Chapter Thirty-Seven: Schemes

Icarus and Dae, imprisoned in a holding cell at the Sentry System, devise a creative communication strategy with the alien sentries by developing a visual-mathematical language through graphical exchanges. After establishing successful communication, they negotiate passage through the wormhole with an alien probe ship and return to Hub Zero, where they begin the process of reactivating the dead vessel by installing a Casimir generator.

Facing confinement with dwindling resources, Icarus theorizes that the station's builders must have emergency protocols for nonroutine situations, similar to security systems on Earth. Unable to reach the sentries through radio or SCUT communications, Dae suggests using visual signals since optical systems would attempt to identify any visual input. Icarus deploys a drone to project shapes, first as vector graphics and then as pixelated images, while transmitting matching data packets. The sentries eventually begin echoing modified packets back, establishing what they call a Graphical Exchange Format (GEF). Building on this foundation, Icarus systematically teaches mathematical concepts—numerals, arithmetic operations, and logical operators—which the sentries demonstrate they understand. Additional sentries gather to observe, suggesting some form of individuality and curiosity. Icarus then presents images showing the alien probe in working and non-working states, followed by similar images of their own ships, posed as a question. The sentries respond with an image of their ships exiting through the wormhole with a check mark, effectively granting permission. When Icarus proposes taking the alien probe vessel, the sentries approve after a processing delay. Using drones, they carefully maneuver both ships through the gate and return to Hub Zero with the alien vessel. The ship is a stripped-down Von Neumann probe with a fusion reactor but no working ramscoop and no hydrogen supply. Lacking compatible technology to restore the reactor, they decide to install a Casimir generator, a week-long surgical procedure on the alien vessel. Upon activation, the ship comes online and sends out a SUDDAR pulse, scanning their position. Anticipating communication difficulties identical to those with the sentries, Icarus prepares to establish the same visual-mathematical language with the awakened vessel.