Tangle in the Dark - Kassidor

up, not a daedalus on ions.”“That is encouraging, can the signature tell us anythingmore?”“It doesn’t match that of Curitiba or Al-Harron. It’s a littlecloser to that of Heavenly Mother, but not a good match forthat either.”“Go on,” Kelvin prodded.“The readings we got are most consistent with an earlybussard, something more like our own.”“Who is out here?” Kelvin asked.“We are the only one of the early bussard ships to everreturn to Sol. Gabriel’s Lamp was lost, Abraham’s Lamp andJoshua’s Lamp are still at Alpha Centauri, along with theLotus and the Henri D’Angelou. The Petrovak has ceasedtransmitting, but as their ground station was lost to Talstan in2206, I don’t think that means they were lost.”“Could we be tracking them?”“It is doubtful sir.”“What of the Zealand and the Thurston Har-Aldi?” Kelvinasked. They were ships of secular simulate corporationslocated in the asteroid belt.“Both presumed lost. There is also the Sao Luis, if youwant to call that an early bussard.” It was built in 2238, notmuch earlier than the initial construction of Heavenly Motherand Al-Harron. “It is inbound to Alpha Centauri on it’ssecond trip, we have confirmation from our people out therethat they can see its drive. It should be in in less than two289