(eng) Mackey Chandler - Family Law 03 by Secrets in the Stars

Author:Secrets in the Stars [Stars, Secrets in the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

The stop came to an end with everyone refreshed. Gordon heard no more from the Bill captain about difficulties regulating his crew. Nobody was too hungover to work, at least on the High Hopes, and there were no injuries. Gordon took that for a win. They started a run for a new system. They'd switch shifts as usual and be back on the bridge for jump. When they came back on Lee and Talker had news.

* * *

"We have a break-through," Lee reported. "The Caterpillars are trying to tell us something in the form of a matrix message."

"Well, I'd started to wonder if they would stay silent until one day they'd suddenly start to speak English perfectly, because they wouldn't accept anything less," Gordon said.

"We sent two messages of our own," Lee reminded him. "They never acknowledged the first one, but they seem to have understood it well enough to go down to the Plate Builders' world with us. I really doubt they would have done so without the message. This message from them is definitely a reply though, because it incorporates things from our second message."

"Do you understand it?" Thor asked. Showing an unusual level of interest.

"Talker has some ideas... " Lee allowed. "Let him tell you."

"Do you not agree with him then?" Thor pressed before they could explain.

"I think he might have the right of it. I can't see any other meaning myself," Lee admitted.

"Show us," Gordon invited Talker, meaning the bridge.

"It is thirty-two squares to an edge. They seem to have picked up on our convention of starting from the top left and going clockwise. The start square shows the Little Fleet departing Derfhome. Then it's all blank squares across the top to the right corner.

"The top right square has the Badgers' world, Far Away, and the expanded fleet and the Caterpillars. Then it's blank squares again, all the way down."

"I thought it would be turtles, all the way down," Thor muttered. But he waved it away when Talker looked at him askance, rather than explain.

"At the bottom right corner is our image of Derfhome with the Caterpillar still with us. Then the oddest thing. They put the image of Earth in the last corner. No ships in it either. What do you think of it?" Talker asked.

"I thought you were going to tell us," Gordon said.

"Lee knows my thoughts on it. So I can't change it based on what you say. I'd like to hear your opinions before I prejudice you," Talker requested.

"Are we going to have to do a secret ballot thing?" Thor asked. He didn't sound happy about it.

"Nah, just speak up," Gordon said. "None of us are afraid of contradicting each other." For some reason he seemed to be looking straight at Thor when he said that.

"Then it's a question," Thor said confidently.

"A precise numerical question," Ho-bib-bob-brie said, it being unusual for him to speak up.

"And I'm looking up the answer," Brownie said, working the manual keyboard. Now that was confidence.

"You're good," Lee told them.

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