Contact - Carl Sagan [139]
Der Heer, she said, was "very sweet." Eventually, Ellie agreed to take an ultra miniaturized video camera. In the manifest that the project required, under "Personal Effects," she listed "Frond, palm, 0.811 kilograms." Der Heer was sent to reason with her.
"You know there's a splendid infrared imaging system you can carry along for two-thirds of a kilogram. Why would you want to take the branch of a tree?"
"A frond. It's a palm frond. I know you grew up in New York, but you must know what a palm tree is. It's all in Ivanhoe. Didn't you read it in high school? At the time of the Crusades, pilgrims who made the long journey to the Holy Land took back a palm frond to show they'd really been there. It's to keep my spirits up. I don't care how advanced they are. The Earth is my Holy Land. I'll bring a frond to them to show them where I came from."
Der Heer only shook his head. But when she described her reasons to Vaygay, he said, `This I understand very well."
Ellie remembered Vaygay's concerns and the story he had told her in Paris about the droshky sent to the impoverished village. But this was not her worry at all. The palm frond served another purpose, she realized. She needed something to remind her of Earth. She was afraid she might be tempted not to come back.
The day before the Machine was to be activated she received a small package that had been delivered by hand to her apartment on the site in Wyoming and transshipped by courier. There was no return address and, inside, no note and no signature. The package held a gold medallion on a chain. Conceivably, it could be used as a pendulum. An inscription had been engraved on both sides, small but readable. One side read:
Hera, superb queen with the golden robes, commanded Argus, whose glances bristle Out through the world.
On the obverse, she read:
This is the response of the defenders of Sparta to the Commander of the Roman Army: "If you are a god, you will not hurt those who have never injured you. If you are a man, advance-and you will find men equal to yourself." And women.
She knew who had sent it.
Next day, Activation Day, they took an opinion poll of the senior staff on what would happen. Most thought nothing would happen, that the Machine would not work. A smaller number believed that the Five would somehow find themselves very quickly in the Vega system, relativity to the contrary notwithstanding. Others suggested, variously, that the Machine was a vehicle for exploring the solar system, the most expensive practical joke in history, a classroom, a time machine, or a galactic telephone booth. One scientist wrote: "Five very ugly replacements with green scales and sharp teeth will slowly materialize in the chairs." This was the closest to the Trojan Horse scenario in any of the responses. Another, but only one, read "Doomsday Machine."
There was a ceremony of sorts. Speeches were made, food and drink were served. People hugged one another. Some cried quietly. Only a few were openly skeptical. You could sense that if anything at all happened on Activation the response would be thunderous. There was an intimation of joy in many faces. Ellie managed to call the nursing home and wish her mother goodbye. She spoke the word into the mouthpiece on Hokkaido, and in Wisconsin the identical sound was generated. But there was no response.
Her mother was recovering some motor functions on her stricken side, the nurse told her. Soon she might be able to speak a few words. By the time the call had been completed, Ellie was feeling almost lighthearted. The Japanese technicians were wearing hachimaki, cloth bands around their heads, that were traditionally donned