Winter World (The Long Winter #1)(38)

“Data gathering,” Harry answers quickly.

Charlotte knits her eyebrows together. “What are we talking about here? Just observation or actual contact with the artifact?”

“Both,” I reply.

Charlotte shakes her head. “I’m against. We need close control when we make first contact. We need to be able to react and adapt our approach. This is too important to trust to a software algorithm or AI.”

I anticipated this reaction from her. I make my voice calm. “Technically, we’ve already made first contact. The initial probe sent data back in proximity to the artifact, and it was destroyed.”

“That supports my argument,” Charlotte says. “Mindless probes are at a severe disadvantage in these kinds of uncertain situations. The stakes are too large and the risk is too great.”

“We,” I motion to Harry and myself, “view that danger as the primary reason to send an advance probe fleet. You’re right, they won’t have a wide range of adaptations, but each probe will have a purpose, and they can learn a lot—without exposing the Pax or risking this crew.”

Charlotte leans in. “We’re here to risk our lives—”

“Wisely,” I counter. “This isn’t about guts, it’s about mission success. If we die before we learn anything, that’s mission failure.”

Min seems to sense things spiraling. He holds up a hand. “It’s obvious there are issues here. It would be a challenge for me to plan flight courses for the drones. Technically, we aren’t even certain where the artifact is. We’ve extrapolated a location based on the last known position and trajectory, but it could be anywhere. If we send the drones in the wrong direction, they could never course-correct. And Grigory would have to solve the propulsion and fuel needs and balance it against our own. With that said, I would like to hear more before we close the issue.”

A mission commander was never formally designated before we launched—but ever since the Pax assembled, Min has been acting like one. Maybe it’s because he’s flying the ship, determining where we go. Maybe he’s just a natural leader. Whatever the case, he’s doing a good job, and it’s helpful at the moment.

I nod to Harry, who continues.

“The Janus fleet would include two scout drones and three specialized drones: observation, communications, and intervention. Five drones total.”

“Size?” Grigory asks.

“Very small,” Harry answers. “Most will be nothing more than a booster and a specialized tool. All will have comm patches.”

“Fuel, energy requirements?”

“Minimal. This is a one-way trip for all the drones except the scout drones. They’ll be larger and will have more acceleration capability. The plan is for one scout to accelerate past the drone fleet and make good time to the artifact. It’ll have a long-range telescope to verify that the artifact is at the location we expect. The goal is for the drone to see the artifact, but not be seen. If the artifact isn’t where we think it will be, the drone will execute a search grid and try to find it, spending a week on the task. Then it will return to the drone fleet and comm-patch the results to the other scout drone as soon as it’s in line of sight of that drone’s telescope. That scout drone will reverse course and make best speed back to us to relay the results.”

“I like this,” Grigory says. “Even if rest of plan is garbage, this part is wise—verifying location.”

I almost laugh out loud. “Thanks for the faith, Grigory.”

“Welcome.”

“I agree, this is a good move,” Min says.

All eyes shift to Lina. “I’m on board.”

Charlotte simply nods. So does Izumi, who’s been silent so far.

“Then what?” Min asks.

Harry steeples his fingers. “Then, from the Pax, we launch a small drone on an intercept course to the Fornax and comm-patch what we’ve learned: artifact location, any messages we want to send from all departments. That’ll apprise them of any course adjustments that should be made and share our notes.”

After a long silence, Grigory says what we’re all thinking: “Assuming Fornax is out there.”

Harry answers quietly. “Yes, this will also answer the question of what happened to the Fornax.”

“And,” I add, “whether we should adjust our drone design objectives.”

“Whether you should build more bombs,” Min says. “If the Fornax isn’t out there or if it lost its offensive payload.”

“Yes,” I reply.

Charlotte’s eyes go wide. “Wait, you’re building drones with offensive capabilities?”

I nod. “We have to. Without Harry, it’s unlikely the Fornax is producing drones at all. Additionally, as Min noted, we don’t know if the nuke made it. Determining the artifact’s vulnerability could fall entirely to us. We don’t have a choice.”

Charlotte inhales. “Have you made the bombs yet?”

“No. We’re still in the design phase.”

“What sort of yield will they carry?” Grigory asks.

“Nothing on a nuclear scale. And some won’t be incendiary at all. We’ll probe a variety of offensive modes. Kinetic assault, electrical, laser, and of course more conventional ordnance, adapted for space.”