After the attack on the lunar base, 1804 returned to dropping meteors on the planet. Targets and desired meteor sizes were fed to it during refueling, although as the attacks continued the size parameters were loosened. 1804 sensed that some of the asteroids it directed towards the planet were much too large for their targets, causing unnecessary destruction. Others were too small, and the targets required multiple strikes.
On its eighth refueling since the bombardment had begun, it received a new assignment. It noticed more Hrwang ships appearing in orbit, fifteen of them, and handlers directed it to report to the newly arrived command vessel.
There it was cleaned up, its damaged leg replaced, an extra fuel tank added, and given an assignment from the Lord Admiral of the Fleet of the People himself. 1804 felt pride at receiving instructions from such a high level. It had been doing its job well.
“You won’t believe it, Sherry. I’m talking to the aliens. I’m actually talking to the aliens.” Stanley hadn’t been this excited since Christmas as a child. Sherry, the Beagle’s atmospheric chemist, sat in her lab in her pajamas and looked up at him.
“He calls himself a Lord Admiral. A bit pretentious, don’t you think? Their English, or at least his English, is pretty good. A little stilted at times, you’d definitely know it wasn’t his native tongue, but still pretty good. His accent is almost American.”
Sherry didn’t say anything.
“I’m talking to aliens,” Stanley repeated. “Can you believe it?”
He gushed on for a while longer. He looked up at the clock in the lab and said to her, “I gotta get back. I’ll tell you more later.” She nodded and went back to work.
“This is the Lord Admiral. Captain, your response has surprised me. I do not need a lecture on cultural naming conventions. I have knowledge of them. And it is wrong to ask my name. And to broadcast your own name! I’m surprised. We are all surprised and...” the voice paused as if the speaker were looking something up, “...dismayed. Please never broadcast your name again. I trust you will abstain from this impropriety in the future dealings.”
Stanley was horrified. “Who knew?” he whispered to Purcella and Irina.
“Now that that matter has been resolved, Captain, please pay attention to the instructions which are following. Lieutenant Grenadier will address you.”
“But that’s a name,” Stanley hissed.
“No it isn’t,” Irina said. “Grenadier is a military position.”
The Lieutenant Grenadier’s accent was heavier, but his English less awkward and easier to understand. A ship would appear that would dock with them or land on them, they weren’t sure, and it would bring them to the Fleet of the People. They were not to interfere in any way with its functions. Travel would be instantaneous.
When they arrived, they would meet with the Lord Admiral.
“See. I knew they had a way to travel faster than light. It’s the only way to get between the stars. I can’t believe we’re going to be a part of this,” Stanley exclaimed when the message completed.
“What about Opportunity and Spirit?” Commander Samovitch asked. They were the two Martian bases.
“They’ll be fine.”
She glared at him.
“Fine. I’ll say something to the Lord Admiral.”
“We’ll be abandoning them,” she accused.
“No, we won’t. They have food and supplies for at least a year. And if we can return to Earth faster than light, don’t you think supply ships can come back here the same way? They aren’t being abandoned. They won’t even be isolated. They’ll be more connected than ever before. And we have the Hrwang to thank!”
Stanley’s second-in-command just grunted.
She was hopeless, he thought. She simply doesn’t understand. He shook his head, pitying her narrow viewpoint on life.
Stanley signaled Purcella that he was ready to reply to the Hrwang. “Lord Admiral, this is the Captain of the Beagle. We understood your message and look forward to meeting with you soon. And please accept my humble apologies for asking your name. I didn’t understand your culture but hope to learn more. Thank you.”
He leaned back in his chair, satisfied, but nervous. Irina got up and left the command cockpit.
1804 drifted in space, just outside the Hrwang command vessel, listening to the messages being received from the space vessel orbiting the system’s fourth planet. It didn’t have a language module that allowed it to understand what was being communicated, but it used the signals to refine its calculations of the location and speed of the fourth planet. When it received a go ahead notice from its handler, it replied, requesting confirmation. A valid confirmation code returned.
It double checked its calculations, including extrapolating the planet’s movement. Jumping to the wrong place and finding itself in the path of a moving planet would end its existence. Then 1804 would not be able to fulfill its mission. That would not be pleasing.
It ‘closed its eyes’ and it was near the fourth planet. It could see several satellites, but not any vessel. The ship in orbit must be on the other side of the planet. 1804 did the math and jumped to the far side. It looked around but only saw other satellites.
It used the broadcast band the Hrwang command ship had used and asked for an acknowledgment. Then it waited.
Stanley and Lieutenant Commander Purcella didn’t understand the next message they received. It was as if it were in a foreign language.
“I’m sorry Lord Admiral. This is the Captain of the Beagle. We didn’t get your last message. Could you repeat, please?”
1804 registered a response from the vessel. It used the response to determine where it was.
It felt something that could only be classified as surprise when it decided that one of the tiny satellites was its target vessel. It had operated drones larger than the ship it now examined.
It examined the other satellites, calculating their orbit and extrapolating their future locations. When it had sufficient data, it jumped closer to the vessel, allowing its newly acquired momentum to bring it close. It then used maneuvering jets to slow down and orient itself so it could land on a flat spot on the surface of the ship.
“Did you hear that?” someone asked. Several of the crew had gathered in the corridor that led to the command cockpit. Irina had returned and was in her chair, and the rest just crammed together where they could. Stanley noted that even Sherry joined them.
“No worries. That’s just probably the Hrwang vessel that will escort us. I can’t believe we get to meet them,” he said.
They received another message in a foreign language.
“This is the Captain. We’re sorry. We still don’t understand.”
They got a one word reply.
“You’d better look out this window, Captain.” Irina made room and Stanley leaned over her to look out her window port. There were several large ships in view. It was impossible to tell how large they were because Stanley had no frame of reference, but they seemed huge. He could see the Earth’s moon behind them.
“We’re home,” Stanley said. “Just like that, we’re home. I didn’t even feel anything. Did anyone feel anything? I didn’t feel anything.”
There were muttered agreements. No one else had felt anything either.
“I can’t believe we’re home that fast. Just like that!” He snapped his fingers. “It’s like magic.”
Irina continued to glare at something.
Stanley shook his head at her and grinned, putting his hand on her shoulder. The occasion was so momentous that he could let bygones be bygones.
“Commander, let’s go meet some aliens.”
14
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