twice I was pulled up sharply for not moving quickly enough during evacuations and was told, in no uncertain terms, if I didn’t move quicker the next time I might be dropped from the launch. You can bet your life I was quicker on the next drill, no matter how much it hurt.

  In the evening the six of us, four men and two women, had a meal together and I was quizzed about my discovery of AD1 all over again. It might have become tiresome with the general public these days, but with this group of select astronauts, I was only too happy to recount my adventure. I also discovered I was the only one who’d been into orbit. Good grief, I was the veteran!

  Later I Skyped Mum and Dad to tell them what training had been like and to reassure them I was well enough to take this less stressful space trip. They wished me luck with AD2 and I tried to get them to promise not to worry.

  I hobbled from bathroom to bed and let my sore and tired muscles recover from the day’s exertions.

  ««o»»

  On launch morning, we all had a good breakfast before making our way to our ship. Despite the lower danger threshold, we still wore insulated pressure suits which would afford us some protection in the event of depressurisation or other accidents.

  Within forty minutes we were all strapped into our seats, lying on our backs, looking upwards towards the front of the craft. On each side, we had elongated windows, about one foot by three. Being on the left of the back row I’d have a good view. I couldn’t wait to be in freefall once again. My leg would no longer be holding me back. I wouldn’t need to use it at all.

  Countdown began. We had a hold at fifteen minutes to await the right position of the ISS in its orbit before counting resumed.

  Five, four, three, two, ignition and blast off. We were kicked in the back by the enormous thrust of the engines but, unlike the violent ride I’d experienced on Soyuz in May 2035, this was an even, uniform acceleration.

  There were none of the sudden changes in thrust or orientation I’d experienced previously. This craft continued to gain speed relentlessly, but evenly.

  In no time at all, the engines cut, and we were in freefall. Oh, how I loved the experience! The others had their first taste of zero-g. Europe passed beneath me as we rushed towards our rendezvous with the ISS somewhere over China.

  Another forty-five minutes passed and there was minor thrusting as our ship lined up with the docking hatch on one of the new modules added to the space station during the year.

  Through my window, I saw my Scaffy Wagon docked on the old Harmony node. How lovely to see it again. When I’d left the ISS the previous year, I’d believed it would be never to return. My Goonhilly job was expected to put me permanently behind a desk, preventing me ever recommencing my scaffy duties in space.

  The prospect of a return to space had been transformed from improbable to impossible as a result of my injuries, so to be here again was wonderful and attributable entirely to Allen’s technology.

  A final push from one side and there was the sound of our connection to the ISS. The time from soft dock to hard dock was still lengthy and it was over forty minutes before the hatch opened and I was able to fly through into the ISS. How fantastic – my leg didn’t hurt at all with having no weight to support.

  We all went through the usual induction process and, at seven o’clock, Dr Reg Naughton arrived from the Cluster on a new vehicle called the shuttle bus. We embraced and spent the rest of the evening talking about ideas and the procedures we would need when Mars One arrived with AD2.

  ‘They’re still on schedule for Thursday morning, Reg?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, one final day to wait through. I must say the suspense is killing me, Eve.’

  ‘This is so amazing, for us to be here at this crucial moment in the history of the world.’

  ‘Of course, he might say “resistance is useless” and enslave us all,’ he said, imitating the Vogan voice from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

  ‘What would Asimov and Clarke have made of our upcoming meeting?’ I asked.

  ‘They knew it would take place sooner or later. Sad they’re not still around to witness it. You’ll be coming over to the Cluster tomorrow? We’ve got you a bunk and personal space.’

  ‘Yes, can’t wait. I’m looking forward to a tour of this auditorium you’ve created too. I think all six of us will be there for the unscrewing of AD2’s rod, yes?’

  ‘Yes, you, me, Yuri, Alana, Doctor Petra Vostola, and Doctor Hugh Allison. In the adjoining sphere will be Mia, the language specialist, George, the diplomat, and Alexei, the mathematician plus the two military men. How do you feel about being chosen to lead th
e team?’

  I was to lead a well-balanced team, but George and I shared a special secret.

  ‘Frankly, Reg, I can hardly believe it. It’s an awesome responsibility. I was honoured to be asked.’

  ‘Everyone we’ve discussed it with is happy for you to be the voice of humankind.’

  ‘Don’t! It’s scary when you say it like that, Reg.’

  ‘You know the military have muscled their way in?’

  ‘Yes, but only two, thankfully. Our PM declined the suggestion he, too, send a general and that embarrassed France into withdrawing theirs. The result was the American and Russian.’

  ‘Are they playing any active role?’

  ‘Not a chance. It was made absolutely clear by the Secretary General of the UN that only civilians would take part in discussions and even the US and Russia didn’t dare veto it. Yuri’s a strange exception. He’s still a captain in the Russian air force, but I got our PM to insist he should be present as the co-discoverer.’

  ‘Ah, here’s Alana,’ said Reg, as a woman with an incredibly long blonde ponytail tumbled acrobatically into the room and came to a halt with her hair whipping across her face. She swatted it to one side and reached out to shake my hand.

  ‘Privileged to meet you, Eve,’ she said with an almost perfect English accent.

  ‘Ditto, Alana.’

  ‘Do you know what you’re going to say?’

  ‘Welcome to Earth, probably. I’m hoping it’ll usurp the task by talking first. “Take me to your leader,” perhaps. Reg, did you get the banner?’

  ‘The “Welcome to Earth” thing in Allen’s language?’

  ‘That’s it. We need to position it behind us. If nothing else, it’ll show we’ve been trying to understand its language.’

  ‘We’ve already put it up. I’m hoping once we’ve unscrewed the golden rod it’ll speak to us,’ said Reg.

  ‘Possible, but nothing certain about any of this. I can’t understand why we should have to unscrew it,’ I said.

  Alana said, ‘Eve, did you know we’ve been asked to be prepared to jam all transmissions from the Cluster if it tries to broadcast worldwide?’