The Signal
Sep. 2nd, 2012 12:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aaaaaaaagh_skyThe first Brotherhood test of the radio signal went well. So did the second- the official one. There were hangovers aplenty on both ends the next day, but the viability of the radio tower at RobCo as a means of communication with the Citadel had been established. A day or two later, after some adjustment and reconfiguration, Scribe Sprunk was able to make contact with Three Dog and then, two hours later, with Agatha. Over the next several days they picked up a few ground-bound signals, but all of them already existed on a list of known pre-War signal sources still operating off ancient fission batteries. They were so unchanging that Brotherhood and Outcast patrols tended to use them as navigation beacons; they had nothing to do with people any more. That was fine. Ellen could deal with that. She and the Scribes scratched those frequencies off their list of things to try, and went on.
On the first day, and the first night besides, despite scanning all the sky they could for all frequencies in the vicinity of the one Ellen remembered her Pip-Boy picking up, there was nothing.
On the second day, Scribe Younes sidled up to Ellen and quietly pointed out that an object in low Earth orbit would be circling the planet once every ninety minutes, and that it would only be visible from a radius of roughly six hundred and twenty miles from the sub-satellite point. Even if they found the right frequency, they were going to have an awfully small window of opportunity to signal their target. That got her a glare, and then a sigh, and a quiet thanks for the unpleasant reminder.
But it didn't stop the scanning, nor the signaling; and on the third night, as the sun set and the D layer of the ionosphere faded into insignificance, a light in the radio room came on that made Younes switch off the recording of Agatha's violin they'd been sending into space.
"-lo? Hello, can anyone-"
"We read you, unidentified signal source," said Younes, who was trying not to dance in her seat. "We're a ground-bound station at latitude 38.873, longitude negative 77.234. Who are we talking to?"
"... are you human?"
Younes did dance a little in her chair at that. "Yes, sir," she said as calmly as she could (which wasn't very). "We are. I promise."
"Oh thank God. I didn't know if anyone was left alive...."
A clatter of feet in the corridor outside the radio room signaled Paladin 101's arrival. Younes lifted a hand in acknowledgment and said, "Unknown signal source, I'm going to hand you over to my superior now. Do not go offline if you can help it."
"Your- wait, what? Who is this?"
"You've been speaking to Scribe Librada Younes of the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel," said 101, who was making absolutely no effort to keep the smile on her face out of her voice. "She's the technical lead on our radio signaling project. We've been trying to reach you for a while, my friend."
"I- this is- I'm not giving my name or service number until I know who the hell this is!"
"Elliott," said 101, smile broadening into a grin, "it's okay. You know me. You gave me General Chase's overcoat, remember?"
".....Ellen???"
Silently, 101 leaned over and held one hand out to Scribe Younes for a high-five.
On the first day, and the first night besides, despite scanning all the sky they could for all frequencies in the vicinity of the one Ellen remembered her Pip-Boy picking up, there was nothing.
On the second day, Scribe Younes sidled up to Ellen and quietly pointed out that an object in low Earth orbit would be circling the planet once every ninety minutes, and that it would only be visible from a radius of roughly six hundred and twenty miles from the sub-satellite point. Even if they found the right frequency, they were going to have an awfully small window of opportunity to signal their target. That got her a glare, and then a sigh, and a quiet thanks for the unpleasant reminder.
But it didn't stop the scanning, nor the signaling; and on the third night, as the sun set and the D layer of the ionosphere faded into insignificance, a light in the radio room came on that made Younes switch off the recording of Agatha's violin they'd been sending into space.
"-lo? Hello, can anyone-"
"We read you, unidentified signal source," said Younes, who was trying not to dance in her seat. "We're a ground-bound station at latitude 38.873, longitude negative 77.234. Who are we talking to?"
"... are you human?"
Younes did dance a little in her chair at that. "Yes, sir," she said as calmly as she could (which wasn't very). "We are. I promise."
"Oh thank God. I didn't know if anyone was left alive...."
A clatter of feet in the corridor outside the radio room signaled Paladin 101's arrival. Younes lifted a hand in acknowledgment and said, "Unknown signal source, I'm going to hand you over to my superior now. Do not go offline if you can help it."
"Your- wait, what? Who is this?"
"You've been speaking to Scribe Librada Younes of the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel," said 101, who was making absolutely no effort to keep the smile on her face out of her voice. "She's the technical lead on our radio signaling project. We've been trying to reach you for a while, my friend."
"I- this is- I'm not giving my name or service number until I know who the hell this is!"
"Elliott," said 101, smile broadening into a grin, "it's okay. You know me. You gave me General Chase's overcoat, remember?"
".....Ellen???"
Silently, 101 leaned over and held one hand out to Scribe Younes for a high-five.