motion.”
“I can assure you, Mr. CEO, that your proposal is more than adequate as a sign of your good faith. I unofficially second. And, as we are the only two shareholders who count at this early stage, the motion is unofficially passed.”
The formal part of the conversation concluded, the two CEO’s indicated they wished a closed two-transmission line, through which they offered each other pleasantries and shared a few words on other topics of international concern.
*
Ushered out behind the two ministers, Michael and Calbert left the conference room to the CEOs and their aides.
“Congratulations,” Alliras offered Michael as they neared the door to exit, shaking his subordinate’s hand. “You obviously made an impression.”
Still dumbstruck by the appointment, Michael shook his head. “I didn’t expect…” He took a deep breath.
“None of us are surprised. You deserve this.”
“I’m sure I’ll have my work cut out for me, but right now, I want to see that tape of the Dis Pater . It’s the key to understanding Element X, and our interstellar neighbors.”
Alliras laughed. “Typical. You’re offered the catbird seat, and all you can think of is how to build a better mousetrap.”
“I’m sure I’ll do a victory dance later, when it all sinks in. —Calbert, I want to know exactly when the Orcus 1 will rendezvous with the TAHU.”
Calbert shook his head and chuckled. “All business with you, boss.” But he got right down to it as well.
Accessing the data tapes through his thoughtlink, Calbert informed him, “It won’t be until this afternoon. You have a few hours to grab breakfast. The Dis Pater files will be in your office waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Calbert.”
“Boss, we’ve got six months to analyze the data. Why don’t you catch a few more hours sleep; you look like you’re dead on your feet.”
“I agree,” Alliras said, nodding to Calbert. “We all could use a few hours to rest, and freshen up.”
Thomas suggested, “Why don’t we all meet back here at one? While we wait for the rendezvous, and see whether young Mr. Manez has survived his travails, we can discuss a plan of action. There’s a hell of a lot of work for us in the next few months, and I want to get a jump start on it, make sure we’re all on the same wave length.”
Shaking hands, they dispersed.
Michael turned to Calbert. “I’m ordering you to take your own advice. Stand down. You and Ray both. I’ll see both of you in seven hours. I’m going to head home and grab a shower.”
*
As Michael exited Operations and took a conveyor tube down to the parking lot where a limo was waiting to take him home, all that had transpired suddenly caught up to him, hitting him like a tidal wave.
There were others out there…somewhere. They had left more than a calling card; they had left a possible means of contact, like the recording on the Voyager II probe sent out in the late nineteen-seventies by NASA. Humankind was about to embark on a mission to take them into the Interstellar Age.
And Michael Sanderson was going to be a pioneer of the next stage of the evolution of humankind.
Instead of feeling elated and proud, Michael felt inadequate to the task. Frightened. Small.
He thought of Alex Manez, the first light speed traveler. Had he survived the experience? His parents hadn’t; they had become the first victims of Element X.
Was Alex alive?
Michael hoped so.
__________
Pluto Orbit :
Orcus 1 :
Macklin’s Rock;
The tomb was complete ; darkness impenetrable, forever. He was a living corpse in a coffin of the unknown; his brain had ceased all higher functions in defense of the impossible data that had bombarded his senses. It was all too much.
Breathing was an effort. It was increasingly more difficult with each passing millennium.
Or was that, each passing minute?
Alex slowly came to realize that he was losing oxygen in the security receptacle. There was no light for him to read the
“I can assure you, Mr. CEO, that your proposal is more than adequate as a sign of your good faith. I unofficially second. And, as we are the only two shareholders who count at this early stage, the motion is unofficially passed.”
The formal part of the conversation concluded, the two CEO’s indicated they wished a closed two-transmission line, through which they offered each other pleasantries and shared a few words on other topics of international concern.
*
Ushered out behind the two ministers, Michael and Calbert left the conference room to the CEOs and their aides.
“Congratulations,” Alliras offered Michael as they neared the door to exit, shaking his subordinate’s hand. “You obviously made an impression.”
Still dumbstruck by the appointment, Michael shook his head. “I didn’t expect…” He took a deep breath.
“None of us are surprised. You deserve this.”
“I’m sure I’ll have my work cut out for me, but right now, I want to see that tape of the Dis Pater . It’s the key to understanding Element X, and our interstellar neighbors.”
Alliras laughed. “Typical. You’re offered the catbird seat, and all you can think of is how to build a better mousetrap.”
“I’m sure I’ll do a victory dance later, when it all sinks in. —Calbert, I want to know exactly when the Orcus 1 will rendezvous with the TAHU.”
Calbert shook his head and chuckled. “All business with you, boss.” But he got right down to it as well.
Accessing the data tapes through his thoughtlink, Calbert informed him, “It won’t be until this afternoon. You have a few hours to grab breakfast. The Dis Pater files will be in your office waiting for you.”
“Thanks, Calbert.”
“Boss, we’ve got six months to analyze the data. Why don’t you catch a few more hours sleep; you look like you’re dead on your feet.”
“I agree,” Alliras said, nodding to Calbert. “We all could use a few hours to rest, and freshen up.”
Thomas suggested, “Why don’t we all meet back here at one? While we wait for the rendezvous, and see whether young Mr. Manez has survived his travails, we can discuss a plan of action. There’s a hell of a lot of work for us in the next few months, and I want to get a jump start on it, make sure we’re all on the same wave length.”
Shaking hands, they dispersed.
Michael turned to Calbert. “I’m ordering you to take your own advice. Stand down. You and Ray both. I’ll see both of you in seven hours. I’m going to head home and grab a shower.”
*
As Michael exited Operations and took a conveyor tube down to the parking lot where a limo was waiting to take him home, all that had transpired suddenly caught up to him, hitting him like a tidal wave.
There were others out there…somewhere. They had left more than a calling card; they had left a possible means of contact, like the recording on the Voyager II probe sent out in the late nineteen-seventies by NASA. Humankind was about to embark on a mission to take them into the Interstellar Age.
And Michael Sanderson was going to be a pioneer of the next stage of the evolution of humankind.
Instead of feeling elated and proud, Michael felt inadequate to the task. Frightened. Small.
He thought of Alex Manez, the first light speed traveler. Had he survived the experience? His parents hadn’t; they had become the first victims of Element X.
Was Alex alive?
Michael hoped so.
__________
Pluto Orbit :
Orcus 1 :
Macklin’s Rock;
The tomb was complete ; darkness impenetrable, forever. He was a living corpse in a coffin of the unknown; his brain had ceased all higher functions in defense of the impossible data that had bombarded his senses. It was all too much.
Breathing was an effort. It was increasingly more difficult with each passing millennium.
Or was that, each passing minute?
Alex slowly came to realize that he was losing oxygen in the security receptacle. There was no light for him to read the
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