Impact

'Take it. We need all the bright people we can get. We've got a big job ahead of us.'

She took it. 'Thank you.'

He smiled and held up something else: a key on a chain. He gave it a shake.

'What's that?'

'The keys to the Marea III.'

Speechless, she took them.

'It only seemed right,' he said, 'after what happened. Compliments of the president. It's a new one this time, a thirty-eight-foot Stanley, moored in Boothbay Harbor. You'll have to go down there and drive it back up. Surprise your father.'

'Thank . . . thank you.' Abbey felt her throat closing up.

'You already sank two of your father's boats--you think you can keep this one afloat?'

She nodded.

He fell silent, looking out to sea. Then he spoke again. 'The world's a changed place. Sure, we're seeing riots, suicide bombings, crazy religious revivals. The Muslim world is on fire. But it looks like the rest of the world's turning the corner. China and India are both on board, bringing together their best and brightest with ours, the Russians, and the Europeans. The Japanese, Israelis, and Koreans have been amazing. It looks like a period of openness and cooperation--at least in most of the world--is at hand. You could be part of it . . . you will be part of it.'

Abbey nodded.

'And now I've a little piece of classified information to give you. Extremely classified. Want to hear it?'

Abbey glanced at Ford. He was still looking out to sea--or rather, to the stars.

'What's the catch?'

'The catch is it's hard to keep secrets and this one must be kept. You'll understand why when you hear it.'

'You know I can keep a secret.'

'Last week, one of the satellites in place around Deimos by chance intercepted a powerful burst of radio noise from the artifact. Evidently a communication of sorts.'

'Did you decipher it?'

'No. And we never will--it appears highly encrypted. The important thing wasn't what was in the message, but where it was headed.'

'Where?'

'It was aimed at a stellar remnant in the constellation Corona Australis--the Southern Crown--known as RXJ. Astronomers have known about RXJ for decades. Very mysterious. It's an intense gamma ray source surrounded by a vast cloud of expanding dust--all that remains of a gigantic supernova that occurred about twelve million years ago.'

'What's mysterious about it?'

'RXJ has been the leading candidate of what astronomers call a 'quark star' or 'strange star.' '

'Strange star?'

'That's right. A ball of strange matter, the core remnant of the supernova. The supernova vaporized whatever solar system might have been present around the original RXJ sun. It also sterilized the entire stellar neighborhood with an intense flux of gamma rays. It could have happened naturally. But then, it might have been . . . unnatural.'

Abbey's mind reeled at the implications. 'Are you saying that there couldn't possibly be any life where the message was sent?'

'Exactly. Not within ten light-years, at least. The artifact sent a message to one of the most dead and irradiated corners in the galaxy.'

'But . . . why? What does it mean?'

Even in the dimness, Abbey could see a gleam in Ford's eyes as he gazed intently into her own. He said nothing and merely waited for her to understand. And suddenly, Abbey did understand--completely.

'So the alien artifact sent a message back to its home world,' she said slowly. 'But it ain't never gonna get a reply.'

Ford nodded. 'Whoever they were, they're long beyond replying.'