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Australia, you know at least the higher-frequency modes, the upper hybrid ones, the descending
helicons that go" he whistled a scale "and they all fit . Lotsa data there. Plenty of cross-correlations.
One big conclusion. In these Beings' speech both the stuff they send us in English, or the sub-stuff, the
cross-talk they're having with each other in that speech, there is the same spectrum of harmonic
emphasis."
Piotr took another sip of champagne. Nobody said anything. Piotr's eyes squinted as though he were
looking upwind into a gale. "Is meaning?"
Franklin did not take this clue. "That the Beings communicate by a coding system that is like ours."
In Piotr the light dawned. "So . . . on that you no, Earthside can build a way to decode?"
"Yeah, right." Vigorous headshake.
"Amazing."
Vigorous headshake. "Yeah, right."
Tricia let out her breath. It was going to be hard to break in on all this, but she had to get some things
straight. "Ellen? Can we take it into another cabin?"
"We call them rooms," Ellen said slowly. "Seems better, more homey. Uh, of course, let's " Rising,
leading the way out through a circular hatch rimmed by pale emerald emergency phosphors.
Tricia followed briskly. They came into a compact compartment she assumed was Ellen's captain's
office, though no adornment of the inward-sloping faux-mahogany walls testified to this. They sat in
contour chairs made of something pale effervescent blue and so thin that when she lifted it in the 0.38 g
field Tricia flung it toward the ceiling and, startled, let the slow-revolving chair spin with classical
slowness into the corner. "Uh oops."
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 She used this to break the ice between them. The act was not planned but who knew what the
unconscious would or could do? She had learned to go with the flow of events and surf on it when she
could. It was the only wisdom she could pretend to herself that she had actually discovered, instead of
just reading about, but maybe it was enough. Anyway "Let's talk as captains, eh?" Retrieving the chair
with one quick swoop of her left arm, she sat.
"I'm actually not captain," Ellen said.
"What? Earthside "
"I'm in charge of scientific matters. Piotr's captain, but he and I are married, so we have split the duties."
"That's completely contrary to "
"Chain of command, I know. We cut a deal with Earthside. However they want to call it, fine."
Tricia kept her face impassive as a firm wall against the anger rising in her. "Because you're famous, you
think you can abuse "
"Use, not abuse." Ellen leaned on the slim black poly table between them. "Look, we're fifty million
klicks from Earthside's regulations "
"And you and Piotr," Tricia spat back, "the oldest crew in the astronaut corps, you're going to be in
charge?"
"Not at all," Ellen said mildly, eyes fixed on Tricia as if to transfix her. "We have two ships so we have
two captains. But we're on a scientific expedition and that means we have to agree on methods, results,
risks. Piotr and I have more experience than you "
"On Mars, which is an oven compared with Pluto. Why, I had a boot freeze right into the regolith on my
first day out! Took steam piped from the ship to get me free. I've had a lot more experience "
"Than we have at superlow temperatures, yes." Ellen's eyes narrowed, her mouth twisted wryly. "But the
big problem out here, the reason for the gigabucks spent to put us here at top speed, is the bow shock."
" Ifit's a threat." Tricia's words rapped out. "Earthside weather hasn't shown any changes even though
the shock wall has gone from 100 AU to 42 AU, in thirty years "
"I know the data, for goodness sake! But a hell of a lot of numerical simulations show big effects in the
offing. The molecular hydrogen that's leaking into the inner solar system, it'll build up and start reacting
with the free oxygen in our upper atmosphere."
"And make water, big deal. Nobody knows "
"Plenty of energy yield there, that's the point. Heat up the upper mesosphere, and that drives big changes
below. Screws up the stratosphere temperature profile, and pretty quick that heat moves down toward
the business end, where our weather gets made."
Tricia sniffed, nose turned up. "I see where you're going with this. We should be looking mostly at the
shock edge, find out what's driving it. But Pluto is key here. That's what my, our discoveries show.
Something's running all this and it isn't stupid."
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 "Nobody said the problem wasn't interconnected "
"This isn't about dumb weather!"
"Okay, smart weather, then. Look " Ellen sat back, as if she realized she was boring in on Tricia. "We
can't start out like this, with a fight. We cooperate out here or we die."
Tricia nodded, thinking furiously for a way around this woman. Go crying to Earthside? Not her style.
Try to marginalize her in future? Hard to do, on another ship. Okay, put that aside for now, but keep
looking for an advantage. "Okay." She even made herself smile slightly. Bad beginning . Try to lighten
this up . "One thing as captain out here; you learn that there are very few problems that can't be helped
by orders ending with 'or die.'" "
Ellen studied her. "You've been on duty too long. You're worn down "
"Now don't give me that. I and my crew are as fit for service as anybody."
"I'm sure," Ellen said stiffly, getting up. "Look, you and I haven't exactly hit it off "
"I'll say!"
" but let's keep it to ourselves."
"Right. Professional." She cocked a wry smile. "I guess this day was a total waste of makeup."
This made Ellen smile, too, seemingly almost against her will. "It wasn't wasted on my crew, believe me.
The guys have had only two women to look at for a year."
"Same on Proserpina , only it's been years."
"Not easy, working in tight quarters. The hormones get going."
"Sure do, and not just among the men."
"Ha! I'll say. But I have Piotr."
"Yes, a husband. I neglected that point before shipping out."
Ellen looked tentative, half-turned, then looked back. "A piece of advice . . ."
"In dealing with the men?"
"Yes, and not just for the men." A thin smile. "Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you
have to eat them."
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