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				|  |  |  |  | <!DOCTYPE html><html><head><title> <Lena first contact> </title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="html_resources/style.css"></head><body><div class="back"><a href="index.html"><</a></div> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | <h1><Lena first contact></h1> | 
		
	
		
			
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				|  |  |  |  | <p> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="comment">Missing: them cobbling their equipment together, | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   sending the remote activation sequence</span> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | </p> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | <p> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   The oscilloscope shows a thick wobbly line. Michelle slightly adjusts | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   the knob for the trigger frequency and the image turns into a continuous | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   sine wave, slowly rolling to the left.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   She says: <span class="quote speech">I think that's their carrier. | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   It worked.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Jack flips a switch on the project box.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Ringing.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Michelle picks up the receiver and listens.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote non-speech">Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep. Beeeeep.</span> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   A female voice greets her: <span class="quote speech">Hello?</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   She gestures for Jack to flip the switch back and says: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">This is ground support facility 53. Do you | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   hear me?</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Yes, I can hear you. So good to hear | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   someone's voice.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Jack who had heard it says quietly: <span class="quote speech">And I | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   thought we were the ones facing unexpected difficuties...</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Michelle notices the carrier strength gradually dropping and says: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Listen, we don't have much time. | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   We're on makeshift equipment. Please turn on the radio in front of | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   you and tune to <span class="comment">some frequency or | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   channel</span>.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   The person on the other end says: <span class="quote speech">Understood. | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Please stay on the line.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">As long as possible. If not, we'll be | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   back in 24 hours.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Michelle hears her quietly mumbling to herself: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">How's this thing work...</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   She turns the receiver away from her mouth and says: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Jack, I need the manual.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   He opens it at one of the bookmarks and hands it over. The page depicts | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   what the control panel on the other end should look like.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Speaking into the phone again, Michelle says: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">There should be a button labeled | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   EGCR-1. Push that in and flip the switch next to it up to | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote non-speech">AM</span>. Turn TXP to max, then search | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   for the frequency.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <!-- EGCR = Emergency Ground Comms Radio --> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   The voice comes through slightly choppy: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Th-ank-s.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   The wave on the oscilloscope is now almost flat.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   The phone plays an automated error message: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Dish unresponsive. Attempting network | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   handoff.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Relays click inside the comms unit and some status indicators light up | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   red. The green lights next to the network ports flicker for a moment, | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   then turn off again.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Another error message: <span class="quote speech">Handoff failed. | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Consult operational manu...</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Michelle puts the receiver down. | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | </p> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | <p> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="comment">The following dialog would benefit greatly from | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   proper radio protocol. Unfortunately, that is sonething I have yet to | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   learn. Feel free to send me a fixed version of it.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   James aims the antenna at the moon. <span class="comment">It's | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   resting on some kind of stand.</span> Jack takes the microphone off a | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   desktop radio and pushes the talk button a few times. An indicator light | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   on the radio blinks as he does.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">Looks good...</span> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   He speaks into the mic: <span class="quote speech">This is ground | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   facility 53. Do you copy?</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   He waits for a response.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   Nothing.<br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   He repeats himself: <span class="quote speech">This is ground | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   facility 53. Do you copy?</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   A few repeats later, the female voice answers: | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="quote speech">There we go... Loud and clear.</span><br /> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   <span class="comment">Missing: they introduce themselves, Lena says | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  |   something along the lines of "everyone is dead"</span> | 
		
	
		
			
				|  |  |  |  | </p> | 
		
	
		
			
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