Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 44 - Coincidence And Misunderstanding (I)

The star wasn't on any of the Armstrong's starmaps, even the really hinky unverified ones. The ship caught it by chance, getting a whiff of some electromagnetic broadcasts that happen to waft into the Armstrong's space/time tunnel. That was more than tantalizing enough to warrant a detour.

Once they were close enough for instant back-and-forth ansible communication Captain Littlecrow stood up from her command throne.

"Hail the planet on the same frequencies we've seen them using," she said.

"Go ahead," replied Ensign Marceaux, sitting at the operations console behind her.

"This is Captain Alexandria Littlecrow of the Huxley Foundation Starship Armstrong. We come in peace. If anyone is recieving this message could they please reply?"

It only took a moment.

"We're being hailed," said Marceaux. "Oh we're getting multiple hails. Hundreds."

"Anything stand out?" asked the Captain.

"One has Martian Republic encryption," said Marceaux. "Like the really weird old stuff that they lost all the keys for."

"Put that one on the main screen," said the Captain.

"We won't be able to decrypt it, Captain," said Commander Gibson, still seated. "It'll be a garbled mess."

"Yes but they'll be able to hear our reply," said the Captain.

An image that looked like a bunch of colored lines put through a blender appeared on the screen. It crackled and popped with static.

"This is Captain Littlecrow," said the Captain. "We don't have the key for that kind of encryption."

The mess of scrambled up lines resolved into the picture of a man sitting at a fine real-wood desk behind a planetary coat-of-arms that looked like a blatant plagiarism of that of the old Martian Republic. He wore a blue suit and tie with a green dress shirt. His hair was immaculate.

"Good day, Captain Littlecrow. I am President Bodaway Gibson of the planet Terra. On the behalf of the people of Terra, the totality of whom I represent, I welcome you. However I do not believe it would be appropriate for us to speak over an open channel."

"We could send you one of our own keys, but we'd only be able to do it over an open channel where anyone else could get them. Do you have any other ideas?" asked the Captain.

"Give me a minute," said President Gibson. "I'll have some of my people look into it. End transmission."

The image on the main screen returned to that of outer space.

"President Gibson huh?" asked Lieutenant-Commander Mitzner. "That could get confusing."

"I don't see how," retorted Gibson.

"While they're looking into it, does anyone here have any ideas?" asked the Captain.

Nobody spoke up.

"This really isn't worth calling in the Science Department," said Mitzner quickly. "I mean they said they're looking into it."

"It'll be a last resort," agreed the Captain.

"There's another encrypted hail incoming," said Marceaux.

"Do we have the key for this one?" asked the Captain.

"No," said Marceaux. "It's the same kind of encryption."

"Put it on the screen," said the Captain, a little bemused.

Another jumbled up mess appeared on the screen.

"This is Captain Littelcrow again. We don't have the key for this form of encryption."

The image quickly resolved into a man sitting at a real-wood desk behind a derivative coat-of-arms. His suit and tie were green with a blue shirt. His hair was immaculate.

"Good day, Captain Littlecrow. I am President Broadway Gibson of the planet Terra. I would like to welcome you in the name of the great people of Terra who I and no one else have the honor to represent. I'm afraid it I don't think we should be speaking over an open channel."

There was a long beat of silence.

"Have we met?" asked the Captain.

"Of course not," replied President Gibson.

"Is there another President of Terra?"

"There is only one President of Terra!" the man snapped. "I am the President of Terra!"

"I see," the Captain lied. "Let me ask you this: is there a false President of Terra, a pretender who might claim the title but who has no legitimate right to it?"

"You are a very perceptive woman, Captain," said President Gibson.

"There's another encrypted hail coming in, Captain," said Marceaux. "Same kind of Martian encryption."

"That will be the pretender no doubt," said President Gibson. "Ready to fill your head full of lies. Do not listen to a word he says! If he says it is day you can know for sure it is night!"

"Do you have any ideas for how the two of us could speak, if you don't want to do it over an open channel?" asked the Captain.

"I'll have my people look into it," said President Gibson. "End transmission."

"Put the other Gibson on the screen," said the Captain. "Not our Gibson."

Mitzner grinned at Commander Gibson.

Another scrambled collection of nothing appeared on the main screen.

"We don't have any of these Martian Republic keys, President Gibson." said the Captain.

The encryption was removed and the image resolved properly.

"Slander and lies!" announced President Gibson. "My people overheard you speaking with the President of False Terra. Let me tell you Captain he is no President of Terra. He is trying to deceive you."

"He said the same about you," said the Captain.

"You see?" declared President Gibson. "That proves he's a liar!"

"We're being hailed again by President Gibson. The other President Gibson," said Marceaux.

"Don't listen to him!" insisted President Gibson.

"Well since neither of you wants to speak to me over an open channel except to tell me not to speak to the other, and since we don't have any mutual encryption keys, is looks like we'll have to wait until I arrive in your star system. Then we can sort out who is and isn't the President of Terra."

"That is most acceptable," said President Gibson. "You will see with your own eyes and there will be no doubt!"

"By the way your star doesn't appear in our charts," said the Captain. "What do you call it?"

"The Sun!" said President Gibson, beaming.