There were a few other rare treats held in store, like extra bottles of wine, but Forrest held these items secret in the cargo bay—where none of the civilians were permitted for security reasons—and told them they would have to wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas to find out what they were.
One morning three months after impact, Danzig stepped into the cafeteria where Forrest and Veronica were working on a large jigsaw puzzle with some of the children. “You’d better come have a listen to this, Jack.”
“What’s up?” Forrest said, getting up from the table. Veronica followed them out of the room and down the hall toward Launch Control.
“Picked up an odd radio signal,” Danzig said. “In Morse code, all numbers.”
“An encrypted code, probably military.”
“Maybe, but Wayne says it’s a conversation.”
“That is odd.”
They stepped into Launch Control, where Michael and the rest of the men were standing around listening to the steady stream of electronic dots and dashes. Ulrich was sitting at the console scribbling down the numbers as fast as they were being transmitted.
“Hey, dude,” Forrest whispered into Danzig’s ear. “You’re getting a little ripe.”
Danzig smelled his pits. “It’s that crappy deodorant we bought. I’ll switch to antiperspirant.”
“What do we got, Stumpy?” Forrest said, putting a hand on Ulrich’s shoulder.
Ulrich waved at him to shut up, trying to keep up with the telegraphers. “It’s a conversation,” he said during a brief pause. “Two different hands, both experts.”
“Different hands?” Michael asked.
“All telegraphers have a different pace,” Kane explained. “Their own rhythm.”
“You mean he can tell the difference between who’s tapping?” Michael said. “It all sounds exactly the same.”
Ulrich shushed him as the transmission began again, and a couple of minutes later the conversation stopped completely. “Looks like that’s it for now,” he said, sitting back and looking at the stream of numbers on the pad. “They were deciphering during all those short pauses, so they’re probably using an agreed-upon text, but we don’t have the software to crack a code like that.”
“Can I see what you wrote down?” Melissa asked from where she stood in the doorway with Laddie.
“Sure, honey.” Ulrich reached between the men to hand her the pad.
“How did you find the signal?” Forrest asked.
“They’re using such a high frequency, I almost didn’t. It was an accident, really.”
“Could they hear us if we tried talking to them?” Michael asked.
“Not sure,” Ulrich said. “I’ve got no way of knowing how far away they are. But it doesn’t matter. We’re not breaking radio silence.”
“We’ll continue to monitor that frequency,” Forrest said. “You never know.”
Later that night Forrest was down in the electrical room preparing for his ride on one of the bicycle chargers when Veronica came in and shut the door, standing with her back against it.
“Come to take a spin?” he said.
She shook her head. “Missed you at cards tonight.”
“I felt like hanging out alone in the LC.”
“One of those nights?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
She pushed away from the door and walked over to him, putting her hands on his chest. “I’ve decided what I want.”
“Oh? And what’s Michael have to say about it?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters!”
“Why? You said I needed to figure what I wanted… Now I have and you’re flipping the script on me.”
“Flipping the script?”
“Don’t dodge the question.”
“Much as I wish I felt otherwise, Veronica, I’ve got a lot of respect for the man. He’s a huge part of why we’ve been so successful to this point. His counseling sessions have probably averted two or three nervous breakdowns already, and I can’t believe how popular those stupid jigsaw puzzles are.”
She stood looking at him. “Jigsaw puzzles? I’m trying to give myself to you, and you’re talking about jigsaw puzzles?”
“I’m talking about respect, honor, integ— No, check that. One man’s integrity is another man’s bullshit excuse. Loyalty. The man’s earned my loyalty.”
“So loyalty’s what’s changed since three months ago when you jammed your tongue down my throat?”
He frowned. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“You know, you’re a real piece of work,” she said, stepping back. “You promised me, Jack. Remember? Remember all that bullshit about not repeating or breaking promises?”
“Unfortunately I do,” he said, lowering his gaze. “And I’m sorry.”
“So I don’t rate the same respect that Michael does. Or is it a guy thing? Bros before hos?”
He looked at her. “It sure as hell isn’t that.”
“You’re the only reason I’m even down here, Jack. And now I find out it’s been one big mind fuck.”
“Okay, stop! That’s taking it too far. I’ve never been anything but kind to you.”
“Until now. Until you made me feel like a complete fucking idiot.” She turned around, walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.
Forrest stood looking at the door. “An absolutely impossible situation,” he said in frustration, reaching for his shirt to fish out his pack of Camels.
Veronica came back in just as he was about to light up. She turned to close the door and stood with her back to him, as though she were unsure if she should speak.
He waited, suspecting that she was really going to let him have it this time.
“Do you know what?” she asked quietly.
“What?”
She turned around looking very serious. “You just got punked so fucking bad.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” he said, the cigarette dangling from his lip.
“Michael and I split up, you dope! You haven’t heard? He wants to be with Karen.”
“I’m the last one to hear about everything down here, and it’s giving me a case of the red ass.”
“Oh, stop whining. You wanted to be in charge.” She came flouncing toward him and fell into his arms. “I’m yours at last,” she said dramatically. “Yours at last, Jack.”
He stood holding her with a stupid grin on his face, and took the cigarette from his lips. “You laid me lower than whale shit a second ago. That was cruel.”
“I couldn’t resist,” she said, smiling, gazing into his eyes. “I had to see how you’d react. And I’d have been disappointed if you hadn’t turned me away, by the way. I’d have kept you but I’d have been disappointed.”
“Kept me?”
“You’ve been mine since the day you set eyes on me, Jack Forrest, and don’t even try to deny it.”
“I seem to remember turning you away a minute ago,” he said, his lips only inches from hers now as he stared back into her soft brown eyes.
“And it killed you. I could see it on your face.”
“You’re the most beautiful goddamn woman I’ve ever seen,” he said, kissing her.
“I want you right now,” she said, suddenly wanton. “Right here!”
“But I need to go get—”
“I’ve come prepared,” she said with a grin, pulling a condom from her pocket.
They dropped their pants and Veronica turned around, taking hold of the handlebars on the bike.
“Take me now,” she whispered. “Hurry, before I fucking scream.”