Chapter 9: Contact

When the first action came, it was very mundane. A door opened inwards about a quarter of the way round to the left from the facet which faced the terminal building. The screens above the desk immediately switched to the camera facing that, and Bronwen groaned inwardly to hear the Brigadier warn his men that it might be a trap, and to remain alert for other activities on other facets. As far as they could tell the door was down to ground level, and sure enough a small wheeled vehicle came out of the door.

“Hold your fire until ordered,” snapped the Brigadier into his microphone.

“I wouldn’t order them to fire if I were you,” said Huw, “I know your rules of engagement say you are only to fire in self-defence, and I would define that as ‘if they fire first’. Simply bringing that little thing out into the open and driving it round, or even straight towards us, is not a threat.”

The little speaker chimed up, “I concur with that Brigadier.”

The Brigadier was crestfallen, obviously recognising the voice.

“Yes, Sir,” he said, and Bronwen could positively hear the capital S in the reply. That was clearly a firm order from well above the Brigadier in the chain of command and she hoped that it would keep him firmly in check. Huw obviously disliked and distrusted the man, and she did not blame him.

A small vehicle, just four wheels on a box appeared and paused before starting a journey round the space craft some six feet or so away from it. It was moving at no more than walking pace for a human and it paused occasionally apparently to check something.

Then as it started to do a second circuit the Brigadier said to his men, “Alert men, be ready for anything. They may be trying to lull us into a false sense of security.”

Immediately the military voice on the speaker interjected, “I would not act without Angel Two’s prior permission, Brigadier. I certainly am under his command, as are you.”

“He is senior to you, sir?” the incredulity in the Brigadier’s voice was palpable.

“He is responsible to Angel One who reports directly to Her Majesty,” came the response. When he does, Bronwen thought.

The Brigadier came to attention and saluted towards Huw, but there was no reaction whatever from Huw who was watching the movements of the little reconnaissance vehicle closely. “What is the opinion of the great and the good?” he asked as it completed its second circuit and disappeared back into the ship.

“As far as we could tell it was surveying the outside of the craft. It was using radar and UV and we assume visible light also. Our best guess is that it was simply inspecting for damage just as we would after a landing,” said the little loudspeaker.

“I agree,” said Huw, adding, “Angel Three?”

“Yes, it looked like a terrier sniffing round a strange box that had landed in its back yard,” said Bronwen.

Then there was almost another hour of waiting, filled only by Iestyn Williams’s endless supply of golden prose.