Forbidden the Stars Part 13

"I know; I read your personnel files as well."

"Oh." For a time, I was too stunned to form a coherent response. "Don't tell me you can remember all that scientific and technical jargon."

He smiled, proud. "Every word." Then he proved it, by quoting word for word the calculitical telemetronic manual of the Orcus 1 Orcus 1. I was flabbergasted, but I had to know.

"And what are you going to do with all this information?"

His reply was as cryptic as I could imagine. I pressed him later, but he would not elucidate me on what he meant.

What he had said was, "I have to find out what they are saying."

"What who are saying?"

He turned to me and said, "The planets."

NASA Orcus 1 Orcus 1 : : Sol System : Flight Path Pluto-Luna:

EPS Security Monitor : (Command Bridge)

January 10, 2091

3:11:27 PM EST to 3:17:13 PM EST

3:11:27.

The EPS view shows the command bridge of Orcus 1 Orcus 1.

3:11:27.

Present are Captain Justine Turner monitoring the command chair, First Mate Helen Buchanan at helm, and Dale Powers (Astrogation) at navigation.

3:11:27.

Activity is minimal.

3:11:35.

Log indicates routine implementation of breaking procedure in antic.i.p.ation of attaining a solar orbit ahead of Earth's...o...b..t at 58,154 kilometers per hour.

3:11:58.

Proximity klaxon sounds.

3:11:59.

Activity increases.

3:12:02.

Captain Turner: What the h.e.l.l is that? Give me a visual right now!

3:12:04.

Dale Powers initiates long-range magnification sensor optics from navigation.

3:12:04.

Trajectory computations appear on helm computer cas.e.m.e.nt.

3:12:13.

Dale Powers: I can't get a fix. Working on it.

3:12:15.

Helen Buchanan: It's approaching at 102% present speed; impact in ten minutes, twelve seconds, mark!

3:12:19.

Captain Turner: Don't tell me we've got another frigging runaway asteroid!

3:12:20.

George Eastmain and Sakami Chin enter.

3:12:21.

Alex Manez stands in portal to command bridge, watches.

3:12:23.

Sakami Chin: What the h.e.l.l is going on?

3:12:25.

Helen Buchanan: Negative on that, Captain! It's not an asteroid. Magnetic Doppler s.h.i.+ft indicates it's a s.h.i.+p. Sensors also read exhaust emissions.

3:12:27.

George Eastmain: What did you say? A s.h.i.+p?

3:12:32.

Dale Powers: Affirmative on that. We've got a visual; it's not great at this distance, but you can tell it's an artificial coming at us.

3:12:35.

George Eastmain and Sakami Chin hurry to their stations.

3:12:58.

Helen Buchanan: They're not responding to comm. I've initiated SOS and warning transmissions; they're not responding to either of those!