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eBook Category: Science Fiction Nebula Award(R) Preliminary Ballot Nominee
eBook Description: There are two basic, sharply differing approaches to the problem of Contact. But the extremes aren't the only possibilities...

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Analog, 2001
Fictionwise Release Date: January 2003

670 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [250 KB], eReader (PDB) [84 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [75 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [68 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [101 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [135 KB], hiebook (KML) [194 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [106 KB], iSilo (PDB) [62 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [78 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [105 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [104 KB]
Words: 21649
Reading time: 61-86 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

"I've got a launch plume."

Frieda Orr sat in an arc of eight manned stations in the circular monitoring room. The two people on either side of Orr briefly glanced at her, then looked back at their own screens. They were scrutinizing the typically turbulent weather on the planet beneath them.

Julio Escalera, the watch supervisor, remained seated in his position in the middle of the room, behind all eight stations, and continued reading his message pad. "Record it," he said to Orr.

Orr turned to look at Escalera and shook her head; no one else was looking in her direction. "You don't understand, sir," she said. "This launch looks a little different."

Escalera sighed, gently placed his pad on the small table next to him, and walked over to where Orr sat. He was pulling on his mustache, a sure sign of his impatience. Orr turned back around during his approach and kept her eyes on her monitor. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the two observers next to her exchange a worried glance. She wished they would stop looking up.

Escalera leaned over Orr, a little too closely. "What do you mean, a little different?"

"It's not an ordinary launch plume," Orr said. She continued staring intently at the monitor screen, trying not to look up at him.

He sighed. "This isn't the first time you've thought the Alulans had managed a jump in their launch capability, Orr. Are you sure you want to go on record?" He pointed firmly towards the monitoring camera in the center of the ceiling.

Orr felt her cheeks flush, but refused to let Escalera get the better of her. "I'm telling you, sir, this one is different The plume brightness, the trajectory angle--"

"Do you have feelings, or figures?"

She colored deeper. "Bringing up telemetry, sir."

Escalera sighed loudly, pulled a rolling chair over, and sat down. Muttering about wanting to get back to his reading, he wheeled his way between Orr and the observer on her left, who gave Orr an angry glare.

Orr looked at the clocks: the 24-hour one for the observation base, and the local clock tied to Ustehhat, the most populous city on Alula. Coincidentally, it was very early morning in both places ... and that was strange. The launch site was near the same longitude as the standard-time city, and all previous launches had come near midday.

Just as Orr was about to point this out, Escalera whistled. "Ay, caramba. It's still boosting." His voice held traces of confusion and wonder. Orr read the telemetry, and confirmed that this rocket had been boosting for much longer than any of the previous ones.

"Let me check something," she said. She pushed a few buttons, and the image of Alula changed to a close-up of the rocket. It appeared much larger than any other rocket the Alulans had launched.

She felt vindicated.

"Orr, call up a computer projection." Escalera had no doubts in his voice now.

"Already doing it, sir." The image of the planet once again appeared on the screen, showing a long white launch plume. Accompanying it was a blue line, tracing the projected path of the rocket.

She tapped at the screen. "This isn't just another up-and-down launch. Look at that--orbital insertion trajectory. Their rocket program just became a space program." And, Orr thought proudly, it was her discovery.

Escalera studied the projection. "They're not supposed to be ready to launch satellites into orbit yet. According to Sentient Sciences, this should be years away."

By now, the white rocket plume had overtaken the blue projection line, and the computer worked to continue the projection. It clearly displayed an orbit.

"What do we do now?" Orr asked.

Escalera stared at her for a few seconds in silence. "What do you think we do, Frieda? We wake the Director."