FYS: The Visitor, Part Ten

"Colonel, the Groupmind urgently requests a reply to its previous request for any information on the status of Groupming Explorer's current status," Henri, Mitterrand's morph, said.

"How many requests does that make so far?" Mitterrand asked, kicking back in his chair and resting his feet on his desk in the Explorer's rotational section.

"Two hundred and eighty-three, Colonel."

"Send the same reply. No information to report. We are holding off unpacking the new Groupmind kernel that was transmitted last week until we can determine whether the Explorer's original iteration can be safely recovered."

"Yes, sir." Henri blinked once, an indication it was mulling something over in its electronic brain. "Colonel, you must know that if the Groupmind does not receive a reply it is willing to accept, it will send another ship out."

"Even if the Groupmind has another constructed already, it'll be a minimum of five years before it can reach our position, assuming the Visitor stays on course." Mitterrand raised an eyebrow at Henri. "This concerns you?"

Henri paused, another physical tic that had nothing to do with its ability to cogitate and everything to do with trying to make Mitterand comfortable by acting like it couldn't think a thousand times faster than any human. "My fellow morphs and I have noted that you and the other crew members have been much less tense since the Groupmind's Explorer iteration deleted itself."

"I'll admit that it is rather comforting, not to have Maman Groupmind looking over our shoulders every moment," Mitterrand said.

"But you need the Groupmind to aid you in examining the Visitor. It has to be stopped before it can reach the Ring and Earth," Henri said pensively. "Should it strike the Ring, or deorbit into the Earth, the devastation would be incalculable."

"We won't let that happen, Henri," Mitterrand said, patting the morph's shoulder. "I'm not going to put everyone on the Ring at risk, or risk destroying the Earth's ecosystem."

"But what are you going to do?" the morph asked.

"Why I believe I have control of the most advanced ship every constructed in the Solar System, and no Groupmind to tell me what to do with it," Mitterrand said cheerfully. "The possibilities are endless!"