“We got access to the cannon AI.”
“And there was nothing?”
“Well, we suspect Charlotte Hill was upset because she didn’t get any credit for what she’d done. She was the person who located the pods. And she did it by ignoring Housman’s instructions. He might have been concerned that she was going to make an issue of it when they got back home.”
“Which meant he’d lose his reputation.”
“It wouldn’t help.”
“So you think the animosity between them led to what happened?”
“Probably.”
“Which one did it?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, Gabe.”
“There would have been time for one of them to arrange for someone to come to the rescue.”
“You think Housman or Charlotte could have gotten picked up by an accomplice and is still alive somewhere now?”
“It would have been a bit tricky to set up, but I don’t see why not.”
“That’s possible, I guess. In any case, yes, Alex thinks Housman’s behind it. When’s the last time he’s been wrong about something like this?”
“But the AI didn’t provide anything definitive?”
“No.” I’d been taking too much time off and had gotten behind in my work. So I said good-bye to Gabe, went back to my office, and started putting together the month’s accounting statement. I was still working on it when Jacob informed me there was a call from Karen Randall.
She appeared in my office, dressed in white khakis and an amber blouse. A crimson neckerchief hung across her shoulders. she said.
“Not really, Karen,” I said. “Truth is, we got nothing.”
She gave me a weak smile.
I don’t think I expected much.
Science Today. .
“Sure.”
She paused.
“And . . . ?”
“Archie’s avatar mentioned Pollux,” said Alex. “I can’t believe we missed that. Maybe we’ve been chasing the wrong targets.”
“And what would that be? She sent a message to a star?”
“Exactly. Think about it: Charlotte was aware that Housman was not happy with her. She probably had no idea what to expect. How far he might go. She knew they were approaching a place in the orbit that would prevent her sending an immediate transmission if something happened. If Housman was going to do something crazy, but didn’t want it to be found out, that would be the time he’d do it.”
“So what are you suggesting?”
He held up a hand. “Hold on a second. Jacob, you there?”
“Would Pollux have been visible from Octavia during the period when she had no direct contact with anyone?”
It took only slightly longer. always
“So what have we got?” I asked. “What was Charlotte trying to tell Karen Randall? Was it a cry for help?”
“The transmission couldn’t have been anything like that. If somebody went berserk, there was no way they could get assistance. At the time she talked to Karen, the situation for Charlotte and the others was probably threatening but not life-and-death. She didn’t want to send a message to Karen making wild accusations against one of her partners, and then, if nothing happened, find out she’d overstated everything.”
“Oh. So it would simply have been an account of what was going on. And she sent it to Pollux.”
“Right. It’s about twenty light-years from the black hole.”
It made sense. There was nobody out there now, and probably wouldn’t be anyone listening in another eight years when the transmission arrived. “So what—?” I said.
“It would have been intended simply as a precaution. If Charlotte was wrong, and Housman didn’t do something crazy, nobody would ever think about it, and the message would pass into infinity.”
“Charlotte’s blunder,” I said, “was that she probably thought it would have been obvious to Karen what she was talking about. Pollux is a bright star at the center of their sky. But Karen thought she was talking about a person, and that was the way she gave it to us.”
He grumbled something. “I can’t believe I missed it.”
“All right. Let’s take a look. All we have to do is chase it down.”
“Right. We know exactly, within a few hours, when it would have been sent, so it should be easy to intercept.”
“When are we leaving?”
I met Chad at the Hillside Café that evening. The sun was sinking into the mountains when I walked in. He smiled and waved from a booth beside a window. The piano was playing softly in the background and a group of about a dozen people were celebrating someone’s birthday.
He got up, took me in his arms, and told me how good I looked. Then he asked what was wrong. He’d heard something in my tone when I called. And it was still hanging over his head. “So what’s happening?” he asked.
“We’re heading out again.”
He showed no sign of surprise. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
“What’s it about this time? Octavia again?”
“Yes.”
The table asked if we were ready to order. “In a minute,” Chad said. A darkness was creeping into his eyes. “Where are you going now?”
Alex had suggested we not discuss the details with anyone. “It’s a long run, Chad.”
“How long?”
“We’ll be gone about four weeks.”
“This is never going to end, is it?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t have any control over this. It’s what I do for a living.”
He was studying me as if we’d just met. “You don’t need the extra money.” He stopped, grimaced, and brushed his hair back. “Look, I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life, Chase, but this just isn’t working. You go out on these flights all the time. When you get back—at the end of next month—is there any chance you’ll be here for a while?”
“I might. We’ve been doing an unusual amount of traveling lately. I know that. It’s not usually like this.”
“Yeah. Great. But there’s no guarantee, is there? You might be home for a couple of days and then be on your way somewhere again?”
“I know it’s a problem, Chad. I just can’t walk away from my job.”
“May I ask a question? What happens if we develop a serious relationship?”
“I’m not sure. Have we gotten that far?”
“I don’t know. Have we?” He simply sat breathing for a few moments. “Assume for a minute you actually wanted to confront the problem, are there positions for interstellar pilots that wouldn’t have you constantly out for weeks and months at a time?”