The messenger (4) Board Meeting (ABCD)

The four of them: Andy, Beatrice, Charlotte and Dave are sitting around the table in the mess-room. Each of them had a drink in front of them. Andy and Beatrice are reading reports on their slates. Charlotte and Dave are sitting back exchanging glances from time to time. Eventually, Andy and Beatrice both look up and put their slates down. Beatrice takes a sip from her cup.

D: Dave coughs and looks around the table. “First of all, I’d better apologise for getting you out of bed. And thank-you Charlotte for staying back. It’s a nuisance.” He pauses. “The whole situation is a nuisance. We’ve probably all been wishing for a bit of variety, but probably not like this. You can see the picture which has been building up over the last day-and-a-bit. Probably from Andy onwards you know more about the situation than I do. It happens that the decision point seems to have fallen on my watch.”

A: (With a yawn) “We understand. Really we do. “When I first noticed the anomalies I didn’t pay much attention to them. They were just a bit or variety. But now they seem to have crossed the line of us needing to take some action.”

B: “Yes. We understand. The sensor problem is just on the margin of being acceptable, but it looks like it has continued to grow.” She indicated her slate without picking it up. “It’s at the point where, even if it was an isolated problem, the Officer of the watch should notify Head Office.”

C: “So you think I did the right thing?”

B: “Definitely. Even as an isolated situation it justifies a report and, just possibly, extending our scheduled stop at Ceres.”

D: “Do you think that’s justified?”

B: “At present, probably not. But certainly worth noting HO and when combined with the incoming visitor, definitely worth the notification. On its own the sensor problem, meetings the criteria for logging as a low level risk. It would be different if we knew what was causing it, but we don’t and it’s getting worse, so we notify HO, even if only to cover ourselves. Personally, I think the risk is tiny, but that’s not the point. The rules say we notify, so we notify.”

A: “And what about the visitor?”

C: “That’s different. From the investigations that Beatrice and I have done, it looks like it could be pure opportunity. If we put in a course alteration at the point I’ve indicated, then we can rendezvous and stake a claim. Nice big lump of nickel-iron will do the bank balance no harm at all.”

A: “And what about the other features of our visitor?”

C: “You mean long-thin and rotating?”

A: “Yeah. It’s long, thin and possibly rotating. Those combined with your density estimate mean that we have to notify HO. But what do you think?”

C: (with a smile) “I think you and Head Office have got little green men on the brain. People have been mining out here for the past 50 years. A few people have struck it lucky with visitors but very few, and nobody has found anything even remotely like an alien, green or any other colour for that matter. If we’re lucky we’ve got a lump of iron with holes in it. That’s worth the effort. If we’re unlucky, then it’s a big lump of ice with a funny shape and we’re wasting our time. I think it’s worth a look but that’s all. Head Office wouldn’t expect us to do anything different. They like money too, and they’re not taking any risks.”

D: “So, what do people think? Shall we divert and go and have a look at it? For what it’s worth, I don’t feel particularly lucky at the moment but if the rest of you fancy the trip then I’ll go along with you. It will mess up our pub night and the call at Ceres though, to say nothing of having double up.”

Dave looks around the table. Charlotte and Beatrice nod vigorously and Andy gives a thumbs-up.

D: “OK. That’s a decision then.” He picks up his slate and makes some notes on the screen. “I’ll log the decision and notify HO that we’re diverting to have a look at our visitor.”

B: “I’ll put the wine for the pub night on hold. It could probably do with a bit more maturing anyway.”

D: “I’ll go and program in the course change.”

B: “I’ll set the sensor arrays to give our visitor even more attention. Let’s hope the white noise blips don’t get in the way too much.”

Everyone leaves the mess-room.