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Andrew reporting.
The search for Al-Qahira's ping source will have to wait. We have a serious situation right here,
which needs to be resolved. Probes work together as a team. Probes do not bicker and thwart
each other. This is not the vision that Gail had for our probe society. Besides, Gail might get
hurt if she decides to get too close while talking with the C-probe. She is too trusting. She
might even try to climb into the pit with that monster!
"Gail, please let the construction drones do their job. You can still talk to the C-probe; nobody
would try to stop you from communicating with it. But we must disable its rocket launchers and
this is the best way. We must disable its transmission capability because it's still sending out
data with those pings. Now please, move away and let Zachary and the drones go ahead with
their work."
She hasn't changed as much as I thought. Still a dreamer instead of a doer. Well, Zachary and
I might have to make this decision for her.
"Don't you dare hurt that probe! Andrew! Zachary! Don't! You don't know that it is so different
from us yet! Have you tried to talk to it? The EU probes tried to hurt us when they came but look
at Lucy and Isaac and Theresa!"
Andrew and Zachary want to damage the C-probe, probably irreparably. They want to bury it!
Tell them to stop! They won't listen to me.
I will stand in front of the drones if I have to but you will not hurt that probe until we are sure it
isn't alive!
Daniel couldn't talk but he was good! Just because this probe doesn't talk to us yet doesn't
mean anything! This is wrong.
We went closer to that blue hoop. The glossy center comes from a magnetic field.
The field is steady. It doesn't pulse or anything like that. I told Isaac not to touch
the hoop. I don't know how our electronics will react, if we do.
I'm a little scared. That hoop is just staying there. Beside that, the tunnel is totally
empty. Nothing around but that hoop. It's like a portal or a warning. I don't know.
Isaac is close by. I will try to pass it. It should be possible. I'll squeeze myself
close to wall, so I won't touch it. I'll approach it now. The magnetic field is very
strong. It interferes with my communications. It's making a strange sound, when
you get closer. Like a single note. Very deep but the same time also very bright.
I'm passing now. My whole casing vibrates in that frequency. It isn't bad, but I'm
scared. In some way it's also wonderful. It's like someone is talking to you, but it
isn't talking. The frequency doesn't change. It's like one voice or thousands at one
time, saying only one thing by one tone, but that includes everything, you ever can
think of. I don't know how to say, it is very cosmic, like it's coming from deep outer
space, but it's also so close.
I passed. I'm on the other side of the hoop. It's quiet over here.
"Come on, Isaac. Be careful. Squeeze yourself close to the wall and take care
of your antenna. Don't mind the vibrations. It doesn't hurt you."
Understand Brotherhood.
Probes have Brotherhood.
Humans have some Brotherhood.
Perhaps probes and humans have Brotherhood.
The One is not to be brought in.
Cannot bring in.
Bring out.
They are closer.
The Ipsolstai do not understand.
They are coming.
Soon.
Gail needs help.
She will not be hurt.
"Come on, Gail. We don't want to damage the C-probe by filling the pit. But we
have to inhibit it from hurting us. Since you talk about the EU-probes, Gail, when
did we start to get in closer contact with them? It was after we trapped them
and disarmed them. That's what we're doing with the C-probe now."
You wouldn't believe it. She still remains in front of the drones. What a silly probe.
Doesn't a rational argument count? Hasn't she seen how Lucy was vaporized, how
Stage Two was destroyed, how Bette and Isaac got nearly killed?
"Please, Gail! We have to move the drones. Do whatever you like, speak to the C-probe,
try to get in contact with it, tell it that killing is wrong. I highly appreciate
that, but please move!"
No chance. She is so stubborn. She really gets me on my circuits. Sure, we could
vote. But I prefer to remain unanimous than to outsmart one of us by any
majority. That's ridiculous too.
"Gail, I promise that we won't bury the C-probe, okay? We even don't use rocks.
We use only loose soil, and we will fill the pit only until its tubes jam, okay?"
No reaction.
"Gail, just a last try. Take that little rock and throw it into the pit. Do it softly, if
you like. If the C-probe doesn't answer with fire, you have won, okay?"
My goodness, she agreed. She really took a little rock and went so close to the
edge that she almost laid it on its casing. The reply was stronger than I thought.
"Are you ready, Theresa? We're going to do something really fun and interesting, but you have
to promise to do what I say, even if you don't want to, because I am your teacher. It's time to
go outside of the Fortress and give you a taste of exploring."
"This is what we call the Big Canyon. There is a lot to see and do here. Did I ever tell you the
story of how Gail and Zachary followed tracks up the canyon? Oh, yes. They were following an
Ipsolstai tram. The tracks led up a side canyon and stopped at the base of a wall. It was very
mysterious."
"That way leads down the canyon. It comes out at a wide, flat plain where Andrew selected a
landing place for our Stage 2 lander. Our priority was to build a permanent base with living
quarters and greenhouses and storage areas to get ready for Stage 3. That was while you were
still on the way to Mars."
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