Man Of Earth
13
Captain Dan Ward moved from the pilot’s seat and jumped to a console on the Earth Ship Genetar, as a scrambled code flashed over the screen, “Professor! Do you see this?”
“Yes, Dan.” said the Professor, his eyes flitting from one piece of activity to another on his own screen, “It looks like a coded message.”
“I have a sequence of numbers flashing on my console also!” explained Susan Weathers, “And they look familiar!”
“Familiar how?” asked Dan, looking briefly from his console to Susan.
“It has an Earth protocol attached to it.”
Dan rushed over to Susan’s screen, “You’re right! Professor?!”
“I’m on it Dan.” said the Professor, a sudden flurry of activity, his fingers dancing over the keys.
“What do you think it is?” asked Susan.
Dan looked again at the screen with furrowed brow, “I’m not sure, Susan. I think its best if we leave the Professor to it.” he said, taking Susan by the arm and leading her aft. All of a sudden, Dan’s personal communicator sounded and he picked it up.
Ambassador Low was on the other end, “The consoles up here are going haywire! Come quick!”
The Professor called from the Bridge, “Monitor activity, if you would? I’ll be here if you need me!” to which Dan nodded, leading Susan down the metal steps of the Ship-turned-statue in the basement of Headquarters, walking over to and taking the lift to the top floor.
#
## It was some time later when Dan and Susan had time to discuss what happened in the basement, following a simple trip of nostalgia for the Earthlings that day - how while they sat jokingly at their old positions their consoles suddenly began flaring with activity none of them ever expected to see from the Old Girl again, and how the message, had come to confound them so far ##
“I’m surprised the Professor isn’t up here, working on it? I mean, we have far superior technology here than your Ship has, no offence.” expressed Rex Canon, Democratic Prime of Sunray City, sipping a well earned drink after the recent and sudden hectic action.
“He’s right. The systems we have here are far more advanced.” said Ambassador Able, pouring himself a drink.
“The Professor said something about it being an Earth Code, and so your computers wouldn’t recognise it. It’s all far beyond my understanding, I can tell you.” said Dan Ward.
“But,” continued Rex Canon, “What if it’s a warning? A countdown, or something dangerous?”
Dan nodded in agreement, “I know, but the Professor assured me that it is isolated only to his console on the Ship, and that he is working hard on decoding it even now.”
“Let’s hope so.” added Ambassador Low, from his position near the window.
#
Later that evening, Dan Ward returned to the Genetar, to check on the Professor’s progress, and to bring him some food.
“I’m close, Dan,” said the Professor, tucking into the sandwich Dan had brought him, “But unfortunately I cannot yet determine if it is a danger or not. Best to double the Guards, just in case.”
“Will do.” agreed Dan, watching his friend hard at work. The man was a marvel of science, he truly was.
It wasn’t until late into the night did the Professor call Dan’s communicator, informing him that he was one step away from solving it, so Dan woke Susan and the others to be there when it happened.
By the time the Ambassadors and Rex Canon arrived, Dan was hugging a crying Susan closely, himself a little emotional.
Ambassador Able was the first to react, “Dan? Susan? Is everything alright?”
Susan continued to sob, but the Professor spoke up, “It’s - look, you might want to hear this.” he said, turning the dial on his console.
From inbuilt speakers by the Professor’s head came a clear message, old and crackling. First came the music, a click or two, then, "Greetings from Earth! this is the Boley-Fielding Transmitter, broadcasting from aboard the Adventurer Satellite, sent to the farthest reaches of space -"
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