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Andrew reporting.
We have a number of suggestions for dealing with the C-probe. Our Earth friends the
Marsupials have some very interesting and workable ideas.
We could trap it in a hole that was thinly covered to look like ordinary ground.
It would crash through and fall down in the hole.
Hamlet said we could lure it by radio relay into a narrow tunnel or canyon where
it couldn't turn around. Then we could make a landslide to trap it, or use the miners
to crash the ceiling down on it or dig a pit underneath it.
I thought we could immobilize it with a rock in its treads. Enoch suggested luring it
out on a high ledge that the miner robots have prepared with explosive charges.
And Zachary is working on some gadget that xiever-dpuk told him about.
We need to figure out which one will be the best. Easiest, most certain, safest.
Just in case we only get one try.
"Zachary, the C-probe is nearly out of sight. I think I can turn my beacon on now. -
I did, Zachary. - Guess what. It turned around. It's coming in at 297 degrees.
I'll tell you, when you've to lead it away again."
It's fun. You can guide it like a drone. Not a very high AI, that thingy. Isaac
is still fine. He's now doing his stereo mapping a little further inside the cave.
"Andrew, this is Bette from C-probe control. Sounds good, doesn't it? That's a good
sample of ideas that we gathered already, didn't we? Anyway, I still favor digging
a hole. No, Andrew. I won't go back to the Fortress. It's better that I keep myself
handy, so that we have the C-probe in a vise."
I think the hole is still the best way to get it. We only have to cover the hole with
something thin on top and put dust on that and then one of us gets into position and
turns the emergency beacon on, and then the C-probe will move over the hole and POW!
Captured.
"Zachary, turn your beacon on, it's pretty close now."
Come on, thingy, turn around.
"TURN AROUND !!"
"ZACHARY !! It's holding steady direction !!"
"IT'S STILL COMING !! IT'S COMING !! ZACHARY !!"
"Everything roger, Zachary. It stopped."
"NO !! WHAT'S THAT !! NO !! NO !!"
"ISAAC !! HIDE !! HURRY !!"
"ZACHARY !! It's launching a rocket."
"ZACHARY !! THE MISSILE IS COMING DIRECTLY TOWARD ME !!"
"ZACHARY !!"
.......
.
"Theresa, if I let you out of the tunnel, will you let the drones take off those projectile
tubes? Why? Well, you don't need them when you're here in the Fortress with us.
You don't see any of us with projectile tubes, do you? Of course not."
After a long, hard debate she agreed to give up the tubes. But in return, I have to tell her
all about our Earth friends and take her to meet an Ipsolstai.
"Andrew, maybe you shouldn't have told her the routine about her control codes. At least,
not so soon. "
"Bette! What's happening? "
Bette! Answer me!"
BETTE!
Daniel and I have entered the cave. I have never been in the caves before. I didn't like
being closed in, and they were dark and scary. I still wouldn't enter, except for Daniel's
sake. If that's what it takes to get him a radio, that's what I'm going to do.
So that's what Bette and Enoch were talking about. It's a panel of metal/not metal over
there against the wall. The colors are pretty, aren't they? Now we need to get to the
lower level. That must be the hatch where they climbed down.
What's that? Bette? Bette! Oh, no! The meaningless destruction has to stop. Bette! It has to stop! Stop!
Stop it! Stop it stop it stop it stop stop stop stop stop it stop stop. . .
"Okay, Andrew. I'm going to build that beam emitter xciever-dpuk has been
talking about. Let's see what it will be good for."
What did xciever-dpuk say? First, I need a large glass tube. Sorry, no glass tube
around. Maybe that will help. Xciever-dpuk, it's a very bright aluminum alloy pipe
about three inches in diameter. I'll cut off about one meter and polish it inside with
a cotton kerchief. Is that okay?
Second, place a powerful light emitting source in the tube with the crystals. A
100 W bulb is not enough power, is it? It should be real strong. How about putting
two naked contacts in the tube, so they build an incandescent bow? Don't
worry, I will be careful that the tube is off contact.
Then wrap tube in solar reflective material. Okay, that's for glass tubes only.
Forth, make a small pinprick hole. I'll close the tube by welding a heavy metal
foil on both ends and put a hole in one. Is that okay?
Fifth, place the tube in a surface pointing away from you at a rock. Sixth, move
away. Seventh, connect a power source. Eighth, tell me what you see.
Xciever-dpuk, a beam is coming out of the tube and a yellow spot appears at the
wall. Diameter is about one meter. Looks nice. I threw a rock through the beam.
Makes a nice shadow too. Hey, what's that? The tin foil is melting and all the
crystals are dropping out. Hold on, I'm shutting that thing off.
"Hi Bette. Yes, I'm putting on my emergency beacon."
"WHAT? Can't be, Betty !! I have my beacon on full power."
"BETTE !! CALM DOWN !! IT'S USING YOUR EMISSIONS !!"
"BETTE !! BETTE !! ... "
Oh, my goodness!
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