A Simple Truth (18 page)

He continued on a more practical note.  Observations and attempts at two-way communication would continue, and re
connaissance
probes would be dispatched to report on the physical nature of the craft.  The music would be analysed and if still harmful would not be broadcast.

What Naganda did not say was that each probe would carry sufficient nuclear weapons to vaporise the craft several times over.  Lincoln was well aware of these precautions and was in full agreement with them, so long as Naganda was in control.
Lincoln also knew that two of these probes were already on their way, soon to be followed by three more, and then a further three after that.  This strategy was a compromise.  The sooner the probes left the sooner they would reach the vessel if accurately targeted, but the greater the chance of misjudging the alien trajectory and consequent inability to compensate by course corrections.  The later the departure
,
the more chance
there was
of reaching the target accurately, but the later the arrival.  It was expected that the first two probes would be lost.  It would be unlucky if the next three were lost, but it was almost certain that the final three would be successful.  They would
provide valuable information about
the visitor.

Once again Lincoln found himself the focus of attention.  The world appetite for facts, predictions, and even guesses was insatiable.  Nothing else exis
ted for the public or the media.  S
peculation was rife, imaginations ran riot.  Some worried about being taken over by hideous monsters while others preached salvation by the return of long lost gods.  Frustration was felt by al
l
at the absence of sensible
communication
.  The aliens could understand and transmit English but wouldn't use it, and all transmissions from earth were either not received or ignored.

The one thing that most people did agree on was that Tony Naganda was a good man to be in control, even if his tactics were a little harsh.  He could be relied upon to keep his
head and his
'suitable
precautions' were a comfort to all.  Lincoln quickly briefed the reassembled Procyon Group and with their help and his and Khan's prearranged broadcast plans tried with only partial success to feed the information-hungry world.

The arrangements worked well in spite of the one-sided nature of the contact, but Lincoln often felt that Dent would have handled things more effectively.  His hopes for a return of his friend in the light of recent developments were fading fast.  Wherever he was Dent was intent on playing no part in the current situation.  His inspiration lasted though.  Whatever he did or planned Lincoln religiously checked it against what he thought Dent's reaction would be.  The technique proved
to be
a good guide.
He felt sure that somewhere Dent would be watching all the broadcasts and liked to think he would approve of the way things were being managed.

The situation was very different
however to that during
the earlier contact.  Then a democratic system had been used, the major world powers jointly set policy while Dent's Procyon Group provided technical advice and assistance.  Now Tony Naganda was running the show.  The WSA under Lincoln, together with the former Procyon Group members, gave technical
and
strategic advice, but no-one challenged Naganda's control.  Some of the other governments found fault with his methods but only at a superficial level.  Basically all agreed that a single strong leader gave the best chance for whatever the future held, though some felt the need to retain a measure of opinion d
ifference in order to show independence of thought.

The fi
rst two probes were lost.  A
slight error in estimating the aliens' trajectory sent the craft by at a closest approach of over two hundred thousand kilometres.  It was the best that could be achieved, even with continuous correction as new data came in.  The video system was in operation though, peering at the visitor through the on board telescopes, but only a tantalisingly small image could be seen. 
Even u
nder the best computer enhancement little better than a fragmented blob was discernible.  The pictures were much poorer than many obtained already by the
Mendeleev
optical telescope.  It was a disappointment but then the next three probes were much better positioned.  Even if they failed to achieve a permanent rendezvous they could approach as close as desired so that very detailed pictures could be obtained.  Lincoln and Khan had been in Africa to see the first pictures as they were received so they decided to wait there for the next series due very soon.

The first pictures were released for general circulation.  Naganda and his military advisers had arranged to see all incoming pictures and data before general release, in case any evidence of offensive weapons was seen or if for any other reason censorship was considered prudent.  The first series revealed absolutely nothing of any value so there was no point in concealing them.  The next series would be totally different.  The problem then would be of having too much detail, and of being sure that all sensitive material if any had been erased before release.

Observations continued to pour in from
Mendeleev
whenever the alien vessel was in the lunar sky
, and by now the lattice structure was clearly emerging.  It had an overall cross sectional area in the observed plane of a staggering seventy square kilometres, but the individual component size could not yet be measured.  The music continued unabated with maddening clarity.  It was not retransmitted because the harmful elements were still present,
though the increased signal strength allowed people to receive it for themselves if they wished to do so, and there were many that did
.

Lincoln looked at his watch for the hundredth time and glanced wearily over at Khan.  They and about thirty others were crammed in
to
the operations room at Pangani military base waiting for the video signals due to begin in about fifteen minute's time.  The heat was overpowering, and to have so many people here was ridiculous.  Naganda's vast bulk took up most of the main operations desk, and he seemed completely oblivious to the discomfort.  Lincoln wished he would order some of the less important staff out, to make more room for those that mattered, but a moment's reflection made him retract his wish.  From Naganda's point of view the least important people would undoubtedly be himself and Khan.

Eight large receivers were mounted high up at the front of the room.  There were two for each of the probes and another two that could display enhanced images from any of the other six.  For all the discomfort the tension was mounting.  The three probes were spot on target and now only twenty
-
four thousand kilometres separated them from the alien vessel.  They had turned successfully and were now accelerating back towards earth, allowing the vessel to catch up more and more slowly.  There was a velocity di
fference of just
less than
two kilometres per second.  When the distance was down to twenty
-
two and a half thousand kilometres the cameras would be turned on to monitor the approach.  There was no point in starting earlier than th
at because
the on board telescopes were incapable of resolving more detail than had already been revealed by other instruments.  Everyone knew what to expect, just a group of tiny white dots, and that woul
d be all for at least two hours; n
evertheless the sense of occasion was sharp and the adrenaline was flowing freely.

"One minute to energisation
,"
announced Naganda.  He was captivated too, the turn
-
on time was arbitrary but it seemed fitting to mark it with some degree of ceremony.  "Ten
...
nine
...
eight...
"
he counted tensely, "two
...
one
...
zero."  And there they were, e
ight identical tiny images, two of which were soon magnified to the limit of clarity from the enhancers.  Eight views of an enigma, but an enigma that would soon divulge at least some of its secrets.

When the initial excitement had subsided the oppression of the atmosphere closed in on Lincoln.  "Come on, let's have a walk out in the air
,"
he suggested to Khan who agreed readily.  The two wandered around, enjoying the contrast, and speculating on the sights yet to come.  Few people were
about;
the base covered a large area but required only a relatively small staff.  There was very little to see, merely unspectacular buildings and roadways.  The really important areas were buried
hundreds of metres underground; n
evertheless a watchful guard kept them in sight all the time.

After about twenty minutes curiosity got the better of them and they had to return.  Fortunately many of the others had been in need of a break too so there was more space available.  Naganda hadn't moved.  He stared up at the receivers like a man hypnotised.  The images were very slightly larger, but still without any significant detail.  There was nothing to do but wait.

Gradually as time passed the enhanced images began to improve.  Distinct globules of light separated more clearly, they were spaced regularly and there were indeed hundreds of them.  The connecting links could not be seen yet but the radar station had positively established their existence so Lincoln did not doubt that they would appear in due course.  There was no visible change in the six non-enhanced images and no colour was recognisable yet.  Although the pattern was regular it was not yet clear enough to identify accurately.  The vessel was represented only two-dimensionally because of the immense distance so complexity in appearance was to be expected.

Two hours had now passed and the probes were ten thousand kilometres away from the vessel.  The links were still not discernible and Lincoln began to feel uneasy.  Surely Hank couldn't have misinterpreted his data?

No more detail of the
individual dots had yet emerged.  T
hey became brighter and further apart, but were still merely points of light.  Time was passing more quickly now, the evening was approaching and the atmosphere became more comfortable.  Many of the earlier observers had departed leaving only twelve in the operations room, an altogether more sensible number considered Lincoln.

Three and a half hours after the cameras had been turned on the alien vessel was catching up with the probes at a kilometre
per second
.  It was only three thousand kilometres away now but still there were no links, and still no more detail although the overall structure was growing much more quickly.

Quite suddenly the pattern began to shift.  Dots seemed to change places, some moving slightly up and to the right while others moved down and to the left.  The vessel was manoeuvring, but just which way it was turning was not obvious since no depth was as yet detectable.  The same effect is seen in distant spiral galaxies situated obliquely to the earth.  It is evident that one edge is nearer tha
n
the other, but there is no way of knowing which.

Lincoln's heart quickened, it was as if the aliens were reacting to the approaching probes, although more likely they were making a course adjustment to achieve earth orbit.

Then without any warning a rapid sequence of events occurred that set Lincoln's heart racing.  First the connecting links became abruptly visible.  They were so bright that the dots were insignificant in comparison.  It was as if the whole structure had become transformed.  No longer was it an array of dots but a mesh of brilliant lines.  The change had hardly registered on Lincoln's senses when an altogether more sinister thing happened.  The leftmost pair of receivers went blank, then the next pair, and then the others.  The images simply vanished, the cameras were blind.  Lincoln was stunned, the only thought in his mind was that the aliens had destroyed the approaching probes, and the implications of that prospect brought sweat to his palms and a shiver down his spine.  His mind rapidly explored the situation.  How could the destruction be confirmed?  Could it be a malfunction?  But if so why all three, and why just when the vessel was turning?  Perhaps it was a fault in the receivers.  'Please God let it be a fault in the receivers
,
' prayed Lincoln.  But why did they go off in sequence instead of all at once? 

Hushed voices began to murmur uneasily, the same fear was shared by all.  Then
,
just as unexpectedly
,
the leftmost pictures reappeared, followed by the next,
and
then the others.  Nothing had
changed;
the alien vessel was still manoeuvring in just the same way as before the links had become visible.  Lincoln tried to suppress a strong urge to laugh, but his efforts were overtaken by events as the others succumbed to the same urge.  The tension had been so intense, and now the relief was equally intense.  The rapidity of the change forced a reaction, and that reaction was uncontrollable laughter.

When the mirth had subsided somewhat one of Naganda's specialists stood up and explained that the cameras were protected from extremes of radiation by an automatic protection system that shut them down.  He should have realised what was happening but failed to do so in the heat of the moment and was as taken aback as everyone else.  The vessel manoeuvring system no doubt used a form of particle jet so the shutdown was entirely to be expected.  The poor man apologised for his oversight.  He could offer no explanation though for the sudden illumination of the links but suspected that it was also connected with the vessel's manoeuvring process.