- What do we really know? The probe recorded for some fifty hours, not directing
the lenses and antennas too often. The antennas caught nothing, except the
echoes of our blundering broadcasts.
- I know, universe is full of our trash.
- I meant ordinary radio waves.
- That's not trash?
- Once you will understand why I wouldn't send anyone to be someone's guest
unless he's an ecologist in soul. Remember that if you ever ask yourself
"why did they pick me".
- What was left was, then, ordinary observation, where the lenses, yes, ordinary
lenses which consume no energy whatsoever, glass and mirrors and nothing
more, there, they have focused and retargeted each fifteen damars and that
without any engine, just by conducting solar heat into the oil pistons so
they would expand as needed; between two retargetings the planet was visible,
on the average, third of the time. Visible for a longer time from greater
distance, but with fewer details.
- I suggest we abandon this long list of technical pretexts for a lousy shot.
How much can one really see?
- About ten minutes of good arshinage. You will view it tomorrow as many
times [as] you like. You can view the weaker shots as well, if you don't
feel unlike. It can be both filtered and unfiltered, any way you please.
We will record all your remarks ten track, so you can freely speak up anything
that falls on your minds, regardless of someone already speaking at the moment,
or of you thinking someone else is already saying the same thing. Any idea,
or at least its deduction or twist - anything is welcome. We will always
order it all before the next day, to work through and view few more times,
first separate screenings for you and us, then one together, and then the
same the next day - until you seem to have had enough. Then we all go for
a vacation, wherever you all agree, and then all over again. When we exhaust
all that can be extracted out of this recording, and any other source you
demand as well, we leave you to think up what you are going to carry along.
- When was this combination of Borshack's blot and brainstorm invented?
- Specially for this occasion, but I wouldnt claim this was the first.
- It's so good it was invented many times over? And what's your pricing on
the length of this?
- You didn't leave your cat hungry, we checked. Thus, no hurry.
- I'm not in a hurry myself, this may take a lifetime anyway. What is our
deadline to get ready? Just don't try the military idiocy with abrupt unannounced
leaving in the middle of the night. Any drama is out of question.
- No, no way, that was not in any neck of the mind of ours. The deadline
is... undefined. When you feel like going, leave. You are neither military
nor state mission, nor you face any critical orbit window with the least
consumption trajectory. I assure you the League wasn't cheap with the equipment
for your ship, except that there is no weapon on it. You are a mission of
good will. You go to be guests.
- Then, let's think of presents for the hosts.
- It's worth good thinking on that one - if they have kept any trace of earthly
cultures, they fear the Rataos even when they bear gifts.
- I think we will bring our selves. No more nor less.