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Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

March 20th 2157

            Salim moved in toward the three-crew members who were working on removing the last portions of the strange object that were still encased within the asteroid.  Having overheard that the photon blade didn’t cut into the object, he had gathered two tethers with synchs to secure it.  But there was something he wanted to do first.

            Salim extended a tertiary arm from his exoskeleton, moving the manipulator toward the object.  Clutched in the manipulator was a quasi sci-fi looking laser gun.  It wasn’t actually a gun, but it did contain a laser.  It was actually a portable laser spectrometer, a tool that would emit a laser and take in several readings.

One of the first readings taken is information on how the laser refracts.  Next readings of molecules, atoms, photons and even electrons that are released from the test object are collected.  By analyzing this information, the spectrometer could match up the results with any other known results and give accurate information regarding the molecular structure of the test object.

Salim activated the laser and held it in place for thirty seconds to insure an accurate read of the data.  Once he believed he had an accurate reading he sent the information to Jake to analyze.  He then began to wrap the tethers around the object and synch them down tight.  By the time he was done with the first tether, Mel had cut the last of the asteroid from the object.

Salim noticed that she was staring at the object; he couldn’t tell quite what her expression was.  He fastened the second tether around the object parallel to the first, made sure it was also tight, and then hooked a crampon to the intersection.  He then connected his exoskeleton to the object.

Salim allowed himself to float away from the object so he could get his first good look at it.  It was a large cube, maybe one and a half meters on all sides.  Salim assumed that it was made from an alloy of some sort, but what he couldn’t be sure.  It was black and seamed to absorb all light around it, almost like a miniature black hole.

Then something caught his eye, a reflection where there shouldn’t have been one.  He gently pulled on his tether bringing himself and the object toward each other.  Bringing his face close to the object he now noticed what looked like markings of some sort, possibly writing.

Salim was a fairly well traveled man.  He had lived in eight different countries, spoke four languages fluently, and believed that he had at least seen the written languages from every country that had objects in space.  This didn’t match anything that he had ever seen before.

The markings were cut into the object and were only about half a centimeter tall.  After spending only a minute looking at the markings he noticed that there was repetition.  Salim was convinced that this was some language that he had never seen before.

Once again he allowed himself to float away from the object.  He turned, oriented himself with the station, and activated his thrusters.  He headed strait for an airlock entrance to one of the loading bay, pulling the large cube behind him.

“It isn’t human is it?”  Mel’s voice suddenly spoke in his ear.

Salim wasn’t convinced one way or another if it were man made or potentially from an alien race that mankind had not yet had contact with.  “I don’t know.”  He simply responded.  He allowed a glance back over his shoulder and noticed that Mel wasn’t working on the next asteroid, but watching as he floated to the stations air lock.

“Salim,” this time it was Mathews.  “I’m not sure I want that thing on my station.  I want to know more about what it is before we bring it in.  Could you and Jafta run a few tests to determine if it is safe, and also what it might be.”