《Enceladus Contact》 Chapter 1 – Contact in BInary? THE WHINE of air escaping from a punctured space-suit was unmistakable. ViktoriyaVikki to her friends and crewmatesknew that her time was up: it was only a matter of seconds. The suits oxygen level would fall to below breathable level in less than a minute, judging by the rate at which air was leaking outand after that she would have a bare thirty seconds of consciousness before she passed out from anoxia. And worse would come after that, with blood vessels rup-turing in the near vacuum. If she could but grab an emergency patch from her backpack and slap it on the puncture in time but her arms were pinioned. Her thoughts were crowding in on herfor in extremis, at the point of death, ones thoughts race through ones head like a hurri-canewhereas in relaxation thoughts can be as sluggish as a glacier. She remembered her decompression drillso often repeated during training, but so utterly useless now. Dont try to hold your breath against the vacuumyoull only burst your lungs. Exhale deeply, then exhale again, shut your eyes, and wait for rescue. Some hope! She had been out investigating the mysterious hummock, shaped more or less like a giant slugabout four metres high and wide and thirty metres longthat stood out conspicuously from the otherwise almost level plain that made up much of the icy surface of this region of Saturns moon Enceladus. Andfoolishlyshe had set out on her own, defying all the protocols. After all, the hummock was only about one kilometre away from where the Valentina lay moored to the ice, alongside the semi-permanent base which the crew were busy erecting. She was the expeditions chief geologist and glaci-ologist, so it was surely her dutyand she was eager to investigate any unusual surface phenomenon. Besides, no-one else could be spared from their work. In the end, Alex Zygmond, the mission commander, had reluctantly allowed her to goprovided that she remained within sight and, of course, with her radio switched on. So she had walkedinsofar as walking was possible in the weak gravity of Enceladus, little more than a hundredth of Earthsit was more like gentle hopping. She had made her way with the help of crampons towards the strange hummock. Possibly it was just a snowdriftbut the expeditions base was several tens of kilometres away from the nearest geothermal vent which might spew liquid water and methane out into the vacuum, to fall gently as snow in the surrounding area. If this was a snowdrift it was nowhere near where it ought to be. And moreover, normally on a world like Enceladus, the snow would tend to settle in a level layer, there being no wind to whip it up into drifts. Vikki had arrived at the hummock and was carefully examining it by Saturn-lightit was night-time but Saturn, at full phase and vastly spanning almost one-sixth of the sky overhead, cast enough light to work by. Certainly the feature looked at first sight like a heap of snowwater snow, not methane snowbut snow that had part-ially melted and then re-frozen forming a granular surface of larger crystals. A common enough occurrence on Earth, but here she could not think of any explanation. Enceladus was one of the coldest places in the Solar System: no way could the feeble suns heat have melted the water-ice during the brief daytime. Should she collect a sample and bring it to the base for analysis? Tentatively she had prodded the hummock with a gloved finger. It was not friable like snow. The surface felt like some sort of integument, softly yielding under pressurelike the skin of some large animal. But a skin with a granular texture. Hastily she drew her hand back. Something was happening. An edge of the hummock, where it made contact with the surface ice, had lifted, and a vertical fissure was opening: a dark slit-like aperture. Startled, Vikki took a hasty step backwardsbut in the negligible gravity the only result was that she launched herself into the airor would have if this moon had any air. At least she hoped to evade whatever might emerge from that dark slit. But she was not quick enough. A black glistening tentacle, tipped with what appeared to be a nasty-looking appendage like a lobsters claw, whipped out of the slit and coiled itself around her like a snake, pinioning her arms; then it retracted, pulling her back to the ground. It was then that she knew her suit was punctured. Her screams would be heard over the radio, of course, but there was no chance that help would arrive in time ------ It was pitch dark. Vikki gradually slipped back into consciousness and took stock. So she was alive! Or was this some sort of afterlife? Noa staunch materialist and agnostic, she had never believed in any of that stuff. She was in airshe could breathe. She was good at sensing the ambient pressure, and this felt like the pressure that was maintained aboard the Valentina, as well as in the space-suits. Forty kilopascals, about 0.4 atmospheres, made up of a mixture of about 70% oxygen and 30% inert gases, with a trace of CO2 and water vapour. Familiar airstandard across all SSSA (Solar System Space Agen-cy) in-space facilities. So she must have been rescued, and be back aboard the Valentina. But why was it so darkor had the vacuum exposure blinded her? And how long had she been unconscious? In a panic, she shakily groped the space around her. She was lying on a cold, slightly yielding surfacebut not soft like a blanket, instead it felt scaly, like a snakes skin. None of the bunks on the Valentina were covered in material like thatso perhaps she wasnt back aboard ship. But she was still feeling the microgravity, so she must still be on Enceladusbut where? Had her crewmates finished setting up the base, and had it been equipped with this unusual bunk material? And where was her space-suither punctured space-suit she now recalled? Had it been taken away to be repaired? At least she still had her jumpsuit on: just as well, because she realised that she was feeling rather coldshivering even. How had she survived; how had she come to this? And how could she ever find anything in this blackness? Suddenly it wasnt completely dark. Several rows of dim green shapessquaresgradually formed in what appeared to be a ceiling above her head. Whatever they indicated, they conveyed no inform-ation she could understand. Just long arrays of squares. So she wasnt blind, thankfully. But was this a message of some sort? An alien message?because it wasnt in any language she could understand. Or was it? There appeared to be only two different symbols: a solid square and a hollow square, in a seemingly random sequence. But was it quite random? Morse codedots and dashes? Vikki knew a few characters from the long-obsolete Morse system: a single dot for E; a single dash for T, dot-dash for A, and so on. No, it didnt look like Morse. But she looked at the squares more intently and then it dawned on her. They were arranged in groups of eight, with gaps between each group. Two different symbols 0 and 1 bits? Bytes! Bytes written out in binary code. ASCII code? Now, which were the 0s and which were the 1s? Time to start decoding. Luckily, Vikki recalled that she had a notebook and a pencil in the pocket of her jumpsuit. Were they still there? Yes! She tried tentatively decoding the groups, starting from the top left. 01101001. She counted: 69 in hexletter i in ASCII. Yes! we are getting somewhere: this could be a message. Time to write down a table of all the letters of the alphabet in order, and then their ASCII-hex representations. She knew that the lower-case letters began with 61hthanks to the basic science and IT segments which were part of general spaceflight training. Next group: 00010001. 11 in hex. Vikki couldnt remember what 11H stood for in ASCII, but it wasnt in her table: it wasnt a letter: it wasnt even printable, she thought. All right. Swap the 0s and the 1s. Then we get 10010110 11101110. 96H followed by EEH. Even worse: this made no sense at all. So much for being the first human to make contact with what seemed to be intelligent alien beings! If this really was the work of extraterrestrials, maybe they were sending her a message. Vikki might well be the most important person in the Solar System at this moment. But if she couldnt decipher the message, what was the use? What did she know so far? These beings grouped bits into bytesthat seemed evident. Had they picked up that format by listening in on messages between Valentina and Earth, or Valentina and Ceres, or Valentina and Ganymede? Or other traffic criss-crossing the Solar System? There had been a lot of radio communication, and the data was indeed grouped in bytes. But perhaps grouping of data into clusters of eight bitsa power of twowas intuitive anyway. A completely alien species might well have hit upon the same system. After all powers-of-two were relatively easy for binary computers to work withand these aliens must surely know about computers. Vikki sighed. She put the notebook back in her pocket. Sitting up for a moment, she surveyed her surroundings as best she could in the dim light shed by the squares. She was in an enclosed space, some-what irregular in shape but roughly cubical. Floor, walls, and ceiling all had the same scaly texture. It was almost as if a huge reptiles (dinosaurs?) skin had been turned inside out, and she was inside it. Everything had this greenish tinge, but that was probably due to the colour of the illuminated squares. No sign of any doorway, nor furn-iture of any kind. No visible food or drinknor in fact anything that might serve as a toilet. If she was going to be confined here for long, she would certainly die of starvation and thirstair or no air. She might have made First Contactbut be doomed never to tell anyone about it If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Unless she could figure out the messageand somehow reply to it. How long had she spent puzzling over it? About half an hour she reckonedshe didnt have her watch on herbut she was dog-tired. Best to rest for a while. Vikki lay back again: the surface she lay on was quite comfortable, if a bit chilly, and she soon dozed off. ------ Vikki woke with a start. She had been dreaming: dreaming that she was trapped in a hall of mirrorstrapped and running frantically this way and that, colliding with her own reflection, unable to escape. She shook herself and waited for the disorientation which comes with sudden awakening from a dream to ease off. She rubbed her eyes. At least the green squares were still there. Time to address herself once more to the task of trying to figure out the message. Was there some arcane clue buried in the dream? Had her sub-conscious been trying to tell her something? Hall of mirrors! What was it about mirrors? Of course! Mirrors reverse right and left. At least, if you hold written text up to a mirror, you see it in reverse. English words would run from right to left. Why hadnt Vikki thought of this before? If the aliens had no knowledge of human written orthography, they could not tell whether any particular language was written from left-to-right or vice-versa. Grab that notebook again and get scribbling, reading the groups from right to left. Lets assume that the solid squares are 0s and the hollow squares are 1s. 79H, 6FH, 75H, 20H Three lower-case letters followed by a space! y, o, v, then a space. Yov. Well, whatever that means, it isnt English. Nowait! Vikki had miscounted: 75H is the letter u, not v. You. Excitedly, Vikki painstakingly worked out the rest of the message: you will release one orbit That was certainly a message in English, although it didnt make a lot of sense. So the aliens (Vikki was convinced she was in the grip of aliens, now) had somehow learnt a form of English by listening in on messages sent out or received by Valentina. The data would have been compressed, Vikki thoughtso the aliens must have also figured out the compression system. Clearly they must be super-intelligent! But their grammar wasnt quite up to the mark. Vikki would re-lease what? Perhaps it meant, she was to be released after one orbit. Presumably one orbit of Enceladus about Saturn, which was also the length of Enceladus dayabout 33 hours. That was encouragingif she could survive that long. But how to tell the aliens that she needed her space-suitand food and drink? She stood up carefully in the low gravity. She was feeling really chilly now, and she did her best to warm up by hugging herself and gently lifting and lowering her legs. The ceiling was only a metre or so above her head and she had to be careful not to bang her head on it by too much exertion. She surveyed her surroundings more intensely. Ah! There was something on one of the wallssomething shed missed until now. Two symbols side by side: faint representations of a solid square and a hollow square, in black against the greenish background: Unlike the symbols on the ceiling, they were not illuminated. Were they the input interface: some kind of keyboard? Tentatively she reached over and touched the solid square. Then she looked up. Beneath the text she had already seen, there was a new illuminated squarebut this time it was in red: Very good. User input. Vikki could type in binarytedious but it would get her somewhere. But a keyboard with just two keys wouldnt be much use unless she could backspace over any errors. Surely the aliens must have thought of thisor were they so super-intelligent that they never made a mistake? No: there ought to be a way to backspace. She touched the solid square again, but this time held her finger on it for a few seconds. Yes: the red square dis-appeared. So she could correct any errors. Time to put a question to them. Would the aliens understand her request? And what should she ask for? Did she need to ask for anything? If the aliens were keeping her alive in a breathable atmosphereand if they were really promising to release her, surely they were benevolent? But would they under-stand a humans basic needs? Her space-suit was probably the first priority. Even if it hadnt been repaired, it would contain a small supply of water and com-pressed emergency rations. Enough to keep her alive for what was left of the 33 hours, perhaps. And wearing it would keep her warm. She would need to relieve herself at some pointusing the hideous-ly uncomfortable space-suit catheterbut that could wait. She was still shivering: she must get a message out without delay before her fingers became too numb. Out with the notebook again. She tentatively wrote down a mess-age: i need my space suit No: perhaps space suit wouldnt be understood. And the my was superfluous. She crossed out what shed written and wrote: i need pressure suit Using the lookup table which shed already written out in her notebook, she laboriously converted each character of her message into ASCII hex,: 69 20 6E 65 65 64 20 70 72 65 73 73 75 72 65 20 73 75 69 74 Now to get to work. Would it be high bit first or low bit first? Vikki looked at the green text and reasoned that it was probably the formeralthough if she was wrong the aliens would probably figure it out. She started typing, gingerly with one finger: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and so on, until the whole message was out. As expected, the text built up on the ceiling in red squares running from right to left. Barring a few mistakes which she carefully corrected, she was doing it right. Now all she could do was sit and wait. ------ It was over an hour before something did happen. As before with the strange hummock, a part of one of the walls curled up at its base, a dark vertical slit formedand sure enough, a dark glistening tentacle slowly emerged from the slit. Vikki shuddered and hopped back to the further wall, but this time the tentacle made no attempt to grab her. Instead it looped its claw-end back into the slit and then re-emerged drawing in a bundle, which it deposited in the middle of the room; then the tentacle retracted into the slit which promptly closed. Vikki cautiously approached the bundle and sighed with relief: it consisted of her balaclava, socks, and space-suitneatly rolled up. No sign of the backpack or helmet, but maybe those would come later So her request had been understood. She thankfully donned her balaclava and socks, relieved to gain some protection from the cold, and reached into the suit for an emergency ration bar and drink bubble. She was both thirsty and ravenous. She alsouncomfortablymade use of the catheter in the suit to relieve herself. The ration bar was tasteless and uninspiringsome sort of high-energy synthetic foodbut that was what it was meant to be: for emergency consumption only: not something to be relished! Examining the suit closely, Vikki discovered that the puncture had been patchedbut not with a patch from her backpack: this patch was entirely alien, hexagonal in shape, and appeared to composed of the same scaly material as the rooms walls, floor and ceiling. Never-theless it seemed to adhere well to the suits surface, and hopefully was stopping the leak. She wondered whether to put on the suitit would hamper her but it would keep her warmer, although without helmet or backpack she couldnt turn on the heater or display, and it wouldnt be much use outside. In the end she made up her mind and wriggled into it. Where were the helmet and backpack? Why hadnt they been returned to her at the same time as the suit? Vikki waited for what she reckoned was another hour. At least she wasnt shivering any morealthough being able to switch on the suits heater would have been welcome. She was still hungry but thought it best to conserve the remaining ration bars for now. Now another slit opened in a different wall, opposite the one where the first had appeared. Vikki stood still and waited to see what might be delivered this time. But the tentacle that emerged was different from the others: it ended not in a claw but in a bunch of smaller tentacles, almost like fingers. It reached out towards Vikkis face. Seen in close-up, she could see that each fingerthere were six in allended in a small hemispherical swelling rather like the sucker cup on a toy arrow. She shrank back but the tentacle was deter-minedly closing in on her face. Best to submit, she decided, not without a shudder. Whatever these aliens were, they didnt appear to be hostile. But why wouldnt they show themselves, instead of just extending their tentacles out through a dark slit? Perhaps they reasoned that the sight of the complete creature would be too disturbing? Vikki could well understand that. She had read Arthur C. Clarkes Childhoods End, in which the devil-like aliens wait fifty years before showing themselves The tentacles fingers deftly probed her face. They felt warm and drynot quite like human fingers but close enough. Perhaps they were performing some sort of medical check on her. But then, all of a sudden, the fingered tentacle slithered down into the collar of her space-suitand not only that, it wormed its way inside her jumpsuit and even her underwear. Vikki managed to suppress an impulse to squeal in protest, just in time. She reasoned: how could these aliens understand anything about human modesty and immodesty? They were only being help-ful. Best to pretend she was being intimately examined by a gynae-cologist. In fact, that seemed to be a pretty good analogy: she was sure now that the aliens were just performing a medical to assure themselves of her well-being before they released her. And the sensation was not unpleasant. After a few minutes the examination stopped and the tentacle withdrew into its slot. Almost at the same time, the slot on the other side re-opened and, to her relief, her helmet and backpack appeared. Hastily she strapped on the backpack and connected it up, then she donned her helmet, clamped it down, and powered up the suit. Batteries still showed nearly full charge, and plenty of oxygen reserve. Good. They must be planning to let her out, and she would have no trouble getting back to the Valentina. It was nowhere near thirty-three hours since she had woken up, but perhaps the one orbit the aliens had mentioned, meant the maximum time she would have to wait. There was something odd about her suitbut for the moment Vikki was too excited to notice. Sure enough, the head-up display showed her that the pressure outside her suit was dropping. The aliens must be operating this room as a sort of airlock. When the pressure had dropped to almost zero, a much wider aperture opened on one of the walls. And through the aperture, instead of complete darkness, Vikki could see the bleak surface of Enceladus, dimly lit by Saturn-light, stretching out ahead of her. She was free! Excitedly she hopped through the door and onto the Enceladean ice. She was standing right next to the hummockso her place of captivity had indeed been inside it. Somehow ------ It was only as she was rounding the hummockor alien spaceship, not of Enceladus, as she must surely now regard itthat it clicked with Vikki: what the anomaly was. The date and time indications on her head-up display showed that she had been out of contact for nearly fourteen days! And all that time, equipped with a space-suit that held only six hours worth of oxygen. Was her suit lying? If not, what would they have been thinking at the Valentina? They must surely have presumed her dead Should she tell the truth? That she had been held captive by aliens inside some sort of spaceship? Vikki stopped and considered her options as she stood by the hummock, hidden from view from the Valentina. No! Firstly, she would surely never be believed. Theneven if her crewmates did believe her incredible storythat she was indeed the first human to make contact with an alien intelligencesurely that odious Dr Murielle dAnterre, the expeditions exo-biologist, would take the credit to herself. Vikki needed a cover story. She took her time trying desperately to think up something plausible, before she showed herself. Not with much hopeshe would have to try her best. Chapter 2 – Doubts and Frustration WHAT THE fuck have you been up to, Dr Viktoriya Andreyevna Rozhkova? It did not need the profanity to make clear to Vikki Rozhkova that Mission Commander AlexAlexandra Zygmondwas in a fury. Usually she addressed Vikkilike any other crew memberby her familiar first name Vikki. To use her full name, Russian patro-nymic even, was quite exceptional. Alexs face was almost purple with rage, her lips drawn back in a snarl, her face so close to Vikkis, that Vikki almost gagged on that dreadful perfume (not as obnoxious as Murielles, luckily. Vikki loathed perfume and never used it. Why was it even allowed on space missions?). Vikki was used to Alexs authoritarian persona at the best of times, but she could not help recoiling, sweat beading from her hairline, as she cowered on the bridge of the Valentina. She was struck dumb. She hadnt expected this sort of reception, not after the apparent miracle of seemingly coming back to life days after shed been presumed dead It was some time before Vikki spoke up. Its complicated, Alex Commander Zygmond. I hardly know where to begin Indeed it must be complicated. Have you the slightest idea how complicated its been for the rest of us? So you promise to stay within sight and with your radio on, while you examine that snow-drift, or whatever it is. You prance off, and promptly dive behind that thingvanish from view. We hear what sounds like a shout or a scream over the radiothen silence. Your tracker cuts off too. Of course we send out a search party at once. Our guess is, youve fallen into a crevasse or a sinkholebut we found no crevasses or sinkholes in the neighbourhood when we last checked and we found none this time. We search all round but can find no trace of you. After some six hoursremember, your suit only holds six hours oxygenwe have to assume that youre dead. We notify Earth. We notify the SSSA and are still awaiting instructions from them. Your parents and your brother have been told of your sad demise. What do we tell them now? Of course we go on searching for two whole daysEnceladus days, that is: nearly three Earth-dayshoping to recover your body. No luck. We even dig into that snowdrift of yours You dug into the snowdrift? But you couldnt have! interrupted Vikki. Its not a snowdrift, its a She caught herself just in time. It would not do to reveal her discovery that the hummock was in fact some kind of alien artefact: a spaceship even. Not yet!not until she was more sure of herself and could claim the credit. Its rather more solid than a snowdriftlike a mound of re-frozen water-snow, she continued, lamely. The lie was not far from the truth, after all. Not what we found, continued Alex. We checked all over. Just a loose pile of CO2 snow, with a trace of methane snow. Water snow, you mean. Thats what it looks like. We took a sample, and its definitely CO2 and methane snow. You think I cant tell the difference, Commander? retorted Vikki. One glance was enough to tell me, it looked like partially melted and re-frozen water snow, just like on Earth. She stopped. Had she run away with her remarks? It would never do to sound patronisingespecially not with Alex! But Alex was unfazed. I can only surmise, she continued, that you were imagining things. Were you drunk, or otherwise dis-oriented? Had you been fiddling with your oxygengiven yourself hypoxia or hyperoxia? I had done no such thing. But I was disoriented, certainly. I thought I was starting to lose air. Maybe my suit was playing up? Theres nothing wrong with your suit. We checkedor rather, Dr Ye, here, checked it over as soon as you took it off. Plenty of oxygen reserve. She nodded to Dr Ye Wu-Jia, the missions medical and life support officer, standing beside her: he nodded back. Had they noticed the patch? The aliens patch? Vikki would have to invent a cover story for thatas soon as she could get her hands on her suit once more. Wellanyway, I must have passed out, I suppose. How I stayed alive how long was it? You were out of contact for fourteen days. Ten Enceladus-days, that is. Without oxygen! Thats incredible, to say the least. Neverthe-less, we have to find out how it is you managed to survive that long without air, food or water. Have you any more to say, Vikki? At least Alex was addressing her by her familiar name once again. Her aggressive stance had softened somewhat! Vikki was silent for a while. If she had ever contrived any sort of cover story, it was falling apart. She tried a desperate ploy: Alexdo you believe in miracles? No, I dont believe in miracles. Are you about to tell us how some sort of angel or god descended on Enceladus and nurtured you for fourteen days? Well, AlexI hardly know how to explain it, either. Cant people exposed to extreme cold go without air or water for many days? Thats possiblebut you dont show any visible signs of hypo-thermia, Vikki, put in Dr Ye. I shall of course be checking you over thoroughlybut for now I can only say, I find your survival inexplicable. I cant argue with that. But, somehow, Im alive. Can we move oncan I get on with my work, then? You can catch up on your reports, Vikkibut youre confined to the ship, or to the base once were ready to occupy ituntil I give further orders. And furthermore, youll report to sick bay for the next two days, to give Dr Ye a chance to give you a proper check-up. ButAlexI really need to investigate the features outsideespecially the hummock. Thats my primary assignment on this mission, surely? Please can I go outside, Alex? You are confined to the ship and base until I decide otherwise, and thats an order, Viktoriya. So no more arguments please. Im sure you understand the need for this. Y-yes: I suppose so, muttered Vikki, disconsolately. So much for having an opportunity to learn more about the artefact! And surely one or other of her crewmates would go exploring, and learn its secret. Dr Murielle, in all probability. Would Vikki still be able to claim priority: claim First Contact for herself? After all, it hadnt been much of a contact: just a few words tapped out laboriously in binary. Could the aliens be taught somehow to communicate more readably? And Vikki knew that she could not just ask for her space-suit back. Alex would surely suspect her of wanting to go outside again, and would discipline her more severely. Insubordination or whatever. But perhaps Dr Ye would be more sympathetic. ------ Dr Ye Wu-Jia, who preferred his crewmates to address him as Dr Ye, spent much of the next two days checking Vikki over, in the sick-bay. He, at least, did not order her around: he, a softly-spoken, kindly little man in his late 50s, was perhaps the most self-effacing, modest and sympathetic crew member of them all. Just what was needed in a ships doctor, Vikki mused to herself: he reminded her of Bones (alias Dr McCoy) in the vintage Star Trek TV seriesalthough he was far less tetchy than the latter.. He was charmingly tactful and discreet. On examining her intimately, he noted that her pubic hair had not grown despite her fourteen days absence (female cosmonauts were advised to shave regularly, to avoid the problem of urine collecting in the hair). That was puzzling. After hesitating for a while, Dr Ye ventured, shyly and with some embarrassment, to ask Vikki when her next period was due. With a start, Vikki realised that it should have begun just three or four days into her disappearance. But it hadnt: there had been no sign of it when she woke up. Since Dr Ye was a doctor and a professional, she wasnt shy about explaining these things to him. Another mystery. More than just being unconscious. Suspended animation? Although Dr Ye had his suspicions, Vikki did not put him under more pressure by trying to concoct a plausible story for himand certainly she dropped no hint as to what she had experienced. Indeed she was beginning to wonder whether shed been dreaming, or suffered some sort of hallucination. Had she accidentally adjusted something in her suit?had she been getting too little or too much oxygen?and had that interfered with her sense of reality. It seemed improbable: making such an adjustment, even intentionally, was not normal procedure and it was by no means easy to over-ride the automatic controls. And if it was all a dream or a hallucination, it was extraordinarily detailed for that. All that figuring out of messages in binary! Dr Ye was mainly interested in determining how she had survived for ten Enceladus-daysnearly 330 hoursstarting with only six hours oxygen. His best guess was that she must have somehow entered some near-frozen state, in which all the bodily functions including metabolism, respiration, and heartbeat, would have slowed down to a mere fraction of their normal speed. A process akin to the hibernation seen in many terrestrial animals. In a human such a state was inconceivablebut strange things happened in space and Dr Ye kept an open mind. He carried out every test on her he could think of, making use of almost every piece of equipment at his disposal in the sick-baybut nothing shed any light on what could have caused this condition. Nor for the fact that she seemed to have recovered sufficiently to walk back from the hummock to the ship, unaided and seemingly in perfect health. He was baffled, but maintained an even expression, concealing his unease. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The semi-permanent base on Enceladus was not yet ready for occupation, so after her sick-bay confinement was over, Vikki was sitting in the cramped cabin on the Valentina that she shared with Murielle (who, to her relief, was elsewhere at present), tapping out her report. Dr Ye had, of course, passed her as perfectly fit and discharged her from sick bay. What could Vikki possibly write? There was no way she could reveal anything about the aliensnot yet! She concocted a more or less plausible description of the hummock, detailing its composition as being of partially melted and then re-frozen water-snow, and postulated one or two theories as to how this could have happened. Nothing, of course, about the flexible yielding skin of the hummock. With luck, if Alex ordered another team out to examine the hum-mock, all they would discover would be consistent with her report. But then Vikki remembered, with a jolt, that Alex had told her that she had sent a search party to look for herand that they had dug into the hummock. How could they, if it had a sort of skin, without noticing and perhaps tearing the skin? Perhaps the aliens could change the outer texture of the hummock, and even its composition, to disguise its nature when they didnt want it to be investigated. Perhaps Vikki was the only person the aliens trusted. After all, they appeared to have saved her from death, and they had somehow repaired her suit. Her suit! Vikki got up and made her way to Dr Yes cabin. He wasnt there, but eventually she found him in the Mess room, helping himself to a bulb of tea. Luckily he was alone. Dr Ye, may I have a look at my space-suit for a moment? Uh-huh. Sorry Vikki, Alex has given strict orders that youre not allowed outside for the time being. I dont want to go outside. Its just that I think I recorded a message while in the suit, and Id like to retrieve it. I cant remember what I said, now: it was just before I blacked out. It may be import-ant. We checked everything in your suit, and we didnt find any message. You may have missed something. Please, Dr Ye! Dr Ye was an affable and kindly soulin stark contrast to Alex. Vikki was fond of him and wasnt shy of asking him a favour. All right. Let me finish my tea first, he said. Having downed his drink, he led Vikki to the suit lockers and opened one of the doors. Vikki lifted out the suit and looked at it carefully. There was no sign of any patch, nor of any repair work. Are you sure this is mine, Dr Ye? Of course its yours, Vikki. Look, theres your name: Dr Viktoriya A. Rozhkova printed across the front. What made you think otherwise? All right, sorry, it must be mine, muttered Vikki. She connected the helmet to the backpack, powered up the suit, and fiddled around for a while with the controls, pretending to search for a saved mess-age. Of course there wasnt one. In the end she returned the suit to Dr Ye. I thought Id left a message, but I suppose I must have been mistaken and confused, she said, feigning contriteness. And with that, she thanked Dr Ye and returned to her cabin. Time to think. She could only surmise that the aliens patch must have somehow blended in with the fabric of the suit, forming an invisible mend. And this despite the fact that the suit was made of purely terrestrial materials! Whatever technology the aliens possessed must be far beyond anything of Earths. She must find a way to investigate the aliens ship further, before she was forced to reveal her discovery to the others. Alexs ban wouldnt last for ever, surely! But if she was ever to communicate anything more meaningful with the aliens, she couldnt go on typing in messages in binary. Could she find a way to persuade the aliens to use ordinary text? Of course she could! The aliens were evidently eavesdropping on the Valentinas communications. She could transmit something edu-cational and with luck they would pick it up and figure things out Best to send too much information, rather than too little. Vikki made her way to Paul Udikes cabinand not finding him there, on to the communication hub of the ship. Paul was the crews IT and communications specialist, and was the only crew member of about the same age as Vikkiwho felt attracted to him. She found him busy at work over the main computer console, and hesitated at first about interrupting him. Paul could get irritable at best, if he was disturbed whilst working on something complicated. After a while Paul paused in his work and looked up at Vikki. Oh, hi, Vikki, so youre out of sick-bay, yay! Are you feeling all right then? Im fine, Paul. Never felt better. But Ive got to get down to some work. Tell me, is there a copy of Wikipedia on the computer? Wiki? Youre pulling my leg, surely, Vikki! Have you the slightest idea how many petabytes Wikipedia takes up these days? This isnt a quantum supercomputer were running here, you know! Sorry Paul. I wasnt thinking straight. You could access Wiki back on Earth. Itd have to be a relay via Ceres: Earth is out of direct contact at the moment, on the far side of the sun. And youd have to be patient: the lightspeed turnaround would be around Paul paused to do a quick calculation three-and-a-half hours. What do you need Wiki for, anyway? Id have thought all those papers you brought along in the Geology databasewhich we do have stored herewould meet your requirements. Uh-oh, thought Vikki. It wasnt the turnaround delaybetween putting out a request and getting the responsethat bothered her. No: it was the sheer impossibility of getting Earth to transmit the entire contents of Wikipedia to Enceladus. SSSA would never allow her that much bandwidth! So her wild scheme of educating the aliens would have to be scaled back. I just wanted to do some additional encyclopaedic researchoutside what Ive got in my database. Have you any suggestions? Well, Vikki, we do have a copy of a rather archaic encyclopaedia called Britannica, which Dr Murielle insisted on bringing along. I guess she had the same reasons as you have. Murielle? Uh-oh Dont worry. Its in English. Yes, Murielle wanted the French version, of course, but Alex over-ruled her. Anyway, if you want to consult it, Ill send you the file name. And Paul tapped out a message on his console. Half the job done! Now Vikki had to search for an ASCII table, render it into a bitmap graphic for the aliens benefit, and append it to the Britannica file. Having done that, she had to wait for a quiet moment to carry out the other half of her plan. Best to wait until Paul and Alex, at least, were asleep ------ It was almost two days later that Alex summoned Vikki. She sounded angry once again: though nowhere near as angry as she had been a few days before. Vikki made her way to Alexs cabin with some trepidation. She had guessed what it would be about! So what tricks are we up to now, Viktoriya? Ive just had a very brief communication from Ceres. All it said was WTF?. So I asked Paul to look into the communication logs, and lo and behold, a huge transmission from us to Ceres just prior to thatcompletely unauth-orised of courseof an entire encyclopedia. And Paul tells me he passed you a copy of this same encyclopedia the day before. What can you have been thinking of? Surely you realise that communica-tions use up power, especially over the distance from here to Ceres. And we havent got an unlimited resource of solar energy to generate that powerand its needed for other systems. Dont you realise you are putting the whole expedition at risk? Vikki was floundering. Best to play it dumb. Im sorry, Com-mander. I thought I was just copying the file to my tablet, not send-ing it out. I must have tapped in the wrong place. Silly me! Well, you must have tapped several wrong buttons in success-ion. Seems improbable to me. Were you out of your mind? I dont know, Alex. Maybe its still the after-effects of my four-teen days under. Once again, Im very sorry. But I dont feel as if Im going crazy Vikkis contriteness had the welcome effect of softening Alexs mood. In a more kindly voice, she said All right, Vikki. But Id like you to go and present yourself to Dr Ye once again. Perhaps he can pick up something he missed. And dont worryI cant afford to lose your expertise, so well hope to have you back in action as soon as maybe This sounded more hopeful. After some hesitation, Vikki ventured: Does that mean Ill be able to go outside once more. I really need to, Alex When I give you my permission, Vikki. Not before. ------ Being grounded in the ship indefinitely was far harder for Vikki to endure than being imprisoned in the hummock forhow long had Alex said?fourteen days. At least she had been out cold for most of those fourteen dayspossibly literally. She itched to sneak out and learn what was going on outside; she felt peeved at not even being allowed to help in finishing off the base. But she had no wish to annoy Alex even further, and she was not the kind of person to disobey orders. At leastnot unless she felt she had to As well as writing her report, Vikki took time to reflect upon herself and what her real role was in this mission. She was a small woman, slim, in her early thirties, with short straggly black hair and piercing green eyes. She had a considerable knack for arguing her caseand for feeling frustrated and impatient when she lost the debate, like on this occasion; she often had bouts of ill-temper. She had been chosen for the mission on the strength of her profound expertise in geology, especially in ice formations. Was she also there to make First Contact with any ETs that might show up? Assuredly not. The missions prime directive was to examine the liquid water which was now known to lie beneath the ice, in the hope of picking up evidence of primitive life-formsalmost certainly nothing more advanced than Earths archaea and bacteria. That was what the missions exobiologist, Dr Murielle, was tasked with. Aliens who could, after a few days eavesdropping, figure out how to speak in Englishalbeit not-quite-perfect English and only in binary code? And displaying said English text on the ceiling of a room in their spacecraft (if it was a spacecraftor was it a semi-permanent habitat similar to what the Valentinas crew were at work constructing?) Completely off the agenda! Which means that anyone ought to be able to claim the credit for such an amazing, stuff-of-science-fiction discovery. Why cant it be me? thought Vikki. Chapter 3 – Witness VIKKI KNEW that her rustication could not last forever. She was an important member of the team, and the team could not afford to go without her skills outside the ship. She had filed her report, and she bided her time for a few days. After all, if the aliens had indeed intercepted the encyclopedia transmission as she hoped, they might need some time to decipher it. What would they make of it? Vikki was beginning to have misgivings about having given them the entire Britannicatoo much information and not all of it pleasant reading! At length Alex summoned her to the bridge. Well, you seem in damn fine fettle to me, young Vikki! was Alexs first remarkevidently in the mood for banter and more friendly than she had been at their earlier confrontation. So well pass over, for the moment, getting to the bottom of what actually happened with you. Im sending you to join Joachim and Gustave checking out the life-support in the base. Youll just be offering them a helping hand when neededdoing what they tell you to doyou are not under any circumstances to work on the system yourself. I hope Ive made that clearand thats an order. So go and suit up. Alex clearly still suspected Vikki of tampering with her own suit, despite Vikkis strenuous denialsand she was not about to relinquish her adherence to military-style discipline, not while she was in charge. Please, Alex, may I not have another look at the hummock. Im sure theres something strange about it. Why should a heap of snowwhether it be water or CO2-methaneform unexpectedly on an otherwise featureless ice plain? Were a long way from the nearest vent or geyser. Alex thought about this for a moment. Very well, she said at last. I suppose if I dont let you go, youll be pestering me for the rest of the mission. But not until the work on the base is complete and were ready to move inunderstand? And just to re-emphasise her firmness, she turned and radioed Joachim and Gustave to expect Vikki within minutes. Joachim Gr?z, deputy commander of the mission and navigation officer; and Gustave Quincy, the chief engineer. Why not Dr Ye, the life support specialistseeing as they were fitting out the life sup-port system in the base? But Ye would have declined the taskVikki knew that. Hed say he was more needed on board ship for his medical skillsand he was right. Indeed: not only did Vikki think of him as Bones, but his rebuttal might very well have come from the very lips of that fictional medic: Im a doctor Jim, not an engineer! No: Dr Ye would go over to check out the systems once the instal-lation was complete. Not before. It took four more frustrating days before the base was pronounced ready for occupancy, and Vikki was able once again to put in her plea. In this she was backed up by Gustave, who had listened sym-pathetically to her continued insistence that she couldnt account for her disappearancewhereas Joachim had been indifferent. Both of them had smiled at each other, but they hadnt laughed at her. ------ Vikki knew that Alex would impose conditions on any future EVA. She would have to take a companion. To her relief, Alex didnt nominate Murielle as chaperone: instead she proposed that Hal McManus, the mining, drilling, and excavation specialist, should accompany her. Vikki was rather disappointed at this: she would much rather have had Gustave, with whom she got on quite well. If there was anyone whom she felt she could trust with her great secret, and not to steal her moment of glory, it had to be Gustave. But Alex was adamant. Still, there were ways round the difficulty. Hal was a rather stand-offish and impersonal individual, at age 43 somewhat older (but not that much older) than Vikki herselfwhereas Gustave was in his late 50s. He was also fairly attractive. Perhaps she could use her charms to persuade Hal to do her a favour. Not by going too far, of course Sure enough, a couple of days later, just as Vikki was suiting up (under Alexs supervision), Hal came limping upas best one could limp in the almost zero gravity. Er, sorry, Alex: I seem to have badly banged my knee. Those damned wrenches floating about all over the place! Could someone else go instead of me? All right. You can go with Gustave then, Vikki. Success! Thanks, Hal, Vikki mouthed when Alex had her back turned. Once they were suited up and out of the airlock, Vikki quickly switched her radio to a private channel and gestured eagerly to Gustave, hoping he would get the hint. Gustave, being unable to hear her, soon realised what shed done and flipped through the channels until he made contact. You know were not supposed to use a private channel for more than ten minutes, dont you, Vikki. YesI knowbut Gustave, this is really important and its just between you and me for now. When we reach the hummock, Im hoping to show you something absolutely amazing. Unbelievable, in fact. But Ive not told the othersand I want to keep it a secret for now. Well well, Vikki! A mystery, and Im supposed to keep mum? Im not promising anything, mind. If what you show me is important to our mission, Ill have to tell Alex in due course. You understand, surely? Yes, I understand. Vikki was encouraged: Gustave wasnt refus-ing point-blank to keep a secret. I guess wed better switch back to the Valentina channel, before Alex sends out a posse after us. They continued their trek to the hummock in silence. Once there, they made their way to the far side, out of sight of the Valentina: to what Vikki reckoned was the spot where the original fissure had appeared. She tentatively prodded the surface of the hummock. It felt friable, just like partially melted and re-frozen water-snow. Indeed a handful of this snow came away in her glove. Nothing like what she had encountered earlier. Overwhelmed with disappointment, she turned to face Gustave: but he wasnt there; he had moved to a spot about five metres to one side. Come here and take a look at this, Vikki, he radioed. What he was pointing at was clear footprints in the ice: crampon marks made by a fairly small pair of crampons. They led away from the hummock and looped around its far end, apparently curving back to the ship. Make a footprint next to these marks, Vikki. Vikki complied, and Gustave brought out a tape measure and compared the new mark to the old ones. Yes, they certainly look like your footprints, he con-tinued. Theyre the right size. But heres the strange thing. One of the footprints appears to be half covered by the edge of the snow-drift: as if youd walked out of the driftor rather, as if youd walked away from something under the drift. But if the drift has been there all the time, how could that be? This must be the spot! exclaimed Vikki, eagerly, without answering Gustaves question. Eagerly she prodded and prodded at the hummock, but still felt nothing but the same crumbly texture. She tried hard to suppress a groan. It seemed as if the hummock had somehow sealed itself against all visitors. Unless Gustave, would you do me a big favour please? Just walk around to the other side of the hummock for a few minutes. Please! All right. But only for five minutes, mind. And if I dont hear from you, Ill be back. As Gustave was rounding the end of the hummock, a patch of its surface nearest to Vikki shimmered slightly, as if it were enveloped in a heat haze. But there could be no heat haze in a vacuum. Some-thing was happening! Sure enough, when Vikki prodded the hummock once again, it had changed its texture and become the familiar yielding skin. And then the familiar vertical fissure was there, just as it had appeared before. Not tentacles this time: just the opening. As before, just large enough for Vikki to squeeze through. Evidently the aliens werent prepared to let in more than one visitor. Vikki couldnt suppress a yell of delightbut then she realised that she couldnt hear Gustave. Had she accidentally switched channel again? No: she was definitely still on the public Valentina channel. The hummock must be blocking radio signals. Eager as she was to venture inside, Vikki wasnt going to push her luck. No alien conversation this time: she would have to work out a way to visit the hummock alone. The scream. The Valentinas crew had heard her screams when shed been seized by the tentacle before, standing on this exact spot. So the hummock didnt block signals all the time Best to get back to Gustave before he gets worried. As she bounded or skipped round the hummock, she almost ran into Gustave bounding towards her. They narrowly avoided a collision. So Gustave had been getting worried. She watched as he flipped through the radio channels until he finally found the right one and spoke. I couldnt hear you, Vikki. Is everything all right? Im fine, Gustave. Just that I need a really big favour now. Vikki knew that she had no option but to tell Gustave the truth. But secretly! Could you please She broke off and switched to the private channel again. Gustave took the hint and located the channel. Once again, this is strictly between us, continued Vikki, once they had resumed contact. This hummockI discovered that it isnt a natural feature at all. Its an alien spacecraft or habitat. Yesreal live intelligent ETs! Im almost sure theyre not native to Enceladus: they must have come from another world. I know this because I was taken inside the hummock and held a sort of conversation with the aliens. They appear to have learnt English somehow. And they kept me alive all those fourteen daysalthough for most of them I was unconscious. Aliens? Youre kidding me surely! What did they look like? All I saw of them were sort of black shiny tentacles coming out of cracks in a sort of wall. Never the complete being. Yes: I know it sounds cornytentacular monsters from another world. Stuff of those historic pulp fiction mags! Im only saying what I really saw, Gustave. So these creatures actuallyspoke to you? Not with sound. They projected a sort of text onto the ceiling of the internal chamber. All in binary: I had a devil of a job figuring out what it said. But it was in English, all right. They must have been eavesdropping on the signals from the Valentina. So I contrived to educate them a little Aha! The encyclopedia. Alex mentioned that youd been playing silly-buggers with the link to Ceres, while Pauls back was turned. So you thought thesealiensmight be able to learn from an encyclopedia. Learn what? Absorb the whole content? I probably shouldnt have sent them so much: I admit it. I just wanted to teach them to improve their English, and to project proper text, not just binary code. But Gustave, we have to be quick. These aliens wont open their door if more than one person is standing outsideat least, thats what I suspect. Could you wait here for about an hour while I go and try to make contact? Ill be inside the hummock. And Ill be looked after: I promise you that! OK: switching to the Valentina channel now. Please tell Alex that Im all right: just investigating something. Gustaves a brick, Vikki decided. Good man! It took him only a minute of pondering before he agreed to her request. But not more than an hour, Vikki, please! Otherwise Ill have to alert the ship, and then Ill have to answer for your actions. And I need to see whatever youve seen for myself, if Im to be convinced. Since they were now on the open channel, he was careful not to hint at what they were looking for. Vikki almost skipped round the hummock in her glee. At least, it was like skipping and one could perform impressive bounds. Luckily, since Enceladuss escape velocity was over 860 km/h, there was no danger of launching herself into space. Landing near the spot she remembered, she searched carefully until she found the footprints outside the entrance. She prodded the surface and, sure enough, the aperture formed and, having switched on her chest lamp, she made her way inside. ------ If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Vikki could only laugh! Of course, she now remembered, the aliens would not have been able to figure out which was right and which was left, merely by scanning the encyclopedia. And their earlier binary messages had been right-to-left oriented, so no doubt they had followed the trend. They could have worked it out by scanning her name written on her space-suitor the lettering on the side of the Valentinabut evidently they had omitted to do that. She wondered whether this was a minor lapse. This was the first message that greeted her as she entered the chamber, after she had waited for the aperture to close and the pressure to equalise. At least they were displaying text now, not binary. A huge improvement: so her education ploy had worked! And the mirrored text was on one of the walls, not on the ceiling. Much easier on Vikkis neck! Furthermore, there was a sort of keyboard in black symbols displayed on the wall below the texta QWERTY layout indeed!although this too was mirrored. Well, she could soon change that. She typed, rather clumsily with her gloved hand: After a few seconds the text faded and then re-appeared, correctly oriented. ? Welcome. You may remove your space suit. along with her input: ? Please reverse left and right The keyboard also realigned itself. Now we are making progress! Vikki removed her helmet and unzipped her gloves, but kept the rest of her space-suit on: the room was still chilly. Time to start asking some questions. ? Why did you hold me prisoner here? There was some delay before the answer came through. ? I only wished to make contact and greet you. I am sorry about the damage you and your space suit suffered. It was an accident. I had to suspend your metabolism until your body could be restored to its fully functional state. Well! thought Vikki, these aliens sure have improved their English (even if its a bit stilted) and their knowledge. They must have gone through the whole of Britannica: my scheme has worked! Time to ask some questions: ? Who are you? And are you willing to show yourselves? The answer came soon enough this time: ? I am showing myself. That couldnt be right. All she had seen were a bunch of tentacles emerging from various slits. And on this visit there wasnt a sign even of them. She typed: ? I have only seen your tentacles. And how many of you are there? ? There is only myself. And you have seen the whole of me. The tentacles are a part of me. You are now in a cavity inside my body. Whoa whoa! This, Vikki just couldnt make sense of. She asked: ? You mean: the pile of snow that we can see from outside: that is the outer part of your body? ? Yes. Vikki was thunderstruck. So she was inside the body of a living organism? Was the whole of the hummock one living creature? Jonah inside the whale! Vikki couldnt absorb any more information for now. She must share what she had seen with Gustave, waiting patiently outside. There was one question she had to ask. She typed: ? May I bring another of my species here? ? I cannot answer that question myself. I am only authorised to make contact with a single individual of another species. I shall have to consult with my superior. ? Your superior? ? Yes. The leader of our mission to this star system. He is in space, some distance from this world. I should have an answer in about one quarter of an orbit. Eight of your hours. So there were more of thesebehemothsout there! Did they pose a threat to Earth? Vikki had already guessed that they were not of Enceladus, and may well have voyaged from another star system. Now she was certain. Interstellar travel! Humankind would be itching to learn their technologyif these beings were willing to pass it on. Gustave, the engineer, must be introduced to them. But eight hours was far too long to wait. And Gustave was waiting outside in a suit with only six hours oxygen. Vikki typed: ? I would like to leave now. But I will return, and if you permit it, I shall bring a companion. ? Very well. Please put on your helmet and gloves. ------ When Vikki had rejoined Gustaveto the latters great reliefshe signed to him to switch to private yet again. You wont believe this Gustave: I can hardly believe it myself. The alienscorrection: alien, singulartold me that there is only one of them hereand that that entire hummock is in fact its living body. And it comes from another star system. What are we to make of that? First of all I need to know what to make of you, Vikki. Are you sure youre not hallucinating? Do I look and sound disoriented? retorted Vikki, rather peeved. NoI suppose you dont. But really: how can this be? If this snowdrift is really one enormous creature, how does it survive in a vacuum? How does it feed? What ship brought it hereif its not native to Enceladus? Too many impossibilities, Vikki! Are you sure you arent pulling my leg? Thats exactly why I want you to see for yourself. But the alien told me its not yet allowed to let two people into itsinterior. It needs to seek permissionand thatll take time. OK, lets switch back to public: time we went back to base. Not a word, mind! ------ Alex was clearly in a more congenial mood than she had been on previous occasions: possibly relocation from her cramped cabin on the Valentina to the more spacious quarters in the semi-permanent base had helped to raise her spirits and make her more amenable. So the two of you are requesting another EVA to that snowdrift? I cant imagine what you find so interesting about it. WellI suppose its your job, Vikki, so I have to let you go. But do you really have to take Gustave? Ive got jobs lined up for him right here, and were already running behind. Wouldnt Hal? Gustave put in: Vikki has a point, Alex. I cant explain fully, not yetbut there are things to study, out on the hummock, that really will need my input. Not Halsnot yet. Mine. We shant be too long: well promise to be back well before we run out of air If the two of you come even close to running low on air, you know full well what will happen. Commander Alex was showing her irritability once again. Id send the crew to scoop you up and then confine you to your cabins for the rest of the mission, she continued. You know that full well, Chief Engineer Gustave Quincy! Or are you not the Chief Engineer we assumed you were? Two hours, maybe three: tops. Thats all well need, put in Vikki quickly, before Gustave could react to the mild slur. Promise! You know we came back in good time today. So when do you want to go? One quarter of an orbit, the alien had said. Allow them some margin. Give us half a dayEarth daysthen well go. Very well. Both of you, take some rest catch up on your sleep before then. ------ It was never completely dark on this side of Enceladus. Some at SSSA had suggested an expedition to the far side of the moonthe side which always faces away from Saturn, where night would be truly nightbut that proposition had been firmly vetoedfor the current expedition, at any rate. So there was always some illumin-ation over the Valentina and the base, alternating between the weak-ened sunlight (a hundred times dimmer than it appeared on Earth, but still brilliant), and Saturn-light which, when Saturn was at full phase, was many times brighter than full moonlight on Earth. Saturn was never below the horizon, of course, and could never eclipse the sun in the present epoch, with Saturn currently close to a solstice. The Rings were barely visible since Enceladus orbit lay almost exactly in their plane: just a thin dark line appearing to cut across Saturns equator. Having gone through their imposed rest, Vikki and Gustave stood once again at the point on the hummocks far side where the old footprints emerging from beneath it were still visible. Would the aliensno: alienlet them both in this time? Vikki hesitated for a long time before she tentatively extended a glove towards the drift. It still looked like re-frozen snow. She gave a nervous prod. Success! The familiar texture of slightly-yielding integument. Wait! she yelled at Gustave over the radio: he was standing a little way back from her, feeling a bit bemused. They didnt have long to wait: the familiar slit-shaped aperture appeared within a minute and also a couple of the black tentacles. These appendages had not put in any appearance since Vikkis first visit. She was moment-arily terrified. The tentacles took no notice of her, but swiftly coiled themselves around Gustaves torso, before he could leap back. Dont struggle, Gus! yelled Vikki. This happened to me, first time here. And I think theyve got the sense not to puncture your suit this time, as they did mine. Just let them draw you inside. And indeed that was exactly what the tentacles appeared to be doing, gently lifting Gustave bodily and pulling him through the aperture. Vikki followed, by her own efforts, having once again remembered to switch on her chest lamp. They were standing in the same chamber as before. No text was yet visible on the wall, but they could see their surroundings by the light of Vikkis lamp. The tentacles which still wrapped themselves around Gustaves suit were of the fingered-and-suckered type, not the clawed type, Vikki noticed with some relief. The alien had learned by its mistake! After probing around the suit for a while, the tentacles released Gustave. Meanwhile the aperture had sealed itself and external pressure was building up. ? Welcome, visitors from Earth. You may now remove your space suits. Vikki doffed her helmet and gloves and signed to Gustave to do likewise. As she waited, more text appeared: ? I am sorry that I had to manhandle the new visitor, but it is our standard practice to closely examine any alien whom we come into contact with for the first time. You have not been harmed. I observe that the newcomer is a male of your species, whereas the other one of you who came before is a female. Do you intend to demonstrate your reproductive process to me? Vikki could not restrain herself from giggling and blushing. She glanced at Gustave. He appeared hypnotisedbut through his helmet visor she could just make out a blush on his pale face too. Yes, she was fond of Gustave; they were good friendsbut not that fond! And in public? Besides, he had a wife and familygrandchildren tooback on Earth. She merely typed: ? We are not paired for reproduction. hoping that would explain things. Then she glanced at Gustave. He had still not taken off his helmet. He was standing there, open-mouthed, as if hypnotised. Vikki tried the radio but it didnt seem to be working here. She gesticulated frantically: pointed to her own unprotected head and hands. At last, Gustave seemed to snap out of his trance and get the hint. Slowly he unlatched his helmet and took several deep breaths in the thin atmo-sphere. You see, the air is good here. We can breathe. Thats how I survived so long, explained Vikki. It was a long time before Gustave spoke. We are actually inside some sort of giantcreature? How can it live? How does it eat breathe? Is it planning to digest us? It looked as if Gustave was about to panic. Vikki hastily put in: Im sure it isnt. It appears to be friendly. But you can ask it for yourself. Use the keyboard. It will answer in text. Can it hear us, do you think? I dont think so. Its species seems to be able to survive in vacuum: maybe they live their lives in vacuum. But you can ask it thatand anything else you like. Gustave collected himself, recovering from his paralysis at last. He stepped in front of Vikki so that he was facing the keyboard, and typed: ? Who are you? Where do you come from? How do you survive here, unprotected against the vacuum? The alien answered after a pause: ? I cannot express my name, or the name of my species, in your language. My companions and I come from a world orbiting another star, some distance from your sun. My kind, unlike you, do not need protection against vacuum. The world we come from has no atmosphere and low gravity. Gustave continued: ? But where is the spaceship you came in? The alien replied: ? We do not use spaceships. We are fitted with an implant that enables us to traverse large distances in space. Both Gustave and Vikki were thinking, Wow! What amazing tech-nology these creatures must possess! But Vikki now took over the typing again: ? Where is the star you come from? ? I cannot give you a catalogue number in your databases, but I can tell you that it is a Red Dwarf, about sixty of your light-years distant, and lies in the direction of the constellation you know as Auriga. Sixty light-years! Impressive indeed! Vikki typed: ? What is your reason for coming here? ? The same as yours. To seek out life on other worlds and to make contact with any that may be intelligent. In that we appear to have both succeeded. I expect to have a fruitful exchange of information with your species. Chapter 4 – Naming and Examining AS THEY made their way slowly across the ice, back to the base, Gustave broke the silence. Both of them were feeling the numbing effect of information overload, especially after that last Star-Trek-like announcement, and Vikki had made the right decision in asking for a break in the conversation and for the two of them to be allowed a hasty exit, to which the alien had consented. The suit radios were now working again, and they were on the private channel: Youre going to be famousyou know that, Vikki. Maybe I am. I dont know, Gustave. When I first discoveredwhat I discoveredI was thinking to myself, wow! The first human to make First Contact with intelligent aliens. Greater than Yuri Gagaringreater than Valentina Tereshkova, after whom our ship is namedgreater even than Neil Armstrong! Id be remembered in the history books for millennia. But after a while, I got cold feet. All those countless appearances Id have to make on holoTV, on the Web: facing interviews from every journo in the Solar System Children, generations from now, being taught in school about Viktoriya Rozhkova, great pioneering cosmonaut. Im scared, Gustave! Perhaps I dont want this. Perhaps I just want to be me after all: a humble geologist and glaciologist, serving on a not-too-sensational space mission. Gustave stopped walking. I think youre right, Vikki. Youre not the right sort of person: you dont relish all this attention-getting. Nor do I. Im still not sure I believe what Ive just seen. But if its for real, perhaps someone else should claim the credit. Murielle? Please, Gus! Vikki interrupted. Anyone but Murielle! I loathe her. You havent had to share a cabin with her all through the voyage. I have. I understand, Vikki. Murielleswellnot very popular with the rest of us, either. But shes excellent at her job, and the right person for this mission, like her or not. Alright: for the time being well keep our secret. Perhaps it should be for the whole teamnot one individualto take the credit? As it turned out, Vikki and Gustave were not questioned in depth about their excursions to the hummock. Other matters were com-manding the crews attention and causing some excitement. Hal had tested extensively with sonar, with some help from Vikki, and had estimated that the ice beneath their feet was about seventeen kilometres thick in this region of Enceladusand that underneath lay an ocean of liquid water some eight kilometres deep. He had already set up their drilling rig, some 500 metres from the base so as to keep clear of any contamination from the Valentina. He had announced that he had reached a depth of nine kilometres already with the 20mm thermal drill bitmore than halfway if his thickness estimate was correct. And once they hit liquid water: who could tell what they might discover? Murielle, of course, was exultant in her eagerness to get results. Indeed she was almost crowingmostly in Frenchover the pros-pect of being the first to discover extraterrestrial life (Vikki was being careful not to disillusion her!). She had already analysed some of the water brought up from about five kilometres deep, and had proudly announced that she had detected traces of amino-acidsalthough with structures somewhat different from the amino-acids found in terrestrial life. She was hoping that deeper down, the bore-hole would yield up actual proteinsand then what next? Vikki was, as always, finding Murielles conduct insufferable. Persistently murmuring to herself: Mes petits m?mes! My leetle darlings! Ne crains pas! Jsuis bien s?r quvous tes l! and so on. It got on Vikkis nerves and she did her best to give Murielle a wide berth. Nevertheless, the time was not ripe to drop her bombshell: both she and Gustave were agreed on that. Murielle may be a pain in the neck, but there was no call to upset her nor make an enemy of her. Let her make her mighty discoveries without us forestalling her! The drilling to such extreme depths was a slow process and the crews impatience was evident. Vikki, unsurprisingly, was the most jittery: not so much at the drilling progress as at the burden of keeping her secret. The more cool-headed Gustave was far less so. At their debriefing they had told Alex and the other crew members that there was nothing more of interest to discover in the hummockand the lie had been readily acceptedeven more so because Alex had gone out herself along with Paul and Joachim. They had checked out the hummockand luckily the hummock had not revealed its secret to them. In the end Gustave came to have a quiet word with Vikki in her cabin. Youre on edge, Vikki. Im not surprised, but youre not handling it very well. I suggest you spend as much time outside as you can, away from the base. Ill put in a word with Alex. So it came about that Vikki was tasked with going out on the ice to search for meteorites. As the missions geologist, she would normal-ly have the duty of examining native rock formations on Enceladusbut the nearest outcrop was nearly thirty kilometres away, and the buggies with the necessary range were not yet in service. On the other hand, much could be learned about the outer Solar System by examining such meteorites as may have come to rest on the icy surface. She would be accompanied by Paul: Vikki guessed that his ulterior duty was to chaperone her and ensure she didnt get into any more troublebut she was comfortable with this. More than comfortable in fact: she was secretly pleased because she still felt attracted to him. Indeed, she was minded to flirt with him, just a little! Inasmuch as flirting was possible when encumbered by a space-suit The alien beingthe hummockcould wait: she was becoming scared of it anyway, and wasnt sure she was ready for another encounter. What if the alien turned out to be less-than-friendly after all? Having to go right inside its bodyif that was indeed what she had donewasnt that a bit too close to the stuff of nightmares? What if it had refused to let her and Gustave out? Best to turn to the meteorite-hunt for now. To search the ice, they rode a short-range buggy with enough battery power to allow them to explore up to ten kilometres from the base. Finding meteorites on the surface was not easy: any which might have impacted directly at full speed, unchecked by any atmo-sphere, would have buried themselves deep in the ice, forming an impact crater perhaps but not retrievable. The best chance was to find shrapnel from a meteorite which had burst on impact: some of the fragments may have been ejected horizontally and skimmed across the ice, eventually coming to rest without burying themselves. After five days of searching, Vikki and Paul had recovered six meteorite fragments. Not an impressive haul but Vikki was pleased enough with their result. She recalled the time shed spent, several years ago, doing exactly the same thing in Antarctica. In the course of a three-week stay shed collected nearly fifty meteorites. But six fragments on Enceladusunder the far dimmer light and hampered by space-suitswas some achievement, even if none of them was bigger than a pea. Vikki was still tensed up, though. She knew now that she was also lonely: she wanted the comfort of being in Pauls arms. Not Gustave: she got along with him too well: more of a father or uncle to her. Not Hal: he wasnt bad-looking and she had snogged with him briefly in order to extract a favour from himbut she didnt think theyd really get along if she did try to date him. And, naturally, Dr Ye and Joachim were out of the picture. Too old. Paul then! But Paul wasnt reacting to her glances, so far as she could tell by peering out of her space-suit visor into his. She planned to catch him back at the base, hopefully with more success. But that could wait until the meteorite-hunt was done. Paul insisted that they spend a few more days out on the ice. He seemed somewhat surprised when Vikki suggested calling a halt after only five days: surely she was eager to collect as many meteor-ites as possible? But she quickly changed her mind, and in the end they went out for three more days and collected another four piecesone of them about the size of a walnut, a big improvement! Vikki was careful not to contaminate the fragments by bringing them into the bases atmosphere. She put them into the sterile cham-ber just inside the base which Murielle had set up. It was open to the vacuum of Enceladus, and was equipped with extendable waldos, so that she could handle and test the fragments in their pristine state. But analysing their composition would take time. And ten frag-ments was far too small a sample for any statistical assessment. Vikki was keen to discover whether the ratio of chondrites to achon-drites and iron meteorites was the same as that found on Earth. Meteorites collected here in the outer Solar System, close to Saturn, were likely to originate from the Centaursrocky bodies orbiting between Jupiters and Neptunes orbitsor maybe even from the Kuiper belt, home of many comets and dwarf planets. But with the small sample she had to work with, it was impossible to make any precise judgement. Should she suggest another sortie? At least she was keeping up with Murielle! Two of the fragments had shown up minute traces of amino-acidsmaking Vikki wonder whether they were in fact derived from ejecta thrown up from Enceladus itself. She showed the fragments and explained her discovery to Murielle, much to the latters delight: Murielle too was feeling frustrated with the slow progress in the drilling. In the meantime Vikkis attempts to win over at least some interest from Paul were getting nowhere. Of course standard wear inside the Valentina and the base didnt help matters: jumpsuit and trainers. Not exactly flattering! Should she do something about it? She rum-maged through the small clothes-locker which was all that crew members were allowed in their cabin. Shed packed a short cotton dress among her belongings, but that would hardly do: dresses and skirts went haywire in microgravitymuch to the embarrassment of the wearer! In fact Vikki wondered why on earth shed included it. Searching a bit deeper, she uncovered a pair of booty shortsand a skimpy crop-top with a good measure of dcollet. That would do! There was also some make-up: something she rarely used but perhaps this was the time. Was there a chance of catching Paul in the Mess roomor should she just breeze into his cabin? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Perhaps better not be too direct. And best to wait until the prescribed mealtime (Alex had made that a rule: meals to be taken together if possible. Not strictly enforced but a help towards getting the crew to interact socially). Accordingly, at the appointed time Vikki changed into her shorts and crop-top, and applied a bit of lipstick and mascara. Mustnt overdo it, she musedno way did she want to be compared to Murielle; that fruitcake! Making her way to the Mess, she found she was the first one there. Sighing, she helped herself to a coffee bulb, a vegetarian hot-dog, and a pouch of salad; and strapped herself into a chair to wait. The first to arrivejust her luck!was Alex. She cast a brief glance at Vikki, then gazed at her more intently, with a grin. Ah, young Vikki, so were thinking of becoming like a teenager once again, are we? she chuckled. Vikki blushed but did not reply: she knew better than to snap at Alexs annoying banter. After a moment, Alex shrugged, ordered herself a meal, and sat down in one of the other chairs. Next to arrive were Gustave, Dr Ye, and Joachim, who came in together. Gustave and Dr Ye exchanged brief smiles with Vikki before going to order their meals, while Joachim didnt even glance at her (he rarely spoke to her at any time). She could have sworn that Gustave winked at her as he passed, but she said nothing and continued eating. At length Paul turned up. All eager, Vikki gave him her sweetest smile, crossed her legs enticingly, and leaned towards him, exposing a bit more of her cleavage. But alas! Paul barely glanced at her before turning away, and after collecting his meal he sat in one of the chairs furthest from her. Vikki pouted and finished her meal despondently. As for Hal and Murielleneither of them turned up: evidently too busy. ------ Back in her cabin, Vikki was just changing back into her jumpsuit when there was a knock on the door. She called out wait! while she made herself decent, then she let Gustave into her cabin. She was relieved that it was he. You look troubled again, Vikki my dear, he began. Is it about Paul? How do you know that? Vikki retorted, somewhat peeved. Its as plain as if it were written all over your face, Vikki. Dont think I havent noticed! You going all gooey-eyed at him all the time. But you may be out of luck with him, Im afraid. Vikki didnt mind Gustave coming across so personal with her. More than ever, she thought of him as a kindly father, someone to be trusted with her deepest secrets. Do you think hes gay? she ventured, after a pause. Not as far as I know. Alex is gaybut Im sure you knew that already. Shes got a wife back on Earth. And I think Joachim is gaythough that wouldnt matter to you. But Paul? Nonow I recall, when I was with him on Ganymede a few years back, he had a girl-friend with him. Carla her name was; I dont know if hes still seeing her. She was Black like him: maybe Paul prefers to go with Black women? Vikki was silent. In her heart shed already guessed this, though she was reluctant to admit the fact to herself. I shouldnt really be saying this, continued Gustave, but I cant help noticing that Hal seems to have an eye on you. My guess is, he rather fancies you. But hes nearly ten years older than me, put in Vikki, quickly. Does age matter? said Gustave. Ill say no more: I can see that you want time by yourself for a while. And he quietly slipped out of the cabin, leaving Vikki with tears starting from her eyes. ------ Crying wasnt a good idea in microgravity: instead of running down your cheeks, the tears remained lodged in your eyelashes giving you blurred vision. Vikki dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, removing most of the mascara in the process, and sat on her bunk deep in thought. Hal? Vikki knew that she was lonely and would find comfort in the company of a boyfriend. Hal was in his forties, true, but he wasnt all that bad looking. And she had kissed himalbeit with an ulterior motive She made her way to his cabin but he wasnt there. Probably out at the drilling rig, half a kilometre away from the base, she guessed. Try the space-suit lockers. Yes: Hals suit was missing, and so was Murielles. Damn!she must be there too. No help for it. At least, with all of them in space-suits, she wouldnt have to breathe in Murielles obnoxious perfume! Vikki wasnt supposed to go outside without permission, and not without an escort. But surely the short trek to the rig didnt count? She suited up and then sought out Alex. I just want to watch the drilling for a while. Theres always the chance something interesting might pop up, she lied. All right, Vikki: but mind you go straight there and then come straight back. No wandering off! Vikki had some misgivings as she trekked across the ice. Did she really want to form a liaison with Hal? He wasnt very approachable and didnt talk much. Well, she would try. The drilling was paused for the moment, and Murielle was indeed there, looking excited. A sample of melted ice from the thirteen-kilometre level had just been drawn to the surface, and she was eager to secure it and get it back to the base. And she was certainly crowing about it! Il y aura there vill be protines how you say it? The same. Proteins, Hal explained. Jen suis s?r proteins in this leetle spcimen! I must test it tout de suite! I go back to base maintenant And she was gone. Vikki hoped no-one heard her sigh of relief over the radio. Annoying, isnt it? commented Hal, as he prepared the rig for resumption of drilling. Why does she always speak like that? French all the timeor English all the timeOKbut why the mixture? Why this Monty Python crap? This was the first time Vikki had heard the normally taciturn Hal voice an opinion on anyone. She was impressedand secretly encouraged. But one thing puzzled her. Monty Python? Ah, you probably wouldnt know. A British comedy film from back in the twentieth century. Lot of it filmed in Scotlandnear where I come from. Theres a character in it who talks in a silly faux-French accenta bit like Murielle. Im asort of a fan. I never knew that, Hal. So youre into old movies, are you? One of my guilty pleasures. Apart from work. Not that I have many You have family, back on Earth, do you? In Scotland? Vikki ventured. There was a long pause. Hal didnt seem disposed to answer. All right, continued Vikki. Sorry, I didnt mean to upset you. Mind if I stay and watch a while? Theres always a chance you might strike something of interestand Im always game for any more meteorites if they show up. Once the drilling was under way, Hal spoke again. Sorry Vikki, I didnt mean to be rude. Just that things have beendifficult for me, lately. Split with my wife just three months before coming on this mission. And shes got the kids. All the time. Two splendid lads: both in their teens now: both mad on football. I cant even see them. Wont even let me have access Oh dear, Hal, Im so sorry about that. Did she? Was my fault, I guess. Dont really want to talk about it. Not even to me, Hal? Im sure Id be a good listener. If you dont want to talk now, how about back at the base? When do you go off duty? Ive got just three hours left in my suit, so Ill certainly be back before then. If Im not, Im dead All right. Ill head back now. Talk later. ------ Back in her cabin, Vikki was fingering the clothes in her locker. She pulled out the dress once again. What the hell! she thought to herself. I brought this dress along, why dont I use it? If it fits She stripped off her clothes, all except her underpants, and squeezed herself into the dress. Yes: it just about fitted her, even if it was pretty tight round the body. And the hemline was well above her knees. Good! She wished she had a mirror, but didnt feel inclined to venture into the communal bathroom dressed like that. No makeup: she guessed Hal wouldnt appreciate itbut she tidied her hair meticulously. She was sure she looked good. And shed go to Hals barefoot. Holding the hem of her dress down with one hand, so that it wouldnt billow up, she made her way carefully to Hals cabin and knocked. Hal was sitting on his bunk. He glanced at Vikki as she came inthen his eyes did a double-take. My God, Vikki, Ive never seen you looking like that! he blurted out, before he could stop himself. I decided Ive had it to here with these wretched jumpsuits. I wanted to put on something different, just for now. So I tried this on: my one and only dress. Dont you like it? Yes I doof course I doyou look gorgeousbut Dont argue then. But its a bit tight round my b round the upper part of my body. Im wondering if the fabrics got caught up in the zip. Would you be an angel, Hal dear, and check it for me? Pull it down first She could sense the effect she was having on Hal, as she turned her back on him. Hal duly obliged. Seems OK to me, he muttered. But as soon as she felt the zip was down, Vikki twisted around to face him and clamped her mouth over his. At the same time she wriggled out of her dress, leaving it floating in mid-air. Then she grabbed the toggle of his jumpsuit zip ------ Not paired for reproduction! Later, much much later, as they relaxed, exhausted, on Hals bunk, Vikki on top, she couldnt help giggling as she recalled those words shed typed for the aliens benefit, about her and Gustave. If only the alien could see her with Hal now, what would it think? She playfully pushed herself up with her handseasy in Enceladus negligible gravitythen let herself sink slowly back onto the half-asleep Hals chest. It was a comfort-ing feeling. She was content. Chapter 5 – Pillow Talk and ETs HAL WAS triumphant, of course. He had opened up, over-coming his reticence, as he started telling Vikki all about himself. It was my fault reallythe screw-up, me and Moira, I mean. Moiras my ex-wife. That other girlshe couldnt have been much over eighteen. One of my students in the SSSA corps training school: she must have been almost the youngest there. She was so damned pretty! And she just went for me: I couldnt resist it. I just couldnt control things You were at the training school then, Hal, my love? Yes. I was a lecturer there: training in asteroidal mining proced-ures. Of course I shouldnt have had anything to do with the trainees. But it would have been all right: I could have got away with it, if that girl hadnt boasted of her conquest to her room-matesand word got out. The Principal got to hearand I got sacked. And of course Moira was bound to find out. The restwell, Vikki, darling, you dont really want to hear all the sordid details now, do you? Thats all right, Hal. Youre right, you dont need to tell me. But youve still got your job here. Thats something to be proud of. Yes. I was finished as a lecturer, but SSSA felt I was still of use to them as a drilling engineer, working out in Space. And Im here. And then you met me. And Im so glad you did. And Im pleased that it was I who hit on you this time, not some eighteen-year-old student. Im nowhere near eighteen anymore! Vikki pulled him down on her, wrapped her arms and legs round him, and gave him a brief kiss. Hal gave out a contented sigh. I guess I was always too shy about women, he admitted. It was like that with Moira, all those years ago. She picked on me, not the other way around. Id never had a girl before her. Vikki felt honoured to be the recipient of Hals openness, but felt his reluctance to say more. Best to change the subject. Tell me about your sons instead, she urged. Seans the older. Seventeen nowand hes aiming to get into Raith Rovers juniors teamthats a football club near mesoccer, I mean. Near where I used to live, before Moira kicked me out. Seans been to one or two trials with the club, and hes quite hopeful hell get in. We do exchange e-mails now and again: Moira doesnt mind that. The younger one, Anthony, hes thirteen and still at school. Also keen on football, but he also wants to follow me into Space. Im not sure I like that idea. Still, hes a young lad: he might change his ambitions as he gets older Well, Hal, I just hope you do get to see them once youre back on Earth. Your ex cant hold out against you for ever. And surely, once Sean turns eighteen, hell be his own master: hell be able to choose freely whom he wants to visit. His mother wont be able to restrict him. And anyway, once she learns that youre in a steady relationship Are we in a steady relationship? Dont be silly, Hal. Of course we are. I wasnt sure about you at firstbut I am now. And Ive had difficult times, myself. Not as bad as yours, Vikki added, reassuringly. I split with my boyfriend about a year ago. It was an amicable separation: he just didnt feel comfortable dating a cosmonaut like me. But I missed him at first. I havent slept with anyone since thenuntil you. And I want you. Are we in love, then? Hals questioning was off-putting, but she had to answer. Im not quite sure about that yet: too earlybut I think so. Alright: I fancied Paul for a whilebut hes not in the least interested, and Ive gone off him. Its you now, Hal, no mistake. Only you. And Im sure you want me, tooand thats important to me. Y-yes. Honestly, Vikki, I didnt know how to approach you. Butthat time you kissed me! Yeseven if the reason was to make me lie to Alex. Of course I forgive you for thatnow! Poor Hal, my darling. Well, no need to be shy any more ------ There was excitement at the base. Vikki had urged Hal to get back to his drillingand it was only a matter of a day or two before he announced that he had struck gold. Well, all right, not exactly gold: hed struck liquid water, but it might as well have been goldand they might equally have been a gang of Californian forty-ninersfor the excitement the turn of events aroused. Murielle set to work at once. They needed to draw many samples, and she needed plenty of time with the electron microscope, but finally she called the crew together. We ave life! There is life in ze water! Vikki noted that Murielle, when she had to communicate important matters with the entire crew, made an effort to speak in her less-than-perfect English. Just as well! What I ave found is micro-organisms continued Murielle. I would au mieux describe zem as Archaea, similar to the Archaea we ave back on Earth. Similar but not quite ze same. Or maybe zey are Bacteria. But I think zey are Archaea. Archaea? queried Alex, whose aptitude in biology was fairly elementary. Bacteria Ive heard of, but Dr Ye chose to intervene and clarify, so as to spare Murielle further effort. One of the three domains of Earthly life: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes, he explained, simply. ArchaeaEukaryotesnow youre being really obscure, Dr Ye. What the hell are Eukaryotes? demanded Alex. Youre oneand so am I. And so was that tomato I ate earlier today. All the familiar higher living organisms: animals, plants, fungi, algae, many single-celled creatures, theyre all Eukaryotes. Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus. Bacteria, and all other organisms which lack a cell nucleus, were once put into the domain Prokaryotes but thats been deprecated now; there are two domains called Archaea and Bacteria proper. But Murielle says she doesnt know for certain which of them we have in the sample. So this is the proof: we have life on Enceladus! But Earth-like life having evolved here? asked Alex, in some amazement. Nearly one-and-a-half billion kilometres from Earth and with no physical contact, not ever? Surely thats impossible! How can we be sure they evolved hereor were they perhaps dropped by Lassell, Cassini, or the Voyagers? Accidental contamination? She was referring to the twentieth and early twenty-first century flybyswhich were not sup-posed to make any physical contact with Saturn nor with any of its satellitesapart from Titan. But mistakes could have been made Highly doubtful, put in Joachim, contributing to the discussion for the first time. None of those spacecraft ventured anywhere near going below escape velocity with respect to Enceladus. Anything dropped would have drifted away from here, not towards here. But Cassini went below Saturns escape velocity, didnt it, said Alex. And so did that more recent probeLassell. Stuff could have been dropped into orbit around Saturn, and then later on crashed into Enceladus. Any matter that did that would lie on the surface, wouldnt it? continued Joachim. Not below thirty kilometres of ice. And you didnt find any life forms on the surface, did you, Murielle? Vous avez raison, Joachim, I ave so far found no life on ze sur-face. But we must not entirely discount ze possibility that these are Earthly organisms accidentally introduced to this world. I must study them in more detail. Do we message Earth about this? asked Paul. Not yet. I must complete my detailed technical report, and then I put it for peer review erebefore we tell Earth. I vill write in both French and English. That is quite right, Murielle, added Alex. Dr Ye, and Dr Vikki, you two will independently, and separate from each other, carry out peer reviews of Murielles document once it is ready. OK with that? The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Vikki suppressed a groan, but she nodded. It was certainly the right approach. And both Dr Ye and she would be able to correct Murielles imperfect English! So, remarked Alex, in conclusion, we have discovered the first extraterrestrial life-forms anywhere in the Universe. The first! We are going to be famous. Feted all around the Solar System! Not the first, murmured Vikki under her breath, with a quick glance at Gustave. Not quietly enough. Did you say something, Vikki? asked Alex. Vikki looked imploringly at Gustave. He nodded. Come on, Vikki. If theres something you want to say, out with it! said Alex. All right. There is another life-form here on Enceladus. Gustave and I have seen it. But it is not native to Enceladusnot even native to the Solar System. It has come from another star-system. Youre talking about your precious snowdrift. Your hummock, arent you? remarked Alex. Yes. Youll all find this hard to believe. At first I deduced that it must be some kind of alien spaceshipbut then it revealed to meyes! it can speak English; it has learnt our languagethat it is an entire living organism: a sort of interstellar whale. Something that can live in vacuum and travel through space unaided. Oh come off it, Vikki! exclaimed Alex. Youre just obsessed with that stupid fucking snowdrift of yours. Now you make out that its an ET of some sort! What crazy notion is going to enter your silly head next? Ive half a mind to send you to sick-baypermanently. May I put in a word, Alex? Gustave intervened, calmly. I too have seen what Vikki says she sawand I can confirm her account. Do you want to hear me out? Or are you going to section me as well? Alex had no answer to that. All right, Vikki, continue, she muttered weakly. And to communicate with us, resumed Vikki, who seemed un-disturbed by Alexs outburst: Gustave and me, that is: heres how. It opens up a sort of aperture in its side, and lets us enter a sort of room-shaped cavity inside its body. Then it talks to us by displaying text on one of the walls of this room, and we can reply using a sort of keyboard. At first it talked in binary, which was very awkward, but I taught it how to write proper English. Aha! put in Paul. The encyclopedia. Thats why you wanted it, why you transmitted it towards Ceres for no meaningful purpose. Yes. I was hoping that the alien would be eavesdropping on our signals. And it seems that I was right, because its learned how to write our languageand a lot more about us. Too muchperhapsbut its too late to go back now. At least that shows that its hyper-intelligent. But this is incredible, put in Dr Ye. Alien, yesET intel-ligence, yesbut has it not occurred to you that it might be some kind of AI-driven device? A robot? It could be that I supposebut Ive a hunch that it really is a living creature. I must take a look at thiscreature, remarked Murielle. I vill do so, when I ave finished my paper on my Archaea. What do we call this monster? We must give it a name. Good thinking, said Dr Ye. Have you named your Archaea specimens? Yes. In my paper, I give them names. I think I ave two distinct species, and I ave given them ze Latin names Enceladium danterrii and Enceladium mcmanusii. Provisionally, of course. Hal blushed at hearing his name immortalised in this way. Thats quite a pair of mouthfuls youve given us there, Muriellebut well have to get used to them, said Dr Ye. Meanwhile, what about thismonsteras you call it? Vikkis and Gustaves dis-covery? Vikki just now referred to it as a sort of interstellar whale and that seems apt: look at the size of the thing! Why not name it after the (alas! extinct) Blue Whale. Whats the Latin for a Blue Whale? Balaenoptera musculus, put in Murielle, helpfully. Bienvery well, we name it Balaenoidus enceladi. Comme une baleinelike a whale, but not quite like a whale, and of Enceladus. Daccord? Not actually of Enceladus, according to Vikkis theorybut OK for now, Alex agreed. Nevertheless, we perhaps ought to defer bestowing a scientific name until weve ascertained whether it really is a living creature. But we could give it a common name for now. How about Bala for short. Everyone agree? There was murmured assent. So Bala the mysterious creature became. ------ It would take some time for Murielle to complete her technical report, so Vikki and Gustave had time to visit the Bala once again. Others, Hal and Dr Ye especially, wanted to come along too, but Vikki explained that the Bala was rather shy of receiving visitors, so Alex ordered that it should be just Vikki and Gustave once again. This time they were admitted to the Balas interior without ceremony. The message on the wall read: ? I have been waiting for some time for your next visit. You are both welcome. It was Gustave who did most of the questioning this time. ? You told us, you do not use spaceships, instead you travel through space by means of some kind of implant. Can you elaborate? ? I am not permitted to describe in detail our technology to a less advanced species. But I can reveal that the implant generates thrust by means of a beam of neutrinos. That sounds plausiblealthough way beyond human techn-ology, remarked Gustave to Vikki in an aside. Do you follow all this? I know what neutrinos are. Theyre those little particles that can pass straight through you without doing any harm. Correct. Zillions of them pass through Earthand through your bodyevery secondand almost nothing can stop them. They zip along at lightspeed and can in theory produce thrust opposed to their momentum: Newtons Third Law and all that. How these beings manage to harness it is beyond me. But I must ask some more questions. He resumed typing: ? All right then. This implant: can it enable you to travel at near lightspeed, relative to your home system? ? Nowhere near lightspeed. The best the implant can achieve is about 0.1c: one tenth of lightspeed. ? But that means that the voyage from your home world must take some six hundred of our years. ? We can tolerate that. Our lifespan is far longer than that of your species. ? So you have been travelling towards the Solar System for the past six hundred years? ? More than that, because my companions and I stopped at other systems on the way. This is incredible, whispered Gustave to Vikki. We must get hold of their technology somehow, whatever the cost. Although if their interstellar drive only generates 0.1c, it wont be so much use for human interstellar travel. Forty-three years just to get to Alpha Centauri would be a bit tedious! Still, a helluva lot quicker than the Voyagers. He began typing again: ? You say you have companions of your kind. Where are they? Are they on this world? ? One of them is on the moon you call Nereid, and another on the minor planet you call Chiron. Neither of those worlds turned out to be suitable for our extended stay, so they may move to this world in due course. The rest of the group, including our Leader, are drifting in space at present. ? Have any ventured further into the Solar System? ? Not nearer your sun than the orbit of Jupiter. We cannot tolerate high temperatures and excessive radiation from your sun. Nor the high gravity on your larger worlds. That means, Earth is probably safe from an invasion by Balas, remarked Gustave to Vikki in another stage whisper. No War of the Worlds stuff, if you were hoping for that! Vikki scoffed. Its a long time since I last read any H. G. Wells. And I know what Nereid is: its a moon of Neptune. But where is Chiron? she asked. Its not a moon: its what astronomers call a Centaur: a comet-like minor planet orbiting the sun between Saturn and Uranus. Not a very hospitable place for humans, whatever the Bala makes of it. OK, thanks. Now Id like to put a question, please, replied Vikki. So Gustave relinquished the keyboard, and she typed: ? I would like to bring another of my species to visit you. A female this time. Is that all right? ? Very well. But only the two of you: this male must remain behind. And bear in mind that I must perform the inspection of any newcomer. So next time, itll be Murielle, remarked Gustave as he and Vikki trekked back to the base. I hope shell be received as warmly as we were. Vikki could see him grinning through his helmet visor. There was a hint of irony in his voice. Chapter 6 – Calamity MURIELLES detailed scientific report was a long time coming, but in the end copies of it, in both French and English, appeared in Vikkis and Dr Yes inboxes. Vikki wondered at first whether to work from the French version, putting it through an AI-based translator: but on reading a few pages of the English text she decided it was well enough written to use. Evidently Murielle was better at writing English than speaking it! But before Vikki had even started proofreading the text, Murielle came to her cabin. You remember I said I must ave a look at ze Bala, she began. If it really is a living creature, its my duty to learn all about it. Shall we go together? You want to go now? Before Dr Ye and I have finished reviewing your paper? Yes. If we really ave another life form here, I must find out what it is and begin my report on that too. I can do it while you are reviewing my other paper. So a little while later, having advised Alex of their intentions and obtained her consent, the two of them were making their way across the ice to the Bala. I should warn you, Vikki said, over the radio, that the Bala will want to manhandle you into its interior. It will use its tentacles. You need not be startled: it will not harm you. It did not harm Gustave, and it only harmed me because it did not realise I was wearing a space-suit that could be punctured. Its not much worse than going through spaceport security, she added. This last was a little lie, but Vikki wanted to get her own back on Murielle for being so pushy. Let her get scared out of her wits for once! Sure enough, once they were standing outside the doorway and Vikki had dutifully prodded the skin, the aperture appeared and a tentacle coiled out and wrapped itself around Murielle. She squealed and wriggled, but the tentacle firmly and with determination pulled her inside. Vikki followed, again remembering in time to switch on her chest lamp. That was very orrid, complained Murielle over the radio, once she had been released. Im sorry, but it cant be helped, was Vikkis reply. Just wait. The pressure in the chamber built up again, and the text appeared. ? Welcome. And I am sorry I had to handle you in that way, newcomer: it was necessary to check you over. You may remove your space suits. You wish to ask me more questions? I certainly do, exclaimed Murielle, once she had recovered from her shockwhich took less time than it had with Gustave. She had copied Vikki in removing her helmet. Use the keyboard, said Vikki, pointing. Just type your quest-ion. So Murielle peeled off her gloves and started typing: ? Are you really a living creature, or are you a robot? ? I am a living being, just as you are. What makes you think I am a robot? ? It seems so strange, that you can live in a vacuum, without food or anything. ? Why do you think I do not take in food? I need to check this out, Murielle whispered to Vikki. I am not convinced this is a living being. And before Vikki could utter a word, she had whipped a small plastic bag and a scalpel out of her backpack. Muriellewait! yelled Vikki. But she could not stop her. Murielle had deftly sliced off a small sliver of tissue, about twenty centimetres long by ten wide, from the wall of the chamber, and slipped it into her bag. No, Murielle! We should have asked shouted Vikki, but she got no further. All sorts of things were happening at once. Fissures in the walls appeared all around them. A riot of tentacles emerged, some of them fingered, but some of them clawed. Suddenly Vikki realised that she was gasping for air. Mure! Were losing air! she screamed, but her voice barely carried in the thinning air. She reached for her helmet at the same time, slammed it down on the collar of her suit as quickly as she could, and twisted it. To her relief, it latched first time, and she took deep breaths as the helmet filled with air once again. But Murielle was struggling. She had managed to put on her gloves, but could not reach her helmet since the tentacles had pinioned her arms. Vikki made a grab for it and tried to attach it to Murielles collar, but a tentacle wrapped around her and pulled her back. Murielles face was turning blue, and blood was starting to well up at her nose and around her eyes and ears. No! NO!! shrieked Vikki over the radio, but to no avail. She was pushed out of the doorway by the tentacle, and deposited on the ice outside. The aperture shut instantly. Vikki hammered on the Balas skin, trying to induce it to open up again, but even as she did so the texture changed. It was now that of friable frozen snow, not the skin she was used to. Vikki was numb with shock, and she barely noticed that her legs were buckling under her and she was sinking slowly face down on the ice. With her last breath before she lapsed into a dead faint, she cried out Help! HELP!! ------ Lucky we got to you this time, before your air ran out. The voice sounded faint and indistinct in Vikkis ringing ears, but it was calm-ing and reassuring. She tried opening her eyes, but all she could see was a blur. She shut them again, and winced as she felt some sort of cold liquid dropping onto her eyelids. But when she opened her eyes again, she could see more clearly. The buzzing in her head had also subsided. Dr Ye was standing over her. Youll pull through all rightbut we couldnt find Murielle. Where is she, do you know? Oh, Dr Ye! Vikki moaned faintly, I think shes still inside the Bala. We were trappedshe was, I barely got out. Inside? We searched everywhere. Alex, Hal, Gustave, Paul, Joachimtheyre all out there, scouring the place like hell. Digging into the moundthe Bala. Its just like a pile of snowit cant be a living being. But its a hell of a hard job digging into it. Theyll go on until they start running out of air: then theyll come back, re-charge, and go out for another sortie. Well find her: dont you worry. Dr Ye, said Vikki, more or less composed now, I think she will have asphyxiated. We were suddenly out of air: the Bala just depressurised the chamber without warning. I managed to get my helmet on, but Murielle couldnt reach hers. Last I saw of her, shed started bleeding, probably from vacuum exposure. And was turning blue. Im very afraid Theres still hope, Vikkibut well get her back, dead or alive. What happens if we lose herI dare not think. But I think the search party are coming back now. They could hear the airlock cycling, and snippets of conversation. Vikki pushed herself out of bed, ignoring Dr Yes protests, and shuffled woozily towards the suit lockers. The rest of the crew were there, plugging their space-suits into re-charge stations. Find anything? she ventured, weakly. Not yet, replied Gustave. That Balaits just turned into a regular snowdrift again. Damned tough to dig into: weve not made much progress. If only we had our diggerthe backhoe. But its still in pieces: I didnt ask for it to be assembled: didnt think wed be using it around here. But you shouldnt be up, Vikki. Dr Ye said Damn the doctor! I need to know. It was I that was the last one with Murielle. Why cant I help with the search? Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Absolutely not, intervened Alex. You just go back to sick-bay, Vikki. Its our job now. Vikki complied. But she was restless. She found her strength gradually returning. Why couldnt she be up and about? She waited until Dr Ye was called out of the room, then slipped out of bed. She made her way to the suit lockers: luckily there was no-one there. It would take about half an hour for the others space-suits to be re-charged: she had time. She took out her own suitfully chargedwriggled into it, fastened her helmet, worked the airlock, and was away. Shed gone about ten metres in the direction of the Bala when she noticed the anomaly. The Bala wasnt there any more. Vikki was thunderstruck. Had the crew managed to dig away the entire drift? But no: Gustave had just told her theyd made little progress. So maybe the Bala had taken offwith Murielle still inside it? She could see something small and indistinct, out on the ice at the exact spot where the Bala had been. Something that had been left behind. She must go and investigate. Shed get there before the others caught her. As she came nearer, she could make out what the object was. It was a space-suit. A space-suit torn in several places. But she could make out the words Dr Murielle dAnterre written across the chest. The helmet, smashed, was about three metres further on. And there was some-thing else, some ten metres beyond that. A pile of elongated white objects. Vikki took them at first for a pile of ice crystals. They were bones. Among them was a human skull. Vikki turned away. She was gagging and retching. Throwing up in a space-suit is never a good idea, but she couldnt stop herself. She shut her eyes and tried not to breathe in the foul stench. Her visor was smeared with vomit and she couldnt see a thing. She stumbled about for a few moments, then sank down to the ice once again. All went black ------ Alex, Gustave, Hal, and Dr Ye were all standing around her. She was lying on a bed in sick-bay, and had been cleaned up and given a clean jumpsuit. That was a relief. But then she remembered what shed seen, and burst into tears. Well, you sure are the one for narrow escapes, Vikki, said Alex, more kindly than expected. But of course, weve got big problems now. Ive sent a message to Earth via Ceres: well be getting our instructions direct from SSSA directoratebut it almost certainly looks like mission abort. Ill get a definite answer in about four hours. We cant carry on, not after this tragedy. So its trueabout Murielle? Im afraid so, said Dr Ye. Im still running the DNA test, but there isnt any doubt that theyre her remains. And of course, SSSA will want to run a full enquiry once we get back to Earth. Youll be questioned intensively. Are you up for that? No matter whether shes up for it or not, shes got to face it, put in Alex. I just hope it doesnt turn into a murder or manslaughter enquiry. For the record, Vikki, I, and all the other crew, firmly believe in your innocencethat what happened wasnt your fault. Its just that this alienthis Balawe just didnt take it seriously enough. I still feel Im to blame, wailed Vikki. I shouldnt have taken her toto that thing. I didnt think it would turn against us. B-but But what, Vikki? Maybe it was what she did. She cut a slice out of the Bala. Wanted a sample to testsee if it really was living tissue, I guess. She did what? As I said: she cut some of the Balas tissue away. She had a scalpel and a plastic bag with her. Are you sure you saw that? Yes, Im positive. Off the wall of our chamber. It was just after that, things went crazy. Had it not occurred to either of you that this Bala might feel pain? asked Dr Ye. It certainly seems that way to menow. At the time, I just tried to stop her. But I wasnt quick enough. If I just stuck a scalpel into you for no reason, Vikki, wouldnt you react? continued Dr Ye. Wouldnt you try to stop me? Of course I would. I see it all now. Murielle hurt the Bala, and it hit back. It killed her. Damn right it hit back, said Alex. This puts a whole new complexion on the situation. Youll have to repeat all youve told us at the SSSA enquiry, Vikki. Its important. I will. I promise. So you think well be ordered back to Earth straight away? Ill know in a few hours. Itll be a long trip: Earths badly placed for us at present. How we manage it: thatll be Joachims decision. Probably several stopovers. In the mean time, everyone can pack their belongings and make sure all files are saved and archived. ------ Vikki was restless. Shed packed her meagre possessionsall but one. She still had the file from Murielle in her inbox: the report on the Archaea. She supposed she was still tasked with peer-reviewing itbut she couldnt bear to even look at it. It can wait. She badly wanted Hals company, but he was busy out at the drilling rig, dismantling it. There was one thing she needed to do. Survivors guilt was overwhelming her: why hadnt it been she whom the Bala had some-how sucked all the flesh off? Shed been the insubordinate one. If she hadnt investigated what they thought was just a hummock, in the first place, Murielle would still be alive. The fact that shed been at odds with Murielle on some occasions made no difference: she still felt responsible and remorseful. She took a treasured possession of hers that she hadnt packed. It was a small Russian Orthodox cross: a parting gift from her parents who were devout churchgoers, given to her just before she left Earth. No matter that she was an unbeliever: it was still precious to her. She looked at it closely. Made of ebony, it was little more than twenty centimetres high, with its three crossbeams, the lowest one slanted in the Russian tradition. A perfect piece of craftsmanship. And she knew what to do. She suited up and cycled the airlock. No-one tried to stop her: everyone else was too busy. She slowly made her way to the place where the Bala had been. There was a slight depression in the ice marking the outline of the alien. All the debris had been cleared away, but she remembered the exact spot where Murielles remains had lain. Kneeling down, she planted the cross in the ice, using a small hammer from her backpack to drive it home. Then she stood back and crossed herself in the Orthodox fashion, as shed been taught as a child. She had no idea whether Murielle had been at all religious, and if so she would probably have been Roman Catholicbut no matter. Farewell, Murielle. Im so sorry I deserted you. May you rest in peace. She stood awhile thinking about events, and as she did so tears welled up in her eyes. In the low gravity the tears clung to her eyelashes, and in her space-suit she could not rub her eyes to get rid of them. She shook her head and blinked several times, and that helped to clear her vision somewhat. She looked around her, and then she noticed it. There was something strange about the ice at the exact centre of the Balas impression. ------ Ive got the instructions from Earth. We evacuate as soon as were ready: in about six hours time. Joachim will provide the details. No, Alex, please, can we wait a little longer? Ive just found something really interesting. Vikki had just rushed in to join the meeting, having bounded back from the Bala site as fast as she could. She was still wearing her space-suit. Not another alien, is it? asked Alex, visibly annoyed at the inter-ruption. No no, nothing as spectacular as that. But someone must really come with me and inspect the Bala site. Hal, especially: this will interest him no end. Can I at least take him to have a look? If you can be there and back, and still be in good time for our departure, then all right, you can go. But take care. And dont be late! Thanks a lot, Alex. Come on Hal, suit up and come with me. Ive something to show you. It did not take long for the two of them to reach the Bala site. Vikki led Hal to the exact centre of the impression, and pointed. There were three holes in the ice, each about ten centimetres in diameter, arranged in an exact equilateral triangle about fifty centi-metres to a side. Not made by us, was Hals first remark over the radio. You know full well I havent been drilling anywhere near here. Not that I could have, with that Bala creature sitting right on top of this spot, anyway. Also, I havent been using a drill big enough to make those holes. But they certainly dont look natural. Then they were made by the Bala, replied Vikki. Thats the obvious conclusion isnt it? Perhaps it too was drilling through the ice to get at the water beneath. Perhaps thats how it was feeding itself. And perhaps theres something down there. We have to find out! Lets go back to base. Ill have a word with Alex. Youre right: this looks very interesting. Im sure two or three days delay wont unduly mess up our flight schedule. Chapter 7 – More Critters ALEX INSISTED on being shown the mysterious holes in the ice for herself, before she agreed to postpone lift-off. But once she had seen them, she too was intriguedalthough with Murielle dead, the prospect of in-depth analysis of anything that might be found down the holes was limited. She agreed to a postponement of three Enceladus daysabout one hundred hoursand instructed Hal and Vikki to do what they could in that time. It took Hal, Gustave, and Vikki about four hours to move the entire drilling rig from its original site to the Balas location, and at the end of the exercise they were all exhausted. Although they had made as much use as possible of the short-range buggy, some of the parts were too large to be transported that way and had to be lugged over by hand. Of course they weighed almost nothing on Enceladus, but it was still an effort in space-suits. Once the whole rig had been set up and Hal had initiated the lowering of a sampling probe into one of the holes, he suggested the three of them should return to base and take a few hours rest. The probe could continue its descent automatically in the meantimeprovided it didnt run against any obstruction. The others couldnt argue about that. It was an exciting moment, but they had to be patient. It was some four hours later that Hal roused Vikki and Gustave out of their bunks. The probe should be close to the bottom of the ice by nowif it didnt hit anything on the way down, he explained. Of course, we have no idea whether the Balaif it was the Bala that made those holeswent right down to the water. But it seems likelyit probably wanted a drink! Anyway, by the time I get there, the probe should be through, and I need to secure a sample and then start pulling it up. Theres a small infrared camera in the probe, and it may show something. Want to come along, either of you? I assume the raising will take as long as the loweringover four hours? muttered Gustave, wearily. Yes, Im afraid so. Then, if you dont mind, Ill stay behind for now. I think Ive had enough EVA for the time being. But Vikki was willing to accompany Haland it wasnt just because of her interest in what the probe might reveal. Spending time with him while wearing space-suits wasnt exactly romantic, but at least she was close to him, and alone with himand that meant something. Had Gustave been putting on an act, for their benefit? He didnt make a habit of complaining of tiredness They found that the probe had indeed reached the water level, at the same depth as the first borehole: about seventeen kilometres. But the IR camera showed nothing. Vikki was disappointed, but Hal said it was only to be expected: a shot in the darkliterally! He hadnt even deployed the camera in the first borehole. There was obviously no visible light down there, and the liquid water was so cold that nothing gave off any infrared. They would have to wait for the sample to be brought to the surface. Hal busied himself with setting the rig going so as to winch the probe back to the surface, then he turned to face Vikki who was looking him up and down intently. So Hal is short for Harold? she remarked, having noticed the inscription on his space-suit. Funny thing: I never knew that. Never looked. Id always assumed it stood for Henryyou know, like the prince. Harold it is, replied Hal. But Ive always been called Hal, ever since I was a wee lad. Nothing princely about me, I fear. Well, dont worry, Im going to go on calling you Hal. Just as I dont expect you to call me Viktoriya, she added with a giggle. And youll always be my prince, whatever I call you. Vikki was getting in a flirtatious mood once again. They continued to gaze at one another. Reading facial expressions while enclosed in a space-suit isnt exactly easy, but they could sense each others expectations. The chemistry was sky-high! The time it took then to get back to the base must have broken every record as they raced each other with giant leaps and bounds: it was a marvel neither of them overshot or injured themselves. And the wait for the base airlock to cycle, so they could get out of their suits, seemed interminable. At last there were the two of them in the cabinVikkis this time. And there were the two jumpsuits and the two sets of underwear gently drifting to the floor, and the two bodies gently bouncing up and down as they intertwined with one another on the bunk ------ We mustnt miss the probe reaching the surface, remarked Hal, much later, as he got up and dressed. Ready, Vikki? Vikki was still recovering from their exertions, but she insisted she was ready. So it was a few minutes later that they were in their space-suits again and passing through the airlock. The trek back to the rig wasnt hurried, this time: Hal had said theyd probably have a twenty minutes wait before the probe surfaced. As things turned out, they had to wait over an hour. The probe had hit an obstruction on the way up, possibly a piece of ice detached from the borehole, and the winch had automatically stopped. Hal had to remotely manoeuvre the probe until it freed itself, then re-start the winch. It seemed an age, but finally the probe emerged. The probe was fitted with a small observation window, but it was hard to see anything while wearing a space-helmet and in the dim light. Peer as she might, Vikki could make out nothing. Dont worry, Hal reassured her. Well get it back to base and then everyone can take a look. Dr Ye especiallyhes the only one we have left with in-depth biology know-how. But Vikki was not to be deterred. Detaching her chest lamp from her suit, she switched it to maximum brightness and angled it to shine directly into the window. I can see something there now! she exclaimed, in some excite-ment. Little white dots moving about. Could be just flecks of rock, or ice crystals. Let me have a look. No: theyre jittering about as if they were alive. See for yourself. Hal peered into the window intently. Vikki, you may be right. We must get this sample back to base and into the observation habitat. If there are living creatures in there, no way to tell how long theyll survive. So it was another hurried trek back to base, gingerly bearing the precious sample probe. ------ Vikki was given first look through the microscope, followed by Hal, but all they could make out was that there were wiggly, leggy things moving about very fast. So Dr Ye took the matter in hand. Yes, definitely some kind of arthropod, he muttered, after study-ing the sample for a long time. I cant be more precise than that, but definitely a big step up from poor Murielles Archaea. If only she were here to see them! I cant be more precise, but my guess is, were looking at something resembling a copepod. Wait, Alex, Ill explain, noticing that Alex was about to interrupt. On Earth, cope-pods are a type of tiny marine crustacean, typically not more than two millimetres long. Very abundant: they make up the bulk of zooplanktonthe animal-type plankton. Sobarring the possibility of contamination by space probeswe have something which has evolved in parallel with Earth-life. This is really exciting! If there are copepods, there may be larger predators feeding on them. Fish, even! If only we were not leaving Enceladus so soon! Yes, Alex, I under-stand of course, its necessary after what happenedbut its real ill luck. If theres ever a return mission, Id love to be on it. Id make sure to gen up on my biology. Though Im not getting any younger... Alex considered for a while. Ill allow time for two more sampler probes to be sent down and retrieved, before we lift off. I dont suppose SSSA will objectnot when we tell them what weve found. And Dr YeIll certainly put your name forward to SSSAthough I cant promise anything. Dr Ye was still studying the specimens. I think I can make out at least two distinct species here. Or possibly they are male and female of the same species. Always assuming that Enceladus life has sexual reproduction. If so, we may be lucky enough to have a breeding colony. Though whether they can survive the voyage is doubtful. It seems that the Bala found a far better drilling site than we did, put in Hal, somewhat crestfallen. If it really was an intelligent being, was it searching for Enceladean life like us? Or was it just hungry? And why three holes? I think wed all like to be back here on the next trip. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ohthe Bala, said Alex. I never got round to telling you, Hal, Vikki. Weve located our friend. Its still on Enceladus, though now three hundred kilometres away: nearly a fifth of the way round the world. If its the same one. Vikki was taken aback. You mean its still around? How did you find it? Surely our buggies No chance of a buggy reaching it, explained Joachim. No, it was one of our drones, hovering at the L1 Lagrange point between us and Saturn, got a picture of it. Its almost on the limb with respect to the drone, so we got a nice profile view. It certainly looks like it, and it doesnt show up on earlier images. Vikki was about to speak, but Alex forestalled her. Sorry Vikki, absolutely no chance of us going to visit your friend. Its got to be now regarded as dangerous, and any return trip will have to check out Enceladus and maybe neutralise any Bala encounteredor at the very least steer well clear. Vikki couldnt let that remark go unchallenged. Isnt that rather disproportionate? she commented. Waging war on a super-intelligent species when they only want to exchange knowledge with us? This isnt a War of the Worlds scenario, Alex. Oh for heavens sake, Vikki! That monster killed poor Murielle. And shed never meant any harm: she only wanted to take a small sample of the creatures tissue to test. Maybe it felt painbut we feel slight pain when we get our jabsand we dont go about murdering the nurse in revenge! Vikki did not respond. Maybe Alex was right. And the survivors guilt was still overwhelming. She couldnt be sure she was thinking straight. ------ The second and third probes retrieved from under the ice yielded more of the copepod-like life, but no other creatures: if they were expecting something fish-like, they were in for a disappointment. But Dr Ye was quite convinced, now, that there were several distinct speciesas well as males and females of the same species. This was progress! As to the Balawell they were all agreed now that their friend had to be abandoned for the present. And searches had to be initiated on the other human-settled worlds: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, Ceres, and above all, nearby Rheato see if any of those had been visited. So there was no other reason to delay their departure from Enceladus. They dismantled and stored the drilling rig, sealed up the base leaving it ready for future occupation, boarded the Valentina, and lifted off. Joachim had detailed their itinerary to the gathered crew. The Valentina did not have enough fuel for an interplanetary voyage, so they would first have to make for Rhea, another somewhat larger of Saturns satellites. There they would take on fuel from the depot thereand in the meantime the crew could take the opportunity to acclimatise themselves to the slightly greater gravity: one-fortieth of Earths, as against Enceladus mere one-hundredth. Ideally, they would then have wanted to make a stopover on Ganymedebut Jupiter and its satellites were badly placed at the moment, so they would head straight for Ceres. Alex announced that once on Ceres, three of the crew, Hal, Paul, and Dr Ye, would be given the choice: they could remain on the colony there, take the shuttle to Ganymede when available, or con-tinue to Earth. She and Joachim would be accompanying Murielles remains to Earth where, after an intensive postmortem, they would be passed on to her family to be given a proper funeral. Vikki and Gustave were required to come to Earth too, since they would need to participate in the enquiry into Murielles death. Now that they were in flight and Vikki had more or less recovered from her ordeal, she wondered what a postmortem on what amount-ed to no more than a skeleton would reveal. But it was not her business to inquire. The trip to Rhea took only a couple of days. Once they arrived at the small human settlement there, the crew had a chance to disem-bark for about a day whilst the Valentina was serviced and refuelled. Vikkiwho had never visited Rhea beforefound it not much dif-ferent from Enceladus: both moons were mostly covered in ice, both were tidally-locked so that they always kept the same side towards Saturn (the human settlement was on the Saturn-facing side), and Rheas gravity was only marginally greater than that of Enceladus. Vikki felt some sense of dj vu, and felt little urge to go exploringeven if shed been allowed the time to do so. Alex was bound to issue a warning about possible Bala attacks (Vikki hated hearing the word attack)but she was careful not to give too much awayeasy enough for her because she half dis-believed what she had seen on Enceladus. She made no mention of any extraterrestrialsmerely advised the Rhea base team that if they should come across any unexpected pile of snow or ice (of certain dimensions which she specified), they should stay away from it, photograph it, and contact Ceres or Earth. Then it was back aboard ship for the much longer voyage to Ceres. This leg would take several monthsgiving Vikki plenty of time to reflect on her recent experiences. Would the enormity of them overwhelm her? At least she had the comfort of Hals companywhich was good for her sanity. Alex agreed that she and Hal could share a cabin. Hal had already promised that he would stay aboard for the onward trip to Earth. Not only was there no need for an extra drilling engineer, either on Ceres or on Ganymede, but he felt that it was best for Vikki that he stay with her. Dr Ye had also pledged to return to Earth. Although there were good testing facilities on Ceres, they did not have an experienced exobiologist thereand he wanted the specimens examined in the best possible conditions. Hence it was only Paul who volunteered to stay behind on Ceres. He explained that he would await the first opportunity to transfer to either Ganymede, Callisto, or Europawhichever came first. Gustave, passing close by Vikki in the Mess, gave her a quick wink. They both knew what was drawing Paul back to the Jovian moons! But Vikki was secretly relieved. Even now, whenever she passed close to Paul, her heart raced a little. Just a little! She was thinking about what might have been, if Hal hadnt come into her life. And the pain of Pauls indifference still troubled her. Better that he should be nowhere near. ------ Since the Valentina was missing out on the stopover on Ganymede, with its gravity of about one-seventh gee, instead heading for Ceres with less than one-thirtieth, Dr Ye was discussing with Alex and Joachim how to help the crew to adapt to Earth gravity when they finally reached there. All of the team, of course, had been subjected to intensive zero-gravity training, to ensure that none of them would fall prey to space-sickness. But the sudden jump to terrestrial gravity would be hard on them, after months of near-weightlessness. Alex asked if it was practicable to spin the Valentina. Joachim said no, but he suggested the crew spend some time in the centrifuge on Ceres, set to deliver one-fifth gee at first, slowly rising to one-half. Vikki and Hal were both disposed to grumble at this: both of them had been in the centrifuge before and it wasnt a pleasant experience. Why couldnt they just experience the brief bouts of gravity when the Valentina accelerated or decelerated? But Dr Ye said that wasnt enough: he agreed with Joachim that the centrifuge was the better option. In the meantime, there was the long voyage to endure, most of it coasting in free fall after the ship had accelerated away from Saturns orbit. Vikki and Hal couldnt spend all the time sharing a bunk. They occupied themselves with writing reports, reading, and watching holos. Vikki tried her hand at writing poetrywith limited success. Hal was playing a vintage computer game. Dr Yethey had no idea how Dr Ye occupied himself when he wasnt with them. And Alex and Joachim were busy taking care of the ship. But they also had time to reflect upon what the Bala could possibly be. To discuss that, Vikki and Gustave called upon Hal and Dr Ye to join them. Alex occasionally sat in on those meetings, but did not participate. She was still sceptical about the whole thing. The biggest puzzle was: how did a creature as large as that survive in a total vacuum and with no apparent food source? Hal surmised that it could have at least drawn up water through the three boreholes it had made. And the water contained nutrients: indeed it was richer in nutrients than that obtained from Hals borehole. But surely that wouldnt be enough to sustain a living creature thirty metres long! Vikki suggested, perhaps the Bala, being sessile most of the time and presumably inactive, didnt need much intake. But Gustaves argument was: look at those tentacles! They were immensely strong, as he knew from his own personal contact with them. Manoeuvring tentacles like that consumed energylots of it. And how many tentacles were there? Vikki didnt like to answer that. During that terrible final moment with Murielle, more tentacles than she could count had emerged from fissures in the wall. Dr Ye put forward this point. Perhaps what they had seen was the adult form of a metamorphosing creatureeven if its physical shape more resembled a prodigious larva! Maybe in the adult stage it did not feed, but merely survived on its stored fat: existed only to repro-duce. This was common on Earth in many species of moths and mayflies, as he was sure the others knew. Vikki remarked that, in that case, it would have to survive the adult phase without feeding for an awfully long time! Its voyage from its home planet had taken six hundred yearsand if it ever returned home, it would be facing an equally long trip. And if it wasnt to take in food or water, what had it drilled those boreholes for? Research into possible life on Enceladusjust as the Valentinas crew had been doing? Possibly the adult phaseif what they had seen was indeed the adult phase, wasnt for reproduction, Dr Ye remarked. Perhaps for gathering of knowledge? Maybe the Bala reproduced in an earlier manifestation. And there was no reason to assume they had sexual reproduction. There might be other ways of distributing genetic data. And there was still the possibility that the Bala was some kind of robotin which case it had lied to poor Murielle. They debated many times. Nothing made sense. All four of them remained baffled. It would be a long wait to reach Ceresand then after the centri-fugal ordeal there, an equally long time to reach Earth. There was no help for it: they just had to be patient. Perhaps there would be answers to the mystery once they reached home. ------ At last the ship docked at the spaceport on Ceres: the largest member of the asteroid belt and one of only two asteroids with a substantial human presencethe other being Vesta. Here the crew bid farewell to Paul, and Vikki felt impelled to give him a hug and kiss him tenderly on both cheeks: he could hardly refuse her that! Gustave remarked Give our regards to Carla, wont you, at which Paul looked a bit bemused; Gustave wondered if hed committed a faux pasperhaps Paul wouldnt be seeing Carla any more. But he kept his composure. Once again Alex delivered her warningwhy she hadnt radioed ahead was puzzlingbut again gave nothing away. That would have to wait for Earth. Chapter 8 – Extract from Bala’s Journal NOTE: this covers the first spell of contact between myself, named [untranslated word], and the human explorers. This translation into one of their languages (English) has been made at the request of human cosmonaut Dr Viktoriya Rozhkova and human cosmonaut Gustave Quincy. I have inserted, for reference, the humans names for planets, satellites, etc. in their star system. I have also used the name supplied by the humans, Bala, to refer to myself. I cannot, however, provide English equivalents of the proper names of myself and my companions, nor of our home world. IN MY previous report I gave a detailed overall description of the planetary system which [untranslated words] and myself have been charged with exploring, with a view to learning whether there exists life in that system, and whether any of the worlds have potential for colonisation. Here follows a brief summary. The four innermost planets are rocky and of no use to us: far too hot and with far too high a surface gravity. We at once realised that we could not venture closer to the star [Sun] (a yellow Main Sequence type G2 in the humans classification) than the orbit of the innermost gas giantthe fifth from the starwhich is also the largest planet in the system [Jupiter]. That gas giant has a promising satellite orbiting [Europa]: large and covered in water ice with clear evidence of cold liquid water beneath itjust what we need for a successful habitat. But unfortunately its surface gravityat nearly fifteen times that of our home planet, [untranslated word]is still too great: it is likely that if any of us were to settle there we would never be able to escape its gravity. We have sent an urgent message to [untranslated word] requesting that, if any further envoys are sent to this system, they must be equipped with a more powerful neutrino-drive implant. Planet number nine [Pluto] which orbits the star slightly further out than number eight [Neptune], the outermost ice giant (although with an eccentric orbit which intersects that of number eight) was also considered, since it is another small ice-world. But it too was ruled out because of its excessive gravity (about seven times that of [untranslated word]), which although survivable would be uncomfortable. However, we may consider it again if none of our chosen worlds check out. In the end we decided upon three suitable candidates, and my assignment was to the most promising: an icy satellite [Enceladus] orbiting planet number sixthe second gas giantthe one with the most prominent ring system [Saturn]. This has a mostly water-ice surface which again appears to cover a liquid water layerand its gravity is suitable for us at just a little over that of our home world. [untranslated word] takes on a satellite [Nereid] orbiting the eighth planet [Neptune] while [untranslated word] is to visit a minor planet orbiting the star independently [Chiron]. Having agreed on the allocation of worlds to visit, we parted company and I began my descent to the ice world [Enceladus]. Then I noticed something unexpected. An artefact of some sort, apparently a kind of space vehicle (such as we used to use before we developed the neutrino-drive implant) was orbiting that same world. One of our directives is to establish contact with any intelligent alien species we may encounterand this artefact certainly looked as if it was constructed by intelligent beings. I observed this spacecraft carefully and was able to detect low-frequency modulated electromagnetic radiation emanating from itas well as very low-energy incoming radiation of the same kind. This seemed to be the aliens signalling method, and it was a simple matter for me to analyse the signals and hence gain some knowledge of their relatively simple language. It was unfortunate, however, that I am not equipped to respond to them in like manner: the aliens evidently have not developed a neutrino-pulse signalling system equivalent to ours. Nevertheless I immediately contacted [untranslated word], the leader of our mission, and was directed to remain close to the alien spacecraft and see what it would do. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. After a short delay the spacecraft did indeed de-orbit and start a gradual descent path towards a point on the worldalmost the exact locality which we too had chosen as the most favourable spot for exploration. I therefore arranged to settle myself on the surface a short distance from the spacecrafts expected landing position, and await its arrival. Once on the surface I took the opportunity to replenish my water reserves by making boreholes through the ice. I observed primitive life-forms in the water which appear to be native to this satellite. I observed small bipedal beings [humans] emerge from their spacecraft and set up equipment. Not having had orders to approach them directly, I waitedand in due course one of the beings came close to me. I had prepared an internal chamber for the purpose of communication so I drew the human into my interior. Unfortunately I accidentally damaged the human in doing so, by exposing it to vacuum which its species cannot tolerate. Accordingly there was a delay, amounting to ten orbits of the satellite about its primary, before I could restore the human and its protective covering to full functionality. Luckily the biological structure of the human was relatively simple to analyse and manipulate, and it was a straightforward matter to keep it alive during restoration. During my restoration work other humans approached me and attempted to damage me. I had to use my [untranslated word] mode to protect myself. Eventually they withdrew. Once the human I had taken in was functional, I attempted to communicate using visual symbols. The human appeared to have difficulty in working with the binary representation I usedand appeared to be anxious to rejoin its companionsso I released it. I had of course continued to monitor the signals emanating from the humans spaceship, and to my surprise I detected what seemed to be a large database containing much information about the species, most of it not relevant to their current mission. Since it seems unlikely that they would have had any occasion to transmit this database to their home planet, I deduced that the signal was sent for my express benefit. Using the extra data, I was able to improve my understanding of their language and culture, and also to employ the more succinct representation of the language which the humans appear to use among themselves. I was also able to determine, using this enlarged information, that the humans experience binary sexual reproduction, and that the human who visited me was a female of the species: that is, one equipped to directly bring forth young. In due course the original female returned, and using the improved communication system we were able to exchange information. The human then requested that another of her kind be admittedand I agreed to this, subject to obtaining permission from [untranslated word]. The second human turned out to be a male of the species: one equipped to supply its genetic material to the female, who then combines the material in her body to produce young. I asked whether the two of them were prepared to demonstrate their reproductive procedure, but they declined. It seems that the process is a very private matter among the humans, which they do not willingly reveal to others. The two humans made a second visit, during which I supplied them with such information about ourselves as we are permitted to disclose to beings of a species less developed than ourselves. Then the female requested that she be accompanied by a different human for the third visit. To this I consentedbut the outcome was unfavourable. The newcomera female apparently with expertise in biologyappeared hostile and attempted to cut away part of my body. At this point the stress caused me to go into a state of [untranslated word], in consequence behaving irrationally for a while. When I became rational again, I observed that the first female was no longer present and the second female was damaged beyond recovery. I retrieved all the soft tissue from it but it was evident that repairs were impossible: the human was dead. Shortly afterwards, other humans came and attempted to attack me. I assumed my defensive mode but they persisted, so I thought it best to relocate to a more distant locality on the same world. Thus far, I have received no further visits from humans. I have reported all my experiences to [untranslated word] and I await further instructions. Report submitted by [untranslated word]. Chapter 9 – Trial THAT SHE would stand trial for murder as soon as she set foot back on Earth, came as an unexpected shock to Vikki. Of course she should have seen it coming. Alex had strongly urged her to get herself a good lawyer, even before the Valentina docked at the space station ISS4 and the crew transferred to the ground-to-orbit shuttle for the descent to Earth. Vikki had disregarded the warning. Me! Guilty of anything? Youre kidding! was her only response to Alexs admonition. And now it was too late. She had only just come out of quarantine and barely acclimatised herself to Earths gravity, when two security guards materialised at her sides, took her by each arm, and gently but firmly conducted her to a locked room. Vikki could do no more than wait patiently. What was all this about? At last, after an hour or two, her brother and her parents were allowed in. There was a tearful reunion. Wed all been told you were dead! her mother exclaimed, through her tears. It took a moment for Vikki to registerthen she remembered that during her fourteen-day disappearance Alex had relayed the sad news to Earth. If only there hadnt been any other sad news to report! Do you know why Im being locked up here? Vikki asked, fearing the worst. We havent been told, her brother replied. Dont worry, were sure its just some sort of formality. Evidently the news of Murielles death had not been circulated at large. Vikki was left alone again. After some hours she was taken elsewhere, before an imposing official she assumed was the chief prosecutor or investigating magistrate or whatever he was calledand she was formally charged with the murder of Dr Murielle DAnterre, on the moon Enceladus, on or around such-and-such a date. Vikki half-listened to all this, in a daze. She was duly cautioned, whereupon she burst out with pleas of her absolute innocence, citing the utter impossibility of her having committed the alleged crime. She was allowed access to a phone, and she made a panic-stricken call to Alex, begging her assistance. Alex duly obliged, and within a few hours a middle-aged, smartly-turned-out woman with long black hair was admitted to Vikkis cell. She introduced herself as Ms Vihansh Kumar, and explained that she was the attorney tasked with representing Vikki in the forthcoming trial. She urged her to tell her everything she could recall about her experiences. I hardly know how to begin, said Vikki. I guessthe first thing to ask you is, has anyone mentioned anything about intelligent extra-terrestrials? No, replied Vihansh. Im not really surprised at that, was Vikkis response. I doubt if even SSSA have been told everything. Probably Alexit was Alex who sent you wasnt it? Im very gratefulprobably Alex is keeping the whole story under wraps for now. Too sensational. If we told the whole world wed just be branded as crackpots. You can tell me, urged Vihansh. I keep an open mind about such matters. Thats my job. And I have heard something. Something vagueabout a snowdrift? Thats part of it. Alex issued a guarded warning to the folks on Rhea and Ceres, and they must have passed it on. But she held back on the truth. What Im about to tell you: you too will probably agree that it has to be kept secret for the time being. And with that, Vikki launched into a full account of all her experienceskeeping back only the intimate details of her relationship with Hal... Vihansh was staring at her, open-mouthed. Well, well! she exclaimed at last. Your story holds together: I can see that. I can tell youre not making this up. Whether a jury will believe a word of it: thats a different matter. And whether well even be allowed to mention all this in a public courtwhether itll be deemed to be Top Secretthats another question well need the answer to. Could Alexand Gustave Quincy, my crewmatecould they come and join us? Gustave, at least, will corroborate my story. Im sorry, Vikki: youre not allowed to meet with potential wit-nesses. But I shall certainly go and consult with both those people, and with Dr Ye Wu-Jia. And Harold McManus tooI understand you were friendly with himmore than friendly, in fact. Who told you that? retorted Vikki, a bit peeved. AhI suppose it was Alex. Yes, all right: we were dating during the trip. He was lonely, and I was lonely. If thats relevant. Everythings relevant, Vikki, when youre on trial for murder. You must understand this. Hold nothing back from me. Ill decide what has to be said in Courtif it comes to Court. If? Youre saying, if? Do you mean I may not come to trial after all? Its possible, given the sensitivity of the circumstances, and the potential impact on global security. I shall have to consult with others. Please dont worry too much at present. And with that Vihansh took her leave, promising to report any developments. So Vikki was alone in her cell once again. At least she was well-treated. She had a separate tiny bathroom, a holoTV, a computer, and a phone (though the numbers she was allowed to call, and websites she was able to access, were limited). The food was adequate if uninspiring: at least it was better than some of the rations aboard Valentina. She was allowed out into a garden at times. The main handicap was that she wasnt allowed any visitors, apart from Vihansh, the prison officers, and a doctor. Would there be a trial? Had her incredible story now been circulated among SSSAs senior directorate? Among top brass at the World Government? What would they make of it? Would she be consigned to the loony bin? Vikki waited. Altogether, it was a comfortable existence, although she felt stifled. What would the others of her erstwhile crewmates be up to? Had any of them blabbed to the world at large? And how about the little copepods that Dr Ye had so carefully nurtured during the long journey to Earth? The last she heard, only five of them were left alive at the end of the voyage. Had they been kept alive, since thenand had any specimens of the Archaea survived too? As the sole representatives of extraterrestrial life from the Solar System (nothing had been discovered on Europa, yet), surely they must be the focus of intense study. They would not have been kept secretat least, not from the scientific community. What had humanity learnt about alien biology by studying such minute creatures? Too many unanswered questions. She could only wait. ------ At length Vihansh reappeared. Well, Vikki, there is going to be a trial after all. SSSA were insistent. But itll be in camera. The Press will be barred. There will be a judge, Counsel for the Prosecution, myself, the Court officials, and a jury consisting of eight positively-vetted humans and four AIs. You will not be allowed to object to any of the jurorsbut I dont suppose you would think of doing so anyway: they have been carefully chosen. Dont worry: I think its all for the best. On the due date Vikki was led into the courtroom. It was far less imposing, less impersonal, than she had imagined. She was given a comfortable chair to sit on, facing a table, with Vihansh at her side. Prosecuting Counsel, introduced to her as Balzs Szekeres, was at a separate table, and the Judge, named Andrew Hough, sat at a larger table facing them, flanked by two officials. And the jury sat at a long table over to one side: two men, six women, and four AIs represented by holo-monitors. At present the holo-monitors were blank. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As the introductions were made, Vikki found it hard to suppress a giggle. The prosecutors first name, Hungarian-sounding Balzs, sounded very much like Bala to her ears, and set her wondering: what had become of her late interlocutor? Was it still on Enceladus? The prosecutors statement was brief. He stated that Dr Murielle DAnterres bodyor rather, her skeleton, was found exposed on the Enceladean surface, and that Dr Viktoriya Rozhkova was the last person known to have been in her company. The cause of Dr DAnterres death was almost certainly space exposure, but the exact circumstancesincluding the removal of soft tissue from her bodyremained a mystery. He called no witnesses. It seemed that he was not fighting particularly hard to win his case. Then Vihansh stood up. She explained that, incredible though it must seem, the Enceladus expedition had indeed met up with an intelligent alien creature, improbably shaped like a huge snowdrift or whale. There was a small probability that it might be a robot instead of a living being, but most of the crew had now discounted that theory. It was clearly not of Enceladus, not even of the Solar System. It had somehow learnt our language and conversedin a manner of speakingwith two of the crew. She would now call upon cosmo-naut Gustave Quincy who also witnessed at first hand the alien, which they had provisionally named the Bala . Gustave gave his account without a hitch, and then it was then Balzs Szekeress turn to cross-examine him. Mr Quincy: you are well acquainted with and good friends with the defendant, are you not? Yes I am. Would it be correct to say, she regards you as some sort of father-figure? Someone to turn to for advice and counsel? Yes: I suppose that would be a fair assessment. So is it possible, then, that you may haveerslanted the testimony you have just given, so as to place the defendant in a more favourable light? Why should I want to do that? replied Gustave, testily. I have merely told the court exactly what I saw and experienced. Mr Quincy, please answer the question: yes or no. In that case: no. Very well. No further questions. Dr Ye was then called. He gave only a cursory and non-committal account of his impression of the alien, and then, in reply to further questioning, stated that he had examined the skeleton found on the ice and could confirm that it was the remains of Dr DAnterre. He was not cross-examined. Alex was summoned. She gave Vikki a good character reference, and testified that she had been a good and industrious member of the crew. Nothing about insubordination, much to Vikkis relief. Alex too was not cross-examined. Now it was Vikkis turn. In response to Vihanshs careful questioning, she gave a full account of all her experiences with the Bala, including that final dreadful moment when it had attacked and killed Murielle; then she gave an account of her discovery of the skeleton after the Balas disappearance. When she had finished, Vihansh requested an adjournmentbut both the prosecutor and the judge refused her request. So it was the turn of Balzs Szekeres to cross-examine her. Dr Rozhkova: on the outward voyage to Enceladus, you shared a cabin with Dr DAnterre, did you not? Yes I did. What was your relationship with her during that time? Just like it would be with any crew member I might share with. Was there any strain in the relationship? What do you mean? I mean exactly what I said. Were your relations at all strained? Well, I suppose Dr Rozhkova: Dr DAnterres grasp of English was not good, was it? You could say that, I suppose. Please answer the question. No. I mean, yes: her English was rather poor. So she spoke much of the time in French, her native tongue? Yes. And do you speak French, Dr Rozhkova? Not very well. School French, mostly. I understand quite a few words. So if you had to converse with Dr DAnterre, it was not easy? Nosometimes it wasnt. Did you bear a grudge against Dr DAnterre because of that? Vikki paused for a long time. She recalled the words shed spoken to Gustave, so long ago it seemed now. I loathe her. She couldnt possibly admit to that in court! The judge intervened. Please answer the question, Dr Rozhkova. I suppose, I have to admit, I didnt like her very much. But not enough to want to kill her! Honestly, how can anyone suppose Id want to kill anyone!? Very well. Dr Rozhkova, were you aware that Dr DAnterre was carrying a sharp knife amongst her equipment? A scalpel, you mean. No. Not until she brought it out. It took me by surprise. And you do not carry such a knife yourself whilst on EVA, Dr Rozhkova? No, I do not. I carry a small geological hammer and some chisels. Part of my work as a geologist. Nothing with a cutting edge. Theres always the risk of puncturing ones space-suit. So Dr DAnterres action of cutting a slice out of the alienthat came as a surprise to you? It certainly did. Did you try to stop her? I already said it before: yes I did. Just checking. So is there a possibility that you might have grabbed her scalpel and used it to slash her space-suit? An extreme measure, but necessary to prevent her from harming the alien? NoNO! I would never have done that. Never. NEVER!! Vikki was almost screaming at this point. Vihansh leaned across and whispered to her, reassuringly. Balzs Szekeres gave Vikki time to calm down before continuing. So how do you suppose the space-suit did indeed get slashed, and the helmet brokenas other witnesses have testified? Ive already said: I dont know. But the alienthe Balasome of its tentacles were equipped with sharp claws. It could have done all those things. I didnt stay to watch. Thank you, Dr Rozhkova. No further questions. Vikki gave an audible sigh. But Vihansh winked at her. Seeing that there were no further witnesses to be summoned, the judge directed the prosecutor to summarise. But even as he was standing up, the four AIs in the jury intervened. They spoke in unison: We see no reason why this trial should continue. In our view, the prosecution has presented no evidence to prove the defendants guilt. We ask the human members of the jury whether they agree. The judge addressed the jury. Do you wish to retire and consider the matter? There was some quiet nodding and muttering amongst the jurors. Then one of them stood up. We all agree: we concur with the AIs assessment. The defendant has no case to answer. Very wellthough you should have advised me earlier. Case dismissed. The judge sounded his gavel. Both Vihansh Kumar and Balzs Szekeres shook hands with Vikki. Her ordeal was at an end! Chapter 10 – Post-Trial Discussions I THINK Balzs gave you a fairly easy ride back there, was Vihanshs first remark, once Vikki was seated in her chambers shortly after the trial, at Vihanshs invitation. Easy? I wouldnt call that easy! He threw all kinds of awkward stuff at me, retorted Vikki. Listen, Vikki, I know Balzs well: hes an old friend of mine and we go back many years. Hes a hard attorneyone of the best there is. Ive seen him tear a witness to shreds during cross-examination. But I get the impression, he knew you werent guilty right from the start. He put on a show because SSSA wanted him to put on a show, but it was a very soft touch by his standards. Why should SSSA want me to be put on trial? They want to cover their asses. They cant be seen to be res-ponsible for losing cosmonauts left right and centre, and if they think they can pin the blame onto some individual, theyll try their damnedest. After all, their record isnt great. And their predecessors, NASA, fared even worse. In their first fifty years of operations, latter part of twentieth century and beginning of twenty-first, they lost seventeen astronautsas youll know if you read up your history. Astronaut? Sorry: that was an early term for cosmonaut. All to do with what was known as the Space Race. The Americans called their space travellers astronauts, the Russians called them cosmonautsbut in the end the word cosmonaut prevailed. Thanks. Yes I did read something about those early disasters. Ground-to-orbit vehicles exploded, or something? Yes. One, called Challenger, exploded just after take-off. Another, called Columbia, burned up on re-entry. Seven casualties in each case. Before those two, another three men were killed in a fire in an Apollo spacecraft on the ground. And much more recently, there was the disaster at the Arthur C. Clarke base on Mars. The dome suddenly burst and depressurised for no apparent reason. Eleven people killed. You heard of that one? Yes. Thats why SSSA are not sending missions to Mars at present, isnt it? I believe so. Although all those disasters occurred during NASAs tenure, SSSA have had their share of accidents. Not so deadly: space flight has become far safer overall over the years. Until Murielle, they lost just three cosmonauts. But Murielles death has got them mighty shook up and worried. Excuse my saying so, Vihansh: you do seem very knowledgeable about space topics. Youre quite right, replied Vihansh, a bit embarrassed. I used to work for SSSAs legal departmentand Ive spent some time on the board investigating space accidents. And Ive read up on all the history. Thats why Alex picked me to represent you. Though in the end my services were hardly needed. So what happens now? Will I be able to get back into space any time? That, I cant answer for now. But shall we say, enough of history for now? Were going to join in a meeting. The judge has asked me to bring you to his chambers this evening, along with others. Dont worry about it: its no longer a trial. More like a general discussion on the question where do we go from here? ------ When Vikki and Vihansh arrived at Judge Andrew Houghs chambers, they found several people there already. Alex, Gustave, Hal, Joachim, and Dr Ye were seated around a large table, along with Balzs Szekeres. Also there were two men and a woman, all of late-middle-age, none of whom Vikki recognisedalthough she guessed they were probably from high-up in SSSA. In addition there was a slightly younger woman whom Vikki couldnt placethough her face seemed vaguely familiar. It was Balzs who greeted Vikki first of all. You did very well, Vikki, in court today. Far better than some witnesses Ive questioned in my long career. Did I, Mr Szekeres? I thought I was being given a mauling. Its pronounced Sekeresh. But please call me Balzs. Thats with a zs like the s in leisure. This is not a trial: we can dispense with formality. Sorry, Balzs. But I did feel a bit drained at the end. You have to understand, Vikki, that none of us really believed you were guilty. But we had to go ahead with the trial, to avert the risk of mass panic shouldwhat you discoveredleak out. A heavily redacted transcript of the Court proceedings will go out to the Press, isnt that right, Andy? The judge nodded. Yes, well done Vikki, he confirmed. And please, everyone, call me Andy. Thats a name everyone can pro-nounce! With the mispronouncing of names out of the way, the introductions could continue. The two men were introduced as Duke Weaver, Chief Executive of SSSA, and Luis Mends, Chief Scienti-fic officer, while the older woman was Lavinia Morel, head of SSSAs exobiology division. Vikki knew the names but had never met any of them. An impressive gathering indeed! Then it was the turn of the younger woman to introduce herself. Hello, Im Estella Beeston, but most people know me as Stella Strange. You may have read one or other of my books Stella Strange! Of course! Vikki realised who she was at once. One of the brightest up-and-coming writers of hard science fiction in the business. Vikki had read her debut novel Dawn of Phobos with enthusiasm: indeed it was partly that book that persuaded her to go ahead and sign up with the SSSA Space Force. Of course, Stellas picture as seen in the front pages of her e-books must have been taken some years ago, which was why Vikki hadnt quite recognised her. But why was she in this meeting? This wasnt a science-fiction congress: it was here to discuss hard facts. Vikki was about to ask What are you doing here? but she bit back on her words in time. It was Duke who came to the rescue. I should explain, he began, that we asked Stella to come along because her vivid imagination might very well be useful when it comes to understanding these out-of-this-world phenomena. Were hoping she might come up with some ideas weve missed. Even a writer of fiction has to draw some of their material from fact. That made some sense, even if the premise was somewhat bizarre. But thenthey were there to debate a topic which had plenty of the bizarre about it. That was, of course, assuming that discussion about the Bala was on the agenda. Vikki held her peace while Judge Andrew, who appeared to be chairing the meeting, made his opening statement. I should explain that I, and my legal colleagues Balzs and Vihansh, are here mainly as observers, and because we were concerned with the trial which has just concluded. We expect to comment only in the event that any legal matters crop up. We shall leave most of the discussion to the experts and the witnesses. Only those present in this room, plus the jurors in the trial and the court officialsall of whom have been sworn to absolute secrecyare cognizant of the extraordinary circumstances which bring us together. I therefore pass on to Duke here who will present the issues. Thanks, Andy, Duke began. Well, were here to discuss the events surrounding the Valentinas recent mission to Enceladus. All of the surviving crew of that mission are present, except for Paul Udike who is at present on Ganymede. But Paul is listening in on this meeting via video link. Duke pointed at the holo-monitor set in the corner of the room, which Vikki hadnt noticed until then. It was currently blank, so Paul hadnt yet joined in. Unfortunately, continued Duke, the lightspeed time-delay to and from Ganymede is currently almost an hour and a half, so if Paul wants to make any contribution well have to wait a while for it! Everyone smiled at this, especially Vikki. First of all, continued Duke, well be dealing with the verified life-forms, apparently native to Enceladus, which were collected from beneath the ice. For that Ill pass over to Lavinia here. Thank you, Duke, Lavinia began. Im afraid some of my report is rather technical: I hope you will all bear with me. As Im sure you know, two distinct families of what were almost certain are native Enceladean life-forms were collected and brought back to Earth. One of them, a single-celled microorganism, is somewhat similar to Earths Archaea. A number of specimens were still alive when the sample reached Earth, and a few have survived up till now. We were able to confirm the late Dr DAnterres conclusion that there are two distinct species. Since she was the first to describe them, we are retaining the taxonomic names she assigned to thembut after lengthy discussions with the ICZN, we have agreed to prefix the generic name with a lower-case x to indicate that these are extraterrestrial genera. So they become xEnceladium danterrii and xEnceladium mcmanusii. Their metabolism currently remains a mystery. We suspect that they exchange genetic material by conjugation, since we have not detected any viruses in the sample. Whats conjugation? interposed Vikki. Sorry, Im being a bit technical. Its a process whereby a bacterium or archaeon transfers genetic material direct to another of its species. Non-sexual genetic diversity. Theres also a process called transduction, in which a virus is involved in the transferbut we have not observed that. Several of her audience remained nonplussedbut they made no further comment. Anyway, continued Lavinia, weve definitely determined that there is genetic material in these specimens, in double helix structure similar to DNAalthough its not true DNA. Double helix but not DNA? queried Gustave. That is correct. Of course, in a species evolved on a planetall right, a satellitemany millions of kilometres from Earth with no possibility of interaction, its hardly surprising that a different genetic structure has evolved. Weve determined that this pseudo-DNA is made up of nucleotides each containing one of six distinct nucleobases, as against the four found in Earth-based DNA. All the nucleobases are exotic: none of them match the C, G, A, and T bases were familiar with. So this is exotic material. Perhaps we ought to call it xDNA or something. This must have been a very exciting discovery, put in Alex. So we have finally proved that this really is native Enceladean life, not the result of contamination by Earth-based probes? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Absolutely. We also found proteins present composed of exotic amino-acids: not surprising seeing as they were assembled under the guidance of exotic messenger RNA. Altogether our team has done excellently and I am thrilled at these developments. You can say that again, Lavinia, commented Duke. We may be at a turning-point in human history. What about our other exciting discovery? put in Vikki. Arent we going to move on to that? All in good time. Lavinia, please continue. I now come to the slightly more macroscopic life-forms discovered under the ice. As I said earlier, only five specimens were still alive upon arrival on Earth, although there were several almost intact dead creatures which we were able to dissect. The live specimens consisted of what we believe to be a male and three females belonging to one species, and a separate species of which only one female survived. Yes: we have determined that these creatures possess a form of sexual reproduction, which I shall come to later. Unfortunately, all these specimens have since died. We had hoped to observe breeding from one of the species, but in this we were unsuccessful. The creatures are of basic arthropod pattern, similar to the copepods which are present in abundance in Earths oceans. There are similarities but also some differences: these specimens possess five pairs of biramous appendages, three pairs for locomotion and two for feeding. The locomotive lower appendages are singly-jointed and the outer segments are paddle-shaped for swimming. On terrestrial copepods there are usually no appendages at all on most of the abdominal segments, and only a single pair on the final segment for swimming. On the Enceladean specimens, the upper branches of the biramous appendages appear to function as some kind of gill, although their function is obscure: there is very little oxygen dissolved in the water at that depth. We surmise that they feed on the same Archaea-like organisms which I have already described, although we were unable to observe any feeding behaviour. The cells of these creatures have a nucleus, comprising the same exotic DNA-like material that we saw in the Archaea types. We strongly suspect that certain of these cells can undergo meiosis to create haploid cells for the purpose of sexual reproduction and genetic diversification, although we have not yet observed this. And since we have no living specimens left, our scope for further study is limited. Nevertheless, we are rating this as a discovery as excitingif not even more soas that of the Archaea-like specimens. We have given scientific names to these two arthropod-like species. We at first asked Dr Ye here if he was prepared to have them named after himselfbeing the first person to study thembut he has declined. Dr Ye nodded, shyly. So we decided to honour our colleague who sadly lost her life on Enceladus. They have been named xDanterria gracilia and xDanterria hirsuta. Provisionally placed in the same genusalthough that is subject to possible revision, following further study. Thank you, everyone, for bearing with me, Lavinia concluded. I hope my report was not too technical. Several of her listeners had shown blank expressions during much of her speech, though they brightened up at the end of it. Thank you Lavinia, that was fine: an excellent summary of your teams work, said Duke. Before you ask, Valentina crew mem-bers, he continued, just as Vikki was about to interpose, yes: we intend to send another mission to Enceladus. It is now considered to be the most important extraterrestrial world in the Solar System. We shall be putting a lot of effort into the voyage, and of course we hope there will be no casualties this time. Vikki felt a surge of delight on hearing this. A chance to meet up with the Bala again? She couldnt refrain from asking Who will be chosen to crew the second mission? We cant answer that for now, said Luis, speaking for the first time. Nor can I give a date when the mission will launch. On the Valentina mission we took advantage of a gravity-assist from Jupiter to save time and fuel. For your unheralded return trip, Jupiter was out of position, and you had to collect up almost all the fuel reserves on Rhea in order to reach Ceres, leaving the base on Rhea seriously short. We may have to send an uncrewed spacecraft to Rhea first, to replenish their fuel dump before they get desperate. After that we can consider launch options for the crewed mission. Vikki was rather crestfallen at hearing this equivocal response, but she held her peace. Surely, when it came to selecting the crew, Alex would put in a good word! If Alex herself was chosen to lead the mission, that is. Duke was speaking again. Now we come to the more enigmatic part of our discussion yes, Vikki, weve all noticed how eager youve been to move on to this topic! So what are we to make of this supposed visitor from outside the Solar System, this Bala as you name it? Only two of those present here today: you, Vikki, and you, Gustave, claim to have actually made contact with this being. More-over, it appears to have played a part in the death of Dr DAnterre, which obviously imposes a restriction on any future attempts to approach the object. But I now ask Luis to fill us in on what we know up to the present. First thing to emphasise, began Luis, is that all matters relating to this phenomenon remain Top Secret, and no word of the subject is to pass outside this room, without express instructions from Duke, Lavinia or myself. Im sure you all understand the reason for this. The last thing we want is to spread mass panic worldwide. Luis referred to his tablet. I can report that we have so far located six objects in the Solar System which approximately fit the description of a hummock or snowdrift as described by the Valentinas crew. One of them is free-floating in space, orbiting the sun in an almost circular orbit a few million kilometres outside Saturns orbit. This one is roughly cylindrical rather than hummock-shaped, but that may be its adaptation when it is not grounded on a planet or moon. It is about fifty metres long by six metres acrossthat is, considerably larger than the object encountered on Enceladus. We were fortunate to be able to re-direct one of the drones from the Saturn system to make a close encounter with it, so we were able to observe it in detailbut it shows no surface features. The other five are all grounded on separate worlds. The one on Enceladus, almost certainly the same one the Valentina encountered, is still at exactly the same position it took up when the mission departed, some three hundred kilometres from our base. It has been under constant observation from the L1 drone which was left behind in the neighbourhood, and no activity of any kind has been reported. Indeed, I would put it that it shows no signs of life. Of the remaining four, one has been spotted on Nereid, Neptunes third-largest satellite. It appears to be the same size as the one on Enceladus, and like it has shown no movement. It is being monitored by the only drone we have anywhere near: the one which occupies the L2 Lagrangian point outside Tritons orbit, some distance from Nereid, so close inspection has not been possible. I remind everyone here that Nereids rotation is not synchronous with its orbit, so sometimes the object is on the side facing Neptune, sometimes notif that has any relevance. The next we found, on Uranuss moon Miranda, we were able to study more closely, thanks to the uncrewed base we have on Ariel. It looks very similar to the one on Enceladus, and likewise has shown no activity. Then we discovered one on Enceladuss near neighbour Mimas: that one was hard to spot since it was partly hidden by a crater wall. And the last one turned up on Charon You mean Chiron, dont you? Gustave interposed. Chiron the Centaur. No, not Chiron. Charon, Plutos largest satellite. What made you think of the asteroid Chiron: were you expecting there to be one there? Its just that the Bala actually told us that one of its companions was settled on Chiron. It also mentioned Nereidbut it said all the rest of its companions were drifting in space. But I suppose it may have re-grouped after the accident. Whateverwell come to that, Luis resumed. All the grounded apparitions are new, in the sense that they dont show up on earlier photos of the respective moons. This lends credence to the theory that they may be some kind of space vehicleor even, according to what you postulatea space-travelling extraterrestrial being. Well, Im glad you dont dismiss our account out of hand, remarked Vikki, rather condescendingly. So what do you make of the Bala, from what weve told you? Or rather, from what I said in my testimony at the trial? Indeed we have all read the transcripts, Luis continued. This concept, of a living creature having some sort of cavity within its own body, drawing you humans inside, creating a breathable atmo-sphere for you, and then conversing with you by displaying English text on the wall of this cavitythis is what we find hard to stomachif youll forgive the pun. But of course, we know nothing about any intelligent life beyond the Solar System. Stella, do you know of any such concept having been dreamt up in Science Fiction? This was the first time Stella Strange, the novelist, had been addressed, and now she spoke up for the first time. Certainly not in any of my writingthough it certainly sounds like an interesting albeit weird idea that an author could work on. Nor do I know of anything similar in mainstream sci-fi. Not that Im familiar with every one of the thousands of different stories out there, of course! There is a very amateurish piece on one of the fanfiction sites: not derived from any of my work, I hasten to add. It describes a cosmonaut whos kidnapped by tentacled ETsand yes they puncture his space-suitwho imprison him in a room in their habitat and communicate with him first by writing on a wall, then by speech. There are similarities. Enough for our two friends to have concocted their account from this source? asked Luis. Mr Mends: I resent that aspersion, Vikki exclaimed, angrily. I was under the impression that everyone had come to this meeting with an open mind. Vikki, calm down, please, interposed Judge Andy. All right, Luis, we are not in the business of accusing anyone present here of lying. This is not a trial. Please continue. All right. Are you saying, Vikki, and you, Gustave, that neither of you have read the story Stella refers to? Not that its in the least relevant, but no, replied Vikki. Nor have you, Gustave, I assume? Certainly not, said Gustave. Fanfiction isnt my thing. What was the story called? That, I cant remember, said Stella. I didnt read very far into it. As far as I recall, it involved time-travel, one of the impossibilities which Ive studiously avoided in my own fiction, along with faster-than-light travel. Do these ETs of yours have faster-than-light travel, Vikki, Gustave? No, replied Gustave. The Bala explicitly stated, they do not. Its home planet, it claims, is sixty light-years from here, and they can only attain one-tenth of lightspeed. Thats a long trip! And conducted without the benefit of a spaceship, I gather. Propulsion by means of some sort of neutrino-drive implant in their own body. Anything on that, Stella? Once again, no. Not even the most inept of amateurs have dreamt up something like that. Larry Niven, whose work I greatly admire, has something called a starseed which can travel in space across the Galaxy unprotected: thats the closest I can think of. But it doesnt have any inbuilt propulsion: it employs a sort of photonic sail. Well, said Luis, all I can say is, if all this isnt the product of a vivid imaginationsorry, Vikki, Gustave: two vivid imaginationsits so weird, so fantastic, I for one feel convinced it just has to be based on fact. There is an alien intelligence out there, and it wants to contact humankind. Whether for mutual benefit, I dont know. It appears not to have ventured closer to Earth than Saturns orbit, and you, Vikki and Gustave, tell us that it cannot tolerate Earths or even the Moons gravity, nor the temperature here. And it does not appear to be able to communicate over long distance by radioor any other frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum. Otherwise Im sure it would have done so by nowand we would have detected it. So any contact with it has for now to involve face-to-face contact and spaceflight. Thats a good thing in itself, because it means we can keep this discovery under wraps. So weve decided: a mission to contact this being is imperative. But, bearing in mind what happened to Murielle, we have to take precautions. Those who are to approach the beingthe Balawill be wearing special space-suits made of reinforced material which cannot be punctured by any sharp object using reasonable force. These suits will be very heavy and awkward to move in, even in low gravity, so we may have to develop special servos to assist with walking. Any questions? And, Vikki, please dont ask whos going?. We know youre eager to meet up with your friend again: all I can say is, we have to do a full risk-assessment first. And, once we do contact this being, the first questions we shall have to ask are, why did it react to Murielles actions so violentlyand is there any risk of it doing so again? And what is its purpose in settling on small icy moons on the outskirts of the Solar System. What are its thoughts about Murielles death? We need to be very careful in what we ask it. Once again I ask, are there any questions? No-one spoke up. Evidently the meeting had come to an end, with much for everyone to think about. Chapter 11 – Earthbound IT WAS CLEARLY going to be weeks before any decision would be taken about the return trip to Enceladusbut before long Vikki had another matter to think about. Something that would make it harder for her to get a place on the mission. She and Hal had decided to move in together. She did not want to stay where she had lived beforehand, in the suburbs of Los Angelesand Hal was especially eager to return to his beloved Scotlandalthough not too close to where Moira his estranged wife lived. So they bought a modest cottage a few miles outside Stirling, on the edge of the Highlands. Much of their time there, in the first few weeks, they spent hiking and climbing some of the easier Munros. Also Hal insisted on showing Vikki around nearby Doune Castle, the setting for the Monty Python movie hed joked aboutso long ago it seemed now! They found time for an outing to Loch Ness and the visitor centre therebut no monster showed up for them. They had a good laugh about that: Vikki wondered whether to proclaim to other visitors at the centre, that shed actually conversed with a real live monster, out in space... But common-sense prevailed: after all everything about the Bala was still Top Secret. And Vikki was longing for the day when shed have a chance to meet up with it againif that day ever came. Then she discovered that she was going to have a baby. This wasnt according to plan. She and Hal had taken precautions, but evidently they werent careful enough. What was she to do? While the prospect of motherhood thrilled her to bits, at the same time, how on earth could she take a tiny baby on a space voyage? When she broke the news to Hal, he was about to erupt in raptures of delightbut he checked himself when he saw the troubled expression on her face. Whats wrong, my darling? Arent you pleased? Of course Im pleased, replied Vikki, but the tone in her voice conveyed a different message. Hal didnt miss the implication. You dont sound it, Vikki, my love. Is it because of Enceladusof Bala? It was a long time before Vikki spoke. Tears were starting in her eyes. Oh Hal, my love, I so wanted to be on that return trip! It would have meant everything to me. But how can I now, with a child to bring up? And with that she burst into an uncontrollable flood of tears. What am I to do? she whined pitifully, between sobs. At length the sobs became less frequent. Of course Id love to have a little one to look after! she continued. Dont imagine that Im not thrilled about thateven if it wasnt what we were prepared for. Im torn in two over this! We must think about this, said Hal, trying to sound reassuring. Anyway, none of the crew for the second trip have been chosen yet. You might have been left out of the team anyway. Vikki had stopped crying altogether. Now she sounded annoyed. Hal, how could you say such a thing? So you think Im not good enough for the team? Is that it? She was almost shouting as she said this. I never said that, darling. Just that othersthose big-shots we met at the meeting: Duke and his buddiesthey may take a different view. We cant be sure. Would you go, Hal, if they choose you and not me? Leave me on my own, earthbound? Of course not. Where you go, I go. I want to be with you, what-ever happens. I want to talk to Alex. Sorry HalIm not shutting you out, but I think I need a womans input. And shes the only one left... Late that evening, Vikki tried putting through a call to Alex, who had returned to her home in Brookings, Oregon. But her holophone returned the Do Not Disturb message. Vikki tried again the following day, and then the day after, but with the same result. Finally on the fourth day, Alex answered. She looked upset, and although her wife was mostly out-of-frame, Vikki could see a comforting arm over Alexs shoulders. Something was wrong, Vikki guessed. Should she wait, or should she put her predicament straight out? It was Alex who broke the silence. She brightened up somewhat when she saw it was Vikki. What can I do for you? she asked. Vikki explained the situation briefly. Ah! I see congratulations are in order, was Alexs response. All the best wishes to both of you. Is that Hal standing behind you?I can only see a bit of him. But Alexthis means So you cant go on the return mission: thats what youre trying to tell me. And you think youre the only one with problems? I cant go, either. Oh Alex! I didnt know! Whyever not? Just had my medical. It turned up a slight heart murmur. Nothing life-threatening, they assure mebut Im grounded. Oh no Alex! Im ever so sorry. I shouldnt have Vikki broke off in embarrassment. Shouldnt have told me youre having a baby? Of course you should. Im delighted to hear it. Really I am. But Vikki, the mission cant take off for over a year, when we get a suitable launch window. Thats what Joachim tells me. Theres plenty of time to work things out. For you I meannot for me. Whatever happens, Im fucked. No way theyll let me go into space again. Yes, Alex, Im so very sorry to hear that. But: work things out! Yes, I suppose there are plenty of things we could work out. I could have an abortion. Or a miscarriage Vikki intoned all this in a dead-pan voice. There was no reaction from Alex. She just stared at Vikki, lost for words. Then she was gently eased to one side and another, consider-ably younger woman moved into frame. She was very attractive, with long dark hair and somewhat elfin features. Vikki thought she looked a bit like her. Hello Vikki, the newcomer began. We havent met. Im Jocelynbut everyone calls me Jo. Alexs partner. Wife! Vikki could hear Alex hiss, off-screen. OK: wife, continued Jo. Yes, weve been together for many years now. Please, Vikki, Alex and I both implore you, dont visit those dark places in your mind! Yes, its been hard for Alex, quite a shock to both of us. And youre in a turmoil too: I can see that. You must take your time thinking about things. And believe me, there are options. We have a little girl of our own. My child. Alex had to leave her alone with me, several times. In fact, Ill introduce you. Terri! she shouted, off-screen. Are you up yet? Come down here, please darling, will you? There was a pause, then a little girl of about six years, equally as pretty as her mother and also with long dark hair, appeared. She was dressed in pyjamas. Terri, this is Vikki on the holo. One of the ladies who went on the space trip with Mom Alex. Say hello to her. Hello, Auntie Vikki, intoned Terri, shyly. Vikki replied Hello Terri. She couldnt think what else to say, but she was charmed. Shes adorable, she added, once Terri had scampered off. Is she your only one? This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Yes, replied Jo. I know Terri would love to have a little brother or sister, but Im too old. Too old? Surely not! Yes. At thirty-eight, Im too old, so Ive been told. They wont offer AI at my age. Vikki began to wonder what Jo was implying by mentioning that. Was she suggesting...? Best to keep her thoughts to herself. Listen, Vikki, continued Jo, well have to disconnect now. I have to get breakfast and then get Terri ready for school. But do please take time to think things over. Bringing a child into the world is a wonderful thing. I should know! ------ There was indeed plenty of time for Vikki to collect her thoughts. As soon as Alex and Jo were offline, she remembered that she hadnt even told her parents, back in LAnor her brother in Phoenix. Was it the right time of day to call them, she wondered? But she and her brother were slightly estranged. He had got married during the time Vikki was incarceratedand she hadnt been able to go to the wedding. Indeed she hadnt even been invited. All she knew was, that shed never met her sister-in-law and knew next to nothing about her. Well, there was at least one duty to perform. Vikki put through a call to LA. Her mother answered the holophone almost at once. As soon as she heard Vikkis news, she came close to going into hysterics. But she retained enough composure to yell for her husband. Andy! Come here at once! Its Vikki on the line. Were going to be grandparents, Andy! There was a sound of footsteps, and then Vikkis dad was there in the frame. Well done, Vikki. Youve done us proud. We only wish Peter and Louise would hurry up and do us the same favour. Give them a chance, Dad, protested Vikki. Theyve only been married a few months. And theyve both got their jobs to keep them busy. Now her mother stepped in again. Vikki, you will take care, wont you, darling? Isnt it rather cold where youre living now? Scotland! You must keep warm. And all those mountains! You mustnt overdo things, my dearthere are two lives to consider. Mother, its the middle of July. Its quite warm here at present. And Scotland isnt Siberia. Were quite civilised here, you know. Yes, dear, butsurely life is more comfortable in California...? Vikki gave a sigh. She knew shed never been able to win an argument with Mother. They kept up the bickering for several minutes more, Mother not letting up until shed elicited a promise from Vikki to invite them to Scotland before the due date. After the call was ended, Vikki couldnt help wondering how shed fit her parents in. Their cottage was rather small, with just two bedrooms. Ah wellthered be time to think about things like that once the babys delivery approached. If she kept the baby, that is No! Vikki couldnt even think about the possibility of not going to term. Not without a shudder. She wasnt in league with those anti-abortion activists who would still sometimes pop up, illegally, and harass women on their way to the clinicbut she did feel that terminating was tantamount to destroying a lifeeven if it was only a latent life. No: she couldnt do it. Anyway, she felt some sense of elation at the thought of bringing a life into the world, after the horror and remorse of witnessing a life being taken from the world. Vikki did not let her mind dwell on that awful memory constantly, but there were still times when she would wake up in a cold sweat from a nightmare: a nightmare in which she was once again standing confronting a heap of bones lying on a desolate icy surface. Sometimes the bones would magically assemble themselves into a complete skeleton which would rise up and rush at her. Like in those old first-person-shooter gamesbut this was too real... In her fright, she would clutch at Hal beside her, seeking reassurance, but often enough he would merely grunt and then go back to sleep. Would she ever get over it? ----- The holo-call came as a complete surprise; and something of a shock. Vikki was now almost halfway through her pregnancy and her bump was showing nicely. The buzzer sounded in mid-morning. Hal was out at workhe had been reinstated as space mining instructor with some restrictions placed on himand Vikki was alone in the house. On the holo there was the figure of a strange woman in early middle-age, elegantly dressed and made upbut she didnt look like a journalist (Vikki had been warned to stay clear of the Press). She looked rather solemn and distressed. Then Vikki noticed the text beneath the holo, showing where the call came from. It was Toulouse. And the callers name looked French. Already guessing what this might be about, she pressed accept. Hello: is that Dr Viktoriya Rozhkova? The caller spoke perfect English but with a marked French accent. Vikki nodded, too sur-prised to speak. You dont know me: Im Hlne Calvet. Murielle dAnterres sister. I expect you can guess why Im calling. Vikki found her voice at last. How did you get my address? she couldnt help blurting out. Did that sound rude? she wonderedbut it was too late. Hlne was unperturbed though. Oh, your mission commander Alex Zygmond gave it to menot before a lot of badgering though. I hope you dont mind. I really do want to talk to you. I understand that you were the last person to see my sister alive, were you? That is correct, replied Vikki, dully. She did not feel disposed to elaborate. Hlne appeared to sense her unease. I am really sorry to have to bother you like this, Dr Rozhkova Oh please, call me Vikki. Trying to buy time while she agonised as to what she could tell her. As I said, Vikki, I am really sorry, but I am trying to get the answers to some serious questions. And you are Murielles only next-of-kin, I guess? There is only myself, my husband and children, and my father. Murielle was une divorce, you must know, and she had no children. Her ex-husband came to the funeral, but even he wasnt told any-thing. Alex didnt tell us much. All she said was that Murielle died because of a space-suit malfunction, and that SSSA are investigating. SSSA have told us nothing more. We were not even allowed to see poor Murielle! The coffin was sealed when we received it. Alex said that the body was too disfigured to show. I am sure that was a kindness on her part, but Papa and I would still have wished to offer our adieux. Please can you tell us any more about it? I know that space exposure can do things to the human body, but we would have been prepared for that. Please, Vikki...! Vikki hesitated for a long time. She could hardly admit that all that remained of Murielle was a dismembered skeleton! And she knew that, melodramatic accounts in pulp fiction notwithstanding, vacuum exposure did not lead to much visible disfigurement of the human body, beyond a certain degree of bloating. But she was not much good at lying. Best to tell as much of the truth as she was able to. I wish I could tell you more, Hlne, but Im not allowed to. Some of the happenings during our mission are being kept secret. Not my secret! What I can say is, yes, I was with Murielle on her last EVA, and her space-suit got ruptured somehowhow, I dont know: I wasnt near her at the time. By the time I got to her, it was too late. Wellthat was true enough, if rather an understatement, Vikki thoughtseeing as all she found was a skeleton. But Im sure Murielle died quickly and suffered very little, Vikki continued. I wish I could help you more, but I cant. Hlne looked upset at Vikkis response: she said nothing but her facial expression told volumes. Vikki wondered if she was about to burst into tears. This was certainly a tough holo-call to get through, and Vikki was now wondering if she had done better not to accept it. But at that moment a man appeared beside Hlne in the holo: pre-sumably her husband. He looked fairly composed by comparison. Dont worry, he said, it is not your fault, and this has been a difficult time for all of us. Hlne will be all right. But answer me one question: did you meet with aliens? ETs? Were they respons-ible? Had he guessed something? Vikki could not speak: she just shook her head: then she broke the connection. She could take no more of this. To her relief Hlne did not call back. Vikki hoped she was satisfiedand if her husband was about to spread rumours, hed soon be stamped upon. ----- As things turned out, no rumours about ETs eruptedand there were no more awkward moments during the following months, much to both Vikkis and Hals relief. Alex called several times to ask how she was doing; also Vikkis parentsbut Mother was not as overbearing as Vikki had feared. Her bouts of morning-sickness soon subsided, and all seemed well with the baby. It was a cold blustery day in early March, with sleet falling outside, when Vikki was safely delivered of a healthy three-and-a-half kilo baby girl. She and Hal had had a bit of a friendly argument about names: Hal at first wanted to bestow upon her a traditional Scottish name like Eilidhbut Vikki protested that no-one would know how to pronounce it. In the end they settled for Lorna. Chapter 12 – Earthbound no Longer IVE SOME news for you, announced Alex over the holo. I wont explain right here and now, but Im coming over with Terri to see you. Terris longing to make little Lornas acquaintance. Jo sends her apologies: shell not be coming: she cant leave her work at present. No dont worry! she added, seeing Vikkis brow furrow over. I know youre cramped for space: well be staying in a hotel. Vikki was relieved at that. Lorna was just four months old now, and Vikki had finally persuaded Mother that, for all the joy and devotion she showered on her granddaughter, her presence in Scotland was becoming superfluous. Vikki was quite capable of managing on her own, with Hal to help out on his days off. Besides, they were anxious to prepare the spare bedroom as a nurseryand didnt Mother want to be back with Father? He had already forsaken Scotlands unpredictable and somewhat chilly spring weather and returned to Oregon on his own some months before. Mother had acquiesced, and left them in peace. The work on fitting out the nursery was under way. Alex and Terri arrived about a week later. Hal murmured something to the effect that in the old days, they could have been here in a day. But since the ban on fossil-fuelled air travel, the best way of getting from the USAs West Coast to Scotland was by maglev train to Toronto and then Halifax, followed by solar hydro-foil across the Atlantic to Glasgow. The ocean crossing took just over two days. But without these reforms, and the consequent slowing-down of travel across the globe, Climate Change would have rendered the Earth uninhabitable long before now. ------ Alex had changed quite a lot in the months since Vikki had seen her last. Gone was her tendency to domineer over her subordinatesand the banter she had used to indulge in was greatly diminished. Vikki wondered whether these changes were brought about due to her involuntary grounding. But it was not her place to comment. Six-year-old Terri took an instant delight in her new little friendnot quite at the crawling stage yet but lively enoughand Vikki could tell at once that she could be trusted to take care of Lorna. So the adults were able to leave the children to themselves and move to the next room. It was Vikki who spoke first. You said you had some news for us, Alex, but couldnt tell us on the holo. Am I right in guessing its about Enceladus? Yes, thats more or less it. I should tell you, Vikki, you made a good impression on those SSSA big-shots we met at the meeting. Ive been to see LuisLuis Mends, Chief Scientist, remember him?and he definitely thinks both you and Hal should be on the next mission And Lorna? Vikki couldnt help interrupting. Let me come to that, resumed Alex. Luis wants to interview youin person. Not by holo? said Vikki, wondering about the inconvenience of a trip to California. Yesboth of you. He has his reasons. And of course you bring Lorna along. Jo and I would be delighted to look after her while you and Hal are gallivanting in space. And just look at Terri with her! They all glanced through the open door into the living-room, where Terri was still playing at entertaining Lorna, who was gurgling in delight. Almost like little sisters alreadyand Terris always been moaning that she doesnt have any brothers or sisters. Believe me, youll be doing Jo and me a good turn. And I really want to do something useful for SSSAafter all Im permanently grounded and restricted to minor admin work... Vikki was silent for a while. She glanced at Hal, and he too didnt seem ready to reply. I can see you both need time to think about this, continued Alex. We wont decide anything now. Terri and I will be staying here three weeks. Ive never been to Scotland before and Id love to explore some of the Highlands. Gentle walks only, of course: those Terri and I can manage. The doctor tells me, reasonable exercise will do me good. Were not up for tackling mountains! Hills, remarked Vikki. Here in Scotland we call them hills. But I see what you meansome of the walks here can be pretty tough. Ill come with you and show you around. Itll be good for me tooand Lornas already been in the baby-carrier. ------ Some of the steeper and rougher slopes of the Highlands would be too much for Alex in her condition, Vikki decided. Moreover, carry-ing the ever-heavier Lorna in the slingon those days when Hal wasnt available to take over the dutythat was becoming more and more of an effort. So they confined themselves to the less strenuous walks: gentle climbs in the Trossachs, and strolls around the shores of the nearby Lochs: Lomond, Venachar, Lubnaig, and especially Katrine. And the celebrated, two-centuries-old steamship, the Sir Walter Scott, still plied its gentle course along the length of Loch Katrinealthough it was no longer a steamer, having long since been con-verted to run on batteries. Vikki, Alex and the children all went for a cruise on board the ancient vessel, and little Terri was thrilled to bits. So much nicer than that boat we came to Scotland in, she exclaimed, referring to the solar-powered hydrofoil which had brought them across the Atlantic, and which wasfor economy-class passengers at any ratenot the most stimulating of experiences for children. Being shut in a cramped cabin much of the time!Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. When they werent tramping around the Trossachs, Terri took a delight in playing with little Lorna in Vikki and Hals cottageor in their extensive garden when the weather permitted. It was clear to everyone that she was thrilled to have found the little sister she would be denied in her own nuclear family. Seeing this, Alex was confident that she and Jo would be well up to the task of providing a home for Lorna while Vikki and Hal were away. All holidays, however enjoyable, must come to an end sometime. Despite being grounded from spaceflight, Alex still had her Earth-based job to do and had to return to Oregon, however much she may wish to remain in Scotland. It was the last day, and Vikki, with Lorna in the sling as usual, was on the platform at Stirling, waiting to see Alex and Terri off on the train to Glasgow where they were booked on the hydrofoil back to AmericaBoston this time. Vikki could sense that Alex had something weighty on her mind: she had hardly spoken in the car. Finally Alex spoke up. Before we leave, I need to put that question to you again, Vikki. Are you ready to let Jo and me look after Lorna while youre away? A lot depends on this. Vikki hesitated. I think I am. Im not sure if Hal has made up his mind yet, but Im fairly certain hell agree, so long as Im happy. But let us see your place first, when we come over. Brookings, if I remember right? Yes, its a small town on the coast, not far from the stateline with California. Wellwe call it a city, but youd think of it as not much more than a village. Warmer than here but not too hotyoull love the place, and our house is right by the beach. Do you get sharksoff the beach there? asked Vikki, her mind full of the Bala and the threat it posed, once again. No need to worry about that! And its a good place for surfing. If you come and stay with us, Jo can teach you to surf. Hmmm... Im not sure about that, remarked Vikki, but just then the train drew in and there was no time for more than a quick exchange of good-byes. ------ It was a few weeks later that Vikki and Hal presented themselves at the SSSA offices in Sacramento. All had gone according to plan and Lorna was well settled in at Alexs and Jos house. The couple were shown into Luis Mendss office. Apart from Luis, Lavinia Morel was present, and also, to their surprise, Estella Beeston alias Stella Strange. Both Vikki and Hal wondered what she was doing there. I guess you already know this, was Luiss first remark after they had exchanged greetings. Yes, another space mission will be launching shortly, and both of you are needed aboard. But it wont be to Enceladusnot yet. Saturns not well placed for us at the moment, so youll be going to Titania instead. Were planning to set up a permanent base there, so youll be staying there a while Titan? Vikki couldnt help interrupting. But didnt you just say, we couldnt reach Saturns system? And anyway, whod want to land on Titan? Not Titan. Titania. Titania? You mean ... Uranus? was Hals incredulous remark. Yes. A long voyage, but we can use Jupiter as a gravity assist, so the trip wont take much longer in time than your return from Enceladus. And again, youll be among the first to set foot on an unexplored world. Surely that intrigues youboth of you. Yesbutwill we get a chance to visit Enceladus any time? was Vikkis plaintive question. We hope so. Once the alignment is right, we can attempt the transfer to Saturn and its moons. But be prepared to wait. Vikki pondered this in silence. It was all very well Alex and Jo promising to take good care of Lorna, but could she possibly bear the separation from her child for so long? She glanced at Hal, and guessed that he was thinking the same. Would they entirely miss her development into a toddler and then into a schoolchild? Surely that was unthinkable! No! she blurted out, finally. You cant separate me from my baby for so long. Please try to understand. Luis did not answer straight away. Instead he muttered a brief excuse me and turned to the tablet on his desk. He typed rapidly, clearly exchanging urgent messages with his engineers. At length he looked up. I should have explained, he began, that you will not be travel-ling in the Valentinanot this time. We are fitting out a more advanced ship for this voyage. Ive just discussed the matter with one of my team leaders, and we think it should be possible to provide infant care facilities aboard ship. They do not place too much extra burden on the life support system. So you can take your childLorna I believe her name is?along. Wow! thought Vikki. Is this crazy? A tiny baby, all the way to Uranus? She did not say this out loud. However a thought occurred to her which did prompt her to put the question: Microgravity? Zero-gee? Would that be safe for a small infant? After all, we adults need a lot of acclimatisation. We shall order some checks on that, of course. And remember, your child will no longer be a small infant by the time the expedition sets out. She will be a toddler, and past the most vulnerable stage. And moreover, there is plenty of evidence to show that young children often adapt to strange conditions better than adults. Vikki pondered this for a while. Little Terri will be disappointed, she remarked. Alexs daughter. Shes been expecting to have Lorna to play with for a long long time. Youll all be backI can promise you that. Shell just have to wait, said Luis. A thought occurred to Hal. This new ship. Has it got a name yet? The Christa. And you? he added, glancing at Estella, puzzled. Whats your role in this? Im coming too. Chapter 13 – “Baby on Board” THE CHRISTAnamed after one of the cosmonauts who had perished in the Challenger disaster of the twentieth century was indeed an impressive ship, far outclassing the cramped Valen-tina. She could accommodate a crew of twenty, as against the eight which was the Valentinas capacity. Every crew member had their own individual cabin. There was a mid-section centrifuge, working on similar principles to that on Ceres. It was twenty metres in diameter and designed to rotate at up to seven revolutions per minute. This would deliver artificial gravity at about one-half gee: essential to offset the adverse effects of prolonged weightlessness. Cosmonauts would be encouraged to spend one or two hours of each shift in the centrifuge. The main body of the ship would not be rotating of course: that would interfere with the working of the navigation and thrust systems. Unlike Valentina, Christa was not designed to make physical contact (one could hardly call it landing) with Titania, Enceladus, or indeed any sizeable heavenly body. She would remain in orbit, either directly circling the satellite, or by occupying the L4 or L5 Lagrangian point in orbit around the primary. Cosmonauts would be transferred to the moons surface by a small shuttle. As Vikki, now back home in Scotland, contemplated the holo display of the ship, which was in the process of being assembled in Earth orbit, she wondered what life on board, with a squealing toddler to manage, would be like. Would she be able to carry out her onboard duties as well as look after Lorna? Would the childs separation from other children for a long period have a negative effect on her social development? Better if other children were on board as well, she thought. Surely the top brass of SSSA must have considered that option. Should she put through a call to Luis? Or Duke, even? No: it would only seem a bit too forward of her: rude, even. Lets wait until the ships complement is complete and assembled for briefing, she decided. ------ The briefing came sooner than expected. Lorna was now just nine months old, crawling everywhere, and generally becoming quite a handful. It was early winter and snow lay thick on the ground out-side their cottage. Indisputably a time for staying indoors in the warmth!except when the weather was fine enough for them to have the toboggan out and swishing down some gentle slopes which were just a short walk away. Lorna would shriek with delight when she was taken for a ride down the hillsafely cradled in Vikkis or Hals arms. Hal had built a snowman in the garden, with the customary adornment of carrot-nose and walnut-eyes and buttonsand a rather moth-eaten Glengarry, which Hal had discovered, inexplicably stowed away in the roof space, to serve as a hata genuine Scots snowman, as he explained. But after a while Lornas enthusiasm had got the better of her, and she had demolished the snowman How different was life here, from the frozen and forbidding surface of Enceladus! And the surpriseswelcome and unwelcomein store for anyone foolhardy enough to set space-suited foot there! Why had she so much wanted to venture out into space?Vikki sometimes wondered. But then the summons came. A holo message from Luis himself, requesting that all three of them present themselves at Sacramento as soon as they could arrange passages. The crew and passengers on the Christa had been selected, and all were required to attend pre-flight briefing. And it made sense that those children who were to go on the voyage should attend as well. Children, plural, Vikki noted. So she had guessed right, and there had been no need to take up her concerns with Luis. Lorna would at least have playmates on the trip. The three of them disembarked from the maglev train at San Francisco, Lorna securely nestled in the carrier on Hals back (she was too big for the sling now), and made their way to the platform from where the local train would take them to Sacramento. Vikki spotted a familiar face among the waiting passengers. She ran forward enthusiastically to greet him. Great to meet you again, Dr Ye! How have you been doing? Oh well, VikkiI get along; I get along. Not so young as I used to be, but they decided I was just about fit enough for another trip. You heard about Alex? She couldnt make itdidnt pass the medical. Yes, I know. Ive been to see her. Im rather sorry for her, but she seems to have become resigned to her position. But youre coming, at least? continued Dr Ye. Im delighted to hear it and is that Hal I see making his way towards us? As he spoke Dr Ye noticed Hals burden for the first time. My goodness, is that your child? No-one told me Yes. Her names Lorna. Not quite ten months old, now. And according to what Luis assures me, Lornas coming with us. A small child like that? On a space trip? Is that wise? Apparently it is. But maybe Luis and his colleagues will explain the rationale. Hal and myself, were just relieved not to be parted from our child for so long. The train journey to Sacramento took about half an hourit was a conventional train running on wheels, not a maglevand Vikki, Hal, and Dr Ye were able to pass the time catching up on each others news. Dr Ye, it transpired, had been out into space once again since returning from Enceladusthough not to anywhere near as remote a destination as Saturn. I was on that mission to intercept a comet last year. Comet Singh-Iqbal, it was named. It came inside Earths orbit. You heard about it? I think so, replied Hal. And yeswe did hear about the mission. Not that we could have volunteerednot with Lorna on the way. Not a very big comet, was it? I dont think it ever got bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. No it didnt. But there was a lot of interest, especially after the results from Enceladus. We were hoping to discover life on the comet itselfafter all, many scientists still think thats where life originated from. But we found nothing. Nothing? Not so much as a single bacterium. Completely sterile. It was rather a disappointmentespecially coming after Enceladus. Ill bet it was, put in Vikki. Well, just as well were off to Titania. Theres bound to be some life there. If notwell maybe one of our friends will drop in for a visit. Aha! You still eager to meet up with the Bala? I wish you luck with that. But it wont be interested in landing on Titania unless it can find something to feed on. And remember: this mission isnt only about the Bala. Dr Ye: please understand. Its not a sort of fixation with me. If the Titania mission doesnt go anywhere near a Bala, Ill live with that. But remember: Gustave and I are the only people whove actually communicated with the beast. We must be important to it. Which reminds me: do you know if Gustave is coming? No. They havent told me anything about the other crew members. But look: were nearly there. In a little while, with luck, your questions will be answered. ------ There was quite a large gathering in SSSAs conference room. Vikki looked around, hoping to spot familiar faces. To her delight and relief, Gustave was there, and they greeted each other warmly and exchanged a quick kiss. Gustave was quite taken with little Lornaand not as surprised as Vikki had expected upon learning that the child was to accompany them on the voyage. Ive met up with Estellayou remember, Stella, the author, he explained. It seems shes coming too, though I can only guess as to what her role will be. And shes brought her kids along too. Seems therell be a sort of nursery on board the new spaceship. By the way, isnt Hal with you? Vikki just then noticed that Hal was no longer by her side. Oh, he was here a moment ago: I expect he just popped into the bathroom.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Just then Hal re-appeared, and strode towards them. On catching sight of him, Vikkis jaw dropped. My word, Hal! Ive never seen you dressed like that before! Just felt Id like to look my best for the briefing, chuckled Hal, patting his dark green-blue kilt and adjusting the sporran. Genuine Clan MacManus tartan this is, no mistake! And I was going to wear it for our weddingwhen that happensbut it seems itll be a long time coming. I wont be bringing this along on the voyage though. Kilts and zero-gee are not a good combination! I see you have the knife tucked in your sock too, Hal. Thewhats it called? Skean Dhu, explained Gustave, amused. In his hose, not sock. Ah yes, continued Vikki. Howd you get that through security? And on the train? No-one stopped us. Its only a dummy, Im afraid, explained Hal. Plastic. I knew Id never be allowed to bring the genuine article, so I left it at home. Still: all the rest of the dress is one hundred percent authentic. Just then Joachim made his way towards them and greeted his former crewmates, somewhat perfunctorilybut then he was ever a man of few words. He explained that he would be in command of the forthcoming voyage. Vikki had some slight misgivings over this: she had never got on particularly well with Joachimbut she remem-bered how she and Alex had had their differences in the pastand were now the best of friends. Anyway, she accepted that Joachim was the best and most experienced man for the job. She would be comfortable working with him. One figure in particular, amongst the assembled crew and officials, stood out. An imposing giant of a man: he must have been over two metres tall and broad in proportion. He had a dark, broadly Austronesian complexion, and Hal felt sure hed seen him beforesomewhere. He made his way over to him. Excuse me: do I know you from somewhere? Possibly, the man replied, modestly. Perhaps youd recognise me if I was wearing my cap? Let me think. Im HalHarold MacManus, that isby the way. And you? Christopher Atutahi. I knew it! You were in the All-Blacks. I saw you in action against Scotland at Murrayfield, oncesome years ago. Of course, you trounced us I guess we did, replied Christopher, a bit shyly. I was tight-head lock forward then, for five seasonsbut Im retired now. Im pleased that you remember! So youll be with us on this little trip then? I havent been told what my role will be, but Ive been through all the training of course. My first space trip. Yes, SSSA had to work hard to come up with a space-suit to fit me! Glad to meet you. Im going as drilling and mining specialistand my partner Vikki as geologist. We were both on the Enceladus trip. And our little daughter is coming with us this timeI dont really understand why yet. As he said this, Hal couldnt help wondering what Christophers place on the team might beunless there was some strongman work involved. Could he beat off the Bala should it come and attack them? Perhaps all would be explained when the briefing started. Hal excused himself and went back to Vikki and Lorna. The three of them went to seek out Estellaand sure enough there were two small children clinging fearfully to her skirt: a girl who appeared to be about two years old, and a boy who was about four. Vikki put Lorna down on the floor and she crawled towards her new playmates with delight. Theyll get on all right, remarked Vikki. So these are your children? My grandchildren, actually, replied Estella, blushing slightly. Grandchildren? But surely youre not old Vikki checked herself. She could do without committing a faux pas here. Im forty-five, if thats what you were about to ask. Yes, I guess I am a bit younger than the average granny, but my daughter was born when I was only seventeen. And your daughter isnt? Id rather not say any more just nownot out here, with all these people. Just that Im legal guardian to Mark and Octavia here, and theyre coming along with us. And there are two other children coming as well. Itll be quite a little playgroup on board the Christa. Luiss idea, apparently. But I can see him just coming in. Perhaps we should take our seats. ------ The briefing began with the crew members introducing themselves. Besides Vikki, Hal, Gustave, Dr Ye, Joachim, Estella and Christopher, there were two exobiologists: Annemarie van Ravens-waay and Jaleh Navabi; one navigator, Wei Qiang Fang (he asked to be addressed as Qiang, pronounced approximately chiang); three engineers: Marcel Brouat, Peter OHalloran, and Judy Rosen; a communications officer, Ranjan Mehta; and last but not least, second-in-command Winifred Thomas. This last was a formidable-looking lady who looked like she would stand no nonsense, and Vikki admitted to herself, she felt a bit scared of her. Ah wellhaving survived under Alexs captaincy, she was hopeful that things would turn out all right. She wasnt that insubordinate! Fourteen adults in all, and a fairly multinational group, Vikki thought. Not just her and Winifred: she hoped everyone would get along. At least everyone spoke English fluently: she wondered how SSSA had come to select poor Murielle without testing her command of the language. But then she remembered: Murielle had spoken perfectly good English when under stress. It was mainly in more relaxed moments that she would lapse into her half-English, half-French. Luis addressed the gathering, with Lavinia Morel, Joachim, Winifred, and Qiang seated beside him. You will all have been notified that the original objective of the Christas first mission was to be Uranuss moon Titania. That is still in our plans but we have made a change to our itinerary. As our navigator, (he nodded to Qiang) has pointed out to me, although the use of Jupiters gravity-assist to set the ship on a direct path to Uranus is feasible, it would entail expenditure of a lot of fuel as well as significantly prolonging the voyage. Uranus is better-placed for this kind of manoeuvre than Saturn, but it is still not in the best position. We were already aware of this, of course. But we have another objective. The primary purpose of this mission was to seek out further examples of the primitive life-forms that turned up on Enceladus. This you are already aware of. But there is a secondary purpose, and this concerns a matter that has hitherto been kept secret from the public at large, and even from some of the people gathered here. I am now about to disclose some information but I still want it to be kept within these four walls. Any comments so far? There was a murmur of assent, and no-one spoke up. I shall have to explain at some length, continued Luis. Apart from the microorganisms and small invertebrates, the Valentinas crew encountered a very different life-form on Enceladus. This was a sapient being apparently originating from outside the Solar Systemthus of a species which has mastered interstellar travel. Quite apart from the fact that this was a first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence, the prospect of interstellar travel is of course of tremendous interest to SSSA. It is a large being, about the size and shape of a blue whale, and we have provisionally named it the Bala. Opinions are divided as to whether it is a living creature or an artefact, but most views favour the former, so thats what Im assuming for now. Furthermore, some of the Valentinas crew managed to communicate with this being: it has somehow learnt to display English text. There were gasps of astonishment from among the audience. Someone (Vikki couldnt see who) shouted out: This is a hoax, surely! Indeed we have considered the possibility that this is a hoax, continued Luis. But we can find no evidence to confirm this. So were treating it as a genuine extraterrestrial. Now, only one Bala has been directly encountered by cosmonauts, the one resting on Enceladuss surface. But we have established that there are several othersat least sixscattered around the outer reaches of the Solar System. They cannot venture inside the orbit of Jupiter, it seems, so they cannot pose a threat to Earth or to the inner colonies. One of the Balas is free-floating in space, in an orbit around the sun a little outside Saturns orbit. We are planning for the Christa to rendezvous with that being and, hopefully, establish contact. Having done so, the mission will wait for a suitable opportunity to transfer to Uranuss system and, if possible, contact the Bala which is located there. Any questions? Yes, put in Hal. If I remember right, you mentioned at our earlier meeting that the Uranian Bala was on Miranda. But now were aiming for Titania. Do I understand that right? Yes. The Bala was originally observed on Miranda, but it has since moved to Titania. It may relocate again, so we are keeping our options open. But our first objective is the free-floating Bala. That one has made some adjustments to its orbit while under observation, so it clearly has some means of propulsion, but we dont expect it to significantly change its orbit. Vikki had kept silent during the meeting. There was a lot for her to take in, and she could barely conceal her excitement. She had noticed two more small children at the meeting: two boys, Judys sons it seemed, toddlers who appeared to be twins. More company for Lorna. So, including children, there would be nineteen aboard the Christa. A nice little nursery-school on board. She hoped theyd remember toys Since nothing had been said, she was wondering what Estellas role in the mission would be. Probably as chronicler, to write up a detailed log, she thought. And perhaps also, to look after the kids. And then there was Christopher. His role too was undisclosed. Ah wellshe would find out in time. Chapter 14 – Lift-off DEPARTURE DAY had come at last. Vikki and Hal were about to board the ground-to-orbit shuttle along with a very excited Lorna, now fifteen months old, toddling all over the place, and thrilled to bits: she already knew the word spaceshipalthough she couldnt pronounce it better than shpuh-shup. All the other cosmonauts, and children, were there except Joachim and Ranjan, but Vikki naturally assumed theyd gone up to the orbiting Christa earlier. Winifred was in charge of the boarding. She seemed in a fairly affable mood, and was chatting light-heartedly with all the others of the teambut she wasnt giving much away. All Vikki got from her was that once everyone and all the supplies were safely stowed aboard the Christa, she would boost to escape velocity and enter the transfer orbit to Jupiter in about twenty-four hours. Vikki once again sensed that there was something being kept back from her and the others. No matter: no doubt all would have to be explained once the long voyage was under wayand, importantly, when there was no opportunity for any of the crew to back off. Crafty devils, these SSSA big shots! The children were all introduced to each other before boarding. Little Lorna, the youngest of the five, shed a few tears when she realised Terri wasnt among them: she had after all been staying at Alexs and Jos for the past two months. But she was soon comforted when she realised that little Octavia, Estellas granddaughter, who was a little over a year older than Lorna, was to be her new playmate. Indeed it didnt take long for the two to become fast friends. Meanwhile, the three boys, Estellas Mark and Judys twin boys Saul and Jake, all of whom were aged around four-and-a-half, were busy chasing each other all round the departure hall. If there was ever to be any friction between the children, it wasnt showing itself yet. At length the time came for everyone to board the shuttle and strap themselves in, and the shuttle began its long roll down the runway. No longer were crew and passengers expected to feel the harsh three-gee-plus acceleration of the mid twentieth century rockets: the shuttles acceleration was a gentle 0.5 gee and it took nearly half an hour to reach orbital velocity. Then the main drive shut off and the passengers experienced weightlessness for the first time. The children took it surprisingly well, and there were no accidents. It took another two hours for the shuttle to successfully dock with the orbiting Christa and for all the crew and passengers to be trans-ferred to the interplanetary ship. As expected, Joachim and Ranjan were already there to welcome the rest of the ships complement. After everyone had been guided to his or her individual cabin (far more luxurious than the cramped quarters on the Valentina, Vikki noted with some relief), and been given time to settle in and stow their belongings, Joachim summoned everyone to the centrifuge which was already rotating. The transfer between the non-rotating fuselage and the centrifuge was quite straightforward, involving a kind of escalator to match speeds: no-one had to jump! Soon everyone was assembled to one side of the centrifuge, so they could all see one another. Vikki, Hal, and several of the others, were of course quite accustomed to the centrifuge experience, and noted that this model, being more than twice the diameter of the one on Ceres, was much more comfortable to ride in. But, looking round, Vikki could see that all was not well with some of the newcomers. In particular, she noticed that Christopher looked rather uncomfortable: he was tight-lipped with a pained expression on his face, and indisposed to join in the conversation. Hal noticed his predicament too, and could barely suppress a chuckle. Here was a giant who could face up to any man the fearsome Wallabies or the mighty Springboks forwards could throw at him, and who had completely demolished the Scots three-quarters at Murrayfieldand yet he was barely able to handle it in the centrifuge. You OK, Chris? he asked. Christopher nodded out of politeness, but evidently this was far from the truth. He started to speak but gagged on his words. Here you are, said Hal, reassuringly, plucking a sick-bag from a pocket on the wall and tossing it to Christopher, who received it gratefully and was soon occupied with retching and heaving into it. Its because of the tidal effect in a centrifuge, continued Hal, by way of explanation. Your head is nearer the centre line and so feels less weight than the rest of you. And of course youre a lot taller than the rest of us, so you feel the effect more. I think if you lie down for a spell, indicating one of the couches set against the wall, youll get over it. Dont worry: one soon gets used to it! Christopher couldnt speak but nodded by way of thanks and made for the couch. Casting a sympathetic eye upon him, Vikki once again set herself wondering what his role in the mission was. She noticed that within a few minutes he seemed to have recovered from his nausea. Sensing that the brief disturbance was over and everyone was settled, Joachim stood on a bench and began his briefing. That he was making a speech in the first place came as a surprise to Vikki, recalling him as a man of few words and with a taciturn manner on the Valentina missionbut then she realised that he was reading from a prepared script. Quite a long one, as it turned out. She couldnt help but wonder who had really written it. First of all, Joachim began, you will realise that there are two distinct objectives to this mission, and they arein a senseconflicting with one another. The first is to find out more about the native, albeit primitive, life which has been discovered beneath the icy surface of Enceladusand which we hope to encounter also on the other icy moons of the outer Solar System. The second is to make further contact with the mysterious extraterrestrial intelligence which we have named the Bala. With regard to the Enceladus life, all we have so far is a very incomplete sample of life elsewhere in the Solar Systemand our exobiologistsrepresented here by Annemarie and Jaleh here with a nod to the two crew members are very anxious to fill in the gaps. It is vital that we learn more about the early stages in the evolution of life, both on Earth and on other worlds, and the existence of very primitive, early-stage, life-forms on Enceladus and other icy moons gives us an opportunity to establish an evolutionary process between these organisms. Unfortunately our exobiologist team here another nod have too few specimens, and of too few distinct species, to be able to construct evolutionary links. It has been deemed essential to carry out further collections in the hope of recovering a wider spectrum of species Essential to whom? Estella interposed, speaking for the first time. It was Annemarie, the exobiologist, who answered for her. Ah, I see. Our esteemed technical writer (she markedly emphasised the word technical) is querying the value of any basic scientific research that appears not to carry a cost benefit of some sort. She was speaking in perfectly fluent and idiomatic English, but with a slight accentprobably Dutch, Vikki thoughtbut not as marked as Murielles had beenthankfully. She could see Estella scowlingand was beginning to think that she too wouldnt get on very well with the opinionated Annemarie. Ah well: better hope for the best! But Annemarie was still speaking. Maybe I should remind you about the pandemic of 2065-66? she continued, her patronising stance unremitting. Before your time and mine, of course. The pandemic that killed off nearly half of the worlds populationbut could have been mitigated if research into virus propagation and reproductionresearch that at the time was deemed purely abstract by somehad sufficiently advanced Of course I know about 65, retorted Estella, petulantly. I probably know more than you do, since I majored in History and English. And thats hardly the same, is it? Of course were talking about essential research, not abstract: essential to the survival of our species. And if the governments of the day hadnt been so incompetent and so short-sighted as to foreclose on the vital research in that field, many lives might have been saved. Besides, if youd read any of my books you might know that one of them is indeed set during that awful episode in Earths history. An apocalyptic fiction: Earthbrink, for your information. Inspired by one of Nevil Shutes Actually, I have read that book, snapped Annemarie. Along with others of your novels. I am not so ignorant of literature as you might suppose. I quite enjoyed Dawn of Phobos. Ladies, please! interposed Joachim, plaintively. We are steering off topic. May I please continue? Vikki could see that a row was still simmeringand she could sympathise with both sides of the argument. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a quiet word with Estella when she got a chance. Annemariethat would be best for later. She did not want to re-awaken the memory of her feud with Murielle. She noticed that Christopher, now standing up and seemingly recovered from his nausea, was about to speak, but she silenced him with a gesture. Nowif I mayto proceed, remarked Joachim, and resumed reading from his script. in the hope of recovering a wider spect-rum of species. It is unfortunate that Enceladus, along with the whole of the Saturnian system, is inaccessible to us at present because of its inconvenient position in its orbit. We cannot carry enough fuel to reach the system safely. But Uranus, despite being nearly twice as far from the Sun, is well placed at present and can be reached in cruise mode with little expenditure of fuel, although the voyage will be long. But I shall come to that later. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. We had originally planned to visit Miranda, the innermost of the main moons of Uranus, but we have now determined that Titania, the largest moon, offers better prospects. Moreover, its gravity at 0.04 geeover three times that of Enceladus and five times that of Mirandamakes it a better prospect for drillingand safer for the crew. We cannot, of course, be sure that any life exists beneath the ice of Titania, and no crew has yet set foot on that worldbut the data we have been able to gather looks promising. So Titania is our prime target moon on this voyage. Any questions so far? What difference does 0.04 gee of gravity make? asked Hal, with a note of scepticism. Not much different from Enceladus, is it? We were all but weightless therehad to lash everything down. As the drilling expert, Id have thought you could answer that question yourself, retorted Winifred, answering for Joachim. Even a fraction of a gee makes it that much easier to control the drilling, does it not? All right: point taken continued Hal. But what about Europa? A lot easier to get to, surely. And a nice comfortable 0.13 gee, if I remember right: almost as much as our Moons 0.16 gee. True, replied Winifred. But we already have three teams probing Europa at widely separated points, and sadly none of them has discovered anything resembling life. We are beginning to think that at Europa we will draw a blank, and SSSA has deemed that a fourth team would be superfluous. Thank you Winifred, added Joachim, stifling with a gesture Hals attempt to prolong the argument. Exactly so. Now, if I may continue? He resumed reading from his script. Now we turn to the moreshall I say?dramatic objective of this missionthe objective which will no doubt be more effective in stimulating the interest of certain members of this crew. He nodded to Vikki, but then cast an eye on Estella. We intend to rendezvous with one of the sapient beings or artefacts known as the Bala. Luis Mends mentioned this briefly at the pre-launch presentation, but it was decided not to give out full details at that moment in time. The particular Bala that we propose to intercept is the one which is free-floating in a separate orbit around the Sun, a short distance outside Saturns orbit. To be more specific, it is following not a circular or elliptical orbit, as was at first thought, but a more com-plex horseshoe orbit taking in the Lagrangian L3, L4 and L5 points of Saturns orbit. We have been able to plot its movement with reasonable precision, and provided it does not use its inbuilt thruster to substantially alter course in the meantime (so far it has shown no sign of doing so), we can rendezvous with it and even match speeds without the need to expend much fuel nor to seriously disrupt our voyage to Titania. We should get a time window of about fifteen days during which we shall be close enough to the Bala for detailed study. Any more questions? Vikki could not contain herself. You meanclose enough that we can make physical contact with our friend? Even venture inside, should it choose to create an internal cavity for us? Like the one on Enceladus? The answer to the first question is, yes, replied Joachim. As to whether any cosmonaut will be permitted to enter the aliens bodythats not yet decided as of now. Please dont speculate further on this. It was Christopher who put the next question. Ive been through the astronomy and orbital mechanics courses, fine, but what on earth is a horseshoe orbit? It was Qiang, the navigator, who took it upon himself to answer. More or less a broad description of the objects path. The orbit shaped rather like a horseshoe, in which the smaller object (the Bala) spirals around the larger objects (Saturns) orbit, sweeping from the L4 point (60 ahead of Saturn), via the L3 point (opposite Saturn), to the L5 point (astern of Saturn)then it sweeps back retracing its steps. In this way it will never collide with, or even come close to Saturn. But the whole cycle takes many years. We needed many observations spaced several years apart, to work this out. Most extraordinary, remarked Vikki. And there we were thinking everything goes around the Sun in an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. Keplers Laws and all that... Yes, it is strange, added Qiang. Keplers Laws only work if none of the planets and other orbiting bodies perturb one another. But in reality there are several asteroids working their way around just such a horseshoe orbit: some even accompanying the Earth. Not to worry: none will ever collide with us. So no dinosaur-killers there, then, said Vikki. Although we shouldnt be complacent. Remember 2105. The year 2105 had seen a kilometre-sized object plunge into the southern Atlantic, raising tsunamis which had ravaged the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, and to a lesser extent South Africa and Namibiacausing many thousands of deaths. The biggest strike since the Tunguska event of 1908, and far more deadly. Since that date, SSSAs activities had been greatly ramped up, with the signifi-cant objective of identifying comets and asteroids that might pose a threat. Several had been successfully diverted in the following years. You are right, continued Qiang. The asteroids that were once called Trojans do not threaten our planet, but other asteroids and comets on less predictable, more chaotic orbits are still a potential danger. As 2105 showed us. And SSSA is hard at work tracking them down. Are we done yet? interposed Joachim, his impatience clearly showing. The gathering fell silent. Very well, then, he continued. All I have to add is that we shall be leaving Earth orbit in about eight hours time. I ask everyone to prepare themselves for the long voyage: the first leg to Jupiter will take about seven months. That is all, and thank you for your attention. ------ Vikki knew that her first duty was to ensure that little Lorna was safely deposited and settled in at the onboard crche which had been set up in another part of the centrifuge. She found that the other children were already there and that it was well equipped with toys and activity equipment. How long before the children get bored with all this? she wondered. Its asking a lot, taking such young children on such a long and arduous voyage, with no opportunity to go exploring anywhere. But she was pleased, and somewhat relieved, to observe that Estella was busy organising the facilityand was presumably set to become the teacher or supervisor. Yesmy secondary duty on board, besides that of chronicler, Estella replied in answer to Vikkis question. And I should explain that I was a nursery school teacher for several years before I took up writing. Im sure I can manage these little ones. Mark and Octavia here, my own little ones, know me of old of course! Vikki recalled Estellas earlier remarks about her grandchildren. Glancing round to see if anyone else was within earshot, she quietly asked: Your daughter, Estella? You were going to tell me about her earlier, but She stopped, noticing tears welling up in Estellas eyes and running down her cheeks. There was a long pause. Youre right, Vikki, Estella finally managed to say. I didnt want to talk about these things before. And please dont pass this on. Not even to Hal? queried Vikki. Oh all rightHal. Estella let out a sob. But no-one else. I assume your daughter died. Yes. Let me explain. Do you know about the history involving ethanol? Vikki was beginning to guess where this was leading up to. I know that it was once used as a component of certain drinks. And that it had adverseeven fataleffects on the human body. Like opium. But its been outlawed for many years now, hasnt it? Yesin most countries, at any rate. It used to be called just alcoholthough thats strictly speaking a generic term covering a wide range of compounds. Estella paused for a moment, again seeming visibly upset. Then she composed herself and continued. Many different drinks, called beer, wine, gin, whisky, rum, brandy, vodka, and many others. Perhaps with your Russian heritage youve heard of vodka? It does ring a bell. My granddad, who came originally from St Petersburgyes he used to say something likehe moaned that he couldnt get his favourite vodka any more. Of course I was only a little girl at the time, and I didnt understand what he meant. Why would he have enjoyed it, if it was harmful? Harmful or not, it was one of the strongest drinks around: forty or even fifty percent ethanol mixed with water and very little else. The first attempt to outlaw drinks containing ethanol occurred in the early twentieth century in the USAbut it didnt last. There was too much underground production of the stuffbootlegging it was calledand a lot of criminal activity. The second attempt, at the end of the twenty-first, was far more successful, and most of the worlds population are now ethanol-free, as Im sure you know. I doubt if anyone on board here has ever tasted the stuff. Certainly not mebut, your daughter? put in Vikki, tentatively. Several people tried producing drinks containing ethanol illegally. Chloemy daughterand her partner were doing just that. I didnt know until afterwardsat the inquest. Octavia here she patted her little granddaughter whod just come up to join them she was only six weeks old, poor thing. Another sob. So they were poisoned with thisethanol? Not ethanol: methanol. Yes, very similar name: another type of alcohol, but far more deadly. Trouble was, poorly controlled fermentation done at home, illegally, it can sometimes produce the wrong sort of alcohol. Thats what happened. Fermentation? Whats that? Best if I say no more. Its painful to remember all thisforgive me! Of courseI understand. Im very grateful to you, Estella, for confiding in me. I promise I wont say a word to anyoneexcept Hal, and Ill make him promise, too. And if you ever want anyone to open your heart towell, were here for you.