black sphere, computer?” Alex smiled hopefully. “We said we were going to do research, Mary,” he whispered.
“ Yes ,” said the computer’s ghostly metallic voice.
He winked at Mary. “Computer, can you switch the com systems to our bedroom dome, and can you give us privacy from ... intruding eyes?”
“And ears,” added Mary.
“Yes.”
Five minutes later Alex and Mary were naked in their closed white dome. The screen that covered them ran a visual program surrounding them with the starry skies of Ganymede. “This is better, isn’t it, Mary?” Alex asked.
Mary rubbed her bare nipple against his shoulder. “Oh, yes,” she cooed. “Much better.”
“ Incoming message ,” said the computer, as the same words also flashed across the apex of the dome.
They both covered themselves with a sheet and sat up, bolstering their backs with pillows before Alex answered the computer. “Okay, computer, admit the message.
“ Is two way video permitted? ”
“I guess so. Sure,” answered Alex, looking at Mary doubtfully.
Stubbs and Johnny appeared side by side in a window above them. “You two look ... comfy,” Stubbs observed with a wry smile. “Sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to hear for myself what that erotic, I mean, erratic behavior near the sphere has achieved, Mary. I’ll remind you, before you answer, that you broke an order with that brief but spectacular exhibition.”
“I’m aware of that, sir,” explained Mary politely. “Sorry I broke an order, but I saw no other way to be alone with the thing without causing a psychic stir. You wanted to know if it had changed.”
“You said psychic?” Stubbs raised an eyebrow.
“It may be an alien probe,” continued Mary. “Perhaps this probe is an answer to the one we left on the egg. Who knows how they communicate?” She was almost pleading. Under the sheet Alex squeezed her hand. It was cold and damp.
Stubbs seemed to soften as he listened. “What did you feel when you passed near it? Did anything make you feel it was sentient?”
“Nothing.” Mary lowered her head. “Only blackness. And cold.”
“Cold means absorbing energy,” remarked Stubbs. “That’s why our sensors are getting nothing. Indeed, it has shrunk, as you mentioned to the Professor. And what else?” He looked at Johnny, next to him.
Johnny gave Stubbs a confirming nod. “It’s something like glass, or ice. If it’s reducing in mass, it might be dessicating.
But our instruments have detected nothing emitting from it, gas or otherwise. And it is very cold, as Mary said, and may be absorbing heat. If that’s true, we should seal it up.”
“And get rid of it,” added Stubbs.
“How would you get it out of the cylinder? Have your engineers figured that out?” asked Alex.
“We’ve begun filtering the air near it as an immediate precaution. And, yes, there’s talk of sealing it in aerogel. Some’s being prepared now.” Behind Stubbs in the image was the ceiling of the control room. Alex guessed the camera was on the Commander’s console.
“How do you plan to get it out of the cylinder?” asked Mary.
“Good question,” said Stubbs. “It will fit in a tubeway transport. The engineers are considering a connecting tunnel to the tubeway.”
Professor Baltadonis then interrupted and began detailing those plans. Alex raised a finger. “What about the outside material, the stuff on the hull? Has it been analyzed?”
“A cellular formation,” Johnny said soberly. “Like plant cells, I was told,” he added. “Melted when it hit Goddard . Froze up solid on the hull. We think the freezing action may have helped punch it through the ship.”
Mary shook her head. “Why take it through the ship and do all that building? Seal it up and transport it to the hole it made. That leaves you with only two repair jobs, not three.”
Stubbs blinked. Then he smiled. “Thank you, Mary,” he said, and ended the transmission.
Alex looked at Mary.
“ Yes ,” said the computer’s ghostly metallic voice.
He winked at Mary. “Computer, can you switch the com systems to our bedroom dome, and can you give us privacy from ... intruding eyes?”
“And ears,” added Mary.
“Yes.”
Five minutes later Alex and Mary were naked in their closed white dome. The screen that covered them ran a visual program surrounding them with the starry skies of Ganymede. “This is better, isn’t it, Mary?” Alex asked.
Mary rubbed her bare nipple against his shoulder. “Oh, yes,” she cooed. “Much better.”
“ Incoming message ,” said the computer, as the same words also flashed across the apex of the dome.
They both covered themselves with a sheet and sat up, bolstering their backs with pillows before Alex answered the computer. “Okay, computer, admit the message.
“ Is two way video permitted? ”
“I guess so. Sure,” answered Alex, looking at Mary doubtfully.
Stubbs and Johnny appeared side by side in a window above them. “You two look ... comfy,” Stubbs observed with a wry smile. “Sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to hear for myself what that erotic, I mean, erratic behavior near the sphere has achieved, Mary. I’ll remind you, before you answer, that you broke an order with that brief but spectacular exhibition.”
“I’m aware of that, sir,” explained Mary politely. “Sorry I broke an order, but I saw no other way to be alone with the thing without causing a psychic stir. You wanted to know if it had changed.”
“You said psychic?” Stubbs raised an eyebrow.
“It may be an alien probe,” continued Mary. “Perhaps this probe is an answer to the one we left on the egg. Who knows how they communicate?” She was almost pleading. Under the sheet Alex squeezed her hand. It was cold and damp.
Stubbs seemed to soften as he listened. “What did you feel when you passed near it? Did anything make you feel it was sentient?”
“Nothing.” Mary lowered her head. “Only blackness. And cold.”
“Cold means absorbing energy,” remarked Stubbs. “That’s why our sensors are getting nothing. Indeed, it has shrunk, as you mentioned to the Professor. And what else?” He looked at Johnny, next to him.
Johnny gave Stubbs a confirming nod. “It’s something like glass, or ice. If it’s reducing in mass, it might be dessicating.
But our instruments have detected nothing emitting from it, gas or otherwise. And it is very cold, as Mary said, and may be absorbing heat. If that’s true, we should seal it up.”
“And get rid of it,” added Stubbs.
“How would you get it out of the cylinder? Have your engineers figured that out?” asked Alex.
“We’ve begun filtering the air near it as an immediate precaution. And, yes, there’s talk of sealing it in aerogel. Some’s being prepared now.” Behind Stubbs in the image was the ceiling of the control room. Alex guessed the camera was on the Commander’s console.
“How do you plan to get it out of the cylinder?” asked Mary.
“Good question,” said Stubbs. “It will fit in a tubeway transport. The engineers are considering a connecting tunnel to the tubeway.”
Professor Baltadonis then interrupted and began detailing those plans. Alex raised a finger. “What about the outside material, the stuff on the hull? Has it been analyzed?”
“A cellular formation,” Johnny said soberly. “Like plant cells, I was told,” he added. “Melted when it hit Goddard . Froze up solid on the hull. We think the freezing action may have helped punch it through the ship.”
Mary shook her head. “Why take it through the ship and do all that building? Seal it up and transport it to the hole it made. That leaves you with only two repair jobs, not three.”
Stubbs blinked. Then he smiled. “Thank you, Mary,” he said, and ended the transmission.
Alex looked at Mary.
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