11th May
‘Excuse me, Mrs. Hargreaves.’ A uniformed soldier approached Helen as she and Joan walked from the dining hall.
‘Yes,’ said Helen.
‘Captain Peterson asks that you join him on the starcruiser.’
Captain Peterson was the chief scientific officer at the base.
Joan had given instructions that there should be no attempt to dismantle the starcruiser. In part, she suspected that an operational vehicle with those capabilities could be useful to them in due course. Also, however, if circumstances became such that it had to be returned to the Americans, the fact that no obvious analysis of the technology had taken place would support a cover story that it had only just been found by the British.
Captain Peterson had been charged with discovering as much as possible about the craft by non-invasive means.
‘What does Captain Peterson have in mind?’ asked Helen.
‘Well, Ma’am,’ said the soldier, ‘it appears that Amy wants to talk to you.’
~*~*~*~*~
Joan and Helen climbed the stairs into the starcruiser.
‘Nice carpet and curtains,’ said Joan. ‘Isn’t that an Areca Palm?’
‘Ah, Mrs. Hargreaves, Mrs. Stanford.’ Captain Peterson greeted Helen and Joan.
‘Good afternoon, Commander,’ said Amy to Helen.
‘Hello, Amy,’ Helen replied.
‘Amy’s been very helpful in providing technical information,’ said Captain Peterson, ‘but she will only accept instructions or provide more classified information to you as senior pilot.’
‘I’d like to designate Captain Peterson as senior pilot, Amy,’ said Helen.
‘That’s won’t be possible, Commander,’ Amy replied. ‘For security reasons, that reset can only take place when the starcruiser is physically located at Groom eHH
Lake. The maximum of two pilots have already been designated for this craft during the calibration flights.’
Helen looked puzzled. ‘What’s Groom Lake?’
‘It’s the lake near the base in Area 51,’ Joan explained.
‘I have new operational information for you, Commander,’ Amy interrupted.
‘Please tell me,’ Helen replied.
‘There is another starcruiser over the UK, and it is trying to communicate with this craft.’
‘I didn’t know there was another one,’ Helen replied.
‘There are two operational starcruisers,’ said Amy.
‘If you respond to it,’ said Joan to Amy, ‘then presumably it will give away this location.’
‘Not unless I am instructed to reveal this location,’ Amy replied. ‘The communications from starcruisers cannot be tied to a location – for operational security reasons.’
‘If we respond,’ said Captain Peterson, ‘then the Americans will know this craft is being hidden somewhere.’
‘What can you tell us about the other starcruiser’s mission without replying to it?’ asked Joan.
‘I am aware of its objectives,’ Amy replied. ‘It has completed its first objective – to recover a CMW. It is now pursuing its second objective – to locate this craft.’
‘What’s a CMW?’ asked Captain Peterson.
‘I don’t know,’ Amy replied.
‘Please ask Amy not to communicate with the other starcruiser,’ said Joan.
‘Do not respond to the other starcruiser,’ said Helen.
‘Yes, Commander. Have you any other instructions?’
‘No, Amy, thank you,’ said Helen as she and Joan walked back towards the open hatch. Helen then turned and looked at the blank wall on which the Mona Lisa had hung. ‘Try Miro’s Metamorphosis on that far wall,’ she said.
A holographic image of the painting appeared.
‘That’s much better,’ Helen concluded.