“So you plugged in the genetic code and it matched?” Rock asked.
“Not exactly,” Marge began. “The entire code was not a match, however, half the human DNA string does fit the signal at nearly ninety-nine percent. I think they’re trying to communicate with us biologically if not mathematically.”
“So then why kill us? I mean, it looks pretty much like their signals were fatal to the Russian crew. Why kill those with whom you’re trying to communicate with?”
Marge shrugged and leaned back in her chair. “Maybe they want something different from us than our attempts to retrieve their diamond-looking transmitter.”
Rock rubbed his chin and then his eyes; he had slept little the last twenty-four hours and would most likely repeat this for the next twenty-four. “I’ll run this by Mr. Smith and see what he and his team thinks. Do you have anything else?”
“Well, for now, no, but I’ll be working on it at my console. Just keep an eye on their systems, especially the computers. If anything fails, it will be those first, and that would pretty much doom them when that missile arrives.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to have a serious discussion with Mr. Smith about this one. They shouldn’t be in this type of situation—”
Rock was interrupted by Jack, who stuck his head in the door. “They’re almost to target.”
“On our way,” Rock said, gathering up his binder and giving Marge one last look. “See what you can do, Marge. We literally have only one hour.”
Chapter 30
Contact
Chinese Nuclear Missile GX101A
Approaching the Moon
In the near future, Day 48
The Chinese missile received its input command, and for the second time in as many hours, its rocket motor ignited and boosted its velocity relative to the system’s planet and sole moon by twelve percent before shutting off and lighting up its radar system located in the nose cone. It acquired the alien signal and used it to home in on as a beacon sweeping with its radar, which was being used only to obtain a fix on the missile’s current location relative to the moon.
In two hours, it would impact the moon’s surface at or near the alien device, releasing over a hundred megatons equivalent of TNT and obliterating the alien device once and for all. Anything within a twenty-five mile blast radius would either be destroyed or suffer catastrophic failure.
Alien Device
Surface of the Moon, Mons Crater
In the near future, Day 48
“Houston, this is Blackjack. Approaching target site now. Alien device and Russian lander visible, do you copy?” Julie said, pulling back on the accelerator and decreasing their velocity considerably.
“Blackjack, this is Houston. Copy your transmission. You are a go for retrieval.”
“Do you see these readings, Jules?” Craig said via their intercom channel.
“Yeah, they are very close to red lining. No wonder the Russians had problems down here. My God, there’s one of them now,” Julie said as she slowly pulled the rover near the alien device.
The prone figure of a heavily suited astronaut lying face down a mere meter or so from the black obelisk seemed surreal to Julie. The area was dark except for the light glow of the diamond-looking tip on the device and the powerful overhead lights of the rover. She could see what looked like a large electrical saw on the ground near the prone Russian. It was modified to be heavily shielded and looked bulky as well.
“I’m going to pull around now, Craig. Are you ready?”
“Go ahead, Jules, I’m ready,” Craig responded.
Julie pushed the lever forward and then tilted the small T-bar to the right, turning the front wheels and executing a ninety-degree turn in front of the obelisk. She then jammed the lever to the rear and looked at her low tech mirrors as Craig started to release the robotic arms, one of which had a saw attachment mounted to it.
“Easy, Jules, ten more meters,” Craig said, guiding the rover back toward the obelisk so he could work.
“Just tell me I’m not going to run over the Russian,” Jules said, her voice serious.
“You’re fine. He’s a half meter to your left, my right. Just keep it coming, four more meters,” Craig continued. “Two meters, one meter, that’s good.”
Craig swung the robotic arms and extended them to the side. They were less than two meters away, and the arms had a three and a half meter reach, plenty of room for him to work. “Inform Houston I’m beginning the procedure.”
“Roger that, Craig,” Julie said, keying her mike. “Blackjack to Houston, we are commencing retrieval procedure now, over.”
The procedure, planned in detail before they took off, required them to back the cutting saw mounted on the robotic arms so that they could cut off one of what looked like three prongs holding the large white diamond mounted device so they could return it to earth. The rover had a compartment designed to hold it.
“This looks like it will be a tight fit, if I get it loose,” Craig said as Houston started to respond.
“Blackjack, this is Houston. Be advised that your TOS will be twenty-two minutes, over.”
“What the hell, I haven’t even begun yet,” Craig complained, hearing the announcement.
“I don’t know,” Julie began, “why they would limit our Time on Site? I’ll ask and you start working now.”
“Roger, initiating cutting now,” Craig said.
Julie heard the electric motor for the saw wind up, though there was no sound coming from outside—the vacuum of space prevented that—but the intense sparks that were flying were clearly visible as she keyed her mike. “Houston, this is Blackjack. Explanation for limited TOS, over?”
There was a long pause before the response. “Blackjack, this is Houston. ETA on inbound missile is now seventy-eight minutes. Do you copy?”
The sparks continued to fly, but Julie heard Craig’s response on the main channel. “That’s just fucking great.”
“Ah, Blackjack, be advised you’re still on open coms channel,” came the reply.
“Roger that, Houston, will advise on progress. Keep us updated. Over and out,” Julie responded, switching the mike off and activating her internal com. “Well, that went over well at mission control.”
“Sorry, Jules, I forgot the main channel remained open during hands-free operations. I needed to keep the thought to myself.”
“No need to apologize. You simply voiced what I was thinking as well. How we coming along with the procedure?”
The sparks stopped, and Jules watched in the mirror as Craig adjusted his spotlight remotely. “Damn it, not a scratch. I can’t see where we even impacted the prong.”
“Are you sure? I saw an awful lot of sparks flying. Something had to be giving,” Julie said.
“I’m positive. Hang on a sec,” Craig said. “Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.”
“What now?” Julie asked.
“The saw blade is all but useless. It’s chipped and warped, all in less than two minutes of cutting. This damn thing isn’t going anywhere.”
“I’ll let Houston know right away. Looks like this entire trip might be for naught,” Julie said, reaching to key the main channel mike, but the receiver cackled first.
“Blackjack, this is Houston. We don’t think you’ll be able to separate the transmitter from its mount, over.”
There was a pause before Craig’s voice came across the internal channel, somewhat muted. “No shit, Sherlock. Now they tell us?”