Commander John Lewis was to issue similar orders to Space Command ships in the vicinity of the microwave net. There were enough SE ships close to the course the pirate fleet was taking that Firewasps could be launched to intercept the pirate ships within an hour.
John Rwakatare and Richard Starlight remained alone in Richard’s office. They were seated on a sofa, looking out over the vast lunar landscape. An enormous dark gray field stretched out for several miles before breaking up at the far side into jumbled, light gray boulders.
“What do you make of it, Rock?” asked Richard. “Why did Zimbardo tell the entire planet that he was going to pulverize it, and then set his projectile on a fly-by course?”
“I don’t think he merely made a mistake,” said Rock. “He’s shown he can guide asteroids to near-pinpoint accuracy.”
“Hmm, yes...but those were much, much smaller and were aimed at much closer targets. You don’t think he could have just...aimed and missed?”
“Possible, Rick, but I’m not convinced. Consider this: where did the communications from Zimbardo come from? An asteroid base. The Starmen told us about this hollow asteroid and that it could be ‘flown’ like a great spaceship. We have seen only one large asteroid coming toward Earth. To be blunt, I think Lurton Zimbardo is a liar. The asteroid he aimed at Earth is his own base! His threat to slam it into Earth was intended to cause panic—and it did! He achieved that without actually having to carry out his threat. I think the real threat is what is inside this hollow asteroid.”
Richard was listening intently. The relief he had previously felt was evaporating rapidly. He deeply admired and respected John Rwakatare. Rock had a remarkable and rare combination of a filing-cabinet mind and an ability to dream. He was eminently logical at all times, but could also come up with “leaps beyond logic” in which inspiration confidently answered a challenging situation. Now was one of those times.
Richard remembered when Rock had graduated from Starlight Academy fifteen years earlier. Richard was in his early forties at the time, and recalled the shock that went through the Starlight world when Rock was offered the position of Starman but had turned it down. He was the only person ever to have refused the honor. He had chosen instead to stay close to a young woman whom he loved; they had married and now had four young children. Rock rarely left his family, and Richard had placed him second in command of Starlight Enterprise.
Rock continued. “We already concluded that the ability to sheath spacecraft and even asteroids comes from an alien intelligence more advanced than our own race. I think it highly likely that the source—at least the immediate source—of that knowledge is the asteroid Zimbardo has taken over. We don’t know what other capabilities this asteroid base has. But we do know that Lurton Zimbardo is bringing it to Earth—very, very close to Earth, and that he will be here in fifteen days.”
Richard swallowed hard and looked away. “Oh my, Rock!—I’m sure you’re right. In fact, what other possibilities are there?”